Planet Waltenburg: 24 Hours of LeMons

In case you're wondering why we haven't had any posts on the progress on our backyard, it's because there hasn't been any! My mistake. I should have told Colby, "Sure! I'm cool with you joining the Cannonball Bandits team for the 24 Hours of Lemons race -once the backyard is done!" Oh, well... Maybe this Summer.

So, what is The 24 Hours of LeMons? I'll let the experts describe. Excerpt from the 24 Hours of LeMons site FAQ's:

WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
A nationwide series of endurance races for cars that cost $500 or less.
COME AGAIN?
The 24 Hours of LeMons is restricted to cars that were purchased, fixed up, and track-prepped for total of $500 or less. At most venues, the racing consists of tech inspection and track testing on Friday; long-ass endurance-race sessions on Saturday and Sunday; and breaks for sleeping, eating, and Band-Aid application every night. At least once a year, we also hold a straight 24-hour endurance race. Count on plenty of noise, prizes, water fights, and questionably civilized fun before, during, and after the track sessions. Finally, assuming you're still standing, there's the gala awards ceremony which presents trophies, plaques, and winner's purses paid out in nickels.
WILL MY TEAM GET ACCEPTED?
Maybe. Maybe not. We usually get more applications than each racetrack can handle, so we have to pick and choose. Boring applications like "We are four guys who love to race, and we have done (blah blah blah) driving before" don't give us too much to work with: You might get in, and you might not. Applications like "Choose us, because we'll wear beaver costumes in the paddock and our car is entirely coated in birch bark" give you much better odds.
IS MY CAR GONNA GET HELLA MUNCHED UP?
Oh, almost definitely. LeMons is a non-contact event, but it's a crowded track with a whole lot of really hard driving. And even if your car survives out on the course, halfway through the race one entry will be chosen by popular ballot for immediate crushing. Could be yours. Heck, it probably WILL be yours. Be prepared.
IS THIS, LIKE, REAL RACING?
Yeah, it's real racing. That said, between the thick scrum of crapcans in front of you and our aversion to long, flat-out straightaways, you're not going to set any speed records. It's kinda like a loud, hot, noisy version of driving to work. For a really, really long time. Without actually getting anywhere. And it's a lot harder to drink coffee through the helmet. Oh, and, you know, it's more dangerous.
ARE THERE PRIZES?
Oh, lordy yes. Over the course of the year we'll be recognizing wins for marque, nationality, all-girls teams, etc., and awarding the Harold Stassen Memorial Sticktuitiveness Trophy, the Albert Gore Jr. Carbon-Neutral Cup, and other such venerable honors. At each race, the Winner on Distance gets $1500; the winner of the Index of Effluency receives $1000; and the People's Choice socks away $500. Warning: We love to pay prizes in nickels.

Their theme being based on the 1981 movie, "Cannonball Run" the Bandits have been accepted into their first race on November 20-22 in Willows, CA. They've been hard-pressed designing their team and car, endless tune-ups & outfitting the gem with all the required safety gear, and of course growing Burt Reynolds-esque 'staches.