Please read and re-read this document before arriving at the event.

As always, if you have any questions at any point during the event, email Tom Suddard at tom@grassrootsmotorsports.com

First, we want to thank you for coming to this year’s Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge presented by Tire Rack.

We’d like to thank our other partners. The Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge is presented by Tire Rack in association with CRC Industries, Summit Racing and Miller Electric, with trophies from Lamin-X, Trakkrats, CravenSpeed and ACI Automotive. Without these companies’ support, we wouldn’t be able to host the $2000 Challenge.

Registration and Gate Entry

In order to be allowed in to the track, you’ll need to show a gate entry wristband. The checkpoint can’t give out or sell wristbands: If you don’t have one, you’ll be turned away and need to go to registration.

Each attendee must pick up their wristband and sign the event waivers in person at registration. Registration will be open at the host hotel from 5:00-8:00 p.m. on Friday, as well as at the entrance to the track on Saturday and Sunday.

Even if you had your decals mailed, your team went to registration without you, etc. YOU MUST STILL COME TO REGISTRATION FOR YOUR DRIVER WRISTBAND.

Rules

As a reminder, it is every competitor’s job to read the $2000 Challenge Rules before arriving at the competition.

Three of the following statements are true. One is false. If you’re not sure which is which, you haven’t read the rules closely enough.

There is no blanket budget exemption for safety items.
Being completely naked is technically allowed (but strongly discouraged) during the concours.
There’s a rule named after a man known only as “Stampie.”
Reaction time is included in your drag time.

Schedule

You can view the $2000 Challenge official schedule right here.

Map

You can view the $2000 Challenge map right here.

Camping

In order to camp at the track, your car/RV must display a green camping sticker on the windshield. Get yours at registration.

Tech Inspection

Tech inspection will be handled by the fine folks at Gainesville Raceway. Look for the big flag near the paddock on Saturday morning. As a reminder from the $2000 Challenge rules: “Failed cars will be reinspected after fixes are made. Entries that fail onsite tech inspection three times in the same day will be disqualified.”

Autocross

The autocross will run more or less like any other autocross you’ve attended.

This year we’ll be using three run groups, and each group will run twice and work twice. Each time a run group is called to grid, it will be expected to make three runs. Once you’ve completed three runs, please return to the paddock and wait until it’s your turn to run again. Please listen to PA announcements to hear when it’s your turn to run or your turn to work the course. Each car/team must send one worker when its run group is called.

The run groups will be as follows:

Group A: GTN, GTW
Group B: GTN$, GTW$
Group C: GTU, GTU$

The autocross wouldn’t be possible without course workers, and more are always needed. If you have any free time, please volunteer to work the course.

Fun runs are all but guaranteed, barring any major problems or spills on course. Each car is limited to six official runs, but may make as many untimed runs as they’d like once the PA announcement has been made opening the course for fun runs.

We will again offer pro drivers for those who are not Mario Andretti. Entries will be allowed a maximum number of three pro driver runs. Prefer to drive your own car? No problem–you are not required to let professional drivers drive your car.

Pro drivers and entries that have made fewer than their guaranteed minimum number of runs will be given priority access in staging lanes.

Any person wearing a driver’s wristband may drive any car at any time. Run limits are per car, not per driver.

Passengers: All passengers shall be at least 16 years of age. Only one passenger per run will be allowed.

Drag Race

The left lane is only open to slick-tire cars for first hour of drag racing or when it remains empty for five minutes–whichever comes first. Autocross slicks, circle track slicks, etc. do not count. Do not enter the slick-tire lane unless you have drag slicks.

Passengers: All passengers shall be at least 16 years of age. Only one passenger per run will be allowed. Passengers are not allowed during drag runs faster than 14.0 seconds.

Dinner

We’ll be serving dinner in the track pavilion between the autocross and the drag race. You’ll need your food ticket in order to be served. The pavilion can hold about a million people and we’ve ordered extra tables, so everyone should have plenty of room to spread out.

Please be courteous and ask permission before joining anyone at a table. And don’t be offended if they politely decline your company–we’re all comfortable with different levels of interaction with strangers.

Concours

The concours pavilion won’t be open for cars to park until Saturday morning. Why? Because each car will be directed to its parking space by GRM staff to leave some extra space between each. This will make it easier to show your work to the judges, and it will facilitate social distancing. Check the schedule for move-in time.

Your build book should be displayed with your car for the duration of the concours, then turned in to GRM once all cars have been judged.

From the rules:

For the duration of the concours, build books must be displayed and available for participant inspection with their corresponding car. Cars displayed at the concours without build books will receive a 10-point concours score deduction. Each team must submit their build book to GRM no more than 10 minutes after the conclusion of concours judging, or else they will receive a 10-point concours score deduction.

Any entrant that does not want to go through the concours judging process may decline to be judged by writing "Don't Judge Me" on a piece of tape placed on the upper driver-side corner of the windshield of their car. Cars properly displaying this message that are parked in the centralized concours judging location for the duration of judging will be awarded 12 concours points.

Before judging, Concours judges will be shown the 12-point Concours Example. This will be done in an attempt to calibrate the judges.

Decals

You must have your stickers applied according to the Decal Placement Guide, or you’ll receive a 10-point concours score deduction. Trimming decals isn’t allowed, except for trimming the windshield banner’s edges to match your car’s glass.

Rain

Welcome to Florida! We know there’s rain in the forecast, and have planned this event to be as flexible as possible as a result.

The autocross and concours will be held rain or shine, while the drag race can’t be held if the track is wet. We have a rain contingency plan in place to increase our chances of drag racing even if there is rain forecast for Friday night, and will keep all competitors updated if the schedule changes due to rain.

Thank You!

Thank you for coming to the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge presented by Tire Rack, and good luck on your path to victory!