Longtime Division 7 Top Alcohol Dragster driver Larry Miersch recently made a trip overseas to work on his former A/Fuel Dragster that he sold to Derek Flynn’s England-based Gold RV team. To say that the trip was successful would be a bit of an understatement. Racing in Top Methanol Dragster, which is equivalent to NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster class, the team made FIA history. It won the event in Alastaro, Finland, and became the first A/Fuel winner in a category that had been dominated by blown alcohol dragsters.

Miersch spent a great deal of time on the phone with notable A/Fuel tuner and past Division 7 TAD champion Jim Rizzoli despite a 15-hour time difference. Miersch e-mailed Rizzoli a copy of the onboard data recorded from each run and discussed it with him between passes.

Flynn qualified No. 5 in an eight-car field at the event with a 5.61 when rain shortened qualifying to two sessions. Flynn did his job in the opening round by winning on a holeshot before Miersch and comapny got the tune-up down for the semifinals with a 5.48. Flynn won the historic final by defeating Timo Habermann, 5.47 (low e.t. of the event) to 5.55.

Miersch, a multi-time BMX racing champion before he pursued drag racing, kept followers up to date on the event via Twitter (www.twitter.com/larrymiersch).