The One Lap of America is a motorsports event in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 that has been held since 1984. It is the successor to the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash

Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash

The Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, widely known simply as the Cannonball Baker or Cannonball Run, was an unofficial, if not outlaw, automobile race run four times in the 1970s from New York City and Darien, CT, on the US Atlantic coast, to Redondo Beach, a Los Angeles...

, an underground auto race

Auto Race

is a Japanese version of motorcycle speedway, but combines gambling added into it and is held on an asphalt course, throughout Japan. It is regulated by the JKA Foundation.A typical Auto Race bike is 599㏄. Autorace is predominantly a gambling sport...

 of the 1970s. The premise for both is to drive cross-country, but the One Lap of America respects speed limits.

Both events are the creation of automotive journalist Brock Yates

Brock Yates

Brock Yates is an American journalist and author. He was longtime executive editor of Car and Driver, an American automotive magazine. He was a pit reporter for CBS' coverage of certain NASCAR Sprint Cup series races in the 1980s, including the Daytona 500...

.

History

Competition occurs as time trials held at various race tracks around the country. The competitors drive from race track to race track, (often driving 24 hours at a time) without the benefit of support crews. The field of competitors is divided into several classes based primarily on original manufacturers suggested retail prices and number of doors. Competitors may make any modifications to their vehicles as they see fit but must run on a single set of tires throughout the entire event. Race track events are time trials with up to eight cars on track at a time. Competition is for fastest time rather than wheel-to-wheel racing.

The first One Lap in 1984 circumnavigated the lower forty-eight United States with the scoring based on comparing the entrants' declared mileage with that of the organizer's ("guess Brock's mileage"). From 1985 through 1991 competition was a series of Road Rallies: time speed distance events conducted on public roads. The length of the One Lap of America has been as long as 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) over ten days (1989) to just under 4000 miles (6,437.4 km) over six days.

The One Lap of America has attracted such famous drivers as Parnelli Jones

Parnelli Jones

Rufus Parnell "Parnelli" Jones , is a retired American racing driver and racecar owner. He is most remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 win, and almost winning the 1967 Indy 500 in a turbine car...

, Price Cobb

Price Cobb

Price Cobb won the 1990 24 Hours of Le Mans together with John Nielsen and Martin Brundle in a Jaguar XJR-12. He also owned an Indy Racing League team in 1998 and 1999 for Roberto Guerrero and Jim Guthrie...

, Brian Makse, John Buffum

John Buffum

John Buffum is the most successful U.S. rally driver ever, winning 11 national titles and 117 national championship events....

, Elliott Forbes-Robinson

Elliott Forbes-Robinson

Elliott Forbes-Robinson is a road racing racecar driver. He is known for his race wins and championships in many different series, including the American Le Mans Series , Super Vee, Trans-Am Series, CanAm, IMSA GTU, and the World Challenge. He is known in NASCAR circles as a road course ringer...

, and Hurley Haywood

Hurley Haywood

Hurley Haywood is an American race-car driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1977 , 1983 and 1994 and is the most successful driver at the 24 Hours of Daytona with 5 wins . He won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1973 and 1981...

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