DISCLAIMER - Air Cooled Drag Racing Monthly is not affiliated with or endorsed by Volkswagen of America or the Volkswagen company in any way.

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Our latest addition to the Drag Racer Directory / Database is Jeff Rogers of Spokane, Washington.  Jeff races in various National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) events.

Jeff Rogers - '54 Bug

To view the Drag Racer Directory / Database . . . CLICK HERE.  You can also submit your vehicle by visiting the link above. 

Cory McClenathan and the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) are in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals, the second to last stop for the 2007 drag racing season.  After two rounds of qualifying Cory Mac is in the #11 position with a best run of 4.577 ET at 326.56 MPH.  Unfortunately Cory is not in the running for the 2007 Countdown to the Championship but I am sure he would love nothing more then to get the win in Vegas and show everybody what to look forward to in 2008.  Qualifying resumes on Saturday, October 27th at 1:15 PM PST.

UPDATE #1 - Cory Mac improved his time a bit with a 4.557 ET and qualified in the #12 position.  He will face David Baca in the first round of eliminations on Sunday, October 28.

UPDATE #2 - Cory was ahead in his first round elimination race against David Baca, but then the motor let go and Baca drove around him to take the win.  Baca ran a 4.954 ET at 325.45 MPH to Cory's 5.252 ET at 185.51 MPH.

ARTICLE BY JASON CULLEY / PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BRIAN WATTS AND DAN FROM OCEANSTREETVIDEO.COM - The Pro Racing Association (PRA) held 5 events during the 2007 season, starting with the Bugorama in Phoenix presented by Chapman Volkswagen at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona.  From there they headed to Northern California to Bugorma #59 in Sacramento presented by Niello Volkswagen at Sacramento Raceway in Sacramento, California.  The next stop was in Fontana, California for the DRAG-IN at Auto Club Raceway @ California Speedway and then back up North for Bugorama #60 in Sacramento presented by Niello Volkswagen at Sacramento Raceway in Sacramento, California.  The last stop of the season took them to Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the PRA Finals at Bugorama presented by KCW. 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY - - - > > >

If you frequent the NHRA Blog section of NHRA.com you know that former VW drag racer and current NHRA driver Cory McClenathan has a blog that he writes.  Well this week he wrote about the unfortunate situation he had to deal with when he made the decision to put his dog down, Cookie Mac who was 17 years old.  Cory will be carrying Cookie's dog collar with him during the last two events in Las Vegas (ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals) and Pomona (Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals) and hopefully he can win one (or two) for Cookie.  You can check out the blog by CLICKING HERE. 

It came down to the last race of the season, but a champion was finally crowned in the Texas Volkswagen Drag Racing Association (TVWDRA) last weekend in Texas.  Bubba Clifton held off Ricky Marshall and Curtis Conner to claim the 2007 TVWDRA Points Championship. 

The TVWDRA visited Texas Raceway in Kennedale, TX one last time to close out their 2007 season with 18 cars showing up to run down the 1/8 mile track.  In the finals James Brooke ran a 7.476 ET (7.430 Dial-In) at 89.87 MPH to beat Rick Tarter who ran a 8.791 ET (8.800 Dial-In) at 76.86 MPH.  Bubba lost in the quarterfinals to Rick Tarter but was was able to hold onto the championship.  James Brooke ended the season #4 in points behind Bubba, Ricky and Curtis.

Congratulations to everybody in the TVWDRA for a successful season and we can't wait to see what happens in 2008.

This weekend Irwindale Speedway will be hosting the Hot VW's Drag Day.  The gates open at 7 a.m. on Sunday for the CB Performance sponsored event.  There will be a total of 8 drag racing classes and all Volkswagens are invited, air and water cooled.  For more information you can visit the website at  http://www.bugin.com/dragday.htm.

We are happy to announce a new advertiser on the Air Cooled Drag Racing Monthly website.  The Gold Coast Refractory Service was founded in 1988 and performs services in the following industries:  Aluminum Foundries and Secondary Recovery Plants, Heat Treating, Environmental, Incineration, and others that utilize industrial heating equipment.  You can visit their website at www.goldcoastref.com. 

If you are interested in advertising on the Air Cooled Monthly visit our ADVERTISING SECTION.

Our latest addition to the Drag Racer Directory / Database is John Morris of Bremerton, Washington.  John is a member of the Northwest Import Drag Racing Association.

Gary Calvert of Dallas, Texas has also submitted an update on his 1/8 mile ET and MPH.

John Morris - '57 Bug | Gary Calvert - '74 Bug

To view the Drag Racer Directory / Database . . . CLICK HERE.  You can also submit your vehicle by visiting the link above. 

For the second straight year a Volkswagen is in the Quick 16 Winners Circle at the NHRA Sport Compact World Finals in Pomona, California.  Troy Palmer was victorious in the finals against Karl Martin in his '93 RX7.  Troy ran an 11.010 ET (11.21 Dial-In) to Karl's 9.935 ET (10.29 Dial-In) who was a little too quick awarding the win to Troy.  During eliminations Troy ('60 VW, Qualified #14) beat Mark Prothero ('57 VW, Qualified #6), Santos Renovales ('69 Sprinter, Qualified #2) and Larry Kelley ('56 VW, Qualified #12) en route to beating Karl ('93 RX7, Qualified #9) and taking home the coveted Wally.

Former VW drag racer Scott Kelley made it to the finals in the Honda Tuning All Motor class but couldn't beat the series champion Norris Prayoonto.  Scott ran a 9.835 ET at 136.47 MPH losing to Norris' 9.730 ET at 132.78 MPH by about 28 feet. 

For the second year the fall Big Bug Shootout winner will be awarded the LeeRoy Blackwood-Knight's Foreign Auto Parts Remembrance and Appreciation Award.  For those not familiar with the story, LeeRoy Blackwood was the owner of Knight's Foreign Auto Parts in Garland, Texas and the main sponsor of Carl Nolen's drag bug from 1988 until 2003 when the shop closed.  The reason for the closure was the untimely death of LeeRoy in an automobile accident on Labor Day in 2002.  Carl kept the current paintjob on his drag bug in remembrance of LeeRoy and to thank him for his support.  LeeRoy had developed a friendship with Dave and Judy Kawell in the early '90s when he contacted them for some advice on the turbo drag bug he was building.  Knights Foreign Auto Parts was a long time sponsor of the bracket class at the Bug-Ins for as long as anybody could remember.  So together Carl and Judy came up with the idea to remember LeeRoy and his contributions by developing the award to go to the winner of the fall Big Bug Shootout. 

This year the event took place on Saturday, October 14th at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas.  Rick Tarter in his Flash Back Squareback made his way through the rounds and faced off against Steve Tillman in the finals.  Steve made the long journey from Minnesota for this event.  Rick beat Steve in the finals and took home the LeeRoy Blackwood-Knight's Foreign Auto Parts Remembrance and Appreciation Award and $400.00 cash.

Photographs courtesy of Eric Ellis, Speedshots Sports Photography

The Volkswagens are invading the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for the NHRA Sport Compact World Finals, the last event in the NHRA Sony Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series. 

After three rounds of qualifying in the Honda Tuning All-Motor class Roger Crawford in his Heads-Up Performance, Motion Sickness Karmann Ghia is qualified in the 7th position with a 10.030 ET at 132.82 MPH.  Roger is the current Pro Racing Association (PRA) Super Street ET and MPH record holder with a 10.03 ET set at Sacramento Raceway in September 2007 and 133.79 MPH set at Sacramento Raceway in May.  Roger is also the first PRA Super Street VW to dip into the 9 second range with a 9.990 in May of this year.  Former VW drag racer Scott Kelley in his TRD Toyo Tires Bullet '07 Corolla is qualified in the 5th position with a 9.870 ET at 135.32 MPH.

Of the sixteen cars qualified in the Quick 16 class over half are air cooled Volkswagens including the #1 qualifier Hector Urias.  Hector earned the #1 spot with a 9.604 ET at 140.83 MPH and won this event in 2006.  The remaining VW drivers include Shawn Bergerson (#3, 10.129 ET at 126.72 MPH), David Stark (#5, 10.513 ET at 121.86 MPH), Mark Prothero (#6, 10.601 ET at 126.96 MPH), Allen Weiss (#11, 10.985 ET at 118.07 MPH), Larry Kelley (#12, 11.034 ET at 98.06 MPH), "Muffler Mike" Shelden (#13, 11.118 ET at 116.83 MPH), Troy Palmer (#14, 11.364 ET at 119.63) and Esther Hollister (#15, 11.555 ET at 124.80 MPH). 

Eliminations start at 10:30 AM PST on Sunday, October 21st.

You can visit the NHRA Sony Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series by visiting www.nhrasportcompact.com.

Agent Aircooled has learned that the 2008 Pro Stock Nationals may have found a venue.  It is rumored this great event will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  This is only speculation at this point and no dates have been announced but it would certainly be a great city to visit and do a little drag racing while you are there.

You can view the past Agent Aircooled reports by CLICKING HERE.

Pro Racing Association members Monty Foster and Ernie Crowley from Albuquerque, New Mexico were injured in a vehicle accident shortly after leaving Albuquerque on their way to Phoenix, Arizona for the Arizona 4 Cylinder Challenge.  Most escaped serious injury sustaining various bumps and bruises, it is reported that a foreign exchange student traveling with the group broke his arm and Monty suffered unknown close head injuries and is being looked after.  Initial reports are the accident was caused when a tire blew on the car trailer and vehicle began to fishtail. The accident occurred after the trailer they were towing suffered a tire blow-out, causing the vehicle to fishtail.  The Excursion they were traveling in made contact with a semi-truck traveling in the next lane and sent it into the medium where it rolled several times.  The injured were taken back to Albuquerque hospitals and as more information becomes available we will post it up. 

Our latest addition to the Drag Racer Directory / Database is Brian Marvin from Clackamas, Oregon.  Brian is a member of the Northwest Import Drag Racing Association.

Brian Marvin - '68 Bug

To view the Drag Racer Directory / Database . . . CLICK HERE.  You can also submit your vehicle by visiting the link above. 

"IT'S TUESDAY SO IT'S GOTTA BE THE CAST, IT'S VOLKSCAST"

Those are the words many wait for all week to hear, as Ray invades our computers with his hour or so of Volkswagen entertainment.  During the past couple of months Ray has been very busy with his Speed Channel commitments and has had to put Volkscast Radio on the back burner but he is back with his 2nd anniversary show.  His guests include PRA VWTurboKits.com Super Gas Champion Troy Palmer and George Barris, the King of Customizers.

You can download the show by CLICKING HERE or visit the Volkscast Radio thread on the Cal-Look.com website.

The Pro Racing Association (PRA) will be holding its 2007 Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 10th starting at 9:00 AM.  The PRA will be celebrating their 2007 season with a catered awards ceremony being held at Gene Berg Enterprises located at 1725 North Lime Street in Orange,  California.  There will be a raffle held throughout the day with raffle tickets being sold for $1 each.

Events:
   - The 2007 champions will be awarded their payouts and awards
   - Rookie of the Year will be awarded
   - Sponsor awards will be presented
   - Open discussions regarding possible rule changes and/or safety concerns

For more information on the PRA you can visit www.racepra.com.

This past weekend Farmington Motorsports Park in Mocksville, NC hosted the final event of the East Coast Pro Racing Association season, Fast Times at Farmington #6.  Damon Harmon entered the race leading the ECPRA in points with 488, Ollie Frey and Warren Skaggs were the closest competitors with 302 and 278 points respectively. 

In qualifying on Saturday Ollie Frey ran a personal best of 6.03 ET, following a run earlier in the day at 6.055 ET which broke the ECPRA 1/8 mile record previously held by Damon Harmon at 6.074 ET.  Ollie wouldn't hold the record long as Alan Fore ran a 5.980 ET backed up by a 6.001 to establish the new record.  In a show of great show of sportsmanship it was Ollie's father Helmut Frey who assisted Alan Fore straighten out a few mechanical issues after the first round of qualifying that allowed them to continue on and break the record.  The record has been reset a few times during the 2007 season and there is a good chance that trend will continue into 2008 as these cars get faster. 

In the finals it was Damon Harmon in Quarter Toy III who came out on top for the event win and ECPRA season championship.  Harmon took out the new record holder Fore in the semi-finals and beat Frey in the finals to claim the championship.

ARTICLE BY GREG URRUTIA - Now that all the big races have been decided . . . now that all the points chases have been tallied . . . now that Winter is approaching, what better way to end a racing season then to go out and just have FUN!  Today we celebrated what may have been the best day at the track ever.  The pressures were off, the mood was relaxed, the day was warm and sunny, and the track was fast. In a laid back and relaxing atmosphere, friends old and new got together to spend a day at the  races.

Invited by good friend and amateur race promoter Fred Owens, NASA held it's last event of the 2007 calendar year.  We shared the track with the "Truck Drags".  The turnout was moderate but the fun was huge.  Zero waiting time in the staging lanes made for record number of practice passes.  One racer hot lapped his way around for 12 passes before eliminations.  Eleven racers signed in.  From Novice to Pro, ET's ranged from the low 10's to the low 17's.

Up for grabs was a nice Cash Jackpot, Beautiful Trophies, the much sought after NASA Winner's Decal, Coca Cola Products, and a case of oil.  We truly enjoyed each others company and had fun playing with our cars.  Sure! it was a contest, but it was more about sharing our hobby, sport, and passion with like minded people than a full blown "win at all costs" hardcore race.

In the final round Greg Schmidt in the Bugformance Super Comp Drag Bug prevailed over Lynn Urrutia in her Porter's Precision Transaxles Drag Ghia.  Lynn broke out by the slightest amount running 14.98 on her 15.0 dial in, while Schmidt ran 10.90 at 121.26 on his 10.85 dial in.  Best reaction time of the day went to Greg Schmidt with a 006.  In the end everyone went home with smiles, new friends, and the satisfying feeling you get from just being a participant at a simply
fun event.

(Left to right: Mike Soliven, Greg Schmidt, Jim Bass, Stephanie Bracy, Steve Poderzay, Kris Eshenour, Baaron Surratt, Chris Brown & "BeeBop",  Lynn Urrutia, Greg Urrutia, and Daniel Fernandez)

Congratulations Greg and Lynn. NASA wishes to thank all the drivers that found the time to come out and support our friend Fred Owens and for bringing the smiles to our last event of the year.

(Photographs courtesy of Kris Eshenour)

Roger Crawford - First In The 9's (Photograph by Brian Watts, Layout by Jason Culley)

We have added a new wallpaper to our Download section.  It is of 2007 PRA Super Street Champion Roger Crawford on his 9.990 ET at 132.58 MPH pass, the first Super Street car to make it into the 9's.

Wayne Axford held off his son Chad Axford (2007 NASA Rookie of the Year) and John Rocha to claim the 2007 NASA Pro-VW Drag Racing Series  Championship.  Wayne finished the season with 729 points, 119 points in front of Chad and John.  NASA Race Director Greg Urrutia said, "It came down to the last race of the year, but Wayne's consistency and focus were the keys to a winning season. A late season charge by son Chad (2007 NASA Rookie of the Year), made for an exciting finish to a year filled with great competition and fun." 

Brian Gomez had the "Best Light of the Year" with a .001 RT.  Rick DeLeon had the "Best Package of the Year" with a .103.  Chris Brown recorded the "Fastest Pass of the Year" with a 11.161 ET at 121.881 MPH.

"More good times for the NASA Pro-VW Drag Racing Series is just down the road, stay tuned!", said Greg.

Be sure to check out the brand new NASA Pro-VW Drag Racing Series website launched recently at www.nasavwdragracing.com.

Our latest addition to the Drag Racer Directory / Database is Robert "Turbo Bob" Hemphill from Victorville, California.  Robert is a member of the Pro Racing Association and finished second in the very tough Super Comp class this season.

Robert Hemphill - '70 Bug

To view the Drag Racer Directory / Database . . . CLICK HERE.  You can also submit your vehicle by visiting the aforementioned link. 

Our latest addition to the Drag Racer Directory / Database is Brandon Dye from Gilmer, Texas.  Brandon is a member of the Texas Volkswagen Drag Racing Association.

In addition to Brandon's '65 Bug he submitted two cars from his past, Me Quick and Vitamin C Special.

Brandon Dye - '65 VW | Brandon Dye (Me Quick and Vitamin C Special)

To view the Drag Racer Directory / Database . . . CLICK HERE.  You can also submit your vehicle by visiting the aforementioned link. 

Our latest addition to the Drag Racer Directory / Database is Micky Jennings from Yakima, Washington.  Micky is a member of the Northwest Import Drag Racing Association (NIDRA) and won the 2007 NIDRA Championship.  Look for a story about this coming to ACDRM.com real soon.

Micky Jennings - '57 Bug

To view the Drag Racer Directory / Database . . . CLICK HERE.  You can also submit your vehicle by visiting the aforementioned link. 

Welcome to the October issue of Air Cooled Drag Racing Monthly.  After a short absence, almost two months, WE'RE BACK.  For those who did not know I am in the United States Air Force and was set to deploy to the Middle East for a little vacation this winter but it was cancelled.  I was not going to be able to run the site where I was going so we were going to have to park it in the garage for awhile as Brian Watts was not able to do it on his own.  With the way things are in the world these days I will more then likely go in 2008 and do not want the site to go down again and am looking for individuals who want to get involved.  If you are interested in joining us please email me at jculley@acdrm.com for details. 

With the winter months fast approaching many organizations are wrapping up their 2007 seasons and getting ready for 2008.  ACDRM.com is also getting ready for 2008 so look for many new features and stories.  In this months issue look for event stories from the PRA Finals, Big Bug Shootout and TVWDRA Points Race #11 to name a few.  We are also working on recaps for the PRA and NASA seasons. 

We are continuing to update our Drag Racer Directory / Database.  Our goal is to have the biggest database of air cooled drag racers from all over the world.  You can check out the section and see details about submitting your information by CLICKING HERE. 

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to check us out and we hope you have a great October!

Jason Culley 

For past articles and features check out our archive section . . . CLICK HERE