In 1999, the Superformance Mk III piloted by Dennis Olthoff and Doug Reed established Superformance as a serious competitor in the grueling One Lap of America competition. The Olthoffs lobbied Jim Price to produce a Coupe Prototype for the 2000 One Lap. The first working prototype was constructed for this competition.

The One Lap of America is a test of stamina as well as speed. The 2000 event included 15 time trials at eight venues. And of course, the cars had to be driven the entire 4,171 miles between venues in the course of the week long event, a schedule that allowed only 26 hours total for “RRR&R”, Rest, Refreshment, Repair, and Refuel. Assuming of course that the inter venue travel stayed within the posted speed limits.

The tire decision was still unresolved. The One Lap rules require that all competitors use Michelin Pilot high performance tires. The front tires selected were 275/ZR35-18. The rears were 345/ZR35-18. A temporary rear wheel faring was riveted on to cover the super wide rear tires. Not esthetically correct, but necessary to meet the event rules.

The 408 cubic inch Windsor engine used for the One Lap was based on the Ford Racing/RDI aluminum four bolt main

block. Internals included a forged steel crank, H-beam rods, forged pistons, and a custom Holman-Moody solid lifter cam topped by TFS-R heads, an Edelbrock single plane manifold, and a Holley 750 carburetor. The engine produced 550 horsepower at 6300 rpm with a 7000 rpm redline.

The engine was backed up by a Tremec T-56 six speed with the Mustang Cobra R ratios, the same transmission used in the production car, and a Ford 8.8 differential with the standard 3.73 gears.

After a few short test drives around Mt. Ulla Thursday morning, the prototype was in the trailer and on its way by Thursday afternoon. Dennis Olthoff would be the primary driver. Mark Ray, a Charlotte based Mustang guru, would be the secondary driver. They drove the car the last 200 miles to the starting point at Gingerman to get some miles on it.

Geoff Blandford, Bob Olthoff, and Mark Ray drop the all aluminum 408/351W into the Prototype One chassis.

The Superformance Coupe under its own power for the first time.
Thursday, May 4, 2000.

Prototype One waiting its turn at the
VIR North Course

Practice on Saturday was the first time that the car was driven at speed and it showed the great potential of the Prototype. It qualified seventh of the 114 entries, an excellent showing under any circumstance.

Sunday was not a happy day. Detonation induced by a tank of substandard gas holed a piston on the first lap of the first event. The One Lap field is so strong and competitive that missing a single event knocks out any chance for overall victory.

However, there was still much to be learned in an event that was as much a development test as a competition. The team returned to the Olthoffs’ shop and installed a backup engine, a long stroke iron block 427 Windsor down about 100 horsepower from the primary engine, but still potent. They decided on a tame 5500 rpm redline to preserve the engine.

The team missed the Michigan and Atlanta events, but rejoined the competitors at Sebring. The prototype began to hit it stride. The last event at Gingerman Raceway in Michigan was a one lap no-holds-barred go-for-broke shoot-out that in fact determined the overall winner. There was no holding back from anyone. Dennis posted the fifth fastest time, his best finish in the event. Afterward he said that it wasn’t until Gingerman that he had enough experience behind the wheel of the Prototype to begin to exploit its full potential.

After the One Lap, the Prototype One chassis was returned to South Africa for evaluation. The primary engine was repaired and continued to compete in several Olthoff cars, including the Car and Driver Super Car Shootout. The backup engine found its way into Bob Jordan’s SP 181.

For its first time out, the Prototype did remarkably well. Of the 114 entries, it qualified seventh. It had 5 top 10 finishes and 9 top 20 finishes of the 10 events it completed. The best finish was the fifth place at Gingerman. This is a remarkable achievement for a first prototype of any car. It is all the more remarkable when you consider the lack of development time and driving experience with the car. This initial success is a strong testimony to the design of the car. It is also a testimony to the tenacity and skill of the team that prepared it and ran it.

There were a number of lessons learned with Prototype One. The chassis and suspension were on the money. The springs and shocks were a bit stiff and needed tuning. The interior needed refinement to be a true GT car. The side pipes exiting under the ear of the driver and passenger were too intrusive for a GT car. Interior cooling needed improvement. An upgrade from the sliding side curtain style side windows would be needed.