2011 Challenge Rules

Hey, i never said i was sane.

OB, the rules are what they are, deal with it buddy!

The rules are designed to bring cool cars to the event. We don't really care if you blow a seal or not. Sort of. If you buy the car and it has leaky seals everywhere, you should count them towards the budget. However, if it's a week before the event and you're using the challenge car to transport your children to the adoption agency and the car craps out because of a $10 part and you're already at the top of the budget, you shouldn't decide to then sell your kids on the black market to make up for that blown seal...

The replacement for the stolen turbo parts was an effort to just be nice/kind in a E36 M3ty situation. I believe I asked that you not go nuts and upgrade while you were at it.

I got a top 1/3 finish in a car that I bought for $1000, built for under $2000 (with no shenanigans), including a repaint, daily drove prior to the challenge, and continued to daily drive for another 50k miles after the challenge.

Quit trying to complicate it. $2000. Done. If you spend more than $2000, it's not a $2000 car.

Per Schroeder wrote: The rules are designed to bring cool cars to the event. We don't really care if you blow a seal or not. Sort of. If you buy the car and it has leaky seals everywhere, you should count them towards the budget. However, if it's a week before the event and you're using the challenge car to transport your children to the adoption agency and the car craps out because of a $10 part and you're already at the top of the budget, you shouldn't decide to then sell your kids on the black market to make up for that blown seal... The replacement for the stolen turbo parts was an effort to just be nice/kind in a E36 M3ty situation. I believe I asked that you not go nuts and upgrade while you were at it.

Yep, i gotcha. I budgeted the seals that were shot at the time of purchase.

I appreciated that! I didn't go nuts, no worries. Actually downgraded in one element. The replacement bov setup has been a nightmare. The setup that got stolen had the BOV welded onto the endtank of the FMIC. Now i'm using a janky ebay bov flange pipe and the thing doesn't want to seal for anything.

so, this isnt really a rules question but more of an event question. does anyone know if we are allowed to leave our truck/trailer/challenge car at the track friday night? i live 1.5hr away and could save a few $$ if i left it all at the track and took the wifes honda fit home and back instead of staying in a hotel.

In reply to PhilStubbs:

That shouldn't be a problem, you wouldn't be the first. Saturday night would be a problem, though.

this is my first year entering a car myself, i have helped other people. i just never noticed if anyone left their stuff over night. i will definitely take it all with me saturday night.

I've left my trailer/ car at the track.

awesome. that helps a lot. thanks for the input. now to finish the car. lol

Ok rotor question.My rotors on the front of my challenge car were horrable,one was broke the other worped.if I buy OEM there 400 bucks if I buy aftermarket there like 80 bucks for the pair,so if I buy aftermarket does it go against my budget?

Challenge rules said: #38: The following safety gear can be installed on the Challenge vehicle or used by the driver without counting toward the Challenge Budget: A) Seat belts or safety harnesses and their mounting hardware. B) Window nets and their mounting hardware, arm restraints. C) Fire extinguishers or fire-extinguishing systems. D) SFI-rated scattershields and driveshaft loops. E) Helmets, driver’s suits, shoes and other personal safety gear. F) Rubber or steel brake lines, master cylinders, rotors, drums, brake cylinders, calipers and brake pad linings may be replaced with new stock pieces. Original brake parts cannot be sold and then rebought to take advantage of this allowance.

I would say if they are sold as original replacements, they are not charges to the budget. If they have a performance advantage, they are.

If you've got a deal on slotted rotors, put them in the budget.

There not slotted there drilled ,but they were 320. cheaper than stock.Drilled rotors are no upgrade as they will last a month on a race car.lol.I would like to have stock but no way am I paying that kind of money for rotors.

I'd consider them an upgrade. $80 shouldn't hit the budget that hard.

Is the car your using something you can junkyard for? IIRC, you're using something that would be hard to find, but not impossible.

I need to give you a call, but I haven't had a minute to myself in about 2 weeks that's at a reasonable hour. Packing up a classroom, fixing my Jeep, and having my mother in law fly in have sapped all of my time.

The debate of whether or not drilled rotors are an improvement or not could go on forever, but regardless they are not original spec.

I'd say your choice is to call them an upgrade and hit the budget for $80, or put on the OEMs and don't hit the budget at all, even though they are ridiculously expensive.

Or, you could have the warp machined out of the existing ones for about $20.

I'm having trouble believing the OEMs are $400. Maybe if you by from the dealer, but can't you get some Autozone specials for a lot less than that? What kind of car?

In reply to Derick Freese:

Derick You really need to call me and come see the build so far.You only live .5 miles from me.lol I have people still interested in the mazda stuff too.

on my 86 SAAB I would experence brake fade by the end of an autocross run. then I drilled them fade problem went away. btw the front pads are only the size of 4 postage stamps.

Trusty Ford 4 litre, that motor crossed my mind since I own an Explorer, I have the 5speed mazda trans in mine, good engine I have 170k miles

Question:

I owned a set of wheels and race tires (before buying my car), which I bought for $250, can I sell the wheels alone, and say the cost of the tires is the difference?

$250-wheel price= tire price? Say I get $200, can I legally say the tires were $50 net?

I read the rules and they did not say that you can do this. Do I just have to pick a FMV for them?

Seems fair to me

E_ROY wrote: Question: I owned a set of wheels and race tires (before buying my car), which I bought for $250, can I sell the wheels alone, and say the cost of the tires is the difference? $250-wheel price= tire price? Say I get $200, can I legally say the tires were $50 net?

YES. but you have to subtract the $200 from your total recoup allowance.

Karl La Follette wrote: poppa day work piks

Karl, you should start a build thread, for two reasons. one, this thread is supposed to be for rules discussion. two, it would be easier for everyone to find.

I'm just looking for a clarification, parts that were already on the vehicle at the time of purchase take no budget hit?

I have full documentation on when everything was installed (before I purchased said vehicle) if that would be necessary to prove my case in event of a protest.

Also, 2 more questions,

1) Are window nets/arm restraints legal for drag portion or will I need lexan?(no door windows)

2) Also, since I actually plan to drive this vehicle and run it in other events and shows, do I take a budget hit on things that don't make it perform better, but simply clean up appearance? Or is it possible that I just don't have those appearance things on the vehicle @ the challenge.

I could care less about results since I'll be happy enough to run the car and enjoying the company of other GRM'rs

My goal is by 2012, but who knows. Thank you in advance

Appearance is judged, so if it's on the car when you show up, it takes a budget hit.

I believe glass or lexan needs to be on the car, but i'd wait for someone else smarter than me to answer that one for sure.

in the rules it does say window nets can be used and dont affect the budget since they are 100% safety and dont help the vehicle perform any better.

now with that said, do cosmetic items hit the budget? i havent seen that anywhere in the rules. i ASSumed inmy reading of the rules if it didnt make the car faster, handle/stop better it didnt hit the budget.