Meet The Beetles?
 

724 SS/VX Greg Tims Riverside, Ca '60 VW
7080 SS/VX Richard Stanchfield Surprise, Az '59 VW
7248 SS/VX Larry Kelley Yorba Linda, Ca '57 VW
Don't believe I've ever seen 3 VWs entered in SS before,,,is this a new class or perhaps a new trend. It'll be interesting to see where they end up in qualifying at Pomona.
Danny Durham

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

they were all at the D7 Speedworld Nat Open earlier this month

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

Trend? I've been racing 4 cylinders in SS since 1986, they've been knocking the door down looking for the opportunity to compete. In all that time, there have never been more than two cars in my class. VW's have always been legal in Modifed Compact and now Modifeid Stock. Yeah, this is definitely a trend...

Jim Caughlin
SS/FS 6019

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

Joe, The one listed in the middle must live about 15 miles from me. I never knew there was a S/S VW around here. I'd love to see it. Maybe tomorrow?

Did you ever come up with a Q sheet from Speedworld?

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

VW's are way cool! I have been going to Farmington raceway in NC. for several years to watch the bug bashes since my daughter wanted a VW for her first car in 2006. VW's are no joke! the Pro Stock bugs run at 8lb per cube (i think) and turn in the low 6's at 110 in the 1/8, maybe faster now. I remember watching Shavers and Lee run A/modified compact in the 80's on the IHRA circuit and kick some butt! I saw the Evil Beetle at Farmington a year ago still bracket racing! The first time I saw a bug drag car It was a time trial with the A/MCP against my brothers 2 ton super stock wagon and it kicked his butt and removed the grin off my face. I had no clue that doodle bug was a rocket! Never laugh at a Bug! Don Jackson

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

Jim,,,I've seen your cars over the years, throughout the NW, they run very well. I'm certainly old enough to remember VWs,,Pintos and so forth in Modified Compact too. I was just a little surprised to see these cars turnout in SS as opposed to showing up at a "Bug-In". There hasn't been a lot of these at Seattle (the one national event I attend yearly), over the years, but perhaps more of them will come out of the woodwork now.
Take care and see you on the Div.6 trail.
Danny Durham

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

I remember a bunch of years ago at Pomona, the wind was really bad and there were a couple running then. The 1 went into the traps and the wind just blew the car right over on its lid. He did drive it back to the pits though. Any idea on who that could have been?

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

Today at Firebird, Div 7 Opener

The green car set the Nat'l Record @ 10.92. He needs to back it up next..Coming soon

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

The real shame was when NHRA decided they'd do away with the turbo class called "AA/MC."

There were several of those little blown Pintos around the countrry and I was lucky enough to get to see a couple of them run.

A couple of Ford factory engineers built what I believe to be the first one and I was at the Gas Coupe and Sedan Nationals at Rockford (or, Cordova, I don't recall which) in about 1978 and the turbo'd Pinto won Modified Eliminator over the vaunted Dave Hutchens-driven Corvette M-P car. That was a hoot! I think it ran low 11's.

Div. V1 racer, Butch Ball built one and got the record with it, somewhere in the tens, I believe... maybe high 9's, can't remember. "Ohio" George Montgomery buiilt one, but I never got to see it run. He never built anything slow...

Buddy Ingersoll bought what I believed to be the original Ford-enginners' car, but improved its performance dramatically, ending up in the middle 9's, I think. Car Craft had a big article on it in the early eighties. He said his biggest problem was getting the flywheel to stay attached to the crank flange; it would shake the flywheel right off the car... LOL! His final method of attachement??? "That's my business." came the reply!!! :)

I was always hoping that Jim Caughlin would step up from, his S/S normally-aspirated Pinto and build one, because I KNOW it would have been fast, given the outstanding performaance of his carbureted Pinto...

But, NHRA, in its infinite wisdom, took the class out of the rulebook, so, these little rockets, which pullled the wheels on EVERY gearchange, faded into history...

Too bad. Buddy Ingersoll's car ran 135 mph+ with NO water injecton and NO intercooler! Just one 4bbl, on a 2-liter German 4-banger.

Just amazing...

Sorry for the hijack...

Re: Meet The Beetles?
 

Is this a new class this year for the aircooled VWs? We have 3 10 second VW Beetles that race in our local stickshift association, I wonder how close that they are to being S/S leagal. I`m assuming it`s a lbs per displacement class, just can`t see a 36HP factory rating combo running that quick!