Cannonball Run Record: A Guide to America’s Ultimate Illegal Street Race

From 1933 to current day: The full historical past of the unofficial — and official — transcontinental race throughout the U.S., together with all of the media and neighborhood round it.

The Cannonball Run is an unparalleled avenue race with one objective: drive from New York to California within the least period of time. Let’s dive into all issues Cannonball and look into the Cannonball Run file books.

• Current Cannonball Run Record: 25 hours and 39 minutes by Arne Toman and Doug Tabutt in a 2016 Audi S6 in May 2020
• Current Double Cannonball Run Record: 74 hours and 5 minutes by Chris Clemens and Mark Spence in a 1999 Mercedes SL500 in May 2020
• Current Solo Cannonball Run Record: 25 hours and 55 minutes* by Fred Ashmore in a (rented) 2020 Ford Mustang GT in June of 2020 (*proof offered for this run is contentious)
• Current Electric Vehicle Cannonball Run Record: 42 hours and 17 minutes by Ryan Levenson and Josh Allan in a rented Tesla Model S Long Range in October 2021

When you first hear of an unlawful and unsanctioned race throughout your entire United States, maybe chaos and carelessness come to thoughts. Maybe you’ve even seen the 1981 movie, “The Cannonball Run” which fictionally showcases the drive with the “All-American” glitz and recklessness of avenue racing. Although the race is against the law, it’s something however chaotic or careless.

The actuality is that the racers of the Cannonball Run are methodical, attentive, and diligent, which is probably much more baffling. Brock Yates, who created the race within the Nineteen Seventies, wished to show that you may “drive quickly across the country in normal traffic without disrupting anyone or being unsafe.”

The run historically begins on the Red Ball Garage in Manhattan and ends on the Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, Calif. To today, there are just a few folks each loopy and decided sufficient to aim the coast-to-coast run, particularly with the objective of a brand new Cannonball file.

At the start of the 2019 documentary, “APEX: The Secret Race Across America” which covers the true story of how the Cannonball Run file was damaged in 2006, the viewers is posed with three questions: “What could be more pointless? What could be more dangerous? What were these people thinking?”

The finish of “APEX” doesn’t present any solutions, however, as an alternative, leaves the viewers with much more questions: “Why did Cannonball Baker do it? Why did Alex [Roy] and David [Maher] do it? Were they chasing something?”

In the top, the documentary doesn’t try and untangle the complexities of the 89 years of the Cannonball Run, merely stating, “Those questions can’t be answered.”

Coast-to-Coast Racing

In this Cannonball Run article, you will see that an entire historical past, rundown of all of the data, and an inventory of flicks and books in regards to the run.

History of the Cannonball Run

Let’s discuss in regards to the historical past of this race that spans from 1933 to now — how this race got here to be and the way it withstood the take a look at of time, scrutiny, and effectively, the regulation. In an attention-grabbing twist, in an effort to keep away from authorized ramifications, all info of the people who set the brand new data are sometimes not launched till a minimum of a 12 months after the very fact, as soon as the statute of limitations has expired.

Paving the Road for the Cannonball Run

It all started with a person named Erwin George Baker, whom everybody knew as “Cannon Ball” Baker. Before setting the coast-to-coast file for driving a automobile throughout the nation from New York to Los Angeles in 1933, Baker spent the vast majority of his profession prepping for it by using transcontinentally on a bike. At the time, the roads he drove have been totally unpaved.

In May 1914, he set out on his Indian bike to interrupt the transcontinental file, beginning in San Diego. The newspaper accounts from the time revealed that he meticulously prepped for this journey — he “laid out his routes ahead of time, planning what roads and towns to travel through and even planting tanks of gas ahead of him in remote areas to avoid fuel trouble.”

Baker efficiently set the file and arrived in New York after 11.5 days of using. The endurance Baker wanted to finish this feat is the endurance that has carried by way of the entire Cannonball Run makes an attempt that adopted.

53:30 — A Record That Stood for 38 Years

In 1933, Baker tried his final coast-to-coast drive throughout the United States, finishing the journey in 53 hours and half-hour. To perceive how spectacular this time was, do not forget that simply 19 years earlier, it took him practically 12 days to do the identical factor.

Behind the wheel of a Graham Automobile, Cannon Ball Baker made historical past. Of course, on the time, this drive was not referred to as the Cannonball Run. It wasn’t even a race. It was a singular, momentous drive that impressed the Cannonball Run as we all know it.

After his loss of life, Baker was inducted into quite a few motorsports halls of fame. The Motorsports Hall of Fame Of America remembers Baker’s unmatched impression: “In the American lore of Roaring Twenties bravado, mud-splattered determination over horse tracks and country roads and the relentless quest for new records, none will ever compare to the one and only Cannon Ball.”

Although the 1933 file has been overwhelmed many instances over, it stays true that Cannon Ball Baker’s affect won’t ever be forgotten.

The First ‘Official’ Unsanctioned Races: Brock Yates & the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash

In 1971, 38 years after Baker’s file, Brock Yates made the race a family identify. He referred to as it the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Yates — the senior editor for Car and Driver Magazine on the time — Brock Yates Jr., Steve Smith, and Jim Williams set out from New York City in a 1971 Dodge Custom Sportsman van, often called “Moon Trash II.”

Just like when Cannon Ball Baker made the journey, this drive was not but a race, however it turned the blueprint for the inaugural race that Yates would put collectively later that 12 months.

This unsanctioned avenue race was held in 1971, 1972, 1975, and 1979. It started in New York City — and Darien, Conn., as soon as — and ended on the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, Calif. In the perplexing spirit of the Cannonball Run, this race was each framed as a celebration of the U.S. Interstate Highway System and a protest in opposition to strict site visitors legal guidelines, particularly the 55 mph pace restrict enforced on main highways.

The guidelines have been that you simply made your personal guidelines. In a March 1972 Car and Driver function, Yates stated that the parameters of the Cannonball Run have been as follows: “All competitors will drive any vehicle of their choosing, over any route, at any speed they judge practical, between the starting point and destination. The competitor finishing with the lowest elapsed time is the winner.”

A Day to Remember: November 15, 1971

The first race happened on November 15, 1971. A function from the March 1972 subject of Car and Driver Magazine, written by Brock Yates himself, sums it up: “Those damn fools, they went and did it.”

The fools in query? Well, that will be Dan Gurney and … Brock Yates. Six automobiles left the Red Ball Garage in New York City, all headed west towards the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach. A number of hours in, two extra autos joined in, making for a fleet of eight automobiles full of “23 lunatics.”

On November 15, 1971, Dan Gurney and Brock Yates co-drove a Kirk F. White Ferrari Daytona coup to the end in 35 hours and 54 minutes — notably, solely 53 minutes quicker than the second-place group. In this race, Gurney and Yates beat seven different groups who have been all making an attempt to win. Of the eight groups, half of them received dashing tickets.

Funnily sufficient, a big motor van participated on this race. Bill Broderick, alongside Pal Parker, drove a 27-foot Travico motor dwelling. Unsurprisingly, they completed final at 57 hours and 25 minutes.

Yates determined to each host and take part in such an occasion as a “whimsical gesture of defiance of the regimen of contemporary traffic laws.” At the top of Yates’ personal 1972 function, he wrote, “No one who ran, not Gurney, not Adamowicz, not anybody, got a dime for the race, making it some kind of milestone in modern automotive annals.”

1972 & 1975 Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash

On November 13, 1972, Steve “Yogi” Behr, Bill Canfield, and Fred Olds gained the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash with a time of 37 hours and 16 minutes. While this group beat the opposite racers, they didn’t beat Gurney and Yates’ 1971 file. They raced in a Cadillac Coupe DeVille — the primary American automobile to win the Cannonball Run.

However, the file didn’t stand for lengthy. In 1975, Jack May and Rick Cline drove a Ferrari Dino in 35 hours and 53 minutes, at a median pace of 83 mph, to say the brand new file.

‘Final’ Cannonball Run in 1979

In the 1979 Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough beat the file by 3 hours and a pair of minutes. Driving in a Jaguar XJS, the group achieved a time of 32 hours and 51 minutes with a median pace of 97 mph. Notably, in contrast to any of the opposite makes an attempt, this run started in Darien, Conn.

Car and Driver contributing editor Fred M.H. Gregory gave an account of The Last Cannonball in a 2002 article. He revealed that on this race, there have been a whopping 46 groups concerned, all taking off at 10-minute intervals.

Interestingly, Yates’ car for this run was a Dodge ambulance with a Magnum 440 engine. Within moments of departure, the ambulance broke down and wanted repairs that took greater than an hour. Nonetheless, Yates nonetheless accomplished the race however was nowhere close to beating the file.

And whereas Yates used the guise of an ambulance, one other group (Lou Sellyei and Gary Arentz) merely put a cooler inside their Jaguar XJ-S. When pulled over for dashing, they stated, “We’re rushing to save a child’s sight, officer.” They have been each physicians, however the contents of the cooler, effectively, have been pig’s eyes.

Brock Yates, the organizer of the unique Cannonball Run, doesn’t formally acknowledge any data after 1979. Yates commented, “I stopped the race because I knew sooner or later that somebody was going to get killed.” But Yates left the Cannonball floodgates open. “If people want to try it, the roads are open,” he stated.

Cannonball Run Under a New Name: The U.S. Express

The U.S. Express was held from 1980 to 1983. While the race was tried for 4 years, the file was not overwhelmed till Doug Turner and David Diem beat it in 1983.

In the documentary “APEX”, one of many interviewees famous, “By the time you got to the U.S. Express, it was only the most hardcore people.”

Inaugural 1980 U.S. Express

Just because it did prior to now, the race started in New York and led to California. In the case of the 1980 U.S. Express, it started in Brooklyn and led to Santa Monica. The winners of the 1980 race have been Rick Doherty and Will Wright coming in at 33 hours and 9 minutes. That time, as spectacular because it was, didn’t beat the 1979 file of 32 hours and 51 minutes held by Heinz and Yarborough.

Interestingly sufficient, the co-driver, Will Wright, was a well-known sport designer. Wright’s experience in expertise translated effectively to the preparation wanted for a Cannonball file try.

1981 U.S. Express

In 1981, although they didn’t beat the file, David Morse and Steve Clausman drove a Porsche 928 on a route that was totally on I-80 to take dwelling the win. This race started in Long Island, N.Y., and completed in Emeryville, Calif. The automobile was geared up with an enormous gasoline tank. Clausman was knowledgeable driver and Morris was a businessman.

When reflecting on their experiences within the documentary “APEX,” they spoke of how necessary it was for the driving force and co-driver to enrich each other. Clausman, each significantly and jokingly, stated, “It is probably the stupidest thing I’ve done in my life.”

1982 U.S. Express

Information relating to the 1982 U.S. Express appears to be practically nonexistent. With that, we have been unable to search out who was concerned, a lot much less who gained the race.

In a video interview of David Morse, the 1981 winner of the U.S. Express, stated, relating to the 1982 race, “Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The highway patrol of various states had been notified not only about the race but about our car specifically. The officer would know me by name.”

He recounted what the police stated to him: “We’ve been told there is an illegal car race going down, and we are here to slow you down, or, arrest you.” Morse gathered that somebody had alerted the authorities about his automobile particularly as revenge for his profitable the 1981 race.

1983 U.S. Express

In what would grow to be the ultimate U.S. Express, Doug Turner and David Diem beat the Cannonball Run file, taking the win in 32 hours and seven minutes. Their file stood for over 20 years till 2006.

Turner and Diem have been the primary folks to make use of a airplane as a scouting software throughout their drive. Because of that, their try was met with some scrutiny as many individuals noticed using a airplane as dishonest. But whereas many individuals have been unsure if a small airplane or perhaps a helicopter might make it throughout the United States in 32 hours, Turner and Diem managed to get a automobile throughout the United States in that point.

Interestingly, a documentary titled “32 Hours 7 Minutes” was created however by no means launched. You can view an unofficial trailer. There have been and are many lawsuits and disagreements surrounding the discharge of this documentary, and it was in the end by no means launched to the general public. It is technically obtainable on DVD however goes for upward of $100 on Amazon.

The End of the U.S. Express

The 1983 U.S. Express ran right into a little bit of a roadblock — a literal police roadblock. When the “Cannonball Run” film was launched in 1981, the police have been all of a sudden very conscious of the underground race. Any time a automobile could be dashing, in line with the documentary, “APEX”, police would suppose, “Wow, it could be Cannonball coming through!”

So, why did the race finish simply as a group lastly broke the file? As the race turned publicized, legal responsibility elevated. Thus, the Cannonball Run underneath the identify the U.S. Express ended for good, and the file of 32 hours and seven minutes stood for over 20 years.

More Cannonball: Different Names

After the U.S. Express ended, the legacy of organized transcontinental races continued. In the spirit of Cannonball, drivers continued with transcontinental occasions together with One Lap of America, The 2904, and the C2C Express.

The 2904

Also often called the Transcontinental Motorized Vehicular Tournament of Efficiency and Endurance, The 2904 is an unofficial race that goes from, you guessed it, New York City to California that was began by John Ficarra.

The catch? You should do the race in a car that prices not more than $2,904. This consists of the car, gasoline, meals, tolls, repairs, and tickets. If you buy further security tools, that doesn’t rely in opposition to you within the price range.

The 2904 started in 2007 and has occurred eight instances since then, up till 2017. In 2015, the file for The 2904 was set at 32 hours and 5 minutes in a 2002 Mercedes S55. Of course, Ed Bolian was behind the wheel and he cataloged his whole expertise. You can try the complete listing of The 2904 occasion winners right here.

C2C Express

The C2C Express is a Cannonball Run particularly for traditional automobiles that began in 2016. Ed Bolian participated within the inaugural race in a “Bluemobile.” In January 2020, Ed Bolian posted a video titled New Year’s Special: The Final Running of The C2C Express.

The Washington Post describes the C2C Express as, “Five cars, 13 guys, countless energy drinks and 2,900 miles of asphalt: Welcome to the C2C Express.”

New Era of Individual Cannonball Runs

With the top of the U.S. Express, the Cannonball Run turned a person endeavor with single groups making the run to attempt to break the general file. And whereas many makes an attempt have gone unpublicized through the years, the groups which have damaged the file have largely been extraordinarily vocal about it — after the statute of limitations is up, in fact.

2006 Cannonball Run Record of Alex Roy & David Maher

In 2006, Alex Roy and David Maher beat the Cannonball Run Record with a time of 31 hours and 4 minutes in a BMW M5. The particulars of their feat weren’t launched till Roy launched his memoir, “The Driver,” in 2007.

In 2019, the documentary “APEX” was launched with actual footage and interviews surrounding each the 2006 run and the 1983 U.S. Express race.

Using an immense quantity of expertise, Roy and Maher determined they might masquerade as climate watchers in the event that they have been pulled over.

This win didn’t come with out its struggles. Alex Roy’s first try in April 2006 was lower quick when his M5’s gasoline pump failed in Oklahoma. But that didn’t cease him from making an attempt the run once more, leading to his 2006 file.

2013 Cannonball Run Record of Ed Bolian, Dave Black, and Dan Huang

Ed Bolian, together with Alex Roy, is probably essentially the most outspoken participant of the Cannonball Run. If there have been to be an honorary professional on this matter, it could doubtless be Bolian.

In 2013, Bolian, Dave Black, and Dan Huang drove a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG throughout the nation in 28 hours and 50 minutes, an astonishing feat to interrupt the 30-hour mark. Bolian selected this automobile due to its understated seems to be, making it extra more likely to go unnoticed, which is precisely what a Cannonballer needs. Their common pace was 98 mph, and the automobile had 67 gallons of gasoline capability. In whole, the group solely stopped for 46 minutes.

Bolian mirrored on the preparation of the 28:50 drive and what the drive meant to him personally in his video, 5 years in the past we set the Cannonball file. He talked about how, as a excessive schooler, he was given the chance to interview Brock Yates for a undertaking in automotive journalism.

Bolian informed Yates, “One day, I’m going to beat the Cannonball Run record.” When he stated that, Yates admitted that he didn’t suppose that it may very well be accomplished. Since that second, Bolian had got down to uncover what it could take to beat this file.

When talking in regards to the expertise of the drive itself, Bolian stated, “Everything went as well as it could.” Bolian additionally commented that he “hopes that he shattered Roy’s record by such a stark margin that it discourages would-be Cannonballers from attempting to break his record, and it’s not just a matter of his own legacy.”

2019 Cannonball Run Record of Arne Toman, Doug Tabutt, and Berkeley Chadwick

Despite Bolian’s hope, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the file was lowered once more. On November 10, 2019, Arne Toman, Doug Tabutt, and Berkeley Chadwick drove a 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG sedan throughout the nation in 27 hours and 25 minutes. This new file was just a bit over one hour quicker than the 2013 file.

In the video We broke the Cannonball Record, Arne Toman says, “To me, Cannonballing is the ultimate expression of freedom. As a kid, I saw the movie, I read the articles, and it was something that was forever on my mind. In 2006, we had done the One Lap of America, which is the event Brock Yates turned Cannonball into once he stopped doing the cross-country runs.”

Toman stated that when he heard of Bolian’s 2013 file, he was “both excited and gutted.” He noticed Bolian’s time as unbeatable. But Arne didn’t get discouraged, as an alternative deciding to organize for his try. Much of Toman’s time went into researching the absolute best gasoline switch system to reduce time.

Doug Tabutt remarked, “Don’t just meet your heroes, beat your heroes.” And, Arne and Doug did simply that. The co-drivers truly met by way of Bolian. The relaxation is historical past.

You can learn extra about their journey within the Road & Track article, These Guys Just Drove an E63 AMG Across America in a Record 27 Hours 25 Minutes.

COVID-19 Pandemic Cannonball Run Era

Many folks hunkered down and stayed dwelling throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the U.S. in March 2020. But, others took to the highway. Is {that a} sensible or truthful concept? Well, one may ask, has any of this ever been a “smart” or “fair” concept?

The Cannonball Run’s record-breaking makes an attempt have by no means ended. Cannonball data have been damaged at an unbelievable charge throughout the peak of the pandemic.

The sentiments behind this race have all the time been that of immense preparation, innovation, and endurance. What, then, does it imply when drivers are making the most of an unprecedented time? Does that match the spirit of the Cannonball Run?

The first confirmed new Cannonball file throughout the pandemic occurred in April 2020. Then, the file was damaged once more in May. Then, the solo file was set in June, and on the time considered the general file.

April 2020 Cannonball Run Record of ???

Ed Bolian introduced a brand new Cannonball file on April 9, 2020. When Bolian mentioned whether or not or not the rumors have been true of this preliminary file being damaged amid COVID-19, he stated, “Yes, it is true … sort of.” He then went on to say, “I am saying right now that it wouldn’t be me. And I’m saying right now, it was not me.”

Bolian spoke of the group that held the brand new Cannonball Run file in April. He recounted, “A team had gone from the Red Ball Garage to the Portofino Hotel and Marina in a 2019 Audi A8 with a time of 26 hours and 38 minutes, an UNBELIEVABLE time that beat the November 2019 time of Arnie and Doug in their E63.”

When talking in regards to the group, Bolian famous, “They didn’t want to be known as the key violators of all of these shelter-in-place regulations. Nobody wanted to be out there putting anyone’s lives in danger.”

But pals of theirs didn’t get the memo, and one among them posted a photograph of the Audi A8L with the gasoline tanks in view. Of course, the picture acquired rapid consideration.

May 2020 Cannonball Run Record of Arne Toman & Doug Tabutt

Fast ahead to May 2020. The April 2020 Cannonball Run file was as soon as once more overwhelmed. According to Bolian, the brand new file was underneath 26 hours, the automobile averaged over 120 mph for a lot of the drive, and the group had over 30 spotters. Bolian believed this file was the top of the “COVID-19 Cannonball Era.”

It was later revealed that this was Arne Toman and Doug Tabutt’s new 25-hour and 39-minute outright file.

On Bolian’s well-known YouTube Channel, VINwiki Car Stories, it was introduced on May 14 that there had been one other New Cannonball Record. Ed stated, “Consider that it took six years and dozens of extremely well-prepared events for anyone to beat 28 hours, 50 minutes. In the span of five weeks, it was just beaten seven times.”

During the 5 weeks from April to May 2020, Cannonballers took benefit of open roads because of the international pandemic. Is it truthful? A tough query to reply, because the “fairness” of an unsanctioned avenue race might be questionable to start with.

June 2020 (Solo) Cannonball Run Record* of Fred Ashmore

While the premise of the Cannonball Run generally is unfathomable for most individuals, doing the drive utterly alone is much more unbelievable. Road & Track refers back to the solo drive as “so stupid, it’s brilliant.”

According to Angelo Melluso of Road & Track, Fred Ashmore made this solo try in a file time of 25 hours and 55 minutes, a time scarily near the 24-hour mark. In a mind-boggling feat, Ashmore rented a Mustang GT, loaded up quite a few gasoline tanks, and solely stopped one time for gasoline on the standard Cannonball Run route from the Red Ball Garage in Manhattan to the Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach.

You learn that proper — a rental automobile with a single occupant simply set the quickest recognized Cannonball Run time (recognized on the time)!

*This file run has been deemed questionable by the Cannonball neighborhood, as applicable proof of the run has not been offered by the driving force.

Where Does the Cannonball Run Go From Here?

Most of those new total Cannonball Run data have arisen throughout a time when, fairly actually, your entire world was shut down. Does this imply the brand new Cannonball Run data will probably be unbeatable? Does that imply it’s the finish of an period? ”It might destroy the pursuit,” Bolian stated.

Again, Bolian acknowledged that, on the finish of the day, “There aren’t real rules” relating to the Cannonball Run. How might there be?

This can also be the issue with speculating about the way forward for the Cannonball Run — as its historical past has proven, the occasion is sophisticated and unbelievable. How it evolves from right here is anybody’s guess. It’s additionally as much as people to form, versus any governing physique.

The Place That First Popularized the Cannonball Run Now Thinks … It’s Not Cool Anymore

Eric Tingwall described the Cannonball Run as a “feat of nothingness” within the Car and Driver article, Cross-Country Cannonball Speed Records are Dumb. In the headline, he acknowledged that Car and Driver initially popularized this race, as Brock Yates was the senior editor for the journal when he created the race in 1971.

But Tingwall says, “We’re older and wiser today — no longer that same magazine that once campaigned against making cars safer. Driving across the country is different now, too.” And he does have a degree. The ’70s and ’80s have been a unique animal when it got here to driving than the current day.

At the top of the article, Tingwall requested a tough query: “If right now is not a good time to jeopardize innocent lives by indulging in a selfish and hollow pursuit of notoriety, what makes that acceptable in better times?”

Notably, this opinion, so staunchly in opposition to the Cannonball Run, got here straight on account of the various makes an attempt made throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Tingwall speaks of the race, no matter COVID-19, as a “selfish” and “hollow pursuit,” maybe his emotions wouldn’t have been as intense if these makes an attempt weren’t made throughout this unprecedented time.

How Do You Decide the Rules When There Are No Rules?

Ed Bolian mentioned the professionals and cons of making an attempt the Cannonball throughout a pandemic in a video posted on March 24, 2020. For instance, Waze, a navigation software generally utilized by the groups, isn’t working as effectively as a result of fewer individuals are on the highway. With that, an apparent professional is that there’s much less automobile site visitors on the highway.

“Teams have decided now is the perfect time to chase their hopes and dreams,” Bolian stated. He acknowledged the benefit of making an attempt the Cannonball Run throughout this time however expressed combined emotions on the “okayness” of it.

With all this being stated, Bolian acknowledged that it could make no sense for him to sentence any of those drivers. “That would be like a cocaine dealer telling a heroin dealer that he is just a terrible, terrible person,” he stated.

“Don’t Break the Law While Breaking the Law” — Molly’s Game

Bolian went on to interrupt down the complexities surrounding the record-breaking makes an attempt and success throughout this unprecedented time of COVID-19. He stated, “The concept of driving quick throughout the nation is considerably redeemed by the nod to historic precedent — the truth that this can be a factor that basically occurred. There have been some entertaining motion pictures about it, and it’s a part of American automobile tradition.

“The fact that we get away with something deviant and law-breaking hinges upon the principle that people think it is okay because these people are adding their names to the history of Cannonball. I don’t think the public appetite is ready to conceive that indulgence.”

The complicated nature of qualifying these new instances for the Cannonball Run boils right down to the concept that data are each goal and subjective, Bolian concluded. The circumstances surrounding driving throughout COVID-19 will most likely — hopefully — by no means be the identical circumstances for anybody sooner or later.

Ed outlined all of the controversy in his movies relating to the latest data. Then, he ended on a optimistic be aware. “The most important thing to me is to recognize that the biggest and most critical part of the pursuit’s history is that in the past fifty years, there have been no accidents involving other cars and no significant injuries.”

He continued, “And that has not happened in any of these recent drives.” Bolian completed by saying two phrases relating to the latest data: “They count.”

You can discover all of Ed Bolian’s movies on VINwiki relating to the Cannonball Run on the video playlist, Cannonball Run Related Car Stories.

The Unofficial Cannonball Run Record Book

While there are not any guidelines, there are a couple of parameters. All of the drivers started in New York and led to Los Angeles. Typically, the race begins someday after midnight.

In this part, you will see that a full listing of the Cannonball file holders. Within the listing, you will see that their instances, their names, and the autos they drove. If the knowledge was obtainable, we now have additionally outlined how every automobile was arrange, any distinctive methods that have been used, and any main points with the runs.

The solely different unofficial Cannonball Run file listing is a spreadsheet printed by Ed Bolian of VINWiki fame. You can discover his listing right here.

The Drive That Started Everything (1933)

53:30 Erwin George ‘Cannon Ball’ Baker

Better often called Cannon Ball Baker, Baker is, you guessed it, the person behind all of this. In 1933, Baker drove a Graham-Paige mannequin 57 Blue Streak 8 from New York to Los Angeles. He accomplished the drive in 53 hours and half-hour. This turned the file time for driving throughout the United States. Baker’s time held for practically 4 many years.

Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (1971-1979)

35:54 Dan Gurney & Brock Yates

On November 15, 1971, Dan Gurney and Brock Yates co-drove a White Ferrari Daytona coupe in 35 hours and 54 minutes. In this race, Gurney and Yates beat seven different groups. Notably, Gurney and Yates by no means exceeded 175 mph and had a median pace of 80 mph.

On March 1, 1972, Car and Driver Magazine launched a function on the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. The article described intimately the automobile that gained the race: “This group left at 12:32. Their Ferrari was entered by exotic-car impresario Kirk F. White, of Philadelphia. It was completely inventory (what may very well be modified?) … no additional tools was carried.

“A dazzling blue paint job, complete with exquisite pinstriping plus a patchwork of sponsor decals, made the car about as inconspicuous as Hugh Hefner’s DC-9. Virtually everybody was convinced the car would be a wide favorite with law enforcement officers.”

While the seven different automobiles racing all took the same route, Dan and Brock took a unique one.

Yates wrote, “Rather than run Interstate 78 from northern New Jersey to the intersection of the Pennsy Turnpike at Harrisburg, its crew cut northward across New Jersey’s Route 46, through Netcong and Hackettstown, to Interstate 80 due west across Pennsylvania. From there, they cut southwest across Ohio from Akron to Columbus, intersecting with the conventional route.”

35:53 Jack May & Rick Cline

In the 1975 Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, Jack May, and Rick Cline beat the file held by Dan Gurney and Brock Yates by one single minute. They drove throughout the United States in a Ferrari Dino 246 GTS in 35 hours and 53 minutes.

32:51 Dave Heinz & Dave Yarborough

In the 1979 Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough beat the file by 3 hours and a pair of minutes. Driving in a Jaguar XJS, the group achieved the time of 32 hours and 51 minutes with a median pace of 87 mph.

Notably, in contrast to any of the opposite makes an attempt, this run started in Darien, Conn.

The U.S. Express (1980-1983)

32:07 Doug Turner & David Diem

In a Ferrari 308, Doug Turner and David Diem completed the run at 32 hours and seven minutes, 44 minutes quicker than the quickest Cannonball Run on the time. This was the “official” cross-country file till 2006.

The Ferrari 308 was designed to be refueled shortly and had put in kill switches for brake lights. Turner and Diem spent months strategizing the absolute best route. Their common pace was 89.89 mph, however they typically drove over 125 mph.

The Cannonball Run Record Holders (2006-Present)

31:04 Alex Roy & David Maher

In 2006, after 23 years, Alex Roy and David Maher set out in a 2000 BMW M5 and beat the file, operating 31 hours and 4 minutes. The BMW M5 had a prime pace of 155 mph however may very well be pushed to 190 mph with a software program improve. While at instances they exceeded 150 mph, the typical pace of the run was 90.1 mph.

The automobile was armed with three giant antennas, GPS navigation items, police scanners, evening imaginative and prescient so they might drive with out headlights, a number of cameras, and a 16-gallon gasoline cell. They additionally had a small airplane following them your entire time with a radio communication system to maintain a watch out for police and different obstacles. Nobody slept, and so they made six gasoline stops all through your entire run.

28:50 Ed Bolian, Dave Black, and Dan Huang

In 2013, Ed Bolian and Dave Block drove a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG throughout the nation at an unbelievable time of 28 hours and 50 minutes. Their common pace was 98 mph and the automobile had 67 gallons of gasoline capability. In whole, the group solely stopped for 46 minutes.

27:25 Arne Toman, Doug Tabutt, and Berkeley Chadwick

On November 10, 2019, Arne Toman, Doug Tabutt, and Berkeley Chadwick drove a 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG sedan throughout the nation in 27 hours and 25 minutes, just a bit over one hour quicker than the 2013 file. The automobile was detuned to 700 wheel horsepower.

They had many devices to help them together with radar detectors, a police scanner, a airplane crash avoidance system, and brake/tail mild kill switches. Along with that, they used a thermal scope mounted on a gimbal on the roof which, in line with the group, proved to be fairly unhelpful.

26:38 Unnamed Drivers

In April 2020, two unnamed drivers drove a 2019 Audi A8 sedan throughout the U.S. in 26 hours and 38 minutes. Notably, their automobile was geared up with a pair of purple plastic marine gasoline tanks ratchet-strapped within the rear storage. The run’s common pace was 106 mph.

25:39 Arne Toman & Doug Tabutt

In May 2020, the group of Arne Toman and Doug Tabutt drove a 2016 Audi S6, disguised as a Ford Taurus Police Interceptor, to a brand new file of 25 hours and 39 minutes. A 110 mph common pace for your entire run was achieved, with most speeds reaching simply shy of 175 mph. Over 30 spotters have been used to realize this run. The group left Manhattan at 6 p.m.

The automobile was modified to place out about 600 horsepower by way of modified turbos, an upgraded warmth exchanger, and a customized tune. A trunk-mounted 67-gallon gasoline cell helped present the wanted vary and diminished gasoline stops.

A number of police-evasion modifications have been additionally put in on the automobile. These included radar detectors, laser diffusers, a CB radio, and a brake mild kill change. To prime it off, a roof-mounted thermal digital camera was used to identify wildlife and police on the edges of the highway forward.

Other Cannonball Run Records

Along with the standard Cannonball Run total file, there have additionally been quite a few different particular Cannonball Run data. While the principle rule of the Cannonball Run is that there are not any guidelines, these class data have a couple of self-imposed guidelines to adapt to the classes.

Solo Nonstop Cannonball Run Record

Jay Roberts set the brand new Solo Nonstop Cannonball Record at 33 hours 45 minutes in September 2022, in a 2017 Toyota Prius. He was impressed by the VINwiki movies, on-line sources, and lots of books on the Cannonball and simply needed to have a go himself.

His first try was throughout the 2021 Musketball, however that try was a lot slower than was acceptable to him — largely resulting from a semi-truck crash in Colorado that created site visitors.

Roberts Prius was outfitted with three gasoline tanks, for a complete of 90 gallons. He didn’t cease for gasoline on your entire cross-country run and had about 17 gallons left when he arrived on the Portofino. While he did have a radar detector and the JBV1 app operating on an Android cellphone, he largely relied on a digital group of spotters in a personal radar detector on-line group to assist him keep out of hassle and on observe. He did get pulled over as soon as — for about 5 minutes — for dashing however wasn’t issued a ticket, one way or the other.

He used a funnel and a small gap within the floorboards to alleviate himself on the run, in order to not make any lavatory stops. He did make one cease the place he exited the car on the run — which he referred to as a security cease — in an effort to clear the bugs off the windshield.

Roberts says he averaged 84 mph on the run and received 32 mpg. He drove 100-105 mph a lot of the run, to steadiness pace with gasoline financial system, in addition to to beat his goal time of a sub-34-hour Cannonball Run.

Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast Cannonball Record

Pierce Plam, John Ficarra, and Alex Richter set a Coast to Coast to Coast Cannonball file of 130 hours and 49 minutes in 2015.

In May 2020, on the identical weekend because the Toman/Tabutt total file, Chris Clemens and Mark Spence drove a 1999 Mercedes SL500 over 5,600 miles spherical journey from N.Y. to L.A. to N.Y. to set the brand new Double Cannonball file at 74 hours and 5 minutes.

On the drive west, the group was in a position to make use of lots of the similar spotters that helped Toman and Tabutt to an total Cannonball Record. The group did, nonetheless, get pulled over as soon as for dashing, and issued a ticket, on the drive West.

Cannonball Run Motorcycle Record

The Cannonball Run bike file is the place all of it started all the best way again in 1914 with Erwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker’s 11.5-day transcontinental run.

Alan “the stalwart Californian” T. Bedell rode a Henderson bike from Los Angeles to New York in 7 days, 16 hours, and 16 minutes in 1917 to impressively beat Cannonball’s file.

The file is rumored to have modified palms a minimum of six instances through the years. The present bike Cannonball Run file was set on April 20, 2019, by Calvin Cote with a time of 35 hours and 6 minutes, with a median pace of 89 mph. He was using a 2012 BMW K1600 GTL, with a customized 15-gallon auxiliary gasoline tank. You can watch a GoProfessional video of his whole run right here.

Coast-to-Coast Motorcycle Record

A coast-to-coast bike file, from San Diego, Calif., to Jacksonville, Fla., was set by Axe Dekruif in a time of 33 hours and 10 minutes. It was accomplished on a BMW S1000RR with an additional gasoline tank whereas consuming a Red Bull/Gatorade combination in a CamelBak, and utilizing a Flir thermal imaging digital camera for evening driving.

Axe averaged 72.6 mph on his cross-country run and produced a documentary (No Limits – No Regrets) on his journey.

Cannonball Run Solo Record

The solo file is held by Fred Ashmore with a blistering quick time of 25 hours and 55 minutes, which was set in June 2020. He drove a rented 2020 Ford Mustang GT full of further gasoline tanks and averaging about 12 mpg and 109 mph. Possibly most spectacular is that this file solely value about $3,000.

Cannonball Run Diesel Record

There is a diesel file from April 4, 2020, held by Sean G. Petr, Jason Adkins, and Mark Spence. The group drove a 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI throughout the nation in an impressively quick 28 hours and 40 minutes. A really spectacular common of 25.5 mpg was achieved over the two,852-mile journey, with an equally spectacular 100.07 mph common.

Cannonball Run 3-Wheeled Vehicle Record

The three-wheeled car file is held by Alex Roy and Zach Bowman is 41 hours and 49 minutes. They set the three-wheeled Cannonball Run file in a Morgan 3 Wheeler in 2015.

Cannonball Run EV Record

The electrical car file started in 1968 with the Great Transcontinental Electric Car Race that was deliberate by college students at MIT and Caltech. In 1986, the Caltech group gained with 210 hours and three minutes spanning from August 26 to September 4.

The present file holders are Ryan Levenson and Josh Allan in a rented (off Turo) Tesla Model S Long Range in a time of 42 hours and 17 minutes, which was set on October 22, 2021. The solely car “modifications” have been overinflated 19-inch Tesla Tempest wheels, and the group solely used Waze for site visitors and regulation enforcement detection.

This newest file beat the earlier file by over 2 hours — Kyle Conner, Drew Peterson, and Tijmen Schreur driving a Porsche Taycan 4S (Press Loaner) in January 2021 in a time of 44 hours and 25 minutes.

This file will proceed to fall shortly as new EV tech is altering. Longer vary, quicker charging, and quicker EV autos are all on the close to horizon.

Cannonball Run Semi-Autonomous Vehicle Record

The semi-autonomous car file started in 2015 when a Delphi self-driving automobile went coast-to-coast from San Francisco to New York over the span of 9 days.

Later that 12 months, Carl Reese and Deena Mastracci set the precise electrical Cannonball file in 57 hours and 48 minutes driving a Tesla Model S P85d electrical sedan.

The present semi-autonomous Cannonball Run file was set on August 24, 2016, by Alex Roy, Warren Ahner, and Franz Aliquio in a 2016 Tesla Model S 90D in simply 55 hours.

Cannonball Run Movies & Books

Films

The Gumball Rally (1976)

This film is impressed by the 1975 Cannonball Run file by Jack May and Rick Cline that broke Yates’ and Gurney’s file by a mere 60 seconds. While it’s totally fictional, the movie is hilarious, speedy, and a beautiful watch.

The Cannonball Run (1981) & Cannonball Run II (1984)

While each of those movies are utterly fictional, the fictional nature contributes to the magnificence of the race itself. Watching these motion pictures won’t offer you any historic context, however they’re a enjoyable watch with well-known actors and actresses together with Burt Reynolds and Farrah Fawcett. The Cannonball Run and Cannonball Run II are bought as a field set on Amazon.

APEX: The Secret Race Across America (2019)

Shifting backwards and forwards between the views and experiences of these concerned within the 1983 U.S. Express and the 2006 unsanctioned Cannonball Run, this movie transports the viewer right into a front-row seat for the notorious race. Beginning with a quick historical past of the Cannonball Run, the movie then shifts into first-person recounts of the races.

More than something, this movie reveals the preparation and dedication it took for the 2006 group of Alex Roy and David Maher to efficiently beat a file held by Doug Turner and David Diem that stood for practically 20 years.

You will see the lengths and strategies that Roy and Maher used. They would cover behind 18-wheelers, flip off their headlights to keep away from being seen, and be in fixed contact with a small airplane hovering over them.

During the run, at one level, the radio utterly stopped working. At the identical time, you see the humanity of each Roy and Maher, just like the second once they cease off at a Burger King drive-thru to get meals whereas on the Cannonball Run. Of course, you could surprise, “Why didn’t they just pack food?” But who is aware of, whenever you need hen fries, you need hen fries.

You should purchase the movie, “APEX: The Secret Race Across America” to stream by way of Prime Video or iTunes. The APEX web site notes, “APEX shatters the myths surrounding the transcontinental record and shows never-before-seen footage from the Cannonball, U.S. Express, and modern runs.”

Books

Cannonball! World’s Greatest Outlaw Road Race by Brock Yates

Published in 2003, “Cannonball!” was the primary e-book written in regards to the Cannonball Run.

In the Nineteen Seventies, Brock Yates was the senior editor of Car and Driver Magazine. But, that was not the one factor he was as much as — Yates created the Cannonball Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash.

Not solely is that this e-book stuffed with unbelievable tales of the Cannonball Run, however it additionally comprises pictures from many legendary moments. Written by one of the crucial well-known automobile journalists whose impression continues to be reaching automobile fanatics as we speak, “Cannonball!” is bound to impress.

The Driver: My Dangerous Pursuit of Speed and Truth within the Outlaw Racing World by Alexander Roy

Alexander Roy beat the Cannonball Run Record in 2006 after the file stood for practically 20 years. The Driver is Roy’s memoir, reflecting on all of his daring races internationally.

All of the races in his life ready him to beat the Cannonball file, driving from New York to Los Angeles in 32 hours and seven minutes. This e-book offers a compelling and deeply attention-grabbing have a look at the story behind Roy’s motivations and experiences.

FOR THE RECORD: 28:50 A Journey Toward Self-Discovery and The Cannonball Run Record by Ed Bolian

Published in 2017, Ed Bolian, a natural-born storyteller and racer, writes a memoir that speaks about greater than the logistics surrounding beating the Cannonball Run file. This e-book intertwines fascinating automobile tales and Bolian’s grappling along with his religion and explores what led him to have the need to grow to be the subsequent record-holder for the Cannonball Run.

Reality Is More Interesting Than Fiction

To most, the prospect of taking part on this race may as effectively be a fairytale … or a nightmare. The Cannonball Run is a really actual race that has stood the take a look at of time due to some loopy, pushed those that preserve desirous to beat the file.

After studying this text, maybe you need to go on a Cannonball Run bender and skim each e-book and watch each film you could find. Or, maybe you need to scratch that racing itch of yours, a method or one other.

If you like the fun however hate the precise hazard, we propose refining your driving abilities at a efficiency driving faculty, at a observe day, or on the pc or simulator. Quenching your want for pace in these retailers gained’t put the crosshairs of the regulation on you, like a Cannonball Run will.

When requested what outlined the Cannonball Run, Alex Roy answered, “Politics. Defiance. Endurance. Speed. Struggle. No stopping except for fuel and repairs. A route from coast-to-coast. An icepick in the face of convention.”

The Cannonball Run is an instance of when the realities of life find yourself being extra fascinating than fiction.