Speedycop (racing team)

Speedycop & The Gang of Outlaws is an American endurance racing team that competes in the 24 Hours of Lemons. The team is led by Jeff Bloch, a retired Washington D.C. police officer, and is known for its unconventional race car builds.[1][2][3] The team has received significant media coverage for its unique vehicles, which include a road-racing airplane, an upside-down car, and an amphibious helicopter.[4][5][6]

History

The team was founded by Jeff Bloch, a retired United States Park Police sergeant who served in Washington D.C. before retiring in 2023.[3][7] Known by the nickname "Speedycop," Bloch and his team, "The Gang of Outlaws," have built numerous cars for the 24 Hours of Lemons series.

Notable cars

Speedycop & The Gang of Outlaws are best known for their unconventional race cars. These builds have won the top prize in the 24 Hours of Lemons, the Index of Effluency, which is awarded to the team whose car performs the best relative to how poor or unlikely a racer it is.[8]

The Spirit of LeMons

In 2013, the team debuted The Spirit of LeMons, a race car built from the fuselage of a 1956 Cessna 310 airplane.[4] The fuselage was mounted on the chassis of a Toyota Van.[4] The car competed in the March 2013 "Southern Discomfort" race at Carolina Motorsports Park, where it finished 65th out of 84 entries and won the Index of Effluency award.[9][10]

The Upside-Down Camaro

Later in 2013, the team created the Upside-Down Camaro, a car that appears to be racing on its roof. The vehicle was constructed from a 1999 Chevrolet Camaro body mounted upside-down on the chassis of a 1990 Ford Festiva.[5] The car debuted at the August 2013 race at New Jersey Motorsports Park.[11]

The Trippy Tippy Hippy Van

In 2017, the team raced the Trippy Tippy Hippy Van, a 1976 Volkswagen Microbus body mounted on its side on the chassis of a 1988 Volkswagen Rabbit.[6] The van finished 46th out of 63 entries and won the Index of Effluency at NCM Motorsports Park in Kentucky in July 2017.[12][13]

The SpeedyCopter

Another notable build was the SpeedyCopter, an amphibious road-racing helicopter.[1] The vehicle was built from the body of a 1969 Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter mounted on a Toyota van chassis.[1] The SpeedyCopter competed at the May 2016 race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, where it won the Organizer's Choice award.[1][14][15]

Awards and recognition

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "This Cop Turned a Helicopter Into a Floating Race Car". Popular Science. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  2. ↑ "Speedycop and the Gang of Outlaws". Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  3. 1 2 "A New Speedycop Era Has Begun…". Speedycop. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  4. 1 2 3 "Spirit of LeMons: How a 1956 Cessna Airplane Became a Road-Racing LeMons Car". Car and Driver. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  5. 1 2 "This Upside Down Camaro/Festiva Monster Is The Craziest Car At LeMons". Jalopnik. 2013-08-11. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  6. 1 2 "24 Hours of LeMons: How to Race a 1976 VW Microbus on Its Side". The Drive. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  7. ↑ "The USPP thanks Sergeant Bloch for his dedication and service". United States Park Police (@usparkpolicepio). 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  8. ↑ "WTF – 24 Hours of Lemons". 24 Hours of Lemons. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
  9. 1 2 "Official Results: Southern Discomfort, Carolina Motorsports Park, March 16–17, 2013". 24 Hours of Lemons. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  10. ↑ "Southern Discomfort – Race Results". MYLAPS Speedhive. 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  11. ↑ "24 Hours of Lemons NJMP – Race Results". MYLAPS Speedhive. 2013-08-10. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  12. 1 2 "Official Results: Kentucky (Demo) Derby, NCM Motorsports Park, July 8–9, 2017". 24 Hours of Lemons. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  13. 1 2 "Kentucky (Demo) Derby – Race Results". MYLAPS Speedhive. 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  14. 1 2 "Official Results: Real Hoopties of New Jersey, New Jersey Motorsports Park, May 14–15, 2016". 24 Hours of Lemons. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
  15. 1 2 "Real Hoopties of New Jersey – Race Results". MYLAPS Speedhive. 2016-05-14. Retrieved 2026-06-16.
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