36 hp Drag and Bonneville Racing

[36hplandspeedracer]

Challengers and friends



I am pleased to announce a new but seperate segment of the International 36hp Challenge. From the forties till today, 36hp Volkswagen racers ( and 25hp ) have been striving to achieve higher and higher speeds. As we have seen from results over the past five years of the 36hp Challenge, hitting 100 miles per hour is a difficullt yet not impossible task. In Land Speed Racing for top speeds, the elite racers who have exceeded 200 ( and now 300 and 400 ) miles per hour have been recognized by automatically achieving membership in the SCTA's exclusive 200 MPH Club. They even have a seperate, unique club for those 200 mile per hour racers who set records in the dirt at El Mirage and Muroc called "the Dirty 2 Club".



Membership in these clubs is impossible for VW racers in almost any VW powered racer to gain, and for our 36hp racers today and our past 36hp VW pioneers it will always remain just a dream. With this thought in mind, we created the "1" Club to recognize and honor any racer who exceeds the 100 mile per hour barrier in a 36hp based four wheeled vehicle. Membership is simple and gained by exceeding that magic speed in sanctioned and verifiable competition and is completely free. No sign ups, no memberships, just 100 mph plus speeds in a 36hp VW based car will get you the special Gaylen Anderson sponsored, Wizzard created, commemorative decals to be placed on your racer.



There are other 100 mph clubs for boats, electric powered racers and even a 100 mph club sponsored by Hop Up magazine for flathead four cylinder powered old fashioned hot rods. The 36hp VW group will be distinguished by it's designation as the "1" Club. The recognition decal for members of the International 36hp Challenge "1" Club is represented by a red oval with silver bezel , the same size and inspired by, oval window VW taillights.


Requirements to qualify:

36hp engine case(or 25hp)-no early Porsche 2 piece! No other engine guidelines are mandated which

means any heads, cylinders or cylinder head stud configuration, exhaust or intake/

fuel system and transmission are acceptable.

Four (4) wheeled vehicle----Stock bodied, dragster, Formula V, kit car, race car, modified body(chopped,etc.)

streamliner, lakester, Porsche, Fiat, are acceptable.

Validation requires-----------a. Photo of car and photo of car with engine installed and functioning.

b. Photo of engine case with case number clearly visible.

c. Copy of verified timing slip and/or published magazine article specifying speed

of 100 mile per hour or greater.

d. Date, event, santioning body where speed was set.

e. Name, address, email, and phone number of driver.

f. Name, address, email and phone number of car owner.

g. Name, address, email and phone number of engine builder.

h. List of engine specifics and components.



Confirmation should be emailed to Burly Burlile at the address on www.burlyb.com . All photos sent may be used for publication and sending to this email address will be considered copyright release.



Charter members include: Peter Muller 120.110 mph Autobahn, Germany 1949

Dick Beith 101.296 mph Bonneville, USA 1961

Dick Beith 129.000 mph Bonneville, USA 1963

Tom Bruch 109.572 mph Bonneville, USA 1967

Tom Bruch/Anderson 103.496 mph Bonneville, USA 2008



Note: If anyone is aware of other VW racers in the U.S. or around the world using 36hp engines to exceed 100 miles per hour, please contact me with information so I can confirm the speed and add them to our charter member list. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.



May the Speed be with you....................



Burly Burlile

[36hplandspeedracer]

The USFRA's 2009 World of Speed event on the Bonneville Salt Flats came to a conclusion Saturday afternoon after torrential rains early in the week, possible cancellation of all the racing activities and finally blue skies and sun, warm weather and great racing. A record number of thirteen Volkswagen powered cars, both air and water cooled, both gas and diesel, ran for top speed. There were streamliners, pick-ups, bugs, bajas, Formula Super Vees, a turbo powered big VW motored splittie bus(94.891 mph) and even a VW Lupo powered Honda Insight hybrid. All in all, it was a record event for Volkswagen land speed racing. This event also welcomed the largest contingent of VW spectators supporting the racers with folks from Michigan, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Texas and elsewhere coming out to experience to aura of Bonneville and be witness to the Challenge.



The 36hp Challenge saw three new records set in the five available bug classes and a baseline Ghia record established with a Ghia equipped with a rare Denzel modified 36hp motor. Two new 36hp Challenge "1" Club members were initiated into the elite club which also consists of Dick Beith and Tom Bruch (yes, just four total !). The Blackline 57 project which so many folks have been following on the Samba and Ultimate Air Cooled Vintage Speed forums returned from being dead just three weeks ago thanx to Chip Birks who donated his street car for the effort to establish a new DSS (Vintage two barrel carb) category record of 103.056 mph and qualify for the "1" Club. Team Irelands Britt Grannis, along with the Beaver Geezers crew of three different drivers vied for the SS (Stone Stock) record with the Beav's Al Leggett eventually driving to a new 36hp record of 73.492 mph.



Tom Bruch and Gaylen Anderson brought their record holding bug back to the salt with more gear in the trans and a Weber 40 DCNF carb on top of the turbo and boosted the all time 36hp bug and NA36 (New Age 36) record to a new high of 106.514 miles per hour. The carb provided the power but ran out of fuel at sustained high RPM's and damaged the engine, preventing further speed run attempts.



Richard Troy worked on his 58 low-light Denzel Ghia back home in Northern California through half of the meet overcoming the normal pre-race obstacles that seem to pop up when time is of the essence, threw on the tow bar, drove through the night and arrived on the salt for the very last days racing. With no sleep and just a half a day to race, he tuned and with the Blackline/Birks crew helping taking care of small details, was able to not only get all his passes in, but gain membership in the "1" Club with two passes above 101 miles per hour topping out at 101.163 miles per hour.



Experiencing tradgedy and frustration, all the 36hp Challengers muscled through to set four new 36hp records and make the 2009 World of Speed the most successful 36hp Challenge event to date. Bruce Cook from North Carolina, holder of two of the records that were exceeded called to offer congradulations. At next months ECTA Maxton, N.C., meet, Bruce's Canadian 51 split will attempt to reclaim the DSS record from the Mcallister brothers with a Whitey Worsham tuned 36 engine and if that does not do the trick, he recently acquired an Okrasa set-up that will also enjoy Whiteys magic touch.



2010 is just around the corner and the 36hp Challenge just becomes more challenging. Hope you find the opportunity to view these little mighty mouse motors racing down the blackline or even participate with your bug, bus or Ghia. For more info and 36hp Challenge links, visit www.saltflats.com or go to www.burlyb.com .



See you on the salt........................



Burly

[rtroy]

Hi Burly,

Is there some one web page listing all the 36HP Challenge, and One Club record holders / members at present? I have looked, but don't see it...

Thanks,
Richard
_________________
Richard

Karmann Ghia and Porsche 356 enthusiast
Founder, The Karmann Ghia Club of N. America

[36hplandspeedracer]

Look at www.burlyb.com for a list of current 36hp Challenge record holders. The "1" Club is new and not yet listed at any locations.

Burly

[rtroy]