Date: 20-21 July 2024
Venue: Curborough Sprint Course, Lichfield Staffordshire
Hosted by: VW Golf Mk2 Owners Club
The National VW Golf Mk2 meet is always a highlight of my year! I’ve attended various car shows for well over a decade, but that’s the one I’m waiting most impatiently for. From the moment the tickets drop, July can’t come fast enough! We – a little family of three petrolheads including our pre-schooler, never even question which car to bring—it’s a no-brainer that we’re taking both vdubs! Some years, we’ve rolled in with two VW Golf MK2s, and other times, I’ve cruised in VW Corrado. It doesn’t matter which vdub you drive; the MK2 community welcomes you with open arms and a revved-up engine. That’s what makes this event an absolute blast and why I count down the days all year long!
Generally speaking, it’s a weekend packed with Vw Golfs, classic cars, fantastic company, and endless banter about our plans, conversions, and outlandish ideas. This year was an absolute blast, with members from all over coming together to share our passion, show off the latest mods (R32 conversion, anyone?), and unleash our driving skills on the spirited little track. Here’s a rundown of the weekend’s highlights and why you absolutely must mark your calendar for next year’s event!
Cruising In Style…
The Friday afternoon was so unbelievably hot that it seemed like the British summer was throwing a surprise party and forgot to invite the AC. Driving my VW Corrado with a black leather interior and no AC felt like roasting in a vintage oven. I thought I might actually melt into the seat and become part of the car’s history!
The journey to the meeting was, as always, an adventure in itself. Losing a piece of the front windowsill and leaving the house without the wallet were minor hiccups, but hey, it didn’t dampen our spirits. The drive was a nostalgic throwback to the 90s, with windows wide open and the wind rushing in. Along the way, we made a few inconvenient pit stops known to every parent.
Roll in and Rock Out…
I wish I could say that upon arrival, the atmosphere was electric and it was nice to talk to everyone, but the combination of the long drive in the heat and the motion sickness took me out of any action, straight to bed!
However, on Saturday morning, I was ready! Going through the well-known metal gates, first thing I have seen was the car I love to see every time —Chris’s green Rally. However, for a change, he wasn’t there đŸ˜†. I managed to find him a few hundred yards later, engrossed in a conversation with a long-time club member and the happy new owner of a shiny Tornado Red (that’s right, Red, not pink) MK2!
As always, everything was super well-organized (well done, Shelly & co!). Since 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the Golf, there was a super Golf lineup starting with an MK1 and finishing with the newest member of the family. It was awesome to see model by model, door to door!
The track action was in full swing when Wiggler and I arrived mid-morning. There were many happy reunions with old friends, and we met some new people too. The variety of VW Golf MK2 models present was great—from modest drivers to powerful kits with superchargers or VR6 engines, and from totally stock cars to completely stripped track monsters. That’s another thing I love—you can find such a wide variety of vdubs and chat with any owner. Everyone is excited to tell you everything about their mods, and there’s plenty of time to chat too.
Throttle Thrills…
The track layout at Curborough is always a thrill. A half lap for a warm-up and a whole lap timed out. It will give you a buzz even if you just jump in for a passenger’s lap! Worried that you don’t know anyone and that it’s rude to ask a stranger for a ride around the track? Nonsense, I can prove that if you dare to ask me.
The driving experience is exhilarating, with each lap presenting its own set of challenges (slightly damp tarmac in the morning, too early turn into the corner, too late braking, etc.). But hey, every lap you learn something new, whether you’re in the driver’s or passenger seat!
I’ve been known to be a keen driver, but I also love catching a passenger ride too—especially ones as exciting as Buzz’s in his white standard beast, complete with impromptu handbrake turns to keep the car on the tarmac. đŸ™‚
This year’s weather was kind to us, with the weekend mostly dry and just a couple of hours of showers late Saturday evening. Excluding Trakslag Matt’s highly modified VW Golf, there weren’t many technical hiccups—mainly a few broken driveshafts and some knackered wheel bearings.
At the end of the day, there were awards for the best driver in each category:
– OEM: Standard cars.
– MODIFIED: Engine conversions, supercharged models, etc., but with the interior intact.
– TRACK: Anything modified with a stripped-down interior.
Evening Track Parade…
We finished the fab track action on Saturday traditionally with a VW Golf MK2 line-up on the track. Despite the wet surroundings, it was massive fun to bring all MK2 lovers together on the track, have a few slow-motion laps, and take millions of pictures and drone footage! It’s a blast when even the tiniest person can be part of the track tribe, even if just for a brief moment!
Show and Shine…
Traditionally, the Show and Shine took place on Sunday. As always, there were plenty of participants and even more impressive restorations/modifications to admire—not to mention more new people to meet and chat with! Hello, my new best VW Corrado friend in my all-time favourite mulberry vdub colour. As we all know, a picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll let some prime Show and Shine examples do the talking.
Since we had a very tired little man and a three-hour journey ahead of us, we decided to leave after a late lunch.
I was sad to leave this lively event still in full swing, but our car-packed weekend inevitably drew to an end. Good thing I’m writing down the event highlights so I can relive it once more and share my experience with you. It is great to attend events like this, as they always offer a chance to share our passion, learn from each other, and strengthen our bonds. It’s definitely more fun to talk face to face to the people you know through the forum or the facebook group.
I won’t lie—coming to the event with our little Wiggler was always challenging. This is our fourth year as a family of three, and the system of one parent on the track and another with the boy seems to work quite well. Mr. Wiggler was lucky enough to have not one, but two track rides (one each day) with daddy in the VW Golf and with mummy in the VW Corrado. I admit that was the slowest I’ve ever been on the track, driving well below any speed limit. But the fun was immense, and it was truly heart warming to see all the marshals and spectators waving to us and cheering us on. Even the youngest of us can feel part of the VW Golf community. Downside? All I can hear now is our tiny man pretending to be a race car! But I guess that’s my fault, and I can definitely live with it. đŸ˜€
And at the end, a huge shout-out to Josh for having my back in the convoy on our return journey!
Thank you, Shelly, Chris, and all the marshals and photographers, for the massive effort you put into organizing this year’s event and running it so smoothly! You are legends, guys!
End-of-Road Reflections…
And you read through the whole post! Well done—you are a true VW Golf/VW Corrado enthusiast! So, I encourage you to join our club and attend future events to experience the magic first-hand. In the meantime, share your own experiences or memories from the meeting in the comments section—I’d love to hear from you.
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Until next time, keep those engines running and the passion alive!
