$2015 Challenge Top Three

Congrats to Andrew Nelson and his family! I can't believe it took 11 years, but very happy to see them go home with the title finally. There isn't a nicer competitor in the paddock!

2002maniac wrote:

JohnRW1621 wrote: In reply to 2002maniac: No LSD and no weight over the rear tire produced lots of single tire smoke. It just never hooked up

Wasn't there a welder in the paddock? <img src="/media/img/icons/smilies/evil-18.png" GT was hogging it trying to get their transmission to stay in the car.

My first Challenge was in 2004, the same year Mr Nelson started enthusiastically terrorizing this event.

I have never built a car for anything other than the Challenge. Before 2004, I didn't even change my own oil. But I vividly remember Andrew shaking my hand at the end of the event with my rag-tag team of high school students and our oddball Subaru, and telling me, "I really respect what you are doing".

I didn't tell him that I was extremely confident I had no idea what I was doing, but I was thrilled that he said so. I had the same feeling last night when Al Unser Jr. shook my hand and told me the he respected what I was doing, and would have given me more presentation points if he could have.

I count it a privelage to have seen Andrew grow and enable others like me to grow. He has made this event a better place, and made many of us better people.

This was the year I went for broke. I had breakfast with Andrew on Thursday morning, and told him he was the only person that I would be happy to see beat me for the overall. But I warned him that I wouldn't roll over for him.

I am proud to share the podium with him after 11 years for each of us, and proud to call him my friend.

Congrats to the winners we here in internet land are living vicariously through you all!!!!

Man, I really wish we could have been there this year. Looked like a crazy, diverse field of cars, with lots of new faces. And congrats to Andrew Nelson and family for finally winning one!

As one of the new guys I want to thank everyone for the advice and support they gave us. One thing that stood out was after everything was over we were putting on our street tires. Everyone that walked by us offered to help. Great group of people.

Whoop! Im glad Aggies did well in something this weekend

Congrats to all the competitors. It's an accomplishment just to get there and a hell of a thing to run at the top.

As always, this is the most fun event of the year for me. Thank you all for letting me hammer on all of the strange gaggle of automotive diversified art you all bring down here. It is always a challenge to get the best out of each and every one of them. This year there was a great set of pro-drivers and we all had a blast helping everyone.

Congratulations to Andrew & family on the long awaited and deserved win. Couldn't happen to a nicer family.

See you all next year.

PS: Alaina liked drag racing WAY too much...I may have started something!

JohnRW1621 wrote: As a side note, in the hotel lobby this morning, I sat at two completely separate tables. One was a group of long time Challengers, the other rookies and they were both searching CL for Minivans. Details to follow.

If the official ruling is that the Rendezvous counts(7 seats, U van platform like a venture) then my wife may be entering if i can get it together while sorting out the Z for next year. I've seen it now, this needs to be a family event for us

JohnRW1621 wrote: As a side note, in the hotel lobby this morning, I sat at two completely separate tables. One was a group of long time Challengers, the other rookies and they were both searching CL for Minivans. Details to follow.

https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/5283232856.html

In reply to JohnRW1621:

You know, I can always cut some 6's (and 7's and 8's) and those trophies can be perpetually recycled. I suggest this primarily because I still want to win one.

Wall-e wrote:

JohnRW1621 wrote: As a side note, in the hotel lobby this morning, I sat at two completely separate tables. One was a group of long time Challengers, the other rookies and they were both searching CL for Minivans. Details to follow.

https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/cto/5283232856.html

If that was closer it would be in the driveway for my dad. He loved our old Grand Caravan. That's a dead fuel pump, tank has to be dropped, or access plate needs to be fabricated. They eat half shafts, but it takes less than an hour to change both sides with air tools and a large enough pry bar, and they used to be dirt cheap. As in 20$ a side cheap 20 years ago.

In reply to mazdeuce:

Speaking as someone who has won many of these Aristocrats trophies, I am highly qualified to tell you that, yes, they are very nice trophies. Certainly heirloom quality.
The small onones are guaranteed not to tarnish but should be washed delicately so as to avoid scratching.

Perpetual is a great idea.

As evereveryone should know, MazdaDuece completed all the vinyl. It is also thanks to him that black is actually carbon fiber.

I have been following the challenge for years. Really hoping next year is the first year I can participate.

Congrats to everyone that participated and won awards.

In reply to Devilsolsi:

What would you like to see that would make the decision to attend easier for you?

Is it a time/money/busy life equation or is it a "not sure how to start" issues?

If no one knows where to start. Follow my lead. Find a good running car for under 2k, clean it up, and drive down and have fun. You can not get more simple then that. My daily driver was the only subby this year and it ran great and I had a blast this weekend. I can say I am not dead last and I in in the top 40 which is cool with me.

JohnRW1621 wrote: In reply to Devilsolsi: What would you like to see that would make the decision to attend easier for you? Is it a time/money/busy life equation or is it a "not sure how to start" issues?

That is the real question. People get freaked out by the abilities of this group and think that every competitor is going all Wallece and Gromit and are building a moon rocket just to go get cheese.

(hows that for an odd reference )

The reality is most of us are super intrigued by the possibility of racing weird stuff for cheap and just want to be a part of a group of people who think like we do. We keep trying to tell people to just show up with whatever they can bring but people are so freaked out by the top guys that it only occasionally works. The Aristocrats, the Last Minute Challengers, the Minivan Class or Whatever it is that can get new guys to just show up so they can see what were really all about is perfect.

I was most impressed with the story of the family that brought the red and black Miata (sorry I forget your names). Friend calls them several days before the Challenge saying that they can have an abandoned Miata. They get it running with the daughter doing a clutch change. They horse trade for a set of wheels with with worn out tires and bring it to the Challenge. The daughter does all the runs with no pro driver for the autocross they berkeleying just have fun. Really what it's all about.

In reply to Stampie:

Thats a perfect example of what this whole thing is all about. That team you talked to won the overall last year by being bad assed super focused competitors with a perfect build for the overall win. They were scrambling this year to get a new car together that could push everyone to take the drags to places they've never been and attempting to finish that build in the parking lot. Despite their struggles they were really excited about bringing a team members daughter in an unprepeared car and introducing her to how cool this event and group of people are.

I want to know more about the Neon I saw in some of the photos. The build of that thing looks fantastic.

JohnRW1621 wrote: In reply to Devilsolsi: What would you like to see that would make the decision to attend easier for you? Is it a time/money/busy life equation or is it a "not sure how to start" issues?

For me it is a time of year problem. This is when we make bank in my business. I knew in July that I was out. Made me sad as my x type might have made a good showing in the aristocrat class. AWD would get all the power down and for a boat it handles reasonably well. The concourse is where it would fall down. It is a stock car.

In reply to dean1484:

My stock Q45 had the highest Aristocrats concourse score. It could have been you.

In reply to Stampie:

I spent some time looking at that Miata. Unbeknownst to the owners, that was originally a rare '93 LE which was evident to me by the red interior trim. The red leather seats were gone as well as the lightweight BBSs but it was a LE
http://www.miata93le.com/About_LE.htm

JohnRW1621 wrote: In reply to dean1484: My stock Q45 had the highest Aristocrats concourse score. It could have been you.

We got a ride in the q45 on Saturday. Wonderful car with even the exhaust note perfectly modified. Funny thing is I'm not up to it's level. There was a berkeleying button for everything even the sun visors. John not only had to put the visor down for me but he also had to put it back up. I felt like a failure.