The 24 Hours of LeMons: Endurance Racing for $500 Cars • Motorsport America

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The 24 Hours of LeMons ‘Shine Country Classics was held at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL Fri. and Sat. Feb., 1-2. It was the first stop of the southern race schedule for the series.

The 24 Hours of LeMons is restricted to cars that were purchased, fixed up, and track-prepped for a total of $500 or less. At most venues, the racing consists of tech inspection and track testing on Friday; long-ass endurance-race sessions on Saturday and Sunday; and breaks for sleeping, eating, and Band-Aid application every night. At least once a year, we also hold a straight 24-hour endurance race.

Count on plenty of noise, prizes, water fights, and questionably civilized fun before, during, and after the track sessions. Finally, assuming you’re still standing, there’s the gala awards ceremony, wherein trophies and plaques are presented and winner’s purses paid out in nickels.

Endurance racing for $500 cars. It’s not just an oxymoron; it’s a breeding ground for morons. It’s where Pintos and Maseratis battle to lap a Le Car. It’s where first-timers dice with Nomex-soiling pros.

It’s real racing. Between the thick scrum of crapcans in front of you and an aversion to long, flat-out straightaways, you’re not going to set any speed records. It’s kinda like a loud, hot, noisy version of driving to work. For a really, really long time. Without actually getting anywhere. And it’s a lot harder to drink coffee through the helmet. Oh, and, you know, it’s more dangerous.

Safety equipment isn’t included in the $500 car-purchase price, so you’ll have kind of a fighting chance.

While these are wheel-to-wheel racetrack events, drivers include total non-racers, amateur racers, and pros. Everyone will need to purchase a LeMons Competition Membership for $50–Memberships are good for 364 days from the date of purchase. No outside competition licenses are recognized or reciprocated.

Over the course of the year there are recognition wins for marque, nationality, all-girls teams, etc., and awarding the Harold Stassen Memorial Sticktuitiveness Trophy, the Albert Gore Jr. Carbon-Neutral Cup, and other such venerable honors.