In the beginning, you’re excited, ecstatic even, for what’s to come. But by mid-week, your confused bodily functions have you feeling differently. The first thing to flee is your sanity. In fact, that left the building as soon as you signed the registration sheet. You see, sane people wouldn’t sign up for an event that purposely leaves you sleep deprived with a stomach full of gas station food and a devil-may-care attitude toward hygiene. Yet every year, hundreds of people flock to South Bend, Indiana, in early May to take part in an event that signifies what driving in America used to represent: freedom.
To understand what The One Lap of America (OLOA) is, you must first understand what it was. As an offshoot of the original Cannonball Baker Sea-ToShining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash that was conceived by legendary automotive journalist Brock Yates, the OLOA came to be once Yates realized that the original event was getting out of hand. What was initially a way of proving that good drivers could traverse the country safely at speed, had now become a venue for those looking solely for high-speed glory. Thus, in 1979 he killed the Cannonball, and The One Lap of America was born.
Taking the high speeds off the interstates and placing them on some of the best racetracks in the country was the main focus. However, I don’t think Yates realized that by doing so, he’d created a road-legal pilgrimage that would attract some of the most diehard automobile enthusiasts the world has ever seen. Again, this is not an event for the rational; instead, it’s an event for those who genuinely love the spirit of life, the open road, and more importantly, becoming part of a family you never knew you needed.
Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Hot Rod.
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Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Hot Rod.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
What Is Pro Street?
You know it when you see it.
Pro Street in Pure Vision
Builder Steve Strope weighs in on the Pro Street look and what he would build today.
THE GAS ERA LIVES ON
These vintage race cars chart the evolution of technology in the early days of drag racing.
MOTOR HEAD FOR LIFE
Scott Sullivan is one of the original Pro Street pioneers. He still builds cars today out of a small shop in Dayton, Ohio.
BRINGING BACK PRO STREET!
David Freiburger and Roadkill Garage built a Pro Street Nova.
SWEET ASPIRATIONS
Jerry and Matthew Sweet added an 800ci Pro Stock mountain motor to chase HOT ROD Drag Week's Pro Street NA Record.
Making Bad Decisions Badder
Bradley Gray's 1970 Nova is a Hybrid! It's a streetable Funny Car.
ART PROJECT
This Rad Rides by Troy-built '63 split-window Corvette went from restaurant prop to ripping up the street!
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
THE PRO STREET ERA PEAKED IN THE '80S. ARE WE IN THE BEGINNING OF A RESURGENCE?
Making Connections
Project T-top Coupe: We install a Terminator X Max for big power.