The 24 Hours of Lemons, founded by author/publisher Jay Lamm (self-proclaimed “Chief Perp”), began in 2006 as an evolution of a previous event in San Francisco, California, the Double 500, which was a 500-kilometer road rally for $500 vehicles. [2] [3] After several annual Double 500s, the organizers deemed the event too easy, so the 24 Hours of Lemons endurance race was born. 3.1.3 Driver Meetings. All drivers must attend the drivers` meeting before the first (and sometimes second) day of the race. 3.5.1.1 Specifications for roll bar pipes and spreading plates The minimum pipe size for cars weighing less than 3000 pounds is 1.50″ x 0.120″ or 1.75″ x 0.095″. Cars weighing more than 3000 pounds must use a minimum pipe size of 1.75″ x 0.120″. Properly curved, race car-compatible and high-quality pipes are mandatory: no stretched or crushed curves are allowed. DOM structural steel is highly recommended compared to regrais pipes (fringed). All dispersion plates must be made of mild steel, be at least 24 square inches in size and at least 0.125 inches thick. Consider carrying with you things that keep you alive, such as food, more water than you deem necessary, and changing clothes. Your toes will take the time to forgive you for running in tight running shoes for an entire weekend.
Be prepared for everything the weather forecast suggests as much as possible. Find out if you`re going to sleep hard or at night in the next Super 8. Coppa di Bondo: Out of your butt an hour before the award ceremony. 4.8 Residual value: Stupid enough to bring back the same battery for another race? Either redo the entire BS process (bring all your papers and evidence with you – we won`t remember your sad bag story last time) or email everything bag to get residual value. After the race, add clear images of the car and list all the important mechanical things that need to be repaired. 3.10.1 Windscreen. A robust and driver-protective windshield is required; if the glass, it must be of type OE. Genuine polycarbonate (also known as “Lexan”) or a strong, solid-mounted steel mesh is also acceptable.
Acrylic (also known as “Plexiglas”) and all other non-polycarbonate plastics are not allowed. All non-OE windshields must be thick and stretched enough to withstand a heavy object hitting the windshield at high speed. 3.8.4 Fuel Cell Installation. If you decide to install a fuel cell, it must be assembled and installed safely and professionally in a safe place where it will not be damaged by shock or ground resistance when the car leaves the track – in other words, not too far back and not too deep. All aftermarket fuel components must use appropriate threaded fittings and pipe types and include all appropriate racing car grade vents, valves and other safety devices. Fuel cell installations are evaluated on the basis of their overall design and apparent safety. 1.1 Decisions of the Organizers: The decisions of the Organizers are final. If you don`t like it, hard. Get your own ride.
Three men dressed in outfits approaching English lawyers serve as examiners for the claim that the car cost no more than $500. They require evidence, or at least a funny story. The fact that we are the junior university racing team of cars and drivers is not helpful. A judge reveals that he has already sold Alfas and that the brand`s C/D critics have made his life hell. The judges are also questioning our spare wheels. Apparently, no one has read the rules. We offer a mealy story on eBay and present a fake purchase agreement that doesn`t fool anyone, but we leave without punishment and don`t have to threaten Lamb with a scathing review of his strange little event. Things will break before you start loading your car onto the trailer. A rushed hood stroke broke our intake line and required a scrap yard tour.
Our makeshift fuel gauge (a multimeter connected to the fuel level sensor) ran out of batteries and didn`t tell us the car was empty. We burned a starter when we tried to maneuver it without gas and had to unplug the intake manifold twice to replace it. The rear brake pads and brake discs were metal-to-metal pads and needed to be replaced. A brake caliper refused to give way and was replaced. It goes without saying what broke during the race. The counterpoint to the curse of the people, “Choice of the organizers” (originally “People`s Choice”), is given to the team that best represents the friendly spirit of the race. 3.12.1 Speak in advance at Lemons HQ. For your electric car to qualify, you must consult With Lemons HQ before you begin manufacturing or submit a race entry.
1.4 Claim races: At the end of the contest, the organizers – and no one else, you lazy, the most car-seeking bastides – can choose to buy each vehicle from its owners for $500. In 80 races, we have won cars exactly twice. Don`t bother us so much that we increase this to three. On the green, run your brain. Green is usually only displayed at the beginning/end. This event also lasts 24 hours, but only 13 hours of racing – from 4pm to 10pm on Saturdays and from 9am to 4pm on Sundays. The car that performs the most laps wins. It is clear that it is a ruse to torture cars at the end of their lives to the delight of all. Who could resist? I stumbled upon the old path after a chance encounter with Rafi, the owner of a Cadillac Deville ready for the race.
It was successfully built and driven in Texas before changing hands for a paltry $1,100 – officially a $100 and $1,000 car in safety gear. With one foot in the door, I helped Rafi find additional riders to fill the mandatory minimum size of the team of four. As hard as it may be to believe, it took months to find just two more people to sign up for a lemon race. Former BMW Master Technician Rick and experienced SCCA racing driver Marcus completed our gallery of thugs. We have treated this task in the same way that we treat deadlines. Why do something smart in advance when you can wait until the last minute and do something really silly? Just four weeks before the race, an experienced 1995 Oldsmobile Aurora appeared on eBay with 175,315 miles and accidental damage. Most events last 14.5 hours, with sessions on Saturday and Sunday lasting between six and ten hours. As a rule, there is a full 24-hour endurance race every year. 6.0.1 Penalty Process: Penalties with black flag are always at the discretion of the race judges and are getting tougher and harder with the increasing number/severity.
Lemons has an entrance fee for your team that you have to split. $600 for one car, $195 for each driver and an additional $60 for a Lemons license – valid for one year. Camping and transponder rental cost $50 each. Car and transponder fees can be spread across large teams to save money, at the expense of paying for more driver or crew registrations. The approximate cost of all of the above was $550 per team member for us, regardless of the bribes to the judges, which are more important when you show up with such a mundane race car as a Miata or BMW. Expect to be over $600 in total. Assuming you have your car in order, the next hurdle is the safety equipment needed for the race. Helmet, boots, fire suit, gloves, underwear and neck chains. This is a place where you can share as much equipment as possible to save money, provided that your teammates do not take care of each other`s cooties, but there is a corner that can not be cut: the rules dictate that two appropriate team members take care of the refueling, so you will need two complete sets of equipment, that meet the specifications described by Lemons. And so the Aurora goes back to racing. A frontal realignment triggers part of the toe, and we walk for a few hours until a broken attachment rod throws Robinson into the tire wall. In the stands, Robinson, our “Mr.
Goodwrench” Dave Ferguson and the Angel Arc “fix” the tether rod. An hour later, the pull rod tears again. No one is ready to cry uncles, so we let the Arc Angel weld every piece of scrap we can find to keep the damn thing together. 3.1.2 General roadworthiness test. The technical inspection (also known as the “Lemons Safety Inspection”) is in no way a certification, assurance or guarantee that your old shitty vehicle is fit or safe to drive. Each team is solely responsible for the safety of its vehicle, its ability to race and compliance with The Lemons rules.
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