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24 hours of lemons altamont

When You Go From 44th To 15th Place In Six Hours, You Get A Few Dings

When racing started at Altamont on Sunday, we knew we had some catching up to do; thanks to overestimation of fuel consumption, some pit slowness, and a penalty incurred by yours truly (more on that later), we started the day in 44th place out of 90 cars. We had the power, we had the skilled drivers, and we had a block of Swedish steel that could shrug off hits from the biggest opponents. And, speaking of the biggest opponents, a certain bullying orange Plymouth fared quite badly in a series of paint-trading incidents with our own WhatWouldJesseDo; see that orange paint on the tire in the image above?

2:00 PM on Tue May 13 2008
By Murilee Martin
362 views, 19 comments

Latest by Jonny Lieberman: @harumph: We smashed it more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

Don't Count Out Detroit: Chevy Finishes Second At LeMons!

Last October, the highest-placed Detroit car at the 24 Hours of LeMons Altamont race was the Spirit of San Diego '81 Chevy Malibu, grabbing a not-too-shabby 20th place. This time around, minus the fins and plus some mean-looking black paint, a good ol' American V8/rear-drive machine has left all them furrin cars (save one) eating Detroit exhaust, as the Chevrolet drivers finished a mere three laps behind the #1 car. We're not sure what they changed (though the Malibu does appear to have wider, lower-profile rubber now), but it sure worked! By the way, I'm still working on the traditional Top 50 Cars and Über Gallery LeMons posts; you'll get 'em soon.

10:00 AM on Tue May 13 2008
By Murilee Martin
616 views, 24 comments

Latest by Tanshanomi: @turbodan: Glad to see see some LeMon-y fresh Festiva lovers. I've been thinking that they'd be logical LeMons choice. I hearted my long-lost Festiva big. Thanks for representing. more »

motorcycles

BMW Motorrad Does Cross Promotion, Military Discounts

You can tell it's getting into riding season now as BMW Motorrad is picking up steam in its promo activities. They're dropping BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld onto a spankin' new BMW HP2 Megamoto for some cross corporate shilling. We've been enjoying the twin delights of two-wheeled transport and 50+ MPG fuel consumption since the snow cleared from the streets. Despite the fun had on an old bike, there's nothing quite like a new one, and above that, there's nothing quite like a BMW. While they are great bikes, they're quite spendy, so if you're a member of the armed services, we've got some good news for you. More »

9:20 AM on Tue May 13 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
720 views, 20 comments

Latest by SeanKHotay: @crevans & @Da5idRicardo: A V-Strom is also on my list. A 60-year, MBD sufferer*, and still regular cross country motorcylist fan highly recommends them. @PapaLegba: An F800 is what I'd like but... ...Have you seen a F800 in the US? Around here more »

racing

Court Summerfield, 1961-2008

Those of us at the 24 Hours of LeMons race on Saturday afternoon were beyond heartbroken when Court Summerfield died at the wheel of the Team Cant Am Volvo 242 Turbo. Not only was Court's death a major loss for the LeMons racing community, it was also a tough blow for the city of Alameda; he lived on the island and worked at Ole's Waffle Shop, which is as much a part of the city's soul as are old cars parked on the street. I hung out with Court before the race on Saturday morning and I'm still unable to believe that this could happen to such a nice guy and great driver. The words of his wife made us feel a little better, however: "It was really just something that he was happy doing. I'm sure the way he went, he was happy." Check out the Cant Am Volvo in action during happier times, at Altamont and at Thunderhill Photo credit, above: Gianna Babb [San Francisco Chronicle]


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6:20 PM on Mon May 12 2008
By Murilee Martin
2,894 views, 56 comments

Latest by SRekauqh: *donated* more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

Yes, Those Were Vacuum-Operated Skulls On The Black Metal V8olvo's Roof

With all the excitement of the race, I totally forgot to post photos of what the Black Metal V8olvo actually looked like by the time we had it all painted and bedecaled. Thing is, we didn't have time to apply the decals until we actually got the car to the racetrack. First of all, some commenters have wondered about the skulls mounted on the front edge of the car's roof. Those aren't just decorative skulls that just sit there. Hell, no! These are anatomically correct med-student skull replicas, and they're equipped with crowns of plumber's tape, Fiat indicator lights for eyes, and Dodge minivan vacuum motors operating the jaws! With high manifold vacuum (i.e., idling, cruising, decelerating), the vacuum motor pulls the skull's jaw shut; low manifold vacuum (i.e., gas pedal mashed to the floor) allows springs to pull the jaw open. I'll write up the fascinating details of how to build such important racing accessories for yourself, but for now let's check out the nice "before getting beat to hell" photos of the car.
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2:00 PM on Mon May 12 2008
By Murilee Martin
2,299 views, 59 comments

Latest by Murilee Martin: @turbo zero: Wayne is a team member who didn't get in a lot of the photos I posted on the build. Great wrench, great driver. I'll do a post on the team's experiences with all that info... when I manage more »

lexus is 250

Lexus IS Mystery Solved: It Was An Endurance Racer In Germany With The Candlestick

Remember that mystery Lexus IS circling the ring last week? Due to the camo, guesses as to what it could be ranged from a new hybrid to a mid-cycle refresh. Turns out that the most obvious answer was right: it's a race car. Those questionable hood bumps were merely an illusion created by the camouflage. This is the TME/Team Gazoo IS 250, which competes in the ADAC endurance series and can be seen fighting for the Rennstrecken Trophy at the ring. The fastest lap? Just under 10:58. Though not quite Cadillac CTS-V fast, the IS is in a group that only allows vehicles with displacements from 2.0- to 2.5-liters (sorry Lexus IS-F). The spy report from those Columbos at KGP below the jump.

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Spy Photos

11:00 AM on Mon May 12 2008
By Matt Hardigree
1,625 views, 8 comments

Latest by v250gto: 10:58 has to be a combined lap old and new nurburgring anything with racing rubber and real suspension tuning will be very very quick compared to anything street legal. more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

Meet The Latest 24 Hours of LeMons Champions: Krider Racing Death Proof!

In the 24 Hours of LeMons race at Thunderhill last December, we watched a Nissan Sentra SE-R place fifth (if not for a wheel stud failure, they'd have done even better). We thought the Krider team members were pretty cool guys, so it was great to see them at Altamont; this time their ride was an Acura Integra with a grisly horror-movie theme. They drove consistently quick laps, didn't break down or get destroyed by a big Mopar, and their pit stops were very efficient... and now they've got a trophy to show for it. Congratulations, Krider Racing! Note: I forgot to mention that the team donated their prize money to a fund set up for the survivors of Court Summerfield.

10:00 AM on Mon May 12 2008
By Murilee Martin
1,877 views, 29 comments

Latest by something_unique_and_descriptive: @anaxomander: Don't know if that's for real or not, if it's the team looking to "carry on" and they've got the okay from the family then I don't see a problem. If it's someone else then yeah, I'm going more »

senna hits dog

Senna Hits Stray Dog, Ends Day At Turkish Grand Prix

We watched the first part of the Turkish Grand Prix this morning and after the first corner featured some serious car over car accident action and the Ferrari/Mercedes slap fest, we got a little bored and sought out better things to do with our Sunday. Our mistake. We missed the Bruno Senna stray dog destruction derby. Yep, Fido (do wild dogs have names?) and a friend wandered onto the track. Fido's friend escaped but Fido wasn't so lucky, and ended up being struck by Senna's right suspension. Both the suspension and the dog found their end. Yeah, Felipe Massa may have won the race, but we definitely know who lost. Poor, poor Fido. This video is not safe for members of the ASPCA, small children or anyone else with a strong dislike for seeing dogs accidentally run over on a track. [Eurosport and Youtube]

7:30 PM on Sun May 11 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
9,060 views, 49 comments

Latest by WillTheThrill3: Well, hell, someone had to clear the dog off of the damn track! The security guys couldn't do it and the dude working the flag must have been sleeping, or wondered what that yellow flag was for sitting next to more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

Black Metal V8olvo Moving Up Through Ranks, But Taking A Beating

So we put in the Loverman followed by Viergangfuchs this morning and started knocking off some quick laps, passing like crazy and moving up to the 20s in the standings; Mr. Baruth has our best lap time, with 51 seconds. Now the Evil Genius is driving, and he's also fast as hell. However, the level of competition is getting ratcheted up, tempers are flaring a bit out there, and we're dishing out and receiving some damage in the heat of the action; the front suspension just needed some major toe adjustments after a bit of mutual metal grunching with our friend Xarg's Cavalier wagon. Sorry, guys! Meanwhile, the Porcubimmer, after leading for a while yesterday, has been de-quilled by various mechanical maladies; full report later.

5:15 PM on Sun May 11 2008
By Murilee Martin
2,111 views, 11 comments

Latest by Novaload: @DoctorNine: That would completely rock if they just played and sang and stopped with cutaways to the vogue face closeups. Yeah, you're cute, get on with it. more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

Life, Racing Go On

There was definitely a sense of gloom hanging over the pits this morning, but just about everyone here felt that we ought to go out and have fun doing what the late Mr. Summerfield loved doing: racing. The number of cars out on the track is quite a bit smaller than what we had yesterday, as mechanical failures take their toll (though Jay Lamm's rigorous "don't hit each other" policy is working well, with not many cars getting sidelined by enduro-style damage). Team Black Metal V8olvo is now in Full Hammer Down Mode, with our fast drivers out there and our car rising in the standings (at last check, we were #34). Our goal: to be the fastest Swedish car! I may not have time to post for a while, as I'm on pit duty and my driving turn is coming up shortly, but will do my best.

2:15 PM on Sun May 11 2008
By Murilee Martin
2,455 views, 36 comments

Latest by Kelly: @TexanIdiot25: A few of the links come back as the 'author' has removed the item...but here's my take. I've not been a Jalophead for more than a few months, but I'm a hard core gearhead, otherwise. The Acclaim will likely have transmission failure more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

Here's Why Yesterday's Fatal LeMons Crash Is So Hard To Believe

Something that really jumped out at everyone upon arrival in the Altamont pits yesterday morning was the incredible themes some- in fact, most- teams applied to their cars and costumes. Your typical art-car gathering -with its plastic army men glued to 80s GM G-bodies- would be put to shame by the decor on the race cars and drivers that we saw assembled at this race. Even previous LeMons events couldn't compare. How could anything bad happen at such a gathering? Sure, such a sentiment doesn't have very solid logic behind it- yes, racing can be dangerous- but when you see teams with themes as elaborate as the Eyesore Pimps (formerly known as Eyesore Racing), the tendency is to feel that the risk doesn't apply. All of us are going to show up at the track today and try to regain some of the sense of absurdity that we know and love about this event; will keep you posted.

8:00 AM on Sun May 11 2008
By Murilee Martin
4,713 views, 32 comments

Latest by mr.chöppèrs: I reckon a Gulf Livery theme for all participants of the next LeMons race (let there be more) would be a nice touch. more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

Suddenly, Racing Is Not Fun Any More

I was just about to post on some teams' heroic repair sessions and show some fender-to-fender racing action, but then the thing we all fear happened: the Volvo 242 Turbo in Gulf Oil colors hit the wall, hard, and the driver was injured. They've had to cut the roof off the car and now they're extricating the driver; we'll let you know more when we hear about it. For now, pray to whatever gods, cosmic forces, etc. you can think of that this brave-ass racer comes out of it OK.

7:00 PM on Sat May 10 2008
By Murilee Martin
10,703 views, 44 comments

Latest by tomjennings: On Sunday morning I got walked out to the track to retrieve a tire lost in the infield on Saturday. The track guy who escorted me told me what he knew of the crash. I am not certain if he more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

The Race Is On!

And here comes pride up the backstretch! I'm the next driver up, so this will be brief: right now our friends on Team Porcubimmer are in first place! Black Metal V8olvo is in "preserve the car" mode, so we're running in the middle of the pack now. The car seems to be doing all right, although those of you who predicted that the Mercedes-Benz radiator would leak have been proven correct (not a serious leak, fortunately, and we have a spare).

4:30 PM on Sat May 10 2008
By Murilee Martin
2,319 views, 33 comments

Latest by Novaload: Jeez, I hate trying to read those blogs. You're right, @TexanIdiot25. They are saying someone was killed??! more »

24 hours of lemons altamont

Last Second Thrash, Race About To Begin!

We've spent the morning applying stickers, discussing driver strategy, and being hectored by Mr. Lamm about all the horrific penalties that await overly aggro drivers (in honor of Mother's Day, one penalty involves being forced to eat an entire meatloaf while another team member plays the role of the mother, hovering and shouting that the victim is the Least Favorite Child). I'm pretty busy now, but stay tuned for more live action when I get a breather! [24 Hours of LeMons and 24 Hours of LeMons Altamont coverage]

2:30 PM on Sat May 10 2008
By Murilee Martin
1,440 views, 13 comments

Latest by mr.chöppèrs: Bah, you left some dots off: It's "Ragnarök". more »

altamont lemons 2008

24 Hours of LeMons Early Birds Get Set Up At Altamont

Teams competing in the 24 Hours of LeMons race can check in and get their cars past the tech inspection judges on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. Teams showing up on Friday get first shot at the good pit spaces, and Team Black Metal V8olvo decided to claim some real estate today. Tech inspection went smoothly and we're cleared to race. More »

10:00 PM on Fri May 9 2008
By Murilee Martin
2,500 views, 55 comments

24 hours of lemons

V8olvo Ready To Go!

24 Hours of LeMons race weekend is just about here, and we're heading out to Altamont for the early check-in and tech inspection today. Señor Loverman has applied the all-important V8 emblem to the trunk lid, we've got our checklist all checked, and we're going to be throwing some elbows as we vie for the best pit location. Stay tuned for some live race coverage on Saturday!

10:00 AM on Fri May 9 2008
By Murilee Martin
1,514 views, 40 comments

racing news

Formula 1 Gaming Taking A Vacation?

We have some bad news to those that enjoy getting behind a Formula 1 racer and careening down the track (virtually, that is): it looks as though Formula 1 gaming may be taking a hiatus after a dispute between F1 bossman, Bernie Ecclestone, and Sony, the current F1 license-holder. Way back when, Sony agreed to pay $75 million for a five year licensing deal with F1 between 2002 and 2007. Now F1 is reportedly asking for a big increase that Sony does not want to pay. Don't break out the tissues yet, diehard F1 fans, there are other options available. More »

3:20 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By Travis Hudson
1,516 views, 16 comments

Latest by IronEagle: [www.f1mods.com] more »

24 hours of lemons

Broken Engine, Bad Cooling System Dictate Last-Minute V8olvo Thrash

Team Black Metal V8olvo was fortunate enough to get some track time at a Volvo club event at Thunderhill last week, and so we got the car all put together and trailered it on up to Willows. It worked pretty well, with our modified Thunderbird springs and swaybars and 242 Turbo brakes giving the car decent handling and stopping, and while the Ford 302 couldn't keep up with the wild-ass super-boosted turbo four-bangers on the other cars, it was able to get out of its own way. But then the car started running hot...
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Feature

2:20 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By Murilee Martin
2,671 views, 74 comments

Latest by SnowBot: I've heard that you need a bleed valve on a remote rad like that to make sure you get all the air out of the system.. might have been the gremlin in your awesome set up there.. more »