Charleston crew to drive $500 Alfa in two-day, offbeat race of "LeMons"

It's an endurance spectacle like no other top-flight drivers fighting rivals, weather and fatigue on a tricky course in a French village.

Even people who don't follow racing have heard the name: 24 Hours of LeMans.

What's not so famous is a similar-styled competition that about 90 teams, including at least one from Charleston, will take part in this weekend.

As with the French race, it's a spectacle alright. And the event has endurance, reputed to cover 24 hours but really lasting about 15.

Even the name, "The 24 Hours of LeMons." would seem to emulate the European championship's title,

But hold on a sec, Something's not quite right. LeMons, where is that? LeMons, Lemons : lemons!

Yes, that's it, an endurance race fielding cars that other than for safety equipment can't be worth more than $500.

If a team is foolish enough to try to sneak through a non-lemon, it gets penalized, usually via a crane hoisting the vehicle skyward and dropping it to the hard earth below.

The LeMons race is actually a series. In 2008 there were six races in Tracy and Willows, both in California; Stafford Springs, Conn.; Toledo, Ohio; Angleton, Texas; and at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw.

The Lancaster County-based road course is where this weekend's two-day LeMons rally will be held.

While teams don't always reveal their whereabouts, one of the participants is Charleston-based "Team Dog Ciao" get it? it sounds like "dog chow?" driving a 1974 Alfa Romeo Spyder.

The team has eight people from various professions joining up to race the anything-but-classic Alfa, their common thread being that they all own Italian cars.

Harold Arnold, owner of Sentry Buick Pontiac GMC, is one of the team members and has lent use of the dealership's shop to work on the car. Body shop manager John Emanuele is usually there to assist. Likewise, Darryl Beech, a Dog Ciao teammate who runs Charleston Import Automotive in North Charleston, has set aside his garage to get the Alfa in race form.

The crew also includes Lou Scognamiglio, who runs a clothing import firm; Roger Noyes, director of development at the Noisette Co.; Brian Danley, employed by Perot Systems, a contractor for Vought Aircraft on the new Boeing commercial plane; Bradley Steele, a urologist; Daniel Stewart, a self-employed consultant; and Robert Wilds, who is retired.

The team does earnest repairs to the car, typically meeting Tuesday nights then chomping down pizzas from Andolinis or other Italian joint. Arnold said the team paid $239 for the car and can spend as needed to make it safe for competition.

Labor has included removing all interior and seats, top, bumpers, dash, extra wiring and anything of extra weight; replacing the entire brake system, electrical system and all suspension parts related to safety; installing a fuel cell to replace the gas tank, putting in a race seat and adding a six-point harness and street legal racing tires.

To some extent, they are racing time. "We didn't get a car until Dec. 11, less than 90 days ago," Arnold said.

One of the last improvements was to install a roll cage on the compact sports car a similar model to the one Dustin Hoffman made famous in The Graduate.

In that vein, Team Dog Ciao fixed up the headlight casings with a leopard-skin look and stenciled on the hood a photo of the movie scene where Anne Bancroft sticks out a bare leg and Hoffman utters the famed line, "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?"

Arnold, without divulging his sources, said he's heard there are five Charleston-area teams entered. This is the first year for Team Dog Ciao. While the event is for fun, it's also for a worthy cause. Team Dog Ciao's remaining money will go towards the Parkinson's Foundation.

"This is great fun and we think we will raise some funds for charity," Arnold said.

Greater Charleston does have something of a track record at the 24 Hours of LeMons.

In the Carolina Motorsports race last year, Team Animal House from Goose Creek, driving a Ford T-bird, won "Most Likely to Leave in an Ambulance."

Team Dog Ciao members clearly are going into the 24 Hours of LeMons with the proper attitude, somewhere between laid back and zany.

Quipped Stewart, "It's been a real big experience. I don't think you would even dream this in your worst nightmare."

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com