Santa Pod (England), September 9, 2013 - As the fastest Pro Modified racer of the meeting, MPM-driver Marc Meihuizen impressed again at the European Finals. With 5.96 seconds the J.W.R. Racing-driver was the number one qualifier and the only Pro Mod-driver to break the 6-seconds barrier. In both the first round of eliminations and the quarter finals the MPM-driver went into the fives again and entered the semi-finals as the favourite. But in the quarter final run something went wrong with the flywheel ring gear and damaged the engine plate so badly, Meihuizen was unable to start in the semi-finals. That was the end of the MPM-driver's dream to win another race in the FIA European Championship. Meihuizen ended this highly rated championship in a great number three position and was the best Dutchman again.
The European Finals at Santa Pod Raceway was the sixth and last round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. With his first 5-seconds run at the Main Event, his first FIA EC-win at Alastaro and 5.905 seconds new personal best two weeks ago at Tierp Arena, MPM-driver Marc Meihuizen and his J.W.R. Racing '68 Pontiac Firebird already proved to be one of the fastest combinations of the 2013 season.
In the first qualifying run of the European Finals, Meihuizen made his intentions loud and clear. With a 5.963 seconds the MPM-driver left all other Pro Mod teams far behind. In the remaining three runs nobody could even come close to the Dutchman's score and so Meihuizen was the number one qualifier Saturday evening! Tuner and crewchief of the MPM-Firebird Joeri Woudenberg about qualifying: "With that first run we were so far away from the rest of the field, it was safe to try totally different set-ups in the other runs. We could not improve our time, but trying this, we knew what was possible at this track."
J.W.R. Racing went back to their set-up from the first round of qualifying and that paid off immediately. In the first round of eliminations Meihuizen had to face Kevin Slyfield and where the Englishman pulled a red light, the MPM-Firebird stormed to a winning 5,97 seconds. In the quarter finals Norbert Kuno was the next opponent, but due to oil leakage the German could not start and Meihuizen had a bye-run into the semi-finals. But this was no reason for the Dutchman to calm down and in 5.940 seconds for the third time in one weekend Meihuizen smashed the 6-seconds barrier. Back in the pits the team checked the engine and everything seemed to be okay. But when the team tried to fire up the engine for the usual warming up procedure, a strange sound from under the car was an indication the flywheel ring gear broke. The engine plate suffered heavy damage too and as there was only fifteen minutes to go before the start, Meihuizen had to withdraw from the semi-finals. That was the end of the MPM-drivers dream to win a second race in the FIA European Championship and to run into the 5.8 seconds. At the end of the meeting Meihuizen was still the only Pro Mod-racer to break the 6-seconds barrier at the European Finals and even do so three times. So the MPM-driver had by far the fastest combination in England. With 5.940 seconds and 242.39 mph (390 kph) the Dutch MPM-driver is the new and proud owner of two British national records.
In the FIA European Pro Modified Championship Meihuizen is the number three and again the best Dutchman. After two fourth and now a third position, for the third consecutive year Meihuizen is in the top four of this very competitive and most international class of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. J.W.R. Racing can look back at a great season where the MPM-Firebird was one the fastest and most consistent combinations in Europe. Only bad luck was the reason the team could not go for the number one or two position.
- Author
- Remco Scheelings
- Photographer
- Remco Scheelings
Dragracing FIA European Championship FIA European Finals Main event Marc Meihuizen MPM Racing MPM Sports Pro mod Santa Pod
