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You've likely heard the Roger Penske quote that the best way to make a small fortune racing is to start with a big fortune. It turns out that Penske's observation is true even in racing's scrappiest series, the 24 Hours of LeMons. Senior web editor Phil Floraday's misfit team (read: not bankrolled by this magazine) bought a $300 1987 Volkswagen Quantum Syncro wagon and then put in more than ten times that amount getting it ready to race. Result? They won the Index of Effluency (awarded to the team whose finishing position furthest exceeds judges' expectations), turning the $5644 worth of parts, labor, and entry fees into a check for $1501.