Oversees
Member Inducted 2009 (Overseas Inductee)
Rune Fjeld
History
Norwegian Rune Fjeld first raced in England in September 1978
running his Donovan powered, Pinto bodied Pro Comp Funny Car at
Snetterton and the following weekend entering the International
Meeting at Santa Pod where he qualified #2 in an eight car field.
He made it to the final during eliminations but had to sit and
watch Martin Hopp take the win after losing fire on the line. 1980
saw Rune in Fuel Funny Car and back at Santa Pod in September for
the World Finals. Rune took top speed of the meet with a 239 mph
charge in his Landlubber Mustang during qualifying then
pulled the holeshot of the meet in the first round when he shutdown
Allan Herridge with a 6.58 to Bootsie's 6.28.
In 1983 Rune imported the beautiful ex-Al Bergler Motown
Shaker '82 Trans Am and brought it to Santa Pod for the
Cannonball in July and the World Finals in September where he
qualified #2 and reached the final against Tom Hoover but tyre
shake cost him the win. The 1986 Cannonball had drama in the semi
finals. Bill Sherratt was to race Rune but the Motown
Shaker hadn't appeared so Bill was signalled to fire up for a
bye run. Then Rune and crew came hurtling down the fire-up road,
the crew still fitting the spark plugs and strapping Rune into his
car. They somehow managed to get it fired up and nearly hit
the tow car as Rune bounced it round into his lane, burned out,
raced and won with a 6.64 to Bill's 6.9. Rune then met Tom Hoover
again in the final and in a close race this time took the
win.
The 1988 August Supernationals at Santa Pod featured the début of
another imported car, the ex-Joe Amato Top Fuel Dragster, and in
the driving seat this time was the gorgeous Liv Berstad who ran a
stunning 5.72 on her first full pass at Santa Pod then the
following year at the World Finals clicked off a record shattering
5.37 at 260 mph. Liv became a huge attraction in European drag
racing and with the combination of her driving skills and Rune's
tuning skills set a new European ET record of 5.13 which stood for
many years after being set in 1990. In 1990 Rune went to America to
buy Tom Hoover's Trans Am Funny Car and whilst there qualified #14
at the Gatornationals, then back home set a new European ET record
of 5.57 which stood for eight years.
In 1991 Rune bought another ex-Joe Amato Top Fueller as the goal
was now a four-second run but the European tracks could not handle
the new American combination resulting in many frustration tyre
smoking runs. In 1996 Rune became Crew Chief for Rico Anthes' Top
Fuel Team and helped take them to the ETFA European Championship
win that year. 1997 saw an end of an era as Rune sold his Funny Car
after nearly twenty years of Funny Car racing but this year, but
the year also saw the start of Rune's association with Barry
Sheavills who became the driver of the Top Fueller and in 1998 gave
RF Motorsports its first FIA European Championship win with
consistent four-second runs through out the year. Rune bought
another Top Fueller from Joe Amato in 1999 for Barry to drive while
veteran Gordie Bonin drove the old car to another FIA European
Championship for the RF Motorsports team.
In 2001 Andy Carter drove the 'old' car to its third FIA European
Championship win for the team and in 2002 history was made at
Ssanta Pod as RF Motorsports drivers Barry Sheavills and Andy
Carter recorded the first side-by-side four-second 300 mph run in
Europe. In 2004 Andy Carter took a fourth FIA European Championship
win for the RF Motorsports team in a new Spitzer chassis car bought
from Doug Herbert.
In 2009 RF Motorsport enters its thirty second year in European
drag racing with a three-car stable of Top Fuel Dragsters. Rune
Fjeld, head of RF Motorsport, is truly one of Europe's top racers
and team owners, and a worthy member of the British Drag Racing
Hall of Fame.