Grassroots Motorsports
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''Grassroots Motorsports'' (GRM) is an American print and digital
periodical A periodical literature (also called a periodical publication or simply a periodical) is a published work that appears in a new edition on a regular schedule. The most familiar example is a newspaper, but a magazine or a journal are also examples ...
devoted to hardcore sports cars, driving skill improvement, technical advice, and amateur motorsports such as
road racing Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...
,
autocross Autocross (also called "Solo", "Auto-x" or "Autoslalom") is a timed competition in which drivers navigate one at a time through a defined course on either a sealed or an unsealed surface. It is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe competition ...
and
rallying Rally is a wide-ranging form of motorsport with various competitive motoring elements such as speed tests (often called ''rally racing),'' navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or a destination at a prescribed time or average speed. ...
. It was established in 1984 and is published eight times a year. The magazine's parent company, Motorsport Marketing Inc., is based in
Holly Hill, Florida Holly Hill is a city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,659 at the 2010 census. Holly Hill's city limits lie entirely on the Florida mainland, unlike the larger cities on either side of it, Daytona Beach and Ormond ...
and also publishes
Classic Motorsports ''Classic Motorsports'' is an American periodical devoted to classic cars, classic car restoration and vintage racing. It was established in 1986 and is published six times a year. The magazine's parent company, Motorsport Marketing Inc., based in ...
magazine. The company also publishes various event guides and other print materials for select clients. Motorsport Marketing is also an event company, hosting or sponsoring large annual events under the banner of one or both magazines. Some of its Grassroots-centric events are the Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge presented by Grassroots Motorsports, GRM Speedfest at the Classic Motorsports Mitty, and the GRM Experience at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Staff members are also present at most large national and regional automotive enthusiast events involving modern or vintage sports cars.


Magazine Origins

''Grassroots Motorsports'' was originally called "Auto-X" and started in 1984 in
Deland, Florida DeLand is a city in central Florida. It is the county seat of Volusia County. The city sits approximately north of the central business district of Orlando, and approximately west of the central business district of Daytona Beach. As of the 2020 ...
by publisher Tim Suddard and his wife, Margie. The name was changed to ''Grassroots Motorsports'' a few years later.


Project Cars

Grassroots Motorsports magazine's "Project Cars" section focuses on a wide variety of staff-owned road and track cars. It presents in-depth technical information from a very hands-on, do-it-yourself point of view. Recent GRM project cars include a
Mazda MX-5 The Mazda MX-5 is a lightweight two-passenger roadster sports car manufactured and marketed by Mazda with a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The convertible is marketed as the or in Japan, and as the Mazda Miata () in the United Sta ...
24 Hours of LeMons racer and autocrosser, a
MINI Cooper Mini Cooper may refer to: *Cars of the original Mini series called the "Mini Cooper", made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors 1961–1971, and 1990–2000 *Cars of the Mini (marque), including a number of different models produced ...
S race car, a BMW M235i track day car, a
Volkswagen New Beetle The Volkswagen New Beetle is a compact car, introduced by Volkswagen in 1997, drawing heavy inspiration from the exterior design of the original Beetle. Unlike the original Beetle, the New Beetle has its engine in the front, driving the fron ...
multi-purpose car, and a LeGrand Mk. 18 race car built for autocross. One of the most famous project cars in the magazine's history is the Ro-Spit, a 200-plus-horsepower, rotary-powered
Triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...
Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...
.


Subscriptions

The regular subscription price for one year (eight printed issues) of Grassroots Motorsports is $19.99. The company occasionally holds sales, sometimes offering subscriptions during the holidays for as little as $10 per year. The magazine is also available as an e-publication that can be viewed on personal computers and mobile devices. It includes all the same content as the print version but is enhanced with hyperlinks to relevant information mentioned in its pages. Digital subscriptions come at a slightly lower cost than print: One year, for example, is $17.99.


Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge

The magazine holds an annual competition referred to generally as the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge. When referring to a specific running of the event, the name changes to reflect the year it was held (i.e., $2015 Challenge in 2015). The main goal of the Challenge is to demonstrate that fun, capable and attractive cars do not have to be expensive. The total budget for entries cannot cost more than the year in American dollars (i.e., $2015 in 2015), hence the name. The competition consists of an
autocross Autocross (also called "Solo", "Auto-x" or "Autoslalom") is a timed competition in which drivers navigate one at a time through a defined course on either a sealed or an unsealed surface. It is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe competition ...
competition, a quarter-mile (0.4 km)
dragstrip A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile (1320 feet, 402 m) is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile (201&n ...
time trial and a
concours d'elegance ''Concours d'Elegance'' ( French: ''concours d'élégance'') is a term of French origin that means a "competition of elegance" and refers to an event where prestigious vehicles are displayed and judged. It dates back to 17th-century France, whe ...
. A special points system determines the final rank of each entry based on its performance in each segment of the competition. Along with first-, second- and third-place trophies, other awards are distributed to deserving competitors, including "Most Spectacular Failure," "Challengers' Choice," and "Editors' Choice." The first Challenge event was held in 1999, before the staff instituted the "year as the budget" naming convention; the budget cap for cars in that event was $1500. According to the magazine's longtime art director, J.G. Pasterjak, the $1500 Challenge was intended to feature staff-built cars as a way to create editorial content for the magazine: "Well, originally it was supposed to be just a staff thing. Then readers got wind of it and wanted to come." The second Challenge event was held in 2001 with the budget cap set at $2001. The event then became annual, with the budget cap increasing by one dollar each year—the idea being to account for inflation. The $2015 Challenge overall winner was Andrew Nelson and his V8-powered
Volkswagen Beetle The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...
. Nelson and his family have been attending the event with their homebuilt creations for the past 11 years.


Ultimate Track Car Challenge

In 2007, Grassroots Motorsports added another competition to its lineup with the
Ultimate Track Car Challenge Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album) * ''Ultimate'' (Pet Shop Boys album) *''Ultimate!'', an album by The Yardbirds *''The Ultimate (Bryan Adams Album)'', a compilatio ...
. The goal of the UTCC is to discover the fastest track car in a field governed by minimal classifications. It has since become an annual event held every summer at
Virginia International Raceway Virginia International Raceway (commonly known as "VIR") is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan ...
. Thirty-six cars competed at the
Virginia International Raceway Virginia International Raceway (commonly known as "VIR") is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan ...
North Course in 2007. The overall winner was a
Dodge Viper The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer FCA US LLC from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. Production of the two ...
Competition coupe with pro driver
Tommy Archer Tommy Archer (born November 16, 1954) is an American professional racing driver. He has competed in International Motor Sports Association, Sports Car Club of America, Trans-Am Series, 24 Hours of Le Mans and National Association for Stock Car Aut ...
at the wheel. In 2008, the event moved to
Buttonwillow Raceway Park Buttonwillow Raceway Park is a motorsports park in Kern County, California, north of the town of Buttonwillow and northwest of Bakersfield. Opened in 1995, it is owned and operated by the California Sports Car Club, a region of SCCA, Buttonw ...
, and Bart Carter took first place overall in his
Radical SR8 The Radical SR8 is a British sports car made by Radical Sportscars. Dominic Dobson drove one to victory in the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Michael Vergers held the all-time lap record of the Nordschleife circuit on the Nürburgr ...
. In 2009, the event was held at the
Virginia International Raceway Virginia International Raceway (commonly known as "VIR") is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan ...
Full Course;
Marc Goossens Marc Goossens, nicknamed The Goose (born 30 November 1969), is a Belgian professional racing driver that currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving the No. 14 Chevrolet Camaro for SpeedHouse in the EuroNASCAR PRO class. Ra ...
beat out a field of more than 50 cars to take the overall win in his
Riley Technologies Riley Technologies LLC is an American auto racing constructor and team specializing in the design and manufacture of complete race cars, as well as prototype development for racing and manufacturing applications. In 2001, Bob Riley and son Bill, ...
Track Day Car. Tire Rack has since signed on as the title sponsor, and the Tire Rack Ultimate Track Car Challenge will once again be held in May 2016 as a part of the Hyperfest weekend at Virginia International Raceway.


Internet Forum

The Grassroots Motorsports online forum is a section of the magazine's official website. Discussion is allowed on almost any topic, automotive or not. Forum members use the boards to ask car-related questions, post build threads to track their progress on a project car, organize user gatherings, and share information about events. Magazine staff moderate and actively participate. Users must complete an online registration and create a username to post to the forum. Users gain "Dork" status as their post count rises. Users with several thousand posts are not rare, and it typically takes them less than a year to build reach several thousand posts. {, class="wikitable" , - ! Status !! Post Count , - , New Reader , , 0 , - , Reader , , 100 , - , Half Dork , , 500 , - , Dork , , 1000 , - , Super Dork , , 2000 , - , Ultra Dork , , 3000 , - , Uber Dork , , 4000 , - , Power Dork , , 5000 , - , UltimaDork , , 7000 , - , MegaDork , , 10,000 Two of the most popular threads in the history of the forum have unlikely titles: "Ignore" and "Can we please stop hotlinking pics?" They have reached 300+ pages of posts by regular and new users alike. As of March 2016, the "hotlinking" thread had 76527 posts spanning 3062 pages.


Message Board Memes

Several initialisms are frequently used in place of common phrases: * SWMBO: "She Who Must Be Obeyed," meaning a female significant other. * NMNA: "Not Mine, No Affiliation," typically posted in the "For Sale" section alongside a link to an item for sale (usually a car on
Craigslist Craigslist (stylized as craigslist) is an American classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, for sale, items wanted, services, community service, Gig worker, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums. Craig Newmark ...
) that may be of interest to the community but is not being sold by the poster. Several words are automatically filtered to keep the forum family-friendly. They are replaced with unorthodox alternatives as follows: *
E36 M3 The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series, developed by BMW's in-house motorsport division, BMW M GmbH. M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986. The initial model ...
: the "S" word. * Berkeley: the "F" word. *
Bob Costas Robert Quinlan Costas (born March 22, 1952) is an American sportscaster who is known for his long tenure with NBC Sports, from 1980 through 2019. He has received 28 Emmy awards for his work and was the prime-time host of 12 Olympic Games from 19 ...
: the "P" word in the context of the female anatomy. * Shiny Happy Person: the "A" word. Forum members have also developed the following slang terms/phrases: * Canoe: a label for spam posts inserted by bots or other non-regular posting methods. * Flounder: a person or post that includes political rhetoric but doesn't necessarily add to the thread or topic. Based loosely on the National Lampoon Animal House character. * "Yeah, but do all the pixels work?": a response intended to derail threads asking "Should I buy this car?" In reference to the readout panels of BMWs from the 1990s and early 2000s (decade) famous for losing pixels as they age.


External links


Official Site

$20XX GRM Challenge Information

GRM Project Cars

GRM Ultimate Track Car Challenge Site


References

Auto racing magazines Automobile magazines published in the United States Sports magazines published in the United States Eight times annually magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1984 Magazines published in Florida Motorcycle magazines published in the United States 1984 establishments in Florida