StudBug update ...

[jdesigns]

Well, I can not make it on the 2nd. A photoshoot came up and I can't pass up more money!

Is Studbug racing on the 3rd as well? If so, I will make my way down to Olympia!

[Mad Mike]

Originally Posted by jdesigns

Well, I can not make it on the 2nd. A photoshoot came up and I can't pass up more money!

Is Studbug racing on the 3rd as well? If so, I will make my way down to Olympia!

Friday, 1 December

6-9pm Welcome party and autograph session with Travis Pastrana and Ken Block at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia. $10 cover charge. This event is a benefit for Toys for Tots. Cover charge is $5 for anyone bringing 2 new, unwrapped toys.

We will be pre-selling bracelets at the welcome party for the Toys for Tots ORV Stages on Saturday, December 2nd.

Saturday, 2 December

The ORV Service Park presented by Toys for Tots will be the main service area for the day and will be run as a stage twice. The cost to enter the ORV Park is $10 per person. If you bring 2 toys for Toys for Tots the cost is $5. The concession stand will be open for the day and we will have the restrooms available for your use.

9am Parc Expose and start of the day at the ORV Service Park presented by Toys for Tots
10:10am Summit Loop I presented by Red Lion Hotels
11:15am Service at ORV Service Park presented by Toys for Tots
12:00pm ORV Stage I presented by Toys for Tots
12:19pm Summit Loop II presented by Red Lion Hotels
1:15pm Service at ORV Service Park presented by Toys for Tots
2:00pm ORV Stage II presented by Toys for Tots
3:28pm Dayton I
6:52pm Dayton II
7pm-2am 21 and over party at Trosper's with live DJ.

Sunday, 3 December
9:58am Nahwatzel Stage I presented by South Sound Honda (please be in place by 8:45am)
12:14pm Nahwatzel Stage II presented by South Sound Honda (please be in place by 11:30am)
3:32pm End of the rally at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia

[dnyed]

I can say, with almost certainly, I will be there. It mostly depends on the weather. I would LOVE to see you and StudBug again!

[Photo]

Originally Posted by dnyed

I can say, with almost certainly, I will be there. It mostly depends on the weather. I would LOVE to see you and StudBug again!

I'd love to go aswell, but depending on the weather. I saw on the news last night that it took 13 hours for people who went to the seahawks vs. packers game to get back to portland. As much as I want to go I really don't want to sit in traffic that long.

[dnyed]

The weather is supposed to be much better.

Now, if only I knew where we were going?

[jdesigns]

I can't make it!

Because of the weather and college closures, I am 3 days behind in my Boeing Training (which will be partly made up on saturday), and have a Family photoshoot on sunday.

Good luck!


Deb....Take many pictures!

[macdave]

Since evrything has turned to mud here, the rally location has changed. all Sunday stages will be at the Pacific raceway in Auburn.

http://www.rally-america.com/event.w...n=live_updates

[macdave]

It's MudBug:

[dnyed]

We had a fun day, and it was great to see Mike, Kenny, Dennis and especially StudBug again. I love you guys!


I hope to see y'all again!

[Mad Mike]

That is me driving a SAAB 900 turbo at Rallye de Paris the weekend before Wild West ...

[Beetlemania]

Sweet!

[Mad Mike]

And Dennis driving the StudBug in Texas -



As exciting as this pic looks, it's actually the opening movement of a dance we lovingly call a 'spin out.'

Dennis did great in his first rally driving activity since chauffering Kenny through the final stage at ESPN2's X Games last August. He finished, won Production and didn't do any damage to the car that kept us from finishing up the National series in Washington state a week later.

BTW - The car is available for rent at Missouri's Rally in the 100 Acre Wood in February (or, I suppose, Michigan's frigid SNO*DRIFT Rally in about six weeks if you're into snow/ice rallys). I can supply everything needed to allow someone to arrive, drive and leave or set them up to run the entire series like Kenny did this season. Contact me via PM here or email me at either mehalley at yahoo dot com or halleymichael at yahoo dot com for quotes.

[dnyed]

Great picture! If you hadn't mentioned it, we never would have known it was the "spin-out dance"!

[Mad Mike]

It just struck me that this would be a good time to recap the StudBug's many accomplishments ...

SB is the world's first New Beetle Rally Car. Built in 1999 by Light Performance Works for New Yorker Karl Scheible it carried Karl and codriver Gail McGuire to their respective 1999 SCCA ProRally Production Driver and Codriver national championship titles. Karl parlayed that success into the "Cute Car" TV ad - which aired in over 55 million households - which helpoed him take another step toward his quest to snag a "works" drive. That dream came true for him with his 2001 run with the Subaru Rally Team USA.

FWIW - I still have a copy of the Cute Car TV ad here - http://realautosport.com/pics/Beetle...al%5B1%5D.mpeg along with lots more videos (in-car, copies of TV appearances and more) here - http://realautosport.com/multimedia_downloads.htm. If you are interested in a diversity of things StudBug you are welcome to burn all the download time you care to there!

I bought and collected the car in February 2001 settling on the "StudBug" moniker somewhere near Terre Haute, Indiana late that night we were heading home. Less than two weeks after our visit to Rochester, NY we were in Chattanooga, TN to complete the three days of the Cherokee Trails International Rally, the first event of what would become a half decade involvement with that amazing car. Access to all the pages I've devoted to invdividual events can be found here - http://realautosport.com/pics/Beetle/index.html if you're keen to see event-specific pics and vids.

While the 2001 season found us DNFing three events due to unexpected mechanical maladies we still wound up third in class during the most competitive season seen in the Production class in about 15 years. Finances dictated very few events in 2002 but one of those, fortunately, was Missouri's Rally in the 100 Acre Wood where the 2001 ClubRally National Championship was contested and from which I took home my first national rally title - 2001 SCCA ClubRally Production Class National Champion.

2003 became the year we would grab the big prize. With Canadian Bill Montgomery aboard for the entire season we won in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Michigan and Oregon (although that one was won in a Nissan Sentra SER). The 2003 Donison Cup win made it five individual national rally championship titles won thanks to the world-famous New Beetle in four seasons of competition.

I could only afford to get SB out for four events across 2004 & 2005 but 2006 turned out to be a VERY busy year. Renting the car to Freestyle Motocross superstar, and fellow Okie, "Cowboy" Kenny Bartram for 100 Acre Wood yielded such a great result that he bought StudBug from me and hired me to manage all logistics for the season while keeping three goals in mind. 1) Win the Production Class titles (aka The Donison Cup) 2) Appear in the X Games Rally Car competition and 3) Win 2WD overall if there was any chance.

I'm happy and proud to announce that we accomplished every goal (even though X Games was thanks to a 2WD Exhibition invite)! The Donison Cup was wrapped up in commanding fashion at Michigan's lake Superior Performance Rally, the fifth outright class win in 2006 for the all-Okie team. The 2WD Overall title (aka The Woodner Cup), however, was up for grabs until the StudBug made its way across the final finish line at the Olympia, Washington Red Lion Hotel last Sunday night. And it was as close a battle as it could be since the final difference between 1st & 2nd (a turbocharged Group 5 Dodge Neon SRT4) was a single point!

The surprise for many at the year-end awards banquet was Kenny receiving the Rally America Rookie of the Year Trophy! Counting that one, SB has been the mount used to claim ten (10!) individual national championship rally titles across nearly fifty (50!) competition events (including stage rallying, an endurance road race, an SCCA Solo, an SCCA RallyCross and a couple SCCA Road Rallys) during its eight year, 17,000 original mile existence as a competition machine. Despite being tested and tweaked a couple times, the chassis is as straight and strong now as it was prior to its first-ever rally stage. "Strength of the arch" is NOT just a marketing term, the car is a veritable tank that has shrugged off every attempt Kenny, the five other StudBug drivers and I have made to kill it. Thanks to my experience with StudBug and other contemporary Volkswagens, I fully expect to see my daughters begin their street driving careers in New Beetles.

Hail the StudBug, truly one of a kind that deserves any and all accolades sent its way!

[niki]

As I was walking out of the bank today I heard this very loud exhaust. I look into the street to see Stud Bug's brother driving past. How I wish I had my camera handy and ready to go!!!

It was raised and had the lights on the front and was really loud. A Baja NB. It looked like so much fun!!

[larryziegler]

How coincidental I was reading this.....as I was watching the Baja 1000 Race on tv yesterday, Kenny was one of the drivers in the 1000, though I can't remeber what class he was driving and I don't know if he finished.

[dnyed]

Hail to the StudBug!


As you may know, I have loved New Beetles since I saw my first one, a black one, with an elderly, gray haired couple inside. They had to be in their 80s. Their plate read "GRUVY". How could anywone forget this!

I vividly remember the "Cute Car" rally NB commercials on TV. I loved them, and also the blue rally car NB, later to be known as StudBug.

After buying my own New Beetle, and finding the Org, I was honored to meet, online, the new owner of the blue NB rally car. Mad Mike. I followed the races and antics of my new online friend, and the NB named StudBug.

A few years ago, Mad Mike came to Oregon to race, in the above mentioned Sentra, and we had just enough time to say "Hi" to our hero, but it was enough. Just to meet the legendary Mad Mike, wow!

This year, 2006, was a good one! In April, Mad Mike was back in Oregon, this time with STUDBUG!!!!!! I took a vacation day, so I could spend a little time with MM and take in the sight of my favorite New Beetle, right in front of me! We were able to spend the evening together, and eat out. StudBug even came to my house!!! We met Kenny and Dennis, and several Org'ers joined. We had a fun time, and it was a day we will not soon forget.

Did I say it was a good year? Yes it was! StudBug was back in the Northwest,this month, December. We were on awe, as MM pretty much tore apart the front end, and put it back together in about 30 minutes!! Amazing!

So, I hope others can realize just what a special group this is. Mad Mike, Kenny Bartram, Dennis Hotson, and especially our favorite New Beetle, StudBug.

I hope we can see StudBug in action again.


I Love StudBug!