24 HR of Lemons: Buttonwillow, California

by Michael Satterfield

The spectacle known as the 24 Hours of Lemons Roared into California this weekend. The event features more beater race cars than a race at the Orange Show in San Bernadino. Each car is carefully handcrafted for less than $500. The cars are generally outlandish, think Lemons meets Burning Man, while the endurance race is the main event drivers must also put their cars through trials like the Personal-Injury-Lawyer Anti-Slalom, the Marxist-Valet Parking Challenge, and the Wide Open Throttle Rodthrowapalooza.


To keep the crowd happy two cars are selected and at the twelfth hour, the car voted People’s Curse is called in from racing and destroyed, generally by large farm or construction equipment.


So what do you get for winning the 24 Hours of Lemons, over 20,000 nickles in a burlap bag?