Pony Cars and Ponies – A New Hooniverse Rivalry

It’s safe to say that pretty much everyone here at Hooniverse is a huge fan of the 24 Hours of Lemons. It’s like Le Mans endurance racing, only without the multi-million dollar racing programs and team trailers that cost more than a typical neighborhood. Each car at any given Lemons event has to be bought and prepared for racing for just $500 (safety equipment is extra), and participants are given the freedom to prepare their car pretty much any way they like. That means any given Lemons race fields colorful, insane, and particularly awesome creations. 

Case in point: friends of Hooniverse Chris Hanzel and his team of professional racers took the chance to build a very special car indeed – a My Little Pony-themed Mustang, just because they can. Both the “Brony” team and their Mustang have been enjoying their success thus far, but this is where things get really interesting. Another fellow Hoon by the same of David Fotheringham and his team are building up a classic unicorn-themed Mustang of their own to go hoof-to-hoof (sorry) with Chris and his team of Bronies in a competition for the ages to find out who is Hooniverse’s Next Top Pony Car Racer… or something like that. 

Before we get more into the competition, let’s take a closer look at our valiant competitors. Chris and the Bronies (Bros that like Ponies) are driving a Fox-Body Ford Mustang with a 5.0-liter V8 that might still make more than 100 ponypower horsepower and a 5-speed manual transmission to put the power to the road. It even came with some, uh, unwanted clothing and Chuck E. Cheese’s tickets!

The car features a bright-blue paint job, a pink mane and tail, blue undercarriage LED lights, and an awesome rainbow vertical stabilizer with a built-in Skittles Vodka dispenser, which is probably the coolest thing that’s ever been put on a car. The theme was drawn from the well-known My Little Pony franchise which recently spawned a new TV show that has managed to win the hearts of both girls and men of all ages alike. The car even has what fans of the show refer to as a “Cutie Mark” (ask your daughter) with a connecting rod and some flowers on its flank.  

David, on the other hand, isn’t what you call a “Brony”. Not even close. In fact he and his No Bronies Unicorn Ponies are getting in on the action with their sights set specifically on the other pony car. The car they’ll be doing battle with is a 1986 Mustang 5.0 that they bought for $300 out of an alley in Seattle. For that price, they got a Mustang with a trendy flat black paint job and the ability to eject its own right front wheel if it corners too hard. 

In just a few week’s time, they got the right front wheel back safely in place (they think), revived the engine, and gave it a whole new look. They’re not entirely sure how the car will hold up when it’s driven out of first gear, but that only makes their first Lemons appearance that much more interesting. The finished product will be fully revealed later this week, but for now, they tell us to expect an authentic unicorn skull mounted up front and an epic 70’s-style paint scheme featuring a “manly and majestic” unicorn. For now though all we have is a few teaser photos to share.

When it comes to the actual racing, David and the No Bronies Unicorn Ponies will be making their first Lemons appearance with the new car at the Pacific Northworst GP this coming Saturday and Sunday (July 21-22) at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, WA. Since their main rivals won’t be there, this gives them the chance to get used to the car and see if everything actually works. As of now, nobody knows for sure when our two competitors will meet for the first time on the track, but when they do, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on what will certainly be an epic battle that you won’t want to miss. I’m sure whoever loses will have to watch My Little Pony or something 😉 .

In the meantime, if anyone will be in the Shelton, Washington area this weekend, come out to The Ridge Motorsports Park and support a fellow Hoon! To see when and where the 24 Hours of Lemons is coming near you, check out their official 2012 schedule here.

Image credit: © Chris Hanzel, David Fotheringham, and Phil “Murilee Martin” Greden – used with permission.