24 Hours of LeMons December 29, 2007

HAPLESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS AT THUNDERHILL: 29-30 DECEMBER
"The Middle of Nowhere Fast"
WHEN
29-30 December 2007: Rain, Sleet, Snow, Frost, Fog, Lawn-Gnome-Sized Hail, and/or Shine



ENTRY DEADLINE
1 November 2007 (Late entries will be weighed on a case-by-case basis. Specifically, which case of beer are you trying to bribe us with?)

WHERE
Thunderhill Raceway Park, Willows CA

AND WILLOWS IS WHERE, AGAIN?
What am I, Google Earth? It's about two hours north of the SF Bay Area. Look it up on Mapquest or something.

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, 28 DECEMBER
Gates Open: 7:00 am
Thunderhill's Open-Track Testing: 8:00 am-4:00 pm (Note: These are Thunderhill's regular Friday sessions—we got nothin' to do with it. The track charges $125 per car + $25 per driver full day/$75 per car + $25 per driver half-day for testing.)
Early-Nutjob LeMons Check-In & Setup: 3:00 pm-8:00 pm
Early-Nutjob LeMons Tech Inspections: 4:00 pm-8:00 pm
Gates Close: 9:00 pm

SATURDAY, 29 DECEMBER
Gates Open: 8:00 am
Normal-Person Check-In: 8:00-11:00 am (NO CHECK-INS AFTER 11:00)
Normal-Person Tech Inspections: 8:00 am-11:30 am
Driver's Meeting (MANDATORY): 12:00 pm
Drivers in Cars: 12:50 pm
Race Start: 1:00 pm
End of Session I: 9:00 pm
New Year's Pit Party Begins: 9:01 pm

SUNDAY, 30 DECEMBER
Gates Open: 7:30 am
Driver's Meeting (MANDATORY): 8:30 am
Race Session II Start: 9:00 am
Checkered Flag: 3:00 pm
Full-Body Gojo Cleaning: 3:00 pm-5:00 pm
Awards Ceremony: 3:30 pm
Gates Close: 5:30 pm

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A 24-HOUR RACE. COMPETITION STOPS BETWEEN 9 P.M. SAT. & 9 A.M. SUN.



CAN WE STAY OVERNIGHT IN THE PITS?
Yep. Thunderhill has available RV hookups, built-in barbecue pits, and amazingly civilized bathrooms. You're welcome to stay in your pit space from Friday night through Sunday evening. There's no charge for camping in regular pit spaces; if you're really livin' large, pit spaces with live RV hookups are $50/weekend.

CAN WE RENT A PIT GARAGE?
Well, not anymore; Thunderhill just handed all their garages over to new permanent tenants. We're screwed. Sorry about that.

WHAT'S THE COURSE LIKE?
Thunderhill is a challenging road course. It has good sightlines and generally excellent runoff areas, but you can definitely mess yourself up there. We'll be slowing the circuit to LeMons speeds with temporary chicanes and a shortened course--the East Track from Turn One to Turn Six only. Expect higher speeds than AMP or Flat Rock but lower speeds than a typical Thunderhill race.

IS THERE TRACK LIGHTING?
Pit lighting yes, but track lighting no. So remember those taillights and headlights you tossed out for AMP and Flat Rock? Well, we're really sorry to say this, but...um...you'd better go find them again.

HOW'S THE WEATHER?
We won't even dignify that with an answer.

HOW DO I GET THERE?
Take the main Willows exit (Route 162) off of Interstate 5. Go west for seven miles and turn right at the humongous racetrack. Or just see the directions online.

WHAT ABOUT FOOD, COMMON ROOMS, BBQs, ETC?
Thunderhill has tasty and not very expensive food; there's a fuel vendor with reasonably priced gas in the pits; everyone will be able to hang in the heated club room/viewing room trackside (after Session I ends there'll be all-night car movies in there). The track has built-in BBQ grilles in the pits; safely maintained and run personal grilles are also OK. Thunderhill's catering staff will also be happy to hook your team up with hot meals to order all weekend--email Jay in advance for their contact info.

ANY NEW CLASSES?
Gosh, what a prescient question. As a matter of fact, yes there are. The race field will be divided into four classes at Tech Inspection: Class PW (Prayer of Winning), Class NPW (No Prayer of Winning), Class SPF (Slight Prayer of Finishing), and Class WFIMFY (Won't Finish in a Million Frickin' Years). Each Class Winner will receive a trophy, like that matters.

SHOULD I BRING LOTS OF ALKA-SELTZER?
You should, because the first-annual Thunderhill Car-B-Que Cookoff takes place directly after the end of Session I. Each team is encouraged to cook food on their racecar's engine for submission to our VIP jury. Awards include Least Repulsive-Looking Entree, Most Similar to Something I'd Actually Eat, Tastiest Overall, the How In the Hell Did You Bake a Dessert on an Intake Manifold Prize, and the coveted Alfred J. Packer Memorial Mystery Meat Master Award.

WHAT THE HECK IS THERE IN WILLOWS?
Not a bloody lot, frankly, but we recommend exploring the Mexican restaurants and carnecerias on the far side of town. More prosaically, there's also:



LODGING
BEST WESTERN GOLDEN PHEASANT INN (This the good one--the only hotel with a bar, restaurant, and decent beds)
(I-5 & Route 162)
530.934.4603

WILLOWS DAYS INN
(I-5 & Route 162)
(866) 783-7923

WILLOWS MOTEL 6
(I-5 & Route 162)
530.934.7026

CAR PARTS AND TIRES
SAFETY TIRE SERVICE
202 E Sycamore St, Willows
530.934.5178

NAPA AUTO PARTS
124 S Butte St, Willows
530.934.2151

WILLOWS MOTOR SUPPLY
112 W Wood St, Willows
530.934.4635

SCALVINI TIRE & AUTO
428 French St, Willows
530.934.8606

FIRST AID & EMERGENCY ROOM
GLENN MEDICAL CENTER
1133 W Sycamore St, Willows
530.934.1800

GROCERY STORES
SANI-FOOD MARKET
517 S Tehama St, Willows
530.934.3344

SAV-MOR MARKET
555 N Tehama St, Willows
530.934.5557

Thunderhill 2007 Supplemental Rules

The special regulations below supercede general LeMons rules for Thunderhill '07 only. All items below are safety-related and DO NOT count toward the $500 total.



Thunderhill Supplement 1: Headlights
Not only are they legal at Thunderhill, they're mandatory. All cars must run with a minimum of two and a maximum of four working headlights after sundown. There's no minimum or maximum candlepower, but don't be a jerk--overly powerful lights will be removed at the organizers' discretion, and it'll be your responsibility to replace them on-site with something that doesn't roast moths at 50 yards. OE-level lighting is more than enough for this course, and any car that disrupts other competitors' vision will be black-flagged. Roof- and rollbar-mounted headlights are illegal; the bottom edge of all lights must be no higher than three inches above the highest point of your hood.



Thunderhill Supplement 2: Taillights
Again, these are mandatory at Thunderhill. One taillight is the minimum, but we strongly recommend fitting at least two; that way, you won't get black-flagged as soon as the first one craps out or gets crunched. Taillights can be located in any spot readily visible from behind. Lenses should be covered with clear tape.



Thunderhill Supplement 3: Brake Lights
Same as above: One brake light is the minimum, but we strongly recommend fitting at least two; that way, you won't get black-flagged as soon as the first one craps out or gets crunched. Brake lights can be located in any spot readily visible from behind. Combination brake/taillight assemblies are fine. Lenses should be covered with clear tape.



Thunderhill Supplement 4: Windows and Rear Glass
Side windows and rear glass are legal but not mandatory. Plexi or Lexan replacements, if suitably sturdy and shatter-resistant, are fine.

Official Website: http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/events/thunderhill/