$2009 West Coast Challenge deadline approaching

How is everyone doing on their entries?

I've updated my profile, work is commencing:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/109/ <--scroll to the bottom for the updates, heh)

More pictures: http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s10/fiat22turbo/Porsche924/

When it comes to the event, don't beat me up too badly, I only have a lowly 125hp motor and nearly 2500lbs to move around. (why oh why couldn't I have found a 924 turbo?) Hopefully it will handle reasonably well.

fiat22turbo wrote: How is everyone doing on their entries?

I've just about got my custom axles figured out. I think once I get the new motor mounted, I'll probably post some pictures up. Time is flying by!

Bryce.

Sigh, yeah it is....

I've been trying to get this darn car running for about a year... So i've got another one of those... it's going to happen this weekend, weekends coming up... So I'm trying to stay optimistic. I'm just no electronic guru, so the megasquirt fuel system we are trying to use has definitely thrown me through some loops. I'll try to get a profile page made this week. Keep up the good work!

Waiting for payday to register, this is a dream come true on several levels 1. been putting my build project on the back burner too many times, now I have a deadline and progress has JUMPED since I found out about this... 2. now I can recruit friends and enemies to get it done! 3. always always wanted to run a challenge since I can barely afford $2009 to build a car!

CANT WAIT!

fiat22turbo wrote: When it comes to the event, don't beat me up too badly, I only have a lowly 125hp motor and nearly 2500lbs to move around. (why oh why couldn't I have found a 924 turbo?) Hopefully it will handle reasonably well.

HAHAHA! I don't think you have to worry too much about that! I'm bringing my 24hrs of LeMons car with a little "extra" paint and some wire loom on the "custom" dash harness...

Check out http://blog.ricerocketracing.org to see what you're up against!

Mmm, ZX awesomeness....Well, if anyone shows up with a V8, or a seriously boosted engine, we're both in trouble at the drags.

I have a turbo that may be capable of putting 'serious' boost through our engine, but its still a big unknown without it running

If we hadn't of abandoned the build we would have been there with a pretty serious V8.

It's for sale if anybody wants a Challenge project. Some assembly required...

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4346749

here's my build thread....

It sucks being a judge. I just picked up a '72 240Z roller for $700. Included in the sale were a running 350 SBC and a running L28ET. Then I found a JTR V8 conversion kit, including a World Class tranny and the block hugger headers, for $600. I have me the makings of a car! Oh well... the problem with being a Lifeguard is you don't get to do much swimming.

Unless a miracle in finances occurs, I will be there as a spectator. If any teams in so cal (oc area prefered) need help, Please send me a message

Damn, David that would be a a lot of fun! I'd still build it and run exhibition at least!

So, I happened to stumble on an "announcement" before it was announced. In case anybody else is actually planning to attend this event, it's now been moved back a weekend, to August 29/30. It came up on the sdrev.com forums today. Hopefully this is the last date change, as it is getting way too close to go time to keep screwing around with the schedule. Also, David (Doc Hawk) mentioned that there is some email announcement list, which I've never received anything from. If you haven't seen any announcement emails either, make sure you contact him and get added to the list.

On the positive side, we should have one more week to prepare if this date actually sticks.

Bryce

Big surprise, the red-headed step-child of an event is getting smacked around again. I know it isn't SDRev's fault, but it sounds like they don't want to spend the money to open the track for us. Great, so what did my entry money pay for?

I've spent 12 months working on the car so far, 3 of those have essentially been at 40+ hours a week with more to come in the next two months. I have teammates who are scheduling vacation, purchasing tickets, booking rooms, etc. Now we have to try to get all of this rescheduled and pay any penalties (assuming they can reschedule their vacations)

I understand that it isn't completely their fault, but it seems that GRM and SDRev both have more or less washed their hands of the event to focus on the events occuring in their own back yards. I suspect there is a little bit of assuming going on, where they both assume the other is working on it. So far it seems few have been communicating what they've been doing.

Why wasn't/isn't the event listed on the events calendar on this site? How long has it been planned?

I thought GRM was a sponsor?

Where is our special section on the site for our rides?

All we're asking is to be treated the same as the East coast entrants, not just as a bone thrown to the dogs to keep them from whining.

The West Coast $2009 is listed on this site...it's listed as August 22nd and 23rd:

http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/events/611/

I tried to add myself to the list of attendees, but the link didn't work for me.

I'm not asking to be treated the same as the East Coast event, after all, hardly anybody registered for the West Coast event. I understand that GRM has stretched themselves a bit by trying to throw us west coasters a bone after the fake-out with the $2009 plans to come west, then the "Grand Challenge" turned WC $2009ish. Of course, there's that whole chicken and the egg thing, now....very few know about the west coast event, so very few have been building for it and are registered, and since very few have registered, the event isn't much of a priority...since the event isn't much of a priority, very few know about the west coast event. It's a vicious cycle!

I don't demand anything, I appreciate getting a bone tossed in my general direction. It's just really hard to make things work out with the changing dates, likely forcing our already low participation (for the WC $2009) even lower.

Bryce

Bryce, that was a recent addition that I've been asking about for months. Still, no quick notes put up about that little addition.

Oh well. I can either give up or keep plugging away and get the car ready and show up (whenever the hell they decide to hold it)

Well I'm still plugging away at mine. Even if it's a 2 car class it'll be fun. I'm excited to see what people come up with.

Hi Guys,

Sorry to see a flame lit up over here before I saw it; the active and current discussions regarding the West Coast events are on the official forums for the event at SDRev.com. Let me start this post by agreeing with you: this change and uncertainty is crapulent. Soft dates at the beginning of the year are crap when you are trying to set long distance travel. Soft dates two months out are ultimate crap. Wondering whether or not you matter to the people to whom youse paids youse money is craptastic. Let me explain, please.

There has been no official announcement regarding a date change because there has been no official change as of this date. We are currently committed to running an event on August 22/23, but the AutoX venue available here (Qualcomm Stadium) was announced as unavailable for that weekend through the SCCA at the official June scheduling meeting.

That turned our attention to the following weekend, during which there is indeed an SCCA autocross scheduled. However, it turns out (recently, and despite negotiation and some amount of bribery) that both potential drag venues are NOT available on the 29/30. Perfect. We have been trying to see if we can sneak something in, even by paying for it out of pocket.

A note here on paying out of pocket, and what that means. Fiat, you suggested that we don't want to spend the money to open a track, and you wondered what your entry money paid for. On the first count, we cannot rent a track that is not available, and on the second count, unfortunately the three paid entries at ~$150 each fell well short of the track fees of $2500 (let alone the event production costs, which double that). Had we received the 15 entries I had called for, or even 10 as I later revised, we'd be a lot closer to being able to pay for a venue at a small loss.

None of these scheduling issues would have meant much to a purely local series, as the guys trailering for 30-60 minutes really aren't very affected by whether it is Saturday A or Saturday B in a couple months. I absolutely feel your pain when it is long distance, and I have been doing everything within the immutable boundaries I have (venues and dates) to accomodate your situation.

I continue to work towards that, even though that now looks like we'll be incurring a grand or two in costs that we wouldn't otherwise have, just so you guys can have the satisfaction of competing (and we can have the satisfaction of watching). We have 12 teams competing in the Grand Challenge, and I'm sure if you reflect at our local-level sponsors and the team entry fees involved you'll quickly realize that any extra expense puts the endeavor at a loss for us. Frankly, your commitment to build and run earned my commitment to make it work, and so I'm working on keeping my end of the bargain.

Soo... as long as you guys can look at this as "full disclosure" and not "another soft date," here's the latest:

The first race event at the Barona drags was a fantastic success. The teams loved it and had a wonderful time. The crowd loved it and gate attendance was way up. Therefore, the track loved it, and that bought us some warm fuzzy feelings. As a result, the track management is currently considering accomodating us on Sept 5 (drag) and 6 (autoX) for a fee that is roughly half their going rate. This would put the event into the "reasonable loss" category instead of "sell the wife's car" level of indebtedness.

I should know something within 2 days.

By the way, you guys would love seeing what our local crews are racing for $1000.

Last "PS" from me: if anyone thinks the aforementioned crap stinks too much to stick around, entry fees would be quickly sent back. It's never been about the money, friends.

David_Chong wrote: Soo... as long as you guys can look at this as "full disclosure" and not "another soft date," here's the latest: The first race event at the Barona drags was a fantastic success. The teams loved it and had a wonderful time. The crowd loved it and gate attendance was way up. Therefore, the track loved it, and that bought us some warm fuzzy feelings. As a result, the track management is currently considering accomodating us on Sept 5 (drag) and 6 (autoX) for a fee that is roughly half their going rate. This would put the event into the "reasonable loss" category instead of "sell the wife's car" level of indebtedness. I should know something within 2 days.

I'm glad to hear you're still working at it instead of just throwing in the towel, especially considering only three people actually paid deposits (WTF?). However, as one of the 3 (!?!) paid registrants, I am obligated to remind you that Sept 5/6 is Labor Day weekend. A lot of people, myself included, have obligations for that long weekend.

Bryce

Funnily enough, I do not have obligations for Labor Day. If that becomes the chosen date I can enter. In fact, the later the date is the better the chance I have at going (except Oct 3 when my sister gets married).

10-4 Bryce... continuing to look. I still have not given up on the published date (Aug 22/23). There's a chance we could run AutoX through the pit area at Barona; it would require staying into the afternoon on Sunday. Not ideal, but better than all other options so far.