The Cal-look Lounge

Just going to share some thoughts with you guys who drag race in the Nordic countries.
I believe the VW drag race scene today is small, insignificant and peculiar to the rest of the drag race community.  Although some racers have managed to get some respect for their efforts, we are being looked upon as "small-people" in tiny, fragile "Hitler-junk" cars...
As a result we have organized our own events, to get track time and avoid the "humiliation".

I really like to do something about this!! Do you??

I believe there must be made a plan for how to change things in the VW drag race scene..

My suggestions are this:

First
...we need to unite. Maybe make a informal driver association, just to share info and have a clue about how many we are
...and we need to support and come to those events who support the VW drag race scene. And make a list of those.
...also set focus on making our cars as reliable as possible by sharing information with each other about which solutions and parts that works and which who don`t...
...we also need to change some of the focus from just running fast, to also being a good drag racer. Meaning having routine, being able to run steady ET`s and winning ladders (because this is what the rest of the drag race scene is most focused at)

Then Second
...we can enter the Big drag race scene where the rest of the racers are as a united group
...and have some impact....

So is there any interest in doing this? What do you think and want?? Let us know! :)
  

Good thinkin'!! I think its crucial step if we want to keep the vw racing up north alive on a sustainable scale for the people who organize the events.

Folke Vogn   

Have wondered for years why so many potential cars never show up at the real dragraces (at least in Norway)?
Same goes for a drivers association. Well, im in for a driver association! 
And i plan to attend more than just SCC and BugRun.

My 2 cents:

We`re welcome to attend any race and it has been quite a while since the other drivers looked at us VW racers as ""small-people" in tiny, fragile "Hitler-junk" cars". OK, if you attend a street legal race in a small town in the middle of "barteland" you might receive a few comments.

BUT: if you act like an idiot, spill oil on the track, does not have a car that is in order etc you WILL get comments but so would any other guy no matter what he drives.

We do not need to unite. All you have to do is to make sure you have a car that is OK and a licence. Then it is ALL up to you where you want to go racing. For the first time in many years they have allowed non licenced cars to ALL the races at Gardermoen this year. How many VW have raced? Not one.

The truth is that you will find a race every weekend from May to October where you are allowed to race, licensed or not. I recommend that you take your car outside SCC and VW scene and take a good look yourselves.

Best rgs
BB

Still there could be a need for a drivers association...

I can just partially agree,.. its more fun when united and maybe more racers will attend!

Agree also,
one of the biggest reasons for not recruiting more drivers is that the threshold is "too big". Whether it actually is or not is irrelevant, as it feels too big.
There are many obstacles to overcome with anything from understanding rules and regulations to having an organization that can assist and arrange events.

As Kalle says, we do not have to unite, but why race/attend as a few individuals? Would probably be good in many ways to make a bigger united impact to the racing community.
That said, I would question the role, goal and motivation for such organization as I think we can learn a lot from the different happenings in the US which I am sure we would like to avoid.

I am building a pure race car for a reason, and it's not to pick up show n' shine trophies. So I am absolutely interested in being in the loop of this topic.

There are similar discussions in Australia, about very similar ideas and aims......
http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=102622
.......and for very similar reasons.

I don't know if the same rules/perceptions apply to your scene up there, but it may be of assistance possibly?

Just some early morning thoughts..;
An organization like this should be a connecting link between racers with the same interests, and help integrating and recruiting new racers. After all – Scandinavia is a huge area to cover, and it’s not very likely that individuals are able to stay updated with all the dragraces, events and people. Internet is great, but you need to know where to find your information. All the forums and websites is just flooding with info… and if you’re not much active on the internet, you are most likely to miss all the fun.
I think it should have an updated register of active racers, team and cars - distributed/available to all members -> hand in hand with an up-to-date event/race-calendar with information of which racers attending the different events.
It would be way much easier for racers to go to an event if they see others going with their vw`s. And there will always be people going….. the problem for individuals is to find out when and where – this is something that can be easily solved, and maybe help more people go to the tracks, not just for the case of VW`s only – but for dragracing in general.
Ideally, it (the org) should also be a link between the VW-racers and the other dragracing organizations across Scandinavia, a place to discuss or talk about technical questions, rules, tracks, problems etc. through the organization. As an individual they don’t bother listening to your problems or wishes – as an organization with a mass of members they have to listen!

The happenings in USA that you are pointing at, is that the problems I have read about between the different organizations? Seems to be (or have been) pretty “hot” temperature over there…
Well, there is no other official Scandinavian VW dragracing “group” today as im aware of, so we don’t have anyone to fight (don’t want to either, right?) ;-) Just connecting people..  :)

Good morning,

It is apparent that you have been away for too long  :) All what you ask for is to be found here: http://dragracing.eu/index.asp Here you can register and receive info about every race in the EU region. You will also see how many cars are coming to each race, find the rules etc etc. It gives you all the info you need to know if you want to go racing.

-BB-

Haha, yeah maybe  ;D

Anyway, that event/team-attending list isnt working pretty well? Or is just one team going to Alastaro next weekend? And no one is going to Drag Finals at G-moen the same weekend?
Tierp this weekend has 249 registered teams (thats great!!), but i dont see ONE single VW, where are they?
If i was a person that only wanted to go to Tierp if other VW`s were supposed to go, i would certainly skip this weekend - and both Norway and Finland next week, based on the info i found ;)

(i will sign up though..)

Now i need a cup of coffee  :P

For dragracing.eu to work every track need to provide useful information. In other words, if NDRG does not see the point of telling everyone that they have the following racers registered: http://www.ndrg.no/startlisten-drag-finals-31-aug-1-sept/ then I guess it is too bad for them.

Would you like to attend the Tierp race that starts today you say? Cool! It is "only" the European Championships and by far the biggest race in Scandinavia this season. I would like to go too, but only as a spectator. With 34 Pro Mods and 9 top fuel cars racing together with a really nice weather forecast I guess it will be THE happening. Tierp, unlike NDRG, has updated dragracing.eu accordingly on top of having their own homepage: http://tierparena.com/evenemang/64-dragracing-em-22-25-augusti

-BB-

I will sign up/register on dragracing.eu, not the Tierp event, at least not this year. But i really plan to make a few events in the years to come, and Tierp must be one of them.

NDRG really has something to work with, thats not hot news... ;)

We were almost wellcome on all official race ... I like to race pro et and heard nothing bad even on th scandinavian events. Problem is that most cars are not leagal to pass the inspection !?   
 i also like VW racing - but there is the problem about the rules , discussed often here

Udo

Dont know what kind of problems you have there.
I`ve been at Hockenheim PRD and competing in ProET (poor for sure)
The only non V8 in a 21 car ladder.

Every one of the V8 drivers was nice and friendly (and lucky to have some new car to beat)

So, as Udo said, if you got a car that meets all the rules(no matter if ProET, SuperGas, Public Race, whatever......)
then you can race at every event you want to

I guess the majority of the Vw's in the Nordic dragrace-scene runs between 14 to 11 seconds.
Which class/classes will be suitable for these cars?

Bracket and the new 11.5 street legal class (non licenced car) at Gardermoen is the two first ones that comes up. There is also nothing wrong with attending the 4to6 class in Sweden that is open for any car as long as it has doors and from 4 to 6 cylinders. Usually this is a big class with many nice and fast cars attending and usually you do get to run 4-5 qualification runs on Saturday and after that it all depends on you. If you are not able to get to the elimination runs you are welcome to run in the test`n tune class all day long.

Best rgs
BB

We are at least 3 maybe 4 VW running next weekend at Kjula. We are more than welcome there, they absolutely love our cars.

They have a race on the 21 - 22 of September called Night of Fire. I am discussing with the promotors to have a Turbo Town Shootout at that race. I have already recieved some interest from quite a few racers. I they come it will be a super cool VW race.

I recieve questions from people around the world through FB and the Lounge and I try to answer them to help people out. I want everyone to drive fast and safe.