“When you pass the finish line after a perfect run, you forget all the problems you had to get there”, describes the now 38-year old Dutchman his moments of glory. “To make something happen with your best friends what seems to be impossible, gives you such a good feeling.” With MPM International Oil Company, Post & Dros Racing Engines & Parts and HKR Techniek, David has three loyal sponsors, but still, racing at this level and in all those years before, would not have been possible without many years of numerous hours overtime for his employer Geveke. As a maintenance supervisor David is responsible for all large industrial pump projects and has to travel around the world. In 2012 David worked for several weeks in Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Brunei and a few times Singapore. “For at least 200 days a year I’m away from home and that’s without the weeks I’m offshore on oil rigs. Every year the energy company want to check the meters, as they can’t believe I hardly use any gas or electricity at all. I know it’s hard to explain, but for me, it’s all worth it. In a Pro Mod run everything has to be 100% perfect, from the reaction time and shifting, to slowing down the car. When you make that happen, it’s such a good feeling, I’m screaming and shouting all alone in my car in the shutdown area.”



It all started in 1996 when David Vegter accompanied a drag racing friend who raced a Camaro at Dragstrip Drachten. It did not take long before David bought a Nova and raced too. Two years later he wanted to go faster and bought the ex Lindahl Brothers ’67 Camaro from Dutch dragracer Henri Joosten. From 2002 Vegter was one of the frontrunners in Super Gas and Super Comp with the Camaro. But after several seasons David and his brother Jos, who was also heavily involved in the team, wanted to step up again. “We wanted to go faster and a more serious approach. When a deal for a Super Pro ET car did not work out, we decided to go Pro Mod.” In stead of buying a used car, David ordered a new ’67 Camaro body and after problems with a German chassis builder, he went to Andy Robinson Race Cars for a brand new chassis.




Next in line.. overlooking the Santa Pod quartermile track


In the pits getting ready

Half way 2009 David made his first testruns with the brand new car at Dragstrip Drachten and impressed with a 6.66 sec. at Mantorp Park, his first ever FIA Pro Mod race. But at the European Finals Ingo Rolla crossed the centre line and crashed heavily into David Vegter’s six runs old Camaro. The € 200/m self-financed car was badly damaged. But still the team had a big party the same night. “In drag racing a season can be over in a split second, so when we started racing we promised that whatever would happen, we would be disappointed for only a few moments. Well we kept that promise, although nobody could understand that party that night”, David remembers.

In the summer of 2010 the damaged Camaro went to Andy Robinson again, but as all his money was in the car, it took a year to raise the funds to get the car repaired. With only three weeks left to the 2011 Main Event, there was still some money missing to get the car ready. But one phonecall changed everything. “MPM’s Michiel van Wilgen asked what we needed to get the car back on track. He wanted us as MPM representatives at the Main Event in Pro Mod. Andy needed at least one week to finish the car and with only three weeks to the Main Event, we were running out of time. After one week we went to Andy and worked with the whole crew all night long to get the car ready. From the ferry we went to Marck Harteveld who did the paintjob the same night. After a long weekend 24 hours a day hard work we were still not ready, but loaded the truck and did the last details at the track in England. I had been so busy, I could not concentrate during the first three runs, but when Andy came over and talked to me, I relaxed with a 6.5 sec. as a result”, David remembers.

After good runs for his sponsor MPM at the MPM Internationals at Drachten, the Euro Finals was the next highlight as David ran a new personal best of 6.398 sec. MPM was happy with this first season and decided to increase their involvement in Vegter Pro Mod Racing. So David could start the 2012 season with a new engine and blower and a stunning MPM paint scheme. As everybody know right now, Vegter Pro Mod Racing had a great season, were number one qualifier at the Main Event and Hockenheim, set a new personal best of 6.114 sec., were runner up at the Euro Finals and although they had to skip the Alastaro race, took the number six position in the FIA European Pro Mod Championship. A great job as David and his team (Dick, Egbert, Nik, Arjan, Gijs and Martijn) did all tuning and set-up of the car themselves.

For 2013 David and his team want to do even better. Sponsors MPM, Post & Dros and HKR will stay on board and thanks to MPM’s extra support, for the first time the team can do the full tour, Alastaro included. But there was good news for the other MPM teams too, as Marc Meihuizen and Martijn de Haas will also race in MPM colours again. After a disappointing end of the 2012 season (engine and transmission damage at the Euro Finals) Meihuizen, number four in the 2011 and 2012 FIA European Pro Modified Championship, will be back to form, ready for revenge, big numbers and a championship. The Super Twin of De Haas will get a new paint job over the winter, familiar with the new MPM look of the two Pro Mods.


David at the European Finals Micke Gullqvist who won the champion´s title 2012.