G'day Friends of the Challenge

The first land speed racing event of 2013 for VW's just ended down in Australia this past week. After two years of rain-outs, the event was rescheduled to February from March and the result was dry and hot weather. Temps reached 111 degrees fahrenheit but the rain stayed away and Speedweek was a resounding success with 261 full competition runs and 380 tuning runs. Speedweek in OZ saw the first ever Type 3 compete in land speed racing anywhere around the world along with a new Big Block Type 2 speed record. Steve Muller of Team Ratmuller from Sydney, drove his 2800cc Type 4 powered 57 Kombi called the Roo Shooter (it is a rat bus that was formerly used to hunt Kangaroos!) to the amazing speed of 117.878 miles per hour, surpassing the 109 mph record set by Jason Lang of Wolfgang International just this past September.

All the known speeds are listed below and I am still awaiting additional information from the DLRA on two of the unposted speeds as well as engine details of the VW competitors.

2013    C Eddy Findlay                68.300        70 Type 3 Fastback   971 G/Pro           __?__cc                   Australia

2013    Jonathon Findlay            75.800        70 Type 3 Fastback   971   G/Pro         __?__cc                   Australia

2013    Glen Torrens                124.100        74 Super                   1077 G/Pro         1916cc                   Australia

2013    Mark Holyoak              114.103        73 Super                   644   F/Pro          __?__cc                   Australia

2013    Stephen Muller            __?__             12 Golf                      873b H/PS           1200cc                   Australia

2013    Stephen Muller            117.878        57 Kombi                  873   C/Pro         2700cc                   Australia

2013    John Weninger               78.334        56 Bug                      904   H/Pro         1192cc                   Australia

2013    Ray Tully                        69.180        59 Porsche 356        123   H/GT          __?__                       Australia

2013    Don Kendall/Muller     __?__               75 Super                   904   H/CGC        __?__                       Australia

                                                                                                      (914?)

2013    Hugo Halls                     50.504        59 Porsche 356        123   H/GT          __?__                       Australia 

The corroded surface of Steve's Kombi makes you wonder how fast he could have gone with a good wax job! Since Steve has just captured and taken the Big Block Type 2 fastest speed down under, he wants to challenge all the Big Block Type 2 racers in the USA to go to Bonneville this year and take it back. To that end, Team Ratmuller is offering a $250.00 reward to the fastest BBT2 racer who can beat his speed at World of Speed on the Bonneville salt flats this coming September (those Aussie boy's have a "very competitive" nature for sure! ! !).

As the stats posted above show, John Weninger drove his beautiful 56 oval window Stone Stock 36 Bug (SS36 Bug) to a new top salt flats speed with a pass of 78.332 miles per hour. While he did not best the 82.4 overall record speed of Dan Durie, he did beat Dans 2013 Bonneville speed by just over one half mile per hour. The SS36 categories are one of the most contested classes in the 36hp Challenge and these incremental increases show how competitive the SS categories can be.

Congratulations to all the DLRA Speedweek racers. The next two races will be the TEXAS Mile in Beeville on March 22 & 24 and the ECTA's Ohio Mile in Wilmington on April 27 & 28. I plan to be at Wilmington in April to see this new venue that has received such good revues. See you on the "tarmac" in April.

Till then, may the Speed be with you.

Burly 

Burly Burlile

VW 36hp & BB CHALLENGE
Volkswagen Land Speed Racing Historian
Society of Land Speed Racing Historians
www.burlyb.com