• Registered: 2018-03-28
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Freshly squeezed lemon

Hi folks - I just found out 24hrs of Lemons about a week ago, and it's apparently caused a brain worm in my head because I don't seem able to think about too much else. I live in CT and will be going up to Thompson Speedway in August with a view to eventually jumping in with you lunatics. I have some driving experience but a mechanic I am not - which I suspect would be a bit of an impediment to actually joining in - so I imagine that in the shorter term I'd be looking to join somebody else's team for a spell.

In any case, I wanted to say hi

  • From: Staunton, VA
  • Registered: 2012-05-16
  • Posts: 606

Re: Freshly squeezed lemon

Welcome! Don't worry about the mechanic part, you'll learn. In this era of the internet/forums/YouTube, it's like I tell my wife: by saying "I can't" what you're really saying is "I don't want to learn how to..."

  • RSB
  • Ripened Lemon
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  • From: CT
  • Registered: 2016-08-09
  • Posts: 130

Re: Freshly squeezed lemon

NJMP is only 4.5 hours from Hartford (if no traffic). Bring a tent and spend Saturday night - that's when you have the best opportunity to see all the cars up close and ask questions.

We Audi Be Faster
'85 Audi Coupe G(in &) T(onic)
  • VKZ24
  • VKZ24
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  • From: Wilson, NC
  • Registered: 2009-05-20
  • Posts: 1,839

Re: Freshly squeezed lemon

See that extra cash in your bank account right now?  You'll be saying goodbye to it soon!

Welcome to the fray. wink

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

VKZ24's Website

  • From: Cleveland, OH
  • Registered: 2011-09-03
  • Posts: 2,227

Re: Freshly squeezed lemon

blaggard wrote:

Hi folks - I just found out 24hrs of Lemons about a week ago, and it's apparently caused a brain worm in my head because I don't seem able to think about too much else. I live in CT and will be going up to Thompson Speedway in August with a view to eventually jumping in with you lunatics. I have some driving experience but a mechanic I am not - which I suspect would be a bit of an impediment to actually joining in - so I imagine that in the shorter term I'd be looking to join somebody else's team for a spell.

In any case, I wanted to say hi


So sorry for the loss of your sanity, Your every waking minute will be consumed with it now.

I wasn't much of a mechanic when I started either, then I did an auto to manual swap, and rebuilt an engine. The learning curve is pretty quick.

If you can get your driver gear together you may want to jump into an arrive and drive spot. There's always some teams looking at most races. So check the "Teams looking for Drivers" section regularly.

I started with A&D and it sure does accelerate the "I gotta figure out how to build a car" motivation.

Mistake By The Lake Racing (MBTL)
88 Thunderbird "THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!", Ex Astris, Rubigo / Semper Fracti
A&D: 2014 Sebrings at Sebring (NSF), 2014 NJMP2 Jurassic Park (SpeedyCop), 2012 Summit Point J30 (PiNuts)
2018 Route Sucky-Suck Rally Miata, 2019 World Tour Of Texas 64 Newport

Guildenstern's Website

  • Registered: 2014-11-04
  • Posts: 274

Re: Freshly squeezed lemon

There seem to be a lot of open seats for the Joliet race in two weeks if you can handle hella short notice. Check out the teams looking for drivers board.

Owner of the Knights Templar Neon
A&D of middling proportions

7 Reply by OnkelUdo (edited by OnkelUdo 2018-03-29 06:38 AM)

  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: Freshly squeezed lemon

VanillaHaze wrote:

There seem to be a lot of open seats for the Joliet race in two weeks if you can handle hella short notice. Check out the teams looking for drivers board.

To expand on this, I think you could still rent gear from http://www.racesuitrental.com/ and if you act fast flights can be had for less than $200 (assuming NYC airports).  We can get you to and from the airport or the airport shuttle (do it all the time) and a couple of the teams looking for drivers are newbie friendly...but like us, need you there for Friday test and tune or they won't let you out on Saturday for wheel to wheel racing.

  • From: South Jersey
  • Registered: 2013-12-01
  • Posts: 588

Re: Freshly squeezed lemon

Great to have another driver/potential team in the North East region.  Like others said, you will learn to be a mechanic.  I'd never changed brakes before I got into Lemons, 5 cars, 3 engine replacements later, my 13yo daughter changes the brakes on the car.  Probably safer that way.  If you want to start a team on the cheaper and don't know how to weld then buy a current Lemons car that's for sale.  Maybe even buy one of mine. 

Honestly, the hardest part about starting a Lemons team is not the car, it's finding 4-6 guys who are actually able to contribute time and money to the team and not back out suddenly when money is due.  In the 9 races my team has been doing Lemons I'm sure we've had over 20 different drivers and only 2 of us have done every race. 

Read some of the threads on here about the logistics and difficulties on forming a team.  There are several different approaches which are successful depending on your personality and core group of guys.

Team Glue Sticks
00 Firebird, 02 X-Type, 93 NX2000, 00 Mazda 626 (Sold)
2016 NJMP Heroic Fix, 2017 NJMP Near Heroic Fix except we can't drive, 2017 Thompson I Got Screwed, 2019 Pitt Heroic Fix
  • Mr.Yuck
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  • From: Brookeville, Md.
  • Registered: 2013-12-09
  • Posts: 1,012

Re: Freshly squeezed lemon

FWIW if you buy one done you'll save a TON. BUT it won't be as much fun.

"get up and get your grandma outta here"