Ride along with GRM at One Lap

Let me try that hot link again: http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3icuuokHP1ro3jfbo1_1280.jpg

Tire Rack asked Andy and I to be there an hour early this morning. Local TV news crews will be there, and a couple will be shooting live. If you've got broadcast TV in the area, tune in at 7 a.m. Eastern this morning.

We didn't get on TV, but a couple other guys did. Waiting on official results, but when we left Andy was second overall on the skidpad and one of the top at the 1/4 mile banked oval.

A guy in a racing suit at Mcdonald's. Must be from One Lap.

We're at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, and the Fall-Line racing BMW sounds like a crappy FM-synthesized race car. Like in a Sega Genesis game.

Disparity: cleaning wheels vs fixing leaks.

Leaving Autobahn. Andy feels good about his times, though we don't know what those are yet. Some cars got hurt by a big pothole on the way in to the track.

MOAR PICTURES!
And thank you for the ones you've already posted.

Thanks! If it's not too late when we get to the hotel tonight, I'll grab s couple off my real camera. These have all been from my phone so far.

Phone is ok for us! Mobile uploads = more sleep for you.

It's windy at the far end of Iowa and it rained hard last night. Some of us parked under the bleachers for this event at this middle-of-nowhere track, the Mid-America Motorplex. But there's also this cool orange Chevy truck here.

At least seven Godzilla here.

Anything interesting and vintage running? I think I saw one second gen camaro in pictures somewhere. How is that minivan doing?

Yeah, that Camaro you mention and I think I saw a ducktail Porsche. I'll grab photos when I get a chance. We're back on the road to Hallett, so I probably won't see anyone until tomorrow. Have I mentioned the newlyweds in the IS300?

Honda minivan is doing well, but blows smoke under vacuum, like at idle. No smoke under boost and it's running fine, so the guys aren't worried.

In the CRX, there's lots of hot air coming into the cabin. We'll have to sort that out soon, because it's getting warmer outside too. My ears were ringing for most of the day today, so I decided I needed ear plugs for the rest of the week. The car is fairly comfortable, but it's loud. Mid America Motorplex sold earplugs at the concession stand. It's good to see that place open after it was hit by last year's floods.

I love the idea of the mini-van....would love to see it at a drag strip startling the weekend warriors.

Alan, great to meet you today! Hope those ear plugs help ya! Lol.

The earplugs have helped a lot.

Hallett is a beautiful track.

http://topspeedtuned.com/onelap/

Lehman keen ride along

Peter Lier lost a coolant line and spilled the slippery stuff on the track. Andy's run got red-flagged and they had to re-run after cleanup. Parts were still a little dicey though. Pete is out for the event, the fix is too involved: requires that the engine come out of the Porsche.

The minivan lost 4th gear, but the driver says he was still"pulling on a GTR." Hallett was pretty exciting today. I watched an Evo almost lose it at The Bitch, but he stopped sliding before hitting the tire wall.

Representing Deutschland.

Alan Cesar wrote: I watched an Evo almost lose it at The Bitch, but he stopped sliding before hitting the tire wall.

That was pretty good. We were the hillbillies sitting in the bed of a white Frontier down below that grandstand, drinking PBR at 10:30 in the morning!

I think my favorite vehicle there was teh Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8. Turning pretty respectable times and looks killer.

Alan Cesar wrote: Peter Lier lost a coolant line and spilled the slippery stuff on the track. Andy's run got red-flagged and they had to re-run after cleanup. Parts were still a little dicey though. Pete is out for the event, the fix is too involved: requires that the engine come out of the Porsche. The minivan lost 4th gear, but the driver says he was still"pulling on a GTR." Hallett was pretty exciting today. I watched an Evo almost lose it at The Bitch, but he stopped sliding before hitting the tire wall.

Did Peter run his GT3? I thought he was bringing a Boss.

^There were a lot of unhappy competitors (we talked to a few), who couldn't believe he didn't notice that he was dumping coolant on the racing line for 3/4 of a lap.

Thankfully they managed to get it cleaned up pretty quickly.

Buddy of mine is co driver for that GT3. That car was a last minute replacement for the Mustang which had some kind of clutch problem that couldn't be sorted out in time. Damn, I hate to hear about that.

Elevation will put the turbo cars at an advantage today: we're at 5600 feet on the way to High Plains Raceway.