$2000 Challenge: Little British cars are welcome, too

The $2000 Challenge welcomes all kinds of machines, from oversized American land yachts to the ever-popular Little British Car. Twenty years ago, Bill Vandal and MG Car Club Florida entered an MGB from 1980, the model’s final year of production. It was brought at the last minute when a 1974 MGB, the club’s planned entry, hadn’t yet run.

The MG finished 52nd out of 65 or so entries, with its mid-18-second run down the drag strip likely not helping things. “The only cars an MG will beat at the drag race are the ones that break,” Bill told us.

Make your own low-buck memories at the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge Presented by Tire Rack, which returns to Gainesville, Florida, April 6-7, 2024. Visit 2000challenge.com for details.

Comments

Spitsix HalfDork
2/14/24 9:22 p.m.

Planning on Returning this year!

Dragonbreath New Reader
2/14/24 10:26 p.m.

Putting an MGB in a drag race is not what these cars were designed or intended for.

If you refer to the race results of the 1966 Sebring 12-Hour event you will see that a lowly MGB beat the stuffing out of a 911 Porsche, Jag XKE ... even a 427 Cobra (!!!)...

https://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Sebring-1966-03-26.html

DeadSkunk (Warren) UltimaDork
2/15/24 9:02 a.m.

In reply to Dragonbreath :

MGs just need a little help for the 2000 Challenge....

T $2010 Challenge - 440 HP MGB with 350 Chevy engine. | Flickr

CrustyRedXpress GRM+ Memberand Dork
2/15/24 10:03 a.m.

Would love to see a classics class at the event someday, but no clue how it would work.

nocones GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
2/15/24 10:48 a.m.

In reply to CrustyRedXpress :

to what end? Classics have won the event many times?

Robbie (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
2/15/24 12:41 p.m.

nocones said:
In reply to CrustyRedXpress :

to what end? Classics have won the event many times?

What about a gentleman class? Pre 1990 (yes, excluding Miata specifically, fight me), must be RWD (yes excluding econo-hot-hatches, fight me), no engine swaps, no tow vehicles.

Leather helmets and goggles strongly encouraged.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/15/24 12:46 p.m.

CrustyRedXpress said:
Would love to see a classics class at the event someday, but no clue how it would work.

There used to be an award for "Highest Finishing Classic Car". But how do you define "classic" within the context of GRM $2000 Challenge, where body swaps and suspension swaps and powertrain swaps are the norm?

David S. Wallens Editorial Director
2/15/24 1:07 p.m.

We used to use “originally fitted with chrome bumpers or a recognized continuation model of such” as a definition of a classic at the $2000 Challenge but, um, yeah, we know you all too well now.

CrustyRedXpress GRM+ Memberand Dork
2/15/24 1:16 p.m.

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:
nocones said:
In reply to CrustyRedXpress :

to what end? Classics have won the event many times?

What about a gentleman class? Pre 1990 (yes, excluding Miata specifically, fight me), must be RWD (yes excluding econo-hot-hatches, fight me), no engine swaps, no tow vehicles.

Leather helmets and goggles strongly encouraged.

I like that.

I think pre-1990 and must be carb'd w/original engine block of same vintage would be neat...but possibly combustible.

jerel77494 New Reader
2/16/24 7:57 a.m.

Loved the opening quote! Reminded me of a reader who sent a letter to the editor of Hot Rod Magazine saying he had a 350-4bbl Firebird that would do 145mph in the quarter-mile. The editor's response? "The only way you're going to get a 350-4bbl Firebird to go 145 is to drop it out of an airplane."