Hitch up your trailers and stare down your craigslist RSS searches: The $2012 Challenge is coming! Our low-buck showdown dares teams to buy, build and prepare a car without spending more than the $2012 budget cap. We’ll again use autocross, drag racing and concours judging to rank the field. Think these cars are all piles of junk? Think again. How does an Integra-swapped Honda N600 or a mid-engined GLH-powered Ford Fiesta sound? We never expected that a group of goofballs could turn a rustbucket DSM into a shaved, wire-tucked showpiece on such a small budget. These cars are serious machines even if their builders are not.

Keep your eye on this page for updates as we finalize the rules and event schedule.

Looking for $2011 Challenge results? Go here.

Pre-event stuff
Since this is an editorial function, we need some information about you and your car. Therefore, we need for you to complete the enclosed information and budget sheets before you begin your runs. The completed sheets MUST be handed to the GRM staff at registration. Any high-resolution photos from the buildup of the car would be appreciated, too.

   Remember
The point of the $2012 Challenge is to have some fun and make an interesting story for our readers. We hope you approach the event with the same lighthearted view that we have.

Please feel free to ask any staff member at the event any questions you may have. Note: The GRM staff will not be able to supply event photographs to participants or return any build sheets, budget sheets or receipts.

Schedule of Events
Thursday, September 27: Welcome Party/Competitor Check-In

The host hotel for this year’s Challenge is the Best Western Gateway Grand, 4200 NW 97th Blvd., Gainesville, Fla., 32606, (352) 331-3336.

All participants are invited to a welcome party/competitor check-in at the host hotel from 5:30-9 p.m. on Thursday. Be prepared to hand in your completed entry forms and any build information at this time (including budgets). Refreshments, including finger food, appetizers and beverages, will be served. 

Wristbands will be distributed to all paid entrants and guests. The wristbands MUST be worn at all times from this point forward. They are waterproof. 

Friday, September 28: Autocross and concours, Gainesville Raceway, 11211 N. County Road 225, Gainesville, Fla., 32609 We will converge at the Gainesville Raceway gates at 8:00 a.m.  

Cars will be teched by GRM and Gainesville Raceway staff. Cars must meet all NHRA rules for bracket-type racing (see nhra.com for more details). In addition, all cars must pass a basic SCCA Solo or NASA Autocross safety inspection. This will involve checking items such as the battery tie-down strap, throttle return spring, factory seat belts and lug nuts (see scca.com).

The first car will hit the course at 10 a.m., while the last runs will finish around 4 p.m. There will be a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) timed runs per car. There is no run order throughout the day, but we encourage you to use your time wisely.

Like with any typical SCCA Solo event, only the fastest timed run counts. There will be expert drivers on hand if you’d like them to drive your car. Their runs count toward your five total runs.

We will be asking for course workers throughout the day. The more volunteers we get, the smoother this event will run. Get the best seats in the house for watching the autocross!

The concours will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Friday, September 28 (evening): Social, Best Western Gateway Grand, 4200 NW 97th Blvd., Gainesville, Fla., 32606, (352) 331-3336.

There is a Friday night get-together at the host hotel. Friday’s function is from 7-11 p.m. There will be a brief introduction at 7:30 to welcome everyone to the event.

There will be door prizes, finger food, appetizers, carved meat, and more. An AV screen will be showing car-guy movies. There will also be slot car racing courtesy of Scalextric. Water, iced tea, coffee, soda and beer will be served.

Saturday, September 29: Drag racing, Gainesville Raceway, 11211 N. County Road 225, Gainesville, Fla., 32609

The Gainesville Raceway gates will be open at 8 a.m.

The drag racing portion of the event will be run as a time trial. We should have cars on track by 9 a.m. We have the strip rented until 5 p.m. All you need to do is hand in your best time slip to our registration table by the end of the day.

There will be a short chalk talk session at 9 a.m. to discuss the general principles of drag racing, including tricks and pointers to make your day go more smoothly and successfully.

There will be several staging lines for cars. Cars that have not taken any runs will be in staging line 1, cars that have taken more than one run will be in the next staging line. If the competitors limit their runs to 5 passes, the event will run smoother and more efficiently. 

If there is inclement weather, the drag racing portion of the event may be canceled. If so, the results would only count the autocross and concours portions of the event.  It takes a minimum of two hours to dry a wet drag strip—so typically, that go or no-go decision happens around 1pm.

Saturday, October x (evening): Awards banquet, Best Western Gateway Grand, 4200 NW 97th Blvd., Gainesville, Fla., 32606

Saturday evening’s awards banquet will be held from 7-10 p.m. at the host hotel. 

The 2012 budget brawl is sponsored by Kumho Tires and eBay Motors.