$2018 Challenge Trivia - Did you know?

wheels777 said:

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to wheels777 :

Does the 1-10 gap keep getting narrower, or does it seem to have stabilized?

I'm glad you asked.  It is definitely getting wider as time is going on.  Comparing the most recent events to the earlier events the gap has grown by 0.4 seconds.  Both groups have anomalies, but using simple averaging, the gap has grown.  Look at DYK 4 and 5.  The 2017 and 2015 events rank in the higher gap group. 

Both autocross and drag racing gaps?

In reply to wheels777 :

Interesting. That's opposite of what I expected, but makes perfect sense. The very top teams continue to get faster, while other fast teams are making less advances. 

alfadriver said:

wheels777 said:

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to wheels777 :

Does the 1-10 gap keep getting narrower, or does it seem to have stabilized?

I'm glad you asked.  It is definitely getting wider as time is going on.  Comparing the most recent events to the earlier events the gap has grown by 0.4 seconds.  Both groups have anomalies, but using simple averaging, the gap has grown.  Look at DYK 4 and 5.  The 2017 and 2015 events rank in the higher gap group. 

Both autocross and drag racing gaps?

I have only looked at the numbers for 1-5 in the past.  It will take some time to look at the gaps.  The quarter is the quarter so it did not make much sense to digest a lot of info when we tried to improve our standing.  We did make some discoveries that led us.  I was going to wait for this factoid.  But I will share it next.

Did you know?

18. In the dynamic era, the Challenge winner finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd in the dynamic score every year? 

     Dynamic finish for the Overall winners - (9)-1st, (3)-2nds and (1)-3rd. 

     But performance has not always been king.  The concour helped the winner to leapfrog over the dynamic winner 4 times.

Stampie said:

This evening Lil Stampie asked me if a Pinto had ever done the Challenge. I told him that if anyone knew it would be Mr. Nelson. Has there been?  Thanks.

Looks like out of 881 entries, one Pinto showed up in 2014.  Car number 51 finished 29th overall.

wheels777 said:

Stampie said:

This evening Lil Stampie asked me if a Pinto had ever done the Challenge. I told him that if anyone knew it would be Mr. Nelson. Has there been?  Thanks.

Looks like out of 881 entries, one Pinto showed up in 2014.  Car number 51 finished 29th overall.

The Pinto's core problems is finding one that would fit into a Challenge budget/project state.  HUGE potential- can go with virtually any engine- probably the engine that wont work is a flat 4 or 6.  There's more than enough info to get the rear axle to behave.  And same for the front.  Would make a great car to make a run at the Classic Car group, too.

When I took my Opel GT to the $2016 challenge I was told that this was not the first challenge appearance of a GT. What other year(s) did one attend?

wheels777 said:

Stampie said:

This evening Lil Stampie asked me if a Pinto had ever done the Challenge. I told him that if anyone knew it would be Mr. Nelson. Has there been?  Thanks.

Looks like out of 881 entries, one Pinto showed up in 2014.  Car number 51 finished 29th overall.

Thanks and interesting enough our Pinto also sports the 51 number currently. 

In reply to alfadriver :

$300 buy in and going to an auction tomorrow looking for big blocks. 

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/team-stampie-pinto-bean-challenge-build/136097/page1/

In reply to spin_out :

That one looks much nicer than mine. 

spin_out said:

I really liked that thing.

Great thread Andy. Brings back memories.

Anyone manage to wind Worst attempt to bribe concourse judges more than twice? Anyone else win both Best and Worst?

In reply to evildky :

Karl la follette holds the record for worst bribe iirc, and actually prompted a change to the rules. 

Stamps Stay away from a Big Block Way too much weight And I LOVE Big Blocks. A Turbo T Bird motor Or a Supercharged V 6 Up front, So It Will Turn. A Biggie will be like shooting your Foot off Here.  A 302/351 is almost too much,  No, Is Too Much. UNLESS you put it in the Front Seat

In reply to GTXVette :

Sir there is no such thing as too much. 

Did you know?

19. That ever since Cliff Sebring and Erik Lawson broke the 12 second mark, 1 in 16 (16.31 to be more accurate) Challenge cars have run 11.99 seconds or better in the quarter?

bigben said:

When I took my Opel GT to the $2016 challenge I was told that this was not the first challenge appearance of a GT. What other year(s) did one attend?

Jon Hass brought an Opel GT in 2004, 5 and 6.  Best finish was 35th in 2005. 

We had a Mustang that eventually took 3rd in the autocross.  I seriously considered asking the Pinto entry about working out a trade.  I think it had a 289.

wheels777 said:

Did you know?

19. That ever since Cliff Sebring and Erik Lawson broke the 12 second mark, 1 in 16 (16.31 to be more accurate) Challenge cars have run 11.99 seconds or better in the quarter?

Yeah but of those 1/16.31 cars 8.7625/10 have had the last name of Nelson 

Has there ever been a Jag at the Challenge?

Jag at Sebring Start Up 110 93EXCivic said:

Has there ever been a Jag at the Challenge?

Was going to bring a 4 door XJ for the Commandiatoro  class this past event , we  brought the  Jeep Coomanchero instead ,   Think The  Jaguar  would  have  done  slightly  better .

Patrick said:

wheels777 said:

Did you know?

19. That ever since Cliff Sebring and Erik Lawson broke the 12 second mark, 1 in 16 (16.31 to be more accurate) Challenge cars have run 11.99 seconds or better in the quarter?

Yeah but of those 1/16.31 cars 8.7625/10 have had the last name of Nelson 

Wojtkowiak, Ziegler, Jabaay, Cammick, Crisman, Butts, Sebring, Culkin, Coleman, Lawson, Malle, DeFayette and Stepp

vs

(2) Nelsons. 

Ahhh NO

93EXCivic said:

Has there ever been a Jag at the Challenge?

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/never-challenged-chassis/109732/page1/

Mndsm said:

In reply to evildky :

Karl la follette holds the record for worst bribe iirc, and actually prompted a change to the rules. 

Actually that shame falls on me but it may be Karl's fault. In 2010 I was disappointed to loose out on worst bribe, I gave the judges chocolate covered potato on a stick, and someone else, I think Karl, gave tranny porn. Not to be outdone, the following year I gave the judges a penis enlarging pump. That prompted the end of the worst attempt award. I didn't want to go down that path but after loosing to tranny porn it was clear I had to.