Art of Gears
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24 Hours Of LeMons Rally Coming to the Streets of California

By Kelly G.

24 Hours of LeMons (Photo YouTube)
24 Hours of LeMons (Photo YouTube) /
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Grab your favorite weekend warrior for LeMons and set off on this 1,500 mile rally though the streets of California.

The 24 Hours of LeMons race. A 24-hour endurance race that takes place each year for the car enthusiast that enjoy racing in the trenches. This is not your normal endurance race. This race reminds me of the Old Underground MMA fights that took place in the back alleys. There is no huge pot of money at the finish line; no big name pit crews to help you finish the race; you are racing for straight up bragging rights here.  The idea is simple; go out and find a “beater” for less than $500. Grab a couple buddies to help you slap on a set of shocks, pump up the tires, and get out there on the race track. For 24 hours. The true definition of grinding it out on the track. Extra points are awarded for over the top accessories like fake shark fins, and reindeer antlers welded to the roof. If you think this sounds like fun, but don’t want to actually run for 24 hours straight, then you might just want to sign up for the upcoming road rally that is coming to California this summer.

SUMMIT POINT, WV June 15 and 16: The 1980 Chevy Monza raced by team of team Vicious Regress heads back to the pit after trashing the transmission during the 24 hours of Lemons race on June 15, and 16, 2013 in Summit Point, WV (Photo by Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
SUMMIT POINT, WV June 15 and 16: The 1980 Chevy Monza raced by team of team Vicious Regress heads back to the pit after trashing the transmission during the 24 hours of Lemons race on June 15, and 16, 2013 in Summit Point, WV (Photo by Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images) /

Taking place in August, the guys who brought you the 24 hours of Lemons are driving to California to bring you the Hell On Wheels 2016 rally. Registration is now open to get behind the wheel and set off for 1,500 miles of high adventure spread over 4 days. The event begins in Monterey on August 16. It will make its way through the Sierra mountains to Fallon, Las Vegas, Death Valley, Bakersfield, San Simeon, Big Sur, and Santa Cruz before returning to Monterey. The organizers call it a “long-distance, zero-shrimp rally for drivers who aren’t screwin’ around.” Vehicles are described as “anything street legal, insured, and offensive to Gullwing guys.” Did we meanstion that this race just happens to be taking place right before the annual Pebble Beach Concours weekend? Just imagine all the attention your “beater” will get from the ladies at the beauty salons getting ready for there beloved Pebble Beach. Car enthusiasts are a different breed, right?

These guys are serious about having fun. Here’s more information to help you plan your assault on the back roads of California. Scoring will follow these guidelines:

Performance: +60 for finishing the day +10-150 for optional checkpoints and challenges en route +0-150 for creative roadside repairs + / – 0-150 for tickets and arrests (how good’s your story?)

Who Made Your Hooptie? -50 for Japanese -20 for German +100 for Italian +125 for French +150 for English +250 for Warsaw Pact

When Did They Make It (chassis and powertrain)? +75 for 1980s +100 for 1970s +170 for 1960s +200 for 1950s +250 for pre-1950

How Butt-Turrible Is It? +0-66 for hooptieness of marque & model +0-66 for hooptieness of this particular example +0-66 for hooptieness of driver & passenger

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Deductions & Additions

-2500 for showing up in a press loaner -250 for wearing Pilotis +300 for bringing a Beetle-pan kit car +50 for Designer Edition (Bill Blass, Givenchy, Levi’s, etc) -300 for using phrase “double apex” +70 for best YouTube post of the day -0-900 for being a general douchenozzle +0-100 for junkyard parts gained en route +0-250 for ridiculous themes &/or outfits

SUMMIT POINT, WV June 15 and 16: The 1980 Chevy Monza raced by team of team Vicious Regress during the 24 hours of Lemons race on June 15, and 16, 2013 in Summit Point, WV (Photo by Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images)
SUMMIT POINT, WV June 15 and 16: The 1980 Chevy Monza raced by team of team Vicious Regress during the 24 hours of Lemons race on June 15, and 16, 2013 in Summit Point, WV (Photo by Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images) /

The entry fee for each car is a very modest $275. “Get your own room, buy your own food, wipe your own nose,” the organizers say.

So, what do you think? Let us know if you plan on signing up for this unique event. Art of Gears definitely wants to hear about it and we just might share your amazing road trip with the rest of the car enthusiast world.

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