The Gulf Oil Drag Racing motorcycle, powered by five drive belts manufactured by Gates, has won a record 11th European Championship for the King Racing Team. Rider Filippos Papafilippou delivered the points needed to secure the Top Fuel Championship at the final round of the FIM European Drag Racing Championships, at Santa Pod Raceway in Northampton.

The Gulf Oil Drag Racing Top Fuel Bike has almost double the power of an F1 car. It runs on nitromethane, consumes an average of 13 gallons per minute and accelerates from 0-248 MPH in 5.7 seconds. Purpose built, the bike is fitted with a supercharged inline 4-cylinder 1585cc Puma engine.

Team Principal (and former 10 times Championship winner) Ian King praised the consistency of performances of his new rider and added that the King Racing Team was able to achieve world class results thanks to “the use of the best products in the field from 32 blue chip technical partners.” Asked to explain the use of belts rather than chains, he said, “A chain able to transfer more than 1500HP from the crankshaft to transmission would be unfeasibly heavy and bulky, and totally unable to absorb the shock loads. The belt provides the strength but has good shock absorbing characteristics.”

Ian added, “The same is true for the four ancillary belts. We totally rely on Gates belts for every aspect of the power and drive trains, from primary drive through ignition, fuel and oil delivery. We found that only Gates products can give us the reliability, longevity and ability to handle the +1500HP we generate.”