The orgranizer, Jay Lamm, has a rather interesting sense of humor. Our team competed in the Detroit Race last year at Flat Rock and got 3rd in a field of about 45. We then went to the Thunderhill event over Christmas break (5 guys in a Durango for 51 hours straight). There we took 2nd in a field of 72.
The "People's Curse" is Jay's way of enforcing something like GP, but he uses the opposite technique that FIRST does. While FIRST rewards and honors GP, The "People's Curse" is a ballot system where every team gets 1 vote, and everyone's least favorite team is likely to get destroyed. Here is a video from Thunderhill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Capsecb11QA
These guys were by far the most aggressive driver's on the track. Since they "won" the curse you might say they were a little too aggressive. Besides bad driving, blatant disregard for the $500 rule may also get you the curse. Show up in a $20,000 racecar and be prepared to be dismantled. (A BMW was dismantled in South Carolina).
Oh, and the NASA license they refer to is actually an amatuer racing association not the space guys. Though I am sure Lavery could convince them that professional Rover driving should count as a competitive license. (I am pretty sure that the Mars Rover would not be eligible due to numerous violations of rule 2.1 though).