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DRAG RACING EURO STYLE
Photo courtesy of Lena Pena, Speedgroup
Competitors and fans—from Scandinavia to the UK—are passionate about their sport, and that means a world of opportunity awaits US-based performance parts manufacturers and service providers.
This month marks the start of the European drag racing season, with May kick-off events scheduled for both the sportsman division—the Summit Racing EDRS Series—and the FIA European Drag Racing Championship.
“Racers have been waiting a very long time for the return of a normal race calendar [following the 2020 season disruption due to COVID-19], and we expect a strong 2021 season,” said Nils Lagerlof, CEO of Speedgroup, the Swedish-based administrator and promoter of both the Championship and EDRS series.
The EDRS Series is held primarily in the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland (with a round in nearby Estonia), and is expected to attract about 700 teams this year, similar to the number of teams it drew in 2019. But all bets are off regarding spectators.
“While the sportsman grassroots series typically attracts up to 4,000 spectators at an event, it’s really hard to guess the number of spectators we will see in 2021 because it has a lot to do with how the COVID vaccination process is advancing in Europe and if there are restrictions at the various venues remaining in place,” Lagerlof said.
Likewise, the Championship series—with 80 teams that usually attract up to 8,000 spectators at each round of the six-round series—may also be affected by COVID limitations.
“Currently, there are different COVID-related restrictions in the countries hosting championship rounds,” Lagerlof said. “The first event is in the end of May at Santa Pod, England, and no one knows what the COVID situation will be by then.”
OVERSEAS CONNECTIONS
Speedgroup was founded in 2006 by a small group of race teams active in the European Drag Racing Championships. It sponsors a contingency program to connect US and other manufacturers with racers and fans in the sportsman division and through a Speedgroup subsidiary, DRE, to serve as a similar bridge for the Championship series. Speedgroup AB is currently a shareholder company registered in Sweden; the majority of shareholders are active racers in the Championship and EDRS series.
Several US-based motorsports companies work closely with Speedgroup and have developed ongoing—and strong—ties with European racers and fans and lend support to the growth of the European drag racing scene. All are eager for racing to resume.
“At Tierp [the Swedish drag arena], I was struck by how closely and passionately the Swedish fans follow NHRA drag racing,” said Jim Greenleaf, motorsports and event manager at Summit Racing Equipment, Tallmadge, Ohio, who represents his company at the EDRS Series. “Everywhere you look, you see Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Charlotte Speedway hats and T-shirts, as well as other gear. You really wouldn’t know you are in Sweden if not for the accents.”
He went on to explain why the sportsman grassroots division is a good fit for Summit: “We can provide the full range of products and services for [these] racers. In addition to our company making the commitment to support the racing scene in Europe, it provides the opportunity for us to learn how to service these customers.
“We focus not only on delivering the products, but also on how to do so as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible,” he continued, “as we also work out issues such as taxes, tariffs, and shipping to get the products from the United States to our European customers.”
Another US company that’s quite active in the European drag racing scene is San Antonio, Texas-based VP Racing Fuels. Peter Coleman, who’s in charge of European business development for VP, told us his company has been working with Speedgroup/EDRS as its official fuel supplier since 2017. He also noted a long-standing deal with Santa Pod in the UK.
“The relationship…serves to bring VP Racing Fuels closer to the racers who need our fuels and expertise,” he said. “Drag racers know that VP is available at the circuits.
“Our network of dealers and distributors is strong—particularly across Scandinavia and the United Kingdom—and there should be no need for racers to carry fuel long distances across borders, potentially breaking laws on the way,” Coleman continued. “Our network, including Old Hall Performance in the United Kingdom, Ljungdahl Racing and JAMS AB in Sweden, Lindtek in Denmark, Fannrem Motorverksted in Norway, and Specialty Engineering in Finland, are supported by the contingency program and should be able to get racing fuel to any location.”
On the standards side, Poway, California-based SFI Foundation works closely with the FIA European Drag Racing Championship, the EDRS, and other race organizations and federations throughout Europe, according to President Jennifer Faye, who noted that SFI specifications are utilized across the continent “to ensure that racing and safety equipment is tested and manufacturer-certified to the minimum standards. That ensures performance quality of the certified items and helps prevent part failures while in use.
“SFI also assists with the inspection process and recertification of parts,” she added. “Many SFI specs require the parts to be inspected periodically to check for damage, undue wear, or other conditions that could harm the integrity of the part and prevent it from performing as intended or failing and causing a safety problem. Most of the hard-parts manufacturers are in the United States, and shipping heavy parts overseas for inspection can be very expensive, so we bring factory-trained inspectors to the racers in an effort to minimize cost for them. We have been conducting SFI inspections in the springtime before each race season for more than 20 years.”
Faye explained that during the pandemic, SFI’s regular inspection tour experienced interruptions, “but we have evolved our team of inspectors to be comprised of Europe-based technicians who have been able to carry on the inspections locally, with us coordinating the process from here in the United States. In addition to the annual parts inspections, we provide technical assistance with SFI specs using their regulations as well as providing a certification exam program for SFI International Technical Inspectors/Scrutineers.”
TIES RUN DEEP
The ties between European drag racing and its US counterparts—and the opportunities for stateside racing suppliers—run deep, according to Speedgroup and the firms we spoke with.
“In addition to the competitions we participate in and promote with our partners, we also work with fairs and other events,” Lagerlof said. “In 2019, Speedgroup met about 200,000 potential customers on seven trade fairs and events. Together with the audience of about 250,000 people at our competitions, our partners are seen as an attractive way toward a good target group.”
“There is a deep appreciation of American car culture there that keeps drag racing strong across European borders,” Faye explained. “In addition to the American car models you typically see, you also have the opportunity to watch cars go down the track that are unique to Europe. One example is the Ford Anglia nostalgic gassers in the United Kingdom. They are serious race cars, running in the sevens at almost 200 mph, and they are very different-looking from the types of cars we have here, but what’s under the body can be similar.”
Summit Racing’s Greenleaf agreed, telling us that “the enthusiasm in Europe for American muscle cars is incredible and evident on European race tracks.” He also noted that American cars and equipment readily find their way from the US to Europe, creating huge opportunities for US-based manufacturers.
In fact, Faye estimated that about 95% of certified hard parts used in European drag racing come from the states. “Many of the cars raced in Europe are American-based models, so there’s a market for American parts, whether it’s drivetrain or safety equipment,” she said. “Of course, there are several safety-equipment manufacturers in Europe for sourcing personal protective gear, but drag race-specific items such as supercharger restraints are solely produced in the United States, and there is a need for that equipment across the pond.
“Particularly with safety equipment, the one area we are always trying to expand in Europe is customer service and support,” she continued. “I would suggest that if there were US companies that would like to enter this market, they should connect with a local supplier or retailer in a particular country that they want to be in, whether it’s Sweden, Finland, the United Kingdom, or elsewhere. Having local knowledge is invaluable, and setting up a relationship with a supplier who can help you communicate and offer technical service and support to local racers goes a long way in gaining loyal customers.”
From sportsman racing to the professional classes, there’s a lot more drag racing taking place in Europe than outsiders may realize. Similarities are everywhere—Pro Mod classes, for example, are hugely popular on both US and European straightaways. The enthusiasm, too, is very much on par with what you’d find at a US drag strip, whether it’s Gainesville Raceway, the Texas Motorplex, Bandimere Speedway, or elsewhere.
“While we have a longer season in the United States, with more stops and more racers, there are smaller groups of drag racers and enthusiasts in Europe,” Coleman said. “But their depth of passion is no less than you’d get in the United States.”
SOURCES
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