World Final
Join the excitement of the HPI Challenge World Final!
Main
HPI Challenge Page (All countries)
Rules | Printable Sign-Up Form
| List of Racers
Click
here for the online sign-up form
(you
must print it out and mail it to us)
Click here for the complete rules
Our South African race visitor will be coming from this club, check out the site!
Click
here for directions from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California
to the host hotel (Doubletree Hotel in Irvine)
Call (949) 471-8888 and say you
are with the HPI Racing group for discount rates.
For more specific maps, see below.
To get to the track
location from the 405 North:
Exit Irvine Center Drive (the last exit before merging with the 5 freeway)
At the stop light, turn left onto Irvine Center Drive
Turn right on Enterprise, and follow it all the way to the track at the
end of the parking lot
To get to the track
location from the 405 South or the 5 South:
Make sure to follow the signs for the 405 North freeway!
Exit Irvine Center Drive
Turn right on Enterprise, and follow it all the way to the track at the
end of the parking lot
To get to the track
location from the 5 North:
Exit Sand Canyon
Turn left onto Barranca Parkway
Turn right on Irvine Center Drive
Turn left on Enterprise, and follow it all the way to the track at the
end of the parking lot
To get to the Doubletree
Hotel from the 405 South:
Exit Irvine Center Drive
Turn left on Enterprise
Turn right on Irvine Center Drive
Turn left on Alton
Turn right on Pacifica, hotel is on the left after Gateway
To get to the Doubletree
Hotel from the 405 North:
Exit Irvine Center Drive
Turn left on Enterprise
Turn right on Irvine Center Drive
Turn left on Alton
Turn right on Pacifica, hotel is on the left after Gateway
To get to the Doubletree
Hotel from the 5 North:
Exit Sand Canyon
Turn right on Sand Canyon
Turn left on Barranca Parkway
Turn right on Pacifica, hotel is on the right
To get from the Doubletree
Hotel to the track location:
Turn right as you exit the parking lot
Turn left onto Alton
Turn right on Irvine Center Drive
Turn left on Enterprise, and follow it all the way to the track at the
end of the parking lot
We'll have classes for Nitro and Electric HPI cars, with giant trophies for the winners and prizes for every competitor. More than $5,000 in prizes will be given away!
The HPI Challenge races are, first and foremost, events that bring HPI car owners together for a FUN event. There will be competition and a few winners, but the top priority is to have a great time and meet fellow R/C enthusiasts.
Every racer will receive a free HPI hat and a free HPI Body. We are trying to encourage participants to enter our Box Stock nitro class, so everyone that enters that class will receive an extra body! We will also have a Concours event to highlight realistic looking paint jobs. Note: you can enter either one or two classes, but no matter how many classes you enter you will only receive one hat and one body (2 for Box Stock) for the weekend.
HPI Challenge World Finals - November 4-5, 2000!
We have signed a contract for November 4-5, 2000 at the Irvine Spectrum Center, located in Irvine, California. Irvine is located about 40 miles south of Los Angeles and the Irvine Spectrum Center is just a couple of minutes from the HPI USA headquarters at the intersection of the 5 and 405 freeways in central Orange County.
We have assurances from merchants in the Spectrum Center that we will have many gift certificates to award racers, plus coupons for game arcades and food, as well as displays of collectible diecast model cars, miniature motorcycles and gas-powered scooters! Plenty of food will be available for racers in the Spectrum Center, and the area is great for after-race celebrations and entertainment. The Spectrum Center has a 24-screen cinema, fast-food court, restaurants, 2 game arcades and even a virtual reality NASCAR driving simulator. Both game arcades (Gameworks and Dave and Buster's) and the driving simulator (NASCAR Silicon Motor Speedway) are helping sponsor the event! HPI products will also be on display in the main area of the center, where most of the pedestrian traffic flows through.
Displays from American Honda, Yokohama Tire and full-size car tuners will complete the experience, and we are hoping to have a small car show of import tuner cars on hand.
We will have at least 3 Japanese HPI racers and 6 European HPI racers, the winners of their respective Final races, visit to take on the best drivers in the US! Racers from other countries such as South Africa and Australia will be in attendance as well! The top ten racers from each class from the Japan and Europe Final races will also be invited. We will reserve spots for these racers, and also for a number of US racers who have raced at the various regional races that we've held so far this year. This means about 150-170 spots will be open for local racers, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Regardless, we will take a maximum of 200 entries, with each racer limited to 2 entries in separate classes.
Make your arrangements now!
We already have rooms reserved for racers at a nearby Doubletree hotel. Call (949) 471-8888 for reservations; let them know you will be with the HPI Racing group for discount rates of $79 a night from Friday to Sunday nights, and $129 a night for the rest of the week.
The awesome Irvine Spectrum Center is a mere two-minute drive away from both the HPI USA HQ and the hotel. After the races everyone can head over to the Spectrum for movies at the 21-screen cinema, food at several fast food and sit-down restaurants and shopping at tons of specialty stores.
CLASSES AVAILABLE
Please note that these are just general descriptions of the classes
- complete rules will be here soon.
RS4 Electric
Sport
– Any HPI electric car chassis using a motor with a minimum of 17 turns.
5 minute races and mains. Spec tire: our B15-40 tire (handed out at race).
Spec gearing will be enforced to make the racing as even as possible.
Single mains on Sunday.
RS4 Electric Pro - Any HPI electric car chassis using a motor with a minimum of 12 turns. 5 minute races and mains. Spec tire: our B15-40 (handed out at race). Spec gearing will be enforced to make the racing as even as possible. Triple A-Mains on Sunday!
RS4 Electric Rally – HPI electric Rally car chassis or converted HPI Touring Car chassis using a motor with a minimum of 17 turns. 5 minute races. Spec tire: our B15-40 (handed out at race). Must use Rally-length shocks, springs and shock shafts. Obstacles and jumps will be on the track for these races! Spec gearing will be enforced to make the racing as even as possible. Final results tallied by points based on run times (most laps/fastest time gets most points, etc., like WRC racing), all races IFMAR style qualifying. The winner of this class will win one of the first Super Nitro Rally kits off our US production line!
RS4 Electric Mini – Any HPI electric Mini-size car chassis using a motor with a minimum of 17 turns. 5 minute races and mains. Spec tire: Mini X-Pattern (handed out at race) Spec gearing will be enforced to make the racing as even as possible. Single mains on Sunday.
RS4 Nitro Stock - Any HPI RTR Nitro RS4, Nitro RS4, Nitro RS4 2 1/10 scale Nitro Touring Car chassis with NO option parts allowed. 5 minute races and mains (except A Main). Spec tire: our B15-40 (handed out at race). This is a very competitive class to race in! 10-minute A Main on Sunday.
RS4 Nitro Modified - Any HPI 1/10 scale Nitro Touring Car chassis with any option parts allowed. Any "small-block" engine allowed. 75cc HPI fuel tanks only. 5 minute races and mains (except A Main). Spec tire: our B15-40 (handed out at race). 20-minute A Main on Sunday.
RS4 Super Nitro Modified - Any HPI 1/10 scale Super-size Nitro Touring Car chassis with any option parts allowed. Any "small-block" engine allowed. 75cc HPI fuel tanks only. 5 minute races and mains (except A Main). Spec tire: to be determined (handed out at race). 20-minute A Main on Sunday.
RS4 Concours Challenge - The Concours Challenge will be held on SUNDAY after qualifying and before the main events. The winning body DOES NOT have to run in the main event. HPI wheels and tires must be used, other accessories (mirrors, windshield wipers, etc.) can be any brand or handmade. Lights, brake rotors, interior sets, etc., are encouraged! We will choose between 9-12 finalists, then a "top 3" selection and choose the winner from the top 3.
SPEC TIRE RULES:
The spec tire must be run on 26mm wide wheels for Mini and Touring Car
classes. We will provide each racer with the appropriate 26mm wide spec
tires for each class of racing at the track. You will need to provide
your own wheels and inserts (wheels and inserts do not need to be
made by HPI). The tire may not be modified in any way; the belt must remain
intact and no glue may be applied to the surface of the tire (in order
to reduce traction). The #4435 B15-40 tire is very easy to tech, works
fine and will be required for all Touring Car classes in the 2001 HPI
Challenge USA series. This is the same tire used by the HPI Challenge
Europe racers. They recommend at most three pairs: two with the #4678
soft round molded inserts and one pair with #4679 hard round molded inserts.
Other inserts can be used as well, including inserts from other companies.
This will cover nearly any traction condition that you can race in. We
have tested these tires in the heat on an outdoor asphalt track mounted
on a Nitro Racer 2 car, and they have performed great.
SPEC GEARING RULES FOR ELECTRIC CLASSES:
We will also introduce spec gearing for the first time in our electric
classes. The Sport, Pro, Rally and Mini classes will use a spur gear that
is no smaller than a specified size, and a pinion gear that is no larger
than a specified size. The appropriate size will vary according to the
class being run. This will in effect remove batteries from the worry
of the racer and place the skill of the driver in control of the race.
BODY RULES
These apply to all classes. No rollover (fiberglass or graphite) antennas.
All bodies must be cut along the bottom trim lines (the rear end cannot
be cut out - Acura NSX body must have bottom "box" retained
on rear end), the stock wing MUST be used (no aftermarket pan car wings,
etc.), and the roof must remain intact except for engine tuning, antenna,
fuel strap and glow plug igniter access holes (no convertible-type bodies).
The ONLY exception to this last rule is if you happen to win the Concours
Challenge and must run it for at least one race.
No aftermarket wings from other companies, and the wing that comes with the body being run must be used.
For all Nitro classes, the only additional body rule will be the size of the cooling hole in the windshield or front window. The front cooling hole must a single hole be NO LARGER than 50mm or 2 inches. Side windows and rear windows can be cut out, but the roof may not be cut out (like a convertible), except for 1/2 inch (13mm) holes for the antenna and/or glow plug igniter or engine adjustment access. No air outlet holes can be drilled into the rear end (except in the clear portion of the rear window).
Because the RS4 Nitro Stock (currently the Box Stock class) requires adding NO extra parts to the car, items like foam bumpers, 2 speeds and RRP 32-pitch gears are out of the question. In the Open class, these option parts are allowed freely, since any manufacturer's option parts are still allowed.
UNIQUE RACING FORMAT!
During the two days of racing, we will have four qualifying heats,
three on Saturday, November 4, and another on Sunday morning, November
5. After the second qualifier we should have a reshuffle to put the
faster racers in the final two heats together so they can improve
their times. After the fourth and final qualifier we will start the finals.
See the separate class descriptions above for A-Main descriptions.
Practice will be open Friday afternoon and until 9 AM the day of racing. Racing will begin at 9:30 AM on Saturday and conclude by 7 PM (lights will be provided).
OTHER INFORMATION
We are planning on a huge track, plenty of pit space and parking, AC power,
sinks for washing up, concessions, full-size car displays, gift certificates
from Irvine Spectrum retailers and our other major sponsors and much more!
YOU STILL GET LOTS OF FREE STUFF!
Yes, we'll still be giving kits and huge trophies away to the winners
of each class, top three in all classes will get plaques commemorating
their success, and the top ten in each class (A Main) will get plaques
as well.
Every racer will get a free HPI body and hat or T-shirt, and the RS4 Nitro Stock racers will get an additional free body for racing. (Only registered racers who show up and race will get the giveaway items.)
Entry fees for the all classes will be $25 (US funds) and include four spec tires. No discounts for multiple entries, and each racer is limited to two classes total. This will allow the maximum number of racers while giving those racers who want to run multiple classes the opportunity to do so.
Do you want to see what last year's World Final was like? Click here.