Santa Pod, May 28 2013 - MPM-driver David Vegter had the best possible start of the new season. At the first round of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship at Santa Pod Raceway, Vegter reset his personal best twice, to bring it down to a stunning 6.093 seconds. With these great runs the MPM-driver advanced to the Pro Modified final and made it to another great 6.10 seconds. But still this was not enough to beat reigning FIA European champion Michael Gullqvist. But his runner-up position and personal best made Vegter the star of the Main Event Pro Modified competition and as a result of his great performance the MPM-driver is also in second position in the FIA European Championship.
The FIA European Drag Racing Championship took off with last weekend's Main Event at Santa Pod Raceway. With 19 drivers from six different countries Pro Modified, the class MPM-driver David Vegter is part of, had the biggest, most international and most competitive field of all FIA European Championship classes. Vegter and his Vegter Pro Mod Racing have good memories of their last visit to Santa Pod Raceway as in September's European Finals the MPM-driver finished in a surprising runner-up position. Last winter the team improved the '67 MPM-Camaro again and as it was not possible to test the car, the team had to wait until the first run at Santa Pod to see how the car would react.
The 6.59 seconds in the first round of qualifying gave the Vegter Pro Mod Racing crew a good feeling and at that time the MPM-driver was in second position. But in the other three qualifying runs Vegter was hit by problems, could not improve his time and was back in ninth position at the end of qualifying. In the evening the crew made some major changes to the MPM Camaro's set-up. That immediately paid off in the first round of eliminations as Vegter improved to 6.388 seconds, to leave Swedish frontrunner Mats Eriksson far behind. In the quarter final Vegter had to face MPM-colleague Marc Meihuizen, but as the Pontiac was leaking liquid, Meihuizen had to shut off and Vegter was on a bye run. But even without an opponent the MPM-driver made a stunning run and improved his personal best set at last year's European Finals (6.114 seconds) to 6.101 seconds. But there was more to come. Like in last years Euro Finals Vegter had to face Bruno Bader in the semi-finals, the runner-up in the 2011 and 2012 European Championship. And again in a great 6.093 seconds Vegter set a new personal best, left the Swiss behind and was in the final again. And even the final was the same as last year's Euro Finals as the MPM-driver had to race against Michael Gullqvist, the reigning European champion.
With a slightly better reaction time Vegter was in front and with 6.106 seconds, for the third consecutive time, the MPM-driver was faster then his former personal best. But even that was not enough to beat Gullqvist's 5.98 seconds. But to start the new season with a runner-up position was a dream come true for Vegter Pro Mod Racing, especially after the problems in qualifying. The MPM-driver is also second in the FIA European Championship now. Apart from the new personal best, the team was even happier with the consistency as they ran a 6.1 two times and a 6.09 in three consecutive runs.
Within two weeks Vegter Pro Mod Racing will face their next challenge as they will go to Tierp Arena in Sweden for the second round of the FIA European Championship.
- Autor
- Remco Scheelings
- Fotógrafo
- Remco Scheelings
David Vegter Dragracing Main event MPM Racing MPM Sports Pro mod Santa Pod
