Objects Are Closer Than They May Appear Goddamnit

Day 1

I love my car.

I love driving.

I love road trips.

I love the anticipation of what's to come.

I hate discomfort.

I hate smelly gas station bathrooms.

I hate Sebastian (sometimes).

I hate objects that are closer than they appear.

I'm sure all can understand the majority of points above, but the one item 

that really stuck me today was the object.  In specific, the object that may 

be closer than it appears.  Yesterday I sat looking at the map 

thinking.......Indiana........just a mere 18 hours away.  It turns out that 18 

hours in a Lotus Elise is not pleasurable; even less so with a tall, hairy, 

loquacious, fermenting Polack as co-pilot.  Suffice it to say, we made it as 

far as Iowa and we have 5 hours remaining as I write this.

A mostly uneventful day with most of the time cruising along at 90mph 

(averaging an unbelievable 28mpg) and passing the time by trying to 

tally the near endless number of late 90's Mercury Sables......almost all 

of them in gold.

Spirits are still good and ambitions still high.  For those we didn't tell 

prior to leaving, we have a gentlemen's bet amongst the three teams 

from Evergreen.  The short of it has the two losing teams hanging a 

picture (of the winning team in full race regalia) in their respective living 

rooms for an entire year!

Cheers to coming third from last!!!

A bit of background on our mode of transport:

• 2005 Lotus Elise
• Next to no storage
• Passenger seat is 2/3 the size of the driver's seat
• Radio sucks
• Heater sucks
• A/C sucks
• Great track car.......terrible commuter

I would have liked to take the station wagon, but outside influences forced me to take this car:/

1 Lap Eve

Here I sit.  The night before the most ridiculous event that I have had the pleasure to participate.  While I sit here and contemplate the possibilities, let me preface by stating that I have, for many years, wanted to participate in what is known to most as the Cannonball Run.  Made infamous via the movie of the same name, its current incarnation is titled the One Lap of America.  Just a brief history, but the original "Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash" was an outlaw race from NYC to Redondo Beach, CA; held four times during the 70's.  As most could probably imagine, this literal cross country race threw caution and prudence to the wind, so with law enforcement's eventual gentle nudge and the desire for the spirit of the race to continue, the event evolved into a timed endurance rally in which teams drive from race track to race track.  Each track hosts a time trial with teams driving for the lowest cumulative time.  

With all that said, in the fall of '08, amongst a few friends and a few more beers I suggested that we register for the One Lap.  Knowing that all agreements made whilst drinking are null and void the next day, I was confident that no one would hold me to the suggestion.  Needless to say, here we are...........to my dismay, registered and hardly ready to go.

Our route takes us from our homes in Evergreen, CO to:

1. Joliet, IL - Autobahn Country Club
2. Florence, KY - Turfway Park
3. Greenbrier, TN - Highland Rim Raceway
4. Talladega, AL - Talladega Grand Prix Raceway
5. Sebring, FL - Sebring International Raceway
6. Gainesville, FL - Gainesville Raceway
7. Daytona Beach, FL - Daytona International Speedway
8. Kershaw, SC - Carolina Motorsports Park

8 days, more than 4000 miles and a lot of time in the saddle.  I'll be updating hopefully on a daily basis assuming I don't kill my co-driver, Sebastian.

Good luck to our comrades from Evergreen..........Ric, Loy, & Nick.