We’re back at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina, for the 6th annual 24 Hours of LeMons Fall South race. This is one particular of our preferred places of all the stops made by the LeMons Traveling Circus each year, and one of the best things about the Fall South race is that the nearby town of Camden lets us parade all the race cars correct down the major street and then combine the vehicle inspections with a big street party, total with live music. We had nicely more than 100 teams show up this time, so we had quite a celebration in town. Some all-time great race vehicles produced their debuts, so let’s take a look at who’s right here for some Southern-style LeMons action.
The Camden townspeople had been a bit puzzled the 1st time we paraded all these strange automobiles by means of their town, but soon after a handful of years they became really enthusiastic. It didn’t hurt that about 30 of the 112 vehicles had Dixie Horns installed.
Judge Jason Torchinsky, possessing just moved from Los Angeles to North Carolina in a vintage ’76 Dodge Tioga RV, rolled in for his very first weekend on the bench of the Southern Circuit of the LeMons Supreme Court.
You know how we’ve been pleading for some team to bring a Renault Fuego to a LeMons race? For years? Ultimately, it occurred! And not just any Renault Fuego— this is a genuine, numbers-matching Renault Fuego Turbo!
This Pennsylvania-primarily based group went all the way to Iowa to get the car, which had been sitting since its cooling fan amputated 1 of its prior owner’s fingers (you can’t make up this stuff!) a decade ago. It wasn’t running nicely enough to drive in the parade, and the brakes weren’t working, but we’re positive that this auto will be firmly within The Turbo Zone when the green flag waves on Saturday morning.
This LeMons-veteran Ford Pinto has returned with an innovative belt-driven leaf-blower “supercharger.”
We hope the engine can withstand the amazing enhance stress!
The Idle Clatter group, winners of Class C at Sebring in their Mercedes-Benz 300D, have added another diesel Mercedes-Benz to their steady of oil-burning race machines: this Toyota Hilux-ized pickup. We’ve promoted the Sebring winner to Class B, but the “Hilux” will start this race going up against the Renault Fuego Turbo in Class C.
To add to the roster of 1960s Detroit automobiles that have competed in the 24 Hours of LeMons, NSF Racing has obtained this gorgeous Ford Frontenac and will be racing it this weekend.
This automobile was a Canadian-market Ford Falcon, full with unique grille and patriotic maple-leaf hubcaps. According to these who claim to know, this is 1 of just 60 2-door Frontenacs constructed in its 1 year of production, 1960.
One more self-proclaimed Frontenac specialist claims that there are just 16 Frontenacs still identified to exist. But much more proof that uncommon does not often equal beneficial.
We really feel certain that this is the only Frontenac among those 16 with a Continental kit.
NSF came unusually well-prepared to this race, with a spare 170-cubic-inch engine prepared for quick swapping in case of need.
For reasons that probably make sense north of the border, Ford of Canada marketed this vehicle as “the Eventful Frontenac.” Eventful!
The vehicle that got the most consideration at the parade was the most recent Speedycop creation, this close to-perfect replica of the George Barris-built Wagon Queen Loved ones Truckster.
Beginning with the correct 1979 Ford LTD Nation Squire, Speedycop and the Gang of Outlaws created a Household Truckster that’s completely LeMons-legal.
We’d seen a number of Loved ones Trucksters more than the years, which includes one primarily based on a Ford Pinto and one more primarily based on a BMW E36, but we can’t envision any group topping the Speedycop version. Class C, of course, and positive to beat at least a handful of Class A vehicles this weekend.
By the time of this writing, the party has moved from the streets of Camden to the CMP paddock.
Oh yeah, and some fast vehicles showed up, as well. Be positive to check in Saturday night to see how the first day of racing turns out.
LeMons South Carolina Inspections: Ford Frontenac, Renault Fuego, Loved ones Truckster, and a Parade!
