GRM and World Challenge-

Some of you might not have heard about our new partnership with World Challenge; as their official media partner we'll be working with them a lot this year.

Click here to get the details,
or you can go directly to the latest press release by clicking here.

There's a gang of us heading to the Acura Sports Car Challenge of St. Petersburg this weekend; hopefully we'll see some of you out there. We're also planning a double-top secret test day at an undisclosed location in Central Florida to do some in-depth video and editorial work next week, so stay tuned for a series of videos from JG.

We're also planning some very big things for our readers on the West Coast. Details to come, but I can give you a small sneak preview...

We hope to see lots of GRM readers at these events, stay tuned for more details as they develop.

Awesome to hear. Would like to see WC popularity come back.

Does this mean we can't talk about ALMS on here anymore?

In reply to DukeOfUndersteer:

Definitely. I really like the rules changes from last year; it brings the series much closer to the production cars that I love.

ALMS and Rolex/Grand-Am are still on our minds, of course. There's room for all of them!

Tom Heath wrote: We're also planning some very big things for our readers on the West Coast. Details to come, but I can give you a small sneak preview...

I thought you had forgotten about us!

Bryce

In reply to Nashco:

No way. I can't wait to get out west again!

More news from the World Challenge folks- you can watch the races LIVE from your computer at http://www.world-challengetv.com. I promise I'll wave every time I see a camera unless I'm the one holding it.

Any chance it'll be on regular TV in the future? Maybe VS.?

I know one of the racers and want to watch, but I won't be anywhere near a computer this weekend.

-Rob

It has a full time Versus program schedule already. They got Calvin Fish and Greg Creamer. YAY!

Great news as GRM and SCCA WC are 2 of my favorite motorsports outlets. Coincidentally Matt Step just purchased an ex World Challenge Prelude for a mere $2500, unfortunatley he wasn't able to get it for $2011

All fired up going friday with Marie " Love fest " weather looks awesome and need a couple GRM tee shirts and some posters and some key chains ticket holders some naked lady tees

We'll see if the World Challenge Series can recover its mojo from the early 2000s when there were 40 car fields with Mitch Wright and gang leading the way. The old World Challenge online forum used to feature a lot of participation, was a great source of amusement (in a good way), and informed opinions along with the usual "you're stupid, no you're stupid" battles. The series gave a well-funded driver who'd moved from winning the ARRC, the June Sprints or the Runoffs another rung to aspire to as well.

When the Cadillacs showed up they were neat and their advertising raised the profile of the series somewhat, but they began the ever increasing cost of building a competitive car. Following this the privateers disappeared along with their crews and fans who were the real "influencers" and spread the word about the series throughout the paddock and discussion boards.

It would be great to see manufacturers back in the series to showcase many of their new capable sedans in a sprint format series. Endurance racing is good to get that extra paying driver on board to help fund the weekend, but just doesn't seem to generate the same excitement as a heads up sprint race IMHO. Yeah, I know, a good number of the World Challenge drivers were buying rides too.

Hope this relationship between GRM and the World Challenge works out well for both, but it's going to take a lot of work since the series has basically disappeared from the radar screen of a lot of fans.

Oh, and Speedvision/SPEED Channel didn't suck back then and showed a lot more of, you know, racing...

Tom Heath wrote: In reply to DukeOfUndersteer: Definitely. I really like the rules changes from last year; it brings the series much closer to the production cars that I love.

Back to basics, baby. Love it! Does the hookup with WC mean we'll hear from Randy Pobst every once in awhile? I know he was a friend of the magazine in the early days. His column in "Sports Car" is pretty good.

Raced against him once or twice in SCCA IT during the early 90s, in a "watching his tail lights disappear" kind of way..

I really enjoyed the race, but I hope the final production is a little more organized. Are there going to be scrolling positions in timing across the screen? It is really hard to keep track of who is winning what class.

Is there going to be post production race calling? It seemed like the live streaming race call was slightly boogered (though it was nice to hear the dulcet tones of Mssrs. Suddard and Wallens.) I kept hearing one to go when the checkered flag had already fallen, was my audio a minute off, or was Mr. Creamer confused?

Great race though, well done Pat Long. (shame about that lengthy caution) WTH happened to Pobst? He had the quick car and on the restart he dropped about 6 positions. That's uncharacteristic of him!!!//????

Greg Creamer was not confused. The announcing booth was a complete cluster F***. We couldn't even really see the race and we had no timing and scoring. Everything at this event has had a billion dollars thrown at it, except for the announcing setup... a 10x10' easy up with minimal equipment. Still we had a blast doing it and while we won't be the ones doing the finished TV coverage, there should be some good mentions of our involvement.

And yes, plans are already in the works to have Randy Pobst write for us some. As for will the series come back??? Starting 49 cars in the first race of the season is a damned good indication it will.

Holy crap that was an exciting race, too bad the coverage missed the Long pass for P1 but maybe that added to how frantic it all seemed. (I am refering to St. Pete race 2)

So now Mr. Long has 140lbs of REWARDS I wonder if I count as ballast?

Tim Suddard wrote: Greg Creamer was not confused. The announcing booth was a complete cluster F***. We couldn't even really see the race and we had no timing and scoring. Everything at this event has had a billion dollars thrown at it, except for the announcing setup... a 10x10' easy up with minimal equipment. Still we had a blast doing it and while we won't be the ones doing the finished TV coverage, there should be some good mentions of our involvement. And yes, plans are already in the works to have Randy Pobst write for us some. As for will the series come back??? Starting 49 cars in the first race of the season is a damned good indication it will.

Good to hear. About the entries, I mean..hate to hear it about the booth. I've got the website Tom gave us earlier in the thread bookmarked. Haven't watched the race yet, but I will. Love WC, for years I've been telling my non-racing friends that they're the "pro" version of the kind of cars I used to race. Even got a few "converts" during that time.

Yeah, the announcing facilities were a bit primitive, and Greg did an amazing job considering he was basically winging it. We could see part of Turn 1 plus whatever was shown on the giant track-side monitor. During the first race, he was tracking the field on an iPhone because nothing else was available. (I just posted a photo from the broadcast booth on our Facebook page, too.)

Basically, the web mixes the track-side announcing with the jumbo-tron footage. I'm told everything will be redone for the TV broadcasts. I'm assuming they'll mix in some in-car, too.

David S. Wallens wrote: Yeah, the announcing facilities were a bit primitive, and Greg did an amazing job considering he was basically winging it. We could see part of Turn 1 plus whatever was shown on the giant track-side monitor. During the first race, he was tracking the field on an iPhone because nothing else was available. (I just posted a photo from the broadcast booth on our Facebook page, too.) Basically, the web mixes the track-side announcing with the jumbo-tron footage. I'm told everything will be redone for the TV broadcasts. I'm assuming they'll mix in some in-car, too.

I'm a fairly regular announcer at both local and National autocrosses. I like to think I do a good job at it. But when everything goes to E36 M3 and you have no/bad information, it takes someone really good to not sound like a moron.

DILYSI Dave wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: Yeah, the announcing facilities were a bit primitive, and Greg did an amazing job considering he was basically winging it. We could see part of Turn 1 plus whatever was shown on the giant track-side monitor. During the first race, he was tracking the field on an iPhone because nothing else was available. (I just posted a photo from the broadcast booth on our Facebook page, too.) Basically, the web mixes the track-side announcing with the jumbo-tron footage. I'm told everything will be redone for the TV broadcasts. I'm assuming they'll mix in some in-car, too.

I'm a fairly regular announcer at both local and National autocrosses. I like to think I do a good job at it. But when everything goes to E36 M3 and you have no/bad information, it takes someone really good to not sound like a moron.

Now try covering nearly 50 cars in three classes with everyone running at once. You can only see a tiny portion of the track plus one washed-out video feed, and there's not really any timing and scoring info. Even when the T&S info was running on Sunday, it just gave the car numbers. Creamer had to put names with those numbers on the fly. He's a real pro.

David S. Wallens wrote: He's a real pro.

Indeed.

DILYSI Dave wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: He's a real pro.

Indeed.

But a pro with lower standards. Don't forget, he let me and Tim share the mic.

So... I'll see you guys in the LBC?

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: So... I'll see you guys in the LBC?

I hear there is so much drama there.

Maroon92 wrote:

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: So... I'll see you guys in the LBC?

I hear there is so much drama there.

well, yes. When youre Snoop DO Double G....

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: So... I'll see you guys in the LBC?

Yes, we'll be there. Sadly I won't be able to make it due to a prior engagement. (That's a fancy way of saying I have Maiden tickets for that weekend.)