racerjon1

I figured we could have an "official" thread with a title easy enough to search for, and for others to know to follow along with.

So why is Spring called Spring? Perhaps it is because of bright flowers springing up through the melting snow, or the spring in your step when you get to shed the heavy winter clothing and think about outdoor activities that don’t involve numb extremities or shoveling the driveway.

As an automotive enthusiast, it might be for the events that spring up across the country and tracks springing to life for racing and track-day events. Spring might be their chance to try new springs and various other parts installed on their cars during the winter.

For those that follow or run The TireRack Cannonball One Lap of America presented by Car&Driver, this year Spring is for what looks to be one of the most competitive fields to be sprung on the countries interstates and racetracks for those eight days in early May.

One Lap of America is the modern day evolution of the Cannonball Run – yes that cannonball run. What started as a chance to prove that fast cars could go across the country quickly has turned into a more politically correct event where transits are done with some moderation and time trials at racetracks each day give competitors a chance to stretch their legs (literally) and their cars rpm limits. The event starts and finishes in South Bend, Indiana with skid pad trials and in between visits tracks across the country with overnight drives between each. No section of American motorsports is left untouched with an oval and drag racing events thrown into the mix of road courses.

A few years ago running at the front of the pack in One Lap of America meant bringing as much horsepower as you could, including power that comes in big blue bottles common to the drag strip but taboo at road courses. Big corvettes and vipers gobbled up straights and hoped that they could get slowed down enough to take the corners.

Over the last few years things have begun to change. Nitrous bottles no longer appear in the front of the field. Tuning does. What kind of tuning? Engine of course; good old fashioned horsepower is still the way to get from point a to point b in a timely manor. What else though? Suspension. One Lap is primarily a road course event, and getting through the corners counts for a lot. With the onslaught of factory cars from Mitsubishi, Subaru and those Z06s with exotic-type lap times for an affordable price, the old “just throw horsepower at it” philosophy has been thrown out the window. You have to get up to speed, and then stay there through the corners if you want to run with the big (lap) dogs.

What other kinds of tuning? How about wind tunnel? Yep - for one event consisting of 4000 highway miles and about 100 track miles, competitors are turning to the playground of pro-racing engineers; big fans in a tube finding out how to make cars slicker and produce as little lift and as much downforce as possible.

The real tale is in the times. In 2006 I drove a Mitsubishi Evolution to a 6:17 run at VIR for three laps and finished eighth. Had I run the same time the year before, it would have put me fourth. Not only is it getting harder and more sophisticated to run up front, but cars that might have been a shoe-in for a top five only a few years ago now have little hope of even seeing the top ten.

“You guys keep getting faster and faster,” Brock Sr. said after the Roebling Road Raceway time trial in 2006. That was just after Karl Troy had lapped the Savannah, GA track in the 1:16 range – a time usually reserved for racing cars with no fenders or at least slick tires. Troy had done it on true street tires with a sight-blurring front straight speed of 168mph.

There was some concern in Brock’s voice that day, and for good reason – it isn’t getting any less popular and popularity brings in better – and faster – cars. The internet age is sitting pretty, and teams now bring the action into the homes of enthusiasts through streaming video, blogs and message board posts. Thousands live the event online, cheering on their favorite cars and drivers. This year there are no fewer than five film crews, some of them with real-time video as the event goes on. Last year lake-effect-racing.com, a web-site that covered One Lap from the road with a crew of video editors, got 2.3 million hits in the first 15 days of May, and over 200,000 video downloads.

That attention lures professional shops. The old-guard “One Lappers” are being challenged by tuners with 500-600 horsepower entries from shops that do nothing but produce cars that go fast.

All of this isn’t saying it is impossible to have a private entry do well, it’s just getting harder. Rain can and will play havoc with the best and the faster the front guys have to push, the more chance of breaking something.

So what is in store for 2007? Lots. The usual suspects are back, faster and more reliable than before. Over 100 entries are ready to go, including pro shops and pro drivers. Import and domestic rockets will fill the front of the pack and don’t let class labels fool you; economy doesn’t mean what it used to. May 5-12 this year is going to see some fast cars, probably a couple of upsets, and lots of very self-confident and fast drivers focused on pushing personal and equipment’s limits each day.

As the One Lappers say, “See you in South Bend.”

To follow along with the 2007 TireRack Cannonball One Lap of America presented by Car&Driver, here is a list of sites that will be covering the event.

www.onelapofamerica.com (Be sure to check the bulletin board for a list of teams with on-the-road daily blogs)
www.car&driver.com
www.lake-effect-racing.com

Jon K

racerjon1

The Schedule:

Friday May 4
Sticker Day: TireRack: South Bend, Indiana

Saturday May 5
Wet Skid Pad Contest: TireRack: South Bend, Indiana
Asphalt Oval Time Trial: Plymouth Speedway: Plymouth, Indiana
Time Trial: Autobahn Country Club: Joliet, Illinios

Sunday May 6
Two Time Trials: Mid America Motorsports Complex: Pacific Junction, Iowa

Monday May 7
Three Time Trials: Miller Motorsports Park: Toole, Utah

Tuesday May 8
Two Time Trials: Pueblo Motorsports Park: Pueblo, Colorado

Wednesday May 9
Two Time Trials: Hallett Motor Racing Circuit: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Thursday May 10
Two Time Trials: O'Riley Raceway Park: Indianapolis, Indiana
Low-E.T. Contest: O'Riley Raceway Park: Indianapolis, Indiana
Bracket Drag Races: O'Riley Raceway Park: Indianapolis, Indiana

Friday May 11
Two Time Trials: Mid Ohio Sports Car Course: Lexington, Ohio

Saturday May 12
Dry Skid Pad Contest: TireRack: South Bend, Indiana

Usually the tracks are open to the public to come in and watch, sometimes they might charge a small fee ($5) but I have only seen it once, last year at No Problem Raceway.

Jon K

racerjon1

Of course, playing along at home isn't as much fun unless you know who to pull for. What I have here is a list of the Corvette (or CorvetteForum related teams) that are listed in the event so far. If I missed anyone, let me know. Also, I know, big pictures. If it's a problem I will try to rehost.


Phil Stonich, Michelle Henerie: 2002 Z06


Gramm Patrick, TBA: 2002 Z06
[No Photo Available]

Steve Stubbs, Aaron Pfadt: 2006 Chevrolet Corvette


Dick Clark, Jerry Clark: 2006 Corvette C6
[No Photo Available]

Rudy Arias, TBA: 2002 Chevrolet Z06


Keith Perry, Wayne Nordstrom: 1991 Corvette


Dan Corcoran, Kyle Corcoran: 2001 Z06 Corvette


Bion Stewart, Paul Kerper: 1996 Chevrolet Corvette



Non-Corvette entries, but associated with the board.

Jon Dega, Jeff England: 2001 Ford Mustang GT “Bullitt”
(Yea, I don't think that's their actual car either)

Jon Krolewicz, TBA: Mongoose Motorsports GTP Replica


As I see pictures or the entry list is updated, I will update as well.

Jon K

racerjon1

With less than a week until the 2007 Tire Rack Cannonball One Lap of America presented by Car & Driver, the buzz is, “Who is going to win?”

Threads on message boards across the internet are popping up and phrases like “coming back with more horsepower,” “If Pop doesn’t break” and “twin turbo viper” dominate the speculation. It will be no different here, but I have compiled a list of the who’s and the what’s of this years “One Lap.”

This is a list of who I expect to be in the event, believe will be running up front, and how they might fare. I thought about doing odds, but this event and the twists and turns it takes (both on and off the track) would probably make me look stupid. I am going to put them in order of what I believe will be likely rough finishing order, and I will probably still look a little stupid at the end of the week. (Be sure to point and laugh at me on May 12th when it’s over)


SSGT1 BB: Ron Adee, Rick Schopp: Dodge Viper
A multi-time winner of the event, Ron has had trouble the last two years despite being in VERY fast stuff. Last year his Viper had issues and Ron wasn’t happy. Ron doesn’t sit around waiting off track any more than he waits for people on track, and his um, “Viper” has been gone over and through. It is coming back faster, stronger, and with a driver very motivated not to lose another one.


SSGT1 BB: Mark DaVia, Drew Wikstrom: Porsche 996 TT
In Peter Pan, Captain Hook’s nemesis was a Crocodile who had swallowed a clock, and because of that the evil captain was able to hear him coming. For One Lap competitors, their nemesis could also go by the name “tick tock” – not for a bowel obstruction but for the steady performances he puts in each day. That consistency you could set a watch to has won Mark and Drew three One Laps in a row. You can bet that this crocodile will be running up front, and even if you have a nice shiny hook to bring in good lap times, a slip will put you into the jaws of the twin-turbo Porsche.


SSGT1 BB: Danny Popp, TBA: Corvette Z06
Known as “Digital Danny” to autocrossers, Popp’s throttle stomping style puts his tail out and his car on top. He has run two One Lap events, and been a force in both. Like his foot, his car has also been digital – on or off. When it’s on he is on top, but the last two years problems have kept Danny out of the top spot. If the car has no problems, Danny will have few problems walking up to the stage to pick up the first-place trophy.


SSGT1 BB: Brian Smith, Nick Arevalo: Hennessey: Something
The first of the Pro drivers on my list. Not that the rest of the top don’t have what it takes to go pro, but Brian actually does it. This year he has been playing cat and mouse with his entry, keeping everyone guessing as to what it will be. Whatever make the car is though, Brian + Hennessey = fast.


SSGT1 BB: Dan Corcoran, Kyle Corcoran: Corvette Z06:
The quiet Canadians, this pair is one of only three teams to finish in the top ten both of the last two years. Not the fastest, but in DaVia style he rolls over people with strong steady performances. In 07 they are coming back with more power and Danny Popp-tuned suspension on the Z06. Dan is usually plagued by slower morning runs, and if he can close that gap and run faster in the morning, he can challenge for a higher finish without the aid of attrition.


SSGT1 SB: Derek Whitis, Tim Anderson: Noble M400
A rookie in 2006 with only 10 months of driving experience Whitis was running up front in his Noble when a rookie mistake put him in the tire wall at VIR. This year he is coming back with more power, more development and more importantly, another year of experience including SCCA Spec Miata. With his driving honed by slower, patience-producing cars, look for him to fare better than he did his first year.


SSGT1 BB: Greg Caloudas, Leh Keen: GSC Motorsports: Toyota Supra
Leh Keen, another pro driver, and this one is fresh off pole position in the Grand Am GT series at Homestead and leading the 24 Hours of Daytona until his car broke. He is teamed up with GSC Motorsports out of Charleston, SC, and they are bringing a super Supra to the mix. With over 550 horsepower at the wheels, and a driver not afraid to go 115% into the first corner, these guys will run up front. If the car lasts – and that’s a big if – they will be next to impossible to beat.


Econo: Luke Russell, Doug Wilkes: Top Speed: Subaru Impreza
The famous “flying Subaru” driver from 2005, Luke proved he could drive with his head and within his limits in 2006 while bringing the car home in fifth. He was already fast enough to run top five before, so what does he do? He has teamed up with TopSpeed out of Atlanta, GA and bringing their Subaru Impreza 2.2L Time Attack car to the event. Not an STI, but the econo model. Of course this is One Lap, and other than the initial type of car and sticker price, anything goes. I can tell you that there isn’t going to be a Space Shuttle engine in it, but you won't know it from the lap times. Like the Supra, finishing the event will be the test for this car, and One Lap is hard on unproven cars.


SSGT1 BB: Steve Stubbs, Kurt Shearer: Corvette Z06:
Class-winning driver Steve Stubbs traded his Mini for a Vette last year and ran it up front until the rains came. Stubbs had only had the car for a week before One Lap, and his lack of adjustment time showed up when the going got slick. What’s in store for this year? More power, better suspension, and more seat time. Don’t be surprised when Stubbs pushes some of the favorites back a few positions.

SSGT1 SB: R. Buzz Clarke, Joel Lipperini: Lotus Esprit
Perhaps one of the most ferocious drivers in the field, Joel Lipperini brings multiple national championships and no-excuses driving to One Lap of America. Last year he went top-10 in a near stock Subaru STI, this year he is coming back without an STI, but with a very strong Lotus Esprit. If he is running at the end of the week, he will be top ten.


SSGT1 BB: Jon Krolewicz, Ray Krolewicz: Mongoose Motorsports: Mongoose GTP
This is my ride. I hesitated to put myself in the top-10, but if the car runs the whole week it should be there. It’s a new car, but Mongoose Motorsports has experience running One Lap and finished 2nd overall with Aaron Quine in 2002. This will be my first One Lap in something other than a Mitsubishi Evolution, so we will see how I adjust.


SSGT1 BB: Manuel Da Silva, Christine Da Silva: Porsche 996 TT
Here is another quiet pair that seeps into the front of the field. They don’t make a lot of noise doing it, but you look up and there they are. If we are going to keep comparing twin-turbo Porsches to crocodiles, this is the one hides at the riverbank waiting for the bigger prey to get too close and grab them.


Econo: Bryan Johnson, Jon Midgley: HART: Honda Civic
Last year these guys finished fourth, turning heads and blowing minds as to what an Econo-classed car can do. Their good finish was aided by attritition and rain, but they were still running just out of the top 10 and there to take advantage of the problems front-runners encountered.
The rumor mill has these guys coming back with more power and better lap times, so they may very well do it again.


Mid Price: Matthew Ball, Scott Siegal, Mike Manning: Subaru WRX STI
This is a rookie team coming to the event, and a two-driver effort. Normally true two-driver teams will perform worse for it, but both of these guys are steady and can run well. They will be near the front, but not top-ten without a lot of rain or problems. If those two things do happen, this Subaru and its drivers will be steady enough to capitalize.


This is where things get tough, there are a lot of good drivers sitting in the 15-20 place range that can move up with attrition, or have the ability to pull out a great performance and surprise people.

Tony Swan is back with TC Kline as a co-driver in an Audi A6, certainly a pair you can’t go without mentioning. Dan, Ben and Nicholas Schaut are back with an STI that can run at the front and rumor has it Boxer4Racing is sending 2003 18th place finisher Steven Rankins in another formidable Subaru. George Bruggenthies and Dan Driver are also coming in an STI. If the wet stuff falls from the sky a few days those AWD rain kings are going to make my top-ten list look like I was out to lunch.

There are Lap puppies Peter Lier and Adam Breakey in a very fast M3, and there are the SRT-4s of Greg Hagopain and Douglas Wind waiting for the over dog STI group to slip in Mid-Priced. Then there are the total wild cards. People we haven’t seen or people we have seen in cars we haven’t.

In SSGT2SB we have a Speed World Challenge driver Dan Aweida and Mike Pederson bringing an RX8. We don’t know much about this entry other than the driver is formidable and the car, depending on how heavily modified, can be. Moving to SSGT1 Big Bore Ernest Eadah and John Fuchs are going to be driving a Ford GT. These guys have campaigned a Viper, and from experience in both, I will tell you that this is an easier car to drive fast. They could sneak up front.

Also in SSGT1 but this time Small Bore, Kevin Jones and Mark Donohue Williams will be bringing a BMW M3. The pair ran in 2006 in a Subaru STI and finished top-10. Was it the late-week rain that helped? Maybe a little but they have shown that as drivers they know how to run up front, and M3s are not exactly bad.

So there you have it, for better or worse the crop that will probably be fighting for the front. I am sure I have people listed in the “15-20” range that are going to fight for top 10, and there is probably someone I have totally looked over that are going to make us say “where did they come from?” That’s why we do it though, if we could sit down and make a list, we would do it and sit around drinking beer in South Bend all week.

varkwso

At least we made the list! Looking forward to it - I think. I think if we can hold it together we will do well in SSGT2 "Mustang Country".....

SSGT1 is going to be a hard fought battle..

Brian is in a Viper this year

racerjon1

Yea, Brian told me he was going to be in a Viper last week, but I figured I would help in his game playing.

Jon

MattW_VA

Good luck to you and Jon Jeff!!

varkwso

I am packing up today since I fly to DC for the week tomorrow AM and hook up with Jon to drive over on Thursday. It is a lot of stuff to pack for two weeks - I will probably mail some stuff (work clothes) home on Friday. Driving suit, helmet, shoes, clothes for two weeks, thermarest, water bottle, lightweight sleeping bag, etc. - it is a very impressive pile.

Since we are transiting 12,000 feet I hope folks remember to bring some warm clothes "just in case"...the old USAF Survival Instructor in me peeking out I guess.

Jon has been prepping the car - essential tools, spare fluids, etc. I am glad we can fully recline the passenger seat!

It is getting pretty close..

Ojustracing

Guys have a great wk. I still havnet heard from the owner so Im out!!!!!! Enjoy

John

1lapRacer

Thanks for the breakdown of the front runners, super nice job. For those of you who might be willing to take the 500 to 1 odds bet that the Keith Perry/Wayne Nordstrom will be running in the front 20/30 or 40 you might want to hang on to that money.

The thing about the one lap is their is the fight for overall, the fight for each class, the fight for fastest in your run group, the fight for most engine changes in a week and the individual fight to not DNF any runs. We are shooting for the latter and to enjoy the week without any major incidents.

The usual suspects listed above are always fun to watch but you never know when simple things can change the standings. Like when Ron lost a water pump in his viper and had to buy one off a demo engine in a showroom. Another one was in 2000 pro driver Sean Roe was leading for Hennesey(sp?) and they over slept at the hotel in Sebring and fell in the rankings when they missed their run group.

Enough for now.. back out to the garage to keep working on the beast. Hope to see everyone in Southbend

varkwso

I noticed a couple of C4s in the SSGT2 BB class with us - now those can be a challenge for us in our "flying" Mustang.....

The OLOA page has Leh in SSGT2 SB with the Supra?

We really wanted to enter the "Retro" class with the Mini's and VW Bugs...

Axelrod

Correction: Tony Swan is partnered with Audi with an S6 in the Luxury Sedan Class. A mere difference of 100 hp or so from the A6. Lots of Audi entries this year.

1lapRacer

Looks like SSGT2 has the current score of 2 - C4 vettes versus 5 Ford Mustangs. Should be an interesting class, but the flying mustang has a pretty good chance of a podium finish. Not sure all of the entries are showing on line as the One Lap world headquarters says 100 cars are expected.

I know everyone kids about a recling seat but it really should be two classes SSGT2 Big Bore Luxury and SSGT2 Big Bore Sleep Deprived. Luxury is anything with more thsn 20% angle in the passengers seat.

RogueVette

You forgot the Herzberg/VonHa team that is an an Audi S4 with a few HP That have run a few years in Herzberg's C5.

Axelrod

Looks like their best finish was in '05? 15th place overall? Pretty good considering there's usually more than 80 functional teams!

varkwso

so what is the "real team count"....

I have heard of several entries but they are not showing up on the OLOA site..

Carmel Z06

the event usually has about 100 cars total.

racerjon1

the last couple years the pre-entry list has been at 95 or so, but 05/06 was like 91 and 86 entries that actually made it to South Bend.

When I talked to Brock two weeks ago, it was "over 100" which I think is probably the list + guys like me/mongoose who are entered in his head, but not on paper.

Jon K

Axelrod

I don't understand what the issue is other than you need to call up Missy and register and fork over the credit card # asap.

Mental note: you're one of the many that clog up the registration line with last minute payment.

varkwso

he usually clogs up the podium also