Hi Jim,

It's a NorCal thing only!


Thanks to Aubie for writing the LeMons report:
http://944spec.org/944SPEC/content/view/141/9/

Boy, was that fun!! Some of the best racing I've been involved in so far! Count me in next year. In fact if anybody comes across a $500 candidate let me know and maybe we can enter two cars. It's well worth it.

Kim had a great time as well. Her last time on track after she settled in, I was able to coach her over the radio and she took off from there! she passed a few cars and held off a bunch and pulled away from some fast cars. In the end, she got greedy and tried to go through turn 5 without braking and spun sending us out of the race for the last time. Better to make a mistake being aggressive than too timid.

Early in my first stint, I got hit going two wide in turn 3 which took off our dust pan from the robotic arms. From that time on, it was a free for all. I was passing 4 WIDE into almost every turn! I even passed 3 wide at the top of turn 5!!!! It felt like I passed hundreds of cars in situations I never would dream of placing a car. I remember passing 5 cars in turn 3 alone, going from the inside, to squeezing in between cars getting a donut on my door and finally ending up outside of another car! And that was repeated many, many times over the 2 days. All through it our little 944 ran great! I have so much more respect for Porsche red headed step child now than ever. The engine still had plenty of power even if it was burning 2 quarts of oil an hour. The handling made it possible to place that car wherever there was an opening in traffic, and strong enough to take a few hits and keep going. On top of all that, we got great gas mileage as well!

I want to thank all my teammates. I really enjoyed hanging out with Jim and John from EASY, and their driving was great. Aubie laying down some blistering lap times, and who knew he could preach as well. Kim became a racer that weekend and I'm VERY proud of her(she swears she will never ask why I'm not going faster again!)! But most of all I'd like to thank Ken for all his hard work, without which we never would have had a team, much less a car. Those of you from our region already know the work he does as director of our region but those who don't, Ken is the reason we have such a great racing atmosphere. His work from finding sponsors and prize money, to finding us a place with PRC and away from the Honda challenge guys. I know he has helped me out in a lot of ways that made the difference of racing on the weekend and staying home.

Thanks Ken, and see y'all next year
Ron

Great write-up and pics. I saw you guys with both robot arms intact on the starting grid video... at 3:58. You guys had the best sounding exaust leaving the grid!

I'm truly bummed that Derrick and I had to cancel on team Trash-e. Sounds like a one of a kind experience. Where else is your competition a couple of Foster Farms chickens, a NASA X-7, a Vacation car, or the Bi-polar exress?
It's also a downer that Altamont won't host a Lemons race in my back yard this year.

Ron, It sounds like you all had a GREAT time. Congrats. And congrats on making your wife a racer. Time to get her a competition license and a set of tools!

It sounds like that event is a great way to get comfortable with traffic and overtaking. I am looking for you to be even faster this next season, my friend.

I would also like to echo your comments about the revered series director, Ken Huey. When I found a car on Craigs list that was in the bay area, Ken went and checked it out, then went and purchased it for me, hoping to get his money back from me later, picked up the car, stored it, jump started it and generally went to a lot of trouble for a guy that is not even in his region. He wouldn't even accept any cash for gas much less any of his time.

Thanks for the post and get your wife out and into the DE program. We need a LADY racing with us guys to bring some class to the class!

Big Dog

Sounded like I missed out on a lot of fun this year. I am so glad the LeMon's car made it through the end of the race for the 2nd time. Considering it was just sitting around for over a year, that just shows how strong the motor and tranny is on this car.

Do you guys think it can start and finish a 3rd time or is it time to part it out and junk it? I didn't get to see any pictures of the car before the start of the race. Please post those if you have them.

I am sure Kim had the experience of a lifetime and now she knows that 944Spec Racing is NOTHING even remotely close to the 24 Hours of LeMon's race.

Hello,
I had posted a message over at the Rennlist boards about a 2009 LeMons entry and someone recommended I contact the spec 944 NorCal group as there were people here that ran last year. I'm looking to form or get with a team for a 2009 event - preferrably Buttonwillow in Aug. Running a 924 or 944 would be ideal - I time trial my 944 with PCA, so I have a lot of seat and wrench time with 944's - but I'm open to any sort of vehicle.
Sounds like the folks that ran the Arse Freeze had a good time, so if you're looking for another driver for a 2009 - lemmie know.

-Mike
1989 944 S2
SF East Bay