Dear Friends-
It's late and today did not have much excitement......but here are the highlights:
- Up and moving toward a shower: 7:30
- Free breakfast at motel: 8:00 - 8:30
- Wash the car: 8:45 - 9:10
- Leave for the Tire Rack: 9:15
- U-turn to pick up Rafael's driver suit and helmet for tech (Lap Puppy mistake): 9:20
- Arrive at the Tire Rack: 9:35
- Event registration and sign your life away: 10:00
- Apply additional sponsor stickers: 10:15 - 11:45
- Pass safety tech: 12:00 - 12:02
- Lunch: 12:30
- Walmart run (with Woody) for socks, batteries, tools, and shaving cream: 1:45
- Stop for gas: 2:15
- Driver's meeting: 3:00
- Pack up car and head to motel: 4:30
- Beer(s) in the motel parking lot: 5:00 to 6:15
- Italian dinner at Carmela's with friends (Mike, Tom, Dan, Steve, Neil, Woody, Ben, Rafael) and the local high school prom dates (oh my): 6:30 - 7:45
- Back to the motel for a night cap: 8:00 - 9:15
- Noticing the "scenery" at the indoor motel pool where Neil suggested Woody may have broken the conditions of his parole: 9:30
- More night caps in Neil and Woody's room: 9:35 - 10:30
- Watching Rafael fulfill the conditions of our contract by cleaning the car and applying more rain-x on the windshield: 10:30 - 10:45
- Writing today's blog: 10:50 - 11:15
- Saying goodnight - 11:16
Tomorrow we start the 2012 Tire Rack One Lap of America. Wet skid pad event will be event number one, followed by South Bend Speedway, then Autobahn Country Club, and finally a 450 mile leg to Pacific Junction, Iowa.
We are looking forward to the week's adventures and having some fun with new and old friends. So for now, goodnight as 6:00 am is looming sooner than desired.
PS: Photos to start coming in tomorrow from the track(s), etc. Car looks great!!!!!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
South Bend Arrival
The 2012 One Lap of America adventure has at last commenced. After watching the Washington Capitals lose a heartbreaker this morning, I was able to snag a few hours sleep before awaking at 6 am to finish up packing for our 9 am departure.
Car packed and the cats fed, I pull out of the drive and head to the appointed jump off point - Woody Hair's abode. As I start the car and slowly depart there's an obvious void. For the first time in 6 years, Suze (my better half) is not there to see me off. Her job has whisked her away to New York. All understandable, but nonetheless a bit sad.
My arrival at Woody's is greeted with warm smiles from Neil, Rafael, and the old man himself. Some brief trash talk is followed by transferring Rafael's gear to the M3. Some more trash talk and it is finally time to move on toward South Bend.
The drive is uneventful and we arrive in South Bend at 7:30. A few quick hellos to old friends in the motel parking lot and a beer or two are downed before heading out for a quick dinner. It has been a long day and Rafael and I are tired, so will sign off for tonight. Tomorrow is registration and tech inspection.
Cheers....and good night from South Bend, IN!!!!
Car packed and the cats fed, I pull out of the drive and head to the appointed jump off point - Woody Hair's abode. As I start the car and slowly depart there's an obvious void. For the first time in 6 years, Suze (my better half) is not there to see me off. Her job has whisked her away to New York. All understandable, but nonetheless a bit sad.
My arrival at Woody's is greeted with warm smiles from Neil, Rafael, and the old man himself. Some brief trash talk is followed by transferring Rafael's gear to the M3. Some more trash talk and it is finally time to move on toward South Bend.
The drive is uneventful and we arrive in South Bend at 7:30. A few quick hellos to old friends in the motel parking lot and a beer or two are downed before heading out for a quick dinner. It has been a long day and Rafael and I are tired, so will sign off for tonight. Tomorrow is registration and tech inspection.
Cheers....and good night from South Bend, IN!!!!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
NASA Time Trial - Test Video #2
LeMons - Video Test #1
This is a test. We are hoping to post some videos this year from the One Lap. This is an out-take of a few of my laps at the 24 Hours of LeMons race at New Jersey Motorsports Park this past weekend.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
2012 Tire Rack One Lap of America Countdown
Another year has passed and Lap Puppy Rafael Garces and I are less than two weeks away from beginning an adventure in lunacy that is the Tire Rack One Lap of America. We'll be conducting our on track business and nightly transits in a 2011 BMW M3 - Competition Package. This will be my 6th One Lap and Rafael's first. My better half continues to inquiry as to when I'll stop doing this crazy event. I'd like to think at this point, never. Sorry Suze.
Brock Yates (OLOA organizer and chief loonie) is dragging the nut farm entirely west this year from the Tire Rack Headquarters in South Bend, IN, our home base of sorts. We'll make it virtually to Denver, CO before making a u-turn and heading east. Transits through Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska could be exciting this time of the year - dodging those pesky little weather anomolies called twisters. Last weekend saw 120 tornados in Oklahoma. Yikes!!!
Over the past few days, the car has been lovingly prepped by RRT Racing (Road Race Technologies) in Sterling, VA. Thanks gents....your continued support is greatly appreciated!!
Justin Good of Redline Design has also completed the graphics on the car - recogonizing all the gracious corporate sponsors. Thanks Justin (and Nickie) for a wonderful job - again. The car looks great and has received many compliments in just two short days. I'll get some photos up this week! Have a safe trip home to FLA. Could not do it without your help.
Between now and our departure Team Save the Males will be headed to Summit Point Raceway to conduct some wet skid pad testing and hopefully some hot laps on the Summit Point main circuit. The lap puppy (that's a OLOA first timer if yu have not figured that out yet) has never driven my M3, so we figure some seat time might be a good idea. I also want to secure a few laps in the seat with the tires under me we are running this year - Michelin Pilot Super Sports. These were the tire of choice at last years event. I'll report on our testing.
I hope a few of you will follow us in our adventures over the course of the next few weeks. It should be exciting. Our goals are simple; bring the car home in one piece and finish, have fun, see old friends and make new ones, finish in the top 20, and of course beat the snot out of Neil Simon and Woody Hair. And like every year, we'll be remembering Tom Holcomb as we travel the roads of America. Miss you Tommy and wish we could have had this adventure together - I know you are with us though.
Brock Yates (OLOA organizer and chief loonie) is dragging the nut farm entirely west this year from the Tire Rack Headquarters in South Bend, IN, our home base of sorts. We'll make it virtually to Denver, CO before making a u-turn and heading east. Transits through Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska could be exciting this time of the year - dodging those pesky little weather anomolies called twisters. Last weekend saw 120 tornados in Oklahoma. Yikes!!!
Over the past few days, the car has been lovingly prepped by RRT Racing (Road Race Technologies) in Sterling, VA. Thanks gents....your continued support is greatly appreciated!!
Justin Good of Redline Design has also completed the graphics on the car - recogonizing all the gracious corporate sponsors. Thanks Justin (and Nickie) for a wonderful job - again. The car looks great and has received many compliments in just two short days. I'll get some photos up this week! Have a safe trip home to FLA. Could not do it without your help.
Between now and our departure Team Save the Males will be headed to Summit Point Raceway to conduct some wet skid pad testing and hopefully some hot laps on the Summit Point main circuit. The lap puppy (that's a OLOA first timer if yu have not figured that out yet) has never driven my M3, so we figure some seat time might be a good idea. I also want to secure a few laps in the seat with the tires under me we are running this year - Michelin Pilot Super Sports. These were the tire of choice at last years event. I'll report on our testing.
I hope a few of you will follow us in our adventures over the course of the next few weeks. It should be exciting. Our goals are simple; bring the car home in one piece and finish, have fun, see old friends and make new ones, finish in the top 20, and of course beat the snot out of Neil Simon and Woody Hair. And like every year, we'll be remembering Tom Holcomb as we travel the roads of America. Miss you Tommy and wish we could have had this adventure together - I know you are with us though.
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