• Registered: 2019-02-26
  • Posts: 3

Topic: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

I first heard about the Lemons race in 2008 in the military when I was stationed in Charleston SC. I've been fascinated ever since. In the last 10 years I've become a competent mechanic with a decent repository of tools but I doubt I'll ever scrape enough together to enter. I have a lonely shell of a car shacked up that I bought for spare parts for $100 and I've been dreaming of making it happen, but I think it's more likely for me to find a team and dip my toes in rather than put my life savings into a racecar that will most likely explode within the first hour.

That, and I live 6 hours away from the closest race as it is. No circuits in San Antonio to host them. On top of it all, I've never been on a track past the grandstands.

I don't know where I'm going with this, I'm just torn apart that I seemingly have no way to ever live the dream... Maybe someone here has a similar story that has a happy ending that will give me hope?

  • From: Newport News, VA
  • Registered: 2015-12-23
  • Posts: 620

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

Arrive and drive (read join a team that already exists without an ongoing commitment) costs range from $500-ish to well over $1000. Add rental race gear for $200, and that's pretty much your budget for a weekend.

You can buy race gear for not much more that has some resale value to keep down costs over multiple races... You can buy a used setup for in the $200-$300 range if you are patient and stalk the gear forum.

If you can't scrape that together, you can get a second job to pay for it... Flipping burgers or serving tacos doesn't pay that much, but there's a way if you have the will.

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

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

We all live roughly 6 hours away from the closest race on average.

Get a Team, stupid racecar divided by 4 is cheaper.

Also under Drivers looking for Teams give a holler to hook up with someone at a close race to you. Once you hold the puppy you'll find the money.

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  • From: Sacramento, California
  • Registered: 2012-08-02
  • Posts: 354

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

It most certainly isn't real cheap to road race even Lemons racing,
and now we have the $400 fire system expense too.
If you are a good mechanic, flip a few cars and make the cash to pay for your drivers gear
and entry fees on another team.

Or  you can build a super fast, super cheap, super hot car and then charge drivers a big markup
to drive it, enough that you can drive for free.  lol     just kidding.

  • Registered: 2013-08-12
  • Posts: 563

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

Start with just attending a race.

2nd find a team to hang out with.  Learn as much as you can.

3rd sign up as crew.  Help with repairs.  Volunteer to be "team mom".  Most teams can use a person to heard the cats.  Make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be.  Make sure everyone is fed and hydrated.

Then, when you can afford it, do an arrive and drive.

  • From: Chicago-ish
  • Registered: 2010-04-19
  • Posts: 3,497

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

rlchv70 wrote:

Start with just attending a race.

2nd find a team to hang out with.  Learn as much as you can.

3rd sign up as crew.  Help with repairs.  Volunteer to be "team mom".  Most teams can use a person to heard the cats.  Make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be.  Make sure everyone is fed and hydrated.

Then, when you can afford it, do an arrive and drive.

Seconded.

Eric Rood
Everything Bagel, 24 Hours of Lemons
eric@24hoursoflemons.com

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  • From: Gilbertsville, PA
  • Registered: 2009-12-22
  • Posts: 3,251

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

Another way is to crew for someone, and hopefully, they let you out in the car on test day.

Just get to a race, you'll figure the rest out later.

And seriously, there are cars available out there for little more than scrap value.  May not be turn key, but a roller with a Lemons legal cage for a few hundred dollars isn't too far removed from a running race car.

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

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

Sir Thomas Crapper wrote:

Another way is to crew for someone, and hopefully, they let you out in the car on test day.

This does work at a lot of tracks but we have one that officially restricts it to Lemons drive band only drivers.  Their checking of it is intermitent but it does happen.  Still, most of our tracks still require full gear for TnT so keep that in mind.

  • Troy
  • Troy
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,634

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

San Antonio... Texas?

That's very close to Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

I know's peoples in Texas that needs other peoples with mechanical skills.

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z
  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2012-06-21
  • Posts: 1,608

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

What everybody else said. MSR Houston is 3.5 hours away from the center of San Antonio. Come on out this November and make some friends. With any luck, ECR will be back on the Lemons schedule next year and you'll have another track 5 hours away.

Escape Velocity Racing
  • Registered: 2019-02-26
  • Posts: 3

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

Thanks for all the encouragement guys. I'll make it out to a race whenever it's near, for sure. And I'm sure there's at least one team out there that could use a real mechanic come race day. I'm used to working on hoopties and broken heaps and I'd love to be able to say I did it. I've just been really down lately, especially about finances. Last year around this time my dream car (that I had just finished building... the final piece was put on hours before the accident) got t-boned with me in the driver's seat and I've been dealing with the fallout ever since.

Like I said in the OP, I have a parts car that's intact enough to turn into a Lemons car I bought for $100. But that's a pipe dream for now, maybe later I can get a team together to make it happen. I've never had the money to play with the car guys so I just became a mechanic instead. My 'dream car' was an 89 Civic I bought for $1000 cash, a mostly unmolested beauty. Laugh it up.

  • From: Elverson, PA
  • Registered: 2017-08-15
  • Posts: 1,124

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

ivan.lang1990 wrote:

My 'dream car' was an 89 Civic I bought for $1000 cash, a mostly unmolested beauty. Laugh it up.

For economy and convenience, it's tough to beat... I feel your pain - Civic GX.

  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Dying to race but too broke to even race a lemon

Doing an arrive-and-drive with a team that knows how to pinch pennies is your best bet, I think. Our racing is cheaper than most road racing, but the costs still add up fast.

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