The Real Street Eliminator XV

New Location, New Rules, and a New Twist

One of the most recognized features in Car Craft's recent history is the Real Street Eliminator program. Since it was introduced in the mid '80s, the idea of RSE has been to find the ultimate street machine, the one that does it all without compromise--from burning down the strip to carving corners to commuting. To use an already overused term, it's a test to find the best real-world high-performance car out there, at least as it applies to the world of Car Craft.

Regular readers know that the competition was a big deal around here for about a decade. Then it disappeared for a time before being resurrected in 2002. The return of RSE brought some changes, most notably, the lack of a standardized tire and driver.

Contestants were allowed to pilot their own vehicles, and tire choices were limited only for the autocross portion, and then only to a DOT design; drag competition was wide open, permitting full-on slicks if the competitor so desired. We ran the drags, an autocross, and a ride-and-drive, and we had subjective judging to score the build quality of the cars. In 2002, we factored the scoring to reflect each competitor's relative position in each category, while in 2003 we opted to use a more standardized ranking for scoring. As was the case in the past, entries were solicited from the readership, and the staff hand-picked the best.

For 2005, we're making some changes. Since we feel RSE is the ultimate poseur filter for the Pro Touring genre, and since the past two events have proven that it remains popular with readers and participants alike, we're forging ahead with a revised format and a new location. This is our opportunity to fine-tune the structure of the event and to make it even more accessible to readers. It's your opportunity to get involved, even if you have no intention of competing.

Vote or Die
The big news and biggest change for 2005 is that you, the lucky reader, will be selecting the vehicles for the Real Street competition. Yep, no more bitching--it's up to you now. Step one is to send in your entries, and that means now. So fill out the form below and get it printed and mailed. All entries must be in by April 1, 2005, so we can proceed to Step two. We'll bring you the finalists in the August '05 issue, which should hit newsstands around June 21. That's when you'll have the opportunity to vote from a field of about 20 cars. We'll weed out the noncompetitive stuff, and from there, it's up to you guys. But you'll have to do your voting online--given the time frame, we can't wait for mail-in votes, and doing it on the Web site is just easier. You'll have until July 22 to cast your votes. Finally, we'll present the winners--seven of them--also online. The next time you see them will be in the event coverage. Now that we have a Web editor, you can expect to see additional info on our site, and probably even event photos immediately following the competition.

Keeping Score
Speaking of the competition, we alluded to making some scoring changes. The basic premise remains the same, but the way we'll rate the various aspects of the competition is altered, and the weights are skewed slightly from previous RSEs. Cars will be scored in ranking order, so broad variations in performance for each category will not automatically result in vast accumulation of points for First Place finishers. This is intended to keep the competition tight throughout the event.

As in previous events, the competition will be split into an empirically scored driving competition and a subjectively judged portion. The driving event will include a dragstrip session, an autocross session, and a braking test. Car owners will be expected to drive themselves or to provide a driver. Failure to complete any portion of the event will result in a score of zero for that portion.

Drag
During the dragstrip session, drivers will be allotted 10 passes, which will have to be made within the prescribed time period announced at the event. It is not required that 10 passes be made. Your best e.t. will be used for scoring. In the event of a tie, the First Place finisher will be determined based on fastest trap speed. All vehicles must run a DOT tire, which includes drag radials and street-legal sticky tires like an M/T E/T Street. Use of nitrous-oxide injection is permitted and encouraged. Vehicles must retain all body panels and full interior.

Autocross
Drivers will be allotted 10 passes through the course, which must be made during the prescribed period announced at the event. It is not required that 10 passes be made. Best time through the course will be used for scoring. In the event of a tie, second-best passes will be compared. Displacing or upsetting a cone will result in a time penalty. All vehicles must run DOT tires, and the use of a nitrous-oxide injection system is not permitted.

Braking
A standardized braking test from 60-0 mph will be held using electronic test equipment. Car owners will be expected to drive or provide a driver. One practice run will be allowed before the allotted five official attempts, which must be performed during the prescribed period announced at the event. Shortest stopping distance will be used for scoring.

Ride & Drive
All competitors will participate in a road tour covering approximately 100 miles. Competitors will drive their own vehicles while each judge rides as a passenger for a segment of the tour to score each vehicle in the following sub-categories. The judge's scores will be averaged together to determine final score for this portion of the competition.
Comfort: This sub-category includes seating comfort, ease of entry and egress, the number and quality of interior amenities, and the level of interior noise from the engine, driveline, road, and wind.
Driveability: This is a rating of the ease with which each vehicle can be operated, as determined from a passenger's point of view. The temperaments of the engine and transmission factor in, as does the level of ride quality.
Reliability: This will be a measure of how consistently each vehicle performs on the road. Any issues with overheating, electrical charging, starting, and the like will be factored. Any breakdowns during this event will be considered a Did Not Finish (DNF), and the competitor will have to take zero points for the Ride & Drive.

Judging
A subjective show judging will be held during a prescribed period of the event. At this time, vehicles will be expected to be clean and detailed (time will be allotted for this), and owners/builders will need to be with their vehicles to answer judges' questions. The scoring will be based on the following sub-categories.
Engineering: Scores in this sub-category will be based on ingenuity of design and build, and a "form versus function" factor, meaning that a vehicle fitted with lots of expensive gear that doesn't operate cohesively as a package will score lower than a more basically equipped vehicle that does; big dollars will not equal high scores in this area.
Show 'n' Shine: This will be a basic show judging using craftsmanship of the build (paint finish, panel alignment, and so on) and curb appeal (stance, color combination, wheel/tire selection and fitment, and so on) to determine scoring.
Price: Judges will each estimate how much it would cost to replicate your vehicle. These estimates will be averaged together and then placed in ranking order, with cheapest coming in first. Note that this sub-category will only be worth half as many points as the others.

Enter Now!
So this is your chance. If you think your car should be part of the event, fill out the accompanying entry form below and send it with some photos of your car. If you've entered the RSE before but were not selected for the competition, try again--the only ones restricted from entering are former competitors, unless they're entering a different vehicle. And by the way, if you Mopar guys want to be represented you need to enter! The only Penta-power entry we've received in the past two events was a '76 Cordoba with a shackle kit and 15-inch Hurricane wheels. We know there are competitive Chrysler products out there so let's get on it, gentlemen. Hell, we had an AMC Spirit in the deal last year. How biased could we be?

If you're interested, you need to act now, because all entries must be in by April 1, 2005, and all voting will be handled online. Remember, we're publishing the pictures and specs of the proposed participants--about 20 of them--in the Aug. '05 issue of Car Craft, then you guys will need to make your picks at carcraft.com by July 22.