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Thread Maintenance

One of the mandatory steps in maintaining a race car should always be putting a wrench on every bolt before every race, and that includes the carburetor.  All you need is a Phillips screwdriver, a straight blade screwdriver, a 5/16 nut driver, and a 1″ wrench.  The body, bowl, and block of your Holley carburetor are typically cast moldings of zinc alloy (unless you have billet aluminum pieces) and the threads for each screw must be respected.  Torqued is not the goal here, just tight!  Healthy gaskets will make the seal just fine so resist the urge to over tighten. Stripped or crossed threads do not have to be a part of your racing experience, and we would like to offer some tips to prevent and/or repair this problem.  Below is a list of sizes for every threaded hole in your carburetor; however, the bowl and base plate screws are the only holes that can be helicoiled and all other threads can only be improved by chasing them with the correct tap.  Please be mindful of any shavings created and blow out the area with compressed air.  Follow the footnotes for more information about certain screws. ¹Bowl screw                          [...]

February 24, 2015 Read more...

2014 was a great year!

  Congratulations to all the VDL champions of 2014!  We are proud of your hard work and are thankful to have been a part of each winning team. We also celebrate all the second places, all the first wins, all the efforts of those who dared to be great . . . . Theodore Roosevelt said “the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds . .”  Here’s to the new year and the new season to strive again!   This is Austin “Bullitt” Blais from Seekonk Speedway in Massachuesetts.  His Street Stock team racked up 6 wins, took second in the final points, and missed the championship by 50 points.   Driver Scotty Kay and car owner Dennis Walker celebrated their first win November 1 at Hendry County Motorsports Park in Florida:  “We finished the car Friday night, went Saturday to the local race, shook down the car, won the heat and feature against 18 cars and 5 of the best local [...]

January 5, 2015 Read more...

Dear VDL,

Hi, my name is Chris Marek and I race at Elko Speedway in Minnesota where I have raced and won a good amount of races and championships in the Hornet cars, Power Stock, and Sportsman.  In the past two seasons, I have been running in the Big 8 class where I have also found success.  This last season my team and I won the championship at Elko Speedway along with 8 feature wins for the season.  We entered the Big 8 race at Elko as the series made its stop here and again found success setting fast time and winning the main event.  With one more race left for the year, we went to LaCrosse Speedway in Wisconsin for the Octoberfest weekend.  That is weekend is one I will never forget.  We timed in second fast out of 60 cars and won the Big 8 feature Saturday night.  On Sunday, we entered the OJ Mac 63 race, a 3 twenty-one lap segment race.  I won two of the three and took second in the third, winning the overall. With that said, I just wanted to write to your company and say thanks for providing me with what I think to [...]

June 20, 2014 Read more...

You Can Be a Champion, Too, in 2014 with VDL!

   Picture this:  Last race of the season (and it’s a big one!), 50 teams from 9 states, 46 of them attempting to qualify, then 75 laps on the tight 3/8 mile Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway against 25 other ready-to-win Modifieds; and you’ve got the Lucas Oil West Coast Short Track Championship Race.  It was Matt Hicks’ night to brag, and VDL is proud to be a part of his team.  “It’s an awesome carburetor,” said Matt as he took the Budweiser Fast Time Award, then took the race lead at lap 11, and never looked back. The VDL 80528 / 750 HP carburetor is a bolt on, ready to win carburetor that can get your team to the front of the pack, too.  Get ready for 2014 with more horsepower and better drivablility.  Congratulations to Matt Hicks and all the VDL Champions!    

January 3, 2014 Read more...

ON A RACE BUDGET

Two Barrel Carbs, Tire Rules, and Racers on a Budget Prove “Myth” Unlikely by Kari Shear-Carlson Sep 26, 2013- The ARCA Midwest Tour presented by Scag Power Equipment and Lester Buildings takes pride in the success they have built over the years in trying to control costs in a high level series. Often times the “myth” about a series being too expensive can float around the racing scene, but when it comes down to the facts, dollar for dollar, the series has done a great job erasing that myth. So where does the myth begin? “We aren’t sure how it all gets started, but usually it’s shop talk,” said series President Tim Olson. “The cars all cost the same money to build, and the travel to an event is still the same, so we try to make a difference in our pay scale to be one of the best in the industry. We focus heavily on our Touring Star program bonuses and our cash and product contingency plans. When they start adding it up, they begin to realize that the ARCAMT is where they need to be. The competition is so tough in the Tour, and it makes good drivers great,” added Olson. Drivers [...]

September 26, 2013 Read more...

Sizzlin’ Summer for Rookies

   Jesse Leiby, and his dad John, campaign a DIRT Sportsman at Orange County Fair Speedway in Middleton, NY – and were so proud to announce their first win!  His VDL 4412 attacked that 5/8 mile of dirt and clay, and came out on top!      Across the country in Washington state, 15 year old Cody Walker went to the bank with his first big event win at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval.  He and his dad GW compete on the fastest 1/4 mile in the Northwest in the NW Pro4 Alliance series.  His VDL 4412 brought that 4 cylinder 240 hp engine to life!      Davey Coble is on a hot streak this summer at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in the Pro Late Model division.  He and his dad Jerry run a Ford Blue Oval with a VDL 650 HP carburetor and scored their first win of the season after the carburetor was rebuilt in the VDL shop.  Davey is holding the points lead with one more race on the schedule!      Kevin Aberle won the first race of the season at Hudson Speedway in New Hampshire with his Rookie Stock, but then hit a streak of bad luck.  Kevin sent his VDL [...]

August 16, 2013 Read more...

SPRING SIZZLER

   VICTORY FOR BOBBY SANTOS! The NASACR Whelen Modified Tour arrived at Stafford Motor Speedway on a beautiful weekend in April with all drivers and teams ready to do battle.  VDL came out on top with Bobby Santos and Performance Engines by Billy the Kid!  Bobby and the #44 Curb Records/ Brandon Kelley Music Chevrolet dominated the whole weekend, being fastest in practice, taking the pole, and leading 197 of 200 laps to win the CARQUEST Tech-Net Spring Sizzler. Bobby’s Chevy sizzled with the power from Bill Mathes of Performance Engines in Torrington, CT and the hottest 390 HP carburetor from VDL.  Congratulations to Bobby and Billy – an awesome way to start the season!    BILLY  “the KID”  MATHES  

June 29, 2013 Read more...

VDL 4412 Dominates ARCA Midwest Tour

     NATHAN HASELEU                               DAN FREDRICKSON                               JOHNNY SAUTER We are thrilled to be involved with the ARCA Midwest Tour for our fifth year because the racers and the engine builders involved are serious about using the best equipment.  Our Holley 4412 carburetor has been the champion’s carburetor year after year, and we are proud to  present the best 2-barrel in the country to the Hard Charger Team award winner at the end of the season.  We will also have $100 product certificates for the Fast Qualifier at each race because these late model racers drive hard for the win and do it with respect. 2013 promises to be another competitive year for VDL and the ARCA Midwest engine builders who have found more horsepower and consistency with a VDL carburetor.  Our carburetors are built from the ground up with Holley parts that we finish-machine to our specs for airflow and the fuel curve.  Every carburetor goes through a 3-step building process and is then flow-tested to confirm the integrity of the build.  We also keep precise records on each carburetor; so that when a carburetor is returned for a rebuild, we can make modifications to keep it [...]

June 29, 2013 Read more...

We Say No to Ethanol

According to FoxBusiness.com, the EPA, influenced by special interest groups, approved E-15 ethanol gasoline even though 95% of the cars on the road (228 million) could be damaged by using it.  Three states so far are selling E-15 ethanol gasoline – Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa; but the EPA is pushing its use across the rest of the country.  Car manufacturers have adapted cars to be able to use E-10 but not E-15.  Can your car tolerate the high ethanol levels?  Older cars are particularly susceptible to being damaged by E-15.  Also, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, Chrysler, Volkswagen, etc. have said their car warranties will not cover fuel-related claims. http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/2000862202001/ In our humble opinion, ethanol does not belong in the racing world either.  The lower cost of ethanol does not balance out with the adverse effects of ethanol on the entire fuel system.  Are you ready to do preventative maintenance from the foam in the fuel cell and the inner lining of every fuel line to the fuel pump, regulator, filter, and the carburetor plus the internal steel parts of your engine after every race?  Even the use of “pump gas” and highly oxygenated fuels quickly leads to deterioration of carburetor parts and gaskets, [...]

January 29, 2013 Read more...

Proud to be ….

PROUD TO BE . . . VDL Fuel Systems has maintained a long and rewarding relationship with Holley, and has now been designated as a Holley Authorized Modifier.  We are proud to be part of the Holley family, and are ready to continue into this new year building a better carburetor with genuine Holley parts.  We look back on the 2012 season, and are amazed by all the VDL carburetors that were part of race-winning teams; and we thank you for all those opportunities to do what we love.  In the new season ahead, we are here to answer questions, offer advice, help troubleshoot, and to build the best carburetor for your race car.  Good Luck and Great Fun to you in 2013! RACE.  EAT.  SLEEP.  REPEAT.  RACE.  EAT.  SLEEP.  REPEAT.  RACE.  EAT.  SLEEP.  REPEAT.  RACE. . . WIN!

January 16, 2013 Read more...