Valley team wins LeMons event

Sonoma Raceway recently hosted one of the world’s most unique endurance races, the 24 Hours of LeMons season finale, on its world famous Wine Country road course and a Valley driver and his team captured a first-place finish in the annual one-of-a-kind endurance race for $500 cars.

With nearly 200 cars – from RVs to Porsches to Pintos and BMWs – competing in the 24 Hours of LeMons’ final event, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Sonoma Raceway, 1999 Sonoma Valley High School graduate Shawn Morrison captained a class-A victory.

Morrison and his fellow Porsche Racing team drivers Derek Roedel, Vince Dito and Dan Halenbeck, successfully navigated their well-prepared 1989 Porsche 944 to the impressive win by lapping the entire field three times.

“With our radio dead the last two hours, Vince (Dito) took the checkered flag on mere gas fumes staying out 12 laps under the fuel light,” said Morrison. “I have been competing in the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance racing for three years and have seven races at various California tracks under my belt, with our Porsche Racing team getting two top-10 finishes before winning this race.”