Bugeja to get his FIA trophy at MFCC on Saturday

The Malta Motorsport Federation yesterday announced that the FIA trophy won by Manty Bugeja in last year’s Euro-pean Drag Racing Championship has arrived at their offices and will be presented to the Maltese racer during the SportMalta Awards night at the MFCC, Ta’ Qali, on Saturday.

Bugeja, 50, became the first Maltese driver to be crowned FIA European champion last year at the end of a racing series which reached a climax with an historic final involving two Maltese teams and held in front of more than 40,000 spectators at the mythical Santa Pod raceway in Northamptonshire, England.

In fact, Bugeja, inside the Mr Whippy Racing Team dragster cockpit, had to fend off the bold challenge from Chris Polidano and his Kalanċ Racing Team machine in the final run of the 2012 FIA Championship which was held in September.

The Mr Whippy dragster was backed with a crew of 14 mechanics under the supervision of team owner Joe Carabott and crew chief Remic Arapa.

Top times

Bugeja’s feat was highlighted in various motor sport publications around Europe as most drag racing commentators openly stated that the 2012 championship went to the best team and Mr Whippy’s title was deserved as statistics clearly show.

With 5.292sec (main event), Bugeja set the best European time of the season. He was also number one qualifier five times (out of six races) and reached the final four times.

Bugeja has been involved in drag racing since 1985 and won several national titles before his decision in 2000 to venture outside Maltese shores and participate in a FIA Top Methanol Dragster European Champion-ship race.

He won three FIA races at Santa Pod before returning to the local scene. However, the Mr Whippy Team chiefs decided to race overseas again last year and the move paid rich dividends.

In 2012, Bugeja did the full championship tour, two rounds in UK, two in Sweden, one in Finland and one in Germany, and Mr Whippy were the fastest and most consistent of all contenders.

Yesterday, Bugeja and Mr Whippy Team owner Carabott were among the SportMalta Awards – l-Għażliet Sportivi Nazzjonali finalists who visited the Cottonera Sports Complex where a presentation was held for hundreds of schoolchildren in the build-up to the presentations night on Saturday.

Sportivi finalists

2012 categories

Sportsman
E. Bonello (cycling)
M. Bugeja (drag racing)
S. Camilleri (waterpolo)
W. Chetcuti (shooting)
B. Corito (boxing)

Sportswoman
S. Abela (bowling)
D. Bonello Spiteri (triathlon) D. Borg (athletics)
L. Galea (karate)
C. Sultana (squash)

Team of the year
Bowling national team
Mr Whippy (drag racing)
Rugby national team
Skeet national team
Women’s squash team

Official of the year
J. Bugeja (shooting)
J. Caruana (weightlifting)
E. Galea (judo)
D. Neill (rugby)
P. Valentino (sailing)

Young athlete
F. Aufieri (judo)
G. Dingli (karting)
J. Harding (swimming)
N. Gatt (w’tlifting/athletics)
N.L. Xuereb (shooting)

Athletes with special needs
Matthew Sultana
Philip Gruppetta