News

It’s Bristol, Baby!

The three worlds of CRA, SSS, and CARS racing collided at Bristol Motor Speedway for the first time ever on Sunday, May 21 – the inaugural running of the Short Track US Nationals!  Raphael Lessard and his RW engine with a VDL carburetor took the pole, and Chandler Smith qualified second with the same combination.  In fact, all top 10 qualifiers ran with VDL – Yeah!  When it was all done, RW Engines with a VDL carburetor were on top again with Bubba Wallace in victory lane.  Congratulations to Rob White of RW Engines in Seymour TN for a job well done.  (He’s the guy in the red shirt with a big smile!)

May 23, 2017 Read more...

The Woes of a Fuel Fitting

99.99% of carburetor leaks are from a poorly installed fuel inlet fitting.  May we repeat that?  99.99% of carburetor leaks are from a poorly installed fuel inlet fitting.  As fuel drips from a bad seal between bowl and fitting, it WILL look like the fuel is coming from under the accelerator pump diaphragm or from between the main body and the base plate.  Rest assured, those two gasketed areas are too secure to ever, ever leak in a VDL carburetor.  Let’s look at some things that can go wrong: 1 – Be sure that the gasket is seated well in the register of the inlet opening of the bowl.  If it is cocked up on an edge, you will never get it tight enough and it will leak.  We have found that some of the thicker aluminum gaskets are a tick wide in diameter and may be tricky to position correctly. 2 – The majority of inlet fittings are made with the hex nut on the end closest to the bowl, and you know how difficult it is to get a wrench on that without rounding off the edges.  Perhaps invest in a new fitting designed with the hex nut at [...]

May 22, 2017 Read more...

Chilly Willy and the Icebreakers!

Half of the country may be covered in snow; but you can load up the trailer and head south to some fast racetracks where the  2017 season has already begun!  And, VDL is in the winners circle again!  THANKS FOR THE RIDE, GUYS! Casey Roderick takes the pole and the win at the Zack Donatti 125 in New Smyrna FL. Erik Jones takes the pole at SpeedFest in Cordele GA. Harrison Burton takes the win at SpeedFest in Cordele GA. Casey Roderick takes the pole and the win at SpeedFest in Cordele GA with his PLM. Derek Thorn takes the pole and the win at the Winter Showdown in Bakersfield CA. Garret Evans takes the pole at the Chilly Willy 150 in Tucson AZ. Owen Riddle takes the win at the Chilly Willy 150 in Tucson AZ. Lee Pulliam takes the pole and the win at the Icebreaker in Myrtle Beach SC. Doug Coby takes the win at the Icebreaker in Myrtle Beach with his Modified. Brad May takes the pole at the Orange Blossom 100 in New Smyrna FL. Jeff Choquette takes the win at the Orange Blossom 100 in New Smyrna FL. Mike Bresnahan takes the pole and the win in the season opener at Citrus County FL.   LET US KEEP [...]

February 13, 2017 Read more...

California Racer Moving Up!

2013 – INEX Legends Champion at Kern County Raceway 2014 – Rookie of the Year in Late Models at Kern County Raceway 2015 – Open Late Model Champion at Madera Speedway 2016 – 10 wins in a row in NASCAR Late Models at Kern County Raceway . . . and counting! Buddy Shepherd is growing up fast, and it is not easy moving up in the ranks.  He has raced on dirt and asphalt, on 2 wheels and 4, and now leads the championship points in his family-owned #22 NASCAR Late Model at Kern County Raceway in Bakersfield, CA.  Championship night is October 15, and VDL says, “Thanks for the ride, guys!  Finish strong!”

September 27, 2016 Read more...

Historic Win in New Jersey!

TJ Lilly is a dirt racer at New Egypt Speedway in the Sportsman division.  He turned 16 this summer, and followed that up with a big win on August 20.  “Thanks for a great 4412!  Will be contacting you soon to build me a 4 barrel.  That win was pretty historic.  TJ just turned 16 a few weeks before that win making him the youngest ever winner in the state of NJ!”

September 27, 2016 Read more...

VDL Dominates Oxford 250 with . . .

“Growing up as a kid in this area, the 250 is THE big race.  I’d be up there to watch and always dream of someday running it.  For us to actually pull one off, I still don’t believe it.”  THE race was the 43rd H.P.  Hood Oxford 250; the track was Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine; and that dreamer is Wayne Helliwell Jr.  Bruce Bernhardt, car owner and crew chief, of Bernhardt Automotive in Pelham, NH has been a competitor at Oxford since before Wayne was born; and these two have been together now for almost a decade.  August 28 was the day that all their hopes and dreams collided with a better pit strategy, longer tire management, and smarter driving.  Wayne took the lead with 6 laps to go after a long side by side battle with Travis Benjamin who was looking for his 3rd victory in this prestigious event.  Bruce says, “Several people asked me what our next race is after this.  I said, “There is no next race.  You think about the 250 all year.  Our partners, like VDL, have been working with us all year to get to this point, and having Dan on [...]

September 21, 2016 Read more...

Frisbie is Fast!

Cottage Grove Speedway is a fast 1/4 mile dirt track just south of Eugene, Oregon.  Chris Frisbie and crew are from Vancouver, Washington and showed up on June 11 for the Wallbanger Cup.  How perfectly named!  The IMCA Sport Mod feature was a caution plagued affair; and, despite having to deal with several restarts through the course of the race, the Frisbie Motorsports/ Clark Printing/ Discount Race Car Parts/ Harbor Rail Services Company #17 was the car to beat.  Chris blazed the trail for every single lap to win his first career race at Cottage Grove Speedway!  Maybe it was the VDL graphics on the hood; but, it was definitely the VDL 650 HP carburetor under the hood.  Thanks for the ride, Chris!        

July 7, 2016 Read more...

The First One is Always the Best!

Here are the numbers: 8 – the number of race nights scheduled at Sharon Speedway in Hartford  OH 7 – the number of race nights rained out at Sharon Speedway 600 – the number of BB Modified races run at Sharon Speedway 87 – the number of different winners of the BB Modified feature at Sharon Speedway 6 – the number of years that Chris Haines of Sandy Lake PA has competed in BB Modifieds 4 – the day in June that Chris Haines won his first career BB Modified feature race!   It was a fast track; Chris rode the cushion, and held off some of the region’s best Modified racers that Saturday night in early June for his first career win in the division.  The 45 year old driver from Sandy Lake PA led the final 16 laps of the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply feature for the win, and VDL was there!  Chris had purchased a Holley 850 HP for his Big Block before the season started, and it paid off. Congratulations, Chris.  The first one is always the best.

June 8, 2016 Read more...

5 Time IMCA Stock Car National Champion

Here are the numbers for the 2015 season: 57 starts 39 wins 8 2nd place 50 top 5 5 DNF 3 track championships   Who is that man with the big smile? Let us introduce Mike Nichols, the all-time win leader in IMCA Stock Car and 5-time National Champion!  Racing has always been a family affair, and he started out in go-karts with mom and dad as the crew.  The next step was an outlaw Hobby Stock; and then he took a big leap up to IMCA and won his first national championship in 2002.  Today he holds 24 career IMCA track titles, 374 lifetime wins, and 4 more National Championships.  This year, he missed the National trophy by only 4 points! This humble giant always says:  “I know you’ve heard me say this before.  If you surround yourself with the best people, you will achieve the best results.”  His VDL 4412 carburetor is definitely the best!

November 20, 2015 Read more...