StudBug update ...

[Mad Mike]

Last weekend on Michigan's upper peninsula the StudBug carried its passengers to the SIXTH and SEVENTH national performance rally titles won in that car when Freestyle Motocross superstar "Cowboy" Kenny Bartram and his codriver Dennis Hotson claimed the 2006 Rally America Production Class driver and codriver national championships, respectively.



The StudBug may be largely, if not completely, responsible for garnering two more titles this year as we travel to Olympia, WA the first weekend of December to defend the lead currently held in the 2WD overall championship chase known as The Rally America Woodner Cup. Visit www.realautosport.com for pics and vids or http://www.wildwestrally.org/ for information on the final round of the 2006 Rally America season.

I should add that with support from RealAutoSport, LLC and yours truly, the Oklahoma-based rookie rally team in the world's first New Beetle rally car completed every mile of every stage at the six events it entered this year and even ran the inaugural Rally Cars competition at X Games! It's not often, if ever, a rookie team goes 7-for-7 across a season (we ran Kenny's WRX STi at Maine and finished there too) so expect to see big things from the collaboration in 2007 if we can generate needed sponsorship support.

Later ...

[iScott]

Awesome to hear all good news. Congrats on the titles! Be sure to let us know if we can ever catch you guys on TV. Pull those belts tight, boys. Let's go racin'!!!

[callisto9]

thanks for the update!

[jazzcat]

Originally Posted by Mad Mike

Last weekend on Michigan's upper peninsula the StudBug carried its passengers to the SIXTH and SEVENTH national performance rally titles won in that car when Freestyle Motocross superstar "Cowboy" Kenny Bartram and his codriver Dennis Hotson claimed the 2006 Rally America Production Class driver and codriver national championships, respectively.



The StudBug may be largely, if not completely, responsible for garnering two more titles this year as we travel to Olympia, WA the first weekend of December to defend the lead currently held in the 2WD overall championship chase known as The Rally America Woodner Cup. Visit www.realautosport.com for pics and vids or http://www.wildwestrally.org/ for information on the final round of the 2006 Rally America season.

I should add that with support from RealAutoSport, LLC and yours truly, the Oklahoma-based rookie rally team in the world's first New Beetle rally car completed every mile of every stage at the six events it entered this year and even ran the inaugural Rally Cars competition at X Games! It's not often, if ever, a rookie team goes 7-for-7 across a season (we ran Kenny's WRX STi at Maine and finished there too) so expect to see big things from the collaboration in 2007 if we can generate needed sponsorship support.

Later ...

you sir are my new hero...that is intense


do you have a site or link somewhere detailing the build of the car? or at least more pics of it someplace? that is too cool

[jdesigns]

Right on Mike! Congrat's to you, Kenny and Dennis! Very cool!

I guess I need to pencil in the first weekend in December to make sure I am not busy that weekend! I gotta come down and see you all again and cheer on Kenny and Dennis!

(Does Deb (dnyed) know you are going to be in the area again yet? She is gonna be very excited!

[dnyed]

Thanks for the heads-up, Justin! (Shall we arrange an Olympia GTG, the first weekend of December? )


Mike, StudBug looks great! No more orange bumper!


I would love to see you again, and say hi to Kenny and Dennis! And, or course, give a hug to my favorite NB!

Hope we can swing it.


And, expect some $ from me soon! Like, in five minutes!

[dnyed]

MM, how do I PayPal you?

[jdesigns]

We'll see.....I have a closing show party on evening of the 2nd at 7pm. I am part of a 3 person Photography show at our gallery for the month of Nov, and our closing party is on Dec 2nd, but perhaps I can swing a morning and early afternoon GTG.


A peek of the show?

[TechnoTrix'd]

Excellent!!! Very cool Mike, glad that Stud Bug is alive and still kicking some out in the world.

Nice pic BTW, Stud Bug is looking good with the help from RealAutoSport this year.

Thanks for the post and best of luck in Olympia.

TechnoTrix'd...

[marvins_dad]

Originally Posted by jazzcat

you sir are my new hero...that is intense


do you have a site or link somewhere detailing the build of the car? or at least more pics of it someplace? that is too cool

http://www.realautosport.com/

[dnyed]

I am honored and humbled, after looking at the new pictures at MM's website. One set dedicated to the gathering at my house.

[Mad Mike]

Originally Posted by dnyed

Mike, StudBug looks great! No more orange bumper!

It was a matter of necessity - the whole car took an awful beating at X Games and then we spent two days in Colorado slogging through the heaviest, stickiest mud I've ever seen at a rally which forced me to use up several rolls of duct tape just to keep the rear end from falling completely off! Four new fenders, a new front bumper cover, extensive repair work to the bloody expensive rear bumper cover and some new paint left the StudBug ready for the Lake Superior Performance Rally and looking a lot like it did when I picked it up back in 2001 - no Stag Beetle artwork, no flames, no contributor's names, just Techno Blue from nose to tail.

MM, how do I PayPal you?

Debbie! While I am always flattered by your ongoing support you need not send money. I don't own the car any more and I've been cleaning most of the stickers off it across this season. While there's a chance I'll buy it back from Kenny to use as a rental the days of my chasing either championships with or support for it are gone. Despite all the titles won with the car and the monies VWoA spent on the Cute Car commercials almost seven years ago (time flies, doesn't it?) there's simply no interest from anyone in investing the kind of money or parts that would allow me to reconfigure it for compeitive forays in the Open 2WD class known as Group 2.

If you really want to spend some money, bid on the auctions I plan to offer after Wild West and buy a fender or other StudBug souvenir when they hit ebay!

Thanks again to you all for your continued support and interest in the world's first New Beetle Rally Car!

[macdave]

Cool, we could have a BBQ at our place in Shelton before or after the Shelton rally. Let me know if anyone is interested.

[Beetlemania]

Thanks for the update, Mad Mike! And I'm excited to hear that you may be re-acquiring the StudBug. Get him back to Oklahoma! Put him in shows! Just be careful how you handle him on the road. The old urges may return in traffic.

[marvins_dad]

Studbug's ancestor???

[Mad Mike]

Originally Posted by marvins_dad

Studbug's ancestor???

Great, great, grandfather on the mother's side!!!

But the heredity carries on:

[dnyed]

I'm so sad that my name isn't on StudBug anymore. But at least, I got to see it in real life. It was such an honor, and a thrill to see, touch, hug, and ride in my favorite New Beetle ever.

[Mad Mike]

Kenny came to my place last night and we discussed the Wild West Rally and 2007. While next season is still largely up in the air we did decide to haul the world's first New Beetle rally car to the west coast (for the third time this year) to finish out the Woodner Cup quest with the car that got us into the 2WD overall lead. So anyone keen to see the StudBug at what could be it's final National competition should plan a visit to Olympia, WA the first weekend of December - if it stops raining/flooding by then ...

[dnyed]

I am very close to deciding about that weekend. It's not too far, and I would regret not going.

I don't know my way around that town, so a link to details will be helpful.

You know how much I love you and StudBug. I would hate to not be there!

[Mad Mike]

Originally Posted by dnyed

I am very close to deciding about that weekend. It's not too far, and I would regret not going.

I don't know my way around that town, so a link to details will be helpful.

You know how much I love you and StudBug. I would hate to not be there!

Details are sketchy - I believe the Red Lion in Olympia will be HQ but I understand the awards shindig (for both the Wild West Rally and the Rally America season) will be at the Little Creek Casino.

Check www.wildwestrally.org and/or www.rally-america.com and you'll know what I know!

Lookin forward to seeing all the PNW peeps again!