Autoblog

This past weekend Grassroots Motorsports welcomed 51 vehicles to Gainsville, FL for their $2008 Challenge. Constrained by the limited vehicle build budget, the entry list was chalked full of the popular weekend racer, the Mazda Miata. A few first generation Mazda RX-7s also filled out the list, most likely due to cheap availability and past Challenge success. The Honda CRX was another popular choice, with its proven reputation as a solid budget racer. While tiny, nimble chassis were the building block of choice, many did not stick with their vehicle's original power plant. A Miata and 240SX came equipped with Japanese and American V8 power respectively. An RX-7 even opted for BMW's inline-six over the original oil smoking rotary. The guys at GRM kept a live blog of the event, so we won't spoil the details. Just follow the read link to find out the results, or wait for the magazine to hit newsstands.

For those on the West Coast itching to get in the game, Grassroots Motorsports has teamed up with SDRev.com to bring a new event series to San Diego in 2009. The San Diego Grand Challenge will be a seven event series of one concourse and three autocross and drag race competitions. It is a concept similar to the annual GRM Challenge, but with a built budget limited to a mere $1000.

[Source: Grassroots Motorsports]