Fladiver64 (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :
I agree with everything but the no recouped, since that would eliminate many cars from last year. I agree the rules are not very important, I just would not want to excluded too many people with a no recouped clause. Simple is better, and the more we can get to come out and have fun the better.
That's more me not knowing the rules well enough- basically something easy to understand. Maybe $200 recoup, or whatever, but I think it should be able to be expressed in a sentence. I agree we should make sure previous cars are still legal.
A yearly gastropod class would be awesome because if I ever get my challenge Volvo done I can let the wife drive the GS400 and she won’t give me hell for having all of the fun
If we do this again I think there's a certain lumpy NB that has to show up.
ErikTheSwede said:
A yearly gastropod class would be awesome because if I ever get my challenge Volvo done I can let the wife drive the GS400 and she won’t give me hell for having all of the fun
Gastropods are about everyone having all the fun. So yes, we'll do it agian.
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
I'm dd my gastropod
spacecadet (Forum Supporter) said:
gumby (Forum Supporter) said:
bobzilla said:
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
I'm dd my gastropod
x2
x3
x4
and I'm enjoying the heck out of it. 
Edit: Because all posts are better with pics, Here's one of the old girl, recently getting an oil change.
Where can I see the "official" Gastropod rules again? I have a feeling this is what I'll be doing the next time I come (hopefully 2021).
sethmeister4 said:
Where can I see the "official" Gastropod rules again? I have a feeling this is what I'll be doing the next time I come (hopefully 2021).
mazdeuce's first post here:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/2019-gastropods-come-join-us/143978/page1/
sounds like the rules that were 'updated' there are close enough for now.
I'm in. Already have my Gastropod, and I'm already DDing it.
In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :
Yikes. Just read through the first few pages of that thread, and let's just say I'm a bit confused. Maybe if I actually decide to do this I'll read through the whole thing and see what specifics were finally nailed down. Thanks for the link.
In reply to sethmeister4 :
Rules this year are essential going to be:
1. All Challenge rules must be met. Budget, recoup etc.
2. Cars don't have to be licensed/insured, but they must be "real cars". Interior, wipers, lights. You need to be able to hand the keys to your 16 year old neice/nephew. This is loose, vague, and how we like it.
3. 250TW tires and above.
4. This is fun. Let's have fun. Hang out and talk and enjoy beverages and eat tacos.
We're doing away with the weird budget stuff from last year. I like to think it was grounded in good thoughts, but it proved unnecessary and confusing.
gumby (Forum Supporter) said:
mazdeuce - Seth said:
In reply to sethmeister4 :
Rules this year are essential going to be:
1. All Challenge rules must be met. Budget, recoup etc.
2. Cars don't have to be licensed/insured, but they must be "real cars". Interior, wipers, lights. You need to be able to hand the keys to your 16 year old neice/nephew. This is loose, vague, and how we like it.
3. 250TW tires and above.
4. This is fun. Let's have fun. Hang out and talk and enjoy beverages and eat tacos.
We're doing away with the weird budget stuff from last year. I like to think it was grounded in good thoughts, but it proved unnecessary and confusing.
These rules RULE!
+1 Simple and fun. Because Indy says everything is better with pictures. Here is the MR2 with a motor back in it. We swapped over all tha painted stuff from the blown engine to our "new" junkyard motor. Still need to finish hooking everything back up.
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
Hang on...
So, it's the full Challenge budget, full recoup, and tires are free?
The only change is treadwear rating and interior?
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
Yes. "Real Car" more than just interior. Make it something you could drive to get tacos, or to school, or to Florida. It's cool if you have a radio. Super cool if you have AC. Because AC is cool. Literally. 
And normal Challenge tire cost rules, but 250 or greater TW.
Opening things up to see if anyone massively abuses the simple rule set. You'd never do that, would you? 
I assume this isn't what you meant?
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
I'm not looking to bend rules, just understand them.
Full street driver with AC, radio, and carpet is not a problem. And yes, my daughter drives it to high school.
The change in recoup may make me less willing to enter the car I have. I've spent the budget, but the car didn't come with excess parts. The only things possible to recoup are things that would make it less "Real car". So, the recoup rule essentially puts me at a potential $1000 disadvantage to other Gastropods.
I'm not ruling it out. Still deciding. I know it is about fun. But I can have fun with the car and attending without paying entry fees for a car that is probably not competitive anyway.
With no recoup, my car would be competitive. With recoup, probably not. Part of my attraction to the Gpods was minimizing recoup.
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
So you want to be competitive in a class that's about not being competitive?
In reply to Stampie (FS) :
No, as I stated the lack of recoup is part of why I liked the Gpods.
Recoup and free tires make the event a little dishonest in my opinion. Our $2000 event is almost a $4000 event with recoup and free tires.
I think the limitations on recoup and tires for the Gpods made the event more accessible for many.
I have always played by the rules, regardless of what they were. And there was a time when there was no recoup and tires were in the budget.
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
Last year the additional budget limitations didn't seem to add anything but confusion. So they're going away for this year. We'll see what happens this year and adjust as necessary. Trying to win Gastropods seems slightly at odds with the ethos of the class, but you do you and let's see how this goes.
In reply to Stampie (FS) :
I intend to drive my daily driver 700 miles to the event, enter, do my best within a particular class and rules set, have fun, then toss the keys to my 16 year old daughter to drive me to the Taco Bell.
I'd like to do it for an honest $2K.
Is that a problem?
If it's truly not competitive, then why give an award for performance? Why have a winner? We could just have a cruise-in at the Taco Bell and skip the entry fees.
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
Awarding a winner seems a little at odds with the ethos of the class.
I'll be there having fun regardless.
In reply to SVreX (Forum Supporter) :
I'm being silly.
I want people to try to win. I also want people to try to come to the event without having any intention of winning. I want people to pay entry fees to get the shirt and have a pro drive their car too and make some drag passes and go to the banquet. I want to sit next to you in the bleachers and talk cars as it gets dark.
