2014 Drive Against Prostate Cancer: West Bound to South Bend

Thursday, May 2, 2013

West Bound to South Bend

The first leg of the 2013 One Lap of America is complete. It started at 6:45 this morning with me uncharacteristically leaving a few packing items until the day of departure. Most if not all of the "gear" had been sorted out last weekend and was stored in the foyer (my wife loved that!), but some minor adjustments were needed and my "essentials" duffled. From there it was another 15 minutes to pack the car.

After a few hugs, good-byes, and good lucks I dropped off Suze (that's my better half) at the public transportation hub that is Metro. From there it was a short drive to Woody Hair's house - the official departure point for the trip west bound. Four One Lap teams were leaving from Harwood's abode - Liam Dwyer and Brian Hair in a Boss 302 Mustang, Dick and Jerry Clark in a ZR-1 Corvette, Robert Grace and myself in the BMW E92 M3, and Woody in a BMW 1M sans Neil Simon who would be meeting us in South Bend on Friday after a business trip to Louisiana.

Wheels were officially up at 9:15. The next significant stop was lunch at the Kettle Brew Pub in Strongville, OH. This has become a regular stop for what is a very late lunch in route to Indiana. With bellies full we depart the brewery at 4:15 pm with another 250 miles to drive. As Woody has had to drive thus far by himself, Robert volunteers to help out and drive the 1M for awhile giving the senior Hair a rest. I drive the M3 solo.

The remainder of the trip is painless and we all arrive in South Bend and our home for the next day around 8:00 pm. The One Lap crowd is a little light at this hour with teams slowly arriving from all points on the map. Robert and I have other thoughts though and head to the motel bar to watch the Washington Capitals game and have a beer or two. During the game we catch up with Mike Renner from the BMW performance center and Steve McGuire from United BMW near Atlanta, GA. Brock Yates, organizer of the One Lap, also joins the conversation. Nothing like a group of males sitting around talking about cars and going fast. It's good to be back in South Bend.

With the CAPS having secured a victory and our beers finished, Robert and I say goodnight. Tomorrow starts another day in what will become a long and tiring week. So until tomorrow - goodnight!

No comments:

Post a Comment

2014 Corporate Donors/Sponsors

THE 2014 TIRE RACK CANNONBALL ONE LAP OF AMERICA ROUTE/SCHEDULE

Ten Days - 4,550 Miles
May 1 - Drive to South Bend, IN (days drive 650 miles)
May 2 - One Lap Registration & Tech, South Bend, IN (days drive 0 miles)
May 3 - Wet Skid Pad Event, Tire Rack HQ's, South Bend, IN
May 3 (cont.) - Grissom Air Force Base, Peru, IN [autocross]
May 3 (cont.) - Sticker Stop at Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, KY
May 3 (cont.) - Bowling Green, KY to Memphis, TN (days drive 641 miles)
May 4 - Memphis International Raceway [time trial events]
May 4 (cont.) - Memphis International Raceway [bracket drag races], Memphis, TN to New Orleans, LA (days drive 406 miles)
May 5 - NOLA Motorsports Park [time trial events], New Orleans, LA
May 5 (cont.) - Mobile Raceway [time trial events], Mobile, AL
May 5 (cont.) - Sticker Stop USS Alabama, Mobile, AL
May 5 (cont.) - Mobile, AL to Dawsonville, GA (days drive 555 miles)
May 6 - Atlanta Motorsports Park [time trial events]
May 8 - Carolina Motorsports Park [time trial events], Kershaw, SC
May 8 (cont.) - BMW Performance Center [time trial event], Greer, SC to Alton, VA (days drive 388 miles)
May 9 - Virginia International Raceway [time trial events], Alton, VA to Wampum, PA (days drive 455 miles)
May 10 - Pittsburg International Race Complex [time trial events] Wampum, PA to South Bend, IN (days drive 343)
May 11 - Dry Skid Pad, Tire Rack HQ's, South Bend, IN to Arlington, VA (days drive 613 miles)
May 12 - REST and HOME, Arlington, VA

ABOUT THE DRIVERS

ROBIN SPARROW:

Robin Sparrow is a Director of Project Management Services in Studley's Suburban Washington office. Last year Robin and his co-driver, Robert Grace, finished the 2013 OLOA in the top 20 overall and third in class - thanks Robert!!! Robin also joined the racing ranks in 2012 by competing in the NASA Series Spec 3 for BMWs. Stay tuned to Robin's Blog as he travels the country again raising money for ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer during the 2014 Tire Rack One Lap of America / Drive Against Prostate Cancer!

WOODY HAIR:

Old fart, hot shoe use to be, generally all around good egg. Woody hails from Arlington, Virginia - his life long home. Woody is the former HPDE Champion of North America. He has also won numerous SCCA, NASA, and BMW National Capitol Chapter autocross events. This is Woody's 12th One Lap of America.