i realized why the 200X Challenge is so much fun

Aside from getting to see the talent creativity and resourcefulness of all of the competitors, with the exception of the budget constraints THERE AINT NO RULES. GOOD OLD FASHIONED RUN WHAT YA BRUNG.

In an environment where sanctioning bodies bump cars up in class for minor mods, the Challenge actually encourages the tinkerer.

And I think SCCAs CAM classes are gonna be popular for pretty much the same reasons. All the limited rules on one page....essentially weight and tire TW rating limits. If you wanna spend your kids college fund to win a trophy , so be it. If you're content to have fun on a tight budget, that's cool too.

That is why Lemons is so popular, 15 to 24 hours of seat time per race. Safety plus two rules, Tread wear and Cost of vehicle.

We forgot to apply for our residual value, which is basically how much you can spend on improvements before the next race, then spent the money anyway. Got penalized 14 laps for our cheaty ass coilover suspension.

We still had just as much fun only faster and finished 14 laps lower in the field. The way I see it if we are not gunning for a position it doesn't really matter.

The way I see it, to a certain extent, the challenge is a 'builders' competition, and most other racing is a 'drivers' competition. Sure there is some of each in both, but the predominant parts are what I am referring to.

and that is why the challenge is fun for those of us who are builders.

(and before anyone gets huffy, "builder" can be pretty vauge; essentially in boils down to "using your wit/skills/time/whatever to bring the best car within the rules to the event")

Someday I'll make it to The Challenge. Really should have come the right after I bought a real nice 5.0 mustang for $1500. Sadly it has more that the budget into it now, and it's not really as "special" as I would like for a challenge car.

So Can you bring trucks to the challenge? I just got an all wheel steer truck with a 6.0L motor for way under challenge $$$. It is in fantastic shape with one exception. The motor is toast. But hay that never stopped me.. I figure get a new motor or rebuild one that is in it. Add boost.

Kill the drags.
Ignore the Autocross
Get laughed at in the concourse.

Sound like a reasonable plan?

One of the things I was leary of was the scrounging, Craig's list swap meet you have to engage in. That has turned into one of the best parts of the experience...have met some great folks who "get it" when I explain the Challenge.

That plus when I was able to rebuild entire brake system....mc, calipers, rotors, lines, pads, etc for less than $400. On my 911 that would be 8 or 10 times as much.

dean1484 wrote: So Can you bring trucks to the challenge? I just got an all wheel steer truck with a 6.0L motor for way under challenge $$$. It is in fantastic shape with one exception. The motor is toast. But hay that never stopped me.. I figure get a new motor or rebuild one that is in it. Add boost. Kill the drags. Ignore the Autocross Get laughed at in the concourse. Sound like a reasonable plan?

Although this is my first challenge sounds perfect. Our team is sorta Rocky...we just wanna go the distance. Ain't gonna be no rematch.

Just do it

dean1484 wrote: Get laughed at in the concourse. Sound like a reasonable plan?

Play to that laughter correctly and your concourse score could actually be pretty high!

There is another tangible benefit to running the Challenge. You can try something you would never attempt otherwise...and when you say, "because Challenge" the crowd nods approvingly. Fortunately some of the tried ideas are now our norms. Just saying.

Ovid_and_Flem wrote: One of the things I was leary of was the scrounging, Craig's list swap meet you have to engage in. That has turned into one of the best parts of the experience...have met some great folks who "get it" when I explain the Challenge. That plus when I was able to rebuild entire brake system....mc, calipers, rotors, lines, pads, etc for less than $400. On my 911 that would be 8 or 10 times as much.

I summarize this by saying that The Challenge is a combination of bought right and built right.

I myself tend to do more bought right and little building but even the competitors who build right still have to buy right.

I know my neighbors think I've gone nuts...pulled a beat up Samsonite hard side suitcase out ones garbage pile so I could cut it up to make a body panel.

Everyone at work thinks I'm nuts too. There is no reason a 90's woody wagon the length of truck and the height of a Honda should make noises that loud and angry.

The Challenge isn't great because of the wacky contraptions people bring, or the lack of rules. The Challenge is great because of the people involved. I've met so many amazing people through this event--- it goes way beyond anything mechanical. It's a special event....with special people---- a little short-bus special, but I always leave with warm and fuzzy feelings about this community.

I'm bummed I'll miss seeing all you wackos this year. I've signed on to work the Petit LeMans---- and it's the same weekend.

maschinenbau wrote: Everyone at work thinks I'm nuts too. There is no reason a 90's woody wagon the length of truck and the height of a Honda should make noises that loud and angry.

The statement of, "I'm going to race my Corvette, Miata, Camaro" is not nearly as hard to explain as "I'm going to race my Buick wagon, Infinti sedan, Minivan".

I commend you on the uphill battle!

JohnRW1621 wrote:

maschinenbau wrote: Everyone at work thinks I'm nuts too. There is no reason a 90's woody wagon the length of truck and the height of a Honda should make noises that loud and angry.

The statement of, "I'm going to race my Corvette, Miata, Camaro" is not nearly as hard to explain as "I'm going to race my Buick wagon, Infinti sedan, Minivan". I commend you on the uphill battle!

"I'm going to race my v12 BMW. ... No no no! I promise you it was actually quite cheap!"

JohnRW1621 wrote:

maschinenbau wrote: Everyone at work thinks I'm nuts too. There is no reason a 90's woody wagon the length of truck and the height of a Honda should make noises that loud and angry.

The statement of, "I'm going to race my Corvette, Miata, Camaro" is not nearly as hard to explain as "I'm going to race my Buick wagon, Infinti sedan, Minivan". I commend you on the uphill battle!

Hey now my Infiniti Q45 has the same power to weight ratio of a new FRS. Yes, my neighbors think I'm crazy. I drove home last years LS400 before I tore it apart. My neighbor came over amazed that I would buy a "family" sedan. When I told him it was my new race car he shook his head and walked away.

The challenge is one of the few places you'll ever meet so many like minded people who are willing to go out of their way to help each other out. They also have the craziest knowledge base of oddball cars.

I really wanted to be there this year but there may be a scheduling conflict with my wife going to California. We will see.

dean1484 wrote: So Can you bring trucks to the challenge? I just got an all wheel steer truck with a 6.0L motor for way under challenge $$$. It is in fantastic shape with one exception. The motor is toast. But hay that never stopped me.. I figure get a new motor or rebuild one that is in it. Add boost. Kill the drags. Ignore the Autocross Get laughed at in the concourse. Sound like a reasonable plan?

Did you buy that "DIY Halo Wart Hog" thing with a million gadgets that the Canadian military was selling?

it's the people. plain and simple.

I came to race quirky cheap junk.

I stayed because of the people, and the creativity.

Somewhere along the way, I got kinda good at it. Unfortunately, it's not a very marketable skill!

"So, you can make a weird car go fast while breaking the rules in most classes of racing and build some cheap piece of E36 M3 that is completely useless after the Challenge? Who the berkeley cares?".

Thankfully, a few of you do!

In reply to SVreX:

It's really amusing to try to describe what it's all about to people who have spent years building to SCCA classing rules.