By Lucy Waldron
The Warwick racetrack has been a hub for VW drags and a gathering place for like-minded individuals for many years.
Among the many Volkswagen Beetles that participate in the races, there is one supercharged car that stands out with its unique designs and ear-piercing revs.
However, during the recent VW Warwick Drag Meet, a solemn atmosphere prevailed as the tight-knit racing community came together to pay tribute to Dave Stoker, who passed away four years ago.
The story of the Beetle begins with close friends Michael Waldron and Dave Stoker, who in the midst of building a Karmann Ghia decided they wanted to build a drag car. While Dave was the mastermind behind the idea, it was Michael who took on the role of the driver.
The Beetle was built in 2010 and for many years it teared up the track with Michael at the wheel. Many personal bests were hit, many near misses with the wall, and a few catches with the safety net.
With an estimate of 500 to 600 horsepower and after many modifications, the only Volkswagen part of the engine is the distributor drive gear. Despite the changes, it has remained an integral part of the VW drag racing scene.
Turning heads when it creeps up to the start line, spectators watch with baited breaths as the lights flicker down and in one blink the Beetle is at the other end of the eighth mile with nothing but the parachute billowing out the back.
It can’t be denied, that Michael and Dave created a conversation starter. However, as the Beetle crept up to the line on Saturday 30 September 2023, spectators held their breath for another reason, Michael was not behind the wheel.
The 2023 VW Warwick drag meet was the first chance the tight-knit family from all over Australia could come together to pay tribute to the late Dave Stoker.
In his tribute speech, Michael described Dave’s character with stories of the first and only time Dave drove the Beetle: “His hands where shaking, he couldn’t drink or light his cigarette and he fell out of the car”.
He recalled fun memories of Warwick: “When we would drive up to Warwick from Sydney, we would pass the 12 hours by coming up with stories of why that roadkill landed like that and what happened to it, anything to make us chuckle”.
After much contemplation, only a few months ago, Michael made the difficult decision to part ways with the car he and Dave had poured countless hours into.
“I absolutely loved it, I could have done it every day of the week,” Michael said, but it was time for him to hang up his racing helmet after 42 years behind the wheel.
Fortunately, he managed to sell the car just before the Warwick drags to a family already deeply involved with the racing community, ensuring that this wasn’t the last time Michael would see his beloved Beetle.
But, standing next to the Beetle in the tent where everyone gathered to pay tribute to Dave, the Beetle did not look the same.
The Beetle’s final hurrah came to a crashing end when its new driver Daniel Alder, sent it flipping into the sky.
Happening in slow motion but if you blinked you would have missed it, a devastating watch as Daniel’s second run down the track took off faster than expected and caused him to overcorrect into the wall.
“That’s racing, it can just turn around and bite you… but it’ll live to make some noise again,” Michael said.
The Alders already have another body lined up for the fix and this was just the exciting start of “the next chapter for the Beetle” Daniel said.
