Bug Jam 30 Report / Gallery / Video
Facebook Gallery
View photos from Bug Jam 30 on the Facebook Gallery.
Bug Jam 30 Highlights Video
Bug Jam 30 Report
Bug Jam 30 was one birthday party that did not disappoint and will live on in the memory banks for years to come. In addition to all the usual Bug Jam highlights there were heaps of new additions for the big 3-0. One of the most popular Bug Jam additions was the Little Buggerz kids activity area for the under 10’s which had everything from punch and judy shows and magicians to design your own tie dye T-Shirts. Thanks to the early arrival pass, by time the event properly opened on Friday morning Santa Pod was well on its way to being full and before long there were VWs for as far as the eye can see. We must give a special mention to those that camped so neatly to enable us to create an awesome VW badge as seen from above!
Another new addition was the Urban Ninja obstacle course that was running throughout the weekend and provided much entertainment for those hardy souls giving it a go as well as those that chose to sit on the side-lines watching with their beers. By Friday afternoon there was a hive of activity everywhere you looked with BMX displays from the Cool Flo riders, comedy over in the big top marquee and on track RWYB action.
Friday night was tribute night on the main stage with tributes to Amy Winehouse, David Bowie and Prince and all acts were awesome! The SkaSouls took care of the Fuelers bar for the night with Club MTV in the dance zone and as voted for by YOU in the Retro zone we had Bug Jam is now 30 with tunes from throughout the years of Bug Jam. The whole music line-up was certainly a highlight and Scouting for Girls on Saturday night had the whole place rocking, even playing their very own campervan song! With Jensen D’Groovers legendary car wash, Toolroom Records and the silent disco there really was something for everyone.
Saturday saw the conclusion of the RWYB competition so congratulations to all of the following winners who ended up at the top of the tables:
Scott Oliver
VW Variant
12.0205 @ 100.74mph
Wayne Bradden
Splitscreen Panel Van
17.2907 @ 77.34mph
James Sharp
VW Doka
15.5089 @ 88.74mph
Sam Young
VW Beetle
9.6102 @ 146.73mph
Trophies were also awarded for the ever popular Rust & Rat competition which seems to grow year on year. The winners that walked away with the trophies on this one were:
Lee Fullard
1967 Splitscreen
It was the seating that clinched the trophy for Lee with Chesterfield bench seating and even a couple of lounge style chairs up front – that’s ultimate driving comfort!
Mike Smith
1974 VW Thing
Seaside Neil
1956 Oval
Neils bug was too cool for school and looked every day as old as it is!
Jason Brogan
1964 Type 2
This genuine laundry van was dragged out of an Alabama swamp where it had sat for 27 years before being resurrected and whilst having a ratty exterior, maintained a pristine interior that complimented the look.
Marc Kyle
1959 Karmann Ghia
This ghia was slammed to the deck and rolling on ercos and the cream colour combined with sprinkles of rust gave it the perfect look.
Mark Dunmore
1991 Scirocco
This “2 face” car wasn’t for everyone but no one could walk past without taking a second look. It’s split personality ran right through the car with features on the inside and out!
Calvin & Jayne Klein
1971 Volksrod Beetle
This complete custom had too many features to list and looked like it had driven straight off the set of mad max – incredibly it’s road legal too!
Best of Show
Emerson Large
1971 Bug Rod
This thing stopped everyone in their tracks and was an incredible cross between hot road and beetle. An up close look revealed so much more than initially met the eye.
New for 2016 to raise the profile of the B289 display, the line-up was on Saturday this year alongside the Rust & Rat and it was great to see some of the most iconic VW’s from all the Bug Jams displayed once more at the 30th.
Back to 89
Dave Heading
VW Beetle
This car and it’s stand out paint job feels like it’s been around forever yet never seems to age – a deserved winner on this 30th anniversary.
The Human Powered Race was an absolute monster, too many people to count but we’re convinced it was the biggest ever. Before mentioning the winners we must give a special mention to little Phoenix who did the whole race all on her own on her little space hopper. How she managed the ½ mile in the heat we had is beyond us but there was no way she was giving up. Rightly so, she got the loudest cheer of the lot and thanks to the guy that hung back and rode with her so she wasn’t last over the line. Those that walked away with trophies were:
Fastest Bike & Overall Winner-
Ewen Bower
Fastest Runner -
James McCafferey
Fastest Skate -
Scott Walker
Most Imaginative -
The Flintstones
The Live Action Arena was running all weekend too with insane performances from the legendary Terry Grant joined by Freestyle Motocross team Broke FMX and the pair of Monster Trucks; Podzilla & Swamp Thing.
Another trophy that went out on Saturday was the Table Tennis competition and it was another competition open to both kids and adults alike and it was an adult that had the trophy on this occasion. Well done to Stuart Cook!
On Saturday afternoon it was the audiences turn to be the stars of the show with Bug Jam's got Talent on the stage. Singers, guitarists, dancers and a magician competed but it was young Lily who took the prize.
Bug Jam's Got Talent
Winner: Lily
Sunday was the Autoglym Show & Shine and serious race day and it was one of the best show & shine line-ups we’ve ever had which made the judging a difficult affair!
Best Cal Look
Declan Simmonds
66 Beetle
Declan’s 1200 beetle had the perfect rear up, nose down stance completing the ultimate cal look
Best Resto Cal
Mark Pateman
54 Oval Beetle
Marks Oval is a serial winner here and is always a contender for Best of Show. This bug is immaculate all round
Best Custom
Leon Clarke
85 Scirocco
I think you could look at Leon’s scirocco for days and still not spot all of the custom touches it featured, the fuel filler cap under the rear number plate and elimination of roof gutters were highlights!
Best Interior
Ann-Marie Willis
72 Type 2
The diamond stitch interior on this bus was do die for – a very worthy winner!
Best Off Road
Paul Ridgewell
71 Meyers Manx
Paul’s buggy and the blue flake paintjob looked like it’s never been outside never mind on a beach like we know it has but the interior, exterior and engine were all stunning.
Best Paint
Rob Lampkin
71 Karmann Ghia
This ghia was a good all rounder and wound up with the best paint trophy thanks to a lovely yellow clio sport paintjob.
Best Original
Jim & Linda Dykes shown by Colin Evans
89 Polo
This non restored 27 year old polo incredibly has less than 26k miles on the clock and looks like it’s been rolled straight out the factory.
Bets Water-Cooled
Chris Berridge
90 Caddy
This pristine mulberry Caddy featured v6 audi power on air with custom touches completing the look inside and out.
Best Other Air-Cooled
Lloyd Jackson
64 Country Buggy
It’s not often you see a Country Buggy anywhere but one as simply and gleaming as this one is unheard of.
Best Late Van/Bus
Shaun Lewis
07 T5 Transporter
Shaun’s transporter is a complete custom build inside, outside and under the bonnet and it drew everyone’s attention as they made their way past.
Best Bay Window
Christopher Ginn
68 Type 2 Camper
This quite unassuming bus was pristine on closer inspection with a dreamy red interior complimenting the perfect white exterior.
Best Splitscreen
Greg Burnard
67 Double Cab
This simple double cab featured beautiful paint work all round and the whole look just worked so well!
Best Beetle
Steve Lawrie
Karman Beetle
This beautiful bug was a strong contender for Best of Show and the favourite car of may – an absolutely stunning machine!
Judges Choice
Max & Elenie Abbott
63 Split Screen
All of the judges were in agreement that this bus couldn’t go home without a trophy making it the perfect candidate for judges choice!
Best of Show
Shaun Howe
62 Beetle
This House of Kolor Candy Red bug was as close to perfection as it gets, everywhere you looked it was pristine!
On track we saw some classic side by side, tight races throughout the weekend along with some blisteringly quick demos runs from the FireForce Jet Car, a handful of Super Street Bikes and the Mental Breakdown Split Screen dragster which set a new pb of 7.33 seconds! The winners of the permitted race classes were:
European Funny Car Series:Winner Kevin Kent
Runner-up Gordon Smith
Topspeed Automotive
Street Eliminator:
Winner Matt Smith
Watch a WebTV show of Street Eliminator at Bug Jam below.
Outlaw Anglia:
Winner Jedd Guy
Runner-up Cliff Griffin
VW Pro:
Winner Sam Young
Runner-up Dave Crowhurst
VW Sportsman:
Winner Tom Herbert
Runner-up Adrian London
Sportsman ET:
Winner Andy Dibley
Runner-up Tom Atkinson
Lucas Oil Junior Dragster Cannonball:
Winner Dylan Bradley
Runner-up Kaitlan Deevey
So that’s a wrap for another year – that’s 30 whole Bug Jams and we know that some of you have been to every single one! It’s been another massive weekend from all aspects and long may we continue to share weekends like this. Thanks to everyone that came along and got involved and brought their VW’s, especially the clubs that are such a fundamental part of the show. Thank You Bug Jammers – you’re all awesome and we’ll see you back here next year!
