Need 2 Drivers for a 24 Hours of LeMons Team.

[eunos735]

We jsut returned from Gingerman raceway in South Haven Michigan. It has been determined by my partner and myself that the other 2 drivers we have on our team are "dead weight" for lack of a better term. They have contribted nothing to the car prep and are not contributing much in the area of driver performace either. So here is what we are looking for.

1) We need a driver that is willing/able to drive wheel to wheel in a non powersterring car, wearing a full fire suit and nomex undies for 2.5-3 hours at a time in temps ranging from the Snow that we had in Michigan this weekend to the 100+ tems we had in New Orleans last summer. And you MUST be able to do drive CLEAN.

2) You MUST be willing / able to help with the car prep and be willing / able to work on the car at the track as required.

3) You MUST be willing / able to pay your fair share of expenses (Typicaly we spend $2,000-$2,500 per race weekend + entry fees for the team so your share would be $400-$600)

4) You MUST MUST MUST MUST have a team attitude. The key to winning one of these races is keeping the car on the track...not trying to set a faster lap time than the other members of the team...you have to be willing / able to conserve the car and not get any black flags.

If you are interested in this let me know. We are planning on running our next race in August at No Problems Raceway in New Orelans so we need to start planning / working on the car soon.

[John Brown]

We jsut returned from Gingerman raceway in South Haven Michigan. It has been determined by my partner and myself that the other 2 drivers we have on our team are "dead weight" for lack of a better term. They have contribted nothing to the car prep and are not contributing much in the area of driver performace either. So here is what we are looking for.

1) We need a driver that is willing/able to drive wheel to wheel in a non powersterring car, wearing a full fire suit and nomex undies for 2.5-3 hours at a time in temps ranging from the Snow that we had in Michigan this weekend to the 100+ tems we had in New Orleans last summer. And you MUST be able to do drive CLEAN.

2) You MUST be willing / able to help with the car prep and be willing / able to work on the car at the track as required.

3) You MUST be willing / able to pay your fair share of expenses (Typicaly we spend $2,000-$2,500 per race weekend + entry fees for the team so your share would be $400-$600)

4) You MUST MUST MUST MUST have a team attitude. The key to winning one of these races is keeping the car on the track...not trying to set a faster lap time than the other members of the team...you have to be willing / able to conserve the car and not get any black flags.

If you are interested in this let me know. We are planning on running our next race in August at No Problems Raceway in New Orelans so we need to start planning / working on the car soon.

darn... so many rules.. Id never make it.

[eunos735]

We would LOVE to have you Jb. Just not sure if you would be willing to "slum" with us.

[awdbandito]

I would HIGHLY recommend doing this. It is one of the least expensive ways to get out on track racing wheel to wheel. Plus the parties are as much fun as a pair of double Ds on your face.

If anybody is thinking about it - DO IT!

[Wheelman_13]

Might be interested, you'll have PM shortly.

[eunos735]

I wanted to answer the questions that have been PM'ed to me by a few people just so everyone that might be considering this can have all the information and so I don't have to answer the same questions multiple times.

"So you/the car are located in Chattanooga?"
Yes we are in Chattanooga. The car prep issue is flexable. We feel like with the amount of time between races that someone who is interested in being a part of the team could devote at least one or two Saturday afternoons of work in exchange for being able to drive our car. If you can't help with the physical work we could work out something else to make the partnership equitable for all parties.

I have zero wheel-to-wheel experience outside of gran turismo.
That's fine...we didn't either when we started. You just need to put your ego in check and be willing to start slow and work your way up to speed.

What are y'all running (car)?
The car is a 1994 Nissan Sentra.

*How have you been reliability-wise at races so far?
We have started 3 and finished 1. The biggest problem was lack of attention to detail with car prep. I have since taken over that responsibility and the car has been dead reliable since.

*Would I need to bring tools & such, or just my bad self with safety equipment and willingness to do work?
You just need to bring yourself and your own gear. Here is a list of the gear you will need.
*A SA2005 or SA2010 FULL FACE helmet with a functioning visor in place. NO OTHER Headgear will work.
*The suit must be SFI 3.2A/1 through /20, and FIA 8856-2000. Suits with other SFI or FIA numbers aren't made for in-car racing, and won't pass tech. If the suit is 3.2A/1-A/5 you MUST also wear a layer of SFI/FIA approved flame proof underwear with the suit.
*You must also have a SFI/FIA certified Neck Collar. While you can use a HANS our car isn't set up with Harness which will work with a HANS
*SFI/FIA Certified Shoes, Gloves and Socks are also required. You must also wear a Balaclava if you have facial hair but I would recommend it to anyone.
You can pick up most / all of this gear on Ebay for a fraction of what is sells for in the "retail" stores.

*I wrench on my own cars and, given applicable tools, I'm good for pretty much anything short of welding.
This is exactly what we are looking for.

*I have not done any wheel-to-wheel racing
See answer above

*I've got about 6 years of mixed autocross/HPDE experience +Something like a dozen or so track events at this point currently in DE3 with NASA
While this helps I can tell you that comparing AutoX, HPDE, Track Days etc etc etc or anything else short of W2W racing is like comparing apples to bowling balls. Just be willing to listen and learn

*I'm a runner even through the summer so I can deal with heat.
Then you are in better shape than me. But most people are...but for some reason I have been the only member of the team willing / able to drive the car for 2.5+ hours at a time and this is what we need more than anything.

Some comments:
-I have a "normal" ~9 to ~5 job, but can help outside of that depending on what you need. However please don't have the expectation that anything race related will trump even "oh by the way we need you" from the office.
* Me and the other "surviving" member of this team are a Banker and a Dentist. We both are VERY dedicated to our professions. But that being said if you can't schedule a Friday and Monday off work months in advance and it not be an issue that will not work out. We have to pay the entry fee months in advance and they are non refundable. We need a FIRM commitment that you are going to be able to drive with us before we spend the money. That being said MAJOR issues are MAJOR issues...but we need you to be respectful of the other members of the team and make sure it is a MAJOR issue before you back out. A team is required to have 4 drivers so if one doesn't go we all don't go.

If there are any more questions please let me know....we really want to field a strong team and take a shot at winning one of these things.

[LeadSSled]

I did the 24 Hours of LeMons in 07 and 08 as the founding member of the Rubber Biscuit Racing Team before I "retired". Even though it certainly was nowhere near the fastest that I've driven on a road course, this W2W racing was the most fun that I've ever had in a car (barring the back seat, of course). The best our team ever finished was 13th, but what a blast! I encourage anyone that is even remotely interested to take advantage of this rare opportunity. But it does take some cash, a lot of time, and commitment. You had better be prepared for that.

eunos735 - I had to fire a dead wood driver after the first year as well. Tough deal but your have to do your best to be competitive, and that includes fielding the best drivers that you can put together. Good luck this year.