24 Hours Of LeMons/Final Gear Racing fall 2009

[Punisher Bass]

The Final Gear team is heading to the 24 Hours Of LeMons this fall. For those not familiar with the event, it’s an endurance race run with beater cars that were bought and prepped for $500 or less. This will be the 5th LeMons event for the team.

The first car run by the team was the #21 1993 BMW 525i.



While our own evil overlord Quiky was behind the wheel, the car was side swiped by a CRX. The crash put Quiky out of commission with a back injury and it was almost the same for the BMW with a hole in the radiator. After a quick repair by Serj's brother, the car was driven by members of another team who's ECU had blown up just 7 laps in and the FG crew was tired. While behind the wheel they did a brake stand and were promptly plowed into from behind, which caused them to rear end another car. This crash cracked the thermostat housing, but once again it was fixed in short order with some JB Weld and piece of roll cage. Here's the aftermath of the damage.









Phil, one of the drivers, moments before getting tarred and feathered for driving like an ass. This little incident did however get the team published in a magazine.



Between the car damage and the attitudes of some people on the team, this car was only run once. But despite the problems the car still placed 18th out of 40.

Since the BMW would not be used, a suitable replacement car had to be found, enter the #42 1998 P71 Ford Crown Victoria. It was picked up for next to nothing thanks to mother nature deciding the roof was a good resting place for a tree. Since it already had all the cop goodies in true Blues Brothers style, it was born ready to race.





Quiky and Serj would run the car at the South Carolina race in 08 and place 29th. Later at Toledo that same year disaster struck. While sitting at 11th place, the car spun and hit the wall. The impact caused the watts linkage on the rear end to shatter, so at 13 hours in it was game over.

Several months later thanks to a new rear end scavenged from taxi cab, the locking diff from the old one was simply swapped over, the car was back in action. Then this past spring Serj lead the team to a 19th place finish.



Now the Vic has proven to be tough and reliable, but for this race we’ve decided to get something a little… different…



EDIT: Late July. This Buick wound up not working out, so we found another one. Details on it can be found here.

Say hello to the new Final Gear Racing LeMons vehicle.

This thread will be updated with more details, pictures, and progress reports on the car as time goes on.

Now for details on the race itself, which is subtitled The Lamest Day. It’s taking place on October 3rd and 4th at the Nelson Ledges Road Course in Garrettsville Ohio. A normal LeMons race is broken up over 2 days, but this is the one race a year that goes the full 24 hours non stop. Full details can be found here.

Make your plans and reservations now, come to be a crew member or just come to hang out, we want to see you at the track! We want this to be the biggest Final Gear meet up ever.

If you'd like to donate to the team, you can do so here .

[CrazyRussian540]

Hmmmm, Garrettsville Ohio? I might be able to make it out for one of the days.

Also, I might try to organize a Northeast FinalGear LeMons team in the near future with a 1993 Mercedes-Benz 300TE. Any tips?

[Punisher Bass]

Not really, Quiky and Serj would be the people to ask, they've done this much more than I have.

[Quiky]

Prepping a car is expensive. Rollcage requirements have gone up, along with other safety rules. The total build cost per car is about $5000.

We may have a slot open for another driver on the team, but that's totally at our discretion. You will need to provide your racing gear (suit, helmet, gloves, shoes, neck brace).

We will be racing both the Vic and the "New Car", so there will be plenty of on-the-track action, along with a big party in the paddock.. so get your plans together and COME OUT.

Can you change tires, get gas, cook food? Want to make fun of crashing bmws? THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE!

[Symbotic]

I live about an hour away from the track. If you guys need any help with anything, I'll be glad to come and lend a hand.

[Serj]

it's gonna be a fun one for sure!

[Twerp128]

Depending on how much vacation time I have left I may be able to definitely make it out to this. At the least I can drive out Saturday afternoon.

[EDIT] Just checked my calendar and it's clear apart from a solo possibly, really an easy drive just 4.5 hours east on 80.

[GRtak]

Interesting......

[_HighVoltage_]

I AM SO GOING TO BE THERE!!!


...if the transmission in the Volvo is still holding on

But, yeah - you can count me in, unless something unfortunate happens to the Volvo.
I will be able to help out with easy mechanical stuff, and I'm also fairly good at the BBQ (pork steaks FTW

Something inside me is suggesting I should apply for the driver's spot...but I'm being realistic - my only racing experience is on the go-kart racing track driving 50cc karts

[JakeRadden]

I'll come out if I can, and if I can I'd like to be on the team, I can change tires and cook food
If I flew out, could someone be there to pick me up at the airport? That will sort of be my deciding factor here as I'll have to take the Friday off of University and fly out from Chicago O'Hare/Midway.

What do I do to sign up for the team? O_o

[Serj]

there are several people in the oklahoma/chicago/st.louis area that you may be able to arrange a car pool

more crew is always welcome!

[JakeRadden]

Originally Posted by Serj

there are several people in the oklahoma/chicago/st.louis area that you may be able to arrange a car pool

more crew is always welcome!

Well then.

Attention: If anyone will be going to the LeMons event through Chicago or Cleveland, or is willing to detour to pick me up, or will let me meet them in: Kansas City, Chicago, or St. Louis (I will of course chip in for gas), please contact me via Private Message.

Additionally, I think that I would of course get to know the person I was carpooling with before I actually did - either over the various forms of communication of the internet or in person - before I rode along in their vehicle to the LeMons race.

[Dogbert]

I'll be forming a carpool that will start in St. Louis, but be advised that this carpool will involve:

- violating any and all open container laws along the way
- not going the speed limit at any point during the trip
- probably only one stopping break, if even that
- a very cramped, piece of shit rental car
- very loud, usually offensive music that can be voted on, but I retain veto power
(will only really be exercised if the genre involves the words "prog", "death", or "pop")

Cost of the car and gas will be split among everyone in said car, so hopefully I can find three passengers and make this ultra cheap for all. Also, I can provide a safe place to park everyone's cars while we're on the trip.


Quiky, I'll also bring my racing gear, in case you guys haven't found another driver by then.

[Punisher Bass]

Originally Posted by Dogbert

I'll be forming a carpool that will start in St. Louis, but be advised that this carpool will involve:

- violating any and all open container laws along the way
- not going the speed limit at any point during the trip
- probably only one stopping break, if even that
- a very cramped, piece of shit rental car
- very loud, usually offensive music that can be voted on, but I retain veto power
(will only really be exercised if the genre involves the words "prog", "death", or "pop")

Cost of the car and gas will be split among everyone in said car, so hopefully I can find three passengers and make this ultra cheap for all.


Quiky, I'll also bring my racing gear, in case you guys haven't found another driver by then.

The "dream" plan I had would be for everyone west of STL to meet up in my area so we could form a Final Gear conga line of cars to head out to Ohio. What will probably happen though is that I'll leave a few days before the race so any last minute things with the car can be taken care of.

And the deadline for driver entries is July 25th.

[Dogbert]

Originally Posted by Punisher Bass

The "dream" plan I had would be for everyone west of STL to meet up in my area so we could form a Final Gear conga line of cars to head out to Ohio. What will probably happen though is that I'll leave a few days before the race so any last minute things with the car can be taken care of.

And the deadline for driver entries is July 25th.

When I/we leave is probably all going to be figured out once I get a full car and I figure out who can take off what from work/school etc. I don't want to exclude someone prematurely and possibly have a full car just because they couldn't take off one of the pre-race days.

[JCE]

If this race ever comes to the Dallas area I might attend and help the FG crew out--or if I have money by then buy a beater and enter the race.

[_HighVoltage_]

I just hope there won't be a cock-o-meter at the gate, otherwise most of us won't be allowed to go in

[Clegko]

If everything goes to plan, I'm hoping that Quiky and crew will let me drive one of the cars. I already know i'm going, at least.

[_HighVoltage_]

Originally Posted by Clegko

If everything goes to plan, I'm hoping that Quiky and crew will let me drive one of the cars. I already know i'm going, at least.

How hard can it be?

[Donington]

This car already looks like an absolute beast. If only I could make it.