For 20 years, the 24 Hours of Lemons has proven that cheap race cars, questionable engineering, brilliant themes, and terrible decisions make for some of the greatest motorsports in America.

This week we're joined by Nick Pon, Associate Perpetrator of the 24 Hours of Lemons, for one of our favorite interviews ever.

Nick takes us behind the curtain of the 20th Anniversary Laguna Seca race, revealing how nearly 360 teams were narrowed to just 45 invitations, why some legendary cars made the cut while others didn't, how the infamous oil-pan lottery actually worked, and what it really took to convince Laguna Seca to host the biggest celebration in Lemons history.

We also dive into:

🏁 The true origin story of the 24 Hours of Lemons

🏁 The evolution from a joke race into America's premier grassroots endurance racing series

🏁 Why the average Laguna entry dates to 1979 (and why that's perfect)

🏁 Team history vs. outrageous car themes in the selection process

🏁 The legendary cars returning for the anniversary race

🏁 What spectators can expect at Laguna—including FREE admission

🏁 Sound restrictions, technical challenges, and why 90 dB matters

🏁 The possibility of winning Halloween Meets Gasoline...without even racing

🏁 Behind-the-scenes stories you've never heard about organizing a once-in-a-generation endurance race

We also cover this week's automotive news and oddball car culture, including:

🔧 Private equity buying Jiffy Lube—and why that's probably bad news for anyone who doesn't wrench on their own cars.

🔧 Research suggesting driving a manual transmission may actually help keep your brain sharp.

🔧 A bizarre Tesla crash that reminds us why drivers—not technology—are still responsible.

🔧 A genuine IMSA/SCCA Dodge Shelby Charger race car that deserves a second life.

Whether you're a 24 Hours of Lemons racer, Lucky Dog Racing, ChampCar, NASA, SCCA, WRL, AER, or just someone who loves cheap race cars, hilarious paddock stories, grassroots motorsports, and automotive comedy, this episode is packed with history, insider information, and plenty of laughs.

If you've ever wondered:

• How Lemons chooses special-event entries

• Why some cars become legends

• What makes an unforgettable race theme

• What it takes to race at Laguna Seca

• How the 24 Hours of Lemons became the phenomenon it is today

...this is the episode you've been waiting for.

👍 If you enjoy grassroots motorsports, endurance racing, race car builds, garage projects, and automotive comedy, hit Subscribe and join the Everyone Racers community. We're working toward 1,000 subscribers, and every subscription helps us bring more racers, builders, judges, and insiders onto the show.

Jiffy Lube bought by private equity (Adam Ismail @ The Drive) https://www.thedrive.com/news/jiffy-lube-has-been-sold-to-private-equity

Manual Transmissions Fight Dementia (Jason Torchinsky @ The Autopian) https://www.theautopian.com/that-guy-from-those-nintendo-brain-age-games-says-driving-stick-can-help-prevent-dementia/

Driver drives Tesla into a home, blames autopilot, which it doesn't have. (Amber Disalva @ Jalopnik)

https://www.jalopnik.com/2199665/tesla-driver-blames-crash-software-car-doesnt-have/

1984 Dodge Charger Turbo IMSA - S on Racing Junk for only $6,500

https://www.racingjunk.com/vintage/184800952/1984-dodge-charger-turbo-imsa-s.html?category_id=4438&np_offset=11

Get Panda Planner! Seriously, it's $30 bucks man.

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Join our F1 Fantasy League https://fantasygp.com/leagues/

Use code 74259541 to join in the fun

3 Pedal Mafia Lemons World - https://youtu.be/wGfAxGX3vHk?si=YInVSrCTFgkXdCVF

2026 Lemons Rally Schedule

https://24hoursoflemons.com/lemons-rally/

🔍 KEYWORDS (Feedin that algorithm yo)

#24HoursofLemons #LagunaSeca #GrassrootsMotorsports #EnduranceRacing #AmateurRacing #RaceCar #BudgetRacing #LemonsRacing #Motorsports #CarCulture #DIYMechanic #SCCA #NASA #ChampCar #LuckyDogRacing #RaceCarBuild #AutomotivePodcast #EveryoneRacers

The Road to Laguna

In this Willy’s Gasser 441 Episode; Chris rubs his seats, Chrissy sits in a field, Tim eats oysters and while Mental does not break 150, but he also did not get kicked out (again). Really, the crew dives into the upcoming lottery announcement for the 20th anniversary celebration race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca—a once-in-a-generation 24 Hours of LeMons event with an absurdly competitive selection process and massive national interest.

That's right! The countdown is on for one of the most anticipated grassroots racing events ever: the 20th anniversary celebration at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

So the team breaks down everything you need to know about the upcoming race lottery, what it means if you get selected, and what to do if you don’t—because either way, you’re probably still going to California. But this isn’t just about racing. It’s about the journey.

From there, the episode turns into a full-blown cross-country motorsport pilgrimage guide, covering:- Classic racing museums worth detouring for (Peterson, IMS, Henry Ford)- Route 66 nostalgia for cross-country drivers -Copilot strategy, snacks, audiobooks, and keeping drivers alive.

The conversation expands into a survival manual for hauling race cars cross-country, including:

- Trailer safety, sway control, and pre-trip inspections

- Wind zones in the Rockies, desert crossings, and and sketchy mountain passes

- Fuel planning in long empty stretches (New Mexico, Arizona, West Texas)

- GPS towing modes and avoiding trailer-unfriendly roads (PCH warnings)

- Why I-40 might save your sanity vs. the chaos of I-70

- What NOT to do with a race trailer on scenic highways

- How to plan food, sleep, and sanity for multi-day hauls

Finally, they zoom into Laguna Seca logistics and lifestyle planning:

- Camping inside the track (highly recommended, sells out fast)

- Nearby RV parks, hotels in Salinas/Seaside

- Classic Monterey region attractions: Cannery Row, 17-Mile Drive, Carmel, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Route 66 nostalgia connections for inbound travelers

- Why Laguna Seca is a bucket-list track (corkscrew, history, elevation drop, ocean views)

- What to do if you don’t get selected (spectate, Lucky Dog at Chuckwalla, HPDE options)

- Multi-track “racing vacation stacking” (Laguna → Sonoma → Hooked on Driving events)

- Deep-dive travel planning for racers towing across the U.S.It ends with classic Everyone Racers chaos: road trip survival humor, copilot strategy, snacks philosophy, and stories of trackside organization (including the legendary “Chrissy restoring order at Laguna” anecdote).

Whether you're racing, spectating, or just dreaming about it—this is the roadmap to getting there.

Hot Wheels GT-40 runs 13,549 scale miles at 111 mph (Steven Edelstein @ the drive) https://www.thedrive.com/news/weird-experiment-this-hot-wheels-car-drove-13459-scale-miles-in-five-days

Carvana Moving Into Defunct Dealerships. (Natalie Neff @ Autoweek) https://www.autoweek.com/news/a71614585/carvana-new-car-dealership-move/

23 Ft Banana Car keeps getting hassled by the man! (Dan Mihalascu @ Autoblog) https://www.autoblog.com/news/americas-most-pulled-over-driver-is-a-man-in-a-giant-banana2006

Chevy Cobalt is only $7500 on Racing Junk https://www.racingjunk.com/super-touring/184806724/2006-cobalt-nasa-scca-luck-dog-.html?category_id=4&np_offset=29

Get Panda Planner! Seriously, it's $30 bucks man. https://www.panda-planner.com/

Panda Planner How To YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G7zntrrMpM

Join our F1 Fantasy League https://fantasygp.com/leagues/ Use code 74259541 to join in the fun

Those cool light number panels from Amazon https://a.co/d/9wDuvek

2026 Lemons Rally Schedule https://24hoursoflemons.com/lemons-rally/ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPrTs8wdzydOqbpWZ_y-xEA ⁠ - Our YouTube

🔍 KEYWORDS (Feedin that algorithm yo)#LeMonsRacing #LagunaSeca #TrackDay #EnduranceRacing #GrassrootsMotorsport #RoadTrip

Don’t Get Stranded! Essential Trackside Spares.

Welcome back to Everyone Racers. FUCKING MOPAR 440 EPISODE in which Mental just doesn’t sleep, Tim buys more parts cars, Chrissy chicken likes wooden and fresh eggs, and Chris removes a sunroof. Really, we talk all about spares. Every racer has a story. A wheel bearing that failed without warning. A fuel pump that quit at the worst possible moment. A brake hose that turned a podium run into a parts-store scavenger hunt. Spare parts can save your weekend, what should you get, where to get them, how to keep them, and when to call it.

What’s the one spare part that can save an entire race weekend? We dive deep into one of the least glamorous—but most important—topics in amateur motorsports: the spare parts you should always bring to the track.

Using lessons learned from years of endurance racing, LeMons racing, ChampCar, Lucky Dog, SCCA, NASA, grassroots road racing, rally adventures, and countless trackside repairs, we cover the spare parts strategy that keeps race cars on track and out of the paddock.

We’ve lived through all of it, and in this episode we break down exactly what belongs in your trailer, tow vehicle, paddock box, or race car so you can spend more time racing and less time searching for parts.

In this episode:

🏁 The Mazda hub failure that proved why spares matter

🏁 Wheel bearings, hubs, ball joints, tie rods, CV axles, fuel pumps, brake components, sensors, and other high-value spares

🏁 Why pre-assembled suspension components can save hours during a race

🏁 How to identify the parts most likely to fail on YOUR car

🏁 Consumables every endurance racing team should stock

🏁 Spare wheels, tires, brake pads, rotors, fluids, hoses, fittings, relays, switches, and hardware

🏁 Listener stories about roadside saves, emergency repairs, and race-saving spare parts

🏁 Trackside repair tricks we've used at races across the country

🏁 How to organize and store spares so you can actually find them when disaster strikes

🏁 The difference between carrying too many parts and carrying the right parts

Whether you're building your first race car, preparing for your first 24 Hours of Lemons event, competing in ChampCar, Lucky Dog, SCCA, NASA, Time Trials, endurance racing, autocross, rallycross, track days, or simply taking a project car on a road trip, this episode could save your weekend.

Because sooner or later, something WILL break.

The question is whether you already have the replacement part.

If you enjoy amateur endurance racing, grassroots motorsports, race car tech tips, paddock stories, DIY repairs, budget racing, automotive comedy, and oddball car culture, make sure to subscribe and join the Everyone Racers community.

👇 Tell us in the comments:

What is the most important spare part you bring to the track?

And what spare saved your race weekend—or road trip—when everything went wrong?

Rent a Model T for just $99 (Alvin Reyes @ Jalopnik)

https://www.jalopnik.com/2195569/gilmore-car-museum-let-you-drive-model-t/

Mid-America Motorworks Devastated by Tornado (Jason Torchinsky @ Autopian) https://www.theautopian.com/every-building-is-a-total-loss-tornado-demolishes-priceless-corvettes-and-vws-legendary-car-parts-company/

4000 Waymos Recalled (Emmitt White @ Road & Track) https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a71664171/waymos-recall-driving-into-closed-construction-zones/

Get Panda Planner! Seriously, it's $30 bucks man.

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Panda Planner How To YouTube;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G7zntrrMpM

Those cool light number panels from Amazon

https://a.co/d/9wDuvek

#EnduranceRacing #LemonsRacing #ChampCar #LuckyDogRacing #RaceCarBuild #TrackDay #Motorsports #GrassrootsRacing #RacePrep #RaceCarTech #DIYMechanic #CarCulture #EveryoneRacers

🔍 KEYWORDS (Feedin that algorithm yo)