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.
