CB Performance Presents - Lucky 13
The latest Hot VWs Drag Day - the 13th edition since the rebirth of the event in 2002 - offered the right ingredients for another fantastic drag race, Irwindale-style!

BY STEPHAN SZANTAI

As many of our readers will remember, Rich Kimball revived the Hot VWs Drag Day in 2002, following a number of identically turned affairs held at Orange County International Raceway between 1977 and 1983. These resurrected competitions, held twice yearly, soon became favorites with enthusiasts based in Southern California for a variety of reasons, starting with their location - Irwindale Dragstrip, the closest track from L.A. and Orange County. The crowd also enjoys the time of the year selected by Kimball, specifically March (perfect to test and tune before the season begins) and October (great to make a few more more passes before the winter). Weather typically proves pleasant, too, unlike the scorching summer months.

The 13th edition of the "new" Hot VWs Drag Day enjoyed a great success, with 150 racers taking part in the activities. The swap meet proved to be of gigantic proportions, as was the case last March. After paying the event's entry fee, vendors can always sell their goodies at no additional cost, a great offer that seems to attract an increasing number of traders. Nearby, the Cars on Display section gathered an excellent selection of rides, including a few completed recently. Mark Koouman's Bug, in particular had many people talking. This off-road sedan features a raised body and suspension, very much in the spirit of the wildest monster trucks! Special thanks go to the German Folks Klub, not only for displaying a half-a-doze top notch cars, but also for helping with parking every single VW that entered this busy area.

Racers worked in earnest in the pits, getting ready to battle on Irwindale's 1/8th-mile track. The Humsaker team had their Crew Chief, Dave Mason, make a few test passes in their well-known Super Street Bug, while Heads Up Performance (a.k.a. The House of Power) and JCL Race Cars brought along a pair of mighty VWs: Roger Crawford's amazing Super Street Ghia, plus Doug Harvey's freshly finished New Beetle. He only made some shake down passes, with the last ending when the vehicle scrapped the wall, thankfully at low speed. A few weeks later, Doug had more luck driving his New B. equipped with an air-cooled powerhour installed up front. He blasted an 8.58 quartermile e.t. at 154 mph during a Pacific Street Car Association race held in Fontana!

Harvey wasn't the only competitor who damaged his Vee Dub - John Ferguson rolled his chopped Bug after the finish line, when a rear wheel mysteriously locked. Good luck with the rebuild, John! On a brighter note, the Powder Puff category had an impressive turnout of ladies, eager to battle the Christmas Tree. Susy Herbert, the brain behind the class, was able to bring together 19 contestants, with Candy Larsen of JCI fame eventually winning the last round, behind the wheel of her Squareback. She collected $250 in cash and a $200 Gift Certificate from Bugpack for her great effort.

In the T1 Air-cooled class (8.58 ET and quicker). Rober Ortiz lost against Steve Dulton and his street-driven 2789cc-powered Bug. T2 Air-cooled (8.59-9.99 ET) saw Dustin Carstens get the best versus Charlie Henderson, while Chip Rodriguez nailed down the T3 Air-cooled category (10.00 and slower) by edging out Alex Solicio. The program also included two "specialty" classes open solely to water cooled cars (T4) and buses (T5): Nick Thompson and Rocky Leivan respectively went hom with the win.

The Jackpot Bracket required each partaker to pitch in $25 with the winner grabbing the full purse. During the last round, Richard Laitinen red lit, thus handing the victory to Joe Kossky, driving the VW Gold Mine Ghia owned by Ralph and Karen Chase. Competition was fierce in the Quick 16 category, too, with $1,200 at stake. The finals involved two popular PRA racers. Clyde Berg and Daniel Kurtzman, Clyde crossed the finish line first with a 7.67 ET (7.59 dial-in), just ahead of Daniel with a 7.70 (7.60 dial-in).

Spectators were invited to watch a few more rounds, as the eight class champs still had to battle against each other, to determine the "winner of the winners" under the Top Eliminator banner! The very last run of the day ultimately pitched Clyde Berg and Nick Thompson. In a remake of the March 2007 race, Nick and his late-model Golf once again took the honors (along with $700), when Clyde jumped off the line too fast and saw the Christmas Tree turn red. We should finally comment on Hector Urias' performance, recording the event's low ET - 5.90/117mph!

This happening was able to take place on account of various sponsors, which Rich Kimball would like to thank, starting with CB Performance, So. Cal Imports, Vee Dub Parts Unlimited, and Airhead Parts. The list continues with West Coast Classics, A-1 Muffler, Bill and Steve's, Clyde Berg Heads, BFY, Wolfsburg West, Oldbug.com, Rancho, KYMCO, Proformance, Commonwealth VW/AUDI, Orange Empire Bus Company, OCTO, Karmann Ghia Parts & Restoration, FAT Performance, Cal-Look.com, Rustbox, Toyo Tires, Speedwell USA, and Oldvolks.com. Mark your calendar - the next Hot VWs Drag Day will take place on March 16th. See you there!