So every year we hold our Grassroots Motorsports $200x Challenge. Readers are invited to buy, build and prepare a car for less than that figure–$2008 for this year. The competition includes drag racing, concours judging and autocross. When we first started hold the event back in 1999, we expected a few cars, but nothing earth-shattering.

Andy Nelson knows how to do things on the cheap. He lives in Pennsylvania and knows how to find deals on speed parts at the local season-ending swap meets. He’s also handy with a welder. This year’s creation could best be described as a VW Bug mixed with an old Nova. And for those who doubt that it can be done, once again we’ll detail his entire game plan in an issue. As he says, it’s all about getting the horsepower to the ground.

After we hold our Grassroots Motorsports $200x Challenges, the bitching starts. No way, no one is that talented, they cry. I present Exhibit A, the Petty-inspired Civic we showcased with a cover last year.

So, these guys have been building cars for years and are pros, right? Well, not really. Team leader Mike White owns a framing shop in real life, and only really started playing with cars a few years ago. However, he realized that if he takes his time and really, really pays attention to the details—like disassemble things so they can be bead-blasted and repainted—the end result can be stunning.

The final results from the Kumho Tires Grassroots Motorsports $2008 Challenge are now posted. Congratulations, Hong Norr!

It was like the movie "Cars" came to life as Lightning McQueen faced off against The King. The victor? Never bet against The King. (On a related note, the Toyota trashed a main bearing Friday, and Thomas Hinton replaced it this morning so he could rejoin the action.)

As 5:00 p.m. approached, the Gainesville Raceway parking lot became a lonely place. Most competitors had already left for the hotel. A shower and cold drink were hard-to-resist temptations.

The second day of competition has come to a conclusion, sports fans, and the drag race results will soon be posted. The strip didn’t get any faster as the day went on, so Andy Nelson and his wicked VW Bug held onto the top spot.

The second day of competition is winding down, as drivers only have one more hour post a time. Andy Nelson is still leading the pack with a 10.5 at 124 mph.

David Herr returned with his Ford-powered Spitfire. After starting in the 16s, he has gotten down into the 13s.

It’s lunchtime here at Gainesville Raceway, and Andy Nelson’s VW Bug is still the car to beat with 10.5-second runs.

Stan Dorsey’s Nissan 240SX blends both American and JDM performance. The nose comes from an R32 Skyline, but under the hood lies a GM V8. Whatever the origin, it’s fast, too, posting 11.4-second times.