Some Old-timers take on LeMons [Archive] - SR20 Forum

: Some Old-timers take on LeMons


Slartibartfast
10-26-2009, 01:38 PM
We just finished our LeMons. Pucker Factor Racing's team consisted of me, King Turd (Geo Roffe), Grover Pickering (red '91 ITS car), Russell Kaplan (NX2K with an SR20VE) and two n00bs to the SR20 world. We took on the 129 other art cars at MotorSports Ranch Houston using original owner Jim Wright's black '91. Because of blatant cheating by the Left Coast boys, the SE-R's reputation is sullied and we got hit with 25 penalty laps at tech/judging despite our nice bribe.

Here's a hint: check your oil. Often. Otherwise, you'll find the #3 bearing cap outside the engine. We lost the engine at 4:30 Saturday afternoon. Geo offered up his engine so we packed up and drove 60 miles to his house. We dropped two engines and installed one yet we still weren't finished at 03:30 Sunday morning. So, we packed up and headed back to the track, arriving at 04:30. We grabbed 3 hours of shut-eye and thrashed another 4 hours to get the car running. All this effort because one driver didn't get his chance at the track. We awakened the engine from its eight year slumber and got back to racing. Geo was the last guy out and pulled in just as they waved the checkered flag. He came in because the exhaust fell off. Had he known the checkered fell, he would have completed the cool-down lap and received one more lap credit. Turns out the primary-secondary bolts disappeared and the secondary was dragging the ground.

Despite two nights with only 3 hours of sleep, we had a great time. The SE-R is a good car for this type of event. Despite having not driven one in five years (been a Poodle car owner these last two), it was like putting on a old pair of comfortable shoes. We were hit twice but neither did more than body work damage. This was my first race and was crazy fun. One of our drivers is a dirt tracker and never drove an asphalt track and another was an absolute rank beginner with zero track time of any sort. I set the second fastest team time, which is a bit surprising since three others of our team have race experience. Just luck, I guess.

If a LeMons race comes anywhere near you, go. It's hugely entertaining.

Results are up. We came in 89th place out of 130 cars. Gotta stay on the track to get a decent finish.

kieranlavin
10-26-2009, 02:21 PM
We just finished our LeMons.

I'm jealous! Sounds like a blast. Here's cold wet trout for you ;)

Slartibartfast
10-26-2009, 04:28 PM
Hah! Haven't had that kind of fish in years.

vladha
10-26-2009, 09:50 PM
Bruce, good to see you had some fun. But... what's a Poodle car? Anyone I've talked to, that's participated in a Lemons, says it's just a blatant riot.

Mark

Slartibartfast
10-26-2009, 10:05 PM
Hey, Mark! Glad to see you're still around.

Many moons ago, a young turk from SoKal, who could beat an SE-R in any kind of acceleration race with any other car bought an NB (2nd-gen Miata) and was caught on camera giving his dog, a poodle, a ride with the top down. Henceforth, he was known as Poodle Boy. I believe you can still dig up the story on this forum by searching his nic.

Slartibartfast
10-27-2009, 04:02 PM
Well, I did a search for "poodle" and got several hits, but none were the genesis of the term, so I have to fire up my old P1 computer (if it will) and dig up the old mailing list archives. The story might be in the archives of the forum that preceded this one, tough. The old-time SoKal boys should remember the details of this if they're still around.

Rockwood
10-27-2009, 04:43 PM
Talking about Searl Tate?

Slartibartfast
10-28-2009, 08:23 AM
No, I don't think so. This kid bought an Audi, then the Miata. It was just after buying the Audi he made the pronouncement it could beat an SE-R in an acceleration contest. Of course, Kojima ragged on him to prove it.

Wade
10-28-2009, 01:35 PM
That was Searl. I believe it was "any contest of speed." He went from a 95 SE-R to an A4. I thought Kit was the "Poodle Car" guy.

Wade (SE-R mailing list member since '92)

FlodaSE-R
10-28-2009, 03:05 PM
Bruce,

I was Russ' phone-a-friend in Virginia who got the call after he gernaded the motor. I still haven't heard every last detail from Russ on that weekend, but it sounds like more fun then should be allowed.

-kevin

Slartibartfast
10-28-2009, 03:15 PM
Oh man, advancing age is a terrible thing. Not only am I bitter, I can't remember why I'm bitter.

Okay, I got Searl and Kit mixed up. Kit was who I meant as Poodle Boy. Kit Wexler, right? Thanks for setting me straight, Wade.

Kevin (Big Kev?), there isn't much to say about Russ except he jumped right in and got as dirty as the rest of us when changing the motor. His only fault was that he was supposed to bring Shiner and didn't. He set our team's fastest time at 2:06.xx just before popping the engine. Final results are up on the LeMon's site yet. At the two-hour mark we were in 67th place.

I'm quite pleased to see so many recognizeable names still on the board.

NX2KTPR
10-29-2009, 11:05 AM
Glad you guys had fun & it's good to hear from you Bruce!

BTW, "Big Kevin" is probably "Bowlcut" from Nashville.

Slartibartfast
10-29-2009, 06:00 PM
Timmy, me boyo! I figured out bowlcut after I posted my question. I'm still working on Kevin above. I figure we've met at a convention...

Pucker Factor Racing will make another LeMons appearence at the Gator-rama, MSR Houston in late February 2010. If'n yer in the area, drop in and say "howdy".

scuderia
12-08-2009, 12:47 PM
Hello all,
we just picked up a '91 nx2000 with 215,000 miles for our lemons car. anyone got some tips (saw the check oil regularly post....)
thanks,
Don

LeMon200SX
12-08-2009, 01:56 PM
awesome. we are using a 95 ser this year

http://lemonsentra.blogspot.com/

scuderia
12-09-2009, 11:47 AM
we're planning on doing the sears pointless event in March.....