07-04-2013, 09:49 AM | #1 |
Lieutenant
54
Rep 453
Posts |
Light Hearted Video - Just For Fun!
Hello All,
I recently had the chance to drive a 944 in the 24 Hours of Lemons at Buttonwillow. This 2 day race was a test of endurance on both man and machine (loosely using this term here). Ambient temperatures were around 105F. Our lovely $500 Porsche blew a head gasket Saturday, and we changed it in about 4 hours...in 105 degree heat...only to then have the fuel pump let go. The car owner did a great job of preparing the car, but the conditions were just too challenging. Virtually every car suffered heat related failures so a large part of the race occurred in the paddock fixing stuff. We finished the race with the car running (more or less) and managed to turn about 160 laps. Our 944 was pretty darned slow, but it handled well and had great brakes. The Cool Shirt was an absolute life saver!! If you have never been to/in a Lemons race before, it is DEFINITELY something to do at least once. I'm not sure what I like more - the driving or the comaraderie in the pits. It is kind of like a cross between a carnival and a car race. The driving is...um...how do I put this...unique. Between the crappiness of the cars, the lack of minimum requirements for the drivers, and the inability to know who is driving any car at any given time, it makes the entire proposition very sketchy. Passing is a gamble since you never know if the bonehead in the other car has bothered to check his/her mirrors, if they will yield track space even if they do see you, if their car will break mid-corner...you get the idea. But it is an absolute blast and something that you MUST do at least once in your lifetime. Here is a short video of my session Sunday afternoon. By this time, I would say the field was down to less than 60 cars from the original 165 entries. Imagine this track with 165 cars all at the same time...I did drive the first stint Saturday morning and that was the traffic I had to deal with. Kind of like driving in Los Angeles, but without bluetooth or cup holders, or music, or air conditioning, or sanity. Enjoy! |
07-06-2013, 06:27 PM | #2 |
Second Lieutenant
67
Rep 210
Posts |
Looks like a fun... Judging from some of the lines taken by other drivers , I see what you mean by passing being sketchy. Other than a drivers license, are there any driver requirements?
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|