Coming to the FIA European Finals at Santa Pod our hopes and aims were high, we needed to reach finals against anybody except Knitilaa or Hansson, and if we had to race either of these two then we needed to beat them. So we felt our aims were very realistic. We feel we have the fastest car and a very well organized team that know how to tune the car very well. So it’s the finals that count, everything else is a downfall, and to set new record was just a matter of the weather. If we had decent weather less than 2000 ft corrected we would for sure run faster than 6,899.

Weather was 1200 corrected first round and track looked pretty good so we did set up the car for blowing the record away, and so we did. 6,85-202.58 I couldn’t believe it when Magnus came around the corner at end off track after his run and was the first to say Congratulations you run 6,85 (What a sportsman he is)

I was stunned, relived and very happy, my whole crew was very happy and this was like a pay back from me to them for all their hard work getting the Lahega Pro stock Grand AM up and running so strong after the crash (thanks also to Mats Eriksson race cars in Borlänge)

We backed it up next round with a 6,870-201, to take all thoughts away from the racers that thought it was a one lucky hit, no more to come. Then we run another 6,88 and 6,86 you cant be more consistent then that.

First round we beat Peter Dahlin in the Dodge and then second round we knocked out Tommy Leindahl and in finals I guess I lost focus a touch but were so pleased with knowing we had just had secured nr 2 spot in Championship, letting Jimmy winning with a very good and close race, we run 6,90 with a 0.099 reaction against Jimmy’s 6.92 with a 0.045 light so we lost with 3 hundreds. If I had pulled same light we had against Leindahl where I had a .0.540 we would win, but this is only speculation. Jimmy did win fair no bullshit on starting line when we race always nice and clean racing.

Considering we had one race less gaining points on the rest off our competitors it’s pretty miraculous that we could end nr 2, this is like a win for us.

We like too take the opportunity too also say without our sponsors it would be impossible. Great and Big Thanks to Lahega Kemi, Fuchs oil, Oakley, Nordea,

Myresjöhus, and all our USA Performance parts sponsors. (see list on associated sponsors)

Big thanks to our engine builder Bob Ingles that supplied the outstanding powerful engine to me and car builder and supervisor Jerry Bickel.

Now we will regroup for 2007 and new goals, guess what that will be???

MALMGREN SETTING NEW TOP SPEED RECORD AND SETTING LOW ET EVERY ROUND!

Coming to Mantorp our hopes and goals were set high due to good results in Finland, and again all the hard work did pay off with low et and top speed off the event and low qualifier with a hard battle with Jimmy Ålund as always, I was number 1 after Friday and in first round Saturday he took the number 1 spot but we took it back in the last session and run very well in eliminations leaving nothing left for opponents, but in semi we had a bad run due to clutch problems but still winning the round, but lost the critical lane choice against Jimmy Ålund. 6.99 couldn’t match his 6.96. Still another runner up and we seem now to be steadily working our self to the top off the championship.

Next round is next weekend in Norway, and we cant wait to get back in action.

 

After setting new European top speed record off 324.5 km and almost hitting the ET record with a good 6.908 at 3000 ft off air is pretty stunning (thanks Bob Ingles for making always such a good power) specially when second fastest is Jimmy Ålund as always (also Bob Ingles power) with 6.95- 320. All 4 qualifying runs within 2 hundreds and between 6.907 and 6.93 no other car had that consistency. First round we had the clutch too loose-track was better then we though-and ran only 6.907!!!!

Here we really could have killed the record and should if it hadn’t been for the mistake with clutch, second fastest car in first round was Magnus Hansson with a 6,97 so with that in mind we was very proud. Second round our good weekend ended by Ero Knitilla that did a burn down on tree by not going in stage and had me waiting for over 10 sec, I am surprised that the there was no auto start on tree as that had give Ero a automatically red-light, also a professional starter which we normally have on all FIA rounds wouldn’t let this happened. Anyway I could live with waiting with my engine rpm up, but my clutch could take the heat and when he finally went in and I hit full throttle the car crept and I lost focus for a couple off tenth off sec and as started flipped tree right away when he went in I was dead. I always like to make a fair race and normally I find all racers playing it straight on tree in Pro stock, you always want off course too take an advantage at start somehow but within the rules, but this time I and many others felt Ero went over the limit, too bad really. I guess they though if we cant outrun Michael lets fuck him up at tree.

As Jimmy lost first round it did open the door again just a snag for the title, but then we had too win in England and set low ET and he had too loose again first round, which I think never would happen. Jimmy is too professional and he normally never gives anything away or makes mistakes, He is very consistent. Lets face that as a fact. We had to good races in qualifying where I did beat him both times on fair and square races side by side.

We are still looking very much forward for Finals and we hope for better air and we will for sure put some numbers on scoreboard that has never been seen in pro stock history!

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Report from the 2006 Event at Alastaro

Here is a little report from Alastaro and our strong come back, after 4 weeks very hard work and the last 2 weeks non stop off of work at Mats Eriksson race cars in Borlänge (Big thanks especially to Jocke for all good work) where chassis was fixed and repaired with new parts from Jerry Bickel that had the new parts sorted very fast, also to Strange Engineering that fixed the struts the same day, Kadi at Leanders brothers racing that helped with plastic work, thanks to Mike Börjesson an ex team member that helped with the nice paint job on the chassis and is looking good as new, although there was no time to repaint front and doors.

Last 2 days we worked in shop around the clock to be able to get ready for some shake down passes at Meca to see if my driving skills was still there and if the car went straight, and it sure did. So we loaded the car after 4 test runs Wednesday evening at Meca and went back to the shop and loaded everything up and then left just after midnight to be able to be in Kapelskär at the latest 9.00 next morning, Anders did step on it all the way and we was in Kapelskär on time to catch the Ferry.

First qualifying at Alastaro 7.03, second 7.0 and then just faster and faster, ended up with 6,94 that was good enough for no. 2 spot with Jimmy Ålund no. 1 with 6.914, on last qualifying run we where put down to no. 3 by Magnus Hansson with a good and personal best for him 6,93. We were still not close on the tune-up and improved every run even if track went worse and worse from heat and oil downs.

First round in eliminations against Tommy Leindahl we run a solid 6,913-200.5 which is the fastest run in Europe this year, still we see a lot that can be improved, but now we had to focus on winning rounds, so we did by beating Magnus Hansson in second round and we up against Jimmy Ålund in Finals. As Jimmy "only" run 6,99 in semi and we had ran 6,95 we had lane choice and by that we was pretty sure we had him as right lane was the worse by far, but Jimmy showed he is very talented and tuned his car and was the only Pro Stocker that managed to make a good run in right lane on Sunday and pulled off a 7.0 against ours 6,96, but with 440 light against my 4,96 we lost with 1 hundredth.

Overall we are very pleased with our comeback, we went home with a good runner up finish and low ET and Top Speed of the weekend, so considering how all looked 4 weeks ago, Yes we are pleased, but we had to aim for a win to be able to still keep the Championship alive, now Jimmy has it in a box, but box is not locked yet!

And off course still both Ero and Magnus Hansson have a good shot at the title the way I see it, where Magnus is the more consistent car off the 2.

Without the support from Lahega our new main sponsor this come back wouldn’t take place, we now showed that they did put the money on the right horse.

Also last I would like to mention and thanks Bennett Design at www.bennettdesign.info for the support and building off our web site www.malmgrenracing.com

Also news is that we have landed deal with Oakley Europe that now is the team official clothing/eyewear sponsor. www.oakley.com

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Report from the 2006 Main Event at Santa Pod UK

Biggest obstacle it seemed was going to affect this event was the great English weather but it did hold long enough for a lot for the rounds to be completed and some excellent racing took place. Although there was one incident that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons, Michael Malmgrens crash, below is a brief report from Michael himself about the incident.

All I can say is that looking on onboard computer it looked like a real fast run up to that point it was pulling hard in 3rd gear and it was right after the shift into 3rd when the tyres totally broke loose it was like hitting a black ice spot on the track. This was also without warning which gave me no chance to avoid the accident, luckily I lifted off the throttle at the right time when I saw wall coming and that help slowing the car so it didn’t hit the wall at 90 degrees and if so it would have rolled and been destroyed totally, now I clipped the wall and ripped off the steering and this meant that I could not avoid hitting wall on the other side of the track as I couldn’t steer the car, by instinct I clicked the engine at the impact so it should be fine and it never over revved as result off that, so that was at least a good point. Now with help from Mats Eriksson which I know personally he said right away when he looked at car, this is no problem with fixing the car and we can do it and make as new again, those words felt good and I know his guys are probably the best outside the USA. My friend Jerry Bickel, owner off JBRC will do his best to get my new front a.s.a.p.

My team are very keen on getting the car back together even if we were all supposed to have some time off as they all worked very hard the last few weeks to get ready for Main event. Now that time off is not available and they have to work even harder, so what more can I say other than I am very proud to have the crew I have and that they have the will and desire to win and to succeed with Malmgren Racing.

Having my main sponsor Lahega at this event and at there first Drag racing event ever was very exciting for both them and myself, C.O off Lahega, Torbjörn Lindgren said to me that we are behind you regardless the decision you make for the future and we all agreed the best solution was to get back on the track as fast as possible. This support and words was just what I needed to get the strength to work hard to solve everything and to be able to be back for Alastaro.

I like also like to add that we are proud to announce the support from Oakley that will dress the team with their cool products. Oakley sunglasses are just awesome, especially the ones called Thumb with a built in MP3 player, see www.oakley.com for details.

Also we are very proud to announce continued support from about 20 USA Performance car parts/engine parts suppliers that will support my team with the best products and R&D possible. Such as Wiseco pistons, Strange Engineering, MSD Ignition, Federal Mogul, GRP rods, Balzers, Weld wheels, Eaton - Aeroquip, see Sponsors page for details and full list.

This support is very important and it also gives my engine builder Bob Ingles the possibility to use the best products possible in my new engine.

We are looking forward very much to be able to use it at our comeback at Alastaro.

www.malmgrenracing.com