CB Performance Hot VWs Drag Day
This was #11 since its rebirth back in March of 2002, and another great day of 1/8th mile racing at Irwindale Speedway

BY ROBERT K. SMITH

Hot VWs Drag Days happened during the '80s at Orange County International Raceway, along with the famous Bug-Ins of that era. Rich Kimball was an integral part of those events back then, and in March 2002 brought back the twice-a-year VW drag days, this time at the newly opened Irwindale 1/8th-mile facility, off the 605 freeway near the 210 freeway. In March 2003, Hot VWs Drag Day drew 192 racers (the most to date), and Kimball added another race in August, then the usual October date, which by the way featured the largest spectator count so far - 2,500. At the October '04 event, the participant and spectator numbers dwindled to the smallest ever, primarily because there was a major fire nearby. Then in 2005, it was back to business as usual, with the first race in March and the second of the year in October, and the same the folllowing year.

With a terrific weather forecast for Sunday, October 8th last year, it was only fitting that a stron contingent of VW drag racers, and spectators alike, would make their way to southern California's Irwindale Speedway. Not to watch oval track racing, but instead check out the semiannual affair at Irwindale's 1/8th-mile dragstrip - Hot VWs Drag Day. The main sponsor here again was CB Performance, along with associate sponsorship from Vee Dub Parts Unlimited, So. Cal. Import Parts, and Airhead Parts.

As usual first thing in the a.m., parts hunters were scrounging the swap meet area, while many drag racers made their way through the gates and into the pits. By eight o'clock, quite a few enthusiasts were perusing the grounds, vendor booths were already setup with their latest wares, and a good number of cars began filling-up the "show 'n shine" section of the parking lot, behind the second set of bleachers. "Dyno Don" Chamberlain was the event's official announcer, while FAT Performance's Ron Fleming was the Race Director, and the lane coordinator was Mike Dunphy (from OCIR Bug-In days). And let's not forget the man in charge of this whole shingdig - Rich Kimball, also an integral organizer of the VW Classic.

Time trials started just after 9:30 a.m., with over a hundred racers dialing-in their machines. Besides the four trophy brackers (three air-cooled, one water cooled), there were the OldVolks.com bus bracket, Blimp Jackpot bracket, and A-1 Muffler Quick 16. The CB Performance Der Renn-Kafer Cup exhibition class winner (and all bracket winners) was also eligible to compete in the Fat Performance Top Eliminator bracket, where $700 was given to the winner, and $300 for runner up. Top Speed of the Day got $100 (thanks to Proformance), and Rancho Performance Transaxles anted-up another hundred to the racer with Low ET of the meet.

In the money-bracket classes, OldVolkdshome.com's bus bracket saw Huntington Beach's Rocky Leivan and his '67 bus take the win fight with a 12.691/38.01 pass, to runner-up Kevin Zagar in his San Diego-based '60 bus that turned-in a 10.801/61.29. Also, Ontario's John Schuerger and his '66 Bug took-on Clovis, California's Mike Lawless in his '65 Ghia, and the winner was Schuerger, who clicked-off a 7.404/89.98 on 7.39 dial-in, to Mike's 7.551/85.45 on 7.49 DI. The A-1 Miffler Quick 16 final pitted "Muffler Mike" Sheldon (from Redondo Beach) against Artesia's Sue Cerny, who runner-upped with a 9.667/49.93, compared to Sheldon's quicker, winning 7.898/64.73 pass. Meanwhile, Low ET was a 6.22 by Jason Eggum, in his '66 Bug, from Lakewood California, and Top Speed was 113 mph, recorded by Walnut, California's Frank Estrada, in his turbo sedan.

When the class competition was finished, all the winners were welcomed to race again, this time to try and win Top Eliminator. Water-cooled vs. air-cooled, bus against Bug, you get the idea. In Der Renn-Kafer Cup, the contender ending up with the most points (car show and race) after all their runs, was the winner, and in this case, it was Sacramento's Lee Bushaw and his super sanitary '58 Bug with JayCee 51.5mm Weber carbed 2275cc powerhouse. Lee had to bracket race now, won rounds, and made it to the final, against Bracket 3 winner Fred Crowder (also in a '58 Bug) from nearby Yorbu Linda. Bushaw's window dial-in was 7.46 and nobody caught it, but that didn't matter as he got the win light when Crowder "broke out" with a 10.218 on 10.22 dial-in, then Lee recorded a 7.5596 e.i. at 89.36 mph, and won $700! It was great to see a non-bracket racer, dial-in, run the numbers, make it to the final, and win the finale Fat Performance Top Eliminator.

Overall, this was another successful CB Performance Hot VWs Drag Day, with final races happening close to sunset. For 2007, the first event's date is March 18th, with the second again in October. For participants and enthusiasts, it has become a tradition to make it to these semiannual races, so if you haven't attended one yet, you ought to put either, or both, on your priority list.