These numbers would possibly catch your consideration: 21 races, 37 vehicles, 29 groups, 18 tracks, 120 hours of observe time–all inside the span of 1 season. And the driving force isn’t a professional paid to race or a younger up-and-comer making an attempt to get seat time.
No, that is Neal Losey.
Age: 55.
Occupation: Radio DJ at a public radio station and part-time employed hand at a vineyard. (Sure, he has squashed grapes along with his ft.)
Interest: Racing in as many 24 Hours of Lemons occasions as attainable.
Maybe you possibly can take his jet-setting schedule as an indication of a late midlife disaster. However there’s no query that the recollections Neal made throughout this loopy journey will final a lifetime.
“{Dollars} spent? Don’t know. Didn’t hold observe. Don’t wanna know,” Neal says. “However I’d have spent double no matter it value as a result of it was simply that incredible. One of the best yr of my life.”
The Individuals
Neal says he struggled to discover a group of individuals he resonates with. Nonetheless, after his first 24 Hours of Lemons, he discovered he match proper in.
“I began racing Lemons at 44 [years old],” says Neal. “I’m tremendous shy and I had a tough time discovering my folks. I discovered them in Lemons.
“The individuals are my type of folks. They’re good. Artistic. Humorous. Extremely form. They’re a bit of bizarre–they have a look at the world a bit of otherwise. It’s one thing particular to seek out your folks.”
As soon as Neal discovered his residence with the 24 Hours of Lemons, he rapidly developed a objective.
“I needed to run all the season,” Neal says, “as a result of I needed to drive as many vehicles as I can, strive as many tracks as I can, and meet as many Lemons folks as I can.”
His first try at a full season didn’t go as deliberate. Nor did his second.
“On my five-year anniversary [of racing Lemons], I needed to go pursue an entire season and I ended up within the emergency room with A-fib and that took all the cash I had saved,” says Neal. “In 2020, I used to be going to do it, and everyone knows what occurred in 2020. Additionally in 2020, my dad died, and he had extra issues he needed to do in his life. We’re by no means promised tomorrow, so I used to be like, ‘I gotta do that.’”
When 2022 rolled round, issues got here collectively. Neal had the holiday time and the cash saved. He simply wanted to summon the nerve to do it. Luckily, he did simply that.
The Journey
This deliberate journey pushed Neal previous his consolation zone–manner past it.
“I’ve by no means been a traveler,” Neal says. “I grew up on a ranch, and on a ranch you by no means go away. My dad and mom weren’t vacationers, so it’s not a part of who I’m. Up till final season, I had not flown anyplace on my own. I solely have flown possibly 10 instances in my total life. The farthest east I’ve been [for racing] was MSR Houston.”
Flying on commuter airways can show daunting for even essentially the most seasoned of vacationers. TSA. Transfers. Atlanta, Dallas or O’Hare. It may be downright intimidating.
By the top of the yr, Neal had flown 75,000 miles and to twenty airports. He did make a rookie mistake, although.
“I didn’t join any [frequent flyer] miles,” says Neal. “About halfway [through the season], folks have been asking me about it. I used to be like, ‘I don’t even know what that’s.’”
Nonetheless, Neal managed, and he had one unbelievable season and one fewer phobia.
“A part of not touring for me was as a result of I used to be afraid of flying. I’ve an energetic creativeness,” Neal explains. “I didn’t wish to fly as a result of I didn’t do it a lot and I didn’t know methods to get by way of an airport. Now I’ve a stage of calmness once I’m flying that I didn’t have earlier than. It’s to the purpose the place my spouse [said], ‘We’re happening a visit now for our thirtieth anniversary.’ Cornered!”
The Locations
Neal raced at among the most iconic highway programs in America. Barber. Sonoma. Highway Atlanta. The primary observe he raced with Lemons was Sonoma, and it holds a particular place in his coronary heart.
“The best way it flows, the elevation modifications are nice,” says Neal. “You climb up Turns 2 and three after which experience the curler coaster down by way of the carousel. Then you definately climb as much as Flip 7 and proceed the curler coaster again down by way of the esses. It has quick components and technical components.”
Within the East, he discovered a brand new favourite, albeit one which reminds him of Sonoma.
“The observe that caught my consideration most is Barber. It was essentially the most stunning,” Neal says. “[It has] nice circulate, fascinating grounds, elevation modifications–[it’s] fantastic. I’ll try to make it again yearly.”
Whereas Barber Motorsports Park actually has a world popularity, two different venues stood out as properly.
“Individuals are shocked that I favored Thompson and Loudon,” says Neal. “I favored these tracks not essentially for the tracks however for the competitors that spoke to me. It’s frantic. Everyone’s driving loopy like their hair is on fireplace. You gotta be so alert to not get a black flag, to not hit anyone or be hit. Loudon had 100-some vehicles on a brief observe, so it was busy on a regular basis. Racing on these tracks I loved as a result of it really works with the kind of mind I’ve, the place I’ve to be so hyper-focused the entire time. I satisfaction myself in not getting black flags.”
In 2022, Neal solely acquired three black flags. Since 2011, he’s gotten solely 10 whole in 81 races.
“I hate getting any of them,” says Neal. “The 2 that occurred have been as a result of I used to be passing a slower automotive. I used to be aggravated at myself for breaking my rule, which is to simply assume folks don’t see you. The opposite one was a quick automotive bumped into the again of my automotive that I used to be driving.
The Rides
The kinds of vehicles Neal competed in ran the whole gamut of the automotive world. They ranged from as previous as a 1947 Chevrolet Stylemaster to as new as a 2006 Pontiac Solstice. Some automobiles represented the standard highway racing fare, equivalent to BMW 3 sequence, Porsches and Triumphs. Others have been far odder, like a Pontiac Transport van, a fur-covered Lincoln Continental and a Dodge Dakota.
“One in every of my favourite vehicles to race is the 1963 Volvo PV544,” Neal says. “It has a V6 out of a Chevrolet Uplander minivan. It’s enjoyable, it’s quick, it handles and it seems to be like how a Lemons automotive ought to look. That’s the automotive I’ve pushed greater than some other automotive in Lemons.”
There have been some sleepers, too.
“I really like these massive Chryslers,” says Neal. “They’re not as gradual as you assume they’re going to be, and that makes it enjoyable. That ’70 Monaco, you possibly can throw it across the observe. It gained’t spin out and you may have a very nice time driving it.”
Then there’s the uncommon, together with a 1985 Pontiac Tojan.
“The truth that the automotive is so bizarre and only a few folks have ever heard of it was enjoyable,” Neal says. “The driving expertise was blah being a mid-’80s, automatic-transmission 305 Firebird with 800 kilos of fiberglass added. However it’s a completely silly Lemons automotive that represents the sequence. The staff had a ton of enjoyable that weekend.”
Neal doesn’t allow us to neglect that it’s all in regards to the enjoyable. He particularly eyes vehicles properly suited to the Index of Effluency award.
“It’s the highest prize in Lemons,” says Neal of the IOE. “Whichever staff takes the crappiest, very unlikely race automotive and does the perfect with it [wins the IOE]. I’ve gained 16 IOEs within the 81 races I’ve completed. An ideal weekend for me consists of a minimum of one quick automotive and one automotive that’s of IOE high quality.”
The Consequence
When the 2022 season concluded, Lemons topped Neal Losey its champion, however that’s a mere footnote to this story.
“The least necessary factor in Lemons is whoever wins the race,” Neal says, “however even much less necessary is the nationwide champion. Individuals ask, ‘What do you win should you win a nationwide championship?’ About 4 seconds of web fame once they ship out that electronic mail that claims who gained the championship. The concept to win the championship wasn’t the foremost focus. I simply needed to go to each race.”
Finally, the championship, the races and even the vehicles don’t matter a lot on this story. What issues is how the 2022 season modified Neal.
“I may need a bit of ADHD,” Neal says. “I’ve bother focusing at instances. I’m a worrier. I generally procrastinate till it’s too late. I needed to focus or else [the 2022 season] wouldn’t have occurred. It modified plenty of the best way I often act.”
Touring additionally usually supplies new views. In a rustic usually outlined by blue states and crimson states, Neal discovered that folks have far far more in frequent, a minimum of within the racing world.
“The bulk of people that do Lemons are all respectable folks,” says Neal. “They’re folks working arduous towards one thing and prepared to assist different folks. It helped me see that you could find some issues that you’ve frequent floor on. We’re not that far-off from one another whenever you meet head to head, and we’ve got the perfect time as a result of we’re not simply on the web being mad at one another for stuff we will’t management.”
This late midlife disaster turned out to be extra of a soul seek for Neal Losey. By racing, he discovered that the world isn’t as dangerous because it appears, journey will be enjoyable and Lemons individuals are superior all over the place. Nonetheless, it did result in one downside.
“This was by far the best yr of my life,” Neal says. “The arduous half is just not desirous to do it time and again.”