• From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Topic: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Just saw the write up on Jalopnik about how excited everyone was to have a Cherokee entering this upcoming event at Thunderhill.  Kind of funny when my team and I tried to enter one this past spring at CMP, this is the response we received from Jay...

"Cherokees are hella dangerous going left and right. They tip over. They spin. They run into stuff. Nobody here was ecstatic about the idea of watching another one do all that stuff."

Funny how times change.

"Sharp as Bear Claws and Slicker Than Goose Shit"
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Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Jay likes you guys better and don't want to watch you die?

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  • Disney
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  • From: Middle, TN
  • Registered: 2009-08-24
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Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

I wish I was asked... I would have been hella ecstatic about watching your jeep flail about and tip over.

  • From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

There you go, it's all in who you know.  I don't think he liked us that much, that was our first attempt.

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  • From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Disney wrote:

I wish I was asked... I would have been hella ecstatic about watching your jeep flail about and tip over.

Would you now?  It would have been kind of a fun ride, if it was going to be that bad why is it now OK?  I guess these guys must be F1 drivers or something where the aforementioned will not happen to them, good call wonder one.

"Sharp as Bear Claws and Slicker Than Goose Shit"
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Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

cpmskinny wrote:
Disney wrote:

I wish I was asked... I would have been hella ecstatic about watching your jeep flail about and tip over.

Would you now?  It would have been kind of a fun ride, if it was going to be that bad why is it now OK?  I guess these guys must be F1 drivers or something where the aforementioned will not happen to them, good call wonder one.

there was one back at Altamont iirc, but it sucked, it died, etc. Maybe Jay was just trying to save you some grief?

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  • From: Middle, TN
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Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

I've always thought a Cherokee would be a pretty good candidate for a Lemony race car/truck. I have one and I honestly think it handles pretty well. I've got a sway bar on it from Addco and such, but even at stock heaight it (probably falsely) feels pretty good through the turns. Plus the 4.0 doesn't suck too bad on power. Worst part is the tranny, unless you scored a manual tranny jeep.

Plus they are light!!!

  • From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Yeah, that is what we thought our first time around as well.  It took a Dodge Colt to get us in, and a lot of people dropping out.

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  • Registered: 2009-10-25
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Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

those 4.0L have power....seriously lower it and it should be "okay".....

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  • From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

We were planning on lowering it and having away with it, I just had a problem with the reasoning behind denying us and now they are featuring one.  That's cool, I will have to follow up and see how it does.  We had more fun in the Colt anyway.

"Sharp as Bear Claws and Slicker Than Goose Shit"
Lab Rats Motorsports
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  • From: Issaquah, Wa
  • Registered: 2009-09-06
  • Posts: 1,246

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

cpmskinny wrote:

I guess these guys must be F1 drivers or something where the aforementioned will not happen to them, good call wonder one.

Certainly not F1 drivers!  Thanks for posting about this, I hadn't seen the Jalopnik article.  We are doing quite a bit to make the thing less tippy (sprung under rear leafs with a 2.5" add-a-leaf lift spring), and I have been talking to Jay about the Cherokee idea for years.  Should be interesting to see how she does on the track...hopefully we don't have to test the welds on the cage.

-TPC

30 Time Loser with Class C, Index of Effluency, I got Screwed and Heroic Fix Trophies who usually races, according to Car and Driver, The Greatest Road Racing Cherokee in History.

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  • From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Good luck to you guys.  You are on the right track by lowering it.  Try to find the widest set of rims known to man and trip the fenders out, you would be just fine.  That is what we were going to do is kind of skateboard it to come extent.  In my opinion, the straight 6 was one hell of an engine.

"Sharp as Bear Claws and Slicker Than Goose Shit"
Lab Rats Motorsports
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  • From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Well, how did this thing do?

"Sharp as Bear Claws and Slicker Than Goose Shit"
Lab Rats Motorsports
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  • From: Emeryville CA
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 572

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Yeah, I think there's a difference between "not allowed" and "not recommended." The dudes at Thunderhill certainly made the most of it.

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  • From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Did it even finish the race?  Someone has got to know how it did?  You run the show Nick, how about it?

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Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

I know, i totally need action shots and video of this beast!

  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,640

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Serj wrote:

there was one back at Altamont iirc, but it sucked, it died, etc. Maybe Jay was just trying to save you some grief?

True dat...

http://www.ltdlx.org/albums/Lemons/DSCN5664.jpg

People here have short memories apparently. I heard talk that the controversial Maxima at Thunderhill was the first one entered in the series. Not so either.

http://www.ltdlx.org/albums/lemons10-07/DSCN6377_Medium.sized.jpg

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  • From: Huntington beach, CA
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 91

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

The guys in the Jeep were great... They did a good job on the theme, and had a far better petty paint job than us...

Uberbird!
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Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

LTDScott wrote:
Serj wrote:

there was one back at Altamont iirc, but it sucked, it died, etc. Maybe Jay was just trying to save you some grief?

True dat...

http://www.ltdlx.org/albums/Lemons/DSCN5664.jpg

People here have short memories apparently. I heard talk that the controversial Maxima at Thunderhill was the first one entered in the series. Not so either.

http://www.ltdlx.org/albums/lemons10-07 … .sized.jpg

well, it was the first 4th gen, wasn't it? heh.

  • From: Issaquah, Wa
  • Registered: 2009-09-06
  • Posts: 1,246

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

cpmskinny wrote:

Did it even finish the race?  Someone has got to know how it did?  You run the show Nick, how about it?

Yeah, we finsihed.  Not sure how we ended up, but I know at one point on Sunday we were 81st, then somebody told me 66th.  Still waiting on confirmation, though.

http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?id=2352

Jeep did great, and besides a 2-3 hour mechanical fix on Saturday was quick and reliable.

-Matt

30 Time Loser with Class C, Index of Effluency, I got Screwed and Heroic Fix Trophies who usually races, according to Car and Driver, The Greatest Road Racing Cherokee in History.

Check out our FB Page and follow our various exploits.

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  • From: San Bruno, CA
  • Registered: 2009-11-24
  • Posts: 119

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

I thought the Jeep was surprisingly stable in the turns didn't seem to have much body roll whatsoever. Looked good.

  • From: Clover, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-13
  • Posts: 205

Re: Jeep Cherokee at Thunderhill? What gives?

Cool deal, glad to hear you made out alright.

"Sharp as Bear Claws and Slicker Than Goose Shit"
Lab Rats Motorsports
1990 VW Jetta
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