Oversees
Member Inducted 2010
Krister Johansson
History
At the Santa Pod Internationals in 1972 an unknown Swede entered
his straight six powered '62 Dodge Lancer in Senior Street
Eliminator and went home with the trophy after beating Bob Oram's
E-Type Jag in the final. His name was Krister Johansson and he
would soon become a familiar name at British International Drag
Races and feared by his UK competitors.
A huge group of Swedish racers decended on Santa Pod in October
1976 for the Winternationals including Krister Johansson and his
rear engined, straight six Dodge powered Senior Dragster and he
wound up in the final again but this time got shutdown by fellow
Swede Anders Hojner in his Chevy rail.
1977 and Krister was back this time running in Pro Comp with the
"Hall and Addy" Injected Nitro Dragster at the Santa Pod September
Internationals. He qualified #2 but never got to race as the
meeting was rained off and had to wait for the 1978 Springnationals
where he qualified #1 and got to the final only to be beaten by
Tony Donges. Later in the year at the September Internationals
Krister was #1 qualifyer again with a new Pro Comp low ET at
7.17/191m.p.h. then lowered it again in round 1 with a 7.08 but got
out of shape in the semis handing the win to Martin Hopp.
1979 saw Krister take the European Pro Comp Championship and he
also ran Europe's first 6 sec Pro Comp pass at Mantorp Park in
May.
Krister just missed getting the Tor Line Pro Comp Championship
in 1981 after reaching the final at the September World Finals he
needed a win to take the title but red lit his chances away handing
the championship to Tony Donges by one point.
Krister was back at Santa Pod in 1982 with a Blown Alcohol 418
Keith Black powered "Rogers Custom" Dragster for the Easter
Internationals and after two days qualifying was #1 with a
6.81/204m.p.h. Krister met Steiner Stolen in the semis and whipped
him with a 6.74/206m.p.h. to Stolen's 6.85/200m.p.h. then Krister
got his revenge in the final on Tony Donges who was unable to
stage. Coming into the World Finals that year Krister was in third
place for the Tor Line Championship but the meet was rained out on
race day after he qualified #2 robbing him the chance to get the
Championship back.
1983 saw the withdrawal of the European Pro Comp Championship
until 1985 when it was re-vitalised and Krister was back over to
Santa Pod for the Easter Internationals qualifying #1 but once
again rain ended the meeting.
Onto 1989 and after a quiet few years for Pro Comp the
Eliminator was back with a vengeance at the Santa Pod
Supernationals in August with a good line-up of UK and Scandinavian
entries. Krister ran a blinding 6.33/223m.p.h. on the Monday
morning then took the Eliminator win with a string of six
forties.
At the 1990 World Finals Krister qualified #1 with a 6.22 but
got beat in the final by Micke Kagered but not before running a new
personal best in the semis at 6.17/220m.p.h.
Krister was back at Santa Pod in 2003 after a layoff with a new
Top Methanol Dragster and he had gone back to an Injected Nitro
setup. At the 2006 European Finals Krister ran a 5.49 at a whopping
261m.p.h. and backed up the new speed record with a 260m.p.h. and a
262m.p.h. during Eliminations.
At the 2009 European Finals, 37 years since Krister's first
appearance at Santa Pod he qualified #3 in Top Methanol Dragster
and reached the final where he just got beaten by Peter Schofer's
5.360/264m.p.h. to Krister's 5.366/266m.p.h.