Joe Carabott’s Mr Whippy Racing Team are back on the international scene as they bid to win the European FIA/FIM Champion-ship for Top Methanol dragsters for a second time in three years starting with the opening round of the season at the Santa Pod Raceway this weekend.

Seven teams, two of which are Maltese, have registered to race in the 2014 Top Methanol series which wraps up with the European Finals, again at Santa Pod in September.

In all, there will be five rounds of the championship with the other three races, all outside England, being held in Finland (July), Germany (August) and Sweden (August).

Mr Whippy Racing Team opted not to defend their title in 2013 as they were mulling on other sporting adventures outside the continent but they’ve decided to race in Europe this year with veteran campaigner Monty Bugeja again inside the cockpit of their updated dragster.

Bugeja was honoured for his 2012 feat in the SportMalta awards last year when he scooped the main prize at stake as the Mr Whippy outfit topped the category for teams.

On his way to the European title two years ago, Bugeja had also established a speed record of 437.98kph inside the fine-tuned green and yellow Mr Whippy dragster at the Tierp Arena, in Sweden.

Bugeja topped the standings with 467 points ahead of another Maltese pilot Chris Polidano of the Kalanċ Racing Team.

Polidano will be the other Top Methanol pilot on the line at the Santa Pod Raceway this weekend while Duncan Micallef will be vying for the honours in the Top Fuel category.

Shawn Buttigieg and Luke Farrugia will be competing in the European Super Street bike class.

FIA/FIM Championship calendar

May 23-26 Main Event - Santa Pod Raceway, England

July 3-6 Nitro Nationals - Alastaro, Finland

August 8-10 NitrOlympx - HockenheimRing, Germany

August 21-24 Scandinavian Internationals - Tierp Arena, Sweden

September 4-7 European Finals - Santa Pod Raceway, England