Mega Bug Gets Mega Rebuild New design focused on speed and safety It’s now pretty well known that the Mega Bug has been relocated to Ohio, and is now the pride and joy of Mike and Linda Booher of Dayton, Ohio. Many of us have met Mike as he’s come along to the events over the past year learning all he can about the differences between VW racing and the bigger GM power plant dragsters he’s used to. What many don’t know, however, is that Mike is planning to make some big noise when he debuts the new and improved Mega Bug for the 2010 season. The power plant upgrades are being kept tightly under wraps, but the crew did let us in on the structural improvements the car is currently undergoing. Mike has enlisted the help of renowned frame designer Jim Unger to completely rework the chassis of this beetle. Jim embraced the challenge and went right to work beginning major renovations to the car’s structural platform. Jim is a master of making cars launch straighter and faster, but what many people don’t realize is he is also a big proponent of driver safety. So Mike and Jim went to work to not only make the car faster, but also to make it significantly safer, going above and beyond the normal NHRA requirements. The most easily recognizable feature most will notice when they look at the car is the addition of the helmet bars behind the driver’s seat. These will protect the driver and can also be fitted with a head restraint system. If desired, a funny car cage can be added as well to make the car meet SFI 24.4 specs. If you look a little closer, you will notice that Jim has also added an additional diagonal brace to the roof section of the car. This will provide additional rollover protection, while also helping make the car more rigid, and with minimal weight increase. But the changes most people will not notice are perhaps the most significant of all. Jim has taken the bottom section of the car, and completely redesigned it. The Mega Bug now features a full double inner rail chassis. This makes the car significantly more rigid for better launches, while also adding a great deal of extra safety for the driver. In the event of a crash, these double frame rails will transfer the force of the impact down the full length of the car, maximizing the driver’s chances for emerging unscathed. But Jim wasn’t done there. Diagonal braces were also added for additional strength and stability, and an extra diagonal brace was positioned crossing under the driver’s seat for added protection. “If the car gets up on a guard rail, you may need that additional strength under the driver and this will give you that,” added Jim as he showed us the car. All of this newfound structural strength is complemented by a full steel floor, and several functional enhancements. Some of these include a redesigned battery box to allow easier adjustment for weight transfer, a more ergonomic control center for the driver which is also more easily accessible for service, and substantial rear suspension modifications for harder straighter launches. What do all these changes mean for the ECPRA? Well, it means that Mike and his team mean business, and they want to breathe new life into the sport of VW racing and raise the bar from day one. Watch for the new Mega Bug’s debut in the 2010 ECPRA season to see if Mike’s investment pays off.