New scrappage scheme: drag racing

Even when we are all tightening our belts, there is still motor sport to be enjoyed. At the '24 Hours of LeMons', the cars (or what pass for cars) are allowed to cost no more than 500 dollars. The title of the race is a play on the American term 'lemon' to describe a dilapidated second-hand car. As a general rule, the winner is the rust bucket that still has wheels on its axles and has not left its mechanical innards somewhere on the track. It is a spectacle to be enjoyed between juicy steaks and cold beers.

In this unusual American racing series, there are hardly any rules, except for the compulsory roll cage which is not included in the 500 dollar limit. Modifications to vehicles are only possible by bribing the canny judges who are responsible for deciding which cars to admit. The organiser Jay Lamm is already considering franchising the idea in Europe. Perhaps there will soon be premiums for scrapping cars worldwide, where the level of payment is decided by who crosses the finishing line in events like these.