History was made at the final round of the 2015 European FIM Championships when Steve Venables ran the first six-second pass in Europe by a Super Street Bike. There were also records set at the event and many personal bests.
Top Fuel Bike.
Multi-time Champion Ian King struggled with traction problems and in the final qualifying session King ran 5.900 at 242.77mph first rider in Europe to run 240 plus mph. That run qualified him in number one spot, ahead of Steve Woollatt who ran a p/b of 6.230. Points leader Rikard Gustafsson was next 6.548 followed by Rene Van Den Berg 6.652 at a personal best speed 222.26mph. Nick Milburn ran his first 200 plus mph (206.19). Stuart Crane ran personal best figures 7.060-185 on his Funny Bike. Bob Brooks also ran a p/b 7.174.
King set a new speed record in his first round bye run 236.21mph. Gustafsson beat Woollatt in semi-finals when Woollatt had a drive belt break. King won a close race against Berg 6.477 to 6.574.
So the winner of the final would be crowned Top Fuel Bike Champion. Gustafsson put a holeshot (rt032 to 192) on King who then powered around to take the win light and the title for the ninth time.
SuperTwins.
With Job Heezen not able to attend, Martijn De Haas was crowned the 2015 European FIM SuperTwins Champion. De Haas then broke a shaft in the transmission on his first qualifying pass and was out of the show. Ronny Aasen ran a personal best et of 6.374 to lead the small field. Roman Sixta recorded his first six-second pass (6.725) recently at Tierp, Sweden and ran another six here at Santa Pod 6.989. Petr Ceska is now the owner of Sixta old bike and he had a few problems during qualifying and didn’t qualify.
Both Aasen and Sixta had byes to the final. Come the final and Aasen was a no show leaving Sixta a bye run to win his first ever FIM event.
Pro Stock Bike.
Fourteen bike entered the sixteen bike eliminator with Fredrik Fredlund led the field in qualifying 7.013 and set a European speed record 190.45mph. Robert Karlsson was the nearest rider 7.091. There were personal bests for three UK riders Alex Hope 7.224, Martin Newbury 7.247 and Len Paget 7.326. Ellsa Karlsson crossed lanes in the shutdown area and touched the wall, she was ok, but the crankshaft had a bolt damaged. Karlsson didn’t ride the bike after that session.
Only Newbury from the UK got through round one of the eliminations and ran a personal best speed of 177.11mph. Fredlund ran low et of the meeting 7.006 to beat Ray Debben
to become the 2015 European Pro Stock Bike Champion.
There were two great races in the semi-finals with AndersLarsson winning on a holeshot 7.208 to a quicker but losing Robert Larsson 7.189. Fredlund just beat Kenneth Holmberg 7.122 to 7.177.
Larsson returned to the FIM Championship after being absent number of years and beat Fredlund in the final 7.186 to 7.460.
Super Street Bike.
Yet again Super Street Bike class were the stars of the event and history was made in the final qualifying session. Garry Bowe ran a personal best 7.036 to lead the field at the end on Friday’s sessions. The next day Dave Holland ran the quickest and fastest time and speed 7.014-209.16mph in Europe. Then in the final session Steve Venables ran the first six-second pass 6.950 at 212.84mph (first 210plus mph in Europe). Holland followed and set both et and speed records with back up figures of 7.026-208.03mph. There were few other riders who ran personal bests in qualifying. Richard Stubbins 7.066, Jemma Venables 7.335, Daniel Lencses 7.355, Mark Wells 7.559 and Mark Hope 7.841-185.84mph.
Round one of the eliminator saw points leader Stubbins knocked out by Pete Field. Mogens Lund (7.300) and Thomas Granica (7.424) ran p/bs. Round two and Steve Venables ran 7.004 (back up 6.950) at 209.95mph to set new et and speed record. In the semi-finals Bowe had to beat Holland to win the Cup. Holland red lit and Bowe was the 2015 European FIM Super Street Bike Cup winner. Facing Bowe in the final was Steve Venables who led from start to finish to end a meeting he will never forget for the rest of his life.
Congratulations to the following Champions.
Top Fuel Bike. Ian King.
SuperTwins. Martijn DeHaas.
Pro Stock Bike Fredrik Fredlund.
Super Street Bike. Garry Bowe.
Report by Steven Moxley.