In reply to David S. Wallens :
I was at OSW for the test and tune when you guys ran the $1500 cars through. It's where I learned about GRM.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I was at OSW for the test and tune when you guys ran the $1500 cars through. It's where I learned about GRM.
Patrick said:After having so much fun last year I don’t think winning is a goal anymore. I got a new welder and don’t have a trophy case. I think goal has changed to have fun and do it my way, and a win might be the fruit of that philosophy one day. Vacation isn’t a place to get too serious. Hanging out with everyone and playing with cars is way more fun than stress.
Speaking of history, if anyone can send me a picture of the blurb on the blue Datsun from the $2010 challenge coverage issue I would appreciate that, so i can use that as the before to show how far I took the car.
After hanging out last year and being a team member in only the vaguest non-commital way, I can't imagine having the time to actually run a car and still have time to hang out. I missed about 2/3 of the cars and people as it was.
In reply to wheels777 :
I thought you mentioned taking too much weight out of the Nova making the front end too flexible.
Still, the progress that teams like yours and others is really awesome.
I was at the 1999 challenge in a 1990 civic that we installed the timing belt off a tooth. Fun times but it was a ton of driving between the events
$2017 - First successful campaign of a BEC.
Keep 'em coming, Andrew, this is fun 
AngryCorvair said:I remember wheels777's first post being something like "I'm just coming down to win the drags and learn about the other events". In those days IIRC Erik Lawson owned the drags with a SBC 280z in the 11's, and I couldn't imagine anyone beating that for $2k. When Andy fired the Nova in the pits, I think the Earth stopped spinning for just a fraction of a second. I remember thinking, "oh E36 M3, there's a racecar here!"
Yes---- at that instant everything changed. I'll never forget the sound of that Nova firing up for the first time in the pits. Everyone immediately knew the game had changed, the gauntlet had been laid down, the bar had been moved. There were a few other "Challenge Changing" moments I recall........
The Mongrel Motorsports V8 Miata----- the car that broke the rule book, and caused big changes. I remember seeing it unloaded.....it looked like a $30K car, not a $2K Challenger.
The Petty Blue HongKnorr Civic---- possibly the prettiest, cleanest Challenge car ever. The detail was amazing.
The Zamboni---- it's a freeking Zamboni! You guys are nuts, and awesome!
Dan's VW Bat-Bus---- couldn't get it running well enough to compete, caught fire more than a few times---- still one of the coolest creations ever!
The Silver Bullet----- Seeing that little Omni launch with such violence--- who knew you could go so fast, with so little
There's a ton more---- but for me, these events really changed things..... Looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with next year!
Joe Gearin said:AngryCorvair said:I remember wheels777's first post being something like "I'm just coming down to win the drags and learn about the other events". In those days IIRC Erik Lawson owned the drags with a SBC 280z in the 11's, and I couldn't imagine anyone beating that for $2k. When Andy fired the Nova in the pits, I think the Earth stopped spinning for just a fraction of a second. I remember thinking, "oh E36 M3, there's a racecar here!"
Yes---- at that instant everything changed. I'll never forget the sound of that Nova firing up for the first time in the pits. Everyone immediately knew the game had changed, the gauntlet had been laid down, the bar had been moved. There were a few other "Challenge Changing" moments I recall........
The Mongrel Motorsports V8 Miata----- the car that broke the rule book, and caused big changes. I remember seeing it unloaded.....it looked like a $30K car, not a $2K Challenger.
What happened that it "broke the rule book"?
In reply to mtn :
It all had to do with Recoup and Fair Market Values. I am not claiming any impropriety of the Mongral team but it just became evident that where there was no clear statement or rule, there was a need now moving forward.
As an example, you can now not start with two $6k car purchases and sell the combo down to a remaining $2k car value by selling off parts from both.
mtn said:Joe Gearin said:AngryCorvair said:I remember wheels777's first post being something like "I'm just coming down to win the drags and learn about the other events". In those days IIRC Erik Lawson owned the drags with a SBC 280z in the 11's, and I couldn't imagine anyone beating that for $2k. When Andy fired the Nova in the pits, I think the Earth stopped spinning for just a fraction of a second. I remember thinking, "oh E36 M3, there's a racecar here!"
Yes---- at that instant everything changed. I'll never forget the sound of that Nova firing up for the first time in the pits. Everyone immediately knew the game had changed, the gauntlet had been laid down, the bar had been moved. There were a few other "Challenge Changing" moments I recall........
The Mongrel Motorsports V8 Miata----- the car that broke the rule book, and caused big changes. I remember seeing it unloaded.....it looked like a $30K car, not a $2K Challenger.
What happened that it "broke the rule book"?
The realization that rule sets had to be Engineer proof hit like a ton bricks.
Before - the rules were $2000 max with no guide rails.
Now - the rules are $2000 with specific limitations and restrictions.
Can't blame Denny for being able to read.....he a smart dude. He read the rules and dissected the scoring process and won the $2002 event. Then, the Mongrels made what I consider the most incredible $2000 Challenge car ever in 2003. It can't be replicated with the current rules. But did meet the old rules.
alfadriver said:In reply to wheels777 :
I thought you mentioned taking too much weight out of the Nova making the front end too flexible.
Still, the progress that teams like yours and others is really awesome.
The hood was. The front end was not.
And Thanks!
In reply to wheels777 :
That Miata was epic. Actually was an amazing follow up of the BMW the year before, which had some creative work on it as well.
The craftsmanship of both cars were game changing, even after the bar was set so high with Guido’s Midget.
7. Did you know?
A car originally built by Mazda has the most Challenge wins with 4. Honda has 3. MG, VW (<<<
), BMW and Dodge all have 2.
I'm interested to hear what everyone considers the most insane one-hit wonder Challenge car.
please, respond with only one nomination.
for me, it's the Crabill CRX from $2004. Maybe not most radical ever, but at the time it was from another planet.
Sucker vette. Thats the one that made me join here.
Just how much Faster was the Sucker Vette, Trivia you know.
GTXVette said:Just how much Faster was the Sucker Vette, Trivia you know.
Sucker Vette won the autocross, and had a sweet stack of debris going out the sucker vent. With one more run, the Hong s00perturd would have beaten it. Everyone was a bit Hong over (see what I did there?) and nobody checked tire pressures until after the 4th run. Billy the Kid went out for run 5 with correct pressures and improved by a half second and said he knew where he could be quicker. Alas, that was the final run so IIRC the s00perturd was 2nd by about a tenth.
GTXVette said:Just how much Faster was the Sucker Vette, Trivia you know.
0.426 seconds.
Neat stuff!
The Isetta is pretty high on my “cool” list.
And I’ll never piss and moan about “what-if’s and why-for’s” when it comes to losing to the suck-vette. That thing was berkeleying amazing.
We just stuck a junkyard turbo on a free honda and spent a godzillion hours making it “pretty” for the concourse.
Also: The Jeep.
And the Judson Ghia.
And the Cuda.
And that V8(?) 510.
And Jon Haas and Co.’s 49, of course.
And the berkeleying ZAMBONI!!!
I should really get back to the Challenge!!!
I was there for the Jeep Years and I was there as Crew not a competitor so this gave me some time to spectate.
It is one thing to see another Miata do as God and Mazda intended but to see the Jeep preform un-natural acts was truly amazing. It is high on my list of all-time fav Challenge Cars.
In reply to poopshovel again :
our team can use all the immoral support we can get. coe on down and join us!
In reply to poopshovel again :
you know I could use a Hand, And I live what like 5 min. from you. I guess Leslie is still Pissed at me.(never work for someone you want to be Friends with) But I really enjoyed Helping Joe with the Scoobie Van and I have the Fiero here(2015 PLB). I do Intend on an endurance race with it also and KlayFish is in Mayretta but didn't respond to my last Question to him about them. Fiero Club Members show an Interest but they want Drivers not Racers.
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