ANOTHER PLAYER MAKES A BID FOR NHRA?

Agent 1320 hears that when the story about Bruton Smith’s serious interest in trying to buy the National Hot Rod Association came to light, representatives from another drag racing sanctioning body to throw their hat in the ring as potential buyers. The organization, whose principals have more assets than Bruton Smith, evidently didn’t get a call back either. [4-11-2005]

ALLEY CLARIFIES CLUTCH MORATORIUM

DRO was told by NHRA Top Fuel/Pro Stock tech guru Ray Alley that the recently announced moratorium on Top Fuel and Funny Car clutch programs wasn’t an edict designed to stop the improvement of clutch systems but was aimed specifically at the clutch’s discs and sliders. According to Mr. Alley, a team came to him and said that they were going to invest a serious amount of cash to develop carbon fiber disc and sliders and asked if they would be legal if they perfected them. Mr. Alley told DRO editor Jeff Burk that carbon fiber had been experimented with and tested by teams previously without much success. Rather than start a whole new very expensive technology race within the nitro classes like what has occurred with blowers, fuel pumps, injectors, etc., NHRA decided to just ban the use of carbon fiber discs and sliders. [4-11-2005]

FRIDAY FUELERS FIND FOUL FAMOSO

Bakersfield's "Fuel Altered Friday" found some heavy rain, cold winds and no track dryer on site, so unfortunately promoter John Keigley had to pull the plug. One of the new entries in the nostalgia nitro Funny Car ranks was 2004 CIFCA Champ Dennis La Charite from Torrance, CA.

Dennis is the owner and driver of the "Back in Black" '69 Corvette, he's switched to nitro in his BAE hemi with tuning help from Larry Pettit and will make the upcoming Goodguys event at Sonoma. According to one of the Agent's operatives, after the rainout the team headed North to Sacramento Raceway's Funny Car event where La Charite ran a stout 6.093 at 241.21 mph in VRA trim. (Darr Hawthorne photo) [4-11-2005]

AM I BUGGIN’ YOU?

One of the regular SoCal events held at Orange County International Raceway was the legendary BUG-IN for Volkswagen and dune buggy enthusiasts. The first BUG-IN was held at OCIR in 1968 and the last BUG-IN, Number 31, took place in October 1983 a couple of weeks before OCIR closed its gates for good.

VW drag racers Clyde Berg and Joel Mohr and original BUG-IN promoter Rich Kimball have found a new home at California Dragway. Over the weekend the 32nd BUG-IN brought out well over 250 VW-powered cars swarming over the quarter mile and over 500 entries in the car show.

Making exhibition runs was the dragster of Kris and Scott Lauffer from San Marcos, CA. Kris drove their 280-inch Spitzer built digger powred by a 2854 CC, Garrett turbo-charged, alcohol burner with nitrous assist to a best of 7.647 at 201.13 mph. The historic highlight of the event was Bud Whitfield who had low ET & top speed way back at BUG-IN #1 won this year¹s Bracket 1 and Top Eliminator in his 12 second VW. The next VW event will be held at Irwindale Dragstrip on October 23, 2006. (Mike Bumbeck photo) [4-11-2005]