One Lap of America – Hauling Through the Heart of Dixie!

Posted on May 6, 2011 by RLD

 
We’re through the halfway point of 2011 One Lap of America event and the spirits within the cabin of the Challenger SRT8 remain high. Erich and Adam may be suffering from a little sleep deprivation and heartburn from the long nights of being on the road and inhaling pizza. Regardless of the perils of their intestines, they’re doing fine and staying ahead of the pack.
 
Their all night trek from Florida to Louisiana did have its exciting moments. As Adam was behind the wheel, his partner got some much needed sleep. With Red Bull pumping through his system to avoid vapor lock and detonation, Adam was going through an unmarked construction zone in New Orleans during the wee hours of the morning. Then he unknowingly drove over a section of the freeway that had been ripped up and hit a berm. This sent the Challenger airborne and thus Erich’s lifeless body went flying. Adam then had to do a quick maneuver to avoid other road hazards which then confirmed the laws of physics. What goes up must come down and therefore he helplessly watched Erich’s head bounce off the door glass. Lucky for Erich he had a three-point landing planted him firmly back in his seat. Now awake and somewhat startled, Erich blurted out “Quit doing 1G turns Adam!”
 
On Wednesday morning they arrived at the Circuit Grand Bayou located in Assumption Parrish outside New Orleans. They almost missed their assigned start time, as the navigation system failed to mention the ferry that crosses the river had been decommissioned. The Dynamic Duo found an alternate route and made it to the track by 8:30 am. The Circuit Grand Bayou’s 1.8 mile road surface was extremely rough, (appropriately dubbed “Cheese Grater” by the guys) and wreaked havoc on the Goodyear F1 G2 soft compound tires. After the first stint around the course, the guys noticed the abuse and swapped the front tires from side-to-side to even out the wear. On the second run, Erich pushed straight-aways and eased off on the corners to reduce the lateral wear on the tires. The Challenger ran 130 mph on the straight and 90 mph through the turns. This placed them 19th overall and 3rd in SSGT2 Class for this event.
 
Again they did the One Lap Drill – pack and stow the gear, fuel up the car, put the tire air pressure back to the factory recommendations and hit the highway. They clicked the Challenger’s Tremec six-speed transmission into high gear and began the 430 mile journey to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham Alabama. Many of the One Lap competitors joined up and formed a convoy that looked like it was a scene from The Cannonball Run. Even the truckers along the interstate got into the scene as the crackling CB chatter filled the airways and kept the participants updated on ‘Smokeys’ and their hiding places through the heart of Dixie. There’s a ton of love for the Challenger as the folks driving the big rigs complimented our Dynamic Dou on its great looks.
 
Upon arriving in Birmingham, Erich and Adam headed over to Benchmark Chrysler Jeep Dodge to see some friends and get the Challenger SRT8 up on a hoist. They just wanted to do a quick inspection to make sure make sure everything was okay with the car’s chassis. The underpinnings looked good and the guys headed off for a hot shower and some sleep.
 
Hopefully Erich won’t go flying off his bed!