More Smash: Can You Really Have Too Many Pumpkins Pics?

By now you've seen sexy Murilee's mondo-gallery of extra Pumpkin Smash pinups. Well, here's mine. The difference? Murilee has a $20 camera that fits in his pocket while I have a huge rig costing over a grand. And his photos look better. That's an art school education for you. Real quick: all pit shots are pre-race. Yes, I said pre-race. Enjoy (by jumping). More »

Drive Your Camaro Over Some Pumpkins At Altamont!

After our crypto-live-blogtastic coverage from Altamont Saturday, we've now taken the time to prepare a couple of über-galleries of the Pumpkin Smash enduro race. We've got track shots, crowd shots, pit shots, and more. Jump like a Ford Escort getting bounced into a stalled Camaro for the gallery. More »

What's Your Favorite Race?

With Pumpkins and the DARPA Grand Challenge this past weekend, 24 Hours of LeMons last weekend, the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion the weekend before that and the addition of Girl on Race Cars, El Jalop has had racing on the brain as of late. As we should. As Hottie Martin, Plymsole and myself kept saying to each other at the Pumpkin Smash, "This is the heart of America." And as every other person in the stands was quick to point, "Way better than NASCAR." Actually, if you think about it, Pumpkins is nothing but a bizarro version of NASCAR, what with all the Monte Carlos running around the track. Though at the Pumpkin Smash there is a major accident every quarter of a lap, as opposed to whatever the accident rate is at NASCAR events. Plus Mohawks. As such, I'm voting for the Pumpkin Smash as my favorite race, just as Bumbeck jealously predicted. You?

Check Out How Hot Murilee Is

We just had to post this one. While you all saw that yeah, sure, Mr. Martin is indeed a man, not everyone buys into that theory. We snapped this one at the Altamont Pumpkin Smash — for the ladies. Why yes little miss thang, that is the timeless Hawaiian shirt/fedora wild and crazy guy combo. Ray-Ban Wayfarers, too. Oh, and for you car geeks there appears to be some sort of cherry Plymouth Belvedere with dual pipes and a 360 towing a trailer. But, we'd rather talk about Murilee. Really? You'd rather talk cars? Fine, then make the jump... More »

Front-Drive Traction Fails The Escort... Again

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Pumpkin Smash Carnage!

Oh man, it's getting ugly out here. We saw at least two cars head down the main straight — backwards! Plenty of pumpkins are on the track, and not just the kind that grow in the ground. Somehow the amazing Escort is still alive, even though the other drivers are actively trying to kill it. Godspeed, crappy Ford global platform front-drivin' four-banger. Let me stress just how insane these hoons are. Get close to the track you see nothing but a cloud of smoke and then suddenly a '74 Charger, an '81 Thunderbird and a '75 Caddy come blasting out of the dirt. We love this! OK, they just lifted the red flag. Here we go! More »

30 Second-Gen Camaros and an Escort!

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Punk Rockin' the Pumpkin Smash

Murilee and I are here — LIVE! — uh, "blogging" the annual Pumpkin Smash at Altamont. Just cause the Hell's Angels got it so wrong don't mean Jalopnik will. OK, we got 60 or so mostly Monte Carlos and 2nd-Gen Camaros are racing around on Pumpkins! Seriously my friends, there is nothing not to absolutely love. The cars are on their showoff lap right now, and the race is just minutes away from starting. Oh hell yeah, we just watched a '74 Eldorado do a front wheel burnout on a pumpkin. Who new heaven would be so loud? More in a bit. [Update: The Eldo just t-boned a bitchin' Camaro! Luckily, our dad has tools.] More »

Welcome To Pumpkin Smash!

I'm here at Altamont Motorsports Park for the second weekend in a row, this time covering the Pumpkin Smash Enduro race for your metal-crunching, Detroit-V8-powered enjoyment! The Loverman has rolled up in his gleaming new Lexus, and we're meeting up in Belvedere Adrian's Serro Scotty trailer for beer and sausages prior to some all-American racin' action! More »