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When life hands you LeMons…

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Sonoma Valley Sun

The fantastic junkers and clunkers of the 24 Hours of LeMons take over the Sonoma Raceway road course this weekend as the series hosts its fourth event of the season, Sears Pointless, March 22-23.

526603_10151417398984495_1832895860_nIf you’re expecting throaty stock cars or high-performance open-wheel machines, forget it. This endurance road-racing series, which will host 20 events coast-to-coast in 2014, was founded on a particularly questionable concept: all cars must be bought and prepared for no more than $500.

“Sonoma Raceway is our favorite track– it’s fun to drive, it’s well organized and best of all we get to sleep in our own beds every night,” said series founder and Alameda County resident, Jay Lamm.

547590_10151415869459495_1166372158_nWhat’s a good LeMons car? Everything from stretch limos and junked Maseratis to sturdy Toyotas, beaten-down BMWs, and butt-wagging Mustangs are common. The drivers are equally varied – one recent team featured three racetrack first-timers plus a former Indy 500 winner.

What else makes LeMons different? Even though it’s real racing, with many events ending with the top-three cars slugging it out on the same lap, this series is all about fun and camaraderie, not about fights and comparing anatomy. As one professional sports car driver who sneaks LeMons weekends said, “This really makes racing fun again.”

Spectator tickets are $30 each and can be purchased at the gate. Kids under 16 will be admitted FREE. The weekend will feature racing from 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday and 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on this wild and wacky series, visit 24hoursoflemons.com. For Sonoma Raceway information, visit racesonoma.com.




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