Circuit de Chimay is a scenic highway course nestled within the Southern Belgian countryside, just some miles from the French border close to the quaint city of Chimay. Each different yr since 2007, this small city, famend for its Trappist Monk Beer Brewery, transforms into the backdrop for the European Bug-In.
The occasion celebrates all air-cooled Volkswagen fashions, providing house owners and followers a playground to discover their ardour for these iconic autos. The European Bug-In has turn out to be certainly one of my favourite occasions, and on the finish of final month, I headed to Belgium for its tenth working.
The unique Bug-In started within the USA in October 1968, with its inaugural version organized by Vic Wilson on the Orange County Worldwide Raceway in Irvine, California. Centered on era-popular modified and hot-rodded Beetles and Buggies, the present shortly discovered success. Volkswagen fans and automotive golf equipment throughout the US flocked to the occasion, which quickly gained sponsorship from well-known VW tuning manufacturers together with EMPI, Auto-Haus, and SCAT.
This wasn’t your typical automotive present as we all know them immediately. It was a vibrant occasion the place competitors and camaraderie took middle stage.
Drag Racing was a spotlight, that includes the nation’s quickest Volkswagens over the quarter mile, as was the Slalom course. Then there was the Present ‘n’ Shine, which acknowledged the occasion’s finest Volkswagens over a number of classes together with Classic and Customized. There was even a tongue-in-cheek ‘Worst of Present’ award introduced.
For 15 consecutive years, these exhibits came about twice yearly – as soon as in spring and as soon as in fall – culminating within the thirty first and closing Bug-In held in October 1983. Following the closure of the Orange County Worldwide Raceway, the Bug-In was resigned to the historical past books.
With the present’s earlier editions serving as their inspiration, Freddy and Mike determined to convey this idea to Europe. To dwell as much as the Bug-In legacy, they wanted a venue with ample area and potential, which they discovered at Circuit de Chimay. This 4.5km (2.8mi) avenue course, primarily used for motorbike races since 1926, hosted the inaugural European Bug-In in 2007, uniting VW fans from throughout the continent and even the US.
The entrance straight now serves because the occasion’s entrance, that includes the long-lasting crimson Chimay bridge and a paddock for drag vehicles. The infield consists of a big swap meet the place fans and distributors supply new and used elements. There’s additionally a disco tent for late-night leisure, a difficult muddy off-road course, and the ever-popular burnout pit.
The circuit’s again straight transforms right into a quarter-mile drag strip. Whereas the observe floor isn’t conducive to private finest ETs, the drag racing continues to be an awesome spectacle that includes every thing from street-legal, souped-up 1.6L Beetles to fully-built drag vehicles boasting wild flat-four engine setups.
A classic twin-engined dragster debuted at this yr’s occasion because of a showdown organized by the Belgian Drag Racing Affiliation (BDRA) and Dutch Scorching Rod Affiliation (DHRA) to find out the occasion’s quickest automotive.
Among the many exhibition highlights was Oklahoma Willy, a jet-engined single-cab cut up Bus that blew everybody away (not actually, fortunately) with its sheer energy.
The burnout pit noticed loads of motion, a patina-covered T1 Transporter successful the viewers over. One other crowd favourite was the well-known orange-and-black Preliminary Cox Beetle, expertly piloted by its French driver and turning tire rubber to smoke at each alternative.
Regardless of heavy rain on Saturday dampening the racing actions, VW off-roaders reveled within the mud.
In the meantime, the Present ‘n’ Shine space introduced a surprising array of VWs, showcasing numerous kinds and eras. Awards got in classes together with Outdated Velocity, Customized, Classic, and Coolest Exhaust.
An indicator of those air-cooled exhibits is the sprawling campsites full of Buses, Beetles, and Buggies. It’s not nearly showcasing or competing in your Volkswagen; it’s concerning the journey and the camaraderie of fellow fans, a sentiment usually neglected in different automotive sub-cultures.
In case you have any curiosity in air-cooled VWs, be sure to mark European Bug-In #11 in your 2025 calendar. Simply you should definitely pack shorts and a poncho, as a result of, as my expertise from attending six editions has proven, it’s both scorching sizzling or pouring rain – there isn’t any center floor.
Collin Tiemens
Instagram: collinclicksphotos
