I'm sure you're all aware of Cannonball Run, from the movies and such.

It was a big deal in the 70's, with lots of racers attempting to beat the record from New York (or Connecticut) to Los Angeles (specifically, Redondo Beach) California.

Sounds like there's a new record, from a couple months ago (Fox News article is below).

The history:

The first record was 35hrs and 54min, set in 1971 by Dan Gurney and Brock Yates.

That stood until 1975, when Jack May and Rick Kline beat their time by 1 minute(!) in a white Ferrari Dino.

Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough set a new record in 1979 in a Jaguar XJS - 32hrs and 51min.

That ended the official Cannonball Run events, but I'm sure there were people doing it unofficially afterwards.

There's even an "unofficial record" on the books of 32hrs and 7min in 1983.

On the record, it came back into the public eye in October of 2006 when Alex Roy claims to have done it in 31hrs and 4min, but there's some doubts there (even a screenshot of his GPS that is rumored to be photoshopped).

Then, in early 2007, Richard Rawlings (the Gas Monkey guy) and his buddy Dennis did it in 31hrs and 59min in a Ferrari 550. They claimed that as the new record, disputing the legitimacy of Alex Roy's earlier run.

The next official record was set by Ed Bolian in a Mercedes CL55 AMG - 28hrs and 50min, in 2013.

This new record was a huge undertaking to do it in 27hrs and 25min (in another silver Mercedes sedan).

See here for details and a video: https://www.foxnews.com/auto/c...l-run-record-27-hour

...

Anyway, why am I posting this?

Just thought it was cool. I've been into auto racing for +20yrs, and have run into a lot of Cannonballer's and Gumball 3000 participants in that time. I find this stuff fascinating.

I was even lucky enough to meet Jack May around 20yrs ago, and drove him around the track in my 240SX before watching him take a few laps in his record holding Ferrari Dino -->


(not a great pic, it was taken on an early digital camera in April of 2000)

I'm sure some here will say it's reckless / endangers other people on the highway...and you're probably not wrong. But like it or not, it's a cool part of American automotive folklore.

- Brian

Literally opened this thread while watching the VINwiki video of Bolian conceding the record.

I've done N Houston to LA in 24 hours while mostly keeping it within about 10-15% of the legal limit. Can't imagine nearly double the distance at significantly higher speeds.

When I was in the Navy in 1968, I was transferred from Charleston, South Carolina to San Francisco, California. My ex-wife, three children, and I were in a 1967 Z-28 Camaro planning to go by Denver, to see my ex-wife's family.

We left Charleston early one morning. Around Columbia, South Carolina, my four year old daughter came down with a bad case of Chicken Pox. Around Asheville, North Carolina, my three year old daughter came down with a bad case of Chicken Pox.

My ex-wife and I decided to drive straight through to Denver. Both daughters were crying and miserable. We stopped for some calamine lotion. We made it to Denver in just over twenty-two hours. It was not a fun trip.

This was posted yesterday on www.ferrarichat.com, relating to the same topic. OP may enjoy the quick read.

BTW - the original "Cannonball Run" movie is what got me into cars. The opening scene with the black Countach and the sounds and the music is absolutely epic !

MDS



You're absolutely correct that the original Cannonball race required skill. As I've posted in other threads on the topic, I ran the original Cannonball race in 1971 and it was a REAL race. We didn't have GPS and other electronic gadgets and spotters in aircraft or even a specially prepared car, and we didn't verify our own time. Our car was totally stock and literally right out of the showroom with just an Escort radar detector and a few gas cans. And believe me when I say that running at a flat out 120 mph across the country in a real race requires skill (e.g., I passed Dan Gurney's winning Ferrari Daytona at 120 mph in a New Mexico hail storm and we diced for another 100 mlles in snow and rain conditions, and finishing in 36:56 despite 6 police stops (including 2 arrests at gunpoint) and battling the second place finishers (experienced FIA graded race drivers) over the final 10 miles (we lost 2nd by 9 minutes) is totally different from just driving a solo car across the country as fast as possible in non-race conditions. Plus the national legal speed limit at the time was only 55 mph (which made Dan's bringing the Daytona up to 175 mph pretty special). This new "record" is just a self-proclaimed cross-country record, not a true "Cannonball Run" record. End of rant!

I lost track of how many times I drove straight through from Norfolk, Va to Des Moines, Wa.(South of Seattle), and back to Norfolk. This when I was stationed at NNS, going home for leave... Just a shade under 48 hours back in the mid 80's when the speed limit was 55. I believe I figured my average speed at somewhere around 63mph in a Honda CRX. No GPS, using real maps.

Today's interstate is nothing like it was back then, even at that, in the 70's it was even worse and quite a bit of it still under construction with a lot of 2 lane.

I don't miss those days, at all.

I believe the actual race back then was originated by the late Brock Yates and some friends and was called the Cannonball Baker. The movies were a lame recreation. The better movie was Gumball Rally.

More of a "Gambler 500" kind of guy myself. The rules are you can spend no more than $500 on a vehicle that will essentially be entered into an offroad "adventure". If you happen to have a $70,000 Rapter or some such you are still welcome, but you are entered in the "Pro division" and your job is to tow or help out the $500 POS cars that break down or get stuck.

Nice to spend a few extra $$ on a solid radio.

https://www.gambler500.com/

Harleysbluff^^^^ great story !

^^^^
Hell yeah! I have 5 acres of forest land about a mile from the end of the Gambler 500 and plan on doing it 2021 (have a deployment this year).

I can see how the original races in the 70s would be totally different than a solo venture today between the tech, better freeways and improved speed limits.

quote:

Originally posted by NK402:
I believe the actual race back then was originated by the late Brock Yates and some friends and was called the Cannonball Baker. The movies were a lame recreation. The better movie was Gumball Rally.

Gumball Rally is a GREAT movie!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Harleysbluff:
This was posted yesterday on www.ferrarichat.com, relating to the same topic. OP may enjoy the quick read.

BTW - the original "Cannonball Run" movie is what got me into cars. The opening scene with the black Countach and the sounds and the music is absolutely epic !

MDS



You're absolutely correct that the original Cannonball race required skill. As I've posted in other threads on the topic, I ran the original Cannonball race in 1971 and it was a REAL race. We didn't have GPS and other electronic gadgets and spotters in aircraft or even a specially prepared car, and we didn't verify our own time. Our car was totally stock and literally right out of the showroom with just an Escort radar detector and a few gas cans. And believe me when I say that running at a flat out 120 mph across the country in a real race requires skill (e.g., I passed Dan Gurney's winning Ferrari Daytona at 120 mph in a New Mexico hail storm and we diced for another 100 mlles in snow and rain conditions, and finishing in 36:56 despite 6 police stops (including 2 arrests at gunpoint) and battling the second place finishers (experienced FIA graded race drivers) over the final 10 miles (we lost 2nd by 9 minutes) is totally different from just driving a solo car across the country as fast as possible in non-race conditions. Plus the national legal speed limit at the time was only 55 mph (which made Dan's bringing the Daytona up to 175 mph pretty special). This new "record" is just a self-proclaimed cross-country record, not a true "Cannonball Run" record. End of rant!

Per Google and my memory the national Speed Limit was enacted in 1974. Thus it was NOT in place in 1971 as you state.

^^

I didn't state anything - just copied a post from another user that ran in the first race.

MDS

I saw the story too. They showed a clip where they reached a top speed of 193mph. The average speed was 103mph. Pretty reckless if you ask me.

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
I saw the story too. They showed a clip where they reached a top speed of 193mph. The average speed was 103mph. Pretty reckless if you ask me.

I would have to agree. I'm not fanatical about speed limits, I think there are some situations where driving, say, 110 mph on a public road wouldn't be that big a deal (like a short drive on an interstate with very little traffic on an open plain where you can see for miles in every direction).

But when some of the drive is at night, and some of it is through mountains, and some of it is after 24+ hours in a car?

I've done a ~2000 mile drive six times. Every time I had one or two other people to swap driving with and split the drive over two and a half days (12-14 hours each of the first two days, 6-8 hours the third day). At the end of each day I was nowhere near as alert and responsive a driver as when I started.

I call BS on that 1979 record. No Jaguar ever ran for 32 straight hours.

quote:

Originally posted by sigspecops:
I call BS on that 1979 record. No Jaguar ever ran for 32 straight hours.

I concur....

-Sir Lucas, Prince of Darkness-