Weather, actually bad weather to be more specific, must be the bane of a show promoter's existence. Weather is unpredictable, and shows planned months or even a year in advance bear the brunt of whatever Mother Nature cares to dish out. This may not be much of a worry if you hold a show in the southwest, where it's dry and sunny about 95% of the time, but here in the old Mid-Atlantic you can never say never...
Perhaps nobody knows this better than Club H2O's Jay Shoup. For the last few years he's been the driving force behind the ever-popular H2O International, which takes place each fall in Ocean City, MD. The success of H2Oi and Jay's passion for the VW/Audi community has driven him to put on another show - a "spring" H2Oi in spirit, if not location. That show is "Dubs on the Lake", and it's located in beautiful western Maryland, the complete opposite end of the state from H2Oi and directly next to Deep Creek Lake. Only one thing could spoil the scene: the weather.
In its third year, Dubs on the Lake is still growing and although the famously unpredictable Appalachian weather was sunny and pleasant for Saturday's laid-back BBQ, it didn't hold. Attendees on Sunday were teased with sun for the first few hours of the day, but sporadic showers and fast-dropping temperatures set in.
We were greeted at the gate by a shivering Penny McLaughlin (Jay's right-hand woman) and the et crew wasn't sure how the day would go. As it turned out, we had nothing to worry about.
For the hardcore VW enthusiasts who spent the previous night partying at the campgrounds, a little rain was unlikely to dampen the spirits. After a quick survey of the show field it was easy to see why. There were 166 show car entries (up 40% from last year) and they weren't just filler. There was some seriously nice metal sitting in the field. We wasted no time parking our GTI and getting to it.
Two of the first cars to catch the eye were the pair of Audi TT-inspired Mk3s owned by Albert and Ryan Uhler (cousins, in case you're wondering). One was sporting TT Papaya orange paint and Borbet Type A wheels, the other in Aviator gray and RH wheels. They really stood out when paired up in the lush grass of the fairgrounds.
Bill Nagle's Black Magic pearl 20AE GTI was outstanding. Tastefully modded with never-go-wrong choices like BBS wheels and Porsche brakes, not to mention a spotless interior, engine and good attention to detail. Bill's GTI was awarded Best in Show.
Although we weren't swimming in modified Mk5s, et's Project GTI made an appearance, along with Sean Garrick's blue GLI and Jennifer Prentice's black Jetta 2.5. In another month or two we should start seeing some serious heat in this category.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Chris Cooper decided to do things the hard way and took first place in the "Mod to '89" class with his sweet VW Fox. Although a Fox Wagon isn't the conventional choice for enthusiasts, the two-tone paint and super-clean presentation clearly made up for any bias you might have against the Brazilian-built Fox.
East coast parts importer eCodeparts.com was in attendance with a handful of rare European-only Dubs fresh off the boat from England. Although the RHD Derby (Polo with a trunk) was cool, it was the spotless all-original Mk1 Polo sporting ATS Classics that really grabbed attention. From what we heard, the 44hp on tap kept the Polo exciting on I-68 while trying to cope with the 53' tractor-trailers storming by.
The yellow '81 Rabbit belonging to Tim Anderson was one of our personal favorites. Although it didn't place, it was good to see Mk1s getting some love. The ATS Classics and retro-cool roofrack were both nice touches. It was yet another example of the classic roofrack-with-luggage style that seems to be gaining speed.
"Old luggage is the new black," said one show-goer. Christian Love's Atlantic blue Mk4 diesel sported Schmidt Space Lines with color-matched centers and a bser carbon fiber hood, not to mention dyno charts with over 150whp and 300wtq. It was enough to land him first for "99 and Up" Golf Mod class.
Danny Trindade made the trek from New Jersey with his GTI, which was the definition of sick. The chromed 19" wheels (19x10" in the rear!), full-metal bad-boy hood and mean stance had the gray Mk4 sitting pretty in second place for the "99 and Up" GTI Mod class.
After judging was completed, everybody took shelter in the barn and awaited the awards ceremony. Jay and Penny also had a raffle so even those who didn't enter a car got a chance to take home some of the spoils, including some nice Intrax lowering springs. Presenting sponsor NGP Racing had a booth set up on both days of the show, touting its latest wares to those who were looking to pick up some parts.
Overall, everybody had a great time, and looking at the quality of the show cars in attendance, the '06 season is looking pretty good! We'd say Jay & Co have another winner on their hands: check out www.dubsonthelake.com for info on next year's event.