VW Action 08 update
As you may beware, the list of entrants for the Sat night racing is awesome!! This will be an evening of track action to remember!
USB for the first time will have a club camping plot. You are all welcome but I understand many of you are tied up with your local clubs. Anyone wanting to club with us remember to mention 'USB club camping' at the main gates.
Also, as you arrive, can you go to the 'information centre' which is next to the monster truck arena to sign in for the Sat night racing as its 'guests only' and your race number etc will be handed out. I'm guessing that the usual signing procedure is needed round at the tower too but just ask on Fri.
Our club has had the OK for a line-up on Saturday too. Can you all please drive round to the 'show & shine' area on Sat morning. Hopefully we'll have a good turn out to promote the club and to entice new blood. I'll bring the banners and hopefully will have the ALL NEW stickers to hand out too. I've still a few T shirts available if needed.
See you all there.
Chris.
BugJam22
Unlike last year, the weather was mostly dry for this busiest of Vw festivals. Myself & Alex had a mad/fun cruise up to Pod on the Thurs afternoon and got ourselves camped up ready for the weekend. Thanks to CCR over in the pits for the party and cocktails during thurs evening (what parts that I can remember).
Friday was the usual manic day as the crowds began to flow into the show. Alex decided to get some track time. Keen as always, he was the first to run and kept going round for more and more. Shame that there wasn't much of a crowd to witness his smokey burnouts but I know he certainly enjoyed himself. As for the USB, some people couldn't make it and others had issues so we knew the Sat session would be quiet for us.
BugJam being BugJam meant that most of us were busy elsewhere rather than on track. A few of us were out during Sat though. Racing ourselves mainly as the BWA boys were being quiet. Rikki couldn't make it this year so we were out to try for new PB's.
The head wind was pretty strong but 3 of us did manage best ever times!!
I had fuelling problems with the new NOS system so decided not to use gas. Still I managed a 17.1 PB so was well happy!! Kev with his turbo deluxe got so close to the 14's with a 15.0 and Shane ran a 17.3 - congrats to you both.
RWYB ended mid afternoon which gave us all time to chill out and crack open the beers/cider.
I ended up breaking the bus, school boy error, which resulted in calling the AA out on Sunday afternoon. I was the last to leave our campsite and made it home at midnight. But that´s racing and I hope to have it sorted for VW Action.
On a lighter note - Thanks to Alex for the entertainment on Sunday, we haven´t laughed so much for ages and I have to say you're a good sport and have taken it very well!!
If some of you don't know what I'm on about...all I can say is, never sleep with your sliding door open ;)
May 08
Welcome to our newest member, Andy Joyner. Most of you will know Andy or have heard of Andy as he's been trying for sub 18's since last summer. Out as gone his 1914cc and in has gone his new 2276cc motor. At Big Bang he came so close with two 18.0 runs!! But a few small problems stopped him from getting the all allusive sub 18 run that he'd been after.
The following week at a RWYB meeting it all hooked up for him, not only running a sub 18 but getting into the high 16's!! Told ya you'd do it Andy. Bet you're still grinning from ear to ear and that’s what it's all about. Congrats.
Big Bang 08
For me this has to be one of the best shows of the year and it couldn't have come around fast enough!
Since VW Action was such a success, back in Sept, the anticipation was nearly unbearable for me and Alex.
6-7 months over the winter period is a long time to wait when you are dying to get back on to the famous Santa Pod Raceway.
For Alex and I the weekend started early and we headed up to Santa Pod on the Thurs afternoon. A light rain was in the air as we arrived but hoped that this was all we'd see over the next few days. Missing the gate closure by 20 mins was a pain but we managed to park up in the overflow field side road ready for the morning.
Anyone who got to look around Alex's new bus would have noticed his all new curtains that had us all in stitches. Hand crafted from a weeks worth of the Daily Sport!! I say no more.
Friday we were up early but security weren't too happy with us as we fired up the motors but nothing was going to dampen our day. Once we got into Pod and camped up, the rest of the day was spent enjoying the show and catching up with club members who we'd not seen since the last outing.
Various members had upgraded, modified and tweaked their motors since last year and the excitement was there to see and hear.
Saturday was what we'd all been waiting for, a rematch of the BWA v USB clubs. The weather was perfect, clear blue sky and sunshine. The club formed up next to the pod shop, opposite the Splitscreen/BWA line up. Our new banner had an airing and the response from the passers by was great to hear.
Some of the members and non-members had itchy feet and were on track as soon as they could. We were supposed to have our first match up at 11.30am but the BWA wanted to run after lunch (I think there might have been a few sore heads from the night before). Problem was we weren't going to sit around and wait for a few more hours so we decided to race each other.
I'd given all the members a data sheet to fill in to help the commentators out once we were racing. I hope no-one heard me over the speakers as I'd run the length of the fire-up lane to hand them in, only to be given a mic and asked a few questions! Talk about surprised ha-ha……
There were some new PB's achieved, a few running problems for others and some cobwebs to dust off for the rest of us.
Well done to Kev for even making it to the Pod as he'd only just finished his huge 2332cc turbo project. Wait till later in the year for this bus to fly!!
Another amazing time was put in by our clubs smallest member (engine that is ha-ha). Alex's 1776cc deluxe blew his old PB away with a 17.2. I know he'd like to thank Mark Prosser at AutoTecniks for all of his hard work that’s gone into the bus.
After lunch both clubs converged into the fire-up lanes and apart from the marshals, everything went like clockwork. We all lined up side by side but the busses weren't put through together as a group, which was a real shame. For some strange reason the marshals staggered the busses with other RWYB vehicles but that was out of our hands.
All the club busses had their pics taken by Julian Hunt as he'll be doing a two page spread on the USB later in the year in Camper & Commercial magazine, we myself writing the article. More news to follow.
I'd like to welcome aboard our two latest members, Steve Turnbull & Dan Leatherbarrow, who qualified on the Sat and definitely enjoyed their time on track. See 'Members' section.
A big thanks to all the members for your efforts during the weekend and I have to say, you all looked sexy in your T shirts.
One final word, 2 - 0 ;-)
March 08
A huge thank you goes to John-g from Volkszone for the 3 club banners he sent me. Very professional to deal with and generous too as he made them for nothing! Thanks again fella.
Jan 08
Happy new year to you all.
2008 is going to be our biggest year so far!
The shows will be coming around thick and fast, so get out there and finish all those jobs you've been putting off over the xmas period (that includes me!).
Some of you I know have been upgrading your existing motors or have gone for bigger this year. I'm hoping to see a few personal bests this season and more silver memberships too!
Shane, Russ, Alex & Kev, to name a few, have all got new plans for the forth coming future and the competition is going to be better and closer than ever.
Incredibly, Mark (Beanie) will be aiming for the high 12's this year and maybe.....just maybe.....Bubbaontour will be back out in his bus too.
Good luck to those trying to qualify this year. I know of a few busses out there that are having engine transplants, even as I write this. At this rate it wont be long until we are over the 20 member count.
Talking of shows, it would be cool to meet up at the VolksWorld show in March. Maybe even have a few busses together for a pic or two.
But the first proper meet will be at Santa Pod over the Big Bang weekend. Now this is looking awesome and, like VW Action, we have been given track time for another heads up against our friends in the BWA. Lets get as many of us out there for this one and give the crowd something to cheer about!
Anyone who isn't a member but has a bus that they deem pretty quick are welcome to join in the fun, just come round to the fire-up lane before the session starts. If not, catch up with us over the weekend and look out for our club banner.
Banner? I hear you say? Yes, this year the club will have a banner plus some magnetic signs to place on the sides of busses. If possible, id like to get all members to line up pit side and get a few photos for us and the website. Might even be a opportunity for a magazine piece?
T shirts are now ready. Priced at £10 and come in M/L/XL. I will have them with me at all the shows. New window stickers (at last) will be available and I will make a point of seeing you all over the coming months. I still have a few certificates to give out, so don't worry guys, I haven't forgotten.
Here's to another memorable year of racing!