1995 Mustang Cobra R - Lap Attack

Horse Sense:If the Cannonball One Lap of America title strikes a chord of recognition, it's likely because the event is a descendent of the '70s-era Cannonball Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Often referred to simply as "the Cannonball," the original iteration was a banzai run from New York to California. The One Lap of America Web site (www.onelapofamerica.com) notes the party ended after five years, but not before the coast-to-coast record was established at 32 hours and 51 minutes. The driving force for the Cannonball, both then and now, is Brock Yates.

Despite being promoted by another automotive publica-tion, the annual Cannonball One Lap of America is a fairly cool deal. What's the premise? Well, take some of the most outrageous cars in the world-Porsches, Lamborghinis, Cobras, Vipers, and of course our own favorite ponycar-and follow the highways of America to some of the best racing circuits in the country. Once at the likes of Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta, and Virginia International Raceway, timed hot laps garner points toward a class victory and bragging rights for the next 12 months.

For 2001, the week-long competition traversed some 7,000 miles. While the on-track events are demanding enough, the in-between travel is no picnic either-with little time to sleep, eat, or prep for the next event. There are few rules to limit vehicle modifications, but participants are required to use real street rubber at all times, and support vehicles are prohibited.

Now that you've got a feel for the One Lap event, you're no doubt wondering how Dan Schlickenmeyer's '95 Cobra R fits into the scheme. Dan is a six-year veteran of the One Lap, having competed until now in a well-modified '93 Mustang LX, co-driven by brother Mike. The siblings' best finish was a second in class in 1999, but the two had a growing realization that the Fox chassis wasn't likely to be a factor as their goal steered toward an overall title. Limited tire size was the main weakness for the '93, something that couldn't be elegantly overcome within the confines of stock bodywork. When a buddy put his 1,200-mile '95 on the market, it was an opportunity Dan just couldn't resist, and another Cobra R was put to good use.

In readying the R for the '01 effort, Dan joined forces with Mark Ray, now of Harris Motorsports. Mark used his contacts to gather the parts and pieces necessary for a front-running Cobra R, while Dan lined up SCCA open-wheeled champion Marshal Aiken to share driving duties in a year when his bro had other obligations. Power comes via the stock 351 short-block, topped with Edelbrock Performer heads and a Vortech upper intake. Vortech's T-Trim blower is pullied for a conservative 10 pounds of boost and takes in the atmosphere through a K&N filter, a Pro-M 77mm mass air, and an Anderson Power Pipe. Mark connected Dan with The Chip Guy, Mike Wilson, who spent considerable time tuning the combination before being satisfied with 542 Dynojet-measured horses. Additional credit goes to Lester Leneski at Performance Automotive for a variety of wrench turning, including the eleventh-hour install of a short-overdrive Tremec five-speed.

We mentioned how Dan's '93 lacked the tires to be competitive for the overall One Lap victory, but that's hardly the case with the '95. Group A Autotrend and Simmons Wheels stepped up with a set of forged, three-piece, F-series rims, which were custom-sized for Dan's application. Other SN-95 owners might take note-Dan says the combination puts as much rubber on the road as is possible without clearancing or rolling the fenders. This kind of rolling stock is just the ticket for sneaking up on big-dog exotics-whether trying to apply all that blown Windsor power or stomping on the Alcon binders from Baer Racing.

Mustangs generally fall into the One Lap's GT2 category, intended for cars with an original MSRP of less than $35,000-which the '95 R just barely squeezes under. GT1 cars are generally the top performers, which is where you'll find an assortment of Z06 and Mallett Corvettes, Porsche Turbos, and other near-exotics. Of course, Dan's goal was a First-Place finish in GT2, but how would he and Marshal do against the GT1 fare? Quite well, actually. The Cobra scored overall First-Place finishes during events at Watkins Glen and Road Atlanta and was indeed headed for a GT2 class win when disaster struck.

A blown head gasket kept Dan and Marshal from making the call for the final event, resulting in a Third-Place finish in GT2 and ninth overall.

Despite the late-breaking disappointment, the potential of the Cobra R is obvious, and a run at the '02 event will hopefully prove more rewarding. Besides resolving the head-gasket problem, there's some other work to be done. Dan explained how the car ran strong at tracks favoring high speeds (try 178 mph at Michigan International), while it struggled on some of the tighter courses. Updating to an SLA front suspension is on the wish list of items that could help in this arena, while some extra oomph is always part of Dan's One-Lap plan.

Yep, like many of us, Dan believes there's no such thing as too much power. If all goes as planned, the '02 One Lap of America will be a perfect venue to test that theory.