If 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 gives an inexpensive 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 may be price exploring. For now, although, let’s revisit Peter Kelly’s 2014 function for this week’s throwback put up…
2014 Characteristic
It’s simply earlier than midnight, and I’m heading south on one in every of Stockholm’s busiest highways at effectively 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 environment that you just solely discover this far north right now of 12 months.
With its seemingly infinite days and luxurious inexperienced environment, Sweden is an attractive 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 huge 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 muscular tissues hammers the double kick 20,000 occasions a minute.
After slowing again all the way down to freeway speeds following our fast on-the-fly testing session, we’re rejoined by a fleet of assist automobiles that had adopted us from Crew Insane Racing’s residence base in an industrial space south of the central metropolis. The automobiles shortly kind again into a good 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 strategy to an empty car parking zone to satisfy up with Magnus’s challenger in what is named 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 automobiles 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 test over. The phrase then spreads by way of the group, and each GMs splutter, then howl into life. Each machines run huge block Chevs and loads of nitrous, though the Camaro has been constructed as extra of a road automotive 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 a substitute, I jumped behind one in every of Crew Insane’s ‘blocker’ group automobiles (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 automobiles that had managed to get out in entrance. It was, at occasions, mere millimetres away from a demolition derby, nevertheless it was essential that the group automobiles be at the beginning line, not caught behind 50 automobiles and a whole lot of individuals all clamouring for a spot through which to view the race. After what will need to have solely been a minute of freeway driving, the Chevs immediately hit the picks up forward, coming to a cease simply earlier than an overpass.
Everybody poured out of their automobiles and ran to the impromptu begin line. I couldn’t assist however marvel what number of ‘regular’ folks 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 occurring.
The 2 groups shortly surrounded their automobiles, and with a thumbs up, Magnus and his opponent let rip – firing up the rear Mickey Thompson slicks whereas the groups held the automobiles 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 offers one thing for the slicks to seize come launch time.
The automobiles 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 group. 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 shortly 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 group, although. Judging by the end result of the race, Magnus may very well 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 assist automotive 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 incorrect, 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 automobiles 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 group 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 automotive may very well be shortly mounted or would want to return to the store, was irrelevant; this complete night was only for one race. No apply, 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 protected and authorized strategy to race. Nevertheless, when somebody gives you a tiny glimpse into their fascinating, secretive and adrenalin-filled automotive world; you’ll be able to’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 possibly can think about. But it surely 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 on daily basis.
An improve to a full-blown drag automotive was by no means on the playing cards, however that each one modified when a pal instructed him a couple of explicit 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 just a few years earlier and had spent the previous couple of seasons racing with a easy small block arrange.
After testing some pictures, Magnus was in love with the robust, angular machine, and rang the proprietor on impulse, telling him he would come get the automotive the very subsequent weekend.
Whereas the principle physique remains 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 underneath the rear finish of the automotive reveals Aerospace Elements 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 mild at 1,105kg – particularly contemplating its measurement. All that was wanted was the correct 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 huge block Chev arrange, even when it meant promoting the Audi and subsisting on bread and water for the following 12 months.
Based mostly 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 under a pair of CNC-ported Brodix Huge 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 in opposition to the Camaro wasn’t the primary time he’d damaged a rocker arm…
A customized nitrous-specific camshaft permits the engine to profit 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 methods within the boot, changeable with the toggle change on the rear of the automotive. This enables Magnus to drive to his races on pump fuel, which might typically take hours, then change to race fuel as soon as he’s prepared.
Lastly, the exhaust system, which had brought on my ears a lot bother, is basically 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 appears, otherwise you hate them. He can’t get sufficient, clearly, and personally, neither can I. I like this automotive’s sq., unforgiving strains and the best way the rear quarters sit after they’re making an attempt to envelope a 33×16.5-inch drag slick. It’s actually not what I’d name horny, nevertheless it’s offended, purposeful and completely 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 solely 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 blokes (and women) had been ok to ask me out once more just a few weeks later to tag alongside for an additional race. Magnus was to be paired up in opposition to a ’69 Camaro as soon as once more, however this time the opponent’s automotive was pushing extra energy and fewer weight. This is able to 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, nevertheless it was in 1982 that drivers started to get critical, creating the Stockholm Open, an annual road racing occasion that will pit the quickest automobiles from round Northern Europe in opposition to each other in a single-night elimination event. The Stockholm Open grew larger and greater 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 reputable occasion at Malmby as a result of the automobiles 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. At the moment the Stockholm Open remains to be the one largest racing occasion of the 12 months within the metropolis, however there at the moment are additionally different tournaments going down all through summer time, together with the Stockholm High 10, which is one in every of Magnus’s principal competitions.
The High 10 will not be constrained to 1 night, however is a consistently altering checklist of the ten quickest automobiles in Stockholm that runs over the racing season. At anyone time, there are 16 automobiles competing for a spot on the highest 10, and in an effort to advance up that checklist (which is consistently up to date on-line), you have to problem the automotive and driver within the spot above you. The motive force then has a fortnight to reply, or routinely forfeits their place on the checklist (even when their automotive will not be race-ready). The motive force who’s challenged might select the spot to race, which is all the time on a piece of freeway, because of the good visibility, large roads, no probability of on-coming site visitors and no brief run-offs.
It’s not all American muscle and means 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 complete scene’s existence comes all the way 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, which means if a police automotive someway manages to get previous the hordes of spectactors and automobiles which have jammed up the motorway to look at the race, then the group’s blocker automobiles 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.
In fact, issues like this are by no means foolproof, and Magnus admits that he’s actually had just a few 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 automobiles that go critically fast and carry critical penalties ought to one thing go incorrect.
So far, there have been no critical incidents, so for now, Magnus, his group and all his fellow racers are comfortable to move out till the early hours of the morning looking for 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 concerning the race in opposition to the attractive black Camaro? Sadly, extra technical points brought on an enormous 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 means as much as second spot, with solely a monster Ford Mustang standing in the best way of first place. Regardless of the nice end result, Magnus has had sufficient of the technical issues and says that he has huge 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.
A giant thank-you to Magnus and the group 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
Instagram: thespeedhunters
Peter Kelly
Instagram: pedeykelly
Further Images by Taryn Kelly
Instagram: taryncroucher
