Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

There was the Rattlesnake Electric Prius that won class C hands down by momentum driving.  110 HP/2900 lbs new, but whenever they tried to run it full throttle it would go into limp mode according to Phil.  Solution was not using full throttle.

There is of course Spanks Harley powered Prius which didn't win class C.  1100 cc v-twin?

Team whatever_racecar #745 Volvo wagon

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

We have an 84 Firebird that competes at The Ridge. It has a 1977 inline 6 250 with an integrated head. It was 105 hp new and has about #90 in each cylinder. We won class C at the fall race. The fast A cars run about 2:00 laps and our best driver could do 2:15

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

Our  first race was with an Iron Duke powered Cutlass Ciera. Judges loved us (now are disappoint). But unless you flogged it were passed on both sides constantly. I do miss it.

-Robert, Party Sheep Racing
The Jerry Lundegaard GMAC Financing Award, Joliet 2013 [Cutlass Ciera w/ Iron Duke]
Eta E30: IL Fall '15, MI Spring '16, IL Summer '16, MI Spring '17, KY '17, MI Summer '21, KY '21, MI Summer '21, MI Fall '22

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

Wasn't there a Electric car that could barely make it to 40MPH? I thought the Judges said they needed to be able to make it to 60 to be allowed back on track? I vaguely remember this on a Recap video....

Jason
Car #111
91 Toyota MR2

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

PoMan wrote:

Wasn't there a Electric car that could barely make it to 40MPH? I thought the Judges said they needed to be able to make it to 60 to be allowed back on track? I vaguely remember this on a Recap video....

You speak of Hoonatic's permabanned Datsun Fairlady with scary AF homebuilt Tesla Supercharger.

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

31 (edited by Casper_Milquetoast 2019-11-06 01:57 PM)

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

Ours is not extreme in any way.  And our best finish was second in class C, beaten by 24 laps. The factory rated it at 77hp in 1984, and the ready-to-race-with-driver-fuel-and-snacks weight is 2245lbs.  Its only super power is going a long time between stops.  It does break a lot of odd things though.

Maximum Leader, Ruler for Life,
Dirty Rotten Cheating Bastards Racing

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

PoMan wrote:

Wasn't there a Electric car that could barely make it to 40MPH? I thought the Judges said they needed to be able to make it to 60 to be allowed back on track? I vaguely remember this on a Recap video....

That could also have been the Jet Electrica 007 of Duff Beer, although I think that Jay told us that we needed to be able to hit 70 MPH.

We were also told that our '81 Mercedes 240D needed to be able to go 70 MPH after the NCM race when we topped out at 60.2 MPH.

Everybody grab your brooms, it's shenanigans!

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

It makes me sad that a stock 240D is "too slow for safety" at a Lemons race. I get that the A-class cars pay the bills, but damn.

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

The speed differentials can get pretty severe. I had some A/C contact at Road Atlanta recently and the impact scared the crap out of me. Thankfully I was in a big-ass Volvo with a really good cage.

Everybody grab your brooms, it's shenanigans!

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

A class pays the bills? What by winning $100 less dollars?

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

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

Guildenstern wrote:

A class pays the bills? What by winning $100 less dollars?

I think he meant it pays the bills for Jay,Nick,et al.......

45+x Loser.....You'd think I would learn......
5x I.O.E  Winner   1 Heroic Fix Winner   1 Org Choice Winner
2x  I Got Screwed Winner    2x Class C Winner
(Still a Class B driver in a Class A car)

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

BigBird wrote:
Guildenstern wrote:

A class pays the bills? What by winning $100 less dollars?

I think he meant it pays the bills for Jay,Nick,et al.......

I get it. There are more A  class cars than C class cars, for sure. If the slowest C class went away, it wouldn't really dent the bottom line. If the fast A cars went away, more people would bitch and moan and cry (see google Lemons X class), the car count would drop rather dramatically, and the income from their entry fees would go as well so bills would be left unpaid.

Slow Ass C Class is used mostly to promote the series and distinguish it from other racing organizations.

And, let's face it, how often to you hear "People actually hand you money so they can drive that slow on a race track or watch you wrench on a car they are supposed to be driving? Well good for yoooooooouuuuuuuu"

Actually, you probably don't hear that very much. But I get it at least three times a year from those who think they are superior and cleverer than I.

And I'll give you no guesses as to what class car they drive.

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

A lot of times it seems like there’s more B than A class. Perhaps it’s a regional idiosyncrasy.

It’s more that NOT C pays the bills. Especially how fluid A or B class assignments can be depending on the judge.

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

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

SpaceFrank wrote:

It makes me sad that a stock 240D is "too slow for safety" at a Lemons race. I get that the A-class cars pay the bills, but damn.

The 4cyl non-turbo diesels were always dangerously slow. It's more a safety issue for the other drivers; the car's a f'ing tank.

The Electrica was just scary. Cars would pass with a ~100mph difference. Even with 6 bike flags on it, and corner workers walking us around the track with white flags, there was a huge potential for a crash. It was a real Ricky Bobby moment -- "are those the other cars!?!" Granted, we were only on track for about 10min at a time before having to let the batteries recover or replace them. (and it took about 12hr to fully recharge a set.)

At the time, with lead acid batteries, we were never a fire hazard, but we also could not accelerate -- it'd kill the batteries instantly. Later iterations with lithium-ion batteries, and modern EV conversion, it could exceed 100mph rather easily, but again, battery drain is extreme. And then there would be heat issues as nothing in the drivetrain was designed for continuous acceleration and deceleration. 300A continuous load will run the motor up to 180C in under 2min.

Duff Beer Civic (#128) -- 2014 Sebring - Class B (#1 of 7), 2016 Barber - Class B
1981 Jet Electrica 007 [Plymouth Horizon TC3] (#128) -- Mk.1 - Index of Effluency Eco (IOEe) @ 2016 Lemons South Fall, Mk.2 - Judges' Choice @ 2017 'Shine Country Classic, Mk.3 - Index of Effluency @ 2017 Southern Discomfort

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

The Geo MetroGnome had two overall wins powered by engines smaller than 1000cc.

2008 = first gnome race, first Lemons Thunderhill race, front wheel drive, toilet plunger diff seals, Honda CBR900, ~150hp
2011 = Thunderhill, rear wheel drive, Honda CBR1000 (998cc), ~175hp

My Kawi powered MR2 was at the pointy end of A class, but suffered predictable reliability issues in its first few events. It's in hibernation now but is about 75% of the way through a Gnome-standard Honda CBR1000 swap. wink

Just another crappy BMW and moto-powered MR2: http://www.facebook.com/BlackIronRacing
Gnome money, Gnome problems. (RIP) http://www.facebook.com/MetroGnomeRacing

41 (edited by Spank 2020-01-14 09:12 PM)

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

gielamonster wrote:

The Geo MetroGnome had two overall wins powered by engines smaller than 1000cc.

2008 = first gnome race, first Lemons Thunderhill race, front wheel drive, toilet plunger diff seals, Honda CBR900, ~150hp

If there was ever a car that deserved to win both Overall and IOE at the EXACT SAME race, this was it.



Maybe it was all of that pre-race testing and track day action it had, though, that kinda went against it getting an IOE.

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

Did I read that correctly??  The $500. cars are the dangerous part of a race for $500. cars??  Hmmmm……..

2020 I.O.E. CT #36 The Rootes Of All Evil,1958 Sunbeam Rapier Convertible (YES 1958!!) & 2019 Judges Choice NJMP
2016 Thompson Speedway #36 Sabrina Duncan's Revenge, IOE Trophy, 5th Place 'C' Class 1977 Ford Pinto
2009 Stafford Motor Speedway #16 Team Teflon, 11th Place (overall) 1997 Saturn SL2

Re: Lowest HP/displacement Lemons cars! How well did they do?

Our slowest car was by far our most expensive and our fastest car was the cheapest.

Everybody grab your brooms, it's shenanigans!