The stars have aligned for me once again. At the (possible) expense of doing the BABE this year, I will be running the Chicago 24 Hours of Lemons event with my roommate/best friend, my gainful employer, and my gainful employer's total ringer race car driver brother.
In a tired, thoroughly abused, 255k mile 1990 Audi 200 Quattro turbo.
We plan to show up with a lot of spare axles, I'll say that much. The car was free; it was going straight to the junkyard if we didn't pick it up. As far as cheater-y modifications go, we're not exactly planning to push the envelope - what this car really needs is a diet, which doesn't cost anything! Maybe some suspension bushings, if anything. The only things it really sucks at are turning and stopping, which should be fixed with the unlimited wheel/tire/brake budget and a decent alignment (it's a bit boaty in the corners, whatever, I thrice hustled a bone-stock Volvo 960 around Deal's Gap in record time).
What the hell are we getting ourselves into?
Also, we're looking for opinions on potential theme submissions. Frequently discussed ideas have been a Team SlapChop/ShamWOW car (think we could get Vince to come talk to the judges?), an IMSA replica, an old Milwaukee beer theme (Team Unibraü, teehee), or maybe even a Rod Blagojevich campaign car. Feedback? Suggestions? Four-letter-words?
my gainful employer's total ringer race car driver brother.
this is not as helpful as it sounds. Make sure he doesn't start quoting SCCA regs to Jay. Thats the surest way to get yourself kicked out of the race.
Otherwise, it sounds like you picked a good car and have some great ideas for themes. Have fun!
GregTivo wrote:
my gainful employer's total ringer race car driver brother.
this is not as helpful as it sounds. Make sure he doesn't start quoting SCCA regs to Jay. Thats the surest way to get yourself kicked out of the race.
Otherwise, it sounds like you picked a good car and have some great ideas for themes. Have fun!
It's Kevin O'Day, you might remember him from BABE (Pending the Consumption of more Smithwick's; Brendan O'Day is my boss). He's not really a "race car driver", per se, but he owns a 500HP R32 Golf and has done Skip Barber and a bazillion track days and other such things I can only dream of.
JThw8
SuperDork
2/22/10 8:10 p.m.
Just make sure he mentions NONE of that in front of the judges and doesnt drive like an asshat and he'll be fine.
tuna55
HalfDork
2/23/10 10:04 a.m.
Don't EVER let a know-it-all in front oh Johnny, Phil or Jay and you might do fine.
Bring spares, not just axles, but everything else, like a motor, a tranny or two, and pretty much everything else that might break.
tuna55 wrote:
Bring spares, not just axles, but everything else, like a motor, a tranny or two, and pretty much everything else that might break.
+1 you can never bring enough spares to a race.
Martyr_of_Mayhem wrote:
tuna55 wrote:
Bring spares, not just axles, but everything else, like a motor, a tranny or two, and pretty much everything else that might break.
+1 you can never bring enough spares to a race.
up to and including a complete car, 
JThw8
SuperDork
2/24/10 8:26 a.m.
GregTivo wrote:
Martyr_of_Mayhem wrote:
tuna55 wrote:
Bring spares, not just axles, but everything else, like a motor, a tranny or two, and pretty much everything else that might break.
+1 you can never bring enough spares to a race.
up to and including a complete car,
Crap...where am I gonna find a complete spare Wartburg?
tuna55
HalfDork
2/24/10 10:09 a.m.
You're exempt - plus, you could bring spare donor cars since there isn't much wartburg left other than the cool parts anyways
JThw8
SuperDork
2/24/10 1:25 p.m.
tuna55 wrote:
You're exempt - plus, you could bring spare donor cars since there isn't much wartburg left other than the cool parts anyways
And thus the reason why its made of so many other cars :)
Really the only parts Im worried about are the transaxle (we have 3 spares) and the engine (subie 2.2s are easy enough to find)
Everything else is, well, just big chunks of metal, thank good for simplicity :)
