For all those who have heard me go on and on about LeMons racing...here is why:

http://blog.caranddriver.com/24-hours-of-lemons-detroit-winners/

Where else can a stock b230F and drunken-sailor suspension be competitive?

I crewed for a rookie team at this race running a VR6 Golf and they did not believe me that car was basically stock running gear (a swapped in 4.10 rear end welded was the only performance mod). This team's best lap was identical to the Golf and they were second in laps overall. their spread of lap times under green was 1:46-1:51...almost unheard of.

How did they do it? Good drivers that stayed on the course, got no black flags and the car did not break down. They are a veteran team with good consistent drivers that know the car well (I have seen them now at three races). As a team with many races under their belt they are capable of running sessions as long as their fuel holds out which is about 3 hours. Their pit stops averaged 15 minutes including fueling, driver change, and the 8-9 minute drive through the pits at 10 mph.

Once my Saturn is on the course and runs both remaining races in the region this year, the 1990 244 dog car is to be converted (hopefully). In true LeMons fashion I have decided to keep it street legal (and smogged!) so I will merely be gutting the interior, adding the cage and safety equipment but little else (unless I can find a 4.10). I do plan to add a trailer hitch though so I can tow the Saturn to the races with the 244 racecar...that should earn points with the judges.

The intent, as mentioned in an earlier post, is to make the AW70 equipped 244 a Veteran amputee team car. Using my wife's work contacts we hope to get all the drivers' expenses (entry fees, personal safety gear, fuel costs) covered by donations from veterans support groups but I do plan to front the car build costs myself.

The 240 is the one of the top 3 most reliable cars in LeMons but that should surprise no one here.

I have always been too much of a lone wolf to participate in such a team event, but I have had numerous 240s that would have been perfect. Looks like a lot of fun!

As JohnMc pointed out, it is also a testament to the 240 being a near perfect balance between tough and drivable (and cheap).

Good luck, Michael!

"I have always been too much of a lone wolf to participate in such a team event"

I am not too much of a lone wolf to participate but I am having trouble being the team captain since I am a bit of a recluse and still relatively new to the area. Finding team mates in gonna be hard...really hard.

For the first race I actually plan to crib other drivers for the entry then offer a really cheap seats to locals who are considering joining the team (eat the build costs). Hopefully can have a full team for the second race or start offering arrive-and-drive seats at a price that offsets my consumable costs.

So far I have found the former car owner's "teammates" to be a bunch of flakes so I am not sure he had any better chance than I did. Right now I have a one semi-confirmed driver, a crew chief and me (owner/driver/mechanic/artist/cook/toilet scrubber).

Of course the cheering section is packed full with our Bernese, Catahoula, Pyreneese (mix) and my wife...most of which will be coming to the first race at least for while. The cats have voted to stay home and watch the coverage on various blogs.

There are a couple of guys that do that over on Turbobricks.

It seems as though the 240 Volvo is (by some slight margin) pretty much perfectly suited for LeMons style racing. There are faster cars, but they aren't tough enough. There are tougher cars, but they're not fast enough. There are even (I'd guess) cars that actually are tougher and faster, but won't ever be found for $500 (even with all the creative rule bending/bribing).
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'63 PV544 rat rod, '93 Classic #1141 245 (now w/16V turbo)

Also helpful are two things few people think about:

Like a Dodge Slant 6 with a 2-barrel carb, 240's run badly better than almost any car so even if you do not have everything right (or something breaks), you can still finish the race.

Parts comminality...30 years of junk yard parts tha may or may not fit you car without hammering.

Uncle Onkel Udo II,

This is so AWESOME!!!!!

You are so waaaaaaay braver than me.

Why I drive like a little old man in what others used to call my little old man car (a Volvo 240).

Please keep it up and post the events and outcomes!

MacDuff's
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I'm duffed.

"You are so waaaaaaay braver than me."

Not so much. The safety cage, 5 point harness, helmet and fire suit make you so much safer than being in a normal car. The rules are very strict about body contact and driving like an idiot.

The teams that do well, but rarely well enough to win, are those that drive steady and within limits of their car and their driving skill. The goal in race one (June at Joilet) is just to start and finish the race with hopefully no mechanical issues. For Road America in October we will try to go faster but have, again, no hopes or plans of winning.

LeMons is one part carnival/spectacle, two parts racing and a gazillion parts having fun and occassionally drink beer with like-minded folks. Some teams take it much more seriously but the majority have this mindset. Just being ont he crew last weekend was some of the most fun I have had in years.