VW Warwick will be held on the weekend of October 2nd-3rd at the Warwick Dragway 1/8th mile track located at Warwick, Queensland:
"as much VW drag racing as competitors can cram into two days" more...
Mick Motors
Issue 27
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The Hill family has always had a close affiliation with the Volkswagen brand, and from an early age Gordon was immersed in the VW culture. From their bi-annual pilgrimage to the Valla Spectacular at Nambucca Heads to their regular Christmas vacation in a '62 Splitter from Brisbane to the ACT to visit his dad's brother and sister, the Hill clan only fell short of having VW birth marks to complete the affliction...
Wakefield Sprints
A frightening accident for Greg Mackie overshadowed the 2010 Volkswagen National Super Sprint day at Wakefield Park in mid-May. The former Bathurst competitor was lucky to escape with minor injuries after his car rolled midway through the day, the twisted remains of the beloved Beetle testament to just how close to disaster he'd come. For the rest of the field the day allowed drivers the chance to push their cars, and themselves, to the limit in a safe, controlled environment.
Gold Coast Dub Club
On Sunday the 2nd of May the Gold Coast Dub Club Inc held its annual Show and Swap at Heritage Park, Pimpama. For this years show a new date and a new location had the organizers a little nervous, however the local VW enthusiasts showed once again that a couple of changes won't stop them from attending with over 130 Volkswagens of all descriptions on display.
Ken Virgin Pt 2
The range and quality of aftermarket performance parts for the VW Beetle filled the Virgin backyard shed, and Ken's winning motorsport exploits ensured a steady line of VW customers eager to bolt the go-fast bits onto their own bugs. As an active member of the Motor Manual Goodwill Car club, the Sporting Car Club and the Austin 7 Club, Ken competed in practically every racing event organised, and he competed fiercely, winning the Perpetual Trophy of each club for three years in succession from 1963 to 1966 - quite an achievement!
NZ Nationals
A beautiful sunny day in the south island of New Zealand greeted VW enthusiasts from both islands at the Tahunanui recreation grounds at Nelson for the 2010 VW Nationals over the Easter weekend. John Manshande was the organizer of the event for this year, and he was delighted at both the perfect weather and at the large number of enthusiasts in attendance, some of whom had travelled long distances to be there.
VW Toys
I first laid eyes on this brilliant 1/18th scale Schuco T2a Remote Control Model near on a year ago on Schuco's website, but the first time I saw it in the flesh was at the VW Nationals at Fairfield Show Ground in NSW. Long time mate and fel-low collector Tony Bezzina had brought one along to the show and took great pleasure in teasing me with it. We are both avid Bay Window Kombi model collectors and have been for many years. Although Tony held onto the remote bus, he did part with a very old Gama Bay Window on the day to add to my collection, but more on that later.
Ringo
Every now and then, a custom VW will debut to reset the standard by which all other cars are judged, and although Rob Brown never intended to deliberately 'shake the car show tree', his aim to build an aggressive Beetle Rod was always going to do just that. Rob's been here before, though, having already been responsible for some custom beauties, such as a 1927 Essex sedan Hot Rod, the stunning Vandetta Kit Car (VW Panel Van) called Alien back in the 80s and an Old Skool 1962 Ghia with white walls and a 2276cc engine. This time Rob dug deep into his Hot Rodding roots (founding member of Riverside Rodders), choosing a 1965 Beetle as the base, and hoping that his 'half breed Frankenstein' would be accepted by both the VW and Hot Rod scene. He need not have worried. The end product has been embraced by both groups.
Jacer
In a green tin shed in the western suburbs of Sydney motor racing history is made. There is no glitz, no glamour, and certainly no wind tunnel save the gusts that howl through the gum trees around the back. Out front stand countless trailers, each a part of the rich tapestry of Australian motor sport, while inside Jacer, the world's premier Formula Vee manufacturer, is hard at work.
Munster Oval
Living through a Melbourne winter is enough to keep most diehard VW restorers out of the workshop, but having to push start a Beetle every morning to get to work is sufficient cause to turn your back on the hobby altogether. Thankfully, Bernie Brix was made of tougher stuff, and his childhood memories of push starting his dad's ruby red '60 bug through the winter Melbourne chill only galvanised his fascination for the German marque. Admittingly, he did concede defeat to the wilds of the fickle southern weather and later moved to WA, but he still took with him the VW passion.
Day of the Drags
A day of Do-It-Yourself old school skids, the fifth annual Day Of The Drags, saw four VWs put their quarter mile credentials on show at Sydney Dragway. Henry Spicak, Ben Robinson, Morgan Smith and Sharon Boskovich flew the VW flag in their early model Beetles. Henry was in business mode early putting down a solid low 12 second pass, and running consistent mid 12s all morning.
Scirocco R-Cup
Not all motorsport can be frowned upon for burning away the world's precious resources, and Volkswagen is leading from the front with the eco-friendly Scirocco R-Cup.
Scirocco
The VW Scirocco was produced from 1974 through to 1992, initially in response to the gap left in the sports coupe model line-up after the Karmann-Ghia was discontinued. Over its 18 year production history, the Scirocco was released with a range of engines, options and upgrades, culminating in the 1.8 litre 16 valve 139bhp motor coupled with a 5 speed transmission that finally matched the vehicle's sports car design. Of the many model variations, the limited Storm version first released in 1979, is best remembered as adding a touch of class to the Scirocco range, and for Matthew White, the MkII Storm, available in 1984, left an indelible mark on his VW passion.
VW Nationals
Club Vee Dub Sydney first hosted the VW Nationals in 1988, as a part of Australia's Bicentennial celebrations. From those small beginnings at Hawkesbury Ag College (then Valentine Sports Park), and from 1997 at Fairfield Showgrounds, the Nationals has grown into the largest Volkswagen show in Australia. In recent years, with moving the date from Easter to May (when families aren't going away), the show has been getting even bigger.
Berry Blast
There was excitement in the air as the sun rose and the VWs started arriving at the Shoalhaven Volkswagen Club's annual event "Blast from the Past", held at Berry Showground NSW on Sunday 2nd of May 2010. It was once again a great success displaying 90 Volkswagens from all over the state. This was the club's biggest turnout yet! The day is always a great family event as there is plenty to see and do for all ages, from a stroll through the Berry Markets to the VWs on show in the centre of the showgrounds.
Worth One's Salt
Land speed racing is all about speed, pure straight line speed, speed with goose bumps and buckets of adrenalin. Land speed racing has been around since 1898. In 1924 there were major developments in France where some consistency in rules began to emerge. It has never really taken off here in Australia apart from the annual pilgrimage that draws approx 2000 competitors, support teams and spectators to the salt flats at Mt Gairdner, South Australia
Formula Vee Nationals
Holding off the hard charging Daniel Reynolds, Ben Porter won the opening round of the 2010 Clemenger International Freight Australian Formula Vee Series at Mallala in early May.