One Lap of America — Bleary eyes and a lot of coffee

(May 5, 2019) It’s after midnight at a gas station somewhere between Denver and Fort Worth, a bleary-eyed driver pours the dregs from a Bunn-O-Matic and samples the roller grill fare. There’s still a 100 miles to go before he sleeps and a couple more days just like this before another One Lap of America is under his belt.

Successor to the infamous Cannonball Run of film and legend, the Tire Rack One Lap of America is a 3,500-mile, eight-day test of man and machine consisting of daily time trials on some of America’s most legendary race tracks with 500- to 700-mile transit drives between cities.


The event began Saturday (May 4) and will conclude on Saturday, May 11. About 80 two-person teams are competing this year.

 
Two teams of engineers and technicians from Toyota Production Engineering (PE) and Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia are poised to do it all again. This will be the fifth year for PE and the second for West Virginia.




Meanwhile, a Dodge//SRT is defending the Dodge Durango SRT’s 2018 One Lap truck/SUV class title, upping its game with a new Durango SRT Pursuit concept called “Speed Trap.” This purpose-built concept packs 797 horsepower
from the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI high-output V-8 that also powers the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye.
 
Dodge//SRT tapped the in-house group of performance gurus at SRT Engineering for some proven high-performance SRT production parts in a bid to repeat as class champions.

Over at Toyota, PE will race a 2013 Toyota 86 in the SGT Small Bore class and a 2018 Camry in Mid-Priced Sedan. TMMWV will be running their own 2018 Camry (4-cylinder) in the Economy Class.

Why would otherwise stable automotive professionals endure this rigor year after year? “When you step back and think, it does sound a little crazy,” said Stephen Byington, Toyota engineer and veteran One-Lapper. “But, we share a love of cars and a passion for driving. It’s probably why we got into the auto manufacturing business in the first place.”
 
The teams understand that the lessons they learn on the track in vehicle safety, performance, problem-solving and teamwork hone their auto making skills and result in better products for their customers.

Starting and ending at Tire Rack’s South Bend, Indiana, headquarters, the One Lap of America, will visit the following track:
 
• Nelson Ledges, Garrettsville, OH
• Road America, Plymouth, WI
• Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, MN
• Motorsports Park Hastings, Hastings, NE
• Blackhawk Farms Raceway, South Beloit, IL
• National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, KY
 
Returning drivers for the Dodge SRT are vehicle dynamics performance engineer David Carr and automotive photojournalist and dodgegarage.com contributor David Hakim. They are racing a one-off, specially-modified Durango SRT Pursuit concept, nicknamed “Speed Trap.” In addition to exclusive Durango Pursuit Law Enforcement livery, Whelen’s innovative light and siren package and bolt-on high-performance modifications from Mopar, Speed Trap is powered by something extra powerful under its high-performance hood: the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI high-output V-8 from the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye.
 
“Winning the truck/SUV class last year proved just how fast and durable the stock Dodge Durango SRT is during extreme competitive conditions,” said Steve Beahm, head of Passenger Car Brands — Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT, FCA North America.

“The class is expected to be even tougher this year, so we’re leveraging the highest-performing engine in our tool box – the Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye’s 797-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI high-output V-8 – to power the Dodge Durango SRT Pursuit for this year’s One Lap. It will be exciting to follow the Durango SRT Pursuit Speed Trap on its One Lap adventure to see how this concept vehicle performs.”  
 
Fans can follow the One Lap adventure at www.dodgegarage.com, and via social media posts on the Dodge and Mopar Twitter and Facebook pages.
 
One Lap of America details

The Tire Rack One Lap of America Presented by Grassroots Motorsports Magazine — now in its 36th year — began Saturday near South Bend, Indi., and concludes there on Saturday, May 11. In between, about 80 two-person teams will cross through seven states, some of them more than once. Competition occurs as time trials (fastest time rather than wheel-to-wheel racing) at the various race tracks.
 
One Lap of America competitors drive from racetrack to racetrack, without the benefit of support crews. Divided into several different classes, competitors must observe all traffic regulations while traveling between stops.