{"id":104710,"date":"2026-09-03T15:44:05","date_gmt":"2026-09-03T15:44:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/nitrolympx-2026-a-race-against-the-clock\/"},"modified":"2026-09-03T15:44:05","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T15:44:05","slug":"nitrolympx-2026-a-race-against-the-clock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/nitrolympx-2026-a-race-against-the-clock\/","title":{"rendered":"NitrOlympX 2026: A Race Against The Clock"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 47,000 fans packed the grandstands of the Rico Anthes Quartermile at Hockenheim for round 3 of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. But after rain delays, hard-fought eliminations, and a pair of major oildowns, the clock ultimately won.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The 39th NitrOlympX had almost everything a drag racing fan could ask for: spectacular qualifying performances, a new European record, close eliminations, a sold-out Nightshow, and packed grandstands. What it ultimately lacked was the one thing every race needs: a finish for its remaining finals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

From Friday onward, the event became a race against the clock. Heavy rain disrupted Friday\u2019s qualifying, two further showers interrupted Saturday, and by Sunday the accumulated delays had left almost no margin for error. When a lengthy oildown pushed the event toward Hockenheim\u2019s strict 6 p.m. curfew, nine FIA and FIM championship finals, along with five Sportsman finals, were left ready to run but unable to take place.<\/p>\n

Qualifying<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

The weather immediately put pressure on the schedule. Rain interrupted the first round of Top Methanol qualifying, forcing a lengthy delay before racing could eventually resume at around 7 p.m., allowing the drivers to complete their first and only qualifying session of the day. After Top Methanol, Pro Modified, and Pro Stock had completed their sessions, the rain returned, bringing the day to an early end and leaving Top Fuel without a qualifying run. Friday\u2019s qualifying program was effectively cut in half.<\/p>\n

Saturday was considerably better, although a couple of showers and several cleanups caused further delays. As a result, the third FIM Super Street Bike qualifying session had to be moved to Sunday morning.<\/p>\n

After two abbreviated qualifying days, Jndia Erbacher topped Top Fuel with a 4.053 at 248.62 mph, ahead of Susanne Callin\u2019s 4.102 and Colin Millar\u2019s 4.360 at 194.47 mph.<\/p>\n

Pro Modified was even tighter: Michel Tooren led with a 5.815 at 244.87 mph, followed by Stian Rus\u00e5nes at 5.825 at 240.71 mph and Jere Rantaniemi at 5.829 at 248.71 mph. Just .014 seconds separated the top three.<\/p>\n

In Pro Stock, multiple-time European champion Jimmy \u00c5lund set the pace with a 6.596 at 210.34 mph, ahead of Robin Nor\u00e9n\u2019s 6.644 at 207.69 mph and Michael Malmgren\u2019s 6.701 at 200.74 mph rounding out the top three.<\/p>\n

Tony Bryntesson topped Top Methanol qualifying with a 5.284 at 270.64 mph, ahead of home favorite Timo Habermann at 5.312 at 270.53 mph and Jonny Lagg at 5.375 at 273.28 mph.<\/p>\n

In the bike category, the headline performance came from Luke Farrugia. The Maltese Funny Bike rider ran a 6.146 at 221.42 mph, lowering Stuart Crane\u2019s European record of 6.181 seconds.<\/p>\n

Saturday night then provided a spectacular change of pace. The sold-out Nightshow turned the Motodrom into a theater of illuminated dragsters, bikes, jet-powered machinery, FMX, stunt riding, aerial performances, fireworks, and more.<\/p>\n

Raceday<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

Susanne Callin defeated RF Motorsport teammate Colin Millar in the opening round of Top Fuel, with both drivers stepping off the throttle early, but Callin still taking the win with a 4.102 at 298.34 mph. On the other side of the ladder, Jndia Erbacher defeated \u00d8yvor Jacobsen with a 4.053 at 248.61 mph, while Jacobsen recorded a 4.802 at 159.69 mph but also pulled a red light in the process. The result was an all-female final between Erbacher and Callin, perhaps one of the most anticipated matchups of the weekend.<\/p>\n

Top Methanol was equally eventful. Jonny Lagg advanced past J\u00fcrgen Nagel with a 5.359 at 269.08 mph. Beating Nagel\u2019s slower 5.811 at 247.88 mph. Lagg faced local hero Timo Habermann in the semifinal. Habermann had the quicker reaction time, but Lagg\u2019s 5.317 at 269.19 mph was enough to beat Habermann\u2019s 5.385 at 265.17 mph and earned him his spot in the final. Tony Bryntesson advanced on a bye in the first round. In the next round, Bryntesson lost to Isak Lagg, who ran 5.758 at 197.39 mph. However, Lagg suffered engine damage during the run, allowing Bryntesson to return as an alternate for the potential all-Swedish Bryntesson-Lagg final.<\/p>\n

Pro Mod points leader Andres Arnover started into eliminations with a first-round victory over Mats Eriksson. The Estonian driver powered to a 5.852 at 248.11 mph, while Eriksson recorded a 5.997 at 239.48 mph. In the second round, Arnover faced David Vegter. Arnover posted a 5.816 at 248.93 mph to defeat Vegter\u2019s 6.153 at 181.06 mph and advance to the semifinals. There, Arnover met Michel Tooren. It proved to be a dramatic semifinal. Tooren left first with a .008 reaction time, but his run came apart as he lost the blower belt, coasting to a 9.719 at 89.68 mph. Arnover\u2019s own run was far from clean, but his 6.378 at 215.99 mph was enough to put him into the final.<\/p>\n

On the other side of the ladder, Stian Rus\u00e5nes took a different route to the final. The Norwegian opened eliminations against Marcus Hilt and produced a 6.229 at 237.13 mph, defeating Hilt\u2019s 9.623 at 78.77 mph. Rus\u00e5nes then received a bye in the second round, advancing directly to the semifinals. His semifinal opponent was reigning FIA European Pro Modified champion Jere Rantaniemi. Rus\u00e5nes got the advantage immediately with an almost-perfect .003-second reaction time and followed it with a 5.888 at 220.77 mph. Rantaniemi, who had run a 5.806 at 249.35 mph in the previous round, shut the car off after it began moving around in the lane and finished with a 6.336 at 206.01 mph. Rus\u00e5nes therefore advanced to the final against Andres Arnover. A final with major championship implications on the line.<\/p>\n

Pro Stock veteran Jimmy \u00c5lund began eliminations against local favorite Henry Riehl. \u00c5lund powered his Chevrolet Camaro to a 6.600 at 210.46 mph, while Riehl recorded a 7.071 at 196.36 mph. \u00c5lund then received a bye in the semifinals, but instead of taking it easy and just breaking the beams he posted a 6.599 at 210.74 mph, to earn lane choice in the final.<\/p>\n

Robin Nor\u00e9n came into eliminations on the other side of the ladder and first faced fellow Swede Stefan Ernryd. Nor\u00e9n left with a .052-second reaction time and ran a 6.629 at 208.21 mph, edging Ernryd\u2019s 6.717 at 206.73 mph to advance to the semifinals. Nor\u00e9n then met Michael Malmgren for a place in the final. Malmgren suffered severe tire shake, while Nor\u00e9n put together another solid run, posting a 6.635 at 208.18 mph to take the win and complete an all-Swedish final. The final therefore would have been a repeat of the previous year\u2019s NitrOlympX Pro Stock final: Jimmy \u00c5lund versus Robin Nor\u00e9n. However, just as in the other FIA Pro categories, the final was never run.<\/p>\n

Two major oildowns had already caused lengthy delays during the afternoon. The decisive incident came when Stefan Hagenstein\u2019s Suzuki left a long trail of oil on the Rico Anthes Quartermile. The subsequent cleanup consumed the remaining time available before Hockenheim\u2019s strict 6 p.m. curfew. Race control had no choice but to stop the event.<\/p>\n

The unfinished FIA, FIM and Sportsman finalist pairings:<\/strong><\/p>\n

FIA Top Fuel Dragster: Jndia Erbacher vs. Susanne Callin\u2028<\/p>\n

FIA Top Methanol Dragster: Tony Bryntesson vs. Jonny Lagg\u2028<\/p>\n

FIA Pro Modified: Andres Arnover vs. Stian Rus\u00e5nes\u2028<\/p>\n

FIA Pro Stock: Jimmy \u00c5lund vs. Robin Nor\u00e9n\u2028<\/p>\n

FIM Top Fuel Bike: Luke Farrugia vs. Stuart Crane\u2028<\/p>\n

FIM Supertwin: Marcus Christiansen vs. Anders Vodby Jensen\u2028<\/p>\n

FIM Super Street Bike: Dimitros Kontarinis vs. Alan Morrison\u2028<\/p>\n

FIM Pro Stock Bike: Bertrand Maurice vs. Karl-Heinz Weikum\u2028<\/p>\n

FIM Junior Drag Bike: Harry Isaacs vs. Leah Morrison<\/p>\n

Pro E.T.: Bj\u00f6rn Szendzina vs. J\u00fcrgen F\u00f6rsch\u2028<\/p>\n

Super Pro E.T.: Marco Grandini vs. Robert Gassner\u2028<\/p>\n

Super Comp: Gerd Habermann vs. Janine Petzold\u2028<\/p>\n

Super Gas: Oscar Scappocin vs. Philipp Daud\u2028<\/p>\n

Pro Comp: Ren\u00e9 Ehrismann vs. Jack Williams<\/p>\n

Winners in other categories were:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Funny Bike: Markus Laur\u2028<\/p>\n

ET Bike: Thomas Troupkos\u2028<\/p>\n

Super Comp Bike: Sami Ylh\u00e4inen\u2028<\/p>\n

Junior Dragster: Felix Schmid\u2028<\/p>\n

Junior Drag Bike DMSB: Leif-Erik Braune<\/p>\n

The 2026 NitrOlympX will be remembered for both what happened and what didn\u2019t. The racing delivered, but after three days of fighting weather, delays, and oil, there simply weren\u2019t enough hours left to finish the event within the given curfew. Eventually, the clock won. For 14 pairs of finalists, there was no winner, no loser, and no final run down the Rico Anthes Quartermile, just unfinished business waiting for the already highly anticipated 40th anniversary edition of the NitrOlympX in 2027.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n

This story was originally published on September 3, 2026. \"Drag<\/p>\n

The post NitrOlympX 2026: A Race Against The Clock<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 47,000 fans packed the grandstands of the Rico Anthes Quartermile at Hockenheim for round 3 of the FIA European Drag Racing Championship. But after rain delays, hard-fought eliminations, and a pair of major oildowns, the clock ultimately won.\u00a0 The 39th NitrOlympX had almost everything a drag racing fan could ask for: spectacular qualifying […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104710\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}