Santa Pod Raceway released this Funny Car Cup update last week. Thanks to Chris Hobson for sending this and allowing Eurodragster.com to publish:
The 2024 Funny Car Cup came to a thrilling, record-breaking conclusion at Santa Pod Raceway during the European Finals.
𝗞𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘁 and the West Ten Motorsport team entered the finals with a commanding lead, having claimed victories at both the Main Event and Bug Jam. Securing the championship title only required qualifying for the event and making it through to the first round, which Kent did with ease, defending his Funny Car Cup crown.
Former series winner 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝗵𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 Undertaker Racing secured the second spot in the 2024 championship, overcoming significant challenges following a unplanned trip into the top end field at Bug Jam, where impact in his car, left the chassis and body too damaged to repair in time for the Finals. In a determined effort to keep their season alive, Ashdown and his crew chief, Dave Bryant, made the long journey to Sweden to collect a replacement chassis and body from Patrik Pers. With the new car in hand, the team completed a full rebuild and qualified solidly for the Finals. A 4.36 pass against Kent's 4.58 in the semifinals earned them a place in the final, where Ashdown would go on to secure the event win.
𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀 and the Speedghost Motorsport team arrived at the event following several days of testing with U.S. racer and 2008 IHRA Funny Car Champion Terry Haddock. In the third qualifying session, Pers reset the ET and speed benchmarks with an impressive 4.174-second run at 299.69mph, agonizingly close to the elusive 300mph mark. However, history was made just hours later. On their next run, Pers lowered the ET record further with a 4.169-second pass at a blistering 303.05mph, becoming the first Funny Car in Europe to break the 300mph barrier over 1,000 feet.
𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗲, another U.S. racer, piloted the Elsom Motorsport "One Bad Texan" Funny Car in its debut weekend. Originally planning to make a few test passes and gather data, the team ended up with the runner-up trophy. Facing record-setter Patrik Pers in the first round, it appeared their weekend was over, but the Speedghost team was disqualified for a centerline violation, sending the Elsom car into the final against Ashdown's Undertaker team.
The final seemed poised for a fairy-tale debut for Hale and "One Bad Texan" as Ashdown encountered issues early, allowing Hale to pull ahead. However, Hale also ran into trouble, crossing the centerline and handing the victory to Ashdown, who secured the event win and cemented second place in the series.
All four teams left the European Finals with reasons to celebrate, whether it was another championship title, an event victory, record-breaking runs, or a highly successful debut. The 2025 season promises to be even more exciting as these teams look ahead to the future!
