Crapcanalysis: Does fast matter? Part 2

Catching fire on the parade laps is not the best way to win or set fastest lap, but it's terrifically photogenic. (Murilee Martin photo)

Yesterday, we began an investigation of the relationship between fastest lap times and finishing position by taking a look at overall winners and at fastest lap setters from every 24 Hours of LeMons race from the 2012 season through the end of April 2013. We then expanded that to include the top 10 in each category.

Here's the brief recap:

Crapcanalysis: Does fast matter? Part 1

A few weeks ago, an email exchange with the esteemed Murilee Martin (aka Judge Phil of the 24 Hours of LeMons Supreme Court) presented us with an interesting question: How many overall LeMons winners have also set the fastest lap going back to, say, the beginning of 2012?

I found the answer quickly enough: Five out of 25 (Through Gingerman 2013).

And here they are:

Loudon Annoying: Results

Bill Danger wins their second consecutive 24 Hours of LeMons Spring race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway by a single lap from the Keystone Kops' V8-swapped Volvo 240. The second place is the Kops' best finish of all time and they narrowly missed victory.

Here are the top finishers overall and in each of the three classes:

Loudon Annoying: Day 1 Standings

After a soggy day of 24 Hours of LeMons racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, last year's Loudon Annoying winner Bill Danger leads the race by three laps over the Keystone Kops' V8-swapped Volvo 240 coupe.

Here is the unofficial Top 10 after eight hours of racing:

Loudon Annoying: The Rusty Hub's Preview

The 24 Hours of LeMons visits Loudon, New Hampshire, this weekend for the first of two races this year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

While we may never have been there, but we absolutely love the layout of this circuit, being one of those great "roval" courses that takes the racing outside of the typical NASCAR oval outline into an almost-pastoral trip before returning to the infield and then cutting back to the oval's front straight (It's a variant of this track map).

You can get a full entry list here, but we'll give you the rundown on what we'd expect from the 88 teams registered for the race.

Eagles Canyon Wrap-Up

The race is long over and Judge Phil has written about the winners here, so give them a round of applause for not blowing up. Or for blowing up, whichever the case may be.

Let's take a slightly deeper look at the field.

Eagles Canyon: Day 2 Preview

As we predicted, one team would be competing for the win in two classes. However, it is neither the Tetanus Racing nor Lost in the Dark squads that we'd anticipated. Rather, TGTW Offroad Racing leads Class B with their solidly prepared Cherokee and the team's first-timer Comanche pickup tops Class C despite having only one functioning forward gear in its transmission.

If TGTW hangs on to win B and C, they would be the first team to win two classes at the same race.

In one of our more lucid moments, we also predicted the Model T GT could run away with the race. The Model T GT ended Saturday's long race session in first place, although the Miagra squad gave them a good dice for most of the day until they lost a motor with just a few minutes left in the day. After 10 minutes of green flag racing Sunday, the Miagra has yet to take to the track.

While no lead can really be considered "comfortable" in crapcan racing, the T GT begins the day with an 11-lap advantage over longshot second-placers Rolling Chicane Racing in their veteran Civic.