Dragster: Sensational debut of Jndia Erbacher
DRAGSTER It didn't take much for Jndia Erbacher to win her first race in the top class of drag racing. At the NitrOlympX in Hockenheim, only technology prevented the sensational day's victory for the woman from Basel in front of around 42,000 enthusiastic spectators. Our double-page spread on Jndia Erbacher in the magazine available for free reading at many gas stations, garages and airports [...]
Our double page spread on Jndia Erbacher in the August issue of AutoSprintCH, available for free reading at many gas stations, garages and airports, was not an exaggerated tribute. At the NitrOlypmX in Hockenheim, where she competed in the Top Fuel class for the first time since her licensed runs in England, the 23-year-old from Arlesheim finished a sensational second. She thus confirmed our advance praise in an impressive way.
Although the three qualifying runs - a fourth run fell victim to rain - were not particularly exhilarating with times of 6.140, 6.553 and 4.961 seconds over the quarter-mile shortened to 1000 feet, the daughter of six-time FIA European Champion Urs Erbacher entered the quarter-final against Stig Neergaard with confidence.
With a top speed of 4.136 and just under 400 km/h, she threw the Dane out of the race. The latter abandoned his run after the burnout, while the Swiss qualified for the semifinals with the third-fastest time.
Here, the courageous and quick-reacting lady was 14 hundredths faster with 4.720 than her direct competitor Mikael Kagered, the European champion of 2015. Thus, Jndia Erbacher, like once her father who was famous in this scene, made it to the final of the biggest European dragster event at the first go!
With Duncan Micallef, however, she received a tough challenge in the final run in front of a full grandstand. The Maltese currently leads the European championship in the premier class and previously achieved a top speed of 493.66 km/h in the semifinal, the highest speed ever achieved in Europe at the end of the 1000-foot distance. From 0 to 500 in four seconds - a breathtaking acceleration. Compared to that, a Formula 1 is a walker....
Too much pressure in the engine, but not on Jndia
His surprising opponent in the final got off to a slightly better start thanks to her quick reactions - the best of all Top Fuel drivers - and seemed to be heading for a sensational victory. However, her roughly 12,000 hp V8 engine, which is powered by liquid explosives, built up too much pressure, whereupon its special covers burst for safety reasons and the parachute opened shortly before the finish. Nevertheless, Micallef was only 7 thousandths or the equivalent of 92.73 cm sooner at the finish line. Wow!
Despite the disappointment about the narrowly missed sensation, the joy in the Basel-Landschaft team prevailed.
Jndia Erbacher: "I knew anything was possible, but I never thought it would come out like this. My thanks also go to the team, who completely replaced the engine after damage in the semifinal in just one and a half hours until the final run. It's a shame when you then lose out in this way, but I did my best and also achieved a personal best time of 4.056. Now my first 3 time is due..."
She will get her next chance to do so as early as Friday. The truck drove her Top Fuel dragster from Hockenheim directly to Sweden, where the next European Championship round in the territory of the Scandinavians will take place in Tierp.
Only European Championship leader Duncan Micallef with his three wins this season, Finland's Antti Horto with his second place in Tierp1 and Stig Neergaard with his second place in Finland have so far scored more points at one of the four European Championship weekends than Jndia Erbacher at her debut in Hockenheim.
Since last weekend, she no longer has to fear any opponent.
