Hurst Hemi Under Glass

Hurst Hemi Under Glass is the name given to a series of exhibition drag racing cars campaigned by Hurst Performance between 1965 and 1975.

Each wheelstander was based on the current Plymouth Barracuda for the corresponding model year. The car was so named because the fuel injected Chrysler Hemi engine was placed under the Barracuda's exceptionally large rear window. The result of the rearward weight transfer was a "wheelie" down the length of the drag strip.

The Hemi Under Glass was developed by Hurst Corporation with assistance from wheelstanding exhibition racer Wild Bill Shrewsberry and was driven by Bob Riggle. Popular model kits of the car were produced in 1/32 scale by Aurora Plastics Corporation and in 1/25 scale by Model Products Corporation. A limited edition 1/18 scale diecast model of the 1966 car is currently available from Highway 61.

Riggle returned to exhibition racing in 1992 with a replica of the 1968 car. The original 1965 car is still owned by Bill Shrewsberry and is in storage in Southern California.

Volksrod

Volksrods are modified Volkswagen beetles. They are used as an alternative to traditional hot rods and are quickly growing in popularity. Classic Ford Model T's and Model A's are becoming more scarce and more valuable. Consequently, their expense has made obtaining and modifying one not feasible for the masses. Because of this, according to some, hot rods have lost that sense of rebellion and have become stale.

As an alternative, the Volkswagen community has turned to the volksrod. The volksrod starts out as a traditional Volkswagen beetle. They are cheaper, easier to find, and easier to find parts for. One popular method of the conversion involves removing the front and rear fenders of the beetle, and then installing a classic Ford front axle to move the wheels forward and give the car a low, stretched look. After that it's finished off with a chopped top and a flat black paint job, often with pinstriping.

Another popular customization is to move the stock Volkswagen axle beam forward or reverse the trailing/torsion arms and re-work the steering linkages. But as with all types of car customization, lots of different modifications are practiced in different combinations. The volksrod is also an extension of the rat rod customization style. usually built with little or no expensive machined aluminum or chrome plated parts, the VolksRod is mostly handmade by the owner with simple mechanical tools and welding equipment.

Drifting

Drifting ( dorifuto sōkō) refers to a driving technique and to a motor sport where the driver intentionally oversteers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while preserving vehicle control and a high exit speed. A car is said to be drifting when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle prior to the corner apex, and the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn (e.g. car is turning left, wheels are pointed right or vice versa), and the driver is controlling these factors. As a motor sport, professional drifting competitions are held across the world.

Modern drifting started out as a racing technique popular in the All Japan Touring Car
Championship races over 30 years ago. Motorcycling legend turned driver, Kunimitsu Takahashi, was the foremost creator of drifting techniques in the 1970s. He was famous for hitting the apex (the point where the car is closest to the inside of a turn) at high speed and then drifting through the corner, preserving a high exit speed. This earned him several championships and a legion of fans who enjoyed the spectacle of burning tires.