So I get a call from this guy who says he took his Dodge Neon on the One Lap of America race. So I say, "Wow, you're lucky. I was supposed to do that one year." The voice on the other side of the phone says, "How'd you like a story on what it was like to do the race in a built Neon?" I tell the voice, "Send it out, I'll take a look at it." So here for your enjoyment is Ari's story of the race and his Neon. Yes, it's that easy.-MPFrench filmmaker Jean Cocteau once said, "A car can massage organs that no masseur can reach." For many of us, that statement not only rings true, but tolls on the hour every hour. Just how many times have you taken your car for a sporty drive down your favorite road to ease the pain of the previous week. But sometimes some of us need a little more.
Car enthusiasts have turned to weekend racing as a chance to live life to its fullest, pushing the limits a bit more than the rest of the world. However, for about 200 individuals from around the globe, a weekend is not enough. What they crave is a week-long adventure.
Imagine spending an entire week in your car, traveling over 6,000 miles, and visiting more than a dozen racetracks across the country. Cool. Now imagine doing it with two or three people in the car with you. You eat, sleep (Hopefully not while you're driving.-MP), and live in the car for a week. Not so cool anymore, huh? Cool or not, it's called the One Lap of America.A derivative of the original Cannonball Run race, the One Lap race was started in the '70s and was essentially halted for legal reasons (driving coast-to-coast as fast as you can does tend to make you want to test the limits of the law a bit).
My team was made up of Emmanuel Crouvisier, Jim LaFevers, and myself. The '98 Dodge Neon R/T you see in front of you was what the three of us used to get our race rocks off. Cleveland, Ohio, resident Crouvisier was our team captain and the cornerstone of our success. His driving abilities and proclivity for coordinating a team is what made it possible for us to do so well. LaFevers is a car nut from Chicago, and his support and driving abilities are also exquisite. They drove the car to its limits and helped show what a Neon can really do on the track (and on the highway). Oh, and if you're wondering what I did, I'm the car's owner, so it was my job to prep the vehicle.The 1998 event had nearly 80 teams that traveled along highways and back roads to dozens of race segments that were held at tracks across the country. The event began at Watkins Glen International Racetrack in New York. The week went like this: Sunday, we had to run two time trials at Gateway International outside St. Louis, Missouri. Monday, we found ourselves in Colorado Springs, where drivers got to experience the track at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Tuesday, we raced around Phoenix International Raceway. Wednesday was a layover on our way to Memphis Motorsports Park. From there, we traveled to the Michelin test track in Greenville, South Carolina. We finished one week later back at Watkins Glen.
As teams, we were given a set amount of time to get from one city to the next. Everyone traveled at safe speeds, and we were allowed to stop for gas. At each event, you competed against cars that were similar to yours. So basically we spent our days racing and the nights driving to the next track.
We finished as the fastest Neon, placing 29 out of 80 cars overall. We also grabbed Third Place in our class, Mid-Priced Sedan, losing to a BMW 318i with an M3 engine and an Australian rally champion who was driving a Subaru Impreza.