"Does this thing get cable?"

Granted, he wasn’t about to sneak up on anybody with that exhaust note… but Patrick’s 2002 Z06 always grabbed a second look by everyone during the One Lap trek, simply because of all the gizmos on the dashboard.

What you’re seeing on the dash of the DC Z is the Garmin Nuvi 660 GPS, Cobra CB radio and a Valentine V1 radar detector. All were life lines during One Lap of America, where communication is as much a necessity as it is the only viable source for sanity.

The Garmin Novi 660 GPS proved to be pinpoint accurate in getting the DC Crew where they needed to be and added the convenience of changing a displayed route whenever desired. This was important in making it through One Lap simply because fundamental changes with the weather and traffic would dictate which way would be quicker… the longer, highway route or the shorter, but dangerous back roads. Choosing a specific route also came down to how tired drivers were. Not worth risking an encounter of the wild animal kind on a dark curved stretch if you haven’t slept in two days. Then again, those loooong mid west highways might just put you to sleep. Crap, this decision still doesn’t make any more sense than it did in Salt Lake City.

Least the ole trusty Cobra CB did the trick by keeping the DC Crew entertained, updated and awake. Telling old stories, reflecting on the day’s events and finding flaws in each State became the core to life for those eight days. Nothing quite like cutting into a conversation on the all-Spanish channel and acting like you knew what they were saying.

Now, statisticians are still calculating how two (400+ horsepower) Corvettes managed to drive 6000 miles, in the company of dozens of other performance junkies without getting a single speeding ticket. But really, it was easy. Everyone traveled at the speed limit, used their blinkers appropriately, and obeyed all State traffic ordinances. Well, that and a Valentine V1 radar detector was left on for over 200 hours straight. What an amazing little doohickey; performed flawlessly and in a timely manner. But, nevertheless, obeying those traffic laws is sound advice… especially when you’re adjusting the “Squelch” on your CB, typing new directions into the GPS and pounding on the Valentine V1 to just shut up already!

Hey, did I mention the video cameras that were rigged on Patrick's dash too?

                                                                  by Daniel Bowler