$2014 Challenge Results

Holy HELL.

Will you please come megasquirt my Jeep and make the engine bay look uncluttered? Kthx.

My approach for the concours was to cover the car in dirt. i am surprised I didn't get last :)

I'm not a big fan of the concourse, or maybe just the weight it carries, I do understand the need to have decent looking vehicles for magazine content. If you look at the results sheet and ignore the concourse score various people move up, or down the list 4 and 5 places in the mid pack. The top two stay the same and 3rd and 4th swap positions. The fast guy is still 1st in either case. I intend to be there next year and will be content to break into the top 10 on dynamic score. If my concourse score moves me up or down....meh...it's about the racing.

PseudoSport wrote: Just wish I brought before pictures with me. Aug 23rd Oct 23rd

AMAZING!!

Even without seeing those pics, I was pretty surprised when I saw the low concours score the AMC received.

The team gotta miata car that I was involved with was a very clean, nice car. It however didn't have the back story or presentation of our POS Fiero which we were literally spray painting as the judges approached. The Fiero got 7th in the concours but we had a good presentation, a great story and we did some extra things to get the judges attention. I served beer to the judges from the radiator opening and we covered the car with quotes from the previous day's thrash of a build. Overall it was a good concours and it helped our score slash ranking imensly. Heck the fact that we drove it into the concours area elicited applause and cheering from the assembled masses.

DeadSkunk wrote: I'm not a big fan of the concourse, or maybe just the weight it carries, I do understand the need to have decent looking vehicles for magazine content. If you look at the results sheet and ignore the concourse score various people move up, or down the list 4 and 5 places in the mid pack. The top two stay the same and 3rd and 4th swap positions. The fast guy is still 1st in either case. I intend to be there next year and will be content to break into the top 10 on dynamic score. If my concourse score moves me up or down....meh...it's about the racing.

I disagree the racing is only part of the challenge. John's opening of the concours with cheerleaders, beads and a Dj was epic and set the tone for the whole event. The concours is a big part of the whole package. Looking at the cars, talking with my fellow competitors and enjoying the camaraderie over a beer is the essence of the challenge.

I have heard several others mention it and I can honestly say this challenge had a different vibe then earlier ones and was hands down the most enjoyable experience I have had at one to date.

Strike_Zero wrote:

PseudoSport wrote: Just wish I brought before pictures with me. wow. followed the build, amazing work. I can't imagine the time you had in just that engine bay transformation BBC Aug 23rd Oct 23rd

AMAZING!!

Swank Force One wrote: Why don't we make it even simpler. Part of your duties as a competitor is to mingle and look at each car and talk to the other competitors. You get a sheet with each entrant upon arrival to the hotel on Wednesday/Thursday/Whenever. Next to each entrant, you circle a score on a 0-10 scale as to how much you like it/find it interesting/like the color/think the competitor has a huge hangover and deserves a gift/whatever. You can score cars at your leisure up until say.... a cutoff time on Saturday. Your car's concours score is the average of all scores from all other competitors. Big sample size, and worst case scenario, everyone scores a perfect 10. All the magazine dudes/dudettes have to do is walk around and make a list of cars they want to feature.

THIS. I haven't been to a challenge, yet, but I've been following it since around 2005, and it's always confused the heck out of me.

They already have a competitors choice award. John won this year probably due to hiring a chick to hand out beads in a low cut shirt. The Dj didn't hurt either...

One month, one guy, from roller as brought back

Vince rocked this build

pimpm3 wrote: They already have a competitors choice award. John won this year probably due to hiring a chick to hand out beads in a low cut shirt. The Dj didn't hurt either...

Here is the ad that I ran in Gainesville, CL to get models. I had two lined up then they each backed out. We sourced the Cheerleader at the last minute.
http://gainesville.craigslist.org/tlg/4702751019.html
Ah, Craigslist...we were posted on there near the fetish models and the foot sniffers but we had a much classier and more legit ad.

The beads were typical of a trade show in that, you want people to have something to take away from the booth. Our shtick was that the car had so much, bling, that everyone should be wearing bling.

In short, the Q45 photo bombed everyone else's presentation as can be seen in this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS4QeBWdrrA
Notice, if the people are under the roof, they were sporting our beads!

As for the Choice Award, I think we did one unique thing for that award...we asked people to vote for us.
Let's write that again...WE ASKED PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR US. The cheerleader gave people beads and then asked them to vote for us. We knew what the ballots looked like and we knew where they were to be turned in at. If you were there you may have also hear us make an announcement over the speakers about putting in your ballot. Oh yeah, and we had speakers!

Challengers' Choice is always fun to watch, and this year the Infiniti guys nailed it. Why? They immediately became everyone's new best friend. And they had beads.

Somewhere there is a video of our presentation. JG was shooting with the large video camera during.
I find it funny that many are say that they wished that had told the judges more or explained further. In our presentation there were 45 seconds of words (song intro run-up) and then pretty much maybe a sentence or two which would be hard to hear.

In reply to JohnRW1621:

I had no idea you guys actually hired models.

What you guys did took a lot of effort, no matter if you did a fly and drive or built it for two years. I just wish I saw it all. I was out cruising back from the car wash in the AMC and getting heckled by some toothless guy in a white Ford Aerostar who kept calling the Spirit a "Gramlin" while trying to race us.

I cannot wait to see someone try to outdo you guys next year.

Swank Force One wrote: Maybe have concours be worth one point. Is the car a major E36 M3box? Yes = 0 points No = 1 point

Greatest Concourse scoring system EVAR!!!!!!

Do models have to go into the budget as professional labor for the concourse points they earn??

There was the year of the Rabbit, when the wives dressed like Playboy bunny cigarette girls and passed out requests for people's Challengers choice vote.

That was a little different.

SVreX wrote: Do models have to go into the budget as professional labor for the concourse points they earn??

I think unless they're installed on the car, they just count as a tool. Much like a wrench.

In reply to pimpm3:

Glad you enjoyed it!

All my years at the Challenge I have never voted for Challengers Choice. I always find the ballot in the bag when I get home and clean out the car.

VWguyBruce wrote: All my years at the Challenge I have never voted for Challengers Choice. I always find the ballot in the bag when I get home and clean out the car.

Send in your vote now for next year.

Vote for ME!

Ben- we need to win this somehow.

One free bottle of Left Hand Nitro to each competitor.