One Lap of America

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The One Lap of America is a motorsports event in the United States since 1984. It is the successor to the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, an underground auto race of the 1970s. The premise for both is to drive cross-country, but the One Lap of America respects speed limits.

Both events are the creation of automotive journalist Brock Yates.

[edit] History

Competition occurs as time trials held at various race tracks around the country. The competitors drive from race track to race track, (often driving 24 hours at a time) without the benefit of support crews. The field of competitors is divided into several classes based primarily on original manufacturers suggested retail prices and number of doors. Competitors may make any modifications to their vehicles as they see fit but must run on a single set of tires throughout the entire event. Race track events are time trials with up to eight cars on track at a time. Competition is for fastest time rather than wheel-to-wheel racing.

The first One Lap in 1984 circumnavigated the lower forty-eight United States with the scoring based on comparing the entrants' declared mileage with that of the organizer's ("guess Brock's mileage"). From 1985 through 1991 competition was a series of Road Rallies: time speed distance events conducted on public roads. The length of the One Lap of America has been as long as 10,000 miles (16,000 km) over ten days (1989) to just under 4,000 miles (6,400 km) over six days.

The One Lap of America has attracted such famous drivers as Parnelli Jones, Price Cobb, Brian Makse, John Buffum, Elliott Forbes-Robinson, and Hurley Haywood.