[Editor's Note: Classing is of course not certain ahead of time and may be subject to change.]
Class A/Overall
The last five Midwest Region LeMons races have been won by five teams: Clueless Racing (Autobahn 11), Bucksnort Racing (Gingerman 12), Subliminal Racing (Autobahn 06/12), Launcha Splatos (Road America 12) and Skid Marks Racing (Autobahn 10/12).
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| We haven't seen Vegas' odds on the outcome, but we think Bucksnort has a good chance to score their second win after nabbing their first last Spring at Gingerman. (The Rusty Hub photo) |
Of those five, only Bucksnort Racing will race at Gingerman this weekend. A consistent and fast squad who know their car front and back, Bucksnort are the heavy favorites at first blush. However, they're fresh off a three-race weekend with ChumpCar, so their success at Gingerman depends on how well their BMW E30 held up to 20 hours of racing and how quickly they can turn it around for another race.
No other team on the entry list has nabbed an overall win, but the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers' normally aspirated Volvo 245 regularly lands in the Top 10 and the team nearly pulled of a win at Autobahn last October in the rain.
Don't Mess with Lexas' Lexus LS400 has held together remarkably well and finished in the Top 10 several times. If the track stays dry and they race cleanly, look for this extremely quick luxo-barge near the field's sharp end.
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| A steady, reliable pace and some luck could put The Blue Shells at the top of the standings. (The Rusty Hub photo) |
One of the most intriguing teams in the overall hunt could be The Blue Shells, whose not-at-all-fast Honda Accord has been a fantastically competent Class B entry. They've finished as high as third place and would have finished second at another race if not for some penalty laps. The unassuming, clean driving of the Shells could lumber its way to victory in a fast field.
The Moonrunners remain the best Saturn team in the country right now and have the best chance at scoring Saturn's long-overdue first win. Prolonged rain would help the Saturn, but the forecast just calls for cold and wind at the moment. In the dry, they still could be in the hunt at the end of Sunday.
If you're looking for a dark horse, check out the two-car Evel Knievel (formerly Sandberg Towing) team. These hatchback Civics have held together pretty well over three full seasons of racing and have finished as high as fourth. Given the right conditions and bit of luck, you could see one of the Knievel cars in the Winner's Circle.
We think the following teams could be factors, too: Team Sheen (Acura Integra), Team Non Sequitur (Integra), LemonAid Racing (E30), Landshark (Integra), Team Gutty (Honda CRX), Wisconsin Crap Racers (BMW E36) and Save the Ta-Tas (Chevy Camaro).
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| The Save the Ta-Tas Camaro typically leads the race for the first couple hours of a given race until a scene like this one crops up. (The Rusty Hub photo) |
Just kidding, that super-cheaty Camaro always breaks by the end of Saturday. But we love it.
There are, of course, another 30 or so Class A teams in the field, so it's possible we've overlooked a team that can throw together a good enough race to take the piss out of the rest of the field. Prove us wrong, other teams.
Class B
Class B is a lot harder to predict, since the most competitive Class B teams are borderline Class A cars.
The Blue Shells may be given the option to run B with some handicap laps like they did at Autobahn in 2012. The same may apply to previous Class B winners Byte Marks Racing in their Ford Escort GT.
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| The shared stable of Byte Marks Racing and We're Not Really From Iran are always a threat in Class B. (The Rusty Hub photo) |
We think the Mazda BP-engined Ford Festiva of We're Not Really From Iran will probably be a Class B car again. If it's sorted well and doesn't rattle apart, it could top the Class B charts.
Outside of that, we don't want to make predictions without Class B assignments being given. If we get some time Friday after BS Inspection, we may give a full Class B rundown.
Class C
Class C, of course, is the class that defines LeMons. We know of at least five Class C entries for certain.
Red Shirt Racing's Nissan Pulsar NX could finally swoop in from Canada to run the race they've been hoping for and win Class C.
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| The NSF Racing K-It-Forward Plymouth Reliant will make its third appearance of the season this weekend. (Murilee Martin photo) |
NMF Racing will be bringing NSF Racing's Plymouth Reliant wagon as the third leg of the K-It-FWD program, wherein a terrible K-Car is lent to a different team for each race. The Reliant hasn't been a contender in Class C yet, but it's bound to win Class C if it races a dozen times in a year, right?
Zero Budget Racing not only returns with their diesel Chevy Chevette, but they also will have a second entry: an Isuzu I-Mark that's no ordinary super-obscure Isuzu. If you know the Zero Budget guys, you'll know that this is a second diesel-burner, giving them the chance to take lap times to record highs.
The Flux Decapacitators round out the definite Class C contenders with a Delorean'd Ford Tempo, a truly wretched car that holds a special place in the The Rusty Hub's heart.
As with Class B, a couple of teams may find themselves on the B/C border and we may give a quick preview after BS Inspections.
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