Between Papa and a Prayer

By Jerry Albertus

Some photos from Hallet...

Between Papa and a Prayer... I Survived Hallet!

Some Have Been on One Lap More than Several Times

Some Cars are Little

 

 

Some are BIG

Here Comes the Son

by Jerry Albertus

Today at Hallet Motor Racing Circuit in Jennings, Oklahoma...

OK! Here we are at Hallet!  Ric has survived the morning run.  My turn next.  The weather is cloudy and cool.  Between Ric and Eric, they have met and are friends with everyone on One Lap.

Some Like to Have Both Speed and Comfort

Some Just Want Speed

 

Yesterday I tried to channel Carl Edwards, today I think I'm going to try to chant "What would Papa do?"

Yesterday at Mid-America in Pacific Junction, Iowa...

Here comes the Son... my son that is!  Ric takes 31st in the AM session! His best result ever...

Ric after a good morning run

Not your Mother's Minivan!

Logistics?

by Ric Albertus

Every year One Lap Of America Brock Yates Jr. puts together a hand made route book which includes turn by turn instructions from every race track to the next. During the driver's meeting at the beginning of the event he likes to point out that while the log book is a product of many months of hard work, it will certainly include some errors. Mind you, he's not quite sure where those errors will be - so if you find one, it's your responsibility to correct it. 

In past years we've learned that's it best to reference his log book and compare it to our GPS and follow his route until the log book and GPS are working together in harmony. Sometimes this works, but sometimes it causes more confusion than is necessary. This year we are not sure if we trust the log book more or the GPS. Unlike years in the past, our GPS seems to make more mistakes than Brock has ever made. So we've started to learn that Brock's brain may be a superior GPS. While this might be hard to believe, he has probably tracked more miles than Garmin. So we're starting to go back in time and read maps and read turn by turn directions provided by Brock.....sometimes technology doesn't reign supreme.

Holy Cow! Is Everybody Else Faster or Are We Just Slow?

by Jerry Albertus

The 2012 One Lap cars and drivers are way faster this year! The cars are strong and fast, piloted by excellent quality drivers.  We are happy to have survived yesterday, and find ourselves in 65^th place overall today.  

After his run yesterday, Ric compared his times from 2009 in his Boxster to this year’s run in the Mustang.  This year he was 45 seconds faster, ending up one place lower in the standings… proof that this year, the bar has been raised!  All of us at the bottom of the placings are amazed by the fast times and the high level of the competition this year.  Us country boys from Colorado have left ourselves plenty of room for improvement, but we are still in the hunt, and proud of ourselves so far!  We are having fun, and our car is excellent!  In fact, Scarlet wants to know, “How come we are at the racetrack, but you guys aren’t really racing??”

We arrived at Mid America south of Omaha, Nebraska late last night, and were awakened at 5:00 am by a huge thunderstorm.  The sun is finding its way out from behind the clouds this morning, and we are ready to take on the track!!  Ric will be driving in the morning, with Jerry doing the afternoon run.  

We Got Some Rain Last Night

Round and Round You Go!

by Jerry Albertus

The circle has always been mystical to man. From Stonehenge to the round table to Native American medicine wheels and kivas.  A figure with no beginning and no end.  So the One Lap experience starts, and you begin a process which will be endlessly repeated until the circle is complete.

Waiting

First you arrive at Tire Rack, unload the car, and scout out the time challenge. which is a wet skid pad, driven clockwise and counter clockwise, then you wait...

You are called to the grid, then you wait, then you run, then you quickly load the car and depart for the next event. Ten minutes later, you unload the car, scout out the next challenge, this time a 1/4 mile banked oval, then you wait, then you are called to the grid, then you wait, then you run, then you reload the car, then you head for the next run.

Two hours later you arrive and begin the process again... and you keep doing this until the never ending circle is complete.

Ric and I are sharing the events.  This morning he ran the wet skid pad and I ran the oval.  Both of us were very conservative, (i.e. SLOW.)

Next we are at Autobahn Country Club, waiting...

Some People Need to Bring Lots of Stuff

Some Not as Much

Some Almost None

Minor Adjustments are Common

Sticker Day At Tire Rack

by Jerry Albertus

Scarlet getting dressed for racing

Stickers are on and we are LOOKING GOOD!

Ric and I arrive at noon on Sticker day.  The place is full of cars and people, activity all over the place as people prepare their cars with the official sponsor stickers.  So first we head to registration where they can't find my registration.... Oh well... Just put these on your car and we will figure out that minor problem of registration later! 

As we are putting on stickers, Ric is busy greeting old friends and making new ones.

It's all about the CARS!

It's all about the PEOPLE!

Its all about the RACING!

Its all about the CHALLENGE!

Jerry "Attitude is Everything"

Ric "It's Not My Car"

We pass tech!  Hooray!  Off to the Hotel for some food and rest before the real tests begin tomorrow.

So Long Suckers

by Jerry Albertus                                                   
                                    
Time seems to be folding in on itself.  The One Lap start used to be a comfortable distance in the future... now it is upon us!  We were given a One Lap send-off party last Saturday.  Peach and I,  Ric and his wife Caitlin, Eric Scheimer and co-driver Tyler Noble were all guests of Sebastian and Kim at their lovely new Denver digs.  Tony and Loye, our One Lap vets, along with family and friends were all gathered around. 

Ric, Tony, and Sebastian

Jerry's daughter Michelle, Old Crows Sponsor and blog helper

The evening started with a moment of silence for Eric’s One Lap Porsche Boxster whose mighty Merlot heart failed during the One Lap Pre-test on Friday.  It seems now the team is Tyler with his Able Audi S-4 and co-driver Eric!

Food... the center of attention

One Lappers of the future

The party then picked up steam and lots of stories with bad advice and improper suggestions were exchanged.  The food, masterminded by Ric's wife Caitlin, became the center of attention.  Finally it was the younger generations turn to hold center stage.  

The sweet send-off!

I need to go home and pack!!