2026 FIM-E Main Event – Qualifying Saturday
words and photos by Ivan Sansom and Rose Hughes
The opening two qualifying sessions of the 2026 FIM-E Drag Racing championship season proved to be hot and slippery affairs with the sweltering conditions that have set in at Santa Pod Raceway, England for the whole course of the Main Event. The track prep however delivered a European record and a number of PBs in the assembled five classes, with the opportunity of stable conditions providing further opportunities for the remaining two qualifying sessions tomorrow before heading into eliminations on Monday.
FIM-E Super Street Bike
Starting off with the bumper Super Street Bike field (21 entries having broken the beams today), Hungary’s Daniel Donat Lencses celebrated his return to FIM-E action in fine style with a 6.574/221.21 in the opening session (first FIM-E pass in the class into the fifties) and then went quicker in the slightly cooler (these things being relative) air of the second session resetting the mark to a 6.568/224.76 from the Team Brothers Hayabusa (remember the class is restricted to 68 inch wheelbase).
Second, but some way back was Ioannis ‘Casper’ Lampropoulos who dropped a 6.7501/224.75 to be the best of the rest and lead the substantial Greek entry. Also worthy of a tip of the cap is Casper’s compatriot Nikolaos Chrysanthopoulos who proved a 7.0 in testing wasn’t a fluke with a 7.1113 from his stunning Skaltsas Performance Tuning three cylinder Triumph Tiger 1050 for eighth spot in the developing field.
FIM-E Top Fuel Bike
Rikard Gustafsson massively overpowered the track in the first session, but came back to assert his dominance with a 5.825/241.61 on his second shot with the Indian backed RG Engineering Swedish entry. Someway behind, but with potential to go quicker, Glenn Borg dialled in a 6.5904/215.13 from his Maltese Funnybike. Eight riders have clocked times so far with a ninth to add tomorrow so we’re anticipating some shuffling by the end of play tomorrow.
FIM-E Super Twin
While we’d expect Marcus Christiansen to appear at the top of the qualifying sheets, it was almost by default as his 6.9390/207.10 (while shedding flaming bits of carbon fiber from the exhaust tunnel) was bested by Switzerland’s Martin Buhler’s 6.8533 PB that was rejected thanks to a startline infringement. The list at the end of the second session saw Anders Jensen in at second with a mid-seven on his first visit to Santa Pod for a Danish one-two as we head into another two rounds tomorrow.
FIM-E Pro Stock Bike
This would have been led by a returning Martin Newbury, but the 2022 champion’s 7.1 was ditch at the weigh scales, leaving reigning title holder Jorg Lymant to sit on top of the heap with a 7.2819/186.68 from the German’s Buell.
FIM-E Junior Dragbike
Hollie King looked to be sitting pretty for the number one qualifying spot with a +0.0041 on an 8.50 dial-in from the first session, but then reigning cup holder Alia Lester dropped a +0.0005 on a 9.16 in the final session. It will take something very good indeed to knock Alia off in the always tough Juniors class.
Entry list is here:
https://www.santapodracersclub.com/entry_lists/2026/3_main_event/mainevent_entry_list
Livestream will be here:
https://www.youtube.com/@SantaPodTV
Results over the weekend will be posted here:
https://santapodresults.com/2026/Main%20Event/
Individual ET slips will be posted here:
https://www.etslips.co.uk/
FIM-E Schedule 2026
May 22-25, Main Event, Santa Pod Raceway, England
August 6-9, Summit Racing Equipment Internationals, Tierp Arena, Sweden
August 21-23, NitrOlympX, Hockenheimring, Germany
September 10-13, Euro Finals, Santa Pod Raceway, England
