Slightly O/T - Motorsport gear needed

[tosoutherncars]

Hi all,

Sorry for the slightly off-topic post, but I have yet to find a topic that *someone* on here wasn't able to help with.

I've signed up to race in an amateur race, called the 24 Hours of Lemons. (No, not a typo!) It's essentially an enduro-style race, but the car must be bought for no more than $500 before the addition of safety items. For a good laugh, see www.24hoursoflemons.com

I'm pretty sure I've found the car, and the teammates (5-6 drivers). The required safety gear is;

- non-motorcycle helmets rated SA2000 (or above)
- SFI-approved fire suits

If we all buy our own gear, it will end up adding a good chunk of change to the cost of the weekend (the race organizers sell a helmet / suit / neckguard kit for something like $500 apiece.) None of my team race on a regular basis, so I (as their captain) am a little reluctant to ask them to splash out.

If anyone has recently gotten out of motorsport (or upgraded, or outgrown their suit!) and is willing to lend some gear for the weekend of July 11-12, I'd love to hear from you. If you're not local, I'm MORE than happy to pay for shipping both ways, and return your suit freshly dry-cleaned. (I'm in Ottawa, ON and the race is in CT.)

I realize this is a bit of an imposition, and if necessary I'll simply ask the guys to suck it up and buy their own stuff. I'm also looking into borrowing gear from a local performance driving school. But I thought it was worth posting, seeing how many Spridgeteers are into grassroots motorsport as well.

Thanks, and I'll make sure to post our results after the race!!

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Can you dry clean fire proof suits? Or does that render them useless.

Sorry, can't help.

 

[tosoutherncars]

I suppose you could just pop them in the oven? Roast off the dirt... I mean, they're fire-proof after all, right?

OK, please amend the above to read: <span style="font-style: italic">freshly laundered, in a manner proscribed by the SFI and/or the manufacturer, where such recommendations exist.</span>

:laugh:

 

[aeronca65t]

Duncan:

Best of luck in Lemons. I ran it with ~Our Team~ last year.

Our team has remained close and we are planning on running some ~NASA~ endurance events this year (in my old Escort or a Porsche 996).

Our team was made of up folks who were already racers and we decided not to return to Lemons a second time.
But you'll have to make up your own mind on that point.
I'd say it's worth doing once for sure.

Sorry, no extra race gear handy.

G'luck! :thumbsup:

 

[abarth69]

Hi Duncan

What size are you maybe I can help. Retired driver. Pic of my old car now lives down state side in MD

Cheers

Mark

 

[tosoutherncars]

Hi guys!

Nial, thanks for the additional info... and I see where you're going with the, er, Lemons flavour, if you will. I know the very uneven application of rules (or lack thereof) must be a huge frustration to anyone who's even remotely serious about racing. I'm trying to go into it with a real "it's about fun, not about winning" attitude, and picking my team with that in mind too. No sticklers who will blow their top if we get black-flagged for no good reason, or some such thing. Maybe, if this gives me a taste for 'real' racing, I'll try something a little more serious next.

Mark - thanks very much for the kind offer! I'll drop you a line privately.

 

[tosoutherncars]

Update - I'm now the proud owner of a rusted old ex-ITB car. The good news is, it was under $500 US, and already has all the hard work done! (cage, suspension, etc.) Now to get it from London back to the nation's capital...