by Gregg Paul
The ARCA Midwest Tour presented by SCAG Power Equipment and Lester Buildings is excited to have VDL Fuel Systems return for its fifth season of sponsorship. VDL Fuel Systems has quietly become one of the major players in the high performance carburetor business, building the finest carburetors one at a time. That can only be done by building each one to fit each customer’s need and specifications, and not by building carburetors for shelf stock or mail order.
Dan VanderLey began the business in 1998 after many years of engine building with VanderLey Engines and Pontiac’s R&D program, track tuning from Indy to your local dirt track, and engineering at Champion Spark Plug Company.
VanderLey states his goal very simply, “With my long experience in the field, I wanted to build a better carburetor and beat the other guys.”
That competitive drive has led VDL to the ARCA Midwest Tour.
“We are ready to start our fifth year with the ARCA Midwest Tour because the racers and the engine builders involved are serious about using the best equipment,” said VanderLey. “Our Holley 4412 carburetor has been the champion’s carburetor year after year, and we will be proud to present the best 2-barrel in the country to the Hard Charger Team award winner at the end of the season. We will also have $100 product certificates for the Fast Qualifier at each race. We are very proud to be associated with these Midwest late model racers who drive hard for the win and do it with respect.”
2013 promises to be another competitive year for VDL and the ARCA Midwest engine builders who have found more horsepower and consistency with a VDL carburetor.
“Our carburetors are built from the ground up with genuine Holley parts that we finish-machine to our specs for airflow and the fuel curve,” said VanderLey. “Every carburetor goes through a 3-step building process and is then flow-tested to confirm the integrity of the build. We also keep precise records on each carburetor, so that when a carburetor is returned for a rebuild, we can make modifications to keep it up to date with any engine technology changes. We don’t build good, better, and best carbs – they’re all the best.”
ARCA Midwest Tour President Tim Olson echoed those sentiments.
“It’s always a challenge keeping racers honest and making sure the rules are followed at all times,” stated Olson. “When we are digging into things after a race though, it is always a relief when you know you’re working with a VDL piece. As long as someone else didn’t touch it, it’s going to be right. They build one heck of a carburetor and they make it easy on us when it comes to the tech line.”
Be sure to follow the ARCA Midwest Tour on Facebook (midwesttour) and Twitter (@midwesttour).
To learn more about the Automobile Racing Club of America Midwest Tour, log on to arcamidwesttour.com. For questions call the ARCA Midwest Tour office at (262) 729-4111 or Tim Olson at (612) 327-5831 or Steve Einhaus (630) 212-6022 at or e-mail Tim Olson at tim@arcamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@arcamidwesttour.com.
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
