Author: The Crusader Staff Writer, Brian Hoverath
While one may be forgiven for thinking that the Lemons club of Belmont Abbey has something to do with the sour citrus fruit, the reality is a lot larger and louder.
Founded only one year ago, the club is an offshoot of the Motorsport Management club and is based around a motorsport event known as the 24 hours of lemons, a play on both the term for a junk car and the 24 hours of Le Mans. The event sees competitors enter the race with a car under five hundred dollars and attempt to both beat other drivers and have the car finish without breaking down.
The teams, however, can spend more than 500 dollars on anything that could qualify as safety equipment, as it would be dangerous and potentially fatal to enter without some equipment. All drivers are required to wear a fire suit, head and neck support device or HANS, and a helmet rated at SA 2015 or above. Each car is also required to have a form of fire suppression, a roll cage, working tail lights, a racing seat, a harness, and a kill switch.
Unlike most clubs, the Lemons Club is not sponsored by the school, but rather the members of it and any sponsors that may take an interest. The current car for the event is a Nissan 300zx, a two-door sports car that is the least loved of the Nissan Z line. The team will be made up of a number of drivers, up to 6, and a small crew of engineers.
The race was scheduled for the 11th of December at the Road Atlanta Racetrack. The lemons club feels that the race helped members of the club learn more about the management and the finances that go into racing. The race hopefully helped many with valuable skills, such as how to procure sponsors and how to get ready for the various elements that go into car racing
This article was originally posted in the Fall 2022, Issue 2 of The Crusader Newspaper. Download the full issue.
