$2K Challenge: the people (some good, some not so good)

I thought this year's Challenge was very quiet compared to what I saw in $2006 and $2009. I was in the parking lot Wed/Thurs/Fri and was impressed by the relatively low noise levels and lack of shenanigans(except for the guys in the cable truck on Thursday?). I also didn't hear the noise the cop was dispatched for but we waived to him as he drove by and he returned the greeting with a smile. I also saw nothing rowdy from the team that will remain nameless, literally nothing. Well, some dry ice in the hot tub but that's just good fun.

SVreX, I had no idea that happened to the kiddo on Friday night. I was right there too. I'm glad someone handled it before you did, could've been ugly for him had you jumped him. I'd likely been far less patient.

I too have been trying to talk the wife into coming down for the Challenge. I don't sugar coat it at all and she's on the fence for next year after we discussed all I saw and heard. BUT, she's been a military wife for 21 years and has likely seen and heard more than most wives would ever care to. I'll also be bringing a 10 year old and would rather him experience drunken stupidity with dad than his first night at college. I may feel differently about it than some parents but I'd rather have the chance to talk about it as it happens. "See son, that's what drinking gets you." I also have guys over to the house that can't complete a sentence without an F bomb rolling out and my son usually let's it be known that they just said the F word. Unfortunately, that's what I'm used to on a daily basis and possibly why it may bother me less(it probably should bother me more.) I also don't remember seeing as many wives in the past which I think is a good thing.

I've been pondering about all of this the last couple days. I wonder, if we santized the Challenge too much if it wouldn't lose some of its charm and allure. Yes, guys could do better around the ladies and kids, that goes without saying. I'm also hoping what SVreX experienced will never happen again and that appears to be an isolated incident. For a lot of guys at the Challenge, it's the only time they may get to cut loose for an entire year. I also seriously doubt that there's another venure where you can hang out with a hundred other people just like you(maybe BABE/Lemons). When you're comfortable with everyone around you, you have the tendancy to rise to the occasion and enjoy it more. The simple answer may be that we should just be doing a better job policing ourselves.

Heck, what do I know anyway

AutoXR wrote: Again.. The cop wasn't there for pink shirt guy. Brendan slept in the RV , pink shirt guy and I stayed in the room - I walked him there myself as requested by Per. I had 2 drinks all night and as many can tell I was stone sober. The officer who I spoke to was there for a "noise ordiance issue" his words. Not dumbass canadians

Incorrect. The pink shirt guy was exactly the reason the front desk called the police. I sat in the Squad car and saw it on the screen.

glueguy wrote:

DUMONT wrote: We had 3 guys working 50+ hours a week. Getting the car sorted, dialed in, and then to a local autocross to get some trial runs was tough.

This statement was a flashback to 20 years ago. New FSAE team, thrashed all the way up to the last day getting ready for the event. Left no time to sort the car, or get the drivers used to driving it. The team discovered that was a bad idea, and made a point to adjust the due dates for the following year to be ready for driving a full month ahead of the event. I'm not busting on you, I know how hard it is to be a non-professional racer with a real life to fit in. Sorting time is worth real points. If you can drive it some and lower the autocross time one or two seconds, how many points will that gain you?

This is a fine concept when dealing with a sparkley new megabuck race car with broken parts that get replaced with new parts. That being said, most of us were fixing piles of s**t with used parts and rolling the dice. Until 2 days before the challenge, our ride was still not running/shifting correctly.

yea, i threw a stock engine in my car last min before the challenge and ran a lot more boost(had no choice, its what the wastegate was set for) on it than it should have held up for. i wouldnt have played with it at all before the challenge

turbojunker wrote: I have a negative. I only got to hang out with poopshovel for one day.

Total Threadjack:

Hey turbojunker, what's your avatar (the ariel connecting rod thing) mean? Did you happen to be in the Bourbon Chase this last weekend? There was a van with that logo on the side...

dculberson wrote: Total Threadjack: Hey turbojunker, what's your avatar (the ariel connecting rod thing) mean? Did you happen to be in the Bourbon Chase this last weekend? There was a van with that logo on the side...

It is the logo for Ariel Corp. They have a plant in Mount Vernon.

http://www.arielcorp.com/

They must have had a team in the Bourbon Chase!

In reply to dculberson:

They did! My Future and current sons in-law (2 daughters) both ran on the team! Wow, small world!

Curfews? Rent-a-pigs? Wow, this Challenge thing sounds like a berkeleying blast. If I wanted "family fun," I'd go to Chucky Cheese. Have fun with another consecutive record-low turnout next year. I hear there will be free sodeee pop!

In reply to poopshovel:

You're probably more likely to see hootus at Chucky Cheese.

MG_Bryan wrote: In reply to poopshovel: You're probably more likely to see hootus at Chucky Cheese.

Look... it was just the once and goddamit the mouse wanted it or it wouldn't have been grinding on me like that.

poopshovel wrote: Curfews? Rent-a-pigs? Wow, this Challenge thing sounds like a berkeleying blast. If I wanted "family fun," I'd go to Chucky Cheese. Have fun with another consecutive record-low turnout next year. I hear there will be free sodeee pop!

Well, sounds like people have taken an idea and run it to the extreme corner of the globe, so maybe it is time for this thread to fade away. The points have been taken and received. The feedback is appreciated.

While there will be some tweaks for next year, we're not going to conduct bed checks. We're not going to walk around with breathalyzers. We're not your moms. We'd just like to eliminate the rare, isolated incidents that are likely to get us sued and/or get the event canned.

I started this thread, and the time has come to end it.

As the Man would say, Move along, move along.

Rats. I need a good bed check.

Moving sir ....................... ........

Prescription Nike handbags at very good price, little man in the boat stand up and dance with new designer pills.

If the late night didn't get a little silly I would be sad.

and here's your canoe

ansonivan wrote: Prescription Nike handbags at very good price, little man in the boat stand up and dance with new designer pills.

WHOA... wait... sorry , you looked just like a berkeleying canoe

FYI: My two daughters will be at the challenge every year just as they have been for the the last 4. I expect to be able to trust all challenge competitors to be mindful of the "Family" nature of the event. I apparently did not see/hear any of this going on & thankfully my wife took the girls to bed about 9:30. After 10pm I know that things get more PG13 and will be around my self to enjoy the fun but there are social norms...

If one of your friends can not handle their drink it may be time for an intervention... I've spent a lot of years in meetings for ala-non & ala-teen and if you didn't notice I only had one beer all weekend... I would be more than willing to talk with anyone that needs some questions answered or someone to just listen. Alan

Sofa King wrote: In reply to dculberson: They did! My Future and current sons in-law (2 daughters) both ran on the team! Wow, small world!

Totally. We were the Pint Repeats team from Columbus, OH, team number 420. (that was randomly assigned.. we never did get to hooking up a smoke machine in the van.)

dculberson wrote:

turbojunker wrote: I have a negative. I only got to hang out with poopshovel for one day.

Total Threadjack: Hey turbojunker, what's your avatar (the ariel connecting rod thing) mean? Did you happen to be in the Bourbon Chase this last weekend? There was a van with that logo on the side...

I work on them for a living and just think the logo is cool. My company truck has an Ariel tag on the front.