$2000 Challenge: The rare moment a Yugo is a good omen

David S.
By David S. Wallens
Sep 25, 2024 | $2000 Challenge, Yugo, Low-Buck Racing

Photography Credit: Mark Langello

The phone rang during lunch. It was Jonny Pruitt calling long distance from Texas: He planned to join us at the $1500 Challenge. The year was 1999. Suddenly, we realized, what was conceived as an editorial exercise represented more than that. 

[The origins of the $2000 Challenge]

True to his word, Jonny arrived in Florida. He brought his 1988 Yugo GVX–purchased for just $200–and joined a full house. We had fun, proved that racing didn’t take tons of cash, and decided to do it again, with that first event soon maturing into the $2000 Challenge.

Fast-forward to this year. Jonny was there again–along with others from that first year, including Bill Cuttitta, Cliff Sebring and Jeremy Randolph.


Photography Credit: David S. Wallens

Make your own low-buck memories at the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge Presented by Tire Rack, held March 29-30, 2025.

The $2000 Challenge is Presented by Tire Rack, in Association with HPX Show, BendPak, CRC Industries and Miller Electric.

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Comments
ddavidv
ddavidv UltimaDork
9/26/24 6:41 a.m.

I miss Yugos. So easy to make them into fun cars with a few Fiat parts.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
9/26/24 1:19 p.m.

Trying to remember the last time I saw one just driving around.

ddavidv
ddavidv UltimaDork
9/27/24 7:17 a.m.

I came across one in the junkyard recently and felt like Indiana Jones discovering the Holy Grail.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
9/27/24 9:17 a.m.

In reply to ddavidv :

GVX, by any chance?

ddavidv
ddavidv UltimaDork
9/28/24 8:31 a.m.

Heck no. If it were, I would have bought all the GVX bodywork.

Docwemple
Docwemple Dork
9/28/24 1:00 p.m.

They show up on FB regularly.  By the asking prices, you'd think they were a collectable classic.  And they're always in some form of decay and really low miles.

Docwemple
Docwemple Dork
9/28/24 1:02 p.m.
MadScientistMatt
MadScientistMatt UltimaDork
9/28/24 4:59 p.m.

My wife and I spotted this pristine Yugo at Serbfest Atlanta today.

ddavidv
ddavidv UltimaDork
9/29/24 8:21 a.m.

The history and 'weirdness' drive the prices up. They are a cultural phenomenon, sort of like the original Mini, but not with the fondness or cuteness. A collector friend of mine bought up a pretty substantial inventory of NOS parts a long time ago. He's got a half dozen quarter panels leaning against his garage wall, for example. 

Fun fact:  as these cars were 70% a copy of a Fiat (same tooling for the driveline), the Yugo parts book utilizes Fiat part numbers when the parts are the same. Makes finding replacement items much easier. They do have a few unique parts, like tie rod ends, that are probably difficult to source now. 

SV reX
SV reX MegaDork
9/29/24 8:35 a.m.

I'll just leave this here:

 

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