Brett_Murphy wrote: This is turning into a game of Clue. "In the banquet room, at 21:00, using the word f-" I's kind of sad.
So far I have pieced together that it was probably Col. Mustard. In the banquet room. Round about 9PM. With the "potty mouth".
Brett_Murphy wrote: This is turning into a game of Clue. "In the banquet room, at 21:00, using the word f-" I's kind of sad.
Somebody exposed himself at the Banquet AND at the hot tub.
Somebody else was cursing like a sailor with his fists balled somewhere else, and more cussing in the parking lot late at night.
Hoonage with a pickup truck in the parking lot.
Mad Canadians running wild?
I'm confused. This isn't the Challenge I remember. 
In reply to SVreX:
I apologize. My original point was "Cut me some slack if I accidentally drop an F Bomb in front of a wife or child", and that has happened to me. I was talking about having some tolerance for behavior that is accidental given the expected audience. I certainly had no idea that anyone could have behaved so badly!! I cant even fathom what this guy was doing!
You told your story after I made my post, and I had no idea that something like that had happened or was even possible. I am not in any way trying to defend his actions, they are indefensible under any circumstance! I accidentally stepped into something here that I had no intention of doing. Had I realized the severity of what happened, I would not have broached the subject at all!
SVreX, I just noticed the exchange that you had with Corey earlier. I don't know how I missed it. He stated what I was trying to say, better than I have! (Thanks Corey.) I have never said, or intended to say that what the guy said was accidental! I was talking about the situation that Corey described, and not in any way defending the criminal behavior of the guy you are talking about. I am sorry that you would even for a second think that I was!
I didn't hear about the video game thing. That sucks. I must have gone to bed just before the cops showed up. I would have much rather talked to the sheriff rather than having to see a naked shower pole dance
Michigan was quite lovely this weekend.
John Brown wrote: Michigan was quite lovely this weekend.
I wouldn't know. I was driving to and from VA buying my next challenge car. After hearing about this stuff though, my wife isn't sure she wants to go.
We'll be there, I have faith in the GRM crew.
I'm pretty uncomfortable with real people's names having been inserted into this thread.
What started as a reasonable question how to improve some issues seems to have progressed to a gossip feeding frenzy and is now dangerously close to a witch hunt.
I am comfortable that GRM is making an great effort to improve the event, and am greatly satisfied with the actions they took both during and after the incidents.
In a modern age when people loose their jobs or worse over stuff on the internet, I think a little more care should be exercised than inserting names into accusations.
I am confident in GRM's ability to handle the issues, and see no reason to have a trial of hearsay and gossip on the internet.
DrBoost wrote: I have faith in the GRM crew.
plus a bazillion...
Snowdoggie wrote: Hoonage with a pickup truck in the parking lot.
That pickup was not with Challenge.
There is so much negativity in this thread. Yes some people did some stupid stupid things but I would say the Challenge was overall an awesome event and I loved it. I am going to try my damnest to make sure I am there for as long as this event is still happening (hopefully for a very very long).
93EXCivic wrote:AutoXR wrote: The cops weren't there for us (Cam), I spoke to Officer Jenkins @ about 2:30 - 3:00 and he said they were called due to someone doing a burnout or reving there motor (noise ordianance as he called it) . This could have been a seperate incident..I don't know.I don't think the reving and burning out was even by a challenger. There were some guys in a big Dodge Ram with Cox Cable stickers on it acting like complete jackasses as well.
Let' see...
3:00 AM, parking lot full of hoonigans, and a guy does a burnout. There's a big surprise.
I understand that he may not have been directly connected to the Challenge, but I'd bet a lot of money that parking lot would have been pretty quiet if it wasn't for us.
We helped encourage the behavior. Let's take responsibility. No, better- let's see how we can encourage positive behavior that will have the hotel begging us to come back because we are so good for business!
I have a negative. I only got to hang out with poopshovel for one day.
In reply to SVreX:
Except they were doing that at 10PM.
In reply to 93EXCivic:
Probably just a few bad apples.
I'm still more interested in what kind of cars showed up.
Otto Maddox wrote: I am willing to bet most people here have been drunker than Cooter Brown and not done any of that stuff.
^This. Alcohol is no excuse for antisocial behavior. I have been full on wasted (I drink my rum by the gallon thank you) and still managed to carry on a civil conversation with a police officer sent to quell the noise from other partiers.
How anyone can behave in the ways described here in front of a child just blows my mind. That is one thing I will say for the BABE crowd, as rowdy and rude as they can be that bunch straightens up quick in the presence of a child, as, Im sure, 99% of GRMers would as well.
Sounds like one or 2 people who probably have issues sober let alone drunk made a rukus...I would have no qualms about a blanket party in such a situation
i cant believe this has turned into a 5 page thread. the biggest problem (naked guy) has been taken care of. he wont be back.
someone doing a burnout in front of the hotel that was not part of the challenge, not much anyone can do about that
jackass cursing at young child, blanket party?
Oh, and if anyone wants to get super-smashed at the Challenge, why no go into Gainesville proper? Have someone drop you off, take the away-team's side at the sports bars (the Challenge always falls on an away game weekend), make a lot of college-aged girls uncomfortable, then take a cab back to the hotel. Even if you leave at eleven thirty, when many people start going to bed, there's still a few hours of public hooliganism to be had off-grounds.
OK, enough with all the Drama folks. GRM has handled it, its over. FWIW, There is more to the Pink Shirt Canadian dude than is being posted. I know this becuase I was the guy that sat in the Sheriff car friday night and saw the reports from the hotel staff on his laptop. End of story.
The event was great, competitors were awesome to compete with, and some very creative ideas on cars were shared. We had a great time, despite tranny problems (not "dude dressed as chick" tranny). Our pit neighbors were great, track staff was great, and the GRM staff was hands down the most grounded and social Magazine staff I have ever dealt with (just edging out Rodney @TMR). I brought 2 younger guys in their early 20's who have been searching for cheap cars for next year since we got back in the truck sunday. They are hooked now.
That being said, we had a great time and will be back next year for sure. We are taking one ugly situation, and dragging it on like the OJ trial here. The event was 99.8% awesome. The weather saturday and pink shirt dude friday night took the other .2%.
Some constructive advise: Send out the car graphics before the event next year. We did a horrible job getting them on the car in the dark Thursday night in the rain, only to have a door card blow off in-route to the track Friday. Also, a little more runs on the autocross would be nice too. We dont have to many autocrosses here. Its tough for numerous drivers to get a decent time autocrossing, with limited practice time in this vehicle. IE: we had an AWD car on slicks. Getting this car to its limits prior to the event would probably end with a short stay in a local jail and an impounded challenge car. We had 3 guys working 50+ hours a week. Getting the car sorted, dialed in, and then to a local autocross to get some trial runs was tough.
It would be great to run the autocross and drag race at the same time too. We could have made dozens of passes on the strip, after our 5 autocross passes.
Again.. The cop wasn't there for pink shirt guy. Brendan slept in the RV , pink shirt guy and I stayed in the room - I walked him there myself as requested by Per. I had 2 drinks all night and as many can tell I was stone sober. The officer who I spoke to was there for a "noise ordiance issue" his words. Not dumbass canadians
Man, I'm sorry I missed this party.
DUMONT wrote: We had 3 guys working 50+ hours a week. Getting the car sorted, dialed in, and then to a local autocross to get some trial runs was tough.
This statement was a flashback to 20 years ago. New FSAE team, thrashed all the way up to the last day getting ready for the event. Left no time to sort the car, or get the drivers used to driving it. The team discovered that was a bad idea, and made a point to adjust the due dates for the following year to be ready for driving a full month ahead of the event.
I'm not busting on you, I know how hard it is to be a non-professional racer with a real life to fit in. Sorting time is worth real points. If you can drive it some and lower the autocross time one or two seconds, how many points will that gain you?
This thread got me thinking. We were at the Challenge from $2001-04. We had a blast. We have since moved on to other motorsports more local to us. Two or three times a year we head up to Brainerd for a 3-day "family-oriented" event. Friday and Saturday nights are always a big party. This past July, we were shut down by security somewhere around midnight. I didn't know why, but after reading this, I think I figured it out. Last year, alcohol induced stupidity on wheels resulted in a kid getting airlifted out after falling off the back off a golf cart doing a wheelie and landing on his head. That ended very badly.
Learn from others mistakes. The curfew idea has merit. Hire a rental cop. I would have personally slept better had there been someone monitoring our cars and tow rigs.
DQ any car whose team member is involved in an illegal activity. Send them packing. Snip the arm bands or whatever you are doing to track bodies so they can't even come back and watch. The staff can decide if they can accept a future application or not.
I'd like to come back someday with my kids behind the wheel. Please don't let a few idiots screw up the magic.
Erik Lawson
I wasn't there this year (sorry, guys!), but I do worry about discrimination in this supposed flashing event. I mean, nobody ever complained when I flash my "junk" at the pool/hot tub... 
In all seriousness, though, public behavior is a concern. When we're in Gainesville, we're all representing GRM, not just the GRM staff. The staff has always been, in my personal experience, extremely tolerant of a bit of (okay, excessive) drunken revelry. I can also see where that tolerance may be abused.
I like the idea of a curfew. Some might think a rent-a-cop is going too far, but it does take a lot of the policing onus off of the GRM staff and participants and lets us all focus on having a better time.
The wonderful friendships and memories I've built through the various Challenges, and the work it has inspired me to do, I will carry for the rest of my life. Thanks, GRM. Let us know what you need from us to keep this going!
The Southpark dudes were right!
Blame Canada!!!
Wow, I was unaware of any of this. We went to sleep early, and got up early every day. I guess we were lucky to miss what happened.
I'm all in favor of a PG event, mainly because we are a G rated team. We had one beer Thursday night, and that's about what we drink in a month.
Not to make people mad, but I think the addition of catered beer and wine at the event is a recent addition (within the last 4 years). Maybe it's time to go back to soft drinks only. I assume it would save on the catering bill.
Also I like to be welcomed by the host hotel, instread of putting them on guard. I think they added a noise waiver one year that we has to initial.
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