Everything is set for the 5th Annual Motor State Challenge! All of the info is posted below. Register for the event below. The Motor State Challenge is an Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational (OUSCI) qualifier event.
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Click For The Motor State Challenge Full Rules
Fairfield Inn and Suites/Surfari Joe's Water Park, Exit 41 off I-94 at Watervliet, Michigan. Call 269-463-7946 today as rooms are limited. Tell them you are with the Motor State Challenge Pro-Touring Group. Room rates include passes to the Water Park attractions.
1:00 PM - Check-In Opens (Lane Automotive Customer Pick Up Area).
1:30 PM to 3:30 PM - Motor State Facility Tours, 8300 Lane Dr. near Exit 41 at intersection of M-140 and I-94, Meet and Greet.
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM - Drivers/Participant Meeting (Motor State Training Room).
5:30 PM - Cruise Departs (approx. 40-50 miles).
6:30 PM to ? - Cookout/Drive-In Movie (weather permitting) at 5-Mile Drive-In Theater in Dowagiac, MI.
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM - MSC/SCCA Staff Meeting
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM - All Day Event at GingerMan Raceway Road Course in South Haven, Michigan. Drivers will be divided into groups, based on experience. Novice drivers will keep speeds to a prudent rate. Experienced and Professional drivers will be able to run the course at a faster pace, but will still be expected to keep safety at the forefront. All drivers and passengers will be required to wear a SNELL 2005 (or later) rated helmet. There will be absolutely NO fender to fender racing allowed on the course.
Convertibles are welcome to participate in the Motor State Challenge however, if competing for times and qualifying for the OUSCI, you will be required to have a roll bar and proper safety restraint equipment. Convertibles without this equipment will still be allowed to run on the road course and autocross but will be held to a slower speed for safety reasons.
7:30 AM to 8:00 AM - MSC/SCCA Staff Meeting
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM - Registration, Drivers Meeting, and Course Walk
9:30 AM - First Car on Autocross
Competition will begin at 9:30 and continue until 4:00. Awards for the event will be handed out at the conclusion of the Autocross event. Motor State's Relay for Life team has offered to do a cookout on Saturday during the autocross. They will grill hamburgers, hot dogs, and provide chips, cookies, and drinks for a donation to the charity.
Join us for three days filled with good times, good friends and the chance to experience the technological creativity and excitement that defines Pro-Touring. Due to the nature of this event, participation registrations will be limited. In order to secure a spot, please register as soon as possible. All events will run, rain or shine.
Thursday - Cruise, T-Shirt, Cookout, and Drive-In Movie - $30
Friday - Gingerman Track Day - $125
Saturday - Autocross - $40
Complete Event Pass - $150.00
You can choose the events you'd like to participate in or register for a full event participation pass.
2012 Motor State Challenge Photo Galleries Added!
The 2012 Motor State Challenge welcomed over 108 participants to the event this year, topping last year's record 87 entries. Some of the top Pro-Touring cars in the country were on-site and ready to participate throughout the weekend. The event kicked off Friday afternoon at Lane Automotive/Motor State Distributing with driver check-ins and a meeting detailing the weekend events. At 4:15 PM, 83 cars departed the facility's parking lot led by a talented group of Berrien County Sheriff Motorcycle Brigade Deputies. The 40-mile cruise went through rolling country hillsides, along the coast of beautiful Lake Michigan, and ended at scenic Warren Dunes State Park, where everyone enjoyed a beach party cookout.
A full day of road course time trials was on the schedule for Saturday at the GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan. Over 95 cars were on the grounds to compete. Blue sky and sun had the temperatures in the 90's making for warm, but beautiful track conditions. Due to drought conditions, a grass fire started simply by a participant running off-course a bit in one of the afternoon sessions. The fire was quickly extinguished and time trials resumed. After several hours of fun on the roadcourse, Saturday's event wrapped up right around 5:30, just before some desperately needed rain showers moved in.
Competitors were up bright and early Sunday morning for full day of autocross at the Lake Michigan College parking lot. Nearly 70 cars remained in competition for the Motor State Challenge Championship. Each group ran three timed laps in the morning session and another three in the afternoon. When the final times and points were tallied, Championship Awards were presented to the following participants.
Brian Finch - Champion - Vintage Class
Danny Popp - Champion - Late Model Class
Ryan Mathews - Champion - Manufacturer Class
The Motor State Challenge is also proud to be an Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational Qualifier. Jimi Day of FM3 Performance Marketing was on-hand participating in the Motor State Challenge and was able to personally award the prestigious qualifying position to this year's winner. Ron Schwarz of Maryland, with his 1966 home-built Mustang, was the Motor State Challenge, Optima Qualifier winner. Congratulations Ron!
Click For All Participants Times/Info (29k PDF)
Congratulations to the following award recipients!
Champion - Brian Finch, 25 Points
2nd Place - Randy Johnson, 15 Points
3rd Place - Chris Jacobs, 13 Points
Fastest Roadcourse Lap - Mark Stielow, 01:30.7
Fastest Autocross Lap - Brian Finch, 38.1
Champion - Danny Popp, 18 Points
2nd Place - Todd Rumpke, 18 Points
3rd Place - Tj Bain, 15 Points
Fastest Roadcourse Lap - Danny Popp, 01:28.1
Fastest Autocross Lap - Danny Popp, 36
1st Place - Ryan Mathews - Detroit Speed and Engineering, 23 Points
2nd Place - Kyle Tucker - Detroit Speed and Engineering, 21 Points
3rd Place - Tom McBride - Ride Tech, 13 Points
Long Distance Award - Troy Borgen, 2100 Miles (Corona, CA)
People's Choice Award - Billy Utley
Spirit Award - Tony Ramos
Todd Gartshore Memorial Award - Donny and Angela Freise
2011 Motor State Challenge Results (22k PDF)
