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Exclusive interview with Micke Kågered Top Methanol Funny Car racer Micke Kågered added a Top Fuel Dragster to the Quaker State/Bahco Tools team for the 2001 season. We spoke to Micke and his partner and team administrator Åsa Kinnemar at the 2001 Main Event Press Day, at which point Micke had put in two observed runs and was planning to run both Top Fuel and TMFC at the Main Event. Eurodragster: How do you like Top Fuel? Micke Kågered: It's good! Eurodragster: How different is it from the Funny Car? Micke Kågered: It's a lot different. The Funny Car goes left and right but the Fueller goes straight. I can feel there is a lot more power in it. I haven't gone really fast yet but I like it. Eurodragster: Is there more to do in the Funny Car or the Fueller? Micke Kågered: There is a lot more to do in the Funny Car - you have to do something all the time during the run. But you have to think more in the Fueller. I have been driving the Funny Car a long time so I don't have to think so much about it. Eurodragster: On your second pass on Sunday you hit tyre shake, how did that compare? Micke Kågered: I didn't feel anything! I was under full throttle then a bolt came off the manifold. The shake is a lot worse in the Funny Car. Eurodragster: As you are driving both cars this weekend, are you worried that you might confuse the Fueller and the Funny Car, especially as you will have to be driven straight back from the end of the track? Micke Kågered: I think I'll be OK. It's going to be exciting to see if I can do it! Eurodragster: Will you be double-entered at each race? Micke Kågered: I'm going to start here, then next week I will see how I feel and then take the decision what to do. Eurodragster: What are you doing for crew? Are the Funny Car crew working on the Fueller? Micke Kågered: This weekend, Knut's crew are are working on the Fueller together with a couple of my crew. Alan Jackson, Bill Schultz and Knut are one of the two top teams in Europe together with Rune Fjeld. Alan Jackson is a very, very clever man. I didn't really know him before now but he really knows what to do. Bill also knows a lot. I like Bill a lot, again I didn't know him before but he's a really good guy. Eurodragster: Is the plan to get your own Fueller next year? Micke Kågered: I don't know yet. It depends upon how we get on this year. This car is the best, I saw it run in the USA, and it has a good combination. Maybe we will stay with Knut next year too. Eurodragster: Åsa, what do you think about Micke driving a Fueller. Are you worried? Åsa Kinnemar: The dragster is more stable - the Funny Car worries me more! I have complete faith in Micke. Micke Kågered: The first time I was in the Fueller I felt very calm. I'm not always that calm in the Funny Car, but I felt good immediately in the Fueller. I've not done a full pass yet but it feels good. Eurodragster: What did your sponsors think about your running a Fueller? Micke Kågered: They like the idea, and they like the car. Hopefully I will be able to get a bigger deal for next year. Eurodragster: We can't talk to you without asking about the Funny Car. You brought it out of the trailer on Saturday and ran a 5.8, and you made it look so easy! Did you put it in the trailer after last years' European Finals and then bring it out again here? Micke Kågered: No, we have done a lot of work on the Funny Car over the winter. And it worked! I shifted early, and I shut off early. I thought it would be maybe a 6.10. I'm confident about the weekend, maybe we can run 5.75, but all the cars here will be able to run fast. Eurodragster: Thank you very much indeed Micke and Åsa, good luck with both cars this weekend and indeed throughout the season. Micke Kågered's web site Interview ©Eurodragster.com Features and Interviews index Back to News page Eurodragster.com aims to bring you links to all the best European Drag Racing web sites. To add your site to Eurodragster's listings, simply email links@eurodragster.com with your URL and a little information about your site and we'll do the rest. When you update your site, drop us a line at news@eurodragster.com and we'll feature your site in our "What's New" section. Eurodragster.com is a non-profit-making organisation run by a small group of Drag Racing enthusiasts for the sole purpose of promoting European Drag Racing. If you can help us to meet the modest cost of hosting this web site by advertising here, please email webmaster@eurodragster.com. We're sure you'll find our rates extremely competitive. |