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1- Rickie Mc Garity story page 1  |    2- Rickie Mc Garity story page 2  |   

THE Mc GARITY '67 A/MC BUG...

Let's now focus on the '67 A/MC racer... Of course, that car is far less documented than the Wunderbug Ghia. But how cool is this to own two matching race cars for the same guy... Rickie was that lucky!

For me, the picture the two cars racing with each other is probably one of the coolest racing VW picture ever... Considering it's a family affair with a dad and his son racing is even more great!!!

I found an interesting youtube video dating from 1977 at Drag City that worth a look (at 0:53) : Rickie Mc GARITY bug Drag City 1977




























Talk about a great wheelie... Not bad at all for an steel car... Rickie recalls this was his NHRA national record setting pass...


















Another wheelie launch at Warner Robins Dragway for another winning pass...



























This is without a doubt one of the coolest picture ever as far as nostalgia drag racing is concerned... In fact, this is the only picture of Rickie's Dad & Rickie racing the Team Cars together... I have to mention also that this 67 is also the very first one before it caught fire... If you look closely (OK, very closely...), you will notice the name 'Wunderbug' on the doors... replaced on the other 67 with the name 'Rickie'... Note also rear Nerf bars later to be replaced with T-bars.




























Another drag racing action... Picture by Bob Plumer.




















- What is your best racing memory ever?

This was with the bug car. We were at a NHRA national open in Orlando Florida in 1977. Since we were using a trailer we bought from a formula vee racer, the tracks for the tires to sit in on the trailer were for stock wheels only. So we had to change to the racing wheels when got to the track to race. At the time NHRA did not have a true win light. So if someone broke out in bracket racing or red lighted, the tower had to announce the true winner.

Well my dad always watched me go down the track. He was not watching the tree and did not know my competitor red lighted. When I got back to the pits he starts putting the stock wheels on the car. I had to tell him to quickly stop. He says why? I tell him of the other guy red lighting and the biggest smile came across his face. The best part is we won the race and we laughed about the wheels all the way home.



















"This is how good it can be in Victory Lane! Nice Yah!" commented Rickie with this picture...

- Do you remember your old 1967 A/MC bug? Does the car still exists today? Can you tell me more about that bug with the same paintsheme as the Ghia?

The bug you have a picture of was the 1st one I built. This one was built from spare parts I saved over the years of working on the side after working at a VW dealership during the day. We qualified #1 at a NHRA national open event at North Carolina. Just before eliminations, rain posponed the event til 6 weeks later. We were in such a hurry to get the car loaded on the trailer in the down pour, I forgot to disconnect the battery. Well on the way home somehow the car shorted out the electrical system and car & trailer burnt to the ground. We had a customer come into the dealership just a few days later with the perfect car to use to replace the one we lost. I had a 1968 bug with no engine I talked them into trading, using their engine. This new car has the sun roof you will see in the HOT VW'S article. Anyway, we burned the midnight oil as they say to get this car ready in time. They made me re-qualify again since this was a different car. I qualified #2 right off the trailer (re-built also). I got to the Final again but missed 4th gear to finsh runner with a brand new car. We had the bug painted like the Ghia as my dad & I were running as McGarity RacingTeam cars at some events.



















This is the Class Winning pass at the NHRA Gatornationals.

- Did you go to the Californian Bug-in?

I went to the Bug-In 1975 to pick-up the Ghia and 1979 with the Bug. We did the mag. article 2 days after the Bug-In at a local park not too far from the Orange County race track.

- Do you remember the others VWs racers?

I remember most of the racers from those days from all over the USA. If they ran NHRA or IHRA events, I still remember most of them. But as time goes be the internet is the only way to see if some are still with us today.

Copyright © 2013 El Dub - All rights reserved.

E-mail : eldub@cal-look.com


 El_Dub_design
A FRENCH TRIBUTE
TO THE PIONNEERS OF VW DRAG RACING
---


HOT VWs - MARCH 1980

...EVERY CLASS HAS HIS TOP CONTENDER...

Continued from page 1...

As with all other aircooled professional level drag racers, Rickie's engine utilizes a pair of 48IDA Weber carburetors mounted on a set of Skat-Trak intake manifolds which have been carefully matched to the cylinder head port by Fumio FUKAYA who also massaged the heads and mounted 42mm intake and 37,5 exhaust valves of Titanium. The compression ratio is 14.5:1. The engine also features a Vertex magneto set at 30° timing and used in conjunction with NGK spak plugs and Taylor iginition wires. The merged collector exhaust system is by Chas MORSE and was assembled from Hooker Headers components.

















Nice rear view shot. Hot VWs photoshoot took place when Rickie attended his one and only Bug-in with the '67.

To transfer the horsepower to the wheels, Rickie uses a swingaxle trans with addition gussets on the case, and Crown axles. The trans was assembled with Pro-shift components that features no syncro rings between gears. The gears ratios in use in the A/MC car are a Gene Berg 4.86:1 ring&pinion, a 3.55:1 first gear, a 2;25:1 second, 1.58/1 third and a 1.21:1 fourth.

On its way to another race action...

The A/MC sedan uses Mitchell aluminium wheels. The front wheels are 4-in. width while the rears are 5.5-in. and mount Firestone racing slicks which measure 26 inches in height, with a seven inch width. Rickie's racing activities have been fairly succesful over the years and his best time with the A/MC are 11.67 at 112.40 mph. As we mentioned in our Bug-in 23 coverage, Rickie came to the west coast for the bug-in plus the NHRA world finales and ran better than the California cars at both every showing the california racers that he is indeed a top contender.


SOME MORE WUNDERBUG PICTURES...

Just for your viewing pleasure... All pictures below are from OCIR when Rickie went to California to pick-up his Ghia from John PRESTON who already did an all new 'Mc GARITY' lettering on both sides.

Mark SCHMIDT picture...

Note Rickie's dad wrenching in the back of the car...