Live thread | 2022 Tire Rack One Lap of America Presented by Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

And I'm getting things organized to pack up the car and head west. Here's this afternoon's project:

And done. P6 for now, car is packed, we're headed to Oklahoma. 
 

In reply to John Welsh :

Absolutely!

Welcome to Arkansas! Even with a fuel stop we've been making great time. 

Oh no! Trapped in a sit-down dinner. 

In reply to Tom Suddard :

When I get into my not stopping, eat on the road, I find that Pizzeria Combos hit the spot.  I've had them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the same day.

But... cow on sign says worth it.

Margie

In reply to Marjorie Suddard :

And the "hot" pies!

I'm gonna say the number of trucks in that parking lot is a good sign.

Keith Tanner said:

In reply to Marjorie Suddard :

And the "hot" pies!

I'm gonna say the number of trucks in that parking lot is a good sign.

For not getting "served" in a timely manner as one Andy H would have dearly loved.

Aaaaand... TIME. Hello from Tulsa, Oklahoma. 
 

If my math is correct, we did 650 miles in 9 hours including three gas stops and dinner. That's an average speed of about 72 mph including all stops. 

In reply to Tom Suddard :

Man it has to be hard up there! We'll come knock on your door in about.... 3 hours 

Tom Suddard said:

And lunch is now over. Cars are lining up to go back on track in a few minutes.

If you're wondering what a track-prepped Tesla Model S Plaid sounds like, the answer isn't actually "silence." They sound like cooling fans, since they spend every moment in track mode evacuating as much heat as possible from the battery. It's like a giant Dustbuster just parked on grid.

How does the Tesla handle the long drives to the next stop? Do they drive fast, then have a 2-hour leisurely dinner while it charges again? Or do they ride Roadkill style with a generator strapped to the trunk lid? 

Good morning from One Lap! Time for our first rainy day, which should seriously shake up the field. 

In reply to edwardh80 :

They've definitely affected range with the tires and aero--they told me it will only go 200-250 miles on a charge. So we've got about 25 miles more range than they do. 

Charging stops take 15-20 min assuming a fast charger, but Tesla's network has great coverage on major highways and that's what we're all driving on anyway. With multiple drivers that need to eat/use the bathroom/etc., I doubt charging is significantly slowing them down. Even on "slow" chargers I doubt they stop anywhere longer than an hour.

The Tesla has also been plugging into free RV outlets at every track, not because it has to but because that's free electricity delivered between sessions. We have to leave the track and find a separate operation called a gas station when the McLaren runs out. So they're leaving every track with more range in their car than we are. 

In reply to Tom Suddard :

Do you guys always stay at the recommended hotels, or is there some additional pro-level planning that goes into the lodging choices for each night?

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

So... kind of.

First up, yes: there's a spreadsheet. Andy plans everything out ahead of time, and we call every hotel 12 hours in advance just to eliminate surprises. That's why we were asleep at a La Quinta by the time all the other teams arrived at a Holiday Inn Express that we had reserved, but lost/canceled/oversold our reservation. Other drivers were forced into a last-minute hotel change. Andy was asleep. All those extra opportunities for rest add up. 

So how does Andy pick hotels? Usually we just stay at the OLOA recommended option. But he'll also choose hotels that cut transit distance even if it means stopping an hour away from a track. There's no reason to spend 10 miles driving out of the way to the closest town to a track when we could just do that transit in the morning. This strategy saves time and tire wear, which would have been critical on the A052s. 

Hey look it's Tulsa. 

keep the updates coming today!

Welcome to Hallet. It's a cold, rainy day, but fortunately we reserved a garage ahead of time with the other front-runners. 

Tom Suddard said:

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

So... kind of.

First up, yes: there's a spreadsheet. Andy plans everything out ahead of time, and we call every hotel 12 hours in advance just to eliminate surprises. 

I used to think the meek would inherit the earth, but now I know it's the excel users. Behind every success I swear there is a well-made spreadsheet. 

The skies have opened up, so Andy is airing up the tires in an attempt to reduce hydroplaning. 

And it's now hailing. 

Today might be difficult for the Tesla. 

Doesn't sound like today is going to be a cakewalk for anyone. Stay safe/stay warm.

Margie