When the Cannonball Run Went Legit | Coming Soon to an Issue Near You

In 1984, the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash went legit, and changed its name to the One Lap America. What was it like to be at the very first One Lap?

Thankfully, we didn’t need to drag out the time machine, as Steven Cole Smith was there. In the upcoming May issue of Grassroots Motorsports, he recounts those …

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Looking forward to this article. Not sure we need OLOA to be even MORE popular so it's even harder to get a spot, but whatever, OLOA is cool. 

Car and Driver Magazine always covered this happening. 

 They were fairly libertarian back then and loved writing about "sticking it to the man".    

Then there was Gumball Rally when the 427 Cobra out ran the helicopter.  ;-) 

I just want the GLHS

jharry3 said:

Car and Driver Magazine always covered this happening. 

 They were fairly libertarian back then and loved writing about "sticking it to the man".    

Stands to reason, since One Lap and the Cannonball were both Brock Yates' babies. Wasn't C&D a title sponsor of the event for a while, too?

Yup, C/D supported One Lap BITD.

And it's a cool story--hope you all enjoy it. Sarah is pasting it up right now. For art, we had to go old school. 

We watched Ford V Ferrari and the wife enjoyed learning about C Shelby.  

After the movie was over I explained to her some about him hot rodding the Omni into the GLHS......

She asks - you said Dodge Omni?  It was cool?  Really? Omni?

Yup - (I sounded weak)

My OLOA story starts because I had a friend from about 6th grade through the end of high school that was close enough that I could ride my bike over to his house. His dad was a car guy and a long time subscriber to C&D and those magazines were all over the house as well and as coming new every month. I bet I started reading about in in 1987 or 88. It stayed with me. 

Datsun310Guy said:

We watched Ford V Ferrari and the wife enjoyed learning about C Shelby.  

After the movie was over I explained to her some about him hot rodding the Omni into the GLHS......

She asks - you said Dodge Omni?  It was cool?  Really? Omni?

Yup - (I sounded weak)

After the GLHS out accelerated and out handled one of the contemporary Ferrari's, Carrol himself was quoted "Yea, but a E36 M3 box, is still a E36 M3 box..."

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

The Detroit area offices of C&D used to be at 2002 Hogback Rd Ann Arbor, MI (easy to remember address, ) which is an office park right off the major hyw, US 23.  I used to travel this area often in the late 80's and 90's.  I would often just pass through their parking lot to see what's new.  Their back parking lot was always filled with manufacturer plates on the latest things they were writing about.  It was always cool to see something in that lot before it was even available.  

Back in those years, C&D was KING.  I remember as a pre-driving kid, maybe 13, buying the magazines off the newstand.  

Really looking forward to this-love SCS and still have a copy of the book that Yates put together about the first few Cannonball runs.

John Welsh said:

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

The Detroit area offices of C&D used to be at 2002 Hogback Rd Ann Arbor, MI (easy to remember address, ) which is an office park right off the major hyw, US 23.  I used to travel this area often in the late 80's and 90's.  I would often just pass through their parking lot to see what's new.  Their back parking lot was always filled with manufacturer plates on the latest things they were writing about.  It was always cool to see something in that lot before it was even available.  

Back in those years, C&D was KING.  I remember as a pre-driving kid, maybe 13, buying the magazines off the newstand.  

We may have passed each other in that lot a few times. I went to Eastern from 1988-93, and I'd swing by the C&D lot at least once a month in those days.

CrustyRedXpress said:

Really looking forward to this-love SCS and still have a copy of the book that Yates put together about the first few Cannonball runs.

SCS is a legend. 

My deceased FIL was in the 84 or 85 as a passenger in one of the Yugo factory sponsored cars! I’m looking forward to reading this one— but how do I? I know I bought a sub last year but more for support than for reading so I’ve never figured that out. I used the same email address as my forum membership but they’re not tied together apparently 

In reply to P3PPY :

Nancy sent a message to you so that we can get your online subscription all fixed. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Thanks for the heads up. It went to junk so I wouldn't have seen it otherwise 

Brock's book "Cannonball" is a great read. I remember reading old issues of C&D adout the oloa in the mid 80's.

I started reading C&D with the June 1963 issue with the picture of the Sebring 12 Hrs. on the cover.   I subscribed soon after that.   I read Brock Yates column first and the letters, which were legendary, after that.   I was 15 and C&D made Hot Rod look juvinile.

We ran with Brock in the One Lap in 85

Pulled Rocky Aoki 's (owner of Benihana) Rolls Royce out of a snow drift in Montana.

Chased  Buffam and Grimshaw acrossed Ohio

Patty  Moise, Robin McCall and one other lady drivershad a white Suburban dressed to look like an ambulance, called themselves "The Sisters of Mercy"

Bob Snograss and Lindamood were in a prototypte Quattro

Carol Shelby was the Starter and shared this bit of wisdom "Son, it legal to drink beer in Texas while you drive"

Great Times

By the way, I shared the photos of the 35mm slides on social--I forget if it was Twitter or IG--but someone asked if it was microfiche.