REALLY COMPETITIVE.
ERIN: THESE ARE BUMPERS ONLY A
MOTHER COULD LOVE, AND THEY'RE
PROOF THAT YOU DON'T NEED A
FANCY CAR OR A LOT OF MONEY TO
SEE A CHECKERED FLAG FROM THE
DRIVER'S SEAT AT NEW HAMPSHIRE
MOTOR SPEEDWAY.
ONCE A YEAR, THE 24 HOURS OF
LEMONS RACE COMES TO LOUDON, AND
IT'S ALL ABOUT HOW LITTLE YOU
CAN SPEND ON YOUR CAR AND HOW
LONG IT CAN LAST.
>> IT IS AN ENDURANCE RACING
SERIES FOR CHEAP CARS, CARS THAT
LARA SPENCER BLAKE -- CARS THAT
ARE EXTENSIVELY -- OSTENSIBLY
VALUED AT $500 OR LESS, BEFORE
SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND UPGRADES TO
MAKE THINGS SAFE FOR RACING.
ERIN: THE LEMONS RACE SERIES
BRINGS ALL MAKES, MODELS, AND
TYPES OF PEOPLE TOGETHER, ALL
WITH ONE COMMON INTEREST --
CARS.
>> RACING IS FUN, AND WE
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S UTTERLY
POINTLESS, SO WE TRY TO PLAY OFF
OF THAT LEVITY AND TRY TO HAVE
FUN WITH IT.
ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE OFTEN
SAY OR THINK IS THAT RACING IS
JUST FOR RICH IDIOTS, AND WE ARE
TRYING TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE FOR
ALL IDIOTS.
ERIN: DESPITE THE 24 HOURS IN
THE NAME, THIS RACE IS BROKEN
INTO TWO DAYS, A TOTAL OF 14.5
HOURS WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING --
IF YOU'RE LUCKY.
>> IT'S BROKEN.
IT WON'T RUN.
WE'VE TRIED REPLACING THE MOTOR.
WE'VE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT.
WE ARE STILL WORKING ON IT, AN
HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET IT.
WE ARE TRYING TO TWEAK SOME
THINGS AND CHEAT A LITTLE, A
MAKE IT WORK, BUT IT'S NOT
LOOKING GOOD
ERIN SPENDING MORE TIME IN T
GARAGE THAN ON THE TRACK ISN'T
CERTAINLY IDEAL, BUT IT'S PAR
FOR THE COURSE, AND MOST OF THE
CREWS ARE ABLE TO MAKE LEMONADE
FROM THEIR LEMONS.
>> FIXING THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE
FUN AS WELL.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE
HELPING OUT, SO IT'S NICE.
ERIN: WITH JUNKYARD CARS, FIXING
IS PART OF THE FUN.
ALMOST ALL OF THE 135 CARS SPEND
SOME TIME OFF THE TRACK FOR
REPAIR
LOOK OUT FOR THE YELLOW
CRASHES AND BREAKDOWNS ARE
INEVITABLE
>> WE WERE GOOD UNTIL 2:00
YESTERDAY, AND THEN THE
ELECTRONICS BROK
IT TOOK US UNTIL 11:30 YESTERDAY
TO FIX THE CAR, AND WE WERE JUST
OUT STARTING AGAIN TODAY.
THEY WERE SLOWING DOWN ON THE
YELLOW AND I WAS ON MY BRAKE
HARD AND GOT HIT FROM THE BACK
AND HIT THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME,
TOO.
BAD DAY, THREE CAR
ERIN: SAFETY IS A PRIORITY FOR
LEMONS RACERS AND OFFICIALS.
THEY EVEN HAVE A PLACE FOR THE
NAUGHTY CARS TO GO WHEN THEY
DON'T BEHAVE
>> WE ARE STANDING IN THE
PENALTY BOX.
THE CARS BACK HERE HAVE BE
BLACK FLAGGED ON THE TRACK FOR
DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
AND THEY COME AND TALK WITH US,
MYSELF AND THE OTHER JUDGE, AND
WE DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THEM.
>> IF YOU GO BACK OUT THERE, AM
I GOING TO SEE YOU AGAIN?
I HOPE NOT
[LAUGHTER]
>> NO, I WANT BETTER THAN HOPE.
>> OK, I GUARANTEE I
YOU GUARANTEE --
>> YOU GUARANTEE IT.
OK, SO IF YOU WELCH ON
GUARANTEE, I AM GOING TO MAKE
YOU DO SOMETHING.
ERIN: THAT SOMETHING COULD BE
ANYTHING FROM CARVING A PUMPKI
TO --WELL, TO THIS.
>> I AM HERE TO CONFESS MY SINS,
SINS OF THE RACE TRACK.
THOU SHALL NOT PASS UNDER
YELLOW.
I WAS AN INATTENTIVE DRIVE
I HAVE OFFENDED YOU ALL.
I AM NOT WORTHY TO DRIVE WITH
YO
I AM BEING CHASTISED VERY FAIRLY
FOR SUCH HORRIBLE ACTION
>> MOST FOLKS ARE PRETTY
LAID-BAC
WE ARE ALL KIND OF ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS SILLY
AND POINTLESS AND WE ARE TRYING
TO HAVE FU
GENERALLY THE SERIOUS STUFF
HAPPENS TRACK, PARTICULARLY
WITH CONCERNS TO SAFETY, BUT
INSI HERE, IT IS KIND OF A
PARTY.
ERIN: THE FUN DOESN'T MEAN
THINGS DON'T GET COMPETITIV
JUST ASK THE TEAM THAT HOGGED
THE TOP SPOT OF THE LEMONS
LEADER BOARD
QUIRKS WE HAVE AN --
>> WE HAVE AN ABSOLUTE STOCK
BMW.
THIS IS OUR THIRD RACE WITH
LEMONS, AND WE ARE JUST KILLING
IT.
WE ARE DOING REALLY GOOD, NO
ACCIDENTS, NO BLACK FLAGS, DOING
THE BEST WE CAN.
EVERYONE AT THIS LEMONS RACE IS
ABOUT KEEPING IT CLEAN AND
MAKING THE MOST OF THE FUEL.
THE FUEL WINDOW IS WHAT KEEPS
ENDURANCE RACING COMPETITIVE.
ERIN: BUT WAIT, HOW DO WE KNO
IF THESE TEAMS -- WITH NAMES
LIKE GREAT GLOBS OF OIL, SORRY
FOR PARTY, AND THE PT LOSERS -
REALLY ONLY SPENT $500 ON THEIR
HOOPTIES?
>> THE JUDGES MAKE THOSE
DECISION
AND OF COURSE, EVERYONE CHEATS.
AND IT IS OUR JOB TO DETERMINE
HOW MUCH THEY CHEATED, AND WE
CLASSIFY THEM AND GIVE THEM
PENALTY LAPS BASED ON HOW
FEEL THAT THEY ARE DOING.
>> WE ARE TEAM CAT-REOLET.
SO WE HAVE GOT A MID-1990'S
CABRIOLET THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE
READ, BUT IT IS MORE LIKE PINK.
WE ARE STILL RUNNING -- NOT
FAST, BUT WE ARE RUNNING, AND WE
ARE PRETTY HAPPY WITH THAT.
>> WE'VE GOT COLLEGE STUDENTS
THAT HAVE COME TOGETHER AND
POOLED THEIR RESOURCES TO FORM A
TEAM.
FOLKS WITH SHOPS.
AND SOMETIMES REAL PROFESSIONAL
RACERS SLUM IT AND HAVE FUN HERE
AS WELL.
>> ME AND MY CO-DRIVER RICKY
, WE HAVE BEEN RACING OVAL TRACK
IN NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR 20 YEARS,
AND WE KNEW COMING TO THE NASC
TRACK, AND THEN WE HEARD ABOUT
THIS CRAZY LEMONS RACE, WHICH IS
SORT OF LIKE AN ENDURO, AND WE
CAME HERE AS OVAL TRACK RACERS
AND JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS.
BEING ABOUT TO GO RIGHT AND
LEFT, RACING WITH 130 CARS, IT'S
GREAT.
>> THE GRAND PRIZE IS A
COMPLETELY FICTIONAL ONE.
WE CALL IT THE INDEX OF
EFFLUENCY.
IT'S THE CAR THAT PERFORMS WE
BEYOND WHAT ANYONE HAS EXPECTED.
ERIN: IN THE END, IT'S CLEAR
THAT A DAY WITH THE LEMONS ISN'T
YOUR TYPICAL DAY AT THE RACES,
BUT IT SURE IS FUN
>> IT'S A CAR PARTY.
COLLECTS IT'S JUST --
>> IS JUST GOOD FUN.
ON THE RACETRACK WE'VE GOT THE
ELBOWS OUT AND GOING AT IT, BUT
IN THE PITS WE'RE ALL HAVING A
LAUGH AND A BEER WHEN THIS RACE
IS DONE FOR THE DAY.