Event Coverage

2008 Swedish SFI Weekend

	Christer Abrahamson kindly put your reporter up on Friday evening. It's amazing how much disruption one small guy can cause to a perfectly orderly living room.		"Coffee and a sandwich" på svenska.
	When the SFI team had got over the shock of finding Tog waiting for them in Sweden they built up some strength for their coming exertions by tucking in to breakfast on the journey from Smidö to Åkers Styckebruk.		The Swedes do everything better than us, even motorway service areas are beautifully situated.
	SFI Foundation President Arnie Kuhns consulted the Sat Nav on his Blackberry and announced "This thing says we are in the middle of nowhere".		Arnie's Sat Nav helpfully informed him that we were travelling over water. Those of us without Sat Nav had to look out of the window to gauge the geography.
	After a short drive we fetched up at Persåker's Speed Shop...		...no mail today...
	...but I think we got the point that the place was open.		We were greeted by two of Jöran Persåker's dogs. This was Godis who was all mouth until you went anywhere near her then she rolled over on her back...
	...Nitro on the other hand was a singularly surly little character as you can see.		Tim Hyatt introduced himself to Godis and Nitro only to get growled at for his efforts.
	A much easier proposition was a huge queue of bellhousings and clutches awaiting the attention of the SFI team.		They were in boxes, they were on supermarket trolleys, they were everywhere.
	Tim, Murf McKinney and Andy Robinson checked out the Leanders brothers' newly-certified self-designed and built clutch whilst Arnie prepared the stickers.		Jörgen and Ulf Leanders have every reason to be proud of their new clutch...
	...and being told by Tim that he was very impressed with their work must have been the icing on the cake.		The SFI team soon swung into action and just did not stop all day.
	Murf checking another clutch.		I can't say I've ever seen an anodised clutch before.
	Andy and Ulf Olsson worked on bellhousings, calling details over to Arnie for record-keeping and the issue of stickers.		With a gentle hand Tim engraved inspection numbers on every clutch he checked out.
	Andy and Ulf got through the bellhousings at a prodigious rate.		That'll be the retirement rescinded, then.
	Meanwhile Jöran was keeping the front of house going as the Speed Shop was of course open for normal business.		Not quite so tough now, huh?
	At one point the queue of pieces to be inspected stretched the length of the place twice. Rolf Lundberg aka Loffy checked out the waiting list.		Svenska Bilsportförbundet Drag Racing Committee Chairman and FIA Commission member Lars Pettersson (seated) was in charge on the official side. Peter Larsson (standing) worked on the clutch inspections.
	Jörgen Lindholm was also working on clutch inspections.		Conny Kristiansen worked with Andy on bellhousings.
	The irony of it...Jöran's other dog Hemi was as laid-back as they come, unlike the much smaller but far more gobby pair we met earlier.		Peter must have wondered where all the clutches were coming from; as soon as he handed one clutch back to Tim another one was put in front of him.
	Rosie Millberg is planning a return to drag racing after thirty years and a TV crew was following her story. Here Krister Johansson was trying to persuade Rosie that injected-nitro Top Methanol Dragster was a better option than Top Fuel Dragster.		Nitro still looks a bit pee'd off don't you think?
	It was great to see Tezzii (right) and Big Stan, our colleagues from EurodragsterNorth.com.		This bellhousing didn't get through tech, you can see why.
	After Saturday's exertions it was off to Eskilstuna to check in to the hotel and go to dinner.		Dinner was to be a candlelit, intimate affair for eighteen.
	The food was very colourful and rather delicious.		On to Sunday and there was still a signifcant tail end of inspections for the team to complete.
	Andy and Conny checked out Stig Neergard's bellhousings. Stig told us that he was off to the USA the next day to bring home a container full of Top Fuel parts from his friend Donny Holbrook's place.		Tim took a short time out and Andy showed one of the several other strings on his bow as he took over clutch inspections with Murf.
	Every performance part you could want is available on the extensive shelves of Persåker's Speed Shop.		Jöran's spare Top Fuel Dragster is on display as is his hugely popular Trans Am. See if you can spot what is missing from the Top Fueller.
	A display of fuel jugs made a good colour test for your reporter's new camera...		...as did a shelf full of roll cage padding.
	Jöran's Chrysler 300 was tucked away amongst the shelves.		The SFI Weekend was a huge team effort which involved everyone in this picture in some way. Take a bow, guys.
	Jöran was missing from the above group picture because he was taking pictures himself.		Arnie did the accounts after the inspection work had finished. Just on the Swedish leg this weekend seventy five bellhousings, sixty eight clutches and two wheels were inspected, up more than a third from last year.
	The propeller has been moved from the top of Jöran's head to the back of his new bike. Believe me it worked; if you stood behind this machine you got blown over as it disappeared at a fair rate of knots. Time for a match race with Bill Sherratt?		No time to rest for the SFI team. As soon as they were done at Persåker's Speed Shop Lars drove them to Stockholm Arlanda for their flight to England for the UK SFI Day.
	For your reporter there was one pretty basic need left to address, which was dealt with courtesy of a restaurant in Kungsängen...		...the plate didn't stay this full for very long.
	Not a very nice morning at Stockholm Arlanda airport for your reporter's return home, but a lot worse was awaiting him in the UK where a huge gust of wind seconds before touchdown threw his plane around like washing in a machine.		Before looking at the full-sized picture, can you guess which is your reporter's flight on this screen?

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