Laps to Conquer M.S., Inc
A Charity Drive to End Multiple Sclerosis
PO Box 94, Lenni, PA 19052-0094
610-566-4795
lcms@lapstoconquerms.org
Welcome to the LCMS 2005 One Lap of America Page
Click on the number below to go directly to that update. Updates are listed with the newest (highest number) first.
Saturday, May 7 - Tire Rack, South Bend, Ind. - The Finish
A dry skid this time, the guys unloaded for the last-I've lost count of the times the guys
did this, the reader may do that. It was still sunny and too warm for the fleece. This time
David was 64th OA, 10th in class. 1 Lappers were fed followed by the Awards Presentation.
The LCMS Dominion Title Baglier Sunoco Mazda finished 55th OA, 9th in Mid Priced Sedan Class.
I finished my 19th OLOA and David finished his 16th. Ron Pizor has done 5 ½ OLOAs and Danny
Yanda has done 6 1/2 OLOAs. The LCMS Dominion Title Baglier Sunoco Mazda didn't win the 1 Lap
or its class but it is with us until October; watch for it in your area.
The tent returned to Chief dry and unused - maybe next year. David thinks it and the tarp were
unneeded cargo. I think being prepared kept the rain away for 7 of the 8 days, and guaranteed
a better option for the one rainy day.
I hope everyone enjoys this late account of LCMS' 2005 1 Lap. Please accept my apology. Now that the story is told, LCMS is busy scheduling appearances for the LCMS Dominion Title Baglier Sunoco Mazda.-watch for it in your area.
Friday, May 6 - Nelson Ledges, Ohio
We're at a track that both David and Danny know well. Nelson Ledges is BeaveRun's neighbor. Danny got to speak to the track managers on our way into the track. Danny hasn't raced on it for more than 10 years. David, with his teammate, won an endurance race here last year. Danny wanted David to drive both events. Ron's wife Darlene had him here to meet us and she visited awhile before going on to work. The guys unloaded our things in the covered tech shed but it didn't matter-the sun was shining and it was warm; I finally shed the fleece I'd worn since the start. David's first run was 52nd OA, 11th in class, his second was 58th OA, 11th in class. Danny's ride, Steve Weber, got here and spent time visiting with Lappers he knew-he's run the OLOA twice. David and Ron loaded up to drive 295 miles back to Indiana, where we'd started 6 days ago. We had a late dinner with another team at the same place we'd ate at last Friday - we had what we passed up last week.
Thursday, May 5 - Roebling Road, near Savannah, Georgia - 10:30 am
It's raining! It's been cold, overcast and threatening to rain this whole 1 lap! Here at Roebling it just didn't threaten, it poured. The motel let us leave most of our things, including the tent, with them so we won't need to unload much at the track - just me. We're to pass by the motel when we leave Roebling. David came in from his 1st run in the monsoon. He had fun; said he crashed 5 times each lap but the car didn't know it! 1:40 pm - It's official - David ran 29th OA, 9th in class the 1st run - GREAT, HE'S A MUDBUG! Dr Mike, from the Carolina Rod Shop team, just showed Danny and me the photo album he made - with captions-of last year's 1 Lap; it is FUNNY! I was part of his story; I even won his fictional race for alternate fuel vehicles. David's second run was on a drying, or intermediate, track. He caught and had to pass another competitor. He was 38th OA, 11th in class. They loaded me, stopped at the motel to get our things and then drove 771 miles to Ohio.
Wednesday, May 4 - Virginia International Raceway, Danville, Va.
We got to our rooms early last night - 11:55 pm, and got a longer nap. We're about ½ hour from the track that David has been waiting to run. The 1 Lap used all 3 circuits here - after the guys unloaded. David doesn't like the South course-it's first and Danny drove it. David and his car owner/co-driver won an endurance race on the North course last October; he drove that and the Long course that he's wanted to drive for years. The first 2 circuits ran before lunch. During lunch we introduced Danny to the track activities manager, Jean Wilkins, who we've known awhile-Danny's on a busman's holiday. The LCMS Dominion Title Baglier Sunoco Mazda finished the South course 75th OA, 15th in class, the North course 55th OA, 12th in class, and Long course 57th, 14th in class. David liked the Long course; he wants to run it again. The guys loaded up for the 252-mile drive to a Passage Control and a bag supper at the Carolina Rod Shop in S.C. This is a fun stop; we don't unload we just visit with fellow competitor Glen Dodd's family and past teammates. The shop is available to any team that needs to work on their car. Next we drive 262 miles to Pooler, Ga.
Tuesday, May 3 - Shenandoah at Summit Point Motorsports Park, W.Va.
Danny decided he's the "transit driver" and competition driver's coach. He got us to the motel about 1:30 am. We did a minimal unload to change our clothes when we got up. David knew the way; it's our "home track". Again we got to the track just in time. We found that another competitor, who lives in our area, was saving a paddock spot for us. Joel Lipperini is an SCCA National Champion in Showroom Stock C. His parents Dan & Carol, who we also know, were visiting him here and Joel wanted everyone together. The Shenandoah is a new SPMP circuit that has a variety of configurations possible, 1 Lap will use 2 of them. David and Joel hadn't driven any of them before this 1 Lap, but Joel drove his first event, in his replica GT40, before we got there. Joel explained the first circuit to David. On our way to lunch we stopped at the track office to introduce Danny to Maria, the SPMP manager, and he got to talk to Bill Scott, the owner. In the afternoon, Joel ran early then explained this circuit to David. Joel was in a car very different from ours, but his racecar is similar to the Mazda so he was able to coach David. The LCMS Dominion Title Baglier Sunoco Mazda finished 61st OA, 14th in class on the morning circuit then 55th OA, 11th in class on the afternoon circuit. The guys loaded up for a short 49-mile ride to Hagerstown, Md., for a drag race-we had time to stop for dinner on the way. We didn't do as well as we hoped to do at Mason Dixon Dragway; 74th OA, 14th in class for the drags, then we tied 8th OA, 15th in class in the bracket drags. The guys reloaded for the 292 miles to tonight's rooms in South Boston, Va. Oh, and David reminded me that it hadn't rained yet.
Monday, May 2 - New Hampshire International Speedway, Louden, N.H.
We got into a motel about 2 am-I think-where enough was unloaded to change our clothes after a short bed rest. On our way into NHIS we stopped at track office to introduce Danny to Betty French, the NHIS manager who we know from SCCA. We got to the track and fully unloaded just as the Mazda was called to stage. During lunch we visited with past 1 Lappers and some SCCA workers who were here. David has driven both of the courses the 1 Lap used so he drove both of the events. The morning event used only the front straight of the oval; the afternoon event used that and oval turns 1 and 2. David finished 56th OA, 12th in class in the morning and 58th OA, 13th in class in the afternoon. The guys packed everything into the Mazda for the 560+ mile drive to Summit Point, W.Va.-we took a longer route to avoid metropolitan traffic congestion.
Sunday, May 1 - Back at BeaveRun (for us), Wampum, Pa.
We got here at 2:45 am, 38 degrees. Ron went to bed. David and I went to get a shower.
It wasn't much warmer in the shower room than it was outside but we knew the shower layout
worked well for me-plus we were the ONLY people in there and the water was warm. We got to
bed at 4:30 am, but we got to sleep later into the morning than the others did because we
were already at the track. Ron and Danny did their first swap here but Ron stayed all day
to see us on our way. David finished the first run 57th OA, 11th in class. Danny finished
the second run 60th OA, 12th in class. Danny says he overdrove the car. I say the other 1
Lappers got too much practice here during the annual OLOA schools.
We said goodbye until Friday to Ron, loaded-including the tent-and left BeaveRun by 3 pm to
drive 211 miles to Lancaster Speedway near Buffalo. N.Y. The guys unloaded so Danny could
drive 3 hot laps-no recon-on the 3/8ths mile oval. He finished 66th OA, 11th in class. The
guys reloaded to drive 433 miles to NHIS for Monday's events.
Saturday - April 30, Tire Rack, South Bend, Ind.
The Start, an artificially wet skid pad event. We checked out of our rooms, loaded the
Mazda, drove 7 miles to Tire Rack and unloaded everything so David could run 3 times clockwise
and 3 times counter-clockwise around the soaked skid pad. David put the LCMS Dominion Title
Baglier Sunoco Mazda 52nd overall of the 93 cars running and 9th in the 18 car Mid Priced
Sedan/Wagon Class.
Then we loaded up and dashed 150 miles to Indianapolis Raceway Park where we unloaded
everything to do 2 road course runs. The run format for the road courses is a recon lap from
pit out to a stop at the start/finish line. Then there are 3 timed laps from a standing start
to a flying finish. David finished 54th OA, 10th in class the first run and 54th OA, 9th in
class the second run. Based on the first run here the Mazda will stage-line up-54th to run the
1 Lap events-so we don't have to be early to the tracks and won't be the last to leave. The
guys loaded up for the 3rd time today and at 6 pm we left to drive 389 miles to BeaveRun where
Chief had beds for us. Oh, and David reminded me-it didn't rain.
Friday, April 29 - South Bend, 10 pm
We got here 10 pm last night after leaving BeaveRun at 6:30 pm yesterday - told you we wouldn't leave at 5:30. We registered, got more required decals to put on the Mazda and a 2005 OLOA route book that has a partial photo of our 2004 vehicle. The guys put the last of the decals on the LCMS Dominion Title Baglier Sunoco Mazda to pass tech inspection. While David and Ron did the work, I spent time greeting old friends and meeting new friends. I joined the "Girls in Pink" for the drivers' meeting - it's a long story. Rain was forecast for IRP the next day and I learned that the tent intended for such weather was still in Chief! A side trip to a store got a small tarp - huge for what we needed. We had a proper meal at a nice restaurant - it may be our last for awhile.
Thursday, April 28 - BeaveRun Motorsports Complex - Wampum, Pa.
We got here at 5:40 pm yesterday. The Dominion Title Baglier Sunoco Mazda met us at the
office - as did new teammate Danny Yanda. Danny is the track manager of BeaveRun and he helped
LCMS get the Mazda6 Sport Wagon provided by Mazda N.A. and Baglier Mazda. Got Chief (our
Winnebago motorhome) parked and set-up, he'll stay here until after the 1 Lap. David and
Danny took the Mazda6 Sport Wagon V 6 on track for a test drive. It's an automatic that we
hope will be an advantage at the Mason Dixon Drag bracket drag race.
Same place, 3 pm - the Mazda is as dressed as it can be before we get to 1 Lap registration
and ready to go. Four people are entered in the Mazda but only 3 will be in the car at any
time. David and I will always be in the Mazda, Ron Pizor and Danny will play automotive
musical chairs. Now we're waiting for Ron to get here. Ron runs with us until Sunday when
the 1 Lap gets back to BeaveRun, where Danny swaps with Ron. When the 1 Lap gets to Nelson
Ledges they swap back. Note to me - must keep the cell phone handy.
Same place, 4:30 pm - Ron got here 10 minutes ago and the guys are still finding more to do.
We hoped to leave by 5:30 pm, don't think we'll do that.
Wednesday, April 27 - Media, Pa., Getting ready to leave
Fay and David Teal got loaded into their Winnebago by noon, left their home in Media, in eastern Pa., to go meet the LCMS 1 Lap Mazda6 at BeaveRun on the west side of Pa., 6 hours away.