And the Real Winner Is…

by Murilee Martin

Published: June 20th, 2011

We’ve seen some Volvo 240s do very well in the 24 Hours of LeMons, but never before has a 240 this terrible managed to crack the top 10 in a 100-plus-entry 24 Hours of LeMons race. This hacked-up ’92 244 has a creaky, squeaky much-worse-than-stock suspension and an octillion-mile non-turbo B23 engine, but it still beat up on most of the E30s, 190Es, and Integras in the Capitol Offense race over the weekend.

When the checkered flag waved on Sunday afternoon, the Vermont Volvocheros stood proudly in eighth place overall. This astounding achievement earned them the top prize of LeMons racing: the Index of Effluency award. Along with the trophy comes $1501… which the team donated on the spot to the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. Good work, Vermont Volvocheros!

#1990s #1992 #1992Volvo240 #24HoursOfLeMons #24HoursOfLeMonsWestVirginia #CapitolOffense #CapitolOffense24HoursOfLeMons #IndexOfEffluence #Racing #StationWagon #Volvo #Volvo240 #Volvo244

Murilee Martin

Murilee Martin is the pen name of Phil Greden, a writer who has lived in Minnesota, California, Georgia and (now) Colorado. He has toiled at copywriting, technical writing, junkmail writing, fiction writing and now automotive writing. He has owned many terrible vehicles and some good ones. He spends a great deal of time in self-service junkyards. These days, he writes for publications including Autoweek, Autoblog, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars and Capital One.

More by Murilee Martin

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 7 comments

Aristurtle on Jun 20, 2011

So, wait, what happened to that Pontiac?

Like Reply
- EyeMWing on Jun 20, 2011
  
  Ran more or less flawlessly all weekend. Wasn't fast, but it was quite reliable.
  
  Like
Texan01 on Jun 20, 2011

It's funny, I've never realized how much of a wedge there is in the body on a 240, amazing what happens when you cut the roof off.

Like Reply

Recent Comments

ToolGuy 9 miles a day for 20 years. You didn't drive it, why should I? 😉
Brian Uchida Laguna Seca, corkscrew, (drying track off in rental car prior to Superbike test session), at speed - turn 9 big Willow Springs racing a motorcycle,- at greater speed (but riding shotgun) - The Carrousel at Sears Point in a 1981 PA9 Osella 2 litre FIA racer with Eddie Lawson at the wheel! (apologies for not being brief!)
Mister It wasn't helped any by the horrible fuel economy for what it was... something like 22mpg city, iirc.
Lorenzo I shop for all-season tires that have good wet and dry pavement grip and use them year-round. Nothing works on black ice, and I stopped driving in snow long ago - I'll wait until the streets and highways are plowed, when all-seasons are good enough. After all, I don't live in Canada or deep in the snow zone.
FormerFF I’m in Atlanta. The summers go on in April and come off in October. I have a Cayman that stays on summer tires year round and gets driven on winter days when the temperature gets above 45 F and it’s dry, which is usually at least once a week.