A need for speed as the European Finals head to Santa Pod

The trio all drive 10,000-horsepower Top Fuel Dragsters.

Finland’s Zetterström holds the European speed record at 321.01mph. Sweden’s Callin is a shade slower at 320.20mph and Switzerland’s Erbacher held the previous record at 318.96mph before the other two topped it at Santa Pod Raceway in May.

Now all three will return to Santa Pod between September 7 and 10 in a season-ending shootout to settle who will be 2023’s FIA Top Fuel champion.

The European Finals will see more than two dozen overseas entrants take on Britain’s finest dragstrip practitioners across a range of two and four-wheeled European championship title-chases supported by an array of UK national classes.

In Top Fuel, Malta’s ex-champ Duncan Micallef and Denmark’s Stig Neergaard will battle to uphold male honour in pursuit of their own race-winning ambitions.

Almost as fast and just as loud as the Top Fuel Dragsters, five ground-pounding nitro Funny Cars provide a Swedish opponent, Patrik Pers, for Britain’s high-octane quartet of Kevin Kent, Steve Ashdown, Kevin Chapman and Jason Phelps.

Fifteen overseas entrants will make the trip to battle Britain’s finest Pro Modified racers in a double-header contest combining rounds of the FIA European and Motorsport UK British championships with Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Estonia all represented.

On Pro Mod’s home front, Bobby Wallace has been running away all season with the Motorsport UK British championship. Wallace has reached Santa Pod’s last six Pro Mod final rounds, winning four.

Overseas entries also compete in the Pro Stock and Top Methanol classes. Top Methanol features Dragsters and Funnies racing together.

On two wheels, FIM-Europe competition includes Top Fuel Bikes, SuperTwin Bikes, Pro Stock Bikes and Super Street Bikes.

Last time out at Santa Pod in May, Sweden’s Top Fuel Bike champion Rikard Gustafsson twice exceeded 260mph to set a remarkable new European speed record.

Similar exceptional performance figures were attained in Super Street Bike when Britain’s race-winner Alan Morrison Jr topped 230mph.

Alongside the championships, track action includes three spectacular Jet Cars and Graham Sykes’ extraordinary steam-powered ‘rocket’ bike, Force of Nature, which has already clocked sub-seven-second, 150mph quarter-mile passes.

Away from the track, Santa Pod’s regular programme of family attractions includes Monster Trucks, stunt shows, children’s entertainments, funfair rides and live music.

The European Finals takes place at Santa Pod (NN29 7XA) from Thursday, September 7 to Sunday, September 10.

Full information about the event can be found at https://santapod.co.uk/european-finals.php and tickets can be booked online at https://santapodtickets.com/ or by calling the box office on 01234 782828.