Ben “Obike” Everett

As some of you have undoubtably heard, the 2005 Scion tC piloted by myself and Stephen McGowin has withdrawn from the One Lap of America. Unfortunately there was a problem with the clutch that caused an early retirement from No Problem Raceway. We made an early departure from Louisiana to head to home base (Auburn, AL) to fix the clutch hopefully in time to hit Carolina Motorsports Park. Again disaster struck when we stopped for fuel 45mi north of Mobile and the tC took its last breath and refused to start, having lost all electrical power. With the car completely immobile and having a difficult time receiving a tow, we were forced to retire. We were stuck at the gas station for almost 9hrs before being rescued by a good friend from Auburn. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the tC is still stuck in Mobile and should be towed back to Auburn momentarily for a complete teardown and repair.

As promised, I will have video taken at the event up ASAP. It is actually being pulled from the video camera as we speak with minor editing being all that is needed. At this time I’d like to extend a huge thanks to the following people that gave us a huge hand on the last day of competition for us: Brock Yates, for going out of his way to bring parts to our location; Hadley A/C Repair, for keeping us company at said gas station; and the Honda Odyssey team, who helped us diagnose the problem and did their best to assist us.

As for the events at Texas World Speedway, we posted our best results ever for the event! Stephen piloted us to a 41st finish in the morning session and 28th finish in the afternoon session. This helped us seal a total of 675 points before retiring from the One Lap of America.

The tC will be back next year, stronger and faster.

This was by far the most exciting part of the journey. It was my first true track event on the One Lap where I could show what I had. We woke up at 7:30am and got to the track about 8:30am due to us showering and relaxing in the morning. The fatigue is already starting to get to us, but I’ll have to step in here and thank Auburn for finals and partying… if not for that I don’t think I would be used to no sleep.

The morning session was pretty uneventful, I went out and drove the car and ran a 2:08, 2:04, and 2:02 according to Stephen’s timing. I knew I could do a lot better and was frustrated with myself, but at least I improved. Stephen let out some air from the tires as we were getting up to 45psi at the end of the session and we wanted to be right at 41psi on the fronts. We also found out at this time we lost a lug nut (oops!) somewhere between South Bend and Pacific Junction. We’ll be picking up another set tomorrow in Texas when stores will actually be open and we won’t be in BFE.

This is by far our best video of the event so far as we mounted the camera to the roof of the car and have a view looking down the front bumper from the passenger side. You’ll see why this was the best location because…

On the second run I spun out. A local guy taught me some tricks to the course to help me cut better times and I decided to go all-out. Turn 3 is a decreasing radius very similar to what is at Barber as turn 3. I was going ALL out and was on the razor edge, when all of a sudden the throttle let off. My foot was to the floor, we were at a half tank, and it was a hard right so I’m assuming it was the infamous fuel cut all tC’s have. Well, that was enough to do it. If I could have maintained wide-open throttle I would have hit the rumble and powered right on perfectl setup for 4. Unfortunately when the throttle lifted unwillingly I had nothing to pull me out of the turn and I was headed straight for the grass. This is one of those “Oh, shit!” moments. Lots of a-hole pucker at this point of time. I got two wheels off and before I could even fully lift the throttle I had traction again and off I shoot to the right. At this point the BMW 328i is right behind me and I’m in his exit path for the decreasing radius. I immediately floor it and shoot back across into the grass at the inside of turn 4 and let him pass me. Of course I’m aggravated, so I get back on the track and go straight back to it. I kept pushing the car and I knew I had another few seconds I could improve on the track and I wasn’t scared at all on the edge. In fact I got there again and I was a lot more calm and left some room in case I hit fuel cut again.

Unfortunately the BMW behind me didn’t have his camera on so we won’t get to see it from his point of view… but you can see it from the point of view of the roof! Several others in the stands got pictures and some video, they said they’d e-mail them to me.

This leads me into my next, and final point, of this post. Check out www.highlanddesignstudios.com and www.copmagnet.com for live video and pictures from the entire event! The guys in the blue copmagnet C6 Z06 are awesome and a cool group to talk to. Check it out!

Well we are on the drive to Texas now for the start of tomorrow’s events. I will be driving the morning track session at Texas World Speedway and Stephen will be doing the drag/bracket session at Lonestar. I’ll be getting the video to you guys ASAP once we are able to power the laptop in the car… right now we’re kind of having to be patient. I’m encoding it on the laptop but I need to make sure to leave battery for Stephen. We currently sit at 4th in-class 62nd overall. The car is still in one piece, so we are winners in my book!

P.S. Missouri is a cow and corn state with nothing even remotely interesting to look at.

A huge thanks goes to Lance for finally getting us around to Road America! Thanks a lot man! Sorry for the lack of updates, but it’s hard to type a full blog update on a Blackberry. We finally got the laptop to connect through the Blackberry so typing is a hell of a lot faster.

First of all, UPDATES! Yes, we have video. I’m working on uploading it to Youtube now… so I’ll make another post when I can. The Wet Skid Pad was driven by me, Ben Everett, and I did horrible. It was my first time running a skid pad so I didn’t know what to expect at first. I think the final scoring had me at 69th out of 71, so I am pretty embarassed. Oh well you live and learn, we finished the event and that is what matters.

After the Wet Skid Pad I drove Stephen and I to Road America where several technology devices led us wrong (google maps, tomtom, blackberry, and Road America’s site). We called up Lance and were able to find it rather quickly after we got our bearings although we were lost for approximately an hour. This is where the tC really shined under the expert hands of Stephen McGowin. We filled the tC up with three gallons of 98 octane and 92 octane mix and threw the bad boy up to 12psi. It was extremely cold out (38 degrees w/ approx 15mph winds) so the turbo was LOVING it when the car came down the straight. Stephen made a great showing here and got us a 45th place overall at Road America and first in class. Way to go man!

Here’s the bad news. Stephen forgot to turn on the camera for Road America so we have no footage of his run We learned though and setup a new system for camera setup, it is now the non-driver at events responsible for making sure the camera is recording at the start. We also learned to follow Brock’s route map very closely, it doesn’t lie. Fucking technology.

Once we finished Road America, where Stephen had some complaints since he didn’t get a checker and thought he was on a cool down lap but didn’t (he got an extra lap on Road America that wasn’t timed, how lucky), we packed up quickly and headed on to Nebraska where we had a free place to stay. Thanks Dad! There was a calling-all cars APB out on the One Lappers we found out about when another Lapper and us pulled off for gas and two cops pulled in behind us. Apparently there was a guy going through at triple digit speeds, so we saw cops every 25-30mi. Lance has the best quote of the day, “well doesn’t that suck the weel old cun off a dead gay donkey dick. tell the cops to go tip some cows.” I think even the turbo LOL’d. We got in to Nebraska at 3am and got a good 4hrs of sleep before heading to Mid-America.

Anyways, that is all for now! Next up is the update on Mid-America Motorplex, which was pretty exciting.

Well, I am officially hooked. The Tire Rack One Lap of America is the most bad ass thing in existence, period. I don’t know of many events or “racing series” where you can sit at the bar with the founder and share stories. Not to mention the fact that he’s read your blog and some of your forum posts! No matter what, I’m coming back year after year after year and I’m going to do my best to promote the event.

So on to the story of the day. Stephen and I drove non-stop from Auburn, AL to South Bend, IN swapping every gas station fill. We were doing fine until we hit Indiana where I discovered the windshield wipers didn’t work (due to improperly torqued nuts on the wipers). At this point I just went ahead and replaced them with new Rain-X wipers. Another 5mi down the road, I saw the hood lifting and shaking when I realised I was an IDIOT and forgot to fully shut the hood. DOH! That could have been really bad. This is where I learned my first lesson of One Lap… if you need to make a stop to fix a problem, take your time and do it right. Don’t stop again to fix something you missed the first time, do it right. I also got some great advice from existing One Lappers and was provided with valuable information on various tracks and events. Think of it as a beginners course to autocross, but on a MUCH larger scale.

I don’t know how to explain the entire event in words… it’s just… wow. I thought QuakeCon was badass, but I can’t even describe the entire event. There is EVERY kind of vehicle here, from kit cars to production supercars to everyday mom mobiles… it’s here. Not to mention everyone is extremely cool and lets you sit in the car, turn it over, and tell you about what’s done to the car. I was even told the exact alignment of a few teams! Talk about utter shock, I was thinking it would just be like a race such as the ALMS where teams try to hide as much as possible… but then I find myself sharing various specifications of the vehicle, dynos of each others cars, sharing tools, and finally lending a helping hand to anyone working on their car.

As soon as we arrived in Indiana, it was raining. Surprisingly it was completely flat and you could see for miles (even with the rain and clouds), it reminded me of Oklahoma and Kansas. Despite the adventure of replacing the wiper blades, it was a very uneventful drive. I slept from the time I sat in the passenger seat to the time Stephen stopped for gas. At this point I must thank my brothers for playing guitar scales at 3am. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be able to sleep through anything. Seeing the Tire Rack building for the first time was an amazing experience… it was just more magnificent then you imagine at first. You’ll see in the pictures at the end. As soon as we found where we were supposed to park, we pulled in and registered. This involved signing several forms and obtaining the stickers necessary to participate. After that, we went and checked into our hotel and observed some of the “competition” (which we later learned wasn’t). As soon as it hit 4PM Eastern we went and listened in on the driver’s meeting where a lot of words of wisdom were shared form various veterans. I can’t thank them enough for this. As soon as the driver’s meeting finished, we got a free meal with beer and finished breaking in all sets of wheels/tires. We then headed back to the hotel, chatted up other One Lappers, and are now back in the hotel room about to pass out (hey, we’re fucking exhausted).

With that said, I’m sure you guys just want pictures (you llamas), so without further ado… CLICK ME FOR DAY ONE PICTURES. I will be resizing them and have a slideshow later, right now I’m just exhausted and going to bed. Gotta be up in 10hrs!

It’s time. Oil change, check. Install new brake pads, check. Tools, check. Jack and jack stands, check. Clothes and racing gear, check. Valentine 1, check. Gas, check. Tire pressures, check. Drivers, check. Video camera to give all of you a beautiful view of America, check. The journey has officially begun to the start of the Tire Rack One Lap of America… to South Bend, IN we go. After a grueling past two days getting everything situated, it’s good to be able to sigh and relax a little before the start of the event. There are a few small items we need to pick up on the way, but no show stoppers.

As I expected, anxiety has been replaced by excitement and the sound of petrol being turned into hydrocarbons is music to the ears. Who needs music when you have the sound of the road? I can’t wait to see what America has in store for me, as I am visiting many states I have never been and several I haven’t been to in quite some time.

The current plan is to drive all night from Auburn, AL (our home base) to South Bend, IN (Tire Rack HQ) with the passenger getting as much sleep as possible. Tomorrow is going to be a long day with final preparations and orientation ahead of us. We will be placing the vinyl on the car designating the event sponsor, event, and our vehicle number tomorrow as well as placing the vehicle through tech inspection. Once that is done orientation and the dinner party will start with everyone heading for a early nights rest. We will be staying at the Quality Inn for both of our nights in South Bend (start and finish), so hopefully the beds are comfortable.

Expect a flood of pictures and possibly some video tomorrow, and I can’t wait to see some of you Friday and Saturday!

In approximately 33hrs Stephen and I will be departing for South Bend, IN… the start of the Tire Rack One Lap of America. Development on the suspension setup and alignment just finished minutes ago, but we aren’t without problems. Usually competitors wait until the first day of the event to start their woes, ours have just began.

Monday night saw the installation of the mandatory fire extinguisher and our K-MAC camber plates. All went without a hitch, but something happened that seems to be an omen to continual problems. The radio shorted out. At first Stephen and I, along with some fellow One Lappers on NASIOC, joked about it and brushed it off (hey, we have iPods). I’m a little more anxious now, and that is because our A’pexi ELII gauges have stopped working. Our Oil Pressure, EGT, and Boost gauges stopped working. Since the radio doesn’t have power and the gauges get power from the radio, I’m praying it is just a fuse. I won’t know for certain until I get time to take a look at it after work today.

On another note, we are getting ready for our final preparations. So for your sake, primarily ours so we don’t forget something, below is a list of things that still have to be done before we depart:

• Pack the tC with all of our stuff.
• Fix the gauges and remove OEM radio.
• Change oil, check coolant levels, examine brake fluid.
• Install new brake pads.

The goal is to have all of this done by 9pm tomorrow night.

Some people have started to ask how I feel leading up to the One Lap. I believe it is easy to sum it up in two words: anxious and energetic. I’ve never been on a trip like this, and it is really a trip of a lifetime. Regardless of this years results, I hope to be out there again next year facing an all new set of challenges. Now, if you asked my mother how she feels about me doing this… let’s just say hysterical is on the lenient side. That is all for now, I’ll post up when we depart for South Bend.

A peak under the bonnet of a custom turbo Scion tC.Developing a vehicle for any application is an extremely difficult process. There is the determination of purpose, parts research, and the days of vehicle downtime. The tC is no exception. The development of the custom turbo kit alone took almost two years, primarily due to sourcing parts. Obtaining an astounding 254hp/256 ft-lbs on 7psi and 275hp/285ft-lbs on 12psi, this tC is no laughing matter. The constant goal for this vehicle has been performance while maintaining a refined poise and style, and to that end here’s a brief parts list:

• Paint Matched Kaminari Carbon Fiber Hood
• Custom Turbo Kit (GT2860RS, 2.5″ Turbo-Back Exhaust, APR Intercooler, APR R1 Diverter Valve)
• TurboXS Dual Stage Boost Controller (7psi and 12psi)
• Sound Performance Return-Style Fuel System
• SPEC Stage III+ Clutch & Flywheel
• TRD Limited Slip
• TRD Shocks, Springs, & Rear Sway
• 5zigen Pro Racer GN+ 17×8.5
• Bridgestone Potenza RE01-R’s 245/40/17
• Brembo GT Big Brake Kit (Slotted Rotors, Black Calipers)
• Stoptech Rear Slotted Rotors w/ Axxis Ultimate Pads
• Stainless Steel Braided Lines
• Custom HIDs

With 5,000mi on the road and 350mi on the track, this tC is ready to do battle on the streets and track during this year’s One Lap of America.
It’s all about area under the curve.

One of the largest contributions to being competitive in racing comes from planning. The One Lap takes this to the extreme, especially with no support vehicle or crew to assist in making split-second decisions. For this event, Stephen and I have met a grand total of three times for an average of 2hrs. Some may scoff at this, thinking that it is nowhere near enough… but one has to take into consideration that weather and interstate road conditions are something you can’t really plan for.

What will we do if the tC breaks down or emergency road-side repairs need to be done? How will we obtain parts if we get stuck in the middle of nowhere? Stephen and I both strongly agreed that having tools, two jackstands, and a jack would be an absolute must in order for us to remain competitive if a repair must be made. Shortly after deciding this, the hunt started for a dealership that would be able to send us parts overnight or same day to our current location or to our next stop. After placing a phone call to my number one parts source, Ken at TRD Sparks, I was given the bad news that Sparks Toyota wouldn’t be the best people to work with as they don’t have a very large inventory. Not one to leave a customer hanging Ken quickly referred me to the parts department at Champion Toyota. Champion Toyota has one of the largest parts inventories in the United States, second only to the Toyota Warehouse.

Next to gas and parts, the next best thing is sleep. On average we will have approximately 4hrs of dead time before each event, the perfect time to get some shut eye. As we both want to complete the One Lap without sinking a whole lot of money, we decided a sleeping bag and ear plugs would be best to bring on the trip instead of staying at a hotel room for a few hours each night. Luckily, friends will be putting us up for the night in Louisiana and Iowa which will help us get out of sleeping in the car. Not to mention the showers will be greatly appreciated. The one location where we will be getting the most sleep is at South Bend, IN the night before the OLoA starts and the last night of the event.

The one question several people have asked is how we will perform emergency route changes as well as finding our way around and through the various major metropolitan areas we will inevitably pass. We’ll be rocking it with a mixture of technology and old methods by sporting a almanac, Google Maps print-outs, and a GPS portable navigation system. You never know when the entire interstate will be shut down for hundreds of miles, so being able to dynamically change the route quickly is a must. We are lucky enough to also be passing through our home base of Auburn, AL… which leads me into the last point.

One of our personal goals is to hit several bars in different cities while never lagging behind on our schedule. The one night we are looking forward to the most is when we will be passing through Alabama en route to Carolina Motorsports Park from No Problem Raceway. Rooster’s in Auburn, AL is kind enough to be hosting a minor event for us to get our party on, grab some great food, and has the distinct advantage of being only a block away from where Stephen and I reside. I don’t know which will rock my face off more… racing in the One Lap or partying it up with my friends and colleagues in Auburn, AL halfway through the event.

In the next post I will reveal the specifications of the car we will be racing, a 2005 Scion tC with quite a few modifications.

Well, it’s official. I am participating in the 2008 One Lap of America with Stephen McGowin as my co-driver. For those who are unaware, the One Lap of America is a charity race that spans 4,000mi in seven days. It is an endurance race for not just the vehicle, but the drivers as well. The primary appeal of the OLoA is that the vehicle must not only race on tracks, but be driven between each event. This year the event runs from Indiana, to Wisconsin, to Iowa, to Texas, to Louisiana, to South Carolina, to Virginia, to Pennsylvania, and finally back to Indiana. All of this in a heavily modified 2005 Scion tC.

Because of this, several preparations must be made. First and foremost is coming into compliance with the rules. In order to accomplish this Stephen and I had to acquire a fire suit, SA2005-compliant helmet, and a 3lb 1BC fire extinguisher with bracket. Once we complied with safety regulations, the decision of a wheel and tire had to be made for our vehicle. The vehicle already had a full set of 5zigen Pro Racer GN+ 17×8.5 +48, so two additional wheels were purchased as spares. The tire was the most difficult decision, as road and track conditions can not be predicted. Especially when you are only allowed four tires and two full-sized spares and must have a minimum tread depth of 2/32″ at the end of the race. With this in mind the Bridgestone Potenza RE01-R in 245/40/17 was chosen to keep the tC planted in a variety of conditions. The final step was to dial in the camber on the front of the vehicle to our specifications, which required the ordering of K-MAC camber plates with pillowball bushings. Unfortunately, as of the writing of this post, the camber plates have yet to arrive.

Of course when you are running such a long event, having a vehicle to compete in is the last of your worries. What makes or breaks a team is the planning, ability to adapt, and stamina. With my experience in Engineering and Stephen’s experience in Logistics we make the perfect team to combat any problems we may encounter throughout the event. Unfortunately, stamina is something that will vary with the individual and will be taken to the extreme during this event. With sleep deprivation and 14hr travel stints in a vehicle, the emotional fortitude becomes a large priority… we’ll have to see how that develops during the event.

Last, and DEFINITELY not least, is to notify everyone that the charity we have chosen is Child’s Play, a non-profit organization specializing in the donation of books, cash, games, and toys to children’s hospitals all over the world. Because of this, we ask all of you to please donate. Since this is an endurance race, we ask that everyone donates a certain amount for each mile completed of the event as well as each track completed. A suggested payment scheme is as follows:

• 1-5¢ for each mile driven while still being qualified.
• $1-5 for each track event completed.
• $5 bonus for each top five finish.
• $25 bonus for a top ten finish overall.

With this payment scheme, assuming all track events and the overall event is completed, the minimum you would pay is approximately $60 and the maximum you would pay (taking into consideration all bonuses) is $185. Feel free to choose your own payment scheme, this is merely a suggestion and a guideline for others.

In the next few days I will be posting more information about our planning for the One Lap of America, our expectations, and the involvement of Child’s Play.