We’ve been putting on 24 Hours of LeMons races at Buttonwillow Raceway Park, just north of Bakersfield, since way back in 2009. It’s hot here in California’s Central Valley, but today’s 99-degree temperatures were pleasant compared to last year’s punitive sweat-fest, and we managed to get through the inspections of the 120 or so entrants to the 2014 Button Turrible 24 Hours of LeMons without anyone being rushed to the ER with heatstroke. Here are some of the hightlights of the cars and teams that will be competing this weekend.
The number of BMW 3-series, Mazda Miata, and Mazda RX-7 race cars was simply off the charts at this race. These boring cars sort of blur together for us, though the Schtuffinzpants E36 “Trans Am” looked good.
We always suggest to the 3-series teams that they consider getting a real race car. Say, a 1978 Ford Fairmont Futura with 200-cubic-inch straight six engine.
Or a Mercury Zephyr with excellent “Super Troopers” theme.
Of course, we do like to see a Porsche 911 in LeMons… provided it has a Volkswagen diesel engine in the back.
The 911 Diesel team brought their usual complement of umbrella boys.
This first-time team found a very original (i.e., completely worn out) C4 Corvette, complete with automatic transmission and extra-loose suspension.
You can also make a “Barbie Corvette” by attaching a few body panels to a much-battered Honda Civic. The smart money says that this car will beat the real Corvette.
The “Saanda” Saab Turbo-engined Honda 600 is back, and the team hopes that it will manage more than its usual handful of laps this time.
Creative team costumes abounded. This team gave their Volvo 242 a great “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better” theme, complete with stick-of-butter outfits.
The “Cowmaro” team performed incomprehensible rituals.
The BRIBED stencil for this race honored the extremely LeMon-y Edsel. Rumor has it that we’ll have our first genuine Edsel LeMons car in Texas this fall.
8-Bit Racing brought their hyper-rare Subaru RX, after their engine-swapping frenzy won them the Judges’ Choice award at the Utah race a few weeks ago. Class C, of course.
Class C will be tough this time, though, with such cars as the Team Tinworm Humber Super Snipe wagon in our favorite class. The original Tinworm 1959 Super Snipe won the Index of Effluency trophy at Buttonwillow two summers ago, then flipped over and was destroyed at the Chuckwalla race later that year. Now the running gear out of the wrecked car has been transplanted into a replacement Super Snipe, and the result looks good.
San Diego madman Spank has done it again, this time bringing a Dacia 1100 (actually a mechanically identical Renault 10) with a Ceaușescu-era Romania theme. Real live goats and chickens on the car!
More chickens inside.
Nadia Comăneci is part of the team.
Spank offered American cigarettes and blue jeans to Chief Perp Lamm, in keeping with Iron Curtain-era Romanian tradition.
We’ve never had a Renault 10 in LeMons before, so nobody knows how this dead-stock car will perform this weekend. Perhaps it will run away with Class C.
Like a bad dream that just won’t go away, the worst car in 24 Hours of LeMons history is back to break some more racers’ hearts.
Check in Saturday night to learn how the first day’s race session goes.
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