In reply to Lugnut :
That essentially sums up my issues as well. I do look at the $600 Jetta wagon in my back yard and think, "hmm... maybe.." ...and then I remember all of the current projects I have going on right now that I don't have time for..
Maybe a Locost category?
get me more vacation time with my employer.
There is nothing you could do that would induce me to travel across the country to participate.
Just realized one aspect with the dragstrip being out this year. But The Firm has autocross, road course and rallycross. I'm not advocating utilizing the road course for uncaged cars, there's the UTTC for the proper measuring stick for that as well, but maybe an autocross+ where 3rd gear may be seen. I also wouldn't suggest leaving Gainesville due to a scheduling issue in a single year. But the addition of rallycross, even if optional or an additional competition, would have me living on raman noodles to get down there.
I contemplated entering the Subaru just for funsies, but I would have had to just do the drags (slowly) and bow out of the AX because it's too tall to be legal. With no drags it's just ugly concourse and watching other people autocross which is pretty much what I'm going to do by coming and hanging out. I could have figured out a way to bring the Miata I just bought, but it's 1000 miles north and I don't think I can get it until after the challenge. Taking slammo's Mustang is a deeply depressing thought and I don't like it enough to do anything with it.
So I'm going to come hang out. Bring people some shirts. Have a good time.
Can we buy banquet tickets yet?
Not be moving the week before....Uggh. Otherwise, I could see beating up that sentra for a weekend and then handing it off to my nephew that is about old enough to be able to drive.
Well, I got a job, and a place to stay, so theres that. HOWEVER- I still dont have a challenge eligible car, and I'm a wuss so I'm not trying to drive the Corolla two hot ass no ac having hours.
Being totally honest? Nothing. I have plans that weekend to travel and spread my father's ashes. If I did not have plans:
A daily driver class is the only way I would compete anytime soon. Mainly because I'm trying to reduce projects, not create them. A lot of people here DD challenge-ish budget modified cars.
Rallycross would give me a great excuse to bring down the Bentra, but in reality I'd like to just push it off a cliff or burn it.
In reply to ProDarwin :
This took 10th Overall, 1st in Aristocrat and won me the Spirit of the Event Award.
Full interior, stock ride height, stock engine car that I drove 1,000 to the event and 1,000 miles home.
Only mods were RE71s but conservatively on the 16" rims the car came with and a reflashed ECU which moved the red line up to 7,400 rpm! And, a whole lot of hail damage.
Come Play!
The other Aristocrats from wild to mild. The Lincoln was bone stock with the interior removed for just one day. It also was the fastest Aristocrat on the drag strip.
If I have to be honest, the distance is an issue, but as was pointed out one that can be resolved with a fly/but, etc.
Realistically it’s hard enough to find time and energy to attend a local Autocross, let alone go across the country for one in a worse car than I would run at home.
The party aspect is kinda appealing, but if I’m taking vacation time to be away from my family and attend a race? It’s Daytona, it’s Long Beach, it’s Watkins Glen, it’s any number of other events. If I’m dragging them along, I want to have options for them.
if you could do it at an event like SEMA or similar, then it could be more enjoyable for the family to take that trip and being closer to the middle of the country with cheap cars, airfare and hotels (maybe not during SEMA, but you get the idea) might help boost entrants. I’ve driven to Vegas in a cheap performance car, it was a hell of an adventure, including changing a main seal/clutch in a hotel parking lot after the event. The second time I drove there, we took a rental and still had a ton of fun with no breakdowns.
I’ve tried to get jazzed up to go many times in the past, every time I’ve had the cold realization that those adventures are in the past.
Just my $0.02 as a West Coaster with young children and a ton of options for family trips that honestly sound a bit more fun than dragging a POS I put together for $2k across the country, or flew across country and spent $2k on, to stand around in a parking lot for 3 days. I know there is more to it than that, but yeah that’s what many people see and I don’t know how you’d get around that perception.
Find me a buyer for the Ute so I can also buy Jeremy’s Vette and enter a second car. My trailer doesn’t fit two cars and I don’t want my return trip to look like anything Pat would do.
In all seriousness flying and buying a car would be cool, ive considered it but i doubt theres many cars just waiting built like i want
I was actually planning on coming this year. I figgered I had a pretty good shot at several categories: Farthest, 2700 miles; Old guy, I'm 62; $1009, got the car stupidly cheap; Rookie of the year, without hope we have nothing at all (but a friend of mine is fond of saying, "Hope should not be considered a viable course of action.") with an '01 Audi S4 I bought for 400 bucks. Got run through a barbed wire fence. I was pretty sure I could build this into a decent performer with a good balance between the drags and AX. When the drags got scrubbed I was going to bail but the Long Course AX brought me back.
Now, it turns out the spousal unit's vacation MUST take place that week. I've managed to stay married through many crazy hobbies and the way you do that is by picking your battles. Right now the only way I can do make down there is a fly and drive with the vacation taking place in Florida. I have yet to unveil the sales presentation but that will take place this weekend. What I'm thinking of is pimpM3's Sentra; fly down a week in advance, pick up the car, see the sights of Florida, do the Challenge, fold the SU into an airplane and drive the Sentra home. Or something like that. Probably not going to fly but we gotta hope (see above). I have no chance of the Old Guy or Rookie honors with that thing but the opportunity to meet some of you all, drink beer and drive stupid cars around cones cannot be understated.
Film at eleven...
My buddy and his son are entering a toyota matrix in the wagon class. I will get on them to fill out the entry. They brought the c10 last year built by his 16 year old son.
rdcyclist said:I was actually planning on coming this year. I figgered I had a pretty good shot at several categories: Farthest, 2700 miles; Old guy, I'm 62; $1009, got the car stupidly cheap; Rookie of the year, without hope we have nothing at all (but a friend of mine is fond of saying, "Hope should not be considered a viable course of action.") with an '01 Audi S4 I bought for 400 bucks. Got run through a barbed wire fence. I was pretty sure I could build this into a decent performer with a good balance between the drags and AX. When the drags got scrubbed I was going to bail but the Long Course AX brought me back.
Now, it turns out the spousal unit's vacation MUST take place that week. I've managed to stay married through many crazy hobbies and the way you do that is by picking your battles. Right now the only way I can do make down there is a fly and drive with the vacation taking place in Florida. I have yet to unveil the sales presentation but that will take place this weekend. What I'm thinking of is pimpM3's Sentra; fly down a week in advance, pick up the car, see the sights of Florida, do the Challenge, fold the SU into an airplane and drive the Sentra home. Or something like that. Probably not going to fly but we gotta hope (see above). I have no chance of the Old Guy or Rookie honors with that thing but the opportunity to meet some of you all, drink beer and drive stupid cars around cones cannot be understated.
Film at eleven...
You must be from eastern washington area
In reply to Tom Suddard :
To be honest the location is my main problem. It’s easy for travel costs to greatly exceed the 2018 budget. While I know they don’t count on the budget, my bank sure counts them.
May I suggest a regional event at several locations around the nation? The top finisher in each region given a travel stipend to meet in a national run-off? Perhaps a regional advertiser could be induced to provide that stipend?
Maybe you could stagger the event at various locations to allow staff time to attend? Maybe appoint a point person or two from the area to do the preliminary location selection and set up? I’m sure you have a well developed play book by now on what requirements are for site selection and required time line.
One other consideration that I believe would enhance your event. Add a class of scratch built cars. I can’t envision a scratch built car costing dramatically more than a production based car. The budget would remain the same but without the constraint of production based it would be fun to see what can be done.
Sort of a cheapo Can Am
For those playing along at home- they did do a west coast one once. It was won by a hybrid fiero. That was also the only car that showed up.
I'm not sure.
While I love the idea, and might come down to spectate someday, I'm not really a budget kinda guy.
To make that more clear, I'm incredibly cheap, but not willing to do paperwork.
Magic me up a trustworthy person to provide 5 days of child care for two small kids... Someone acceptable to me and my wife. Yeah, that's a pretty tricky thing.
bobzilla said:get me more vacation time with my employer.
Me too! Get me enough I can fit an extra Chump race or two in as well 
Mndsm said:For those playing along at home- they did do a west coast one once. It was won by a hybrid fiero. That was also the only car that showed up.
And every berkeleying time you bring that up, you don’t flesh that out with the rest of the issues surrounding that event.
1) it wasn’t put on them, but by another group who completely dropped the ball. They didn’t even know anything about The Challenge when he showed up!
2) the economy took a huge dump and many people were hurting (me included as I was out of work for 6 months), especially on the West Coast.
3) There were other issues, but none of which should stop another event from happening today.
so maybe, just maybe you should shut up about that as it doesn’t really pertain to the present conversation as GRM has said that they’ll never allow another group to put on an event of theirs again.
Talk my wife into it. Really every time I think about it I realize if I spend the money to put a car together I can't afford the trip.
Tom Suddard said:Serious question: What would make you click this link and register to compete in the $2018 Challenge?
Send me back to 2017?
Maybe all new forum members should be emailed an entry form and copy of the rules when they join. 
The whole thing sounds awesome, but I just can't make it happen this year. With all the info I have seen though I'm already thinking up plans and marking a space on my 2019 Calendar.
In reply to ThatsNoUsername :
Nope. San Jose, CA. 2700 miles to Gainesville. I hope when I finally make it out there someone doesn't drive from Eastern Washington...
Hell or high water I'll be there, I'm lucky at 5.5 hours away. I've never competed in any other vehicle race than go karts and triathlons but I bought a wagon that would have gotten most of its points in the 1/4 mile (I live my life by those, 1 at a time, lol) but unfortunately the drags got canned. I got a legal Miata recently too so i was actually going to try to field 2 cars this year, my rookie season. Now, I'm realizing how much paperwork has to be done and how much more than $2018 it costs
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