Sparring at Sonoma: E36s in the 24 Hours of Lemons - December 2023

This is an excerpt from Yokohama Arse-Freeze-Apalooza 2023 - otherwise known as last weekend's 24 Hours of Lemons race at Sonoma Raceway.
The record for the most passes by one driver, ever, in a Formula Racing SEASON is Max Verstappen. He passed 78 cars in a season.
I passed about as many cars in 17 MINUTES.
Given that I raced for about 5 hours this weekend, I likely passed 1300 cars. Which might be more than the total number of cars ever passed in every F1 race of all time, combined. THIS is why Lemons rules.
** Get a load of the grip provided by the Potenza RE-71RS tires that Bridgestone sent our team! **
Chose this 17-minute clip because it starts out with me on a mission to catch up to Car #80 "YouMadBro? Racing" - a very well-setup and well-driven E36 race car.
Took me a while to catch 'em, and then about a minute to pass 'em. But then 15 minutes to pull enough distance so that there were consistently other cars between us - which was the only way I could get him to slow down enough not to be stuck on my rear bumper.
What's clear to me is that Car #80 is faster than our poor, beat-up Car #35 in both a straight line and in the corners. But my determination and stupidity at least made up for part of it.
For the record, car's limiter is set at 7200 rpm; I rarely went over 6000 because this was such a long race and I was trying to preserve both the engine and fuel (to minimize pit stops.)
We finished 3rd overall after 333 laps. According to RaceMonitor, YouMadBro only got to 199 laps and then retired.
Shame - it was a hell of a lot of fun sparring.
Even if:
a. I went slightly off in the Bus Stop (chicane);
b. The front rotors were so warped I could barely touch the wheel under braking;
c. I was doing what I could to preserve fuel; and
d. I don't actually know what I'm doing.
That (d) is a requirement of driving in Lemons, it seems. FUN TIMES! :)

[@AndreThompson925]

Jesus Christ, Cammisa...you are passing cars like you're playing Forza Motorsport with the rivals on rookie difficulty. You make this shit look easy. Well done 👍

[@JasonCammisa]

@@ACommenterOnKZbin Ummm....

[@jtharmon12]

My friend sucked me into Lemons racing three years ago. So much stupid fun!

[@WcDiu]

Nice, glad we're not the only team who full sends with massively warped brakes.

[@drewwrobel564]

Fucking Love the "4/10ths is too many tenths" sticker!

[@drewwrobel564]

Does it say above that, "HI, Im here to help you suck less."

[@AR-ld8qd]

Pretty sure he read it as “14/10ths” which is why he is only driving at 13/10ths 😂

[@betodo9984]

No words, just 🤌

[@RabidMooseGarage]

I’ve been checking every day for the last year just patiently waiting for the next video. And it paid off!!!!!

[@thegreatkwyjibo5529]

Good job Jason's stunt double!

[@Ultimatebubs]

Is Jason Cammisa the New Stig? Inquiring minds want to know...

[@ccollins_24]

Thanks for the upload, Jason. I’d love to see more content brought back to this channel.

[@CarsGarage]

wow, new video!

[@QBDLettuce]

Would love to do this so much! Nice driving

[@eggjoe122]

This is awesome Jason. Thank you so much for sharing it. 🤘😎👍

[@martinhnilicka2114]

Very nice driving. Your flow is amazing. Must have been a shit load of fun

[@MarkShank]

Looks like a lot of fun

[@wikedcurly]

Great race! I was in the 3 wheeling bug driving at about half this speed hah.

[@chrisminnig7144]

The Bug was the most fun thing to watch go around the track. It was my first time spectating a Lemons race and y'all put on an amazing show.

[@JasonCammisa]

I second that - I have many videos of you coming around 11. That was so much fun to watch. This car also lifts the inside front, but NOT like your Beetle!

[@chrisminnig7144]

Never made it to turn 11 but enjoyed the footage you posted on your Insta Jason. I watched from turn 7 and from the outside of the corner it looked like the rear wheel was getting close to lifting as well. By the time I made it to a spot with a view of the inside wheels, the Bug pitted and returned probably after a driver swap as all 4 wheels stayed on the ground. WikedCurly, do you think you got the rear off the ground as well?

[@wikedcurly]

@@chrisminnig7144 oh yes I definitely did, got pictures to prove it haha.

[@chrisminnig7144]

@@wikedcurly Leg's Go!! That's so freaking sick!! I'd love to see it. Do you have an Instagram or somewhere I can learn more about your car?

[@ChrisClark_808]

Nice work. Being fast in a lemons race is like arguing on the internet.

[@wobblysauce]

Around that outside, around that outside, around that outside... nicely done... and love the dash.

[@robbbaer5173]

Your team may have been third overall, but you were #1 for aggressive passing.

[@kyletice811]

That chicane shortcut at 4:06. This car was super quick all weekend. “$500 mY aSs!”

[@kyletice811]

Our Geo at 5:30.

[@redlion145]

I don't know Lemons rules very well, you'd know better than I what's allowed. But those tires he's running are $240-300 a piece. Just the rubber would exceed the $500 limit. I don't know if consumables are left out of the math or not, seems like they probably should be for an endurance race. If I was there and had $500 in my pocket, I might just have bought that E36.

[@e28powerm30]

​@@redlion145I believe tires fall under safety equipment, which doesn't have a price cap.

[@justingarewal]

Maybe he didn’t realize he was in the grass, that’s why he didn’t pull in for the penalty.

[@gustavomedeiros8033]

Hey Jason, love for those E36s! A have one and sure love it.

[@MrOrtmeier]

Fantastic driving Jason 👍😎

[@576103]

Masterful job! I could never hope to be that fast or that confident. Having said that, I’ve been running track days at Sears Point since the first days of NASA in 1991, so I have a lot of experience there. You don’t need to downshift for turn 4. It’s a very slow, downhill turn that leads to an increasing radius corner. You can leave it in the higher gear and just mat the throttle at the apex. Gravity helps a lot. Revs and speed will build about as fast as the tires can take it, so it saves the unnecessary downshift. Try it next time. Lap times might not be affected but it’s easier and smoother, and one less opportunity to make a mistake. 👍

[@FeistyPineapple]

Love 1:15 the Dajiban Bernal Racing team! Great racing Jason

[@bogosian.]

Looks like a ton of fun!

[@deanirwin3645]

Nicely done Sir.

[@rishinarang9966]

HES BACK!!!!

[@khanna2044]

Winning races in tight places. Please, what motor is in that BMW? Compression and cam?

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

Man, that looked like a LOT of fun!

[@glk0728]

"Professional idiot - closed course" ?

[@rjung_ch]

What a fun day that was! 👍💪✌

[@MrDDawson]

Great racing. Love it.

[@bizooty]

Your shifts are so buttery.

[@jaycee7070]

Determined and decisive driving😄

[@rozap_8356]

where does the oil pressure go in the corners this is more than 4/10ths

[@StupidFastTruck]

WTF a Cadillac Allante?? Looks like hell of a lot of fun.

[@patrickmcgowan7826]

There is a lower X brace, from the factory, originally fitted to the convertible. It bolts right on. Tightens the handling a lot.

[@ilovelimpfries]

That $500 e36 m3 sounds like financial irregularities.

[@ukemike1]

Not so super difficult when you have greater than 50hp advantage and stickier tires than most of the other cars in the field. Lemons is multi-class racing. Any A class car ought to be passing cars like this. I just counted 67 passes in 17 minutes in my B class ~155 hp Honda Accord at the same race, Saturday AM, and I'm the slowest driver on my team. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4vGZ2uafpxjbLssi=xr5DT6bUAuKFge-f&t=880

[@2006Mercury]

Good lines

[@coldvaper]

Man Randy was taking names!

[@hessler97]

Epic.

[@KostadinDelizhanski]

brave drive, thumbs up nice wheel, have the same the savage shake on braking is warped rotors or bad pad prep?

[@JasonCammisa]

Warped rotors. Both our cars did the same thing, with new pads and rotors. Last time we'll be using those pads!

[@KostadinDelizhanski]

@@JasonCammisa don't know what brake setup you are running, but the 2 most popular junkyard solutions for e36 are e46 328i rotors/callipers/carriers (300mm front /294mm rear) - more rear brake bias, direct bolt on ( best cheap pads I have tried are trw red / dtec cotec GDB1348DTE front / rear GDB1348DTE /) e46 330i rotors/callipers/carriers (325mm front / 320mm rear) - needs some work on the rear to keep the handbrake wish you all the best and thanks for all your hard work and content

[@rpitneyjr]

That's not "sparring". If using a boxing analogy, you're beating the living shit out of everyone.

[@NickPavlenko]

Hilarious braking experience I might say.

[@thetumanshow]

“Excuse me Professional idiot coming through “

[@guntherschmitt2229]

Nice!👍

[@TheFunkyair]

2:00 is killer

[@philippvonweitershausen3076]

That’s a lot of jazz hands.

[@505LAN]

Hey Jason, if Hagerty holds you as a hostage and doesn't let you post videos on your channel, give us a sign in the next episode. Like the one you gave to that other e36😉✌️

[@AKK5I]

M5x hits different

[@stevemartegani]

I'm gon a watch this whole thing

[@drewwrobel564]

I'd watch the full 24 hour stream lol

[@AR-ld8qd]

He paid to use the track and dammit he is going to use all of it!

[@jamesonpace726]

Damn - traffic is terrifying! I take back every mean thing I've ever said about you, yours are beeger dan mine....

[@carlb86]

Come battle our slow MK3 Jetta in the Gulf region. It's class B, but generally in the top 10 overall when it's not doing Volkswagen things and breaking. We'll be at Barber in February.

[@AndreThompson925]

My goodness, your poor hands. Every time you hit the brakes, I shuddered right along with you. Masterful driving.

[@JasonCammisa]

Ii ddoonntt kknnooww wwhhaatt yooouuuurrreee ttaallkkiinngg aabboouutt bbuutt thhaannkksss :)

[@f308gtb1977]

NOOICE!!

[@AlainSTO]

There's no glove box that keeps opening every minute if there's no glove box

[@ramdynebix]

Who is this Larry Pabst guy? 😂

[@natelan69420]

dang bro, you passin all dem fools

[@maloo-tm2ub]

That description

[@falcolombardi217]

That was a massacre!

[@josephpsmithe]

You must have had a way bigger wing to pass that other e36

[@JasonCammisa]

No wing at all!

[@GTroy]

awesome! I had no idea you were a hotshoe besides comedian and car guy.

[@JasonCammisa]

Reserve the term "hotshoe" until after you've watched my driving...

[@andrewcarlson5254]

Just as I read your warning. I heard tires off & gravel dusting the track 😆

[@domhall626]

And when they took the helmet off it was Randy all the time,

[@stevemartegani]

​@@JasonCammisaWas that not you driving?

[@travismaulden7170]

Is your seat even attached to the car? 😂

[@jamessankey01]

What are you driving?

[@bluetoes591]

E36

[@alacrity024]

How did you not get black flagged going off on the chicane? Lucky break, that!

[@EggWafflehea]

🤩🤩

[@Xayuap]

Lemons should be mainstream. Just a 500 usd cap

[@AB0BA_69]

12:04 How did Lemons rules allow someone to have a Christmas Tree on their roof during the race (which is pretty funny, ngl)????

[@marcmigneault8364]

So, when did one of the front rotors explose? 😂

[@JasonCammisa]

Somehow none of them did. However, our other car snapped the lower strut right in half. Cannot imagine why.... smh

[@ckleanth]

@2:02 ✌😅

[@dazone]

Glovebox delete on an E36, we all know what that's about 😂

[@deXXXXter2]

Sounds a bit like aircooled 911

[@tomoxfford]

I wanna buy all my cars from whoevers valuing these at under 500 bucks apiece!

[@marcelmustang1]

Did the car suffer from any brake jutter or not?😂

[@maxheadroom224]

Sure seems like it. I think the control arms are also a bit tired considering how much aggression he has throwing it into the first left turn of the track.

[@JasonCammisa]

Oh god yeah. Braking distances were way longer, and I couldn't trail-brake or the ABS freaked out. All solved on Day 2 with new pads and rotors. (Control arms and everything else are tight - which is a miracle after all that vviibbrraattiioonn..)

[@maxheadroom224]

@@JasonCammisa Maybe solid slide pins nessicary for the next time? You rule man.

[@marcelmustang1]

U guys do know it was a rhetorical question right? As it was quite obvious from the video footage 🤪 Love that u took the time to write a response though ♥️

[@DQSpider]

You got passed 74 times? damn that's rough

[@BMW1M]

Cammisa > Verstappen. Indisputable.

[@JasonCammisa]

Amen! :P

[@garyonnen7634]

I would have assumed you, that you would be more talkative. More screaming and yelling. Also don’t you get black flagged for the off course at the chicanes?

[@JasonCammisa]

Nope, but I did get black-flagged the second time it happened. (The ABS was NOT having any of that vibration. All fixed for the next day with new pads and rotors.)