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How not to do the Tire Rack One Lap of America presented by Grassroots Motorsports: String yourself out for two weeks of long days and short sleeps beforehand while your sponsor-partner and co-driver prepares and retrieves the car so you can fly in overnight and join the event as the car comes off the opening skidpad event.
The only time I was ever more tired was at Pikes Peak in 2015. That year, I flew a Nissan GT-R off the mountain. So yeah, I knew better.
But doing everything all the time is what One Lap is all about–and what draws me and legions of competitors back every year. That and fearless leader Brock Yates Jr.’s quirky, testy, humorous and caring personality. Which describes most of our competitors–except the steady, calm, smiling friend with whom I’ve shared a car these last three years, Jason Stormowski.
We are very grateful to have joined forces with Roush Performance and its Stage 3 supercharged Mustang this year: 750 horses pulling us down the straights and an adjustable exhaust that won the informal best-beast-roar contest yet also produced a muted burble on the long transits. Someone called them short this year, but that someone was wrong.
My first One Lap was 1995 with TC Kline in a brand-new E36 M3 with his special suspension tuning. Proudly, we ran third overall to a new 993 911 Turbo and a built ’90s Trans Am, both driven by racing colleagues of mine.
The long drives to hot lap new tracks every day, rain or shine, have been a siren call from the rocks ever since. I have always wanted to run it, but only in the last five years have I been able to carve out the nine days to fit it in.
Jason signed us up within minutes and later went to Detroit to grab the Roush Mustang from Jack Jr. himself. It had a new set of the Continentals and some Hawk DTC-60s all around, because 3900 pounds and 750 horsepower demand race brakes. Meanwhile, I’m shooting video 12 hours a day with Hagerty the entire week before.
One Lap always features some serious track machinery at the front of the field: Porsche GT and RS, Corvette, cranked turbo Supra, wings and things everywhere. Our Roush Stage 3 is a real car meant for comfort and power. While the car is very capable on track, it is not a race car. But we always won the transits, 6 to 8 hours of late-night driving comfort. Oh, we got ’dis.
First track, St. Louis’ World Wide Technology Raceway, saw our biggest scare. Morning session, the Roush runs super, and it’s fun as I learn the quickest way is to go all “Free Bird” rock and throw it around. Afternoon session, however, the car starts bucking and spitting, and I almost pull out. No codes thrown, really no ideas what’s wrong, and its 300 miles to Hedge Hollow, our next stop, so off we go.
Miraculously, it clears up and runs well the next day. I love a self-healing machine. Bad gas maybe?
We rock it through the National Corvette Museum track, VIR and Pitt Race. The Roush makes 140s on the straights, but the best thing it does is stop.
Delightful gem Grattan in Michigan is next, but we have a little breakdown after the drag race that threatens to keep us off track tomorrow. An anxious 3-hour detour to the last O’Reilly open and we find the part, get up early, borrow tools from a guy with a trailer, and get it together to make the start. More One Lap drama–all part of the thrill.
I’d never been to Grattan, and it’s so twisty down one side that I can imagine a field of old British roadsters flitting about. The Mustang again tops 145 on the straight.
It’s always fun to see other Lap Dogs on the road, too, and either wave or hook up for company. When Jason is driving, I’m usually sleeping. When I’m driving, he’s usually keeping me company and alert. What a bro!
We end up third in the pony car class–very satisfying for a great road car that smirks at the stiff springs and racing seats of the leaders. I’m very appreciative of Roush Performance for the tire-burning hotrod that easily ran with the pack across 3500 miles of American heartland.
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