The most wonderfully MISERABLE week of the car hobby: One Lap of America

[@SpectroRacingChannel]

I like how my E39 M5 was featured right after the phrases "inherently unreliable" "generally broken" and "pretty awful to use in the context of normal motoring" all of which are accurate

[@pochacco30]

A couple other times the E39 M5 was flashed on the screen right after he “slow car”. 😆

[@josephfranzen9196]

My M5 also identifies as both unreliable and either recently repaired or currently broken.

[@old_slow_guy3337]

It was great to spend the week with you. After you have done a couple it's not so MISERABLE, or maybe it's the old age talking.

[@MH4g1an1s]

I ran into "disappearing coolant" issues before. There was a tiny hairline crack in my expansion tank that only leaked under pressure. Any coolant that escaped from this crack was in a fine mist that immediately evaporated and never dripped or left a puddle. When the car cooled down it sealed back up. I bet this Audi had the same problem. It was overheating and boiling over because it couldn't maintain system pressure.

[@VINwiki]

That makes a lot of sense

[@chadfent3987]

It's a great story, and this was the part that, having had old Audis, really made me laugh in a commiserative sort of way.

[@sparkywilson1405]

Pain. I had a truck that would dump all the coolant when it cooled down. When it was hot, the metal in the radiator would expand and seal up the pinhole. You'd add coolant, run it around, and it would be perfectly fine until you parked it again. We only figured it out after a week because we went out to lunch and it had enough time to do it in the parking lot.

[@squid_fish]

VW Vanagons of the same era will do the same thing: the aftermarket bottles are almost worse sometimes

[@Xtino1989X]

I have had that happen b4 also was at the top of my tank n did exactly like u said would just let steam/mist out just enough to empty it but not enough where it’s dropping out

[@loc-o5282]

Ed gets it. Great story Ed. It's always nice to hear you tell one. One lap sounded like quite the adventure. Very relatable.

[@bryanhumphries1972]

@LoC-O, some of us call it a week long family reunion, summer camp for adults or 8 days of sleep deprivation, however I'm counting down the days to 2023 already to do my 11th OLOA!

[@dickeysgarage]

"It seemed like almost a relaxing automotive trip. This was very incorrect." That line had me laughing. Mostly because it sums up nearly all of my best road trip memories when I was younger and saw no issue pedaling my MR2, Miata or DeLorean up and down the east coast. Thanks for a great story Ed!

[@spacecadet.tx11]

It was great to meet you Ed and run at the back of the pack with you. All of us in Sundae cup were super impressed at your perseverance to complete the week in the Audi.. Plus all the other shenanigans that happened, that couldn't make the video (Josh picking the parts himself on a ladder in the back of the store being a personal favorite).

[@erikcullins2364]

It is a wonderfully miserable week, indeed. You guys had an extra helping of masochism this year. It was great to see you finish every event, even through the constant hardship! I liken the one lap to what I'd imagine running a marathon would be but in car form - at some point folks break through the pain wall to get a "runner's high"...the one lap is a marathon for folks like us.

[@corsacrew3966]

Hi Ed, I was the guy in the Blue Mini Cooper that came up at Barber checking on everyone at the end of day. Glad to see you guys finished out your first One Lap! The Audi is super cool. I had no idea there was a Cannonball edition!

[@187Racing]

Awesome to meet you Ed and spend some time chatting during the week, even if I managed to embarrass myself. Too cool to hear the stories from you as well as Brock Jr. Doing the event in a 911 was a very different experience than doing it in the Audi, but the lack of sleep was the same. Can't wait for next year as a lap dog.

[@ksteak27]

Holy crap I know Josh!!! He supercharged my Mustang back in the day. He's a good dude. I was friends with his wife. Hey Josh, if you see this, it's Kamin! Hope you're well!

[@z06autocrosser]

Didnt' get to meet you on the trip, Ed, but loved the video. GREAT week and we're finally not lap "pups" anymore. Hope you make it out again. I know I am planning on it.

[@ntomfree]

Ed - great to chat with you at the event. Really glad you did an episode on this.

[@elliottvader2377]

This car deserves a full restoration!

[@AeroGuy07]

Bill did a great job documenting this for the Audi Club North America! Ed, would automotive masochism include buying new cars with poor reliability ratings?

[@markoz673bajen8]

Cartrek fits perfectly here. 🥰

[@lavishmctavish4905]

This channel hits 10/10 points for me recently. Really like your content. Thank you!

[@RobsNeighbor]

Hi from Muggy Wisconsin, wishing everyone a great weekend!

[@DarinNederhoff]

Frankly I was amazed you guys didn’t snap at least one door handle on the 4000 during the week. Bill did show me your truck wiring hack for the switch though. Oddly, my old 87 4000 quattro was nearly bulletproof aside from snapping a door handle annually. ;-)

[@jeeper390]

Pro tip for small fuel tank leaks. Keep a bar of soap handy, if you have a pin hole or crak rub the bar of soap over the leak. The soap packs the hole and isn't dissolved by gasoline. Definitely not a permanent fix but I've seen it get people home plenty of times

[@TheCannonball79]

Thanks for including some of my pictures of my past One Laps.

[@thebigman4494]

I was following Big Chris in his 996 GT2 from Gas Monkey and I didn't realize how much driving you had to do. I wish I could have a co-pilot as cool as #EdBolian one day.

[@inquirewue2]

I have a black 1985 4000S Quattro too! Runs great, best car I own. Some short vids of it on my channel.

[@walter-yp1ff]

Glad you got to experience it with Josh and Cho. Two great guys and I am sure that there were many laughs at Bills expense.

[@windronner1]

Outstanding story Ed. I can't tell you how proud and relatable that adventure sounds. Reminds me perfectly of my mid/late teens to mid/late 20's. Then again from my late 20's to early 30's. Followed by similar experiences from my late 30's to early 40's. In fact, I just realized I'm still undergoing the same experience every-time I purchase another 'weekend only' driver!?!? LoL....and I sstill haven't gotten AAA club membership!!! Hahaha

[@PaulGinAZ68]

Ed this was a wonderful depiction of how utterly chaotic One Lap can be. To make it even more special, you got to learn what a "Choment" represents and how wonderful and endearing those moments can be. Thanks for documenting your trip! I now want to do another one. :)

[@dodecahedron4657]

I bought a 1985 Audi 4000s 3 days ago 👍🏻

[@JoshTHankins]

I bought my Scirocco off of Josh (solid dude), building it into a track car and hope to do 1 lap in it.

[@billgriffin9349]

I was lucky enough to see this quirky little car at the Miles Through Time museum in Clarkesville.

[@kylelewis9163]

This sounds like an amazing experience

[@tommyyuhas5816]

Still on my bucket list came very close to running this many times with something coming up each time.

[@javierchirinos28]

First time I've heard "exactly my kind of vodka" as a saying

[@bryanhumphries1972]

Welcome to the Family Ed!

[@VINwiki]

What car event is on your bucket list?

[@brianclevinger4097]

24 hours of lemons for sure

[@garagebeers1]

I would love to be able to do the gumball

[@somenygaard]

@@brianclevinger4097 beat me to it

[@xNobodyOfConsequenceX]

The one I'm finally scratching off this summer: Roadkill Nights!

[@TheCannonball79]

I think I’ve pretty much done everything on my list. And now I have a lot of great memories about the events and the friends I made along the way.

[@TheCannonball79]

Let’s cheer for the One Lap.

[@grantaldous]

Gee, do you think those oversize driving lights in front of the radiator caused any heating issues?

[@fk8guy819]

Got that deal from gloss it on the last video. I used g techniquelast year. But I'm going to polish it up and stack the glossing on her. Need alot of protection I've got kids and dogs that have jumped on my car and those ceramics actually saved my paint. Huge fan of good quality ceramic coatings. I'll definitely leave a review after I use the gloss it

[@cookracr]

Every time Ed talks about Hallett I get upset I missed Car Trek filming there. It's about 45 mins from home. 😓

[@erisgh0sted961]

Doing fast car stuff in slow cars is always the most fun, bonuses if it's falling apart.

[@Abell_lledA]

One doesn’t experience self transcendence, the illusion of self only dissipates ~ 🎈

[@redfivemotorsport]

Having had similar experiences doing the One Lap in 2000, 2001, and 2011, I feel the pain and misery. But you had a true experience. I'm also a winner of the "Bent Valve Award - Never Say Die" 2001, as it was called back then. The only "easy" One Lap experience that I've had, was after my 535 blew an engine in 2002 at the first event, we ran the rest of the race in a rental car. "All Remaining Cars" group for life.

[@AmosDohms]

That's really cool! I'm sure it's great memory, if not that enjoyable at the time. I've been reading the old Car and Driver articles from 2000 and 2001, do you remember what place you finished, or what car you were driving?

[@justinkababik]

@@AmosDohms Do I remember? LOL It's still in my garage. First car I bought, last car I'll ever sell. 1989 BMW 535i (I've got vids on my channel). It's not the same setup currently, as it was 20+ years ago. I loved reading those articles in high school and college. As soon as I learned how to sign up, I did. When I did it in 2000, I was 23 and my brother was 19, we had maybe a dozen track days combined under our belts and I think we finished in the high 70s (Out of 110+ starters). In 2001, I did it with a friend who was an SCCA racer. Right as we were getting into our groove, a rocker arm in the engine broke, requiring a rebuild. We missed 4 events and a checkpoint. That dropped us back into the 50s, from our spot in the 20s. We got 4th in the luxury car class because of the missed checkpoint. That was our best finish. I supercharged the car for 2002 and that caused it to blow up. I switched to a turbo engine and we ran that in 2011 and had a variety of intermittent electrical issues (basically they only happened on the track), which caused us to miss 3 events, 1 checkpoint, and we had 4 DNFs. Doing it in my early 20s was a blast, albeit a very poor financial decision. I highly recommend it. YOLO.

[@AmosDohms]

@@justinkababik Awesome!

[@RawcomputerAZ]

I have driven cars of different capabilities on race tracks and it's my belief that it is much more fun driving a car that I can take to the the cars limit rather than a car that surpasses my limit.

[@RevSolution4U]

I appreciate the deadpan delivery of "automotive masochism"

[@kennychrismon870]

Got to see this car at the 2022 Carlisle Import and Performance Nationals, didn’t meet Ed Bolian but hey...close enough

[@zmarko]

I almost did One Lap in the early 90s (1992 or 1993 I think). My mom was pushing me to do it (I come from a long lime of automotive/motorcycle enthusiasts), but as a poor college student, I didn't have the money for the $1992/3 entrance fee. I still regret not doing that.

[@thatracinglife]

If it were done in the snow, you'd be top 5! :D As an old Audi owner I can relate to all of this. Well done!

[@bragadeeshbalakrishnan]

"Generally" seems to be the theme with this car and the entire rally

[@Xtino1989X]

I had a car that used to over heat all the time no matter what well turns out it was supposed to have a heat shroud and previous owner took it out trying to “increase its performance” and sold it for cheap when he couldn’t fix the overheating problem

[@1szymon2ful]

These cars had defective coolant tank cap. It's like $10 part that makes these overheat and vaporize coolant. And well, I'm pretty positive that it was the only cooling problem given that thermostat was ok.

[@takeitliketexas]

My work had a team out there on the one lap this year

[@samsteele1786]

Love to see the picture of the West Ham fans meeting Brock Yates. Come on you Irons!!!

[@cesariojpn]

This sounds like an episode of Roadkill back in the day.

[@Roogs209]

I miss my 86 Audi Coupe GT….White on white wheels w red leather 5 speed. No one knew what it was in ‘99, but it was my 2nd coupe Gt. First one was an 82. Still miss that 86. Someone turned in front of me and totaled it🤕

[@Roogs209]

Forever made me a rally and Audi fan. My dad had a 944 at the time also so this was a pivotal time w cars for my life

[@heiner71]

I owned a 89 Audi 100 Avant Quattro. The 5 cylinder 2.3L was great. Not massive but strong and very consistent acceleration up to at least 100mph.

[@dubdaze68]

Esher's build was amazing.

[@borisp9499]

I think all these problems can be solved with better preparation. You have an almost 40 year old car, which means prepping it requires replacing every component in the cooling system (nothing should be original or over 10 years old, including heater core if necessary). Also, any other rubber hose or gasket that is still original needs to be replaced. This includes brake hoses, vacuum hoses, oil hoses (if there are any), o rings, etc. You are guaranteeing trouble otherwise.

[@KyleKnoblauch]

I can’t remember the drivers name, but in the mid 2000s a gentleman showed up with a Brodix powered first gen Viper GTS that has always left a lasting impression on me for how genuinely awesome the build was and how ridiculously loud it was..... if I remember correctly he did wind up having to drop out that year however, due to a fueling issue.... I think the winner wound up being a bone stock 997 GT2....

[@christopherkraft1327]

Automotive Masochism, I like that term, it's accurately discriptive!!! Thanks Ed for sharing another great story!!! 👍👍🙂

[@marcuscoquer5958]

That sounds like the perfect car to do it in. A proper adventure. Radiator cap? Heater core?

[@shadow_house9428]

Coolant disappearing without a trace?? Oil burning excessively?? Sounds like head gasket issues, mate!!

[@adrianbreedlove6510]

Lots of Choments in that One Lap. Well played, gentlemen!

[@terryvincent4368]

I live like 45 minutes from tire rack and used to street race out there

[@ogeenext]

Talk about Ed's very own brand of Vodka. Keep up the good work!

[@oms325mg]

Loved seeing this car out there. I thought you looked familiar when I talked to you about it.

[@edwhitson9873]

Screw that ( running the heat) should've taken the thermostat completely out

[@mexicanspec]

People todayu forget that Audi earned the reputation they had in the '80's and '90's.

[@midnightrider379]

I wanna know more about the Corolla we keep seeing in the background.

[@elmayimbe_the_amateur_mechanic]

Holy hell! this car is almost as reliable as a Mclaren!

[@bvkcars8349]

They should make classes in the event based on car cost

[@albertayars]

You have to come do the Gambler 500 next. Automotive masochism at its finest!

[@thedementedman127]

Sounds like the heads warped from all the overheating...

[@markk3453]

U should of done it In a s class amg coupe ! That story alone is a movie worthy !

[@josephfranzen9196]

“This was very incorrect” 😂😂.

[@jeffreyhurst9552]

I’m trying to imagine Ed’s income tax return. Occupation: Story Teller. Major expense item “One Lap of America “. A video of the audit of his return would have the subtitle: “Hilarity Ensues”.

[@austinreams2646]

I seen it in clearfield pa when it blow the radiator

[@austinreams2646]

Just wish I would of went over to look at it

[@xtubalnet]

I have a 1986 Audi 4000 S, 1.8L, 5 sp rear wheel drive I would like to unload. Was thinking about BAT but currently undecided.

[@vwecco1]

You had a Quattro, and removed the front drive axles and permanently locked it to just the rear end?

[@b69mach1]

How many ev’s were able to do this race??? Any??

[@dustinmiller7278]

I had my Jeep set up with one to weigh momentary rocker switch to roll the window up and down and another two way position switch to select between my front windows I didn't have to Jerry rig a bunch of wires together why would he not just come up in the simple switch plan like that for his doors

[@joshuagibson2520]

Why would a person not use periods or commas? They're free. Makes it much easier to pick up on what you're trying to say. Your comment is a jumbled pile of garbage that's hard to read and understand. Probably a speak texter. You can say period when needed and it will insert them. Same with exclamation point and other punctuation.

[@brandons7272]

Hell yeah might as well went and bought a rotating House Fan cut off the stand and stuck it in there! Look at that thing LOL

[@airwatercooled]

hell yea JOSH!

[@josephhertzberg2734]

I gotta do it

[@MostlyPennyCat]

I wonder if those old yanks thought they'd invented Rally? Because, why don't you _just do Rally?_

[@mull4584]

What happened to Alex Roy? He used to be my favorite cartuber. Did he died?

[@jamesrapp9778]

cheers

[@hyper8545]

Audi ftw

[@XxSpecOpsxX]

im trying to think of what the benefit to paying a pro driver to drive your car is? i totally get why someone would invest a lot of time or money or both to come with a competitive car and want to try and win, but what do you gain from "owning the car that won one lap of America"? which i presumably the only thing these people are left with. tl;dr whats in it for them to pay a pro driver to drive their car in such a niche and "for fun" event?

[@terrypickette118]

- 👍 👍 🔧 - 👀

[@natenasty6292]

Bolian means bald barber btw