Here are the almost nearly finalized rules for the Grassroots Motorsports $2014 Challenge. The staff thought it appropriate to put the stove on low and let these simmer overnight or so before we go live online with them.
So bon appétit!
$2014 Challenge Rules Proposal, v0.9.3
The Basics: This event is meant to be a fun editorial exercise so that Grassroots Motorsports can show to its readers what creative people can do with a car, their hands and a little cash. Cars found in violation of the spirit of the event may run for exhibition.
Competition Venue:
The competition will cover three different arenas: autocross, drag racing and concours. The autocross will follow standard autocross rules. Each cone knocked over adds a 2-second penalty to the time. Competitors will be given at least four competition runs, with their fastest one counting.
The drag racing will follow standard drag racing practices. Competitors will be given ample time for drag race runs, with their fastest elapsed time counting.
New for 2014 will be the parc expose. Cars will be parked in a centralized location, with hoods, trunks and doors opened for the judges and competitors to view. Entrants will have a maximum of 2 minutes to present their cars and share their story with the judges. Cars will be judged on innovation, execution and presentation, and scoring will be as such:
Innovation: 0-10 points
Execution: 0-10 points
Presentation: 0-5 points
“Innovation” covers things like design, engineering, creativity and modifications.
“Execution” covers things like cleanliness, workmanship and attention to detail.
“Presentation” covers things like originality, theme, showmanship, team spirit, moxie, chutzpah, backstory or anything else that falls under the heading of “je ne sais quoi.”
Entries: Entry fee will be $150 for the entrant and vehicle. Each additional teammate/driver/banquet ticket costs $65. Thirty days prior to the event, the entry fee shall go up to $200. Cancellations will be credited to the next year’s entry.
Eligible Vehicles: Any four-wheeled, production-based vehicle that was originally sold as a passenger vehicle is allowed. (You know what this means.) Vehicles that don’t fit this category or exceed budget may be run for exhibition only.
We do not intend to exclude any past Challenge cars with these new rules. If you believe that your past Challenge car meets the spirit of the rules but not the exact letter of the new law, contact us to discuss grandfathering in your entry.
Budget: Net cost of the Challenge car and its preparation for presentation at the event must be equal to or less than a dollar amount equaling the year of the competition. Up to half the Challenge car’s purchase price may be recouped into the budget through the sale of parts originally included with or attached to the Challenge car at the time of purchase. Your purchase price of the Challenge car cannot top that year’s budget cap.
In English, what does this mean?
For 2014, the budget cap is $2014.
For 2014, the most you can recoup through parts sales is $1007.
For 2014, the max you can initially pay for a Challenge car is $2014.
Documents supporting your budget (both purchases as well as sales) must be presented to the GRM staff and also be made available to fellow competitors. We suggest putting these documents in some sort of three-ring binder. This budget book should be available during the “show” part of the event.
Costs to pick up your hooptie from the seller are exempt.
Title fees and so on, in case you bothered, are exempt.
Shipping counts toward parts prices. Sales tax does not.
These safety items are budget-exempt: seat belt or harness, roll bar padding, and your first four tires.
Any inside deals—parts, whole cars, trades, donations, stolen parts, etc.—must be added to the budget at fair market value. If you can’t figure out the value of a part, ask on the message board at grassrootsmotorsports.com.
Labor you perform yourself does not count. Any labor you pay for counts. If you run a shop and your paid employees work on the car, then it counts.
Crapcan Clause: 24 Hours of LeMons race cars are automagically legal, provided they meet the spirit of our rules.
Protesting: If you feel a competitor has skirted the rules, you can pay a $50 deposit to file a protest. GRM staff will assess the vehicle in question. If the protest is valid, the car in question is penalized at GRM staff discretion, and the protest deposit is refunded.
Appearance: Cars should have a finished appearance. Use good sense and taste when you modify your car, as missing grilles, headlights, fenders, hoods and the like are generally unattractive. Cars that are ugly will be less likely to be featured in the magazine and other media. Please remove your front license plate and plate holder, as those things are ugly, too.
Safety: Cars must meet the safety requirements of the host club and the NHRA when running those portions of the event. Your safety prep level may limit your drag race times. For a summary of NHRA’s safety rules, go to http://www.nhra.com/competition/etquickref.aspx.
Autocross safety regulations will be provided by the host club.
Vehicles that lose a wheel or send any other large or heavy item flying from their car will be disqualified from the event.
Scoring: The dynamic score from the challenge will be calculated by adding the competitor’s fastest drag time and fastest autocross time together. This will give their “dynamic time.”
The lowest dynamic time is worth 100 points. Points for second and subsequent places are determined by dividing the winning time by each other time, then multiplied by 100.
For example, if the winning combined dynamic time is 74.2 seconds and second place is 75.0 seconds, the 74.2-second driver receives 100 points, while second place gets 98.9 points (74.2/75.0 = .989 x 100 = 98.9).
The maximum parc expose score is 25 points.
Maximum possible total score is 125. Best score wins the overall trophy.
Trophies will also be awarded for the following:
Second and third overall
First, second and third fastest drag race times
First, second and third best autocross times
First, second and third best car show scores
Most Spectacular Failure
Best Engineered
Spirit of the Event
Editors’ Choice
Challengers’ Choice
Highest Placing $1000 Car
The team that takes the overall win will receive free Challenge entry for the following year.
Rain-Outs and Other Excuses: Your first run will be first-come, first served. If you were unable to compete in any portion of the event because of mechanical failure, bad sleep habits, ennui or any other reason, you will be given an arbitrary score.
If any part of the event is rained out, struck by a meteor, invaded by a flashmob of transvestites, or otherwise seriously disrupted so that more than half the entrants don’t get a chance to compete, GRM staff may choose to discard that portion of the event from the final scoring.
