GRM Challenge Yearbook

One of the posts over on the $2017 Concourse judging thread gave me the nudge to start this thread that I've been thinking about for a while.

Last year was my first time at the challenge I had a good time and met a lot of great people, but it is all a blur now and I can only pick out a few people on the forum that I met. So, I thought a digital year book of sorts would be in order. You can share as much as you like but here is my suggested format:

A picture

Name (and/or team name)

Nearest major city

Your primary Motorsport

And a fun fact.

I'll go first. (If I can get the photo link to work.)

Ben, Team: Plan C

Dallas,Tx

Primary Motorsport used to be snowmobiling,but since there's a shortage of the white stuff down here I've switched to autocross.

Fun fact: I bought my first car for $40. One year, 14k miles and two $7 exhaust valves later I sold it for, you guessed it, $40.

Hi Ben, we are

Mark and Tod. (Cobra Kai Speed Shoppe) I drive a Miata. Tod drives a S-2000 (S2K for the hipsters.)

Tampa/Sarasota

We autocross when we have time. (Drag racing is fairly foreign to us.)

Fun fact. There is no actual Speed Shoppe. Most of our actual work is done under rickety car ports. Though I intend to paint the $2017 car inside, versus outside like we did in $2016.

P.S. We saw this really cool car at the $2016. I love it that you brought your kids.

Hi Ben:

I'm Paul.

Mumpkin Racing (formally Wascally Wacing, Team HomesCool, etc)

Albany, GA (soon to be Columbia, SC)

Motorsport: The $20XX Challenge. Every year since 2004. Plus a little autoX

Fun Fact: Every one of my builds has been built with students, High School or younger. All of my driving age kids first drive on a track was at the Challenge. My middle son's FIRST DAY driving a stick shift was at the $2016 Challenge. Also his first time on an autoX course. Also his first time on a drag strip- quite a day!

Thanks for the introductions guys. Hopefully some more participants/spectators will join the year book.

Patrick

Team Alavanache Racing (sometimes accompanied by my wife Carli and 2 little people)

Cleveland Ohio

Drag racing and occasional autocrossing

fun fact: my 6 year old son has a car.

Andy, Good Times Racing

From York, PA the home of the Fast Andy and the Crazy idea Andy. Between Baltimore and Harrisburg.

I started out as an autocrosser now I'm a Challenge.

Fun Fact: I sell packaged ice for a living.
Fun Fact #2: I have fun at the challenge in first or last place. Obviously not first

$2011 Challenge my first attempt

$2012 Challenge, my wheels cost $800 and the tires were corded by the end. Free tires weren't a thing yet.

$2013 Challenge I drove this car from PA to the event. I ran all the autocross runs myself, actually made 13-20 runs and would have placed top 3 if all the runs counted. It rained all day so my free to budget Kuhmo XS was the perfect choice.

$2014 The year that everyone found out who I was, took a 7000 mile roadtrip before picking this up to build in the parking lot of the hotel.

$2015 when everyone was over hyped for the aristocrat class and I failed to deliver my promised performance.

$2016 the year I was robbed at Concourse because I didn't do any of the work and purchased the car this way. The rules say nothing about being the one that built the car. I actually posted the link to the Craigslist add two weeks before purchasing the car for myself.

Our yearbook is still looking kind of light. Can we persuade anyone else to add their name?

I want to add but I have not solved my issue of all my pictures being dead since the Photobucket debacle.

This was $2014 and I, the guy on the left, showed up with this 1991 Infiniti Q45 and took 11th overall even with engine issues. Also won People's Choice!

For $2015 I returned with a 1990 Infiniti Q45 and though near identical in appearance the two vehicles did not share a single bolt or part with one another. Mechanically a much better example though appearance wise it had just recently been totaled for hail damage.
Took 10th overall and Spirit of the Event Award.

For $2016 I returned with the BRE Van but engine trouble left me like 6th from the bottom.

Located near "The Most Southern Point of all The Great Lakes" on the shores of Lake Erie in Sandusky/Huron, Ohio area.

Many past years of autox experience in '90 Miata, '88 MR2 SC, '97 240sx.
Had never been on a drag stip until $2014.
Recently ran the $2015 Q45 in the Roadkill $3k Hooptie Drags. Made it 3 rounds out of 5!

Fun fact: From Kindergarten though College I lived in the same house. Lived close enough to walk to all of them. Never rode a school bus a day in my life.

Name/Team: Greg / External Combustion

Location: South of Boston, MA

Motorsport: GRM Challenge, autocross, 24 hours of lemons

First challenge was in 2008 with my 1991 turbo miata. I ran that till 2010 and placed 11th, 4th, and 7th. This is the first and only project I've ever finished. I'm on the left.

My friends Dave and Jeff from north of Boston had been doing the challenge with an E30 since 2006. For $2010 we combined efforts and got a few more of my friends involved to build the Jeep XJ-R.

My current challenge build is a 1982 AMC Spirit. It was a rushed project and didn't run correctly or shift till I got to the challenge in 2014. Bad trans hurt performance that year and has sidelined the project.

Name/Team: Calvin Nelson/PACC Racing

Location: York, PA

Motorsport: Mainly Drag Racing and Land Speed Racing. All of our autocrossing has been done at the challenge.

Fun Fact: We hold 6 land speed records with our 1954 Studebaker.

Fun Fact 2: We are known for sticking Small Block Chevrolets in cars that should have come factory with them

Our first attempt at the challenge was $2003. Before we could finish the car, someone threw stupid money at us, and we sold the car.

In $2004, we brought the infamous 1977 Black 4 door Nova.

In $2005, and $2007 we brought the 1962 Fiat 118G

In $2006, we brought the 1974 Datsun 260z.

In $2008, $2011, and $2015 we brought Bugzilla.

In $2009, $2013, and $2016, we brought the Yellow Bug

In $2010, we brought the 1969 MGB.

In $2014, we brought the 1980 Sunbird.

Lastly, in $2016 we also brought my 1963 Studebaker Lark.

Otaku Photography

Jason Walters Trevor, WI. Twice to the big dance 2004 with a 82 Olds Delta 88 2015 with a 02 subby Outback wagon and won the longest drive award. I was the first person in 2015 to get The special guest to ride shotgun and one of the pics is t prove it.

Did 6 years of demo derby, and autocross from 2004 though 2007. and a couple of times to the drag strip. I have worked at Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, WI for a few months. I have been a track photography at Wilmot Raceway for four years now every Sat night. I have been published in the magazine and on 2 websites for sure and have a picture hanging in the Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame also. I take lots of pics also for fun and profit on the side.