$2019 Gastropods - come join us.

+1 to exempt 300+tw tires.

I went back and re-read Ovid's original post... I think I might have been overstating his original point.  Sorry about that.

I agree with SVreX about the importance in risk-reduction of having good fresh rubber on the wheels.  300tw minimum rating.

Thanks for "calling me" on it.

In reply to sleepyhead :

No “call out” intended. We’re just brainstorming- all good. 

The point of 300tw is to specifically keep away from the current 200tw tire wars. I'm 100% open to changing that around as we see fit, but I think the class and the community would benefit from people experimenting with tires not used for national level autocross. Including them in the budget is simply a way to make it a cost conscious decision. I heartily recommend that people search far and wide for options. As much as I love Tire Rack as a company, there are a lot of tires they don't carry. 

how about a maximum tire recoup of $500?  anything over that goes towards budget?

In reply to sleepyhead :

That seems reasonable.

You guys keep mentioning high school kids. Did this come out of some other thread I missed?

Soooo, this might make a good Gastropods class contender for someone......

https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/pts/d/94-corvette/6715237980.html

ultraclyde said:

In reply to sleepyhead :

That seems reasonable.

 

You guys keep mentioning high school kids. Did this come out of some other thread I missed?

A few guys are putting together high school teams to compete and dragging them to Gainesville

 let's make it really interesting and put in a 2000 dollar claimer rule 

SVreX said:

In reply to sleepyhead :

No “call out” intended. We’re just brainstorming- all good. 

how 'bout:  Thank you for respectfully encouraging me to reconsider and grapple with my assumptions and presumptions

?      edit:   

mazdeuce - Seth said:

The point of 300tw is to specifically keep away from the current 200tw tire wars. I'm 100% open to changing that around as we see fit, but I think the class and the community would benefit from people experimenting with tires not used for national level autocross. Including them in the budget is simply a way to make it a cost conscious decision. I heartily recommend that people search far and wide for options. As much as I love Tire Rack as a company, there are a lot of tires they don't carry. 

Can I prorate the value of my wheels/tires based on remaining tread when the challenge rolls around?

I really just want a snail trophy. 

This class of car really appeals to me in a simple build sort of way, and also for one-man teams. It sounds like the perfect way to bring a new car and sort it out before going completely ape on it for future challenges.

My wife caught me looking at cheap car ads yesterday. Maybe that was why she was grumpy with me later in the evening...

In reply to ultraclyde :

The Town Hall meeting mentioned a “mentorship” concept where experienced Challenge competitors would help newbies. 

I have decided to take that to heart and go back to my Challenge roots. I used to bring teams of High School aged students every year. I am doing it again this year. 

The Gastropods class is an excellent fit for that group. So, I will be mentoring a team of High School students to build and bring a Gastropod this year. 

My daughter will have her license by the next Challenge event. Watch out!! 

DeadSkunk said:

Soooo, this might make a good Gastropods class contender for someone......

https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/pts/d/94-corvette/6715237980.html

Too bad it's an 84 and not a 94. 

Synopsis of rules discussion:

1.  No recoup

2.  All fluids exempt.

3.  300+ TW tires...$400 of which is exempt?

4.  Street legal/registerable

5.  Finished interior

6.  Comply with challenge/NHRA safety rules

7.  Routine maintenace exemptions

8.  Concours bonus points if driven to event?

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

Good summary. 

I don’t think the dollar limit on tires is necessary. 300 tw will self-police on that. 

Except perhaps larger tires. But larger tires mean more horsepower, and I see no reason to penalize people for that!

...oh, and #2 is unnecessary. That exemption already exists in the main event rules. 

The street legal / register-able varies too much per state. 

My 2wd Toyota pickup would have been perfect for competing in both this and CAxM.  Maybe I need another.

In reply to Andy Neuman :

The concept matters. We can define it with a list later (headlights, glass, wipers, etc)

Andy Neuman said:

The street legal / register-able varies too much per state. 

Then move

In reply to SVreX :

In following with the spirit of letting your daughter drive it 25,000 more miles to high school, maybe refine "street legal" to mean all original-style body panels, lights, glass, bumpers, etc.  Some sort of wording to prevent replacing the hood with a coffee can lid.

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

I think it’s the reason the old old event rules didn’t have street legal in them because of the variances per state. That is the reason tax and registration fees are not in the budget.  A basic list of necessary components is a better solution. 

I most likely will not qualify for this part of the event. I just don’t want to see someone miss out because their state is a pain in the butt. 

bobzilla said:

DeadSkunk said:

Soooo, this might make a good Gastropods class contender for someone......

https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/pts/d/94-corvette/6715237980.html

Too bad it's an 84 and not a 94. 

Ya, picked up on that as soon as I saw the cross fire engine, but still a good base for a Challenge car. No mention of a title might be an issue.