Your Best Street Racing Story (not that I condone it anymore!)

[jimr]

Our old VW club in the Nineties used to go out every Friday night to either a rural area or a private road and drag race one another. Occasionally "outsiders" woud show up and take part too.

Luckily, we only had one run in with the cops and nobody ever got hurt. And no motors ever grenaded.

Let's hear your stories!!

Jim R.

[TRM]

OH ME OH MY

Sorry not totally air cooled,   But we had set a race up on Shoemaker in southern California.   It was "BaseBall Billy"  in his SBC Nova wagon(with srap marks on the underside of the bumper  )  against a guy from BellFlower with his Capri (the small compact not mustang looking one from '72ish with a 400 plus CI motor),  well the Capri wanted something like 10 out and got 5 out and the move.  Well we head down to the finish line in front of "Bell"  Vince(die in street race related acident) had  a couple of friends with him and I had a few with me we all had side bets on the race something like a dime each  Yes  10 cents.  Any way the Capri leaves Base Ball leaves on the trans brake the head lights point to the sky and sparks start shooting out from the bumper of the Nova on the ground have track the Nova is about 4 behind.  Well Vince I had real money on BaseBall to,  So it dawns on me that Vince is working his way out in the street we are both out of the gutter headed out into the middle of the road and Vince is screaming "He is going to walk around him in high gear" and kept repeating this several times seemed like and hour but it was just seconds(kept getting loader and loader)  I run out to him and tell him to "get out of the street or he is going to run you over in high gear" He took a step back looks at me then back to the finish line which we had been standing at and it was a tie  Yes we all looked at each other and yelled "TIE"        how could that be a tie well it was the only true tie that I have seen street racing.   

Oh the cops showed up ran us off so as far as I know they never ran again.


 

Sorry not Air cooled.

I do remember I think it was 81' 82' out on La Palma saw some of the best VW racing even to this day.  The cops ran us off after about an hour of racing.   

We use to race Green River Road out towards Corona Yes before they put the curve in it.   We would race that street as many as 5 nights a week.  The CHP had to cover the 91 freeway so they would sit up high near the on and off rap and watch us.  Most of the time we would get a race or two off.  As we  raced out of "Scooter's" ,DQ and now Nick's on Sunday nights.  Most of the time back in the mid 80's we raced v8 or water cooled cars.  So one night we went out to Green River to run a race we get out there and someone spray painted the street with white paint  and is said in big block letters  "VW'S CAN RACE HERE TOO MYLES"   We wished we had a camera around the next time we went out it was sand blasted.  LOL

Just wondering was it any one from out here??

Who ever it was they took the time to spell it right. 

I will have to think about some more  Old times is kicking in.

Great Subject

[Volksman]

Sunny day, our in woper at the lights. 911 turbo pulls with a girl in the pasanger seat, girls love woper. i slowly whoop his ass to the next lights, next lights he's reving it, lights drop, i side step the clutch, pull the wheels up and dusted him good and proper! put a smile on my face all day.


god i love that car!

[Sven-Olof.Brorsson]

Early 90's something. I did a lot of street racing then!! One big town here in Sweden organized a "open" street race...open to anyone!! So we ended up in the parking lot and payd to get in the 16 car ladder. Had a bye run first and then a turbo Opel that never got going, but passed me 50 meter after the finish doing 150 mph!! Anyway we was in semifinal and was up against a Corvette with N2O, Bigblock and slicks. Serious buissness!! We had this stelth looking 66 bug with all fibreglass and lexan and a big 2600 cc type 4 with nitrous, but the purge valve broke so we was only on the motor!! Corvette rolls up and makes a giant burn out. I wait for him to back up and I make burn out, back the car up. As the situation is a bit nervous the starter wants the race to go. But I make a dry hop....started waves at me and I wait, make an other dry hop....Corvette owner gets nervous and looks at me and starter is angry so.....I make an other dry hop......Starting procedure is a flash light and the startes is so angry that he points the flashlight in to me and puts hes finger on the button......i just let the chlutch out, strater reactes with his spine and flicks the light and I get a head start and the Corvette has to play catch me up......I row thrue the gears and gets to third and it can not get engaged....I loose the race and is in a bad mode, parking the car, hating it!! I get up to watch the final and the Corvette takes off agianst a Firebird and when the Firebird hits the N20 it makes 180 degree turn just missing the Corvette. I know I would have been hit if it had been me..........So loosing can be a winning thing!!

[jimr]

Love it Sven! Keep the stories coming, I know you have more.

[turbo_bob]

I have a couple that were freeway sprints. One was driving southbound I-15, in the fast lane @ 70 mph, I looked in the rear view and a Mercedes came up very fast and was glued to my bumper. I figured he is in a hurry or wants to know the performance of the car? So as I gradually past the car next to me, looked in the mirrors, looked ahead, all clear. I knew as soon as I changed lanes to the right it would be hammer down for the both of us So the accelleration test was on, the Mercedes pulled ahead a car length, and I stayed at that distance, took a little time to get in the H/P band (4th gear). As soon as the RPM's climbed to 5200 the bug was realing him in, at 5500 I caught up and was at 120+. At this point traffic was ahead so I backed off, also knowing thats when his Mercedes would keep pulling to 150+. Yes, as he encounted the traffic he was lane changing like a fool, then he was gone. I think he was surprised by that little red VW bug that wound right up against him at those speeds It was a baige color Mercedes, no emblems on the car, it was a stelth setup and very fast. I was at 10 PSI boost setting and on pump gas. If there would have been C-16 and high boost that would have been a different story.
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Second story was Me and Marty Staggs were leaving DQ, also Ray Meija and his buddy Derrik in the fusha turbo Ghia. Both driving back home on the 91, traffic persented up an opening and we both went hammer down. I had AV-Gas in there at the time, no water injection, 13 psi boost, he was at 4 psi (BFT). We both stayed together up to 120+, too cool was the sound, then traffic was ahead and we backed off.

[melsbluebell]

This is all myth and legends of course!!

Well back in the mid 70's an Orlando person named Scooter was the one to be with a ACVW. He had many a car that he ran different versions of motors in. He even wood sneak his record holder motor into a street car or 2(88x78 with fumio heads) ran 11.0's!!

The place to run was either dump road or the sand pits!! Yes we have some sand dunes out west of Orlando! Well he spanked a many an ass with a lot of cars.

Then the turbo age came about mid 80's and scooter built a turbo motor for Rick M 67(he had been runnin NA for a few years , drive to the track and switch tires for slicks and run mid 11's then drive home with his wife in the car. Well the turbo car ran 10's and would drive it on the street. This was my wifes first ride in a fast car! She still turns white when we talk about it! You know the kinda car drum brakes with center lines and rear fiber glass fenders.

Well There is a famous camaro in town known for years as "Lil Bull" .  A lot of smack talk as to the fastest street car... go figure was still happening in the 80's. So the gauntlet was thrown down for the 2 cars to meet and run. Well Both cars not set up for a 70 mile street cruise to the sand pits(just a 2 lane black top that runs straight for about 2 miles then goes up a steep hill down the other side). They meet at the local eatery Steak N Shake. The leave with about 30 cars in line going to watch. Not obvious at all. They get there and unload the cars for the race. They both do there burn outs... monstrous john force ones. The agree on heads up for a large sum of money!!

Rick the owner doesnt want to drive so scooter takes the honors! Starter sets them and the leave same time with the 67 gettin about 2 car lengths at the start. 2nd gear holden him(yes the camaro runnin big NO2) 3rd  the camaro pulls up and Scooter misses 4th gear the camaro gets the win.

Well they turn around and head back. Get back to the start and are all wound up. Well wouldnt you know it the cops of course watched from the hill and waited for backup! With about 100 people watching and about 60 cars on the side of the road it was like a fire ant hill that you stepped on when those cops turned there lights on and drove in!! Well the cops came over to the trucks and trailers with cars still not on the trailers and asked scooter and the other driver who's cars they were! Scooter said not mine then the cop said you better leave then and he walks off! The cops gave rick and lil bull some crap but let them go!

Of course the rematch was a different story!

[akabuzz]

For me, it was 1979, right out of high school, cruising on friday night at Zodys in alhambra, I had a 65 bug w/ 2liter, centerlines, glass front end, Stopped at a signal in front of zodys and a RD400 (yamaha) pulled up next to me, I knew i would get him in the 1/8 mile, so when the light turned green off we went. I hit second gear, looked in my (wink)  rearview mirror and saw flames shooting up from the decklid, I pull over and ALL the guys and gals at zodys come running over with fire extingushers spraying all over my motor. The cause was the little brass fitting on the fuel pump came off and shot fuel on the coil and dizzy, melted all the wiring, aircleaners and paint. I winn NEVER street race again. Too older  and wiser. 

[melsbluebell]

not street racin but funny on street action!!

Mark Pyke owner of the Quick Fix dragster(ran 4.78 1/8 and 7.25 in 1/4) back mid 90's.  He had the car and would have Scooter of R&S Performance put together the Pauter motor and have Kenny Roberts of Orlando tune it for him.

The norm for all cars including the race cars was to make a McDonalds run! This was probably about from the driveway of the shop to Orange ave(5 lane hwy) is 1/8 mile. But, you gotta shut down and stop before hitting Orange! There is a side street that is before Mcd's. We would usually go and stand in the street to make sure that no cars would roll through on one of our runs. Well Mark pulls out and is warming up the car, does a burn out. Then one of orlando's finest shows up! Drives up gets out of his cruiser and says"Are you gonna run it" Well the crowd of about 10 people all stare at there feet or slowly turn and start to walk away, but not Kenny Roberts he says YES WE ARE! Well , the cop say's hold on let me call the supervisor he's gotta see this!!!! We wait and the supervisor and about 3 other cop cars(must of been slow) show up. The say do you want us to stop traffic on Orange ave (HWY)? Well we say thank you and that will not be necessary. Mark makes his blast and the cops think its great!!!!!

[QuickKafer]

I think John Plow's recall of watching Beecher's 51 split take on a late model Audi come home from the VW Classic was a classic all time post.  Somebody dig that one up and post that it here!  It's got to be 4 years old or so.

Scott Faivre

[66 vdub]

Cool stories guys, I hope I get a cool one some day

[slowsixtyseven]

About 5 days after I got my 1915 built, I was cruisin downtown and stopped at a light next to a convertible mustang GT (one of the newer ones). I looked over and 2 jock looking kids in tank tops with their hats backwards were lookin at me. so, I smiled and reved my motor a bit. They laughed and did the same. By this point I was feeling a little nervous about the stock tranny breaking. ahhhh, what the heck...... The light turned green and I hit it!! I beat em to the next light by about 5 car lengths. They looked over and yelled "whatcha got in that thing?" all i said was "its just a VW motor with some head work, bigger carbs and exhaust".....I figured thats all theyd understand! hahaha. But i dont street race anymore......

[deano]

Not VWs....   A buddy of mine in high school, for getting super high scores on his test, got a brand new '69 Camaro 396/375hp/4sp/4:11s for a present! It cost a mere $3400. One week after getting the car, the engine came out, and in its place went a crate 427/425hp engine, Lakewood bellhousing and bars, and a 4:88 gear. Oh, yeah, Jardine headers, Hurst shifter, Ansen sprints and M&Hs on the street (he also got a little extra cash from granny). A few weeks after the new setup, we drove down to Whittier to Bob's Big Boy and looked for a race. Came across a '68 Nova with a "350 emblem" on the side, that wanted to race for $50. Went to a side road off of Imperial/Beach, and raced from a red light down the street. Well, we got spanked, BAD! Now Jeff's Camaro later ran high 11s with little problem, so we can only imagine, but never found out, what in the hell was in that Nova! It was in fact, a small block.... Love power-shifting a big block at 6500!

[jeff denham]

have many but one at a time. it was 1985 tustin the long stretch next to helicopter base very nice plase to race. any way me and scott agissteen he was on his kawi trippel 750 drag bike. i was in my grey goust 67 bug drag car both where capeble of 11sec passes. lots of people i think dyno actually set this one up. any way lined up two hands down start. and you know how loud and open stinger 12.5 comp ida moter and a tripel kawi pop corn with expansion chambers . very very loud espiliy at 1am. hands went down both left good scot was in front of me not by much he came over in my lane i just kept going i wasnt going to let him beet me so i supizingly pased him and kiked his butt. any way the military police came and i hide the bug bhind this building and my left slick had gone down so when the pd looked at the car they dident even exspect the car they thoght it was a car that some one had abandone.so that was cool .any way thats one jeff d.

[David Ward]

have many but one at a time. it was 1985 tustin the long stretch next to helicopter base very nice plase to race. any way me and scott agissteen he was on his kawi trippel 750 drag bike. i was in my grey goust 67 bug drag car both where capeble of 11sec passes. lots of people i think dyno actually set this one up. any way lined up two hands down start. and you know how loud and open stinger 12.5 comp ida moter and a tripel kawi pop corn with expansion chambers . very very loud espiliy at 1am. hands went down both left good scot was in front of me not by much he came over in my lane i just kept going i wasnt going to let him beet me so i supizingly pased him and kiked his butt. any way the military police came and i hide the bug bhind this building and my left slick had gone down so when the pd looked at the car they dident even exspect the car they thoght it was a car that some one had abandone.so that was cool .any way thats one jeff d.

Jeff, this is awesome you wrote this story!  I was there.    It was nuts.  Pitch dark 2-lane next to the Tustin airbase.  Ken Cervone drove us out there in his squareback and there were a bunch of OC guys there too.  You guys left and we all quickly lost sight of you in the dark.  (Neither of you guys had lights on your stuff!)  All we could do is listen.  When the engines shut off we all jumped in our cars and halled as* to the business complex at the end of the road.

After the race, we're all laughing our tails off at how crazy that was when the MP's from the air base show up.  Panic set's in, and people scrambled!  We jump in Ken's squareback and drove around the MP car and right off the curb.  Ken's slamming gears like crazy to get the hell out of there and we're laughing so hard our sides hurt.

[David Ward]

OK, I've got one...

Back in the day when the big cruise spot in Anaheim was Camelot Golf there was this rich little punk who drove a burgandy late model Bug with fuchs.  It was beleived he ran a killer 1835 w/IDA's.  Well this punk was driving around Camelot rapping his engine off to everyone.  So when he finally drives by our group he gives a rap and about ten people screamed "race it punk!"  He stops and then pulls over to our group.  At this point no one had stepped up to race, but everyone was so sick of this kid that someone said "Somebody race this jerk."  Next thing I know everyone is telling me to get in my car and go.

At the time I had my primered 70 Bug and the engine was a 82x90.5, W140 cam, "Racer's Choice" 44x37.5 heads and IDA's.  I also had my first close ratio gearbox in the car (stock 1st/2nd, 1.48 3rd, 1.14 4th, 4.12 R&P).  I conservatively estimate the car was a mid-high 13 second car.

So anyway, we roll out onto La Palma heading East.  We go from a roll.  He jumps first, and the race is on.  I pulled out so far in front of him that I actually clutched it in 3rd, coasting...., when he caught up, I dropped the hammer again and pulled away again!   

When I got back to the crowd no one knew what happened, but everyone wanted to know what happened to my car.   By this time the punk rolls up and his buddies run up to his door and we all broke out in laughter when he yelled "The fu*% head played with me!"  "That thing must have nitrous!"  We all laughed!

[gonebuggy]

This happened today!

Driving my bug with a bone stock 1600 sp (other than a GT exhaust, POS i know....), I'm at the light and a early 90's Ferrari Testerossa pulls up beside me (i think it was a 'rossa) Anyways the carb needs the idle bumped up a bit, so in order to keep it going. Anyways I'm at the light reving my engine to keep it alive, and the Ferrari driver looks over at me, REVS THE BAG out of it then preloads the clutch, light goes green and he STALLS IT!!!! NOw i wasnt even thinking or racing him, so i did what i would of doen anyways and i just slowly pull away. It was too perfect, i drove away laughing with tears in my eyes! 

Cheers,

Alex

[jeff denham]

hey david didnt even know you were standing back there that was crazy huh the good times.heres another 1985/86 racing greg borris in hot tub for you people that dont this car and guy. great guy the mad greek in a good way. and his car and early pink manx buggy turbo 1835 side draft bb25 rayjay nothing speacial moter but was capibul of 11.20.i knew i was probeble going to get beet but i gave it atry anyway.it was down in foutain vally we lined up my car was actualy hooking preety good we left and greg pretty much kick my butt i think we were prety even off the line mid track thou he smoked my butt he was going so fast that he ended out on warner av on a red light. no cops this time thank god that was a fun one. jeff d. early turbo stuff ran preety darn good for its time.

[jimr]

keep 'em coming!

[Matt Homer]

Mine would have to be the time I wanted to show Troy Palmer how we do it in Detroit. We were haniging out on Telgraph seeing what was out for the night. Around 12:00 am the cops kick everyone out and it's off to the inner city to race. We are having fun on the way out rapping the throtle with everyone. As we pull off of Telgraph on to Grand river where everyone races I decide to show them what VW power is. I double cluhch it wind it up and it lets out a baaaddd noise. I did not want to leave my car in this hood. I proceeded to drive 2 miles back out of the city to a friends house running every red light I came too. The car was smoking like crazy, making ungodly noises. I called a friend at 1:00 am to get my tow bar and pick me up. I now have a 2 piece welded 78 crank in the garage. Maybe 2 guys at 6'4 and 6'5 weghing in at a combined weight of 500 lbs was too much to ask.

[Dave Conklin (Cornpanzers)]

I think John Plow's recall of watching Beecher's 51 split take on a late model Audi come home from the VW Classic was a classic all time post. Somebody dig that one up and post that it here! It's got to be 4 years old or so.

Scott Faivre

I was the passenger in Beechers car for that incident.  It was a lowered black Audi S4 Bi-Turbo.  Cool car.
Anyway, we were on our way back from the DQ and pulled up next to this kid in the Audi.  He had blacked out windows and as we looked over all we could see was the green glow of his cell phone floating around in drivers window.  After a couple seconds, the window rolled down about half way and this punk kid looked away from his cell, pushed his glasses down on his nose and shot us this look that said, "are you kidding me?"  Steve and I kinda laughed and the kid excused himself from his cell conversation and put both hands on the wheel.  When the light changed, the kid eased away pretending to ignore us and then stood on it.  Steve jumped on the split window and just nosed past in third gear before we had to slow for another red light.  As this next light began to change, the kid broght the revs up on his Audi and launched it hard.  He was out for maybe half of first gear before Steve drove around him.......unfortunatly it was about that time that we crossed the railroad tracks.....ouch!  We both laughed out loud as we approached the next light and it turned red AGAIN!  This time the Audi rolled up with the window firmly up.  All we saw was the right turn signal click on and the Audi sulked away down a side street.  LOL
Steve and I were both giggling like little school girls and our knees were shaking like leafs!  We almost felt sorry for the poor kid whos twin turbo Audi got stomped by a 50+ year old Volkswagen!

[Dave Conklin (Cornpanzers)]

Hey Matt, why dont you tell the story about Troy taking you for a ride and racing the Pantera! 

[TRM]

One more for me here then to bed.

Great ones keep them  coming guys!


First off I must  have  posted this 4 or 5 times already sorry.   But, always a good one I think and it is VW scary.


We take they way back machine for this one.  Around '79 I am guessing.
Any way a good friend thru high school had a '67 with a sunroof had  a 1641 with 44's and close ratio tranny.   We head out to the Orange Mall after cruising thru Scamelot,  nothing going on at either place really so as we head down the hill on Tustin pull up to the light a bug pulls up "Slow"  looks over asked them what they had they tell him they have a "putprobuildersnamehere" 2180 with 44's.   So they revs go back to each other light changes off we go.  So here we are in this bug 2 guys at close 300lbs each laugh our a$$ off "Slow" hit 3rd and we had pulled away.  Pull into the Mall the guys ask us what we have we tell them a driveway built 1641 with 44's well they could not understand how that motor beat them with their big motor.  Well we offered to pull the motor a part in the parking lot if the gave us something like 50 bucks and go get an gasket kit for us from "DIPS"  Well they went on their way it took us a good hour to get head back home after everyone and their parents had to see what was all the crowd about.  I do not remember how many times we each said "1641 with 44's that is all honest"  LOL

later

[jimr]

This one isn't technically racing, but I have others....

Back 1989...had my same '67, but with its 1641, VZ25, ported "old-school" CB 044s, 9.2:1, dual 36DRLA and S&S Ralley Muffler (we're talking serious hp here!), may not have been much, but in my high school, no VW could touch it. Anyway, there were two rival high schools, mine and the one "across town." They hated us and we hated them. And any punk that went to the other high school that thought he had a fast Bug was a perfect target. I worked at a pizza joint back then, nights. All my car buddies worked there too, some had Bugs, some had V8's, some had GTI Rabbits, but it didn't matter, we all got along, and had other stuff in common, like music, drugs, and so on. ANYWAY....ahem....we'd work Friday nights, late, then go look for trouble (races). One night, it was raining pretty good, damn good in fact, and it was probably 12:30am, just got off work, and was off to meet my buddies for some bench racing at his folks place. I warm up my Bug, and proceed through the wet parking lot. On my way out of the strip mall, I had to pass a 7-11. Parked out front was the biggest mama's boy from across town in his '68 Bug that his daddy built for him. It was all show and zero go. Looked lame anyway, it was about 24 different colors, and was dumped all the way around, and had a chrome stinger. And a weak 1600 with baby Dells (I knew what every custom Bug in my town had under the decklid through my connections at all the VW speed shops). But I had heard through the proverbial grapevine that this punk was talking crap about my '67, so I had been 'on the hunt' for him. As I drove closer to wher the Bug was parked, I noticed he was leaning against the driver's front fender. Of course, I pushed in the clutch, and zinged the motor way up as I coasted by. This got pretty boy's attention. It may have just been a 1641, but it was loud. I stopped and glared at him. He starts laughing at me and pointing. I got really huffed now. I pulled out to the street, stopped, brought the rpms up to 6,000 and dumped the clutch. Did I mention it was raining? Holy Sh!t!! I'm doing loops down this city street in Pleasanton, whoaaaaa.....oh my god.....I can't get the car straightened out sh!t...oh sh!t....I hit a curb and bounced off, spinning, another curb, back to the first curb.....finally the car comes to rest. The engine had stalled so all was quiet. I was facing the wrong way in the street, so I can see the punk kid out in the driveway of 7-11 and he's bent over, dying of laughter and so is his girlfriend. F*ck! My steering wheel was at a funky angle, and wouldn't go full lock. I fired the motor up and started to lope away with my tail between my legs, and oh crap,....here come Pleasanton PD....red and blue lights....as if I hadn't embarassed myself enough....

I ended up toasting a front chrome rim, a Kleber 145 and twisting my beam, sway bar and LH tie rod.

[jeff denham]

anonther time agian in 85 huntington beach bolsa internalional a street . a guy by the name of ron lesnic and his car called the ugly buggly i think it was 1835 w nos  ron was very nolgible about nos back then and his stuff ran hard. dyno agian set this one up i was in the grey goust again. ron had drove his all the way from scooters in fullerton which was respecible . any way big crowd agian went to go do my burn out bring moter up do burn out push clutch in but moter keeps reving to about 9000. shut off pull over go back check things it was an early arpm cross bar lincage so i think the bar was getting couat on deck lid. any way i tride it again same thing 9000 rpm throtell stuck wide open moter souden aoucem but no cigar so i basicatly forfitet it would have been a good race . it was good that we stoped because the cops showed up on that one. jeff d.

[jimr]

I have told you guys about my first ride in a stroker (90mm NPR x 82) Bug and the race against the asthmatic late-70's Trans Am (Burt Reynolds look-a-like) back in high school, haven't I??

[jeff denham]

that was a good one jim keepem coming.

[Zach Gomulka]

A couple years ago my roomate Travis and I were bored out of our minds one night, so we decided to take his 12 second blue '68 out and pick some fights I swear to god we drove around for a good half hour, maybe 45 minutes, and got nothing! His car wasnt too stealthy looking- it has fat NACA ducts mounted in the pop out quarter windows, and at that time it had more 'cage then a NASCAR! Of course the IDAs and the Magnaflow didnt help! About the time we were going to call the night a bust, I see a purple mid-late 90's Mustang with some really lame yellow graphics on the side heading the other way. It didnt look like much competition, but we were really jonesin for some action! Travis flips the bug the other way on Scottsdale Rd, and we catch up to the mid 30's guy in the 'stang in a hurry. We were REALLY egging this guy on, but he didnt look like he wanted a race either- he had his girl in the passenger seat. We finally get to a red light, stop, and throw a few revs at the Mustang. He gave no response Suddenly, the light turns green, and the Mustang guns it! It didnt take Travis by surprise- he was on the Mustangs heels like a fat kid on a cupcake! In a flash we get a fender lead... and just bearly keep it through 3 and a half gears! Me thinks that 'stang had a blower in it, but it was hard to hear in a gutted VW running full song! We get to the next light and Mr Mustang turns left- LOSER! Good times!

Hey Ryan, remember the ride back to my house after PHX BOR?

[jimr]

There's the night my buddy Roger brought his stock looking '67 (but with Super Flow 2276 SPG crank) out to our local strip to race a tubbed 454 Chevelle.


Wasn't a fair race, really, as the Chevy was trailered there.

[Matt Homer]

This is Classic all that witnessed the video can attest. I was at the Classic with the rest of the Cornpanzers and had not yet been for a ride in Troys car. This is when it was still a street car. We left Steve Beechers BBQ and pull out of his neighbor hood heading towards PCH. Troy was killing it from the start and I was video taping a cal-looker being driven on the streets of So-cal. Troy then sees a Pantera drive buy. He say hold on, he was not bull$#@$#@  we made a wicked right and caught the guy real quick. Troy was totally screwing with this guy we start going and Troy has the guy and we are coming up to a slow guy in the right lane. Troy keps it to the floor causing the guy in the Pantera to have to break. WELL now it gets interesting as we are on a busy street coming up to a 4 way stop Troy does the big down shift and squaks em up. The best part of this whole ordeal is I vidoe tapd the whole thing. The audio is priceless Troy's constant did you get it , did you get and my laughing like a 10 year old kid. When of my best car meories ever. I am laughing as I am typing this

[The Ideaman]

By 1984 I was in Tucson, going to the University of Arizona.  My roommate, Jim, was really into the street racing scene.  For a small town, there was a lot of streetracing going on.  There was a guy, "Wheelchair Bob", with a red 70 camaro w a smallblock and automatic, who eventually won CarCraft's street shootout about 10 years ago, running 10.60's.  He would always complain about anybody with slicks.  "It's not a real streetcar".  One night Wheelchair got his ass handed to him by a turqoise and white chevy II wagon with Texas plates, a baby seat and hubcaps on 14 inch steelies.  The wagon looked like a total stocker until he turned the key on.  Then it sounded like a stocker with headers.  Turns out the nova was a 11 second car, 20 years ago.  It was the first real Q ship I'd seen.  This guy knew the drill.  "Its got a 283 in it with headers.  I want 3 lengths and the go". It must have taken an hour and a half of arguing in the parking lot on Speedway blvd, the cruising spot in town. All for $150 and side money.  Wheelchair didn't know what hit him.  He'd been had by a pro.  We could see the wagon leave with the left front 6" in the air.  that car could have hooked on ice.  The nova beat out Bob by a fender.  Six months later, we saw the guy and the car in a local car show on the base.  Turns out it had a 406 with brodix heads and nitrous plumbed under the intake.  A lot of the streetracers came from the airbase in town.

The summer of 93 I went to visit my cousins on Long Island, NY.  Wayne said he wanted to go to the run whatcha brung thing at Island dragway in the Hamptons (RIP).  I was videotaping all sorts of stuff, when this black 68 camaro with a back half and wheelie bars comes in on a Uhaul trailer.  Wayne says they are the guys from Brooklyn, coming to test.  About 10 guys get out of the van towing the car.  This was one serious piece, with a fabbed intake, dual dominators at least 2 stages of nitrous and 16x33's on the rear.  The paint looks deep enough to swim in.  Car has power windows.  The only guy I recognize is Scotty Shafiroff, who is tuning the thing.  So, I keep on videotaping them tuning and making half passes on the bars.  A mountain of a man taps me on the shoulder and asks which bookie I work for.  I thought he was joking and chuckle a little.  Wayne is behind him with an "OH CRAP" look on his face, shaking his head.  I tell him I don't work for a bookie.  Mountain man then asks for the videotape in the camera.  He even said please.  I still think he's joking, and then put it together.  He's serious.  He wants the tape.  I hand it to him.  He says thank you, and walks back to the car.  He didn't realize, I'd just changed the tape in the camcorder.  Wayne tells me in the city they race for 10k minimum.  Now that is hardcore.

[toysandprojects]

ok ok I will share a coupel so im roleing down pch in HB headed towords newport i come acrss a datson 510 giveing this old guy in a porse a hard time old guy dident want any ! so were comeing up to a light im telling old guy let me in front on the pole with the 510.
to my supris he took off with me.when I put it in second race over 2386 cc. old guy in porse pulls up at next light and we were laughing.

one more we were on tusten ave pulling up to fairheaven there is a red conv new vet im going to pull up to him at the light and he changes into my lane so i moved into his lane . i look over and theres the trophy wife and im allready laughing inside so i rev at him he revs back its on! next i here him laughing " oh this is going to be good.in the next lane is avan with nascar stickers they were watching closely .the light turns green I droped the clutch at about 5000 rpm with 8 inch slicks buy therd gear I had him buy 15 cars at leased.
we pull up to the next light and the guys in the van are yelling like I was fealing. so i look over no more laughing from vet boy .I told him so he didnt feal so bad I had just done it to a new porse 5 min ago. people need to watch out for those 11.90 street vw.

3digitracer steve       p/s i love my vw there is no better high!

[Sven-Olof.Brorsson]

Remember the song "I want muscle" by Diana Ross. Try to get hold of that and a couple of old Hot VW's. Popular Hotrodding and Hot Rod Magazine from the 70's and 80's and you will be in the right mood for this reading!!

Back in the day all citys had there street racing heros. Like owning and driving GM Big Blocks or Hemi Mopars were the norm over here in Sweden as alot of these muscle cars were imported during the early 70's. Stockholm was the major city if street racing and after a few years of American Muscle owning the street this little silver colored beetle out of no where pops up and wins 26 out of 27 (a missed shifting) the first season out. The whole community was in chock. This beetle was actually purpose built for the nobel art of street racing. A 56 body on a 70 pan, 356 gearbox from a Porsche and a Corvair engine witha turbo made it fast. This was acutally a gasser aimed for street with everything lightend up and it made a lot of HP. It was fast. I asked a few of the real hard core street race guys about it's performance and they claimed "12 zero" and "not that fast, but enough".....So if not if had been they would have won the race. Car exist today nad is slowly being restored. It was never raced on a regular strip with timing and by 1982 it was sold and forgotten for years. This guy ruled the streets of Stockholm from 1977 to 1980!!! I saw it race once and man it was fast!!!! but who knows how fast...........

Early 80's there is a new generation taking over the streets of Stockholm. 64 car field meeting in the annular Stockhom Open race in agust. Racing all over town and coordinating via cellphones playing catch me if you can with the authoritys. Back in 82 this new Volkswgen guy Mika turns up with a fast buggy and a 84*92 engine with ARPM heads and IDA:s. He was fast and that car evolved with a porsche headed 88*95 engine with turbo and intercoller over the years. He was running 10.15 in 85 I think and he was a hot shot on the street allways hampered by something breaking in the semi or so. Anyway in 92 they redirected the circus to a beetle body. Sea foam green 1962 body with a rag top. Everything stock and a hidden rollbar. Bus gerabox with 3" shorter Folts axles and tha porsche headed engnine making 600 Hp in the rear. He was running on 10" something slicks under stock fenders. We are talking the q-ship of the day. Back then the top guns were running in to the low 9's (anyone remember the Power World Street Finals in Orlanda back then where the Swedes made the day?). So one hard charging guy named Ronnie Bergstrom steps up and builds a mid 8 second street machine. 588" engine with lots of N20 and meat rolls in the rear. So they both ends up at the meeting point and the race is set up and Mika sends his mechanic to pick up the starting number. This guy pulls up the number that makes them race the Camaro out of all 64 cars. It was all over from the drop of the hands and the mechanic is not remembered for his mechanical  skills but his abillity pick the right number

I once had a 1835cc engine back in 1981 and later sold it to a guy who in his turn sold it on and the owner puts it in to a fibreglass and lexan everything V-dub painted baby blue (the in-colour back then). Anyway they end up in the early, it might be the first, Stockholm Open and is to race this guy Ronnie Bergstrom. This time he had a 1970 Corvette with a 468 and TH400 and M&H tires. New for the day was 500 hp of nitrous. So they set up the race and as it is a heads-up start they both left hard but the V-dub first and the Corvette going all over the street with all the new earned power......somehow the Corvette managed to pass the V-dub and not hitting anything by doing it!! They both brake and turns back. Then out of the blue comes the Police car stopping the Corvette and starts yelling at him and telling him not to street race....the little baby blue Volkswagen car is waved by by the police and the waving cop leans toward the other cop and tells him "What a nice looking car that V-dub is!!" and smiles .....Ronnie gets a ticket and they give him a warning and you know....temperature is down at those moments and as the police leaves he starts the engine and is preparing for an other round in the race but the oil light don't stop glowing.....He lost his oilpressure and got busted.......but he did actually beat a Volkswagen from 1965........Thats is something to tell the friends!!

[Sven-Olof.Brorsson]

This is inspiring!! So here is an other one!

Here is a bit of story from back in the day when street racing with V8's was big. I got hold of this guy that had a hard trashed motor cycle that looked like a race bike that had a real hard life. I asked for a race, you know: "come on it's just an old V-dub and you have a racey motorcycle...I only want to see how fare behind I will be"....So we set the date and me and my friends was sitting in a burger bar when suddenly a whole buch of racecars and motorcycles ends up on the parking lot. I imagined one guy showing up and it turned out to be 10 bikes and 10-12 cars!! So we got to the deserted unoffical race track where there normaly is industrial activities during daytime. Anyway. I made my mind up that it was 3 races for me and then home.....not wanting to get caught in a street race situation....so I had the game plan done. I got there and saw the top gun car take of (Camaro with 468", TH400 and narrowed rearend with 15*33*15 slicks) and brake the gearbox. Some funny guys were pointing finger at the silly little V-dub of mine stating "It drove to the wrong place". So I got my things togheter and walked up and asked the driver of the, then fastest car (the fastets one broke) if he wanted to race me. He had this 68 Camaro with a LS7 454 and a shot of 250 hp N2O and the car was tubbed too! "Sure he said". Got in to his car, made an enormous burn-out and backed back. At that moment I let my chlutch up and passed his side window, just tip toeing my front tires making a hard dry burn-out, braked hard and back up. Starter walks up and drops he's arms and I get a heads up start.....he slips all over the road and don't catch up!! So I beat the fastest guy!! No more racing for me that night!! I got 2 more runs I thought so I asked the motorcycle guys "who is the fastest of you?"......They point at a Suzuki Katana. I did my starting procedure and when the arm drops he wheelies hard and has to back off.....so I got the win once again!!! I have one race left and get greedy and gives the motorcycle guy one more chance and he beats me of the line and I can't catch him. Those were the days and no one remebers the race (they claim) these days.....I meen who thought a small V-dub could beat a big American Muscle car!!! Happiness is a Hot VW!!

PS
I was at a leagal race this summer and the driver of the Katana shows up....He look at my car and ask if I remember him....I shake my head and he say that HE remember me as we had a race, he had this Katana and he remeberd it very well .........."aaaaah" I said"....I did not recognice you with the helmet off". We a good chat and left smiling both off us!! 

[warrior67]

Heres one of mine,
My first time racing happens to be my first time ever driving a fast VW (except for my dads sandrails). At the time I was 16 just got my licence six months earlier and was driving a bone stock 70 bug. My friend had just scored a job at the local VW repair shop and the owner came across this car for 1500 bucks. It was a black 63 notch with a 2275, 48 IDA's and close trans. Some how my buddy convinced the owner to let him take it home for the night, we ended up going through two full tanks of gas that night Anyways we got some dinner and I asked if I could drive, "Sure" he says "Just dont get too crazy" I just smiled and got in the car. We headed back toward his house and made a right on this street called wilson which has stop signs about 1/8 mile apart. Well we pull up to the first stop sign and sure enough a GT mustang convertable about 98ish pulls up next to us and it has four HOT ass girls in it. My buddy quietly says "Do it" so I look over a the girls, give them a massive smile and drop the clutch. Now at this time I was still staring at the girls and all I see is all four of their jaws drop as their looking at this car smoke its tires. Oh man was that priceless!! Anyways the notch sat there for a split second then proceeded to just smoke the tires all the way through first (the whole time the shift light was on at 8 grand bouncing off the limiter) I banged second and got way sideways and once it grabed we were gone. I came to a quick stop at the next stop sign and sure enough the girls pull up agian. They were all looking at me like I had just gave them the best night of their lives The driver gave me a little sideways grin and hammered her pony for all it had and left me sitting there with my thumb up my ass. So I droped it agian and caught them with a quickness, that little car passed them like they were standing still. I was so focused on passing them that I just blew through the next stop sign and never looked back. Its kinda funny I'm now 22 and my mentality has change since then, now I would have tried to spit game at them or asked if they wanted to go get some drinks or something. Four girls two guys, could have been fun If only I could go back in time.

Also my buddy was so impressed with that notch he now owns it. That motor made 210hp on race gas and has put that car in the 12s.