The creativity of drag racers can’t be denied…they will find a way to turn anything into a racecar.

Alex Leiserach decided a 1968 VW Bay Window Single Cab would be the perfect starting point for a project vehicle and got to work. Leiserach is chasing history with his VW, as he’s trying to become the first person to record a 9-second pass in one of these classic German machines.

VW Bay Window Single Cabs were designed to be utility vehicles that could haul a variety of items. They’re a distant cousin of the iconic VW bus that was a popular form of transportation for free-spirited individuals in the 1960s and ’70s.

The fact the Single Cab wasn’t intended for a performance application didn’t deter Leiserach in any way. Leiserach dropped his VW off at Robinson Race Cars where a custom tube chassis was built that features a double-wishbone suspension in the front and rear. While the chassis was getting built, RJ Volks Performance worked on getting the 2931cc air-cooled VW engine ready. A Precision Turbo & Engine 6466 turbo provides the boost for the feisty mill that runs on methanol. A FuelTech ECU controls the fuel-injected engine.

Leiserach made a few test hits on the street with the VW to make sure everything would function properly before he headed to Santa Pod Raceway. The Single Cab’s first pass down the track netted an 11.01 at 120 MPH, very close to Leiserach’s 10-second goal. On the following pass, Leiserach left in second gear, causing a slower 11.26 elapsed time, but the VW ran an impressive 142 MPH, a new speed record. Leiserach’s final pass wasn’t perfect due to a mechanical failure, but the VW ran a 10.37, a new personal best. Check out the footage from VeeDubRacing that shows Leiserach’s first outing with his radical VW Bay Window Single Cab.

Photos courtesy of the Second Coming Single Cab Facebook page.