LeMons storms Winton

With the F1 GP circus whizzing about recently, the Australian motoring world has been abuzz about the very top end of world motorsport. The best of the best. Yes. You’ve got it.

So, we thought we’d get among all this fervour. Our very own Kimi Raikkonen, Greg ‘Snag’ Leech suited up and stepped into the front running team’s cockpit to bring a first-hand account from the LeMons at Winton. Winton? Huh?

For those that may have come in late, LeMons Racing brings together a delightful bunch of motor racing enthusiasts and the basic doctrine is to have fun, without breaking the bank.

In fact, the blurb prospective participants receive on entry sets the tone nicely…

"24 Hours of LeMons presents Australian endurance racing for $999 cars. It’s a breeding ground for inflated egos and Godlike status… in their own minds.

"It's where Mercedes and Mazda, Toyota and Hyundai do battle for the glory of gloating rights of LeMons, all are winners if they make it to the end! The very point of the LeMons is to finish."

LeMons racing was born in the USA, and it has gained a great deal of momentum. The local format asks racers to run for 24 hours, broken over a couple of days.

Locally, there is a six-round series across four states, with an international round set down for Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in New Zealand on September 16-18. In short, it’s gaining huge momentum.

OK, so following the opening round at New South Wales’ Wakefield Park, we sent Snag to be part a six driver team at Winton for the series’ second round. What could go wrong?

Happily ensconced with the Merc On Roids team from NSW, Snag’s Winton stint consisted of an hour and a half in the car after the first driver change of the opening day. Over to him.

“Despite that fact that the team members were viewing with narrowed eyes this Johnny-come-lately who had not invested one cent nor a drop of sweat, much less spent hours and hours preparing the drab grey beastie that is the Mercedes-Benz 190E with the cannon on the roof, the show went on. Yes, I was the new boy. With much to live up to.

“Added to this was the fact that this was my first drive of the car. Yep, the first time I selected a gear in the magnificent Benz, would be in a race. Of course, this led Brian, our commander, to wonder at my driving ability.

"Would I be a liability? In truth, I was asking myself the same question. As I said, I reckon the enthusiasm for my inclusion in the team was mostly being felt by me. And me alone.

“OK, strap in. Now this is fair dinkum. We are among the leaders as I gingerly pull out of pit lane.

"'Don’t crash it, don’t crash it, don’t crash it’ was all I could think. I quickly learned one thing about the Benz. It is slooooow. Like treacle. Now, you’d reckon that would mean a driver could relax. Well, you got that one wrong, didn’t you?

"In order to get any sort of a lap time out of the thing, you have to drive the wheels off it, on the edge of adhesion as often as possible. Yep, sliding was the go. And what fun it was. The car was remarkably forgiving, allowing an oops to be easily corrected.

“Happily, I set reasonable lap times, about two seconds slower than our best and by the end of day one, Merc on Roids was sitting in second position, on the same lap as The Expendables and their very nippy Hyundai Excel.

"Third was the Peugeot team of Rusty Pug. Yes. My work here was done. And, I reckon the team couldn’t wait to see the arse end of me. 'Tell your story walking Snaggy old boy.'

"The rest of our time was spent talking to other teams, taking part of the fun and frolic that is the LeMons set-up. After all, I couldn’t cause too much mayhem that way.

"Day two saw the Merc set off in a blaze of Germanic glory. It might have been better if all four wheels remained with the car, but three out of four ain’t bad. Yep, the wheel nuts.

"It’s history now that the six laps that was lost while the car received a new wheel (all carried out on the back of a tray truck) was to prove crucial.

"Indeed, the eventual winners, The Expendables, took the flag by five laps from the intrepid Merc crew. Now, I’m no mathematician, but you do the maths.

"But let’s not get caught up in who shot who (and who didn’t do the wheel nuts up). No, that’s not in the spirit of LeMons Racing. Indeedy not. It just ain’t about winning. Not much it’s not…"

So, it’s off to Queensland Raceway on May 27-29 for round three of the LeMons juggernaut. And, stay tuned. There is some serious talk of a motoring.com.au entrant being unveiled at a round to be announced.

What could possibly go wrong?
Images and video: Tom Reynolds