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Event Coverage Cannon Ball Run - Hot Rods Only!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by fiftyv8, Jul 6, 2009.

  1. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    I have been theorizing for a while on how a good old cannon ball run would work for hot rods.

    What routes would make it interesting and how would you break up the classes.
    For example flathead powered and OHV powered

    A separate class for 50's pickups etc.

    Has this ever been done in the past in real life, not theory like now?

    Finally how many out there would go the distance?

    Just something to think about while I am watching the bubbles in my cold beer rise to the surface.
     
    Last edited: Jul 7, 2009
  2. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,723

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Classes? It's run what ya brung. Don't turn it into bracket racing.
     
  3. fab32
    Joined: May 14, 2002
    Posts: 13,985

    fab32
    Member Emeritus

    Agree with Zman. The real Cannonball is all about getting there first, competiton be damned. Look up the entries of the first Cannonballs, you'll be amazed at the crossection of vehicles. If possibly you were thinking about making it fair..................another misconception. There is no such thing as cheating, it's wide open............winner take all.............."if you can't play with the big dogs,stay on the porch".

    Frank
     
  4. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    Distance? What distance? Where is it going to start and end??
     

  5. BenD
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 1,591

    BenD
    Alliance Member

    Sea to shining sea of course. ;)

    Seriously, who would be willing to actually do it?
     
  6. lostn51
    Joined: Jan 24, 2008
    Posts: 2,156

    lostn51
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Tennessee

    We had a cannonball run through here several years back and a buddy of mine who is a sheriffs deputy pulled over one of them. The only way he got him was rush hour traffic as he got closer to town. Come to find out it was a husband and wife team and they explained what was going on and that there would be more coming because they were about mid pack. After looking at the couples car (a race prepped Viper) he let him go and told him to slow it down.

    Lucky for the driver that he was pulled over by a gear head otherwise they would be looking at a few days behind bars. He did tell me that he saw a couple more of them go by and they were easy to spot with numbers and sponsor decals all over them.

    It would be fun as hell to do one, but in todays world with all of the technology it is almost unfeasible with a traditional hot rod. What you want is more like a rally and it is a lot safer and is legal.
     
  7. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    I'd race anyone here on the HAMB in their tradtional styled hot rod from one coast to the other in a heartbeat. :D
     
  8. lostn51
    Joined: Jan 24, 2008
    Posts: 2,156

    lostn51
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Tennessee

    Also you would have to offer up stupid money for a prize.

    After all you are risking life and limb and breaking God knows how many laws by doing this, and running the risk of serious jail time if caught.

    I dont think a box of Denise's cookies would be enough to make me do it.......wait........let me back up on that one, she does have a hell of a reputation when it comes to her cookies!:D
     
  9. lostn51
    Joined: Jan 24, 2008
    Posts: 2,156

    lostn51
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Tennessee

    Another question.......are Firestone wide whites even speed rated?:rolleyes:
     
  10. With our lack of safety standards or equipment the odds would be that something awful would happen and then the hammer would come down on us all.
     
  11. BenD
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 1,591

    BenD
    Alliance Member

    I think you're correct on one count.....the cookies.
     
  12. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,723

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Nancy boy. :eek:
     
  13. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    Prize?? Who needs a prize? I'd do it just to have the experience and I wouldn't care if I won or not......but I'd sure try my hardest to!:cool:


    I'd have to save the cookies in my bag of tricks in case I got pulled over by the PoPo.:D
     
  14. Wikster
    Joined: Jun 19, 2008
    Posts: 107

    Wikster
    Member
    from Phoenix

    You actually don't have to offer up stupid money. The prize is the pride of winning. Take a look at Baja racing! They call 'em trophy trucks for a reason.
     
  15. I like the idea, I'm personally about drive not show.
    How about poker runs, 100 miles or so, slower pace same type of find it-hit it excitment??
    Are there any orginized Hot Rod poker runs in California??
     
  16. beatnik
    Joined: Nov 8, 2002
    Posts: 2,209

    beatnik
    Member

    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 in the shortest time possible.

    The initial cross-country run was accomplished by Yates's son Brock Jr., Smith, and friend Jim Williams beginning on May 3, 1971. The first running was done in a 1971 Dodge Custom Sportsman van, called the "Moon Trash II". The race was run four more times, on November 15, 1971; November 13, 1972; April 23, 1975; and April 1, 1979. The most remarkable effort certainly was by American racing legend and winner of the 1967 24 hours of Le Mans, Dan Gurney, winning the second run in a Ferrari Daytona. Dan himself put it best, saying: "At no time did we exceed 175 mph." With Brock Yates as co-driver, it took them 35 hours and 54 minutes to travel 2863 miles at an average of approximately 80 mph, while collecting one fine. Snow in the Rockies slowed them down considerably. The record for official Cannonballs is 32 hours and 51 minutes (about 87 mph), set in the final run by Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough in a Jaguar XJS in April 1979.

    Since the speed limits are a lot higher than they were when the original races were run you really wouldn't have to push that hard to make a respectable time.

    There were a couple of HAMBers talking about trying to get a pre 1964 underground Cannonball Run going in the fall if they can get enough people to make it fun.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2009
  17. Hambone64
    Joined: Oct 5, 2008
    Posts: 131

    Hambone64
    Member

    Fuck it. I'm down.
     
  18. missysdad1
    Joined: Dec 9, 2008
    Posts: 3,304

    missysdad1
    Member

    A cross-country timed rally would still have all the fun but without the need for excess speed. Checkpoints are set up and drivers are penalized for being early as well as late!

    Accurate clocks and odometers are the main gear, along with a good set of maps and a good attitude between driver and navigator.

    I've done it a couple of times and it's a hoot!

    No need to tarnish our sport with crazy behavior to have fun!
     
  19. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member

    The Great Race sounds like it's more your speed/style.;)

    http://www.greatrace.com/newsite/
     
  20. racer67x
    Joined: Oct 30, 2007
    Posts: 261

    racer67x
    Member

    well then it wouldn't be a Cannonball would it..RIP Brock Yates
     
  21. propwash
    Joined: Jul 25, 2005
    Posts: 3,857

    propwash
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    Hmmm...pre64? That's all? Good idea...let's get busy. Trophy is fine - as previously stated, the participation, the pleasure of finishing at all, and the lofty goal of actually finishing first OVERall...that's the prize. As to the purported "we'll all hang" suggestion...we're all "big boys (and girls)", and in the words of the immortal owner of the world famous cockatoo Fred - "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime". Anyone that doesn't have a few extra days to spend in 'stir' or sufficient funds to spring themselves (and get their ride out of impound), should probably wait for the movie. I agree that with the current elevated speed limits in some states, there might be less of a gap between what we can get away with and what they'll 'getcha' for.

    Point is, that the HAMBall can be done...within the bounds of good sense tempered with some good old-fashioned displays of SCOFFLAWness.

    Some consideration should be given to the idea of everyone WEST of the Mississippi launching from the CA start/finish line, and everyone EAST of the Mississippi launching from the NY start/finish line. Then the police would have to decide which way to point the radar guns....

    this could be fun to banter about, even if it doesn't happen. Someone needs to design event T-shirts and/or jackets.

    dj
     
  22. cb1
    Joined: May 31, 2007
    Posts: 412

    cb1
    Member
    from Wisconsin

  23. It's supposed to be run whatcha brung. The odds or winning are sooo slim, you are really just doing it for the experience anyways. If you get too many rules, then it just becomes a Power Tour. I do think a traditional hot rod and custom "Power Tour" type event would be cool, with stops at places that have to do with racing and custom heritage.
     
  24. greazhonkey
    Joined: Oct 28, 2006
    Posts: 889

    greazhonkey
    Member

    Bragging rights is more valuable than any prize.
     
  25. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,723

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    Not even close to the same excitement...

    I'm sure someone could twist my arm.

    LMAO, yeah and bracket racing is the same as Top Fuel. Bunch of Nancy Boys. :eek:
     
  26. zman
    Joined: Apr 2, 2001
    Posts: 16,723

    zman
    Member
    from Garner, NC

    2831 miles according to Google maps. 43 hours worth of driving.
     
  27. hotrodladycrusr
    Joined: Sep 20, 2002
    Posts: 20,765

    hotrodladycrusr
    Member


    Dudes not on the HAMB nor as you know is he in a tradtional styled hot rod. He won't even hear about it in his world till it's over in ours.;)

    Don't say it if you don't mean it :p

    Piece of cake.....Big Olds is doing three times that amount of miles next month in one trip. Bring it on!:D
     
  28. BenD
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 1,591

    BenD
    Alliance Member


    Did I miss something? I thought Brock was still with us.
     
  29. propwash
    Joined: Jul 25, 2005
    Posts: 3,857

    propwash
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    to those of you that do not understand the CANNONBALL RACE theory, quit telling us how there can be classes and checkpoints. This is NOT what Sea-To-Shining-Sea is all about. It's about getting from A to B in the shortest amount of time between those TWO points - no judges (well, maybe the traffic court kind if you get unlucky), no rule, no nothin' but get there as soon as possible. There could be a "bad beat" award to the car collecting the most citations in the time span of the contest.

    This won't be easy to set up....but it will be fun all around.

    dj
     
  30. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    How many actual traditional hot rods out there would be up to such a run.
    I mean really?
    Could we do a tailored run say start in the center of the country and head out both east or west on 2 set routes.
    A bit like the 1/8th mile instead of the 1/4 mile runs in drag racing.
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2009

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