Top 20 Times and Onboard Video from BMW CCA Boston 2012 Autocross Event 2

Top 20 Cars Overall

Ridiculously Cool Pictures from BMW CCA Boston 2012 Autocross Event 2

2,000 lbs, 400 rwhp... 

... from a 2.0 L 

Name That Caption! (No. 14)

Top Gear Wannabes?

Saran Wrap Wars

This is what saran wrap artist Tom R. had to say at today's autocross event after losing his Polish kielbasa market sponsorship. The photographer's fingers got caught up in the picture somehow, sorry about that...

OneHotLap's Fans Show Off

"They come from everywhere to take the challenge!"

Rated X

Ace of Spades

Funniest Formula 1 Moments

Seeing the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix in the news reminded me of this funny Formula 1 moments video:



Montoya really cracked me up at at 0:41. Those people are called comedians, Juan. They don't crash into jet dryers or anything crazy like that...

Name That Caption! (No. 13)

That's just radical!
OR
It will probably make a great sailboat!
OR
Lucky 13

The Telly Awards: "Driver" Is a Fantastic Piece of Cinematography!

The annual Telly Awards honors the best film & video productions, as well as groundbreaking online video content. I really liked this Veloz Media video titled "Driver" featuring Turner Motorsport's driver Bill Auberlen. The footage is amazing and the score by Scott D. Davis based on Metallica's Nothing Else Matters will send shivers down your spine:



VOTE here for "Driver" in the Telly Awards

The entire video was shot at Carolina Motorsports Park. In the words of creator Miguel Aponte-Rios:

"Flew down early AM and after 1.5 hrs of driving, I was at CMP for the first time. I needed a little 'stress free' day and as soon as I pulled into the track, I knew it would be a great one. Everyone was so relaxed. So different from race days when I have been covering the team. All 3 cars where ready to go and we were waiting for track to go green. In-car cameras installed in all 3 cars, #94 was first...

OneHotLap Track Review: The Ridge Motorsports Park - 2012 Update

Some readers may remember that we previewed The Ridge Motorsports Park back in December 2011. The Ridge was then labeled as the hot new track in the Pacific Northwest and it was expected to open for business in the Spring. There had been delays but hopes were high.

Well, it's now open and OneHotLap had a chance to drive it. The verdict is in: What a fantastic track!

Here's a video with telemetry of our best lap aboard a 2009 BMW E90 M3:

Watkins Glen Onboard Video: Fast Company in the Instructor Group

Fast company in the instructor group at Watkins Glen: 3 Lotuses, two 911s, an NSX, a BMW Z4 M Coupe, a 1M, a few well set up E36 M3s, an E46 M3, and a couple of E30s!



Lapping in clean air starts ~ 10:40. Fastest laps are in the last 5 minutes of the video when the traffic clears up. 

At the Polls: Best Sports Car for Street and Track

We asked which car you would buy for street and track (money no object) and the final results revealed a clear winner:

Of the 352 votes, more than half went to the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. That's quite a feat considering there were 8 fantastic sports cars to choose from! One Hot Lap has covered the GT3 RS in detail and it is well documented that there are great practical reasons to own one as well!

Japanese Car Styling Best Suited for a Demolition Derby!

Here are hundreds of fantastic candidates for a demolition derby straight out of a VIP Styling Convention in Japan:

Hat Tip to Bill B.

Print Media Is Dead. Long Live Print Media!

RACER magazine was created two decades ago and fast gained popularity with race fans and everybody in the racing biz. Eventually, its success caught the eye of big publishing houses and it was purchased by Haymarket Publishing. The impact of the internet has caused a seismic shift in global media and RACER somehow fell back in the hands of its original creator Paul Pfanner who is now offering its digital version for free:

Link to the May, 2012 digital RACER

If This Drifting Video Were a Dos Equis Beer Commercial...

I don't usually drift, but when I do, I prefer to look like this:

Hat Tip to Dave S.

Autocross Videos: 3 Different Cars through the Same Course

My run: Z4 M Coupe, 74 seconds flat with a cone:

A BMW CCA Boston Karting Championship to Remember!

From national level celebrities to local level celebrities, there is plenty of racing action and thrill to entertain everyone. BMW CCA - Boston's 2012 Karting Championship was no exception! At stake were bragging rights for a year and a highly-coveted championship trophy to help tell your grandkids a lifetime worth of racing stories! As expected, the racing action involved fierce fights for position, skills taken right out of a defensive driving academy, and much contact, of which Yours Truly is (very!) guilty as well. When the straight jackets were finally put on and the dust settled, Tom Rathje of saran wrap artistry fame was proudly holding the Championship trophy. Well deserved, Tom!!

Front row (left to right) - Mark Gallagher, Ron Savenor, Chris Hill, Ralph Zajac, Jack Meeker (3rd), Russ Siggelkoe, Alan Middleton; 2nd row - Andre Perron, Christian Iantosca, Michael Taksa (2nd), Tom "The Benchmark" Rathje (Winner), Christo Tinkov, Peter Bergwall, and Jeffrey Strong. Picture by Jack Meeker

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Thank you Moms for raising our kids,

and always putting them above all else,

and putting up with your husbands' racing shenanigans,

and pretending you didn't see another tuning part we smuggled,

Linda K., mom, wife, cancer survivor, incredible driver
and a fantastic person showing the boys how it's done
at this SCCA ITA race at Watkins Glen

The Perfect Car to Take to the Ice Cream Stand

What a beauty! Spotted today in Carlisle, MA

Name That Caption! (No. 12)

I swear there's an STi motor in there!

Quiz No. 1: Can You Guess the Car? (UPDATED)

Watkins Glen Onboard Video: Corrupting Young Souls

I took a passenger in every one of my sessions at Watkins Glen this past weekend but one passenger really stood out: this was Jenn T.'s first time riding at a racetrack!

Breaking News: Polish Kielbasa Market Sponsors Autocross Saran Wrap Artist!

We are thrilled to share that Piast Meats & Provisions, a family-owned Polish gourmet market, has just announced a sponsorship package for autocross saran wrap artist Tom R. featured in recent OneHotLap articles!! 

Straight from Piast's home page, "We make and sell a wide assortment of our own traditional homemade kielbasa and cold cuts, handmade pierogi, rare imported European groceries, and delicious hot takeout meals. Everything is prepared naturally according to traditional Old World recipes for an unmistakably authentic flavor!"

As part of the sponsorship deal, the saran wrap artist is required to compete in all autocross events with Piast Hunter kielbasa taped to the hood of his BMW 335xi. Tom R. has immediately moved to satisfy the sponsor's requirements, as evident from his car's new look:

A pack of Piast Hunter kielbasa front and center...

OneHotLap Obtains Exclusive Interview with Autocross Saran Wrap Artist!

OneHotLap is thrilled to report that we have finally been able to obtain an exclusive interview with autocross saran wrap artist Tom R. In this video, Tom is seen carefully taking off the saran wrap at the end of race day. Although he was visibly content with the results from his proprietary wrapping technology, he was understandably short on words:

Watkins Glen Weekend: Z4 M Coupe at Turn 10

I love this shot of the One Hot Lap Z4 M Coupe going through Turn 10 at Watkins Glen. 

Hat Tip to Mike R.

Live from the Saran Wrap Masters at Watkins Glen: Presenting the Condom-Vette

OK boys, this is how it's done:

It's a full-size ribbed condom complete with custom highlights:

Pictures from Genesee Valley Chapter's HPDE at Watkins Glen

It's been fantastic just walking around the paddock and snapping up some quick pictures from the Genesee Valley Chapter's HPDE at Watkins Glen this weekend.

The VAROOM GT3!

OK, club racers, let's get the basics straight. Ideally, the steering wheel 

should not be mounted behind the rearview mirror.

Gone Driving

It's fantastic to be back at Watkins Glen with the Genesee Valley Chapter. 80 and clear, it's shaping up to be an incredible weekend!!

One Hot Lap's Z4 M Coupe in the paddock

Fascinating New Trends in Saran Wrap Autocross Art!!

In his quest for protecting his beloved BMW E90 335xi from nasty cones that randomly get in the way and leave marks on his car, autocross driver Tom R. set out to explore the benefits and aesthetics of saran wrap (with some significant help from his friends while he was away from his car running Staging.) 

Not content with merely protecting the car, Tom set out to wrap it almost entirely with saran wrap similarly to artist Christo’s unique projects that wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin:

Fantabulous BMW CCA Boston Autocross Event 1: Pictures, Results, and More - Part II

Part II continues with some interesting pictures and observations from the 2012 BMW CCA Boston Autocross Event 1. (Here is Part I)

Shouldn't the rear wiper be a delete option on this tricked out SCCA car?
Or that bumps you up a class based on the SCCA's 846-page rule book?

Fantabulous BMW CCA Boston Autocross Event 1: Pictures, Results, and More - Part I

Thank you everyone for a fantabulous autocross event 1 with BMW CCA Boston! 90+ cars, 72+ second FTD, 8 runs, and all done by 4 PM! Sun and wind. Tons of smiles. Even gourmet Polish kielbasa, home-made pretzels, and rumors of cookies being passed around that I never saw (probably by design)!

Can you feel the anticipation building up?

We already know it's FUN, why rub it in for everyone else who's not at the event?