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Nissan GT-R wins 2009 One Lap of America

Chris Paukert — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Nissan, Porsche

2009 One Lap of America - Click above for a high-res image gallery

For the first time in the modern incarnation of One Lap of America, a Japanese car has claimed the top spot. After a grueling 3,400+ mile, nine racetrack odyssey around the United States, veteran "Lap Dog" Steve Rankins and "Lap Puppy" Will Taylor captured the overall trophy in their 2009 Nissan GT-R this weekend. The victory marks the first for a Nippon car since the event's 1986 running, when rallyist Karl Chevalier's Toyota Celica beat out fellow racer John Buffum's Audi 5000S wagon. OloA's timing and scoring procedures were markedly different at that point, however, as from 1985 to 1991, One Lap was essentially a time-speed-distance (TSD) rally.

With five-time defending champion Mark Davia and Drew Wikstrom taking the year off in their Porsche 911 Turbo, a new winner was assured, but for quite a while, it looked like another Stuttgart powerhouse would take the podium, as the 996 GT2 of Peter Lier and Ian Stewart held down the top position for much of the event. In the end, the consistency of the #3 Team Cannonball GT-R outlasted all comers - including the green #2 GT-R of Derek Whitis, Tom Long and Mark Pombo, which fell by the wayside when it was beset by gremlins (faulty boost controller pushing the ECU into limp mode, overheating, etc.). Along the way, the #3 GT-R was a consistent performer all week long, setting OloA's best-ever wet skidpad performance, a tidy 0.953g and winning events at Turfway Park, Talladega Grand Prix Raceway, Daytona International Raceway, Carolina Motorsports Park, and the BMW Performance Center. While stockpiling that many victories may make this year's race sound like a walk-off, tight competition from Lier and Stewart's 996 GT2 and the aforementioned #2 GT-R meant that the issue was in doubt almost until the very end.

Check out the high-res gallery below for more shots from this year's event, the full results here, and comprehensive wrap-up coverage courtesy of Motor Trend here.

Gallery: 2009 One Lap of America - Wrapup

[Sources: One Lap of America; Motor Trend]

Nissan GT-R wins 2009 One Lap of America originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 May 2009 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Lap of America 2009 - The flag drops...

Chris Paukert — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

2009 One Lap of America - Day 1 - Click above for a hi-res gallery

Greetings from Joliet, Illinois, home of the Autobahn Country Club. We're on board with Brock Yates' One Lap of America, one of America's toughest motorsports challenges. Over the course of eight days, 63 drivers of all talent and experience levels will take to a range of motorsports facilities across the country in a wide variety of machinery. There's something for everyone here, from mainstream American performance iron (a passel of Chevrolet Corvettes and Camaros, along with a Mustang or two) to niche exotics (Ultima, Lotus Exige) to Japanese cars (including a nifty Mitsubishi Galant VR4), a gaggle of Porsches, and more BMW M cars than you can shake a stick at. Heck, there's even a GMC Jimmy, a stunning Nissan Altima Hybrid SEMA entrant and a Fifties rat rod.

In truth, we One Lappers assembled yesterday in breezy, chilly South Bend, Indiana at Tire Rack's massive facilities. The competitors met up to receive a driver's meeting, technical inspection, and a full slate of sponsorship decals, along with the usual final tunings and bench racing sessions. The actual racing didn't start until earlier this morning, however, where the competitors made use of the retail giant's 200-foot skidpad - with the sprinklers on. You can read all about what happened over Motor Trend (they're one of the event's main sponsors), but suffice it to say that one of the two Nissan GT-R entrants (not pictured) at this year's event stunned the assembled throngs by recording 0.953G, a handsome figure considering the soaked tarmac.

This year, competitors will travel some 3,265 miles between today and next Saturday before circling back to South Bend next Saturday. Along the way, the racers will take part in an autocross event at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky, then roll to Greenbrier, Tennessee to take on the Highland Rim Speedway oval. After that, it's off to Alabama's Talladega Gran Prix on Monday, with a long haul (over 600 miles) down to Florida's legendary Sebring International Raceway. After that, it's time for a bracket drag racing session at Gainesville Raceway, and then on to Daytona International Speedway. Come Thursday, there's a tidy 440 mile run to Kershaw, South Carolina, home of Carolina Motor Sports Park, and from there, the racers slip over to BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg. Doubtlessly looking a bit worse for the wear, the survivors will then motor 560+ miles to Pennsylvania's Beaverun Motorsports Complex. The bedraggled racers then make the final 240-mile transit back to South Bend for a final (hopefully) dry skidpad event and a final banquet and trophy award ceremony.

With just 60+ cars in the field this year (as opposed to the 80+ vehicles in years past), it's clearly a down year in terms of attendance - a development readily attributable to the economy (it's admittedly hard to ignore to overlook the substantial cost associated with mounting an entry). However, there are some ace new competitors here and a lot of interesting machinery. Further, with the absence of five-time reigning champion Mark Davia and his Porsche 996 twin-turbo (whose wife is expecting), there's sure to be a new winner this year.

Full Disclosure: Yours truly is part of one of the two timing and scoring crews (I have been participating as such since 1999), so while I will do my best to bring AB'ers closer to the action, as a crew member, I will only attend a bit more than half of the events as we hopscotch the country in order to get ahead of the competitors and prepare the timing equipment and post the scores ahead of their arrival. As such, it is recommended that you check out Motor Trend and the official One Lap Of America website for the rules and the latest updates on the races.

Well, the cars on the false grid are set to go green, so I'm gone... until next time, please check out the massive gallery of 70+ high-res images below featuring most of the competitors.

Gallery: 2009 One Lap of America - Tire Rack & Autobahn

One Lap of America 2009 - The flag drops... originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 May 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanishing Point Challenger replaced with... regular Challenger SRT8

Dan Roth — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Etc., Chrysler, Dodge

In case you missed our update on the original post: mere days after rolling out a neoclassic Challenger done up like the lead character in Vanishing Point, Erich Heuschele stuffed it into a tire wall at Road America. Hey, things happen. At least only his ego was bruised; the damaged car was driven 200 miles without incident, proving that the scarring was little more than a flesh wound.

The nice thing about being in an automaker's inner circle is that you can make a phone call and get a car dropped off like a cup of coffee from an intern. Breaking the early morning stillness of a Sunday sunrise, an orange Challenger SRT-8 sporting black stripes rode into the pits at Iowa's Mid America Motorplex. One Lap rules preclude running for points after a vehicle replacement, so co-drivers Heuschele and Gillies are competing for giggles and exposure at this point. Never fear, though, the white-dunked Challenger is currently undergoing repairs, and should resurface for the Targa Newfoundland.

[Source: CarDomain]

Vanishing Point Challenger replaced with... regular Challenger SRT8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 May 2008 07:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vanishing Point Challenger meets tire wall at Road America

Merritt Johnson — Sat, 03 May 2008 20:41:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge

Click above to see what the Vanishing Point Challenger looked like before

The Chrysler employees who entered the prototype Dodge Challenger in this year's One Lap of America may have taken the car's Vanishing Point theme a bit too seriously. Just like in the classic film, the stark white Challenger came face to face with a solid object. The car met its demise in Round 2's time trial event at Road America after getting loose through turn 1. It then left the track and came to a stop perched atop a tire-wall. This course of events departs slightly from the original movie plot, where the Challenger did not meet its destructive fate until the final frames. The film version also somehow managed to survive its own slew of off road adventures without much harm, proving that Hollywood doesn't necessarily mimic real life. Fortunately the Challenger driver, Erich Heuschele, came away from his off track excursion unscathed. The crew has reported that the car will be out for the remainder of events, though it was spotted leaving the track under its own power so a return might be a slim possibility. Check out the source link below for more images of the carnage.

Gallery: Dodge "Vanishing Point" Challenger

5/4/08 - 2:40 PM EST - UPDATE: The team came back today with a second, orange Challenger, but since One Lap rules forbid changing cars mid-campaign, they're out of the running for points. On a related side note: one of the Chrysler employees drove the wrecked Challenger some 200 miles with no mechanical issues. The vehicle is current at a friend's shop, being repaired and prepped for the upcoming Targa Newfoundland Rally.

[Source: Car Domain Blog]

Vanishing Point Challenger meets tire wall at Road America originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 May 2008 20:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrysler enters Vanishing Point Challenger in One Lap of America

John Neff — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Chrysler, Dodge

Click above for high-res gallery of the Dodge "Vanishing Point" Challenger

It's good to know that there are folks at Chrysler who are still having a good time despite the rubbish state of auto sales in the U.S. The best evidence of this is the automakers's entry this year's One Lap of America "cross-country" race. Chrysler's Vice President Ralph Gilles and Erich Heuschele, Vehicle Dynamics Supervisor for SRT, are entering a blank white Challenger inspired by the 1970 Dodge Challenger that stars in the cult film Vanishing Point from 1971. The plot of the original movie revolves around a guy named Kowalski who has to deliver a white 1970 Challenger from Denver to San Francisco. He's aided by a blind DJ named Super Soul who listens to the police band and delivers helpful if not clairvoyant info to the protagonist over the radio. It's fitting then that Gilles and Heuschele have entered the One Lap race this year under the names of Kowalski and Super Soul, and the car they'll be driving is the very first preproduction Challenger prototype that was ever driven on public roads. It's been rescued from the crusher and slightly modified with a fresh coat of white paint (the first ever seen on a new Challenger) and new wheels to more resemble the original. Check out our gallery of the "Return to Vanishing Point" Challenger below, and glimpse the fun film Chrysler produced after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Michelle!

Gallery: Dodge "Vanishing Point" Challenger

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler enters Vanishing Point Challenger in One Lap of America

Chrysler enters Vanishing Point Challenger in One Lap of America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 May 2008 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brock Yates is back in the blogosphere

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

That's right people, the original gonzo-automotive journalist is back in the saddle, and judging by his first post on the One Lap website, he's still full of all the piss and vinegar we've come to expect. Hopefully, Yates' Engines With Attitude blog gives regular updates and editorials from its incredibly un-PC author, providing those of us with a thick skin and a disturbed sense of humor some gasoline-fueled thoughts for the day. His first rabid rambling is online and it's worth a read if you're a fan of the man and his ability to simultaneously irritate and amuse. Welcome back to the 21st century Mr. Yates! We anxiously await your next posting.

Thanks for the tip, Horst.

Brock Yates is back in the blogosphere originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 May 2008 20:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another great One Lap blog to watch

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 10 May 2007 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Between our periodic bouts of rage and disappointment for not making it to this year's One Lap, we've been able to keep tabs on the event by checking in with our friends at Winding Road and also with the power-obsessed folks at GSC Motorsports. They've been making consistent posts on their blog, while campaigning a 580 WHP Mk. IV Supra in the event.

Most of the posts are your typical sleep-deprived, stream of consciousness blatherings that provide an authentic insight into the stages, the travel, the antics and the competitors that make up this great event. What's even better, their Supra has been consistently running with some of the heavy hitters of past events, including the Davias 996 Turbo, the Hennessy Viper and an assortment of other high-powered, high-maintenance iron.

In addition to their progress, the site also gives readers a glimpse into what technical hurdles await competitors, be it removing the sway bars and softening the shocks to make things stick on the skid pad, or watching a competing team's engine eat itself mid-stage. It's entertaining and educational. Plus, they've got pretty pictures too.

Another great One Lap blog to watch originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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