K&N Sponsored Malmgren Racing Very Successful at Hochenheim Ring in Germany
- 27 Aug 2010
In the first round of qualifying Malmgren had to shut-down, his car was experiencing violent tire shake. "It's easy to panic in a situation like that and change the whole car around, but we didn't, instead we found a shock sweeper that didn't operate and we fixed it" said Malmgren. In the next qualifying pass they ran a 6.83, with a lot of tire spin, but still good enough for the number two spot. Now if you figure drag racing is all about stumping the throttle and hanging on for a quarter-mile – think again.
"Third fastest was Mike Kallin, our main competitor for the title," explained Malmgren. "Jimmy Ålund did set the low ET with a stout 6.76. But we decided not to chase Ålund's low ET, or try to set records, the target was too keep Kallin behind us, and have a safe and consistent set up for Sunday, and go to the final." Malmgren took the first round with a 6.82 ET, setting up a meeting between Kallin and himself in the second round. In that race Kallin pulled off his best run of the weekend, running a 6.89. However, on a tricky track, damp from a steady, building drizzle and on the edge of having the race called, Malmgren covered Kallin with a 6.82. With that win the Malmgren Racing team took a big jump in the championship points race headed into the final race of the season in the United Kingdom in three weeks. In the other semi-final Jimmy Alund was upset by Jan Palmquist with a 6.92. So things were shaping up well for a Malmgren win in the finals at Hochenheim, as he had been running consistent 6.80 – 6.83 ET's all weekend. Yet, when it comes to fickle, nature clearly has even racing beat. Sunday's final got rained out, and Palmquist and Malmgren left with a shared win. Malmgren's points lead is so significant now he need only make one qualifying run, and qualify in the UK, in order to win the FIA European Drag Racing Pro-Stock Championship. And according to the latest news, technically speaking, Malmgren may have already sewed it up. "It seems we will only have eight cars going to the finals at this point, meaning all will qualify," Malmgren informs us. "Many cars have broken engines from the long season, and if you are not in it for the chase, they skip this race in UK, as travel to UK is expensive." "The key to our success this year is that we have been focused on making consistent runs and to have a safe set up for Sunday, in order to continually gain points, and have this chance at championship. Setting records is nice, but then you run on the edge, and that can bite you on race day." "Also, this year my team has really come along great, and the team spirit is very high," adds Malmgren. "We really enjoy what we do and what we've been able to achieve. We want to thank K&N for all their support. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
