Hot Rod in One Lap of America 2026

[RoadRacer]

Hey All,

I've been accepted into the OLOA 2026 (May 2-9) entry list - it shows I'm on the wait list, but Brock assures me I'm "100%", so we'll go with that!

My entrant photo:

219891

Looking around here, I see at least one other FFR has done it - a coupe in 2013/14 (https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/showthread.php?13967-2014-One-Lap-of-America-Race)? But I'll be searching deeper and reaching out to those folks if they don't see this first.

It seems an event for crazy people only, so I have yet to find a co-driver (if you know someone..).

You probably know the deal - ~3,500miles in 7 days (plus getting to the start line, so let's round up to ~5,000miles), no car trailers, just a tire trailer to carry your two spare tires, fuel, tools, etc. You run the whole event on one set of (marked) tires. My car has no windows, no a/c, no p/s, no abs, no windshield wipers... You know, a hot rod. :D

The car is pretty well sorted. I use it regularly in autocross and local tracks, but I still have a big to-do list to work through before May, for example:


Fan switch override
Swirl fuel tank under existing
Build a tire trailer that can do at least 80mph
Build a tow hitch
Extra fuel tank (plumbed? ;) ) in tire trailer
Improve handbrake leverage (shorten throw)
New windshield
Seal cockpit floor better (been many iterations, and therefore many holes)
New camlock belts
New 1/4" thicker front sway bar, in tube (I ran out of stiffness in my current one)
Refit rear sway bar (had to disconnect until more front)
Rear pinion seal, with bells on. (Done it three times, still leaks)
New headlights, or replace wobbly rivets with bolts.
Fans in cockpit
Comms system in cockpit (for road use, not helmet use) - maybe WRC Stilo setup (https://www.stilohelmets.com/products/intercoms_and_electronics/intercom_systems/parts/AB0500?srsltid=AfmBOoqUTS2G74D6UuAST21fmbldX6D88WT a51oN4RlY8mgSP2jrWOms) but I'll be talking to other OLOA folks first
New fire suit, Hans device


It's going to be a fun bucket-list event, sponsored by my company, amongst others: Inventive Group (http://inventive.io)

I'm looking for tips, tricks, things-to-do, and things-not-to-do, so please chime in.

[rickshank]

Neat stuff! I have some friends that have run the OLOA a few times. A production, modern car is "easier" in all ways - reliability, parts, comfort, known setups. Not to discourage you, as this will be an amazing experience in a car you'd built.

If it were me, I'd focus on safety, reliability, and comfort, likely in that order. Speed after all of that is tackled. Sim time in the tracks on the 2026 program would be my focus on speed for now.

Comfort is going to allow you and your codriver to be more rested and probably less ready to kill each other at the end of eight days (plus commute to South Bend).

[RoadRacer]

Yea thanks Rick. Almost none of this is performance. The car is super reliable and faster than I am (!) so most of it is comfort related - as relative as that is in my car :)

[rickshank]

A few things come to mind on comfort:
Adjustable shocks - dialing out some harshness for transits
Sound deadening/heat insulation
Windows? Can you do something with Lexan and dzus fasteners?

I think the pool of people running hot rods/non-production cars is quite a bit bigger with Hot Rod Power Tour. I'd look there for transit info as well.

[GoDadGo]

If you find you end up near New Orleans, please ping me.
Also, your exhaust really worked out well.
I'm so glad those headers worked.
Good Luck & God's Speed!
No Tickets Please!

[RoadRacer]

A few things come to mind on comfort:
Adjustable shocks - dialing out some harshness for transits
Sound deadening/heat insulation
Windows? Can you do something with Lexan and dzus fasteners?

I think the pool of people running hot rods/non-production cars is quite a bit bigger with Hot Rod Power Tour. I'd look there for transit info as well.

I have double adjustable qa1’s so they will help for sure
Can’t see side windows happening, even simple ones, but wind/rain really doesn’t come in like you’d think.
I literally cut the bottoms of the doors off to fit side exhausts and never did anything with the hole.. I may fix that
And sound/heat insulation.. really non starters. I will be covering some holes up to help stop the co2 getting in

[TxMike64]

Really cool adventure!

Check out this intercom system: https://www.ruggedradios.com/products/rrp364-bt-2-4-perosn-expandable-bluetooth-intercom

[Just 1 More]

SO awesome and so jealous, you're living my best life.. lol

[Tom Veale]

Hi James,
I did the 2022 HRPT. 1000 miles of Tour plus 1600 miles getting there and back. It was in June and noon Temps were 90°F+ every day! It was over 100° in Pensacola when we got there.
Oh, and there were NO CLOUDS, either! So, I never put the convertible top down as I would have been broiled as well as baked! I kept a styrofoam cooler in the passenger footwell full of V-8 and Propel (no sugar) and water. I had zero mechanical issues. Interestate travel was okay as I got plenty of air moving through the car. 45MPH two lanes tended to cook me. Especially in small towns with stop signs/lights.

I dropped my spring rates by 100 inch pounds (450 to 350 at the front and 350 to 250 at the rear) before the event. I have single adjust QA1 shocks and set them around 4 clicks from full soft. That saved my kidneys a lot of wear and tear!

Keeping cool was the hardest part of the trip. I did most of my long drives in the early AM to avoid the heat.

Best wishes,
Tom Veale220003

[J R Jones]

Back in the seventies good friends of mine ran OLOA in a mid-size street car. It was an adventure, they were young and strong.
Not long after that I inspired my employer Harley Davidson to run OLOA as a marketing exercise. The motorcycle had a chase van and three riders. The weather made it tough.
In 2010 we ran a 1954 Corvette in LaCarrera Pan America. Seven days of rally stages separating race stages. The navigator was "on" 100% of the time, the (2) drivers mixing 7/10ths and 10/10ths.
A two seat open roadster was much less comfortable than the vintage Cadilacs, Lincolns and Studebakers. No room for helmets or personal equipment. The side exhaust noise and fumes was VERY fatiguing.
I skipped breakfast, we launched at dawn. At lunch break I ate very light and at 2PM I felt like I had to puke. We ran to sundown.
Optimizing driver comfort and convenience is a priority. Vision at night is imperitive; sun burns your night vision. Navigation aids are important.
You might ask your doctor for sea sickness medication. They make a capsule to put behind your ear.
jim
220072

[Tom Veale]

Hi JR, Re: La Carrera Panamericana..................

I'm a two time graduate of the Pan Am. 1991 and 1994, We did it in an XK 140 Jaguar Fixed Head Coupe. We were classed with the 6 Cyl Corvettes and they were great competition. Our best finish overall was in '94 with a 3rd in Class.

Even in late October, it was plenty hot in the Jag and 3 layers of Nomex. Stay hydrated, but avoid "salt pills" as you might stop perspiring and end up with heat stroke. We drank water and gatorade back then. There wasn't a sugar free gatorade back then. Propel is what Gatorade brought out later on.

I see you're a fellow Kettle Moraine resident. I'm in Elkhart Lake.

Best wishes,
Tom
220253

[dstelter]

Hey James.

if your still looking for a 2 driver, i might be that guy

Doug

[RoadRacer]

Hey James.

if your still looking for a 2 driver, i might be that guy

Doug

Hey Doug! I'm slowly finding folks who are interested, but let's chat offline!!