My first 24 hour race. Long race. Long post. Tons of fun.

[375instroke]

Some guys at work talked me into going in with them on a Chumpcar.  Here's a link to the promo:

ChumpCar World Series

The 24 Hours of LeMons is a similar racing body.  The idea is to race a $500 car.  Keep the cost down and have fun.  Not have to worry about spending a fortune squeezing the last bit of performance out of a car.  We found a former circle track car, a Pinto, and thought great.  The hard work's already done.  Not quite.  It cost us $250 and a busted up quad-runner.  The car had a big cam, high compression, header, 9qt. pan, cage, racing gas tank (please no exploding Pinto jokes), and it was totally gutted, but the suspension had to be converted to make right turns again.  New wiring, fuel lines, brake lines, and many rule compliance modifications.  The shifter ripped out of the trans, and the bolts on the steering wheel stripped out on practice day.  In the race, the shifter broke again, and then the clutch exploded.  We fixed them, and finished the race, but were out for 5 hours waiting for parts.  Tons of fun.  We wired the shifter to the trans, so we had to push down when shifting, and shift very slow.  The carb was a 500CFM Holley 2bbl.  I guess that's a standard mandated carb for a lot of circle track racing.  It was way too rich, and the motor sputtered below 4000RPM.  These 2 guys heard our car, and said we should be going a lot faster, and the carb should have #72 jets at the most.  Someone gave us some #71 jets, and sure enough, the carb had #74 jets in it, so those guys new what they were talking about.  The new jets were better, but still not enough.  The track was about 2.5 miles long, with a 7/8 mile straightaway.  I was in third gear through the turn entering the straightaway, and shifting into 4th at the Christmas tree. With 3.08 gears, 5,500RPM, and 205/50-15 tires, we were topped out at 125MPH or so entering the first turn, without braking.  This was our first time racing like this.  I was making the rooky mistakes of entering the slow turns, or hairpins, too fast, and taking the fast turns too slow.  The car takes the turns better if you give it gas.  If you let out of it, it starts to understeer.  Pintos are rear wheel drive, by the way.  We ended up 18 out of 34 cars, but at least we beat a Corvette.  The Corvette guy was told if he did well, they were going to claim his car and auction it off.  That's how they enforce the $500 rule.  He wasn't trying to win.  Just have fun.  He wrecked his car, so that sux.  They like the cars to have a theme, and one of the guys daughters suggested My Little Pony, since it's a Pinto.  What are you going to do?  Try and be cool with skulls and flames on a Pinto?  We thought how pissed people would be getting passed in their BMW or Camaro by a purple Pinto.  It's a mane, by the way.  Not a Mohawk.

This is the track we raced at.  Spokane County Raceway:



Here's our car arriving at the track:



Here we are going through tech:



This is our mascot getting groomed:



On the track:



Here's a sharp turn in third gear:





This team's named Richard Petty and the PARTS BREAKERS.



Them at night:



Here's a '67 Fury, 318 auto, that got wrecked, fixed, then blew a head gasket, fixed, and finished 15th





Not bad through the turns.



Here's the Fury, making a pass down the straightaway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlhdQyN_cEs

Here they are fixing the frame damage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FumMaj1d9s&feature=related

Here's the Corvette losing it, crashing, and taking a Miata out.  The Miata was fixed, and was able to make 2 laps at the very end, going through the checker:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNGDU52LnUY&feature=related

The Corvette after:



The Miata after 12 hours getting fixed enough to make 2 final laps at the end:



This guy was able to finish after crashing, too:



These guys didn't make it.  The driver, and all the others, were unhurt.





I was driving when we got hit on the right side.



Broken shifter:



...and clutch:



Fixing the clutch:



Back on the track:





Here's me in my fireproof suit.  I'm holding the tubes to my homemade cool shirt.  We pumped ice water through tubes we weaved through a t-shirt.  Cost us about $100 for all 6 of us.  Commercial ones are $600 each:

[RD]

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE MOST AWESOME THING I HAVE READ AND SEEN ON THIS SITE SINCE I CANNOT REMEMBER WHEN!

I love the "my little pony" car.  I really love the fact that your daughter thought of it.  congrats man!  this is one of those things i wish i was in the pit watching you all go.

[RallyeMike]

I didnt realize that these events had made it to the PNW. I've been patiently waiting 

No I'm not gunna run the Charger.

Very cool. Thanks for the info. Looks like you had a great time.!!!

[Todd Wilson]

Thats fricken cool!   Wish It was close to me I'd enter my Honda Prelude! HAHAHAAH!    Whats up with the army guy and gun?


Todd

[tan top]

thats awesome stuff , looks like a great time  , thanks for the links & pictures 

[elacruze]

I raced a few 24 hour motorcycle races, and pit crewed for the cars once. It's an experience you can't relate to somebody who hasn't done it. More fun than...well...racing and being finished before dark!

[lisiecki1]

Thats fricken cool!   Wish It was close to me I'd enter my Honda Prelude! HAHAHAAH!    Whats up with the army guy and gun?

Todd

Tech in is SERIOUS BIZNIZZ! 

[tricky lugnuts]

Looks and sounds like some real fun! Absolutely love the My Little Pony theme and logo. Awesome!

[TiMopar]

That was great, thanks for sharing!

[moparstuart]

awesome   

[375instroke]

I didnt realize that these events had made it to the PNW. I've been patiently waiting  

No I'm not gunna run the Charger.

Very cool. Thanks for the info. Looks like you had a great time.!!!

Our next race is in Portland on Halloween weekend.  Of course I would have liked to race a Dodge, but this kind of landed in my lap.  You don't want a car you're afraid of crashing.  You saw what the Fury looked like.  They've been in many LoMons and Chumpcar races.  Had a '95 DOHC ACR that handled great, and power was fine for a 4cyl.  I hear they can pull over 1G with good tires stock.  The base Neons are a different story.  Look at these:





Pony again, for comparison:

[WHITE AND RED 69]

Thats awesome! I want in on one of these races.

[66chargerkid]

Dude that looks like a blast.
The Neon ACR's got Koni adjustables from the factory.

[bakerhillpins]

THAT IS ABSOLUTELY THE MOST AWESOME THING I HAVE READ AND SEEN ON THIS SITE SINCE I CANNOT REMEMBER WHEN!

I love the "my little pony" car.  I really love the fact that your daughter thought of it.  congrats man!  this is one of those things i wish i was in the pit watching you all go.

All the little my little pony stuff is an absolute RIOT!   

[71ChallengeHer]

That's great.    Looks like a blast.

[sixty8charger]

makes me want to suit up my 99 neon and see what it can do.. i went from NC to NY with no problems.. in one day.. and that is with the crazy I-95 traffic... i could probably do 24hrs 

[375instroke]

Dude that looks like a blast.
The Neon ACR's got Koni adjustables from the factory.

'95 and '96 were non-adjustable Arvins.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Definitely looks like a fun time & cheap enough fun as well