The Volkswagen Pro Racing Association (PRA) ended its season October 7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with four-cylinder door cars going eight seconds side by side in the final round to decide the Pro-Modified Championship. For many of the classes qualifying position or a single round decided who would go home a champion.

The 2007 PRA season was a five-race series that began at Firebird Raceway in Arizona in April. It then traveled to Sacramento Raceway in California (May), to California Speedway in Fontana (July), back to Sacramento (Sept.) and finally wrapped up the season in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The PRA is essentially a vintage Volkswagen drag racing association with roots that date back to the 1960’s. The PRA heads-up classes include Pro-Mod, a tube-chassis, turbo/nitrous (power adder) class, and Super Street, a pan-car naturally aspirated class. The PRA index classes include 10.90, 11.90 and 12.90-second classes; Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Mod, respectively. The bracket racer can also chase points in the 12.99-second-or-faster class, Pro Eliminator. There’s one main requirement to participate in the PRA: If you’re going to “run what you brung” – it must be a fast, vintage, air-cooled Volkswagen.

Pro-Modified
The premier class in the PRA is Pro-Modified (PM).  PM is a weight-per-cubic-inch class that allows for power adders (turbos/nitrous). Car and driver weight is based on what you add or don’t add.

Hector Urias. “The Smiling Assassin” is a fitting nickname

Going into Vegas, Eric Calabrese (Red Baron) led the points chase by two points over his long-time rival Eric Madson (Snoopy). Hector Urias (Smiling Assassin) was also within striking distance, being only 80 points behind the leader. Snoopy and Red Baron have been in a mid-eight-second battle for a couple years now, but this past racing season Hector has snuck up from behind several times. He has done just what his nick-name describes, winning two of four events attended, proving that consistent low-nine second-passes are hard to defend.

The 2007 PM Championship went down to the final round. The classic Snoopy versus Red Baron battle was decided in eight seconds and, in the end, the Red Baron shot Snoopy down to capture his back-to-back PM Championship. 

Super Street
Super Street (SS) is the PRA’s heads-up, naturally aspirated (NA), pan car class. It is racing that requires attention to detail because every pony (horsepower) counts. SS is a weight-per-cubic-inch class that requires racers to retain the original floor pan/chassis (no tubes or ladders), and does not allow any power adders. To compete in SS you must weigh 10.75 pounds per cubic inch of motor. Typical SS car and driver combinations are approximately 1600 pounds with motors in the 150 cubic-inch range. SS quarter-mile elapsed times are deep into the low 10-second range.

Roger Crawford, 2007 SS Champion

Joe Maestas, 2006 SS Champion, (near lane) goes against Greg Tims, who led the points chase until Vegas

Greg Tims proved throughout the year that you don’t have to be the quickest to be a threat; just the most consistent. Tims arrived in Vegas leading the points chase. Doug Gonzales was holding on to second, and Roger Crawford to third.  Earlier in the 2007 season Roger Crawford shocked the SS Class laying down a 9.99-second pass (about 0.2 seconds quicker than most of the field). Although Roger showed that he was capable of being quicker than the rest of the field, going into Las Vegas he had only won one of the three events he attended.

Doug took the runner-up spot and held onto the second position in the championship standings. Roger brought his beautiful Motion Sickness Ghia with the all of the ponies well fed. He finished by not only taking the event win, but also moving from third in the points chase to the SS Champion (bumping Tims to the third position in the championship chase).

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