Rain halts Santa Pod finals as Andres Arnover claims FIA European Pro Mod title

Rain disrupted the outcome of the FIA European Pro Modified Championship at Santa Pod Raceway last weekend. The opening round of the 16-car field, originally scheduled for 10:30am, only began at 5pm after jet-engined track dryers prepared the course. At 8pm, as the eight remaining competitors stood ready for round two under the lights, rain resumed and brought the event to an early end.

As a result of the stoppage, the points standings remained unchanged, allowing Andres Arnover of Estonia to secure his first FIA European Pro Modified title. Entering the event with a single-round lead over defending champion Jere Rantaniemi of Finland, Arnover only needed to stay level with his rival on the eliminations ladder to take the championship crown.

Arnover, who joined Pro Mod from the Nordic Top Doorslammer scene in 2021 driving a turbocharged 1967 Ford Mustang-bodied car, led the four-race championship from the opening round in May. At the European Finals, Arnover set the meeting's top speed at 251.87mph, while Dutch driver Michel Tooren qualified on pole and recorded the lowest elapsed time of 5.743s. Arnover's triumph marks three consecutive years that turbo-powered cars have captured the crown.