Event Coverage Cannon Ball Run - Hot Rods Only!

Guys even if it never happens it sure is great seeing the good old traditional hot rod enthusiasm rushing thru.

What route would be right or is it any route and how gets there 1st?
Want to avoid those NV and UT cops they are dynamite. Mind the CA guys dont miss much either.

I got a 24 gallon tank in my 29 tudor which would be a blessing in something like this, mind you my headlights would need some help at speed.

 

that was what google maps quoted, but then again our educational system has been failing us non stop these days.

 

Try mapquest

 

I reckon I'd Fly over for this, even if I had to run back up in a rental. Who needs a co pilot!!!!!!

 

The real name of the Cannonball Run was the "Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash." It was named after E.C. 'Cannonball' Baker, a stuntman who drove from LA to NY in 1933 in a Graham Paige Blue Streak 8 in the mind-boggling time of 53 hours-- averaging almost 60 mph (with stops) in an era with no interstates, and few paved roads.

The original 70s Cannonballs started at the Red Ball parking garage on E 31st St. in NYC and finished at the Portofino restaurant in Marina del Rey. Later ones started in Connecticut, but always finished at the Portofino. Lots of great stories from it - my favorite was Yates and Gurney in the Ferrari, and Yates & Hal Needham in the disguised ambulance.

I like the idea of doing it in a hot rod, but restricting it only to hot rods is completely against the anarchist spirit of the Cannonball. Coolest thing about the old race in the 70s is the sort of open-end "mission engineering" and subterfuge that went into it; how a bunch of Pollacks in a Chevy Van could be faster than a world driving champion in a Ferrari. It was all about getting from A to B as fast as possible, by any means necessary. No route, no rules, other than it had to be via ground transportation.

The sad fact of the matter is that anyone organizing something like this is facing a potential liability nightmare. What if a participant (in an organized premeditated illegal speed contest) accidentally hits and kills a kid? And an aggressive lawyer, during discovery, traces its organization back to this thread? Another problem: 'Cannonball Run' is a registered trademark, and I don't think they'd be happy to let anyone use it.

Sadly, I think another "real" Cannonball Run will have to await the lawyer-free paradise that awaits in the post-apocalyse. I guess there's the "Bull Run," but that appears to be a made-for-TV clusterfuck of D-list celebrities, idiot Eurotrash, and orange spray tan douchebags, not real car people.

 

How about the "Bull Run" 2005 won by the Gas Monkey Garage Richard Rawlings '31 Model A that won a similar cross country race in 2005 with a 500 Caddy engine!

http://www.gasmonkeygarage.com/31bullrun/29.htm

 

Lets come up with a name that relates to Hot Rods doing what in some respects they were built for.
I've seen some of those Fed-ex trucks hauling 2 trailers setting some serious records on I40.

 

same thing...

dumb, dumb, dumb...

 

I can see it with the only rule being your car has to be a 64 or earlier [HAMB guideline] to compete. Sounds like a lotta fun to me. Maybe a homemade trophy waiting for the first guy to arrive in L.A. and bragging rights.
There would be no way to enforce any rules regarding GPS, cell phones etc etc...use whatever you want.

 

H.A.C.C.eR.

Hokey-Ass Cross-Country Race.

 

And in 1926 the same guy drove a loaded 2 ton GMC truck from NYC to San Francisco in 5-3/4 days. The truck run is claimed to be bullshit and some say he put the truck on a train when no one was looking.A 1926 GMC truck was flat out at 30 mph,that's an average speed of about 21 MPH for 138 continous hours of driving.A large trucks on the roads of the 1920's would be lucky to go 15 mph.
And an average of 60 mph in 1933? That would be damn near impossible today in the same Graham Paige car on Interstates I would think.But anything is possible,probably snorting coke the whole way

 

The "Hot Rod Free For All" or the "NYCLA Flyer"

 

AAAND your wrong. that thing was a race car with old tin over it,

straight axle yes, model A body yes, and thats where the traditional stops
if someone does this i'd like to see it done with real cars, maybe let racers
run radials ( for safety and headache suppression) after that era correct cars
have the technology cut off be say like "63"

 

Classes? We don't need no stinking classes. Run whatcha brung and bring plenty of amphetamines!

 

In 1978 I was going from Ft Benning back to Ft.Irwin it was around 3 am and I was going down the road in my 70 nova 396 and I had a flat black 71 camero fly by not one to be passed I hung for a few miles it was all flat down to the rims, with black smoke glass, we cruzed around 95 mph then he went bye bye at 136 I backed down and lost view of him no lights nothing, running dark. The owner I didnt find out for almost 20 years was one of my personal heros of all time Mr.Brock Yates.

 

Rules for this would be very simple:

1) First car to the finish line wins. Everybody leaves the staging area simutaneously. Talk about FUN! Who needs to punch a clock, anyway?
2) YOU are responsible for any tickets you get, mayhem you may cause, or bail you may require. Bonus points will be issued if you become a feature on "Wildest Police Chases", however.
3) Have a great time!

How complicated does it have to get?

 

Denise, I would be up for that challenge if i still had the wagon.... with that ride it knew how to make it coast to coast on its own..

 

sounds good im in

 

Call it the HAMBall....and as long as no specific person takes charge (by name), it's just an idea that we're bouncing around. They can try to sue the HAMB all they want, but I'd bet that most of us have more carrying around cash in our pocket than they'd be able to squeeze out of this website.

Some of the 'run whatcha brung' is enticing, but keep in mind, some of us in here might have some fairly suitable post 64 rides. I'd rather see it kept in the spirit of the HAMB with 1964 being the cutoff year.

I'm thinking about having one of my pilot buddies fly about 40 minutes in front of me at MEA to keep an eye out for the gendarmes and possibly pick up any errant radar signals. Would that be cheating? I'll make sure he's in a vintage pre64 aircraft.

dj

 

I'm interested to see who is going to set a starting date, time & place! Sounds good.

 

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"The object of the Cannonball was to leave the Red Ball Garage on East 31st Street in New York City, usually after midnight, and drive to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, California"

 

Ryan, where are you on this? Love, Nancy

 

who the hell needs uppers to stay awake for under two days?

break those out if you want a race from the canadian border to panama

 

Let's go...ready here in motown (not like I'll be missing work...)

 

With the perfectly running 331, size of the gas tank & my compleatly wacked insomnia....I could do this in the fleetwood no problem.
It really isn't a balls to the wall sort of deal, i mean not everyone would take the same route. stop the same time for gas food, get in the same traffic, it be interesting to see no doubt, and id be totaly in.

 

well i'm not in the position to participate in the event as i'm a few miles out of the way. It's just that i run a show here in australia and was wondering how far off this event was from taking place.
Could be good to cover for our magazine!!

 

Braggin rights AND the cover of an Auzzie rag...LET"S DO IT!
(My wife hates when I get, "Thunder Down Under")...

 

If the offer of Denise's cookies is still on the table I'll do it. Granted prize money would be nice to offset gas but cookies are an important food group.

 

You could offer to ride shotgun and help split the cost of fuel and driving for someone participating therefore getting a REALLY great story for your mag.