Jalopnik: Pumpkin Smash

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

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:00:00 EDT

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).

Drive Your Camaro Over Some Pumpkins At Altamont!

Murilee Martin — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:00:00 EDT

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.

What's Your Favorite Race?

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:15:00 EDT

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

Jonny Lieberman — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:30:00 EDT

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...

Here's another portrait. The light was fantastic just prior to the start of the Smash so we tried to get as much shot as possible. That's a father and son team out of Modesto with ~~a ringer~~ the sweetest sounding car there. It's hard to beat a 350 Chevy, sonically speaking.

Front-Drive Traction Fails The Escort... Again

Murilee Martin — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:15:00 EDT

Much as we're rooting for the front-drive underdog in the Pumpkin Smash enduro, this Escort has some handling issue in addition to its inability to take Monte Carlo-style punishment. Jonny caught some nice stills of the most recent mishap, and here's the video for y'all. At the moment, we're on a break from the racing action while the kids have a costume contest; looks like a kid dressed as Dale Senior is the crowd favorite.

Pumpkin Smash Carnage!

Jonny Lieberman — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 22:00:00 EDT

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!

30 Second-Gen Camaros and an Escort!

Murilee Martin — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:15:11 EDT

Most of the cars here in the Altamont Pumpkin Smash- which features smashed pumpkins all over the track, not to mention soapy water- are 2nd-gen GM F-bodies and mid-70s Monte Carlos, but we've got a couple of Cadillacs, a pink '76 T-Bird, and a lone Ford Escort. Survive, little Escort, survive!

Punk Rockin' the Pumpkin Smash

Jonny Lieberman — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:15:00 EDT

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.]

Welcome To Pumpkin Smash!

Murilee Martin — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 20:30:28 EDT

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!

Here's the interior of the luxurious Serro Scotty, where Adrian and Jonny are partaking of refreshments prior to heading out to the track.