While you consider road racing in 2024, Discovery’s Avenue 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 occurring 10 years later? That’s a query that could be value exploring. For now, although, let’s revisit Peter Kelly’s 2014 function for this week’s throwback submit…
2014 Characteristic
It’s simply earlier than midnight, and I’m heading south on one in every of Stockholm’s busiest highways at nicely 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 infinite days and plush inexperienced environment, Sweden is an exquisite place in mid-summer. Proper now, although, all my consideration is concentrated 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 automobile. 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 tissues 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 assist autos that had adopted us from Group Insane Racing’s residence base in an industrial space south of the central metropolis. The vehicles rapidly kind again into a good bunch, surrounding the utterly unregistered and extremely unlawful G-body drag automobile to create a protecting cocoon of metal, glass and rubber.
We’re on our solution 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. An enormous crowd of spectators and their vehicles are already sitting on the spot after 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 group, 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 automobile and nonetheless makes use of principally 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 in every of Group Insane’s ‘blocker’ crew 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 Group Insane Racing and the motive force of our automobile 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 crew autos be at the beginning line, not caught behind 50 vehicles and a whole bunch of individuals all clamouring for a spot wherein to view the race. After what will need to have solely been a minute of freeway driving, the Chevs all of the sudden 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 marvel what number of ‘regular’ individuals had inadvertently discovered themselves caught up in the midst of all this and at the moment are 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 depart two pairs of thick, arrow-straight strains down the freeway.
This serves to not simply heat the tyres but in addition clears any grime and particles off the highway 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 leap on the Camaro, surging out in entrance as cheers erupt from the crew. But it surely wasn’t to final. The Camaro begins to quickly acquire on the 150-metre mark. It was arduous 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 crew, although. Judging by the end result of the race, Magnus may very well be in actual hassle additional down the freeway. It was a mad dash again to our autos, and I’d barely lifted my foot off the pavement and into the assist automobile earlier than we had been sitting on the limiter, ripping down the freeway at most velocity. Time was of the essence: if there was one thing flawed, 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 Group Insane vehicles arrived and headed to encompass the automobile, 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 crew had 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 gained or misplaced, or whether or not his automobile may very well 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 have to be stated, however simply in case; please know that Speedhunters doesn’t counsel readers ought to take part in unlawful road racing, and we all the time encourage you to discover a secure and authorized solution to race. Nonetheless, when somebody provides you a tiny glimpse into their fascinating, secretive and adrenalin-filled automotive world; you possibly can’t simply say no…
Magnus first turned concerned in road racing as an adolescent, when the attract of staying out all evening and chasing secretive racing leagues across the metropolis with your mates looks like probably the most grownup factor you would think about. But it surely wasn’t till he purchased his authentic dream automobile, 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-after-day.
An improve to a full-blown drag automobile was by no means on the playing cards, however that each one modified when a pal instructed him a couple of specific 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo rolling shell that had come up on the market within the northern metropolis of Malmö. The automobile, which was initially constructed within the States, had come into the nation a number of years earlier and had spent the previous couple of seasons racing with a easy small block arrange.
After trying out some pictures, Magnus was in love with the powerful, angular machine, and rang the proprietor on impulse, telling him he would come get the automobile the very subsequent weekend.
Whereas the primary physique continues to be Chevy metal, the two-piece entrance finish, doorways, boot and rear bumper are all VFN fibreglass objects, and the glass has all been changed with plastic.
A peak beneath the rear finish of the automobile 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 all over the place doable, the automobile is extraordinarily mild 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 commenced 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 subsequent 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 massive doses of nitrous oxide, and makes use of an Eagle 4130 crank with JE solid pistons and rods, all sitting beneath a pair of CNC-ported Brodix Large Brodie 395 heads.
The heads run Jesel Professional Collection 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 benefit from 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 in every of two programs within the boot, changeable with the toggle swap on the rear of the automobile. This enables Magnus to drive to his races on pump gasoline, which might generally take hours, then change to race gasoline as soon as he’s prepared.
Lastly, the exhaust system, which had prompted my ears a lot hassle, is de facto 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 automobile.
As Magnus fortunately admits, you both love the Monte Carlo’s brutish appears, otherwise you hate them. He can’t get sufficient, clearly, and personally, neither can I. I like this automobile’s sq., unforgiving strains and the way in which the rear quarters sit after they’re attempting to envelope a 33×16.5-inch drag slick. It’s actually not what I’d name horny, however it’s indignant, purposeful and completely American.
The Group Insane Racing Chev is much from being the primary Monte Carlo drag racer, neither is it the quickest and even the tidiest. This automobile is particular as a result of it sees a full season of aggressive racing, and but it lives its life fully on the road. The query is: how do these guys get away with it?
After my first evening out with the Group Insane Racing crew, the fellows (and women) had been ok to ask me out once more a number of weeks later to tag alongside for one more race. Magnus was to be paired up towards a ’69 Camaro as soon as once more, however this time the opponent’s automobile was pushing extra energy and fewer weight. This is able to be the right alternative to be taught 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 match. The Stockholm Open grew larger and larger till it lastly went legit in 1993, transferring 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 professional occasion at Malmby as a result of the vehicles weren’t ‘inexperienced’ sufficient. Racers protested, saying they’d 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. In the present day the Stockholm Open continues to be the only largest racing occasion of the yr within the metropolis, however there at the moment are additionally different tournaments going down all through summer season, together with the Stockholm High 10, which is one in every of Magnus’s major competitions.
The High 10 shouldn’t be constrained to 1 night, however is a continuously altering record 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 so as to advance up that record (which is consistently up to date on-line), you will need to problem the automobile and driver within the spot above you. The motive force then has a fortnight to reply, or robotically forfeits their place on the record (even when their automobile shouldn’t be race-ready). The motive force who’s challenged could select the spot to race, which is all the time on a piece of freeway, because of the good visibility, broad roads, no probability of on-coming site visitors and no quick run-offs.
It’s not all American muscle and manner an excessive amount of nitrous, both. In case your automobile 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 legislation. 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 automobile in query. The police should then pull the automobile over and catch the motive force nonetheless sitting behind the wheel.
Basically, which means if a police automobile 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 crew’s blocker vehicles whose particular job it’s to cease a police automobile within the occasion of a chase, after which catch as much as a one-tonne drag automobile 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 automobile. Even when he’s standing proper subsequent to it, the officer can not show it was he who was driving.
In fact, issues like this are by no means foolproof, and Magnus admits that he’s actually had a number of shut calls with each the police and the centre barrier – it’s not all enjoyable and video games in spite of everything. These are critical vehicles that go critically fast and carry critical penalties ought to one thing go flawed.
To date, there have been no critical incidents, so for now, Magnus, his crew and all his fellow racers are comfortable to go out till the early hours of the morning in quest of these illusive wins. Magnus additionally says he’d be very happy 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 attractive black Camaro? Sadly, extra technical points prompted a giant miss proper off the beginning line and continued, accompanied by large blue flames belching from beneath the automobile, proper by way of the run, leading to one other loss. Maybe that’s the final time Group 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 manner as much as second spot, with solely a monster Ford Mustang standing in the way in which of first place. Regardless of the nice consequence, 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 larger and higher for the beginning of Sweden’s subsequent racing season.
An enormous thank-you to Magnus and the crew for displaying 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
Extra Images by Taryn Kelly
Instagram: taryncroucher
