Jalopnik
24 hours of lemons altamont
Posts Tagged “
Altamont
”
24 hours of lemons altamont
Just received the following text message from Murilee: "[Team Black Metal V8olvo has] gone from 44th place to 19th so far today." Continue following the team's progress along with all our coverage here.
24 hours of lemons altamont
While Murilee and the rest of Team V8olvo musters on with thoughts still on yesterday's tragedy at the 24 Hours of Lemons race at Altamont, we here at the Jalopnik Detroit bureau are lending a helping hand with coverage. We've just received news from the Gulf 39 team on the identity of their teammate behind the wheel of the Volvo 242 Turbo along with a little more detail on the preliminary on-scene investigation by the California Highway Patrol. We'd indicated to the team we only wanted to know the name after they'd had the opportunity to notify family, so although we're assuming that's been done already, we still wanted to make sure to include the name after the fold of this post to make certain it's been taken care of already. With that in mind — the short, but full, e-mail after the jump.
More »
Details, Driver Name Emerge In Tragic Altamont LeMons Crash
While Murilee and the rest of Team V8olvo musters on with thoughts still on yesterday's tragedy at the 24 Hours of Lemons race at Altamont, we here at the Jalopnik Detroit bureau are lending a helping hand with coverage. We've just received news from the Gulf 39 team on the identity of their teammate behind the wheel of the Volvo 242 Turbo along with a little more detail on the preliminary on-scene investigation by the California Highway Patrol. We'd indicated to the team we only wanted to know the name after they'd had the opportunity to notify family, so although we're assuming that's been done already, we still wanted to make sure to include the name after the fold of this post to make certain it's been taken care of already. With that in mind — the short, but full, e-mail after the jump.
More »
24 hours of lemons altamont
We all saw the report from Murilee just under an hour ago, and now we're hearing from numerous sources that the 24 Hours of LeMons race has taken a tragic turn. Our sources tell us the driver of the Volvo 242 Turbo in Gulf Oil colors (pictured above before the race, and below from the Thunderhill LeMons race last year) has died. We're waiting on more as we hear it from team V8olvo as well as others at the Altamont 24 Hours of LeMons. If this news ends up being true, our prayers, thoughts and well-wishes go out to the family, friends and teammates. All we do know for sure is that racing has been halted for the day and will supposedly resume again tomorrow. Although if it is true, that may just be wishful thinking. Updated below the jump — and with new photos below thanks to Mark Pitts.
MOST RECENT UPDATE: 01:27 PM EST - 05/11/2008
More »
Tragic Death Reported At Altamont 24 Hours of LeMons Race
We all saw the report from Murilee just under an hour ago, and now we're hearing from numerous sources that the 24 Hours of LeMons race has taken a tragic turn. Our sources tell us the driver of the Volvo 242 Turbo in Gulf Oil colors (pictured above before the race, and below from the Thunderhill LeMons race last year) has died. We're waiting on more as we hear it from team V8olvo as well as others at the Altamont 24 Hours of LeMons. If this news ends up being true, our prayers, thoughts and well-wishes go out to the family, friends and teammates. All we do know for sure is that racing has been halted for the day and will supposedly resume again tomorrow. Although if it is true, that may just be wishful thinking. Updated below the jump — and with new photos below thanks to Mark Pitts.MOST RECENT UPDATE: 01:27 PM EST - 05/11/2008
More »
racing
The LeMons People's Curse Award: Doomed 7-Series
One of the traditions of the 24 Hours of LeMons race is the People's Curse award, in which participants vote for their least favorite car. The "winner" of this vote is then destroyed early in Day Two, and let that be a lesson to jerky drivers and/or cheating teams who spend far over the $500 limit on their cars! At the Altamont LeMons race a couple weeks back, the People's Curse award was bestowed upon this silver '97 BMW 7-series. The story was that the car was abandoned at the Orange County BMW dealership at which Poly Orchid Racing team members were employed, and was thus free. However, much grumbling ensued from members of teams who weren't able to obtain free V8-powered German übermobiles, with the results you see here.More »
racing
The Alfetta That Deserved To Win LeMons
While there was no shortage of underdog cars to root for at the 24 Hours of LeMons race at Altamont, cold reality made it clear that none of the Detroit battleships, Tercel wagons, or even the Jag XJ had any chance in hell of beating the BMWs and CRXs. But there was one underdog that was consistently among the race leaders during the first day and much of the second. An underdog painted in the colors of the Italian flag and making some beautiful engine sounds as it clung tenaciously to a spot in the top ten. The California Mille '78 Alfetta was fast, handled well, and had some mighty skilled drivers, but a blown head gasket knocked it down to 35th place by the time the dust had settled.More »
racing
Heroic LeMons Yank Tank: 1975 Buick Century
As we make our way through some of the more interesting cars at the recent 24 Hours of LeMons race, we find a few machines that never really contended, yet inspired maniacal rooting straight from our underdog-loving hearts. This included a couple of game-but-outclassed Tercels, several trouble-plagued RX-7s (including one run by our friends over at Autoblog), and a scattering of big ol' Detroit barges. This '75 Buick Century, dubbed the "Brown Hornet" (which made for some confusion, since there was an actual AMC Hornet on the track), was in the latter group.More »
racing
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 »
racing
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 »
racing
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.
Front-Drive Traction Fails The Escort... Again
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.
racing
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!
30 Second-Gen Camaros and an Escort!
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!
racing
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 »
racing
