We are in the Lemons!

Got word today that we have been officially accepted to the 24 Hours of Lemons race in April.

The 24 Hours of LeMons

This is what I got:

Your team ( Junk Works Racing )has officially been ACCEPTED for LeMons South Spring, on 4-5 April 2009, at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw SC. We got tons of crappy entries for this race; yours was just enough crappier to be selected. Nice work.

I'm stoked!

The team website is up and will be update as progress goes on with the rusty pictures of the build. As of now its mostly a 1990 Miata with no motor or tranny and a blown rear but we did only pay $150 for it. Motor was included just not in the car, condition unknown.

Junk Works Racing

Our team concept will be based on the infamous Lockheed Martin Skunk Works team. We will be called “JunkWorks Racing”. Skunk Works is a project group responsible for a number of famous aircraft designs, including the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Stealth, and the F-22 Raptor. Our car will be a testimonial to the SR71 Blackbird, I hope.

Our car will have the infamous tail section of the SR71 Blackbird mounted to it including both jet engines and the dual tail rudders that are so iconic to the plane. The car will be painted flat black.

Barring any technical difficulties, we will be broadcasting the race live on the big screens at LongShots Billiards and Darts! ( Long Shots ~ Chesapeake VA ~ Largest Billiard and Dart bar in Hampton Roads! ) LongShots has been supporting the local car seen for almost three years now including, car shows, drift events, drag strip rentals, Auto-X and charity events. This is the talk of the bar already, even with NASCAR coming up! We will also bring a good crowd down to cheer us on. This is going to be a great opportunity to showcase some of out best attributes, building cars and drinking.


Our team will include:

Team captain:

Mike
Call sign “IcantDo55”

Born Huntington, NY. 1970
Noteworthy project, my 1989 Mustang Notchback, stroked blown and sprayed. Well over 600 RWHP. Its an ongoing project. Sold but not forgotten, 1990 RX-7 Turbo II with Chevy LT1 transplant 365 RWHP. 1992 Miata Turbo running on MegaSquirt 200RWHP
MySpace.com - Mike - 38 - Male - - www.myspace.com/lt1rx7
ICantDo55
Experience, Auto-X, Drag Racing, ********, Fun Ford weekend True Street contender, four years, NYC cab driving. Driven everything from a Goped to a tractor trailer.
Employed as owner of LongShots Billiards and Darts (Sports Bar)


RJ
Call Sign “Titan”

Born Washington, Pa. 1970
Enlisted in the Navy July 1988 and served on 5 ships as a Navigator. Retired from active duty October 2008.
Noteworthy project, 1994 Corvette that has a 351ci SBC and a T6 single turbo, making 700 RWHP.
Experience, Auto-X, Road racing, ********, federal and local emergency vehicle school, Navy ships.
Currently employed in the Norfolk Police academy and graduate Feb 26, 2009.


AJ
Call Sign “Man *****”

Born Minneapolis, MN. 1982
Noteworthy project, 2003, 350Z with twin turbos 500 RWHP. Stock internals...tick tick tick...
Experience, Auto-X, ********, Drag racing and four time driver improvement class veteran, as per Virginia DMV.
Currently employed at Best Buy as Management, need a phone?





Curt
Call Sign “Crabby”

Born Potomac, IL. 1970
Enlisted in Navy June 1987 through June 1997.
Most noteworthy project 1995 Firebird Formula, 500+ RWHP nothing original but the carpet and seats. Currently restoring a Porsche 951 www.Geek-Racing.com
Experience, Drag racing, Auto-X and all the tractors and farm equipment a farm boy can drive.
Currently employed as a Network Engineer.


Charles
Call Sign “Judge”

Born Chesapeake, VA. 1978
Noteworthy project, 1991 MR2 Turbo, 540rwhp. Just finished another Daily driven MR2.
Experience, Drag racing, Auto-X.
Currently employed as a automotive mechanic.



Mike
Call Sign “BrokeNeck”

Born Virginia Beach, VA. 1982
Noteworthy project, 1988 Mustang, sprayed built motor going on its 5th transmission.
Experience, ********, Drag racing, Auto-X., mud bog, burnout contest, pilot of LongShots race truck at Langley Speedway for Wacky Wednesday events.
Currently employed at LongShots Billiards and Darts as Bar manager.


Todd
Call Sign “Howitzer”

Born Radford, VA. 1973
Noteworthy project, 87 Firebird Formula, built motor running on MegaSquirt suspension tuned for Auto-x.
Experience, Auto-X, Drag racing and fixing what ever else the girlfriend breaks.
Currently employed as network administrator.


A pic of the future of our car.

 

Two months after I leave town and NOW you do this thing!!! Were you waiting until I left just to **** me off? **** man, I might have stayed just to be on the team. It's ******* sweet though, I'll be watching!

You could make it up to me by scrapping the Blackbird motif and throwing one of these on top:

 

hm I didn't know it was going to be held at Carolina Motorsports Park, I'll have to go up there and watch it.

 

Congrats Mike!

 

Good job! I'm hoping to do the same in August at Buttonwillow. And since you got in with a Miata, that gives me hope for my team getting one in as well.

 

did not tell them it was a Miata till after we were accepted.

 

Very cool.

I'm not far from Kershaw in Monroe, NC. I might have to check it out.

 

I would love to do a lemons car, good luck

 

Know its been a while but between work and the car time has been tight. some pics to get you up to speed.

Got this car and a pile of parts for $150 SWEET! Guy was thrilled that it was going to be in a leMons race!

 

Roll bar installed







Fix brakes





Clean up cams and motor

 

I'm hoping to run a LeMons car this year, using either a Daihatsu Charade G102, a friend's rusty 91 Mariner Blue Miata, a EF turbo Civic, or something else. I want to to the Charade, but Miatas are good on the track, more so than the fwd cars.

I'd probably run Thunderhill in December, even though I'm in SoCal. Buttonwillow in summer? Helllllll no!

 

sweeeeeeeet.

 

Swap out Auto to 5-spd.





Install coolant reroute and motor




Needed a Kick!

 

Try to start it to fins out no fuel.......
After some research, think we found it. Luckily it came with plenty of spare parts.







We did find a spot on the car that was not rusted tho...



Safety first!

 

I built the dash, sweet huh?



Needs front end work still, but you get the idea. Sexy time!





what you will see Bitches!

 

Today in 45* weather and RAIN we packed up and auto-x the car for the 1st time. We had 5 driver and all ran the leMons car, it ran great! Few issues but nothing major. The coolant reroute runs so cold, if I default the cooling fan always on the temp gauge never moves. Leave fans off and it sits middle of gauge like normal. I'm happy with that!

Best time was 17th out of 70 cars.

Pouring rain and not windows, roof or windshield. We froze out asses off but it was fun!

Day before, putting on the "game face"

Packed up



Nice touch was the wipers on with no windshield.

 

Without the windsheild I guess you can use the squirters to clean your helmet sheild.
Nice use of the windage tray.

 

Watch out. You know Jay "loves" Miatas. Aside from receiving a -55 lap penalty during the BS inspection, we also received People's Curse for a second year in a row. Luckily, we had a two Miata team.

Here's how one of the cars looked after the curse.

 

That sucks. I hoping against that. This car is a real turd so I hope we be ok. If they did not crush the turbo one!

 

Ours was too. A garbage truck had run over the passenger side and the door was pushed 18 inches into the car. We had a quart of Lucas Oil Additive (aka STP) just to keep the engine from knocking.

But, despite most competitors hating on Miatas, the judges BS penalties and the People's Curse, I expect we'll see more of them - not less.