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K&N's Phil Veldheer Inks His Fourth IHRA World Record in the Book

  • 14 Jul 2011
This is how Veldheer's engine compartment looked only hours before making his only check run.
This is how Veldheer's engine compartment looked only hours before making his only check run.
K&N sponsored Phil Veldheer started drag racing when he was 17, he's 62 years young now, and you have to expect he's seen a thing or two, and figured out a few more when it comes to racing. The Holland, Michigan resident estimates he's owned a dozen race cars over the years. Currently he owns six of them, three 455 Top Eliminator bracket cars, one 1999 Z-28 from Hurricane Katrina that has a small block, and runs 10.00's at 136 mph, and two IHRA-Stock eliminator cars.
Veldheer's fourth H/CM IHRA World Record came in the same car that set the first three, his trusty 1969 IHRA F/CM-H/CM Camaro.
Veldheer's fourth H/CM IHRA World Record came in the same car that set the first three, his trusty 1969 IHRA F/CM-H/CM Camaro.


"I usually drive the 1969 IHRA F/CM-H/CM Camaro," Veldheer said. Five years ago I set the F/CM IHRA World Record at 10.82 at 120 mph. The record was untouched for three years and then a new one had to be set. So in 2009 I reset the F/CM record at 10.77 at 121 mph. In 2010 I decided to add some weight to the race car and set the H/CM record. On the hottest day in Michigan in 2010, I set the ET and MPH record in H/CM at 10.96 at 119.5 mph."

Veldheer's fourth H/CM IHRA World Record came just weeks ago, and it came on yet another hot and humid Michigan day - the record 10.666 at 122 mph.

"I hope to take it to Maryland some year, and set the F/CM record, as the weather and altitude is better there. The car has run a 10.6666 ET at 122 mph in decent weather," he adds.
Veldheer's 1955 Chevrolet street car towing his 1956 Wagon to the 1967 US Nationals in INDY at age 18. He claims the street car was faster than the race car.
Veldheer's 1955 Chevrolet street car towing his 1956 Wagon to the 1967 US Nationals in INDY at age 18. He claims the street car was faster than the race car.


Says Veldheer, "In IHRA racing you notify the tech people that you plan on setting a new record and they will tell you when and where to meet them at the next IHRA Pro/Am race. Mine was at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan.

"In IHRA racing they look at the engine before you try and set the record. I spent Thursday taking the motor apart and cleaning parts," continues Veldheer. "When I arrived at the track on Friday the inspectors looked at the race car and engine-pistons, heads, intake, carb, wheelbase, valves, car weight etc. from around 10 AM until 1:30 PM and then gave me the green light to reassemble the engine."
One of Veldheer's three K&N sponsored 455 cars.
One of Veldheer's three K&N sponsored 455 cars.


With a little help from his friends, Veldheer had the Camaro reassembled and running by 6 PM. Officials placed colored sealer-glue on the head-bolts, carb-bolts, timing chain cover, and so on, so that they would be able to tell at a glance if anything had been altered.

"I made one check out pass of 10.80 at 120.5 mph," said Veldheer. "The dew point went up 17 points by the next morning when I had to make the two runs to set the new record. I made the first run and then had to make a back up run within one percent of the first run. I could see the weather (heat and major humidity) getting worse and made another run as soon as they would let me. It was within the parameters, and we set another ET and MPH record. So as of right now, the white Hard Blok-K&N Camaro holds four IHRA WORLD records, two ET and two MPH records."
Veldheer says there's at least one more race related thing on his bucket list, and that's to go 200 mph at Bonneville.
Veldheer says there's at least one more race related thing on his bucket list, and that's to go 200 mph at Bonneville.


"We use and recommend K&N oil and air filters on all six race cars, and all six tow vehicles, and that is a lot of filters," confirms Veldheer. "My engine builder (I have 10 race engines in all) is Bruce Parsons, of Parsons and Myers Racing Engines, in Dayton, Ohio (711 miles round-trip from Holland, Michigan - but worth it). Bruce only uses K&N oil filters on all of his customer's engines. And he says he has never had a problem."

Veldheer will be at the IHRA Nitro Jam at US 131 Motorsports Park on Aug 11-13, then he flies to Wendover, Utah for four days. "I will be a spectator instead of a participant," he explains. "I want to get my feet wet and see what all I'll have to do to my '99 Z-29 to make it Bonneville Legal. I have one more item on my bucket list - and that is to go 200 mph for 5 miles at the Bonneville Salt Flats."

"Then I fly home, drag race again, and the following week I'll become a spectator once more, which is only the second time in 40 years, as I snagged a couple tickets to the Bristol night race."

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