Have you ever dreamed of going full throttle from coast to coast in the car of your choice? If you’re any kind of car guy, I’m sure just the mention of it stirs up images of the movies Vanishing Point and Two-lane Blacktop. It definitely does for us and our friends at Red Letter Dodge, who also recently retold the One Lap’s history. Well such was the inspiration that spawned the brainchild of Car and Driver editors Brock Yates and Steve Smith back in 1971.

A wide variety of hopped-up vehicles ranging from AMC AMX’s to Dodge Vans roared their way out of New York City in a white-knuckled, mad dash to Redondo Beach, California. The rules were simple; whoever made it to the final destination in the shortest time would be declared the winner.

What was known at the time as the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash was held only five times in total between 1971 and 1979. By the end of the 70’s, the event sadly came to an end due to the law enforcement’s overbearing involvement (albeit there were no fatalities as some expected).

After the “Cannonball Run’s” end in 1979, the event was imitated but never duplicated. One such comparable event was known as the US Express, which found its end in 1983, just two years after its formation. After a five year hiatus, Brock Yates created a new event—this time obeying traffic rules and adopting the use of eight professional race courses.

Don’t let the thought of conformity let you down though. This new event, called the One Lap of America isn’t for faint of heart by any means. Only drivers who have completed expert driving courses or have professional experience are allowed to enter The One Lap of America. In order to make it through a grueling eight days of driving from course to course and to press on through all the hot laps will take more than just experience.

The entrants are allowed only one vehicle, using the same tires for normal driving and racing conditions. After each racing event, points are awarded to the entrant with the quickest elapsed time in his/her class. Whoever blasts to the end with the fastest time, takes the overall win for their class.

This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the legendary Tire Rack One Lap of America, and entrants vary from Corvette ZR1s to Mini Coopers. Also, a bit of information that Dodge fans may find interesting, is that Chrysler is planning on showcasing their new ’11 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with the brand new 6.4 liter HEMI. Dodge has put SRT engineers Erich Heuschele and Adam Forte up to the One Lap challenge, and I think it’s safe to say we’re all anxious to see how they’ll fair with the competition. With new power ratings of a puckering 470 horsepower, and 470 lbs-ft of torque, you can’t deny that it will be a force to be reckoned with.

As this article is being written, the first stages of the One Lap have already begun. All we can do now is wait and see how Mr. Yates’ One Lap of America unfolds. Without a doubt, this great racing event will generate feelings of both Nostalgia and rebellion, harking back to a time of “outlaw” racing, making this one of the most exciting motorsport events in the world.