Once you consider road racing in 2024, Discovery’s Road Outlaws is probably going the very first thing that involves thoughts for a lot of. Regardless of the present’s semi-scripted drama and city-permitted, closed-road drag strips, it provides an affordable glimpse into the world of actual road racing. However a decade in the past, we took a deep dive into an underground scene in Stockholm, Sweden, one which was far from scripted.
The Stockholm High 10 road drag racing league was as genuine as they arrive. Is it nonetheless taking place 10 years later? That’s a query that may be price exploring. For now, although, let’s revisit Peter Kelly’s 2014 function for this week’s throwback submit…
2014 Function
It’s simply earlier than midnight, and I’m heading south on one among Stockholm’s busiest highways at properly over 200km/h. Volvo and Saab-shaped streaks of sunshine are whipping previous the Lexan window to my proper within the unusual, never-quite-dark ambiance that you just solely discover this far north right now of yr.
With its seemingly countless days and plush inexperienced environment, Sweden is a ravishing place in mid-summer. Proper now, although, all my consideration is targeted on half-hour in the past, when a smiling, sandy-haired man named Johan had provided me a pair of fluro-green earmuffs as I awkwardly scrambled previous the roll cage and into the naked alloy Kirkey passenger seat of Magnus’s [surname omitted] nitrous-fed, 491ci massive block V8 Chevrolet Monte Carlo drag automotive. I politely declined. He had raised an eyebrow, shrugged his shoulders and smiled earlier than merely saying “okay” and chuckling as he walked away with a typical Scandinavian nonchalance.
Now, as the warmth, the vibrations and the thunderous noise from open headers dumping instantly beneath my Nikes journey up by way of my legs and rattle no matter is left of my mind, I perceive. I ought to have listened to Johan. On the similar time, Johan in all probability ought to have insisted… That is like sticking your head inside a kick drum whereas somebody with highly effective calf muscle groups hammers the double kick 20,000 instances a minute.
After slowing again right down to freeway speeds following our fast on-the-fly testing session, we’re rejoined by a fleet of help automobiles that had adopted us from Crew Insane Racing’s house base in an industrial space south of the central metropolis. The vehicles rapidly kind again into a decent bunch, surrounding the utterly unregistered and extremely unlawful G-body drag automotive to create a protecting cocoon of metal, glass and rubber.
We’re on our technique to an empty car parking zone to satisfy up with Magnus’s challenger in what is called the Stockholm High 10 – an underground road racing league that is part of this metropolis’s long-running automotive tradition. A giant crowd of spectators and their vehicles are already sitting on the spot once we arrive, and the opponent, driving a ’68 Camaro, turns up a couple of minutes later, saying his arrival with a wholesome stab of the throttle.
Phrases are exchanged between drivers, and the Monte Carlo will get one final verify over. The phrase then spreads by way of the gang, and each GMs splutter, then howl into life. Each machines run massive block Chevs and loads of nitrous, though the Camaro has been constructed as extra of a road automotive and nonetheless makes use of largely metal panels and full glass, giving it a weight drawback.
I had no intention of being contained in the Monte Carlo for no matter would unfold within the subsequent 10 minutes. As an alternative, I jumped behind one among Crew Insane’s ‘blocker’ staff vehicles (extra on that later) and adopted the Monte out of the car parking zone and out in direction of the on-ramp to the freeway.
Marcus, the pinnacle of Crew Insane Racing and the motive force of our car weaves by way of the hordes of spectator vehicles that had managed to get out in entrance. It was, at instances, mere millimetres away from a demolition derby, however it was essential that the staff automobiles be initially line, not caught behind 50 vehicles and a whole bunch of individuals all clamouring for a spot by which to view the race. After what should have solely been a minute of freeway driving, the Chevs abruptly hit the picks up forward, coming to a cease simply earlier than an overpass.
Everybody poured out of their vehicles and ran to the impromptu begin line. I couldn’t assist however surprise what number of ‘regular’ folks had inadvertently discovered themselves caught up in the midst of all this and are actually sitting stationary on a significant freeway, questioning what the hell is happening.
The 2 groups rapidly surrounded their vehicles, and with a thumbs up, Magnus and his opponent let rip – firing up the rear Mickey Thompson slicks whereas the groups held the vehicles in a stationary place earlier than stepping again and permitting the drivers to ease off the brakes and go away two pairs of thick, arrow-straight traces down the freeway.
This serves to not simply heat the tyres but in addition clears any grime and particles off the street floor and lays down a pleasant coating of sizzling rubber that provides one thing for the slicks to seize come launch time.
The vehicles are then backed as much as the beginning line by the groups, and the official starter saunters out in entrance of the 2 Chevs. After checking each drivers are prepared, the starter swings his arms downwards, and the 2 machines violently nostril up and twist off the road.
Magnus’s response time is ideal, and he will get a transparent bounce on the Camaro, surging out in entrance as cheers erupt from the staff. However it wasn’t to final. The Camaro begins to quickly acquire on the 150-metre mark. It was exhausting to inform from our vantage level, however phrase rapidly got here by way of from the end line – Magnus had misplaced the race. There was no time to attend round and congratulate the opposite staff, although. Judging by the result of the race, Magnus might be in actual bother additional down the freeway. It was a mad dash again to our automobiles, and I’d barely lifted my foot off the pavement and into the help automotive earlier than we have been sitting on the limiter, ripping down the freeway at most velocity. Time was of the essence: if there was one thing improper, the Monte Carlo wanted to get off the freeway and quick.
Certain sufficient, we rounded the bend, and there was the boxy G-body stranded in the midst of the off-ramp. The fleet of Crew Insane vehicles arrived and headed to encompass the automotive, however simply as we opened our doorways, the 491 coughed, groaned after which thundered into life. Magnus was in no temper to waste his luck, slamming the closely modified THM400 transmission into gear and lurching off the ramp earlier than rumbling by way of the native backstreets in direction of a quiet IKEA car parking zone. Though I couldn’t perceive what the staff have been saying on the time, it later transpired that the alternator had given up, and the Chev’s nitrous solenoids couldn’t draw sufficient energy to open, leaving the Monte Carlo 400 horse down on the Camaro. A critical misfire had additionally developed, inflicting one of many rocker arms to snap in half. Whether or not or not Magnus received or misplaced, or whether or not his automotive might be rapidly fastened or would want to return to the store, was irrelevant; this whole night was only for one race. No observe, no qualifying, no eliminations – only one eighth-mile race.
That is the underground world of Stockholm’s road racing scene, an extremely well-organised, semi-professional and most clearly highly-illegal sub tradition that has thrived on this a part of the world for the final 30-odd years. It in all probability doesn’t should be stated, however simply in case; please know that Speedhunters doesn’t recommend readers ought to take part in unlawful road racing, and we all the time encourage you to discover a secure and authorized technique to race. Nonetheless, when somebody provides you a tiny glimpse into their fascinating, secretive and adrenalin-filled automotive world; you may’t simply say no…
Magnus first grew to become concerned in road racing as a young person, when the attract of staying out all evening and chasing secretive racing leagues across the metropolis with your mates looks as if essentially the most grownup factor you can think about. However it wasn’t till he purchased his unique dream automotive, an Audi S2, that he began racing himself. Quickly sufficient the Audi went from utterly inventory to 500hp AWD launch machine, all while he was nonetheless driving it to work day by day.
An improve to a full-blown drag automotive was by no means on the playing cards, however that each one modified when a good friend instructed him a few specific 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo rolling shell that had come up on the market within the northern metropolis of Malmö. The automotive, which was initially constructed within the States, had come into the nation a couple of years earlier and had spent the previous few seasons racing with a easy small block arrange.
After trying out some images, Magnus was in love with the powerful, angular machine, and rang the proprietor on impulse, telling him he would come get the automotive the very subsequent weekend.
Whereas the principle physique continues to be Chevy metal, the two-piece entrance finish, doorways, boot and rear bumper are all VFN fibreglass gadgets, and the glass has all been changed with plastic.
A peak below the rear finish of the automotive reveals Aerospace Parts brakes, QA1 coilovers and a ladder bar arrange flanking a Moser drag rear finish.
With the aluminium Kirkey seats and weight pulled out of in every single place doable, the automotive is extraordinarily gentle at 1,105kg – particularly contemplating its dimension. All that was wanted was the precise motor and trans arrange. Magnus didn’t need some weak small block although, and started pulling collectively no matter cash he may to get his dream nitrous-fed massive block Chev arrange, even when it meant promoting the Audi and subsisting on bread and water for the following yr.
Primarily based on a Chev 454, the massive block has been bored and stroked to 491 cubic inches, or 8,046cc. It has been constructed particularly to take giant doses of nitrous oxide, and makes use of an Eagle 4130 crank with JE solid pistons and rods, all sitting under a pair of CNC-ported Brodix Massive Brodie 395 heads.
The heads run Jesel Professional Sequence shaft rockers, twin comp cams springs, 4130 chromoly 5/16-inch pushrods from Manley Efficiency and mechanical lifters from Comp Cams. The dents within the rocker cowl seen above are testomony to the truth that Magnus’s race towards the Camaro wasn’t the primary time he’d damaged a rocker arm…
A customized nitrous-specific camshaft permits the engine to take advantage of a 400-shot of NOS, pushing energy from 900hp in its pure kind to upwards of 1,300hp as soon as the Professional Shot fogger system is activated.
Induction is dealt with by a QFI 1250 high-flow carburetor, bolted to a match-ported Edelbrock 454-R Victor consumption manifold.
The carb accepts gasoline from one among two techniques within the boot, changeable with the toggle change on the rear of the automotive. This permits Magnus to drive to his races on pump gasoline, which may generally take hours, then change to race gasoline as soon as he’s prepared.
Lastly, the exhaust system, which had brought on my ears a lot bother, is admittedly much less of a system and extra of a set of hand-built headers, dumping right into a pair of mufflers that exit beneath the automotive.
As Magnus fortunately admits, you both love the Monte Carlo’s brutish seems, otherwise you hate them. He can’t get sufficient, clearly, and personally, neither can I. I like this automotive’s sq., unforgiving traces and the best way the rear quarters sit once they’re making an attempt to envelope a 33×16.5-inch drag slick. It’s actually not what I’d name horny, however it’s offended, purposeful and totally American.
The Crew Insane Racing Chev is way from being the primary Monte Carlo drag racer, neither is it the quickest and even the tidiest. This automotive is particular as a result of it sees a full season of aggressive racing, and but it lives its life totally on the road. The query is: how do these guys get away with it?
After my first evening out with the Crew Insane Racing crew, the fellows (and ladies) have been ok to ask me out once more a couple of weeks later to tag alongside for an additional race. Magnus was to be paired up towards a ’69 Camaro as soon as once more, however this time the opponent’s automotive was pushing extra energy and fewer weight. This might be the proper alternative to study extra about this fascinating sub tradition and precisely how it’s they do what they do.
Stockholm’s road racing scene has been round for a very long time, however it was in 1982 that drivers started to get critical, creating the Stockholm Open, an annual road racing occasion that might pit the quickest vehicles from round Northern Europe towards each other in a single-night elimination event. The Stockholm Open grew greater and larger till it lastly went legit in 1993, shifting to Malmby Airstrip in Strängnäs, however this wasn’t to final.
Within the early 2000s, the federal government put a cease to the racing, closing down the respectable occasion at Malmby as a result of the vehicles weren’t ‘inexperienced’ sufficient. Racers protested, saying they might merely head again to the streets in the event that they weren’t allowed to race legally. The federal government wouldn’t budge, in order that’s precisely what they did. Right now the Stockholm Open continues to be the only largest racing occasion of the yr within the metropolis, however there are actually additionally different tournaments going down all through summer season, together with the Stockholm High 10, which is one among Magnus’s predominant competitions.
The High 10 isn’t constrained to 1 night, however is a consistently altering checklist of the ten quickest vehicles in Stockholm that runs over the racing season. At anyone time, there are 16 vehicles competing for a spot on the highest 10, and as a way to advance up that checklist (which is consistently up to date on-line), it’s essential to problem the automotive and driver within the spot above you. The driving force then has a fortnight to reply, or routinely forfeits their place on the checklist (even when their automotive isn’t race-ready). The driving force who’s challenged could select the spot to race, which is all the time on a piece of freeway, as a result of good visibility, extensive roads, no probability of on-coming visitors and no quick run-offs.
It’s not all American muscle and method an excessive amount of nitrous, both. In case your automotive and your driving is quick, then that’s all that issues.
So how is it that is all doable? This whole scene’s existence comes right down to maybe one main level in Swedish regulation. Put merely, for a driver to be arrested or charged with any offense, after witnessing an unlawful act an officer should not lose sight of the automotive in query. The police should then pull the car over and catch the motive force nonetheless sitting behind the wheel.
Basically, because of this if a police automotive in some way manages to get previous the hordes of spectactors and vehicles which have jammed up the motorway to observe the race, then the staff’s blocker vehicles whose particular job it’s to cease a police automotive within the occasion of a chase, after which catch as much as a one-tonne drag automotive pushing 1,300hp, all the motive force would want to do is get off the motorway, swing round a nook, park up and get out his automotive. Even when he’s standing proper subsequent to it, the officer can’t show it was he who was driving.
After all, issues like this are by no means foolproof, and Magnus admits that he’s actually had a couple of shut calls with each the police and the centre barrier – it’s not all enjoyable and video games in any case. These are critical vehicles that go critically fast and carry critical penalties ought to one thing go improper.
Up to now, there have been no critical incidents, so for now, Magnus, his staff and all his fellow racers are completely happy to move out till the early hours of the morning seeking these illusive wins. Magnus additionally says he’d be more than pleased to take it again to the air strip ought to it as soon as once more be allowed, however till then, it’s a lifetime of sturdy espresso, busted ear drums and massive wheel stands on the freeway.
And what in regards to the race towards the gorgeous black Camaro? Sadly, extra technical points brought on a giant miss proper off the beginning line and continued, accompanied by big blue flames belching from beneath the automotive, proper by way of the run, leading to one other loss. Maybe that’s the final time Crew Insane Racing invitations a Speedhunter to a race, we appear to be nothing however dangerous luck…
That stated, with the season now at an finish, the Monte Carlo has clawed its method as much as second spot, with solely a monster Ford Mustang standing in the best way of first place. Regardless of the great outcome, Magnus has had sufficient of the technical issues and says that he has massive plans for the Monte Carlo, and it is going to be again, far greater and higher for the beginning of Sweden’s subsequent racing season.
A giant thank-you to Magnus and the staff for exhibiting us their fascinating a part of the world, and please, if this story has impressed you to get racing, there’s loads of locations on the market to go and do it safely and legally, use them!
The Speedhunters
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Peter Kelly
Instagram: pedeykelly
Further Pictures by Taryn Kelly
Instagram: taryncroucher
