Day 0

"We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day"

 

- Carly Simon

 

 

South Bend, IN.....Tomorrow brings the first day of the 2015 One Lap.  Quite honestly, I've been apprehensive about the event with leaving work, leaving family, and simply thinking the time for me and this event was passed. 

I realized this evening, however, that I'm here and we're doing this and any apprehensions should have no bearing on the next 9 days.  As cliché as it may be, living in the moment  is what should be happening and that's exactly my unplanned plan.

Having caught up with a few old One Lap acquaintences and meeting a few new, I find myself looking forward to the days to come, understanding today was great.

 

Who was it that said, "The more things change, the more they stay the same"?  I suppose I could Google it, but let's face it...I'm lazy. 

Two kids, a new house, and about 6 cars removed from the last time I attended One Lap in 2011,  here I sit in my bed at 2:37am, yet to pack for the 2015 One Lap of America, struggling with my first night (of 10) of self induced sleep deprivation jotting down thoughts of what the next week will bring.  The last couple years had fits of plans to go or not to go, but the stars finally aligned and Ryan and I are mostly set to depart (in about 6 hours) for the kickoff to the event in Southbend, IN.

This will be Ryan's first One Lap; my fourth, and our route this year takes us from IN > IA > CO > TX > OK > KY > IN.  A total of ~5k miles round trip from our homes in CO.  Hopefully Ryan's modded whip will hold up to the abuse of 8 track days and 2 underbathed "racecar drivers". 

There look to be 70+ teams this year with the usual professional drivers, wannabe pro drivers, street racers, and amateur hacks (us), piloting everything from uber-rare exotica to homemade kit cars.  Our collective sanity will be tested as we all vye for plastic trophies and untold glories that the One Lap of America invariably presents.

Wish us luck....we'll be needing it.

Reassess Your Automotive Prejudices

It's 2014, not 1984, and the automotive landscape has changed dramatically.  Hyundai is no longer the purveyor of the "excellent" Excel but of truly excellent cars, BMW is no longer the champion of spritely drivers' cars but of bloated electronic toys laden with lead weights and triple blown inline sixes, Toyota's sterling reputation for longevity has taken a kick to the proverbial family jewels and simply sells on its long tired reputation for kwality.

My point here is that we have all grown up to believe what we believe based on past experiences.  It's unavoidable and certainly a large part of what makes us unique individuals that choose, that live, that drive white cars with red wheels.  This, however, does not mean we shouldn't reassess our prejudices toward people, places, and most importantly cars, as new replaces old and technology "betters" the breed. 

Sebastian Glowacki, I speak to you through the wonders of The Interwebs and say, banish your predisposed notions of the automotive American-German-Japanese.  Dare to look at the modern day automotive landscape through 16 year old eyes and say that a Corvette Z06 is the equal (or better) to the teutonic precision of a 911 GT3.  That the Gelandewagen is outdated.  That "V" > "AMG" > "M"!

We, as evolving people, can not simply glance at a tramp stamp and automatically assume "whore", but look deeper.  Look with compassion.  Look with philosophical spectacles.  That chick with the stamp might be smart?



I kid.....keep your putrid prejudices.  It makes you real.

Happy Fucking Birthday You Hairy Fucking Polack.

Prologue to the 2014 1 Lap - Deep Thoughts.....errr Just Thoughts

It's the dead of winter and my thoughts are wandering in a dull haze aided by too much holiday "cheer" and even more holiday beer.  I lament the fact that  I've come to the realization that I don't enjoy snow....not even to ski, so with every flake, there's a stab of reality that the real cycling season is still at least 3 months away and the GT3 sits idle, collecting dust and trickling its charge.

Of course this idle time has given me the opportunity to look back a bit and realize that it's now been a full five years since we (Ric, Sebastian, & I) collectively popped the 1 Lap cherry and a full two years since I've been able to attend.  For those who recall, our last attempt in 2011 was mostly a failed attempt at our goal of a mediocre finish as the clutch in the S4 gave out and we limped home in a Ford Flex rental (bleh).

Since that time, Ric has pulled his dad, Jerry, into the fold and we are all registered for the 2014 event (May 3-10) with Ric/Jerry in a 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca (future collector's car for sure) and Sebastian/me in a 2007 Porsche 911 GT3.  The route this year takes us from our homes in Denver to IN > TN > LA > AL > GA > SC > NJ > OH > MI > IN.  A full 5500 miles in 9 days:)



Cheers to a short winter and we'll see you in the spring!!
Tony

Day Last - End of the Road

It's Sunday morning and it's taken me a few days to really chew on the disappointment that was/is the 2011 One Lap. Our long trip back included a stop in the Big Easy and a few more horrific roadside meals. A 21 hour leg back home stared us in the face, but home we are.

While Ric, Sebastian, and I certainly made the best of the situation, there is no question that we would have liked to have flogged the little Audi around the rest of the country.
The Flex in lieu was a sorry replacement, but it did give me a peek into what rolling appliances feel like today......hell it even looks like a fridge:/ Regardless of my incessant complaints, we made it back safely to Evergreen on Thursday and have collectively decided to return to the 2012 One Lap.

Better prepared and prepared for triumph, we will be returning in possibly 3 Lotus Elises. Competition will be fierce and I'm already plotting my strategy. In the meantime, I'd like to wish all the One Lappers a prosperous year and I'd like to thank Brock Jr. for yet another great event.

Til next year.
Tony

Day 5: DAYTONA!

11:52AM EST - Daytona International Speedway...impressive hardly describes this venue and having been here for the 2009 One Lap, the awe has only grown. Unfortunately for us, we're not in a Porsche, Lotus, or Audi, but we're making the best of the sour hand that has been dealt us.

The track opened this afternoon for some parade laps on the track (limited to 100mph) so we decided to roll the Flex out onto the track for some fun. Certainly not made for this sort of thing, but it made it around the track.............frustrating as it was we giggled like schoolgirls as we went high on the high bank, 40ft off the apron.

Riding our bikes on the track this morning and to give an idea of how steep the banking here is made, one can not ride a bicycle on the bank without fallingh off. 40 feet from the top of the track to the apron, it's certainly not a place to spin a car, much less fall off a bicycle.
We're off to the Big Easy today to have some fun on Bourbon Street and to visit our last track of the 2011 One Lap in the middle of the bayou oddly enough. Ric, Sebastian, and I have decided to skip the rest of the event after tomorrow and head home a bit early.

While this year's event didn't turn out as planned, we've already decided we'll be back next year.......better prepared and back with two, if not three Lotus Elises.

Tomorrow, I'm sure will be a bit hazy from the whiskey.
One more update coming with a few added pics.

Day 3 & 4: It's An Imperfect World

It's an imperfect world as Ric would say. Apropos today with the catastrophic failure of our now beloved S4. Shortly after going through the niceties of welcoming Sebastian to the event, he was quickly summoned into action on the track. One recon lap of the lushly lined track and he was off; literally. The transmission is.........was.

6:50am EST - We're at Chantily Audi somewhere near D.C. and we've just received the bad news that they won't be able to fix the car 'til tomorrow night. Plan B is now in action.....update forthcoming.

8:45am EST - Still in Chantily and in the last two hours, we've managed to arrange shipping the Audi back to Denver and rent a minivan to finish off the event. Hopefully we'll be able to make the event at the BMW Driving Center in Spartanburg, SC this afternoon. The 1 Lappers are currently at Carolina Motorsports Park, and while I was hoping to face my demons there after spinning the car at 100mph two years ago, the face-off, it will have to remain a stand-off:/

In the spirit of One Lap........onward!

11:49pm EST - Onward we've gone and just outside of Daytona Beach, it's taken all of 2 hours for me to again understand how little I enjoy Florida. From the errant highway drivers to the fact that cheese envelopes every meal on any restaurant's menu, to the fact that it's so muggy and humid that even the few remaining strands of hair on Sebastian's head no longer stick up like a character from Fraggle Rock...........Florida just plain sucks.

One saving grace, however, is Daytona International Speedway. A beacon of NASCAR, yes..........but also a beacon of motorsport. Regardless of what it is, we will be there tomorrow morning to return to the event and while the event's rules state we can no longer gain points (due to the change in cars), the event does allow us to drive the tracks:)


The "ACME Rental Car Company" outside of DC gave us a Ford Flex to accompany us the remainder of the trip and while it lacks any similarity to the S4, it trumps the German tart in that the Flex is currently running. We'll be at the big oval in the morning to see what this soccer mom's grocery getter can do (let this be a lesson to anyone who has ever thought to save a few bucks buying a used rental car).

We'll update in the morning as to how things go, but hopefully we come out the other end of the tunnel.