LeMons South Carolina Inspections: Ford Frontenac, Renault Fuego, Loved ones Truckster, and a Parade!

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!

LeMons Northern California Inspections: Peugeot 404 vs Renault 10 vs Corvair, 239 Other Teams.

We’re back at Northern California’s Thunderhill Raceway, where the temperatures hit the 3-digit mark, the penalty laps were handed out in generous quantities to many a BMW and Honda, and the largest number of teams to be accepted into a LeMons race (thanks to the recent expansion of the Thunderhill course and resulting room for more cars) showed up: 242 entries! With so many cars, we don’t have space to cover the boring fast teams, so let’s check out a few of the better Class B and Class C entries.

If you like vintage GM machinery, why get yet another second-gen F-body when you can get a ’77 Pontiac LeMans for less money and have more fun racing it?

Class C is going to be the struggle to watch this weekend. This Rover SD1 will be representing the pride of Britain.

Can the Rover use its V8 to beat this rally-bred Subaru RX for the class win? So far in its LeMons career, the RX has been averaging about 50 laps per engine.

This Jensen-Healey, complete with Lotus 907 engine, looks pretty quick on paper. Perhaps it will own Class C at Thunderhill!

Of course, in order for that Jensen-Healey ownage to take place, the team will need to beat this Slant-6-engined Plymouth Duster.

And this 200cid-straight-6-powered Ford Fairmont.

Not to mention this 1965 Chevrolet Corvair, which now boasts a mid-mounted Buick 215 aka Rover V8.

The LeMons Supreme Court put the Hella Shitty diesel-engined Porsche 911 in Class A for its debut earlier in the year, which seemed excessively strict after the TDI 911 got lapped by a dead-stock Toyota Starlet. This time, Class C.

Still, there is Total Domination Included with this car.

The Panting Polar Bear 1961 Rambler Classic features 3-on-the-tree manual shifting and straight-6 power.

However, another car at this race has 4-on-the-tree! Yes, this Peugeot 404, which had spent the last 25 years parked in a field before being revived as a race car, has a column-shifted 4-speed manual transmission. A proud day for France.

These Peugeot racers seem pretty confident that their 404 will do well on its first race outing.

Their main rival won’t be the Rambler, though, because here’s a Renault 10.

Some great low-buck engineering was on display. For example, this cold-air-induction system on a Buick Skyhawk.

The Faster Farms Chickens and their 1966 Plymouth Belvedere went into Class B this time, because their car is a touch too reliable for Class C.

More teams need to wear dignified chicken suits.

Would you believe that this “Mello Hell No” NASCAR replica is really a Volvo 244? The Chevolvo guys have some serious body and paint skills.

There were too many good team costumes to describe in any detail here.

The BRIBED stencil represented a typical Thunderhill racer cringing from the frequent PA announcements that track manager Dave Vodden is known for.

OK, so this whatever-the-hell-it-is car isn’t in Class B or Class C, and it got hammered with penalty laps, but it still deserves a mention here. Starting with a bunch of Fiero suspension bits, Chevy S10 and Olds Bravada body parts, a supercharged GM 3800 V6, and we’re not even sure what else, this team fabricated an amazing mid-engined racing machine that had all the spectators amazed.

Featuring a lot of more backyard-style engineering and a mid-mounted-and-heavily-offset Chrysler 440 V8 engine, the Bad Decisions Racing Mercedes-Benz made it into Class B. It might be quick (this time), but we’re not betting that way.

How about some monstrous 18″ diameter, 345 width tires on all 4 corners?

This probably isn’t what Daimler-Chrysler was supposed to be about.

We’ll have many more stories to tell after Saturday’s first race session, so check in later.

LeMons Northern California Inspections: Peugeot 404 vs Renault 10 vs Corvair, 239 Other Teams.