Official Slow Drag Thread

[tasb]

Surprised after doing a number of searches on the site that there isn't a topic on slow dragging>

I live in a small mountain town in Southern California and across the street from me is the driver for the Larry's Old Volks Home Ghia that holds/held the speed record for a production VW- a Ghia at the Bonneville Salt Flats. We laugh about the fact that he is the fastest and I am the slowest but we are both race winners! I've won 10 slow drags

This my two owner December 1955 oval. It's still all stock and mostly unrestored with 75% original paint. I added a Ampco Oiler years ago. Beyond that all I do before a race is turn the idle waaay down. I let age do the rest when racing. I would imagine I'm nearly as white knuckled as the speed guys but I wouldn't really know.

For those who are not familiar with slow dragging it is a lot of fun. The idea is to be the LAST across the finish line. Typically the "track" is flat and about 25 yards long, though this seems to vary. The contestants race in pairs and it's double elimination. You can give the throttle all you want but you are not allowed to touch the brake or clutch pedals. An observer gets to walk along side to make sure its all fair. If you stall or are the first across the line you have lost the race. My oil and generator warning lights are always lit up solid when racing!

Your VW needs to be in really good tune to slow drag as it's all too easy for the engine to stall out. There is a fair amount of strategy involved and you do need to know your vehicle really well in order to be successful.

Here is my April of 1957 Kombi that has won four slow drags at shows in Southern California over the years. Having a 36 hp engine is a decided advantage as the engine tolerates very low revolutions. Mine is equipped with a rare speed governor that does not come into play while slow dragging as the rpm's never reach a point where the governor kicks in.

Would enjoy conversing with others who have slow dragged or would like to and talk about what they do to prepare for a race etc, chime in!
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Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse

[tasb]

slow dragging kinda fits the VW. It's a slow vehicle and always has been. Of course they can be modified to run faster.

It fits the counterculture image of speed is always better. Going slow can have it's place too- in a VW.
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Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse

[Richard Roth]

The "push drags" at the old Bug-In's were even slower !
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The problem with reality is that there's no background music !

1966 Empi GTV MKIV
1954 Kabriolett Beetle
1953 Porsche 356 1500S
1957 Cable brake standard model
1962 cable brake standard model
1956 23 window Samba
1960 Austin Healey 3000
1961 Corvair Greenbrier

[tasb]

Anyone have any pics of a slow drag or perhaps a video? I'm not so sure the push drags were slower wasn't the idea to get to the finish line first so that you could then drop the engine?
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Roads Scholar &
1957 Kombi low mileage 36 hp governor equipped M 178 Slow Drag Winner 2014, 2015, 2018

1965 hardtop Deluxe Microbus owned since 1990 M 620 factory 12 v 1500cc

1961 (October)Single Cab- Road Trip Workhorse

[BulliBill]

Slow drags are fun. I was one of the two judge/observers at the latest Jerome Jamboree #25 "slow drag" contest in Sept 2015. So cool to walk alongside the contestant, leaning in to make sure they never touched the brake or clutch pedals, laughing and joking all the way to the finish line!

Bill Bowman
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I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[Touch Nicks Thing]

Cool thread, I haven't seen a slow drag since Kubel Treffen likes 12? years ago. Be cool to see some videos.