The 2026 FIA European Drag Racing Championship begins this weekend at Santa Pod Raceway, as Europe’s premier drag racing series returns after the winter break for the first of four championship rounds.
The championship once again features rounds at Santa Pod, Tierp Arena and Hockenheimring before concluding with the European Finals back at Santa Pod in September.
In Top Fuel, reigning champion Susanne Callin returns to defend the title she secured in dramatic fashion at the final round of the 2025 season. The Swede, driving for RF Motorsport, heads into the new campaign aiming to repeat last year’s success after edging out team-mate Liam Jones and former champion Jndia Erbacher in a close championship battle.
RF Motorsport fields a revised line-up for 2026, with Scottish driver Colin Millar stepping into the team’s second Top Fuel dragster. Millar is well known to European fans through his appearances with the Flyin Fyfer Anglia and now graduates to the sport’s premier category.
Erbacher, meanwhile, is expected to be one of Callin’s main challengers once again. The Swiss driver finished third in last year’s standings after narrowly missing out on a second consecutive crown and arrives at Santa Pod determined to reclaim the number one plate for her Monster Energy-backed operation.
The Top Fuel field may be compact, but competition remains intense, with additional entries expected to join later in the season as teams balance the significant costs involved in campaigning at the highest level of the sport.
Elsewhere, Top Methanol continues to show encouraging growth, with seven cars entered for the opening round and more teams expected to join later in the campaign. Reigning champion Sandro Bellio heads the field after his successful late-season charge to the 2025 title, while Sweden’s Jonny Lagg returns with a new car as he seeks to regain the crown.
The class also sees the return of three-time FIA European champion Timo Habermann following a lengthy absence, while Tina Høst Nedregård is back after recovering from the accident that interrupted her promising 2025 season. Several emerging drivers are also set to strengthen the category over the course of the year, underlining the positive momentum currently surrounding Top Methanol competition in Europe.
Pro Modified once again boasts the largest and most competitive field in the championship, with 18 cars entered for Santa Pod and drivers representing 10 nations. Double defending champion Jere Rantaniemi starts the season as the benchmark, but strong opposition is expected from Marck Harteveld, Andres Arnover, Michel Tooren and David Vegter in what is expected to be another closely fought campaign.
The depth of the category is further highlighted by the return of Norwegian racer Stian Rusånes and former Top Doorslammer champion Lars Sjöholm, while multiple UK entries add further strength to the field at Santa Pod. With only 16 places available for eliminations, qualifying is expected to be highly competitive from the opening session onwards.
In Pro Stock, reigning champion Robin Norén returns to defend his title against a strong Swedish contingent led by 13-time FIA European champion Jimmy Ålund. Michael Malmgren, Simon Ekengren and Stefan Ernryd will all be aiming to rebound from difficult 2025 campaigns, while Germany’s Henry Riehl continues development of the class’s only non-American-bodied entry, a Mercedes CLK
Qualifying for the FIA categories begins on Saturday and Sunday, with eliminations and finals scheduled for Bank Holiday Monday.