(This text has been up to date constantly since its publication in 2021 to replicate the most recent information and data obtainable. We’ll proceed to remain on high of all issues Cannonball.)
The Cannonball Run is an unparalleled avenue race with one aim: Drive from New York to California within the shortest period of time. Let’s dive into all issues Cannonball and look into the Cannonball Run report books.
Cannonball Run Report: 25 hours and 39 minutes by Arne Toman and Doug Tabbutt in a 2016 Audi S6 in Might 2020
Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast Cannonball Run Report: 61 hours and 59 minutes by Nik Krueger, Wesley Vigh, and Christopher Michaels in a 2008 Saab 9-5 Aero
Solo Cannonball Run Report: 27 hours and 16 minutes by Chris Stowell in a 2015 BMW 535d on August 25-26, 2024 (additionally the Diesel and Non-COVID information)
Bike Cannonball Run Report: 32 hours and 32 minutes by Ross “Beau” Earnest aboard a 2008 Yamaha FJR1300 on April 21, 2024
EV Cannonball Run Report: 42 hours and 17 minutes by Ryan Levenson and Josh Allan in a rented Tesla Mannequin S Lengthy Vary in October 2021
Cannonball Run
Once you first hear of an unlawful and unsanctioned race throughout your entire United States, maybe chaos and carelessness come to thoughts. Possibly 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. Though the race is unlawful, it’s something however chaotic or careless.
The truth is that the racers of the Cannonball Run are normally methodical, attentive, and diligent, which is probably much more baffling. Brock Yates, who created the race within the Seventies, needed to show that you possibly can “drive quickly across the country in normal traffic without disrupting anyone or being unsafe.”
The run historically begins on the Crimson Ball Storage in Manhattan, New York, and ends on the Portofino Lodge & Marina in Redondo Seaside, Calif. To today, there are only some individuals each loopy and decided sufficient to try the coast-to-coast run, particularly with the aim of a brand new Cannonball report.
At first of the 2019 documentary, “APEX: The Secret Race Across America” which covers the true story of how the Cannonball Run report 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 top 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 long run, the documentary doesn’t try and untangle the complexities of the 110 years of the Cannonball Run, merely stating, “Those questions can’t be answered.”
Coast-to-Coast Racing
On this Cannonball Run article, you can see an entire historical past and rundown of all of the information, and a listing of films and books in regards to the run.
Historical past of the Cannonball Run
Let’s discuss in regards to the historical past of this race that spans from 1903 to now — how this race got here to be and the way it withstood the take a look at of time, scrutiny, and properly, the regulation. In an attention-grabbing twist, with a purpose to keep away from authorized ramifications, all data of the people who set the brand new information are sometimes not launched till not less than a 12 months after the very fact, as soon as the statute of limitations has expired.
Paving the Street for the Cannonball Run
The primary cross-country drive, from San Francisco to New York Metropolis, was accomplished in 1903 by George Adams Wyman on a 1902 California Motor Firm motor bicycle. The journey, which coated 3,800 miles and took 51 days, concluded on July 6, 1903.
At the very same time, H. Nelson Jackson and his mechanic Sewall Crocker, have been the primary to cross the continent by vehicle, in a 1903 Winton touring automotive. They began their journey sooner than Wyman, however accomplished it after him, taking 64 days to finish the journey.
Alice Ramsey; (picture/Library of Congress)
In 1909, 22-year-old Alice Ramsey drove a 30-horsepower Maxwell DA touring automotive from Manhattan to San Francisco in 59 days. She is the primary girl to drive an vehicle throughout the U.S. coast to coast. She was accompanied by three different ladies, none of whom may drive. Of the three,600-mile route, solely 152 miles have been paved. Meaning it included altering 11 tires, a damaged brake pedal, cleansing fouled spark plugs, and sleeping within the automotive when it acquired caught within the mud.
These inaugural journeys proved it could possibly be performed and impressed rival groups of motorists to show the journey right into a race.
Issues actually acquired shifting a few decade later when transcontinental freeway plans have been devised. It could then take a few years to see these plans come to fruition, however cross-country journeys fairly rapidly acquired a lot simpler and sooner.
Erwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker
Erwin George “Cannon Ball” Baker after finishing his report transcontinental journey.
A person named Erwin George Baker, whom everybody knew as “Cannon Ball” Baker, set the coast-to-coast report for driving a automotive throughout the nation from New York to Los Angeles in 1933. Baker spent nearly all of his profession prepping for it by using transcontinentally on a motorbike. On the time, the roads he drove have been completely unpaved.
Baker efficiently set the report 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 via the entire Cannonball Run makes an attempt that adopted.
53:30 — An Unofficial Report That Stood for 38 Years
In 1933, Baker tried his final coast-to-coast drive throughout america, finishing the journey in 53 hours and half-hour. To know how spectacular this time was, keep in mind that simply 19 years earlier, it took him almost 12 days to do the identical factor. Not like his earlier information, this one didn’t have the identical timekeeping and proof, so wasn’t thought of an official report.
Behind the wheel of a Graham Vehicle, Cannon Ball Baker made historical past. After all, 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 dying, Baker was inducted into quite a few motorsports halls of fame. The Motorsports Corridor of Fame of America remembers Baker’s unmatched influence: “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.”
Though the 1933 report has been crushed many instances over, it stays true that Cannon Ball Baker’s affect won’t ever be forgotten.
Notice: A 2,913 mile transcontinental run by Betty Skelton in 1956 of 56 hours and 58 minutes was the official report of this period. There are possible three different information set earlier than the primary ‘official’ Cannonball run, in 1959, 1965, and 1968.
The First ‘Official’ Unsanctioned Races: Brock Yates & the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint
In 1971, 38 years after Baker’s unofficial report, Brock Yates made the race a family title. He referred to as it the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint. Yates — the senior editor for Automobile and Driver Journal on the time — Brock Yates Jr., Steve Smith, and Jim Williams set out from New York Metropolis in a 1971 Dodge Customized Sportsman van, often called “Moon Trash II.”
Identical to when Cannon Ball Baker made the journey, this drive was not but a race, nevertheless 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 Metropolis — and Darien, Conn., as soon as — and ended on the Portofino Inn in Redondo Seaside, Calif. Within the perplexing spirit of the Cannonball Run, this race was each framed as a celebration of the U.S. Interstate Freeway System and a protest towards strict site visitors legal guidelines, particularly the 55mph velocity restrict enforced on main highways.
The principles have been that you just made your individual guidelines. In a March 1972 Automobile 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 Keep in mind: November 15, 1971
Web page from March 1972 Automobile and Driver Journal
The primary race happened on November 15, 1971. A function from the March 1972 concern of Automobile and Driver Journal, written by Brock Yates himself, sums it up: “Those damn fools, they went and did it.”
The fools in query? Nicely, that might be Dan Gurney and … Brock Yates. Six automobiles left the Crimson Ball Storage in New York Metropolis, all headed west towards the Portofino Inn in Redondo Seaside. A couple of hours in, two extra automobiles joined in, making for a fleet of eight automobiles stuffed with “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 sooner than the second-place staff. On 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 acquired rushing tickets.
Funnily sufficient, a big motor van participated on this race. Invoice Broderick, alongside Pal Parker, drove a 27-foot Travico motor residence. 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.” On the finish 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 Sprint
On November 13, 1972, Steve “Yogi” Behr, Invoice Canfield, and Fred Olds gained the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint with a time of 37 hours and 16 minutes. Whereas this staff beat the opposite racers, they didn’t beat Gurney and Yates’ 1971 report. They raced in a Cadillac Coupe DeVille — the primary American automotive to win the Cannonball Run.
Nonetheless, the report didn’t stand for lengthy. In 1975, Jack Might and Rick Cline drove a Ferrari Dino in 35 hours and 53 minutes, at a mean velocity of 81 mph, to say the brand new report.
‘Final’ Cannonball Run in 1979
Within the 1979 Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint, Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough beat the report by 3 hours and a pair of minutes. Driving in a Jaguar XJS, the staff achieved a time of 32 hours and 51 minutes with a mean velocity of 86 mph. Notably, not like any of the opposite makes an attempt, this run started in Darien, Conn.
Automobile and Driver contributing editor Fred M.H. Gregory gave an account of The Final 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.
Curiously, Yates’ car for this run was a Dodge ambulance with a Magnum 440 engine. Inside 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 report.
And whereas Yates used the guise of an ambulance, one other staff (Lou Sellyei and Gary Arentz) merely put a cooler inside their Jaguar XJ-S. When pulled over for rushing, they stated, “We’re rushing to save a child’s sight, officer.” They have been each physicians, however the contents of the cooler, properly, have been pig’s eyes.
Brock Yates, the organizer of the unique Cannonball Run, doesn’t formally acknowledge any information after 1979. Yates commented, “I stopped the race because I knew sooner or later that somebody was going to get killed.” However Yates left the Cannonball floodgates open. “If people want to try it, the roads are open,” he stated.
Cannonball Run Below a New Title: The U.S. Categorical
(Picture/Hagerty Media)
The U.S. Categorical was held from 1980 to 1983. Whereas the race was tried for 4 years, the report was not crushed till Doug Turner and David Diem beat it in 1983.
Within 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. Categorical
Rick Doherty and Will Wright win the 1980 U.S. Categorical
Simply because it did up to now, the race started in New York and resulted in California. Within the case of the 1980 U.S. Categorical, it started in Brooklyn and resulted in Santa Monica. The winners of the 1980 race have been Rick Doherty and Will Wright coming in at 33 hours and 9 minutes. That point, as spectacular because it was, didn’t beat the 1979 report of 32 hours and 51 minutes held by Heinz and Yarborough.
Curiously sufficient, the co-driver, Will Wright, was a well-known recreation designer. Wright’s experience in know-how translated properly to the preparation wanted for a Cannonball report try.
1981 U.S. Categorical
In 1981, although they didn’t beat the report, David Morse and Steve Clausman drove a Porsche 928 on a route that was totally on I-80 to take residence the win. This race started in Lengthy Island, N.Y., and completed in Emeryville, Calif. The automotive was geared up with a large gasoline tank. Clausman was an expert driver and Morris was a businessman.
When reflecting on their experiences within the documentary “APEX,” they spoke of how vital it was for the motive force and co-driver to enhance each other. Clausman, each critically and jokingly, stated, “It is probably the stupidest thing I’ve done in my life.”
1982 U.S. Categorical
Data concerning the 1982 U.S. Categorical appears to be almost 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, David Morse, the 1981 winner of the U.S. Categorical, stated, concerning 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 automotive particularly as revenge for his profitable the 1981 race.
1983 U.S. Categorical
Diem and Turner gained with this 1980 Ferrari 308 GTS in 1983; (picture: Cory Welles through edbolian.com)
In what would develop into the ultimate U.S. Categorical, Doug Turner and David Diem beat the Cannonball Run report, taking the win in 32 hours and seven minutes. Their report stood for over 20 years till 2006.
Turner and Diem have been the primary individuals to make use of a airplane as a scouting device throughout their drive. Due to that, their try was met with some scrutiny as many individuals noticed the usage of a airplane as dishonest. However whereas many individuals have been unsure if a small airplane or perhaps a helicopter may make it throughout america in 32 hours, Turner and Diem managed to get a automotive throughout america in that point.
Curiously, a documentary titled “32 Hours 7 Minutes” was created however by no means launched. You’ll be able to view an unofficial trailer. There have been and are many lawsuits and disagreements surrounding the discharge of this documentary, and it was finally by no means launched to the general public. It’s technically obtainable on DVD however goes for upward of $100 on Amazon.
The Finish of the U.S. Categorical
The 1983 U.S. Categorical 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 out of the blue very conscious of the underground race. Any time a automotive can be rushing, in response to the documentary, “APEX,” police would suppose, “Wow, it could be Cannonball coming through!”
So, why did the race finish simply as a staff lastly broke the report? Because the race turned publicized, legal responsibility elevated. Thus, the Cannonball Run below the title the U.S. Categorical ended for good, and the report of 32 hours and seven minutes stood for over 20 years.
Extra Cannonball: Completely different Names
After the U.S. Categorical ended, the legacy of organized transcontinental races continued. Within the spirit of Cannonball, drivers continued with transcontinental occasions together with One Lap of America, The 2904, and the C2C Categorical.
The 2904
(Picture/The2904.org)
Often known as the Transcontinental Motorized Vehicular Event of Effectivity and Endurance, The 2904 is an unofficial race that goes from, you guessed it, New York Metropolis to California that was began by John Ficarra.
The catch? It’s a must to 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 are going to buy further security tools, that doesn’t depend towards you within the finances.
The 2904 started in 2007 and has occurred eight instances since then, up till 2017. In 2015, the report for The 2904 was set at 32 hours and 5 minutes in a 2002 Mercedes S55. After all, Ed Bolian was behind the wheel and he cataloged his whole expertise. You’ll be able to take a look at the total checklist of The 2904 occasion winners right here.
C2C Categorical
The C2C Categorical 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 12 months’s Particular: The Ultimate Working of The C2C Categorical.
The Washington Publish describes the C2C Categorical as, “Five cars, 13 guys, countless energy drinks and 2,900 miles of asphalt: Welcome to the C2C Express.”
New Period of Particular person Cannonball Runs
With the top of the U.S. Categorical, the Cannonball Run turned a person endeavor with single groups making the run to attempt to break the general report. And whereas many makes an attempt have gone unpublicized through the years, the groups which have damaged the report have largely been extraordinarily vocal about it — after the statute of limitations is up, after all.
2006 Cannonball Run Report of Alex Roy & David Maher
In 2006, Alex Roy and David Maher beat the Cannonball Run Report with a time of 31 hours and 4 minutes in a BMW M5. The small print 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. Categorical race.
Utilizing an immense quantity of know-how, 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 minimize brief when his M5’s gasoline pump failed in Oklahoma. However that didn’t cease him from making an attempt the run once more, leading to his 2006 report.
2013 Cannonball Run Report of Ed Bolian, Dave Black, and Dan Huang
Ed Bolian, together with Alex Roy, is probably probably the most outspoken participant of the Cannonball Run. If there have been to be an honorary skilled on this matter, it might possible 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 automotive due to its understated seems to be, making it extra more likely to go unnoticed, which is strictly what a Cannonballer desires. Their common velocity was 98 mph, and the automotive had 67 gallons of gasoline capability. In whole, the staff 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 report. He talked about how, as a excessive schooler, he was given the chance to interview Brock Yates for a venture in automotive journalism.
Bolian advised 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 could possibly be performed. Since that second, Bolian had got down to uncover what it might take to beat this report.
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 Report of Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and Berkeley Chadwick
Regardless of Bolian’s hope, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than the report was lowered once more. On November 10, 2019, Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and Berkeley Chadwick drove a 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG sedan throughout the nation in 27 hours and 25 minutes. This new report was just a bit over 1 hour sooner than the 2013 report.
Within the video We Broke the Cannonball Report, 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 report, he was “both excited and gutted.” He noticed Bolian’s time as unbeatable. However Arne didn’t get discouraged, as an alternative deciding to organize for his try. A lot of Toman’s time went into researching the very best gasoline switch system to attenuate time.
Doug Tabbutt remarked, “Don’t just meet your heroes, beat your heroes.” And, Arne and Doug did simply that. The co-drivers really met via Bolian. The remainder is historical past.
COVID-19 Pandemic Cannonball Run Period
Many individuals hunkered down and stayed residence throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the U.S. in March 2020. However, others took to the street. Is {that a} sensible or truthful concept? Nicely, one would possibly 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 information have been damaged at an unbelievable fee throughout the peak of the pandemic.
The emotions behind this race have all the time been that of immense preparation, innovation, and endurance. What, then, does it imply when drivers are profiting from an unprecedented time? Does that match the spirit of the Cannonball Run?
The primary confirmed new Cannonball report throughout the pandemic occurred in April 2020. Then, the report was damaged once more in Might. Then, the solo report was set later in Might — and, on the time, regarded as the general report.
Through the 5 weeks from April to Might 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.
April 9, 2020 Cannonball Run Report of Crew “Captain Chaos”
Ed Bolian introduced a brand new Cannonball report on April 9, 2020. When Bolian mentioned whether or not or not the rumors have been true of this preliminary report 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 staff that held the brand new Cannonball Run report 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 staff, 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.”
The nameless staff, dubbed “Captain Chaos” by the Cannonball group, set a brand new outright report of 26 hours and 38 minutes on April 4, 2020, in a 2019 Audi A8L. The staff saved their identities and particulars of the run below wraps for over 3 years, to ensure that the statute of limitations on their site visitors violations to elapse.
The staff and particulars of the Cannonball Run have been uncovered on the SwitchCast Podcast, with host Doug Tabbott. The three-person staff consisted of Chris Allen, James Allen, and Kale Odhner. Crew captain Allen is an completed endurance racer and the automotive used was his father’s leased Audi. The staff did use spotters, stabilized binoculars, a radar detector, Waze, and a few trunk-mounted marine gasoline cells to perform their report run. You’ll be able to hearken to all the main points right here.
The report run was one of many least costly ever and likewise a report that was held for the shortest period of time in historical past — about 40 days.
Early Might 2020 Cannonball Run Report of Arne Toman & Doug Tabbutt
Quick-forward to Might 2020. The April 2020 Cannonball Run report was as soon as once more crushed. In keeping with Bolian, the brand new report was below 26 hours, the automotive averaged over 120 mph for a lot of the drive, and the staff had over 30 spotters. Bolian believed this report was the top of the “COVID-19 Cannonball Era.”
It was later revealed that this was Arne Toman and Doug Tabbutt’s new 25-hour and 39-minute outright report.
On Bolian’s well-known YouTube Channel, VINwiki Automobile Tales, it was introduced on Might 14 that there had been one other New Cannonball Report. 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.”
Might 6-7, 2020 (Solo & Rental) Cannonball Run Report of Fred Ashmore*
Fred Ashmore’s rented automotive
Whereas the premise of the Cannonball Run on the whole is unfathomable for most individuals, doing the drive utterly alone is much more unbelievable.
In a mind-boggling feat, Ashmore rented a 2019 Ford Mustang GT from Avis for 17 days for $700. He then loaded it up with quite a few gasoline tanks — 127 gallons onboard in whole. “If I could take those two other people out and replace them with fuel,” Ashmore stated, “I could do it.” (As quoted in an October 2020 GQ article.)
He solely stopped one time for fuel, in Kellyville, Okla., touring the normal southern Cannonball Run route, over 2,806.2 miles. He averaged 12.3 mpg and about 109 mph. The run solely value him about $3,000 in whole.
Ashmore thought his run was performed when he sat at a California agriculture checkpoint for 20-plus minutes, however in the long run acquired waved via with out concern. He additionally had a run-in with a police officer close to Gardenia, Calif., the place he escaped arrest by exiting rapidly and looping round a number of instances earlier than getting again on observe. All the run was overseen from afar by Ashmore’s brother, who helped with calculations, climate, site visitors, and so on.
First reported by Angelo Melluso of Street & Monitor, Fred Ashmore made this solo try on Might 6-7, 2020, in a report time of 25 hours and 55 minutes. That story has since been up to date, to align with Benjamin Preston’s story on Street & Monitor that places Ashmore’s run into query — largely primarily based on this detailed report.
A VINwiki video of Ashmore sharing the story of his run was additionally launched, taken down, after which put again up with a disclaimer. A variety of different YouTube interviews with Ashmore speaking about his run have additionally been printed.
You learn that proper — a rental automotive with a single occupant simply set the quickest identified Cannonball Run time (publicly identified on the time). In the long run, it was really the solo and rental automotive information that Ashmore had set, because the early Might 2020 Toman/Tabbutt run was finally revealed as the general report.
Ashmore purchased the automotive a number of months later from a dealership, after monitoring it down, and owns it right this moment. He named the automotive “Kilroy.” You’ll be able to observe Ashmore’s automotive adventures on Instagram right here.
However, there may be a lot of drama, egos, and mistrust amongst the Cannonball group surrounding Ashmore and his run. A core group of the “fraternity of lunatics” that make up the Cannonball group have discredited Ashmore’s run, others locally haven’t discovered a substantive purpose to not imagine him.
I, Bryon Dorr, have talked to Ashmore immediately — the place I acquired the main points you see right here — in addition to others within the “fraternity of lunatics” and heard each side of this story. There are compelling causes to imagine and to not imagine Ashmore’s run to be authentic. However, in the long run, Ashmore has not been capable of produce any stable proof of his run to me or anybody else.
That is an ongoing saga and one which I’ll proceed to observe up on to make sure that this Cannonball report story is as correct as doable. At the very least, as a lot as reporting on a secretive and unlawful avenue race will be.
2023 U.S. Categorical Rebirth
2023 U.S. Categorical beginning line, the Crimson Ball Storage; (picture/Jay Roberts)
Forty years after it was final run, the U.S. Categorical was reborn. On October 27, 2023, 15 groups left the Crimson Ball Storage in New York, with 13 ending on the Portofino in California. A brand new aggressive occasion report was set with a time of 30:56, and the worst time of the occasion was 39:13. The organized occasion was placed on by Taylor Hull, with the permission of the unique occasion organizer’s (R.I.P. Rick Doherty) household.
The occasion was invite-only, with Hull hand-picking the individuals. Solely 1983 or older automobiles, with period-correct engines, have been permitted. Groups may depart the Crimson Ball anytime they needed between 6 p.m. and midnight on October 27. A couple of groups with newer automobiles additionally made noncompetitive runs whereas working sweep for the occasion, to assist out any groups that had points alongside the best way.
Jay Roberts was the official timekeeper, with groups every getting a paper time card that was manually punched — with a battery-powered basic time clock — and signed at every finish of the route. Jay flew between New York and California with the time clock.
The pristine security report of aggressive coast-to-coast occasions stays intact. However sure, a number of automobiles have been stopped with mechanical points, and some have been slowed down by getting “spirited driving awards” (higher often called rushing tickets).
New (Quick-Lived) Aggressive Occasion Report: 31:36
Crew Asphalt Anarchy pulls as much as the beginning line of the 2023 U.S. Categorical; (video/Jay Roberts)
Taylor Hull’s 1970 Dodge Charger staff, together with Hunter Robinson and Andrew Rodgers, was the primary automotive to reach on the Portofino throughout the 2023 U.S. Categorical, setting a brand new aggressive occasion report time of 31 hours and 36 minutes.
This new report would even be the shortest-lived aggressive occasion report as properly, as precisely 1 hour later it was bested.
Aggressive Occasion Report: 30:56 by Crew Operation 69
New aggressive occasion report being set, 30:56, by staff “Operation 69” throughout the 2023 U.S. Categorical; (video/Jay Roberts)
With a brand new aggressive occasion report of 30 hours and 56 minutes, Crew Operation 69 — Cameron Davis and Aaron Tulin — rolled into the Portofino in a 1979 Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9, averaging about 92 mph throughout the nation. The outdated Merc hit 69,000 miles on the odometer on the 2023 U.S. Categorical, therefore the staff title.
The automotive is a U.S.-spec model with Euro headlights, bumpers, and period-correct wheels. The large modification is a change from the three-speed auto with out overdrive to a six-speed handbook transmission with two overdrive gears. This provided higher gasoline economic system (10-11 mpg, in comparison with 8). It additionally allowed the automotive to cruise fortunately at 130 mph at 3,000 rpm in sixth gear. Electrical cooling followers changed the clutch fan below the hood, which elevated energy.
Modifications didn’t cease there, nevertheless. To drastically enhance vary, two 19-gallon gasoline cells, pumping into the primary tank, offered 64 gallons whole of onboard capability, equating to round 650 miles of vary per fill-up.
Off the entrance bumper hung 4 driving lights. Out again, there was the power to change between two totally different lighting patterns and a flipper plate that switches between classic and present tags. Inside there have been two telephones working Waze and Freeway Radar apps, a Garmin GPS for monitoring time and velocity, an adjunct swap panel, a swap for a valved muffler, further techniques monitoring gauges, and a radar detector.
Factoid: The route of the early ’80s U.S. Categorical, and earlier Cannonball Runs, was 150 or so miles shorter than fashionable routes. Two-lane roads like outdated Route 66 had for use; right this moment, highways like Route 10 and 44 are used. The outdated route was properly over 2,900 miles, whereas the brand new routes are simply over 2,800. Hold that in thoughts when evaluating outdated instances and common speeds to fashionable ones.
The place Does the Cannonball Run Go From Right here?
Most of those new total Cannonball Run information have arisen throughout a time when, fairly actually, your entire world was shut down. Does this imply the brand new Cannonball Run information will probably be unbeatable? Does that imply it’s the finish of an period? ”It may destroy the pursuit,” Bolian stated.
Once more, Bolian acknowledged that, on the finish of the day, “There aren’t real rules” in terms of the Cannonball Run. How may there be?
That is additionally the problem with speculating about the way forward for the Cannonball Run — as its historical past has proven, the occasion is sophisticated and unbelievable. The way 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 Automobile and Driver article, Cross-Nation Cannonball Pace Information Are Dumb. Within the headline, he acknowledged that Automobile and Driver initially popularized this race, as Brock Yates was the senior editor for the journal when he created the race in 1971.
However 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 distinct animal when it got here to driving than the current day.
On the finish 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 towards the Cannonball Run, got here immediately because of the numerous makes an attempt made throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Although 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 Resolve the Guidelines When There Are No Guidelines?
(Picture/VINwiki)
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 device generally utilized by the groups, is just not working as properly as a result of fewer persons are on the street. With that, an apparent professional is that there’s much less automotive site visitors on the street.
“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 blended emotions on the “okayness” of it.
With all this being stated, Bolian acknowledged that it might 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 Legislation Whereas Breaking the Legislation’ — Molly’s Sport
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 it is a factor that basically occurred. There have been some entertaining motion pictures about it, and it’s a part of American automotive 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 all the way down to the concept that information are each goal and subjective, Bolian concluded. The circumstances surrounding driving throughout COVID-19 will in all probability — hopefully — by no means be the identical circumstances for anybody sooner or later.
Ed outlined all of the controversy in his movies concerning the current information. Then, he ended on a constructive 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 concerning the current information: “They count.”
You could find all of Ed Bolian’s movies on VINwiki concerning the Cannonball Run on the video playlist, Cannonball Run Associated Automobile Tales.
The Unofficial Cannonball Run Report E-book
Whereas there aren’t any guidelines, there are a number of parameters. All the drivers started in New York and resulted in Los Angeles. Sometimes, the race begins someday after midnight.
On this part, you can see a full checklist of the Cannonball report holders. Throughout the checklist, you can see their instances, their names, and the automobiles they drove. If the knowledge was obtainable, we’ve got additionally outlined how every automotive was arrange, any distinctive methods that have been used, and any main points with the runs.
The one different unofficial Cannonball Run report checklist is a spreadsheet printed by Ed Bolian of VINwiki fame. You could find his checklist right here.
The Drive That Began Every little thing (1933)
53:30 Erwin George ‘Cannon Ball’ Baker
Higher 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 report time for driving throughout america. Baker’s time held for almost 4 a long time.
Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint (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. On this race, Gurney and Yates beat seven different groups. Notably, Gurney and Yates by no means exceeded 175 mph and had a mean velocity of 80 mph.
On March 1, 1972, Automobile and Driver Journal launched a function on the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint. The article described intimately the automotive that gained the race: “This staff left at 12:32. Their Ferrari was entered by exotic-car impresario Kirk F. White of Philadelphia. It was completely inventory (what could possibly be modified?), and no further 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.”
Whereas the seven different automobiles racing all took the same route, Dan and Brock took a distinct 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 Might & Rick Cline
Within the 1975 Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint, Jack Might, and Rick Cline beat the report held by Dan Gurney and Brock Yates by one single minute. They drove throughout america in a Ferrari Dino 246 GTS in 35 hours and 53 minutes.
32:51 Dave Heinz & Dave Yarborough
Within the 1979 Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint, Dave Heinz, and Dave Yarborough beat the report by 3 hours and a pair of minutes. Driving in a Jaguar XJS, the staff achieved a time of 32 hours and 51 minutes with a mean velocity of 87 mph.
Notably, not like any of the opposite makes an attempt, this run started in Darien, Conn.
The U.S. Categorical (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 sooner than the quickest Cannonball Run on the time. This was the “official” cross-country report till 2006.
The Ferrari 308 was designed to be refueled rapidly and had put in kill switches for brake lights. Turner and Diem spent months strategizing the very best route. Their common velocity was 89.89 mph, however they typically drove over 125 mph.
The Cannonball Run Report Holders (2006-Current)
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 report, working 31 hours and 4 minutes. The BMW M5 had a high velocity of 155 mph however could possibly be pushed to 190 mph with a software program improve. Whereas at instances they exceeded 150 mph, the typical velocity of the run was 90.1 mph.
The automotive was armed with three giant antennas, GPS navigation items, police scanners, night time imaginative and prescient so they might drive with out headlights, a number of cameras, and a 16-gallon gasoline cell. Additionally they had a small airplane following them your entire time with a radio communication system to maintain an eye fixed out for police and different obstacles. No one slept, they usually 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 velocity was 98 mph and the automotive had 67 gallons of gasoline capability. In whole, the staff solely stopped for 46 minutes.
27:25 Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and Berkeley Chadwick
On November 10, 2019, Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, 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 sooner than the 2013 report. The automotive was detuned to 700 wheel horsepower.
That they had many devices to help them together with radar detectors, a police scanner, a airplane crash avoidance system, and brake/tail gentle kill switches. Together with that, they used a thermal scope mounted on a gimbal on the roof which, in response to the staff, proved to be moderately unhelpful.
26:38 Chris Allen, James Allen, and Kale Odhner
In April 2020, Chris Allen, James Allen, and Kale Odhner drove a 2019 Audi A8 sedan throughout the U.S. in 26 hours and 38 minutes. Notably, their automotive was geared up with a pair of pink plastic marine gasoline tanks ratchet-strapped within the rear storage. The run’s common velocity was 106 mph.
25:39 Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and Dunadel Daryoush
In Might 2020, the staff of Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and Dunadel Daryoush drove a 2016 Audi S6, disguised as a Ford Taurus Police Interceptor, to a brand new report of 25 hours and 39 minutes. A 110 mph common velocity for your entire run was achieved, with most speeds reaching simply shy of 175 mph. Over 30 spotters have been used to attain this run. The staff left Manhattan at 6 p.m.
The automotive was modified to place out about 600 horsepower via modified turbos, an upgraded warmth exchanger, and a customized tune. A trunk-mounted 45-gallon gasoline cell, plus the automotive’s 22-gallon inventory tank, helped present the wanted vary and diminished gasoline stops.
A bunch of police-evasion modifications have been additionally put in on the automotive. These included radar detectors, laser diffusers, a CB radio, and a brake gentle kill swap. To high it off, a roof-mounted thermal digital camera was used to identify wildlife and police on the edges of the street forward.
For Tabbutt’s first-hand detailed account of this report run, take a look at this story.
Different Cannonball Run Information
Together with the normal Cannonball Run total report, there have additionally been quite a few different particular Cannonball Run information. Whereas the primary rule of the Cannonball Run is that there aren’t any guidelines, these class information have a number of self-imposed guidelines to adapt to the classes.
Cannonball Run Solo Report
The solo Cannonball Run report (together with the Diesel and Non-COVID information) is held by Chris Stowell with a time of 27 hours and 16 minutes. It was completed on August 25-26, 2024, in a 2015 BMW 535 diesel. The automotive had an ECU tune, sq. tire setup, and an auxiliary gasoline tank within the trunk — 40 gallons of gasoline on board for an 800-900 mile vary.
An Insta360 radar detector with a laser jammer was the one police detection machine used, together with Google Maps working on a smartphone and a DriveSmart Garmin GPS unit. Stowell left the Crimson Ball Storage at 2 a.m. on Monday morning, which allowed him to keep away from virtually all site visitors in each NYC and LA.
A 105mph common velocity was completed over the two,803.1-mile report run, with simply 32 minutes stopped — 15 of which have been a site visitors cease in Oklahoma, which resulted in a warning.
The earlier solo Cannonball Run report was held by Carl “Yumi” Dietz with a time of 27 hours and 54 minutes. It was set in a 2016 Cadillac ATS on April 4-5, 2020.
If Fred Ashmore can show his claimed time of 25 hours and 55 minutes from June 2020 in a rented 2020 Ford Mustang GT, he’ll get this report.
Solo Nonstop Cannonball Run Report
Jay Roberts set the brand new Solo Nonstop Cannonball Report at 33 hours and 45 minutes in September 2022 in a 2017 Toyota Prius. He was impressed by the VINwiki movies, on-line sources, and plenty 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 the inventory 11-gallon and three 32-gallon gasoline tanks, for a complete of 107 gallons. He didn’t cease for gasoline on your entire cross-country run and nonetheless had about 17 gallons left when he arrived on the Portofino.
Whereas he did have a radar detector and the JBV1 app working on an Android telephone, he largely relied on a digital group of spotters in a personal radar detector on-line group to assist him keep out of bother and on observe. He did get pulled over as soon as — for about 5 minutes — for rushing however wasn’t issued a ticket, by some means.
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 — with a purpose to clear the bugs off the windshield.
Roberts says he averaged 84 mph on the run and acquired 32 mpg. He drove 100-105 mph a lot of the run, to steadiness velocity with gasoline economic system, in addition to to beat his goal time of a sub-34-hour Cannonball Run.
Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast Cannonball Report
The primary identified C2C2C report was set in 1971 with a time of 90 hours by Ed Bruerton and Tom Bruerton in an AMC AMX.
In Might 2020, on the identical weekend because the Toman/Tabbutt total report, Chris Clemens and Mark Spence drove a 1999 Mercedes SL500 over 5,600 miles spherical journey from New York to Los Angeles to New York to set the brand new Double Cannonball report at 74 hours and 5 minutes.
On the drive west, the staff was ready to make use of most of the identical spotters that helped Toman and Tabbutt to an total Cannonball Report. The staff did, nevertheless, get pulled over as soon as for rushing, and issued a ticket, on the drive west.
There have been a lot of makes an attempt of C2C2C information since, particularly in 2022. A 65 hours and 19 minutes report was set on April 22-24, 2022, by Bennett Wison, Chris Ruppmann, and Grady Leno in a 2012 Mercedes S500. Solely every week previous to that report, and solely 9 minutes slower, the report had been set in a 2008 Saab 9-5 Aero by Nik Krueger, Wesley Vigh, and Mark Spence.
The report right this moment — retaken by a big margin — is held by Nik Krueger, Wesley Vigh, and Christopher Michaels in a closely modified 2008 Saab 9-5 Aero. It was set on October 17-20, 2024, over 5,619 miles at a mean velocity of 91 mph, with a time of 61 hours and 59 minutes.
A confirmed three-person in-car staff, a ton of planning, a large staff of seasoned spotters, and a well-prepared automotive made this run doable. Amazingly, it may have even been faster if not for a significant climate detour, police run-in, and fueling hiccup.
Cannonball Run Bike Report
The Cannonball Run motorbike report 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 motorbike from Los Angeles to New York in 7 days, 16 hours, and 16 minutes in 1917 to impressively beat Cannonball’s report.
(Picture/Calvin Cote)
The report is rumored to have modified palms not less than seven instances through the years.
On April 20, 2019, Calvin Cote set a brand new motorbike cannonball report with a time of 35 hours and 6 minutes. He was using a 2012 BMW K1600 GTL, with a customized 15-gallon auxiliary gasoline tank. You’ll be able to watch a GoPro video of his whole run right here.
Alex Jones set one other Cannonball Run motorbike report on Oct. 17-18, 2021, aboard a 2014 Yamaha FJR1300 at a time of 32 hours and 52 minutes. It’s chronicled in a 2021 Street & Monitor story.
Ross “Beau” Earnest on the Crimson Ball Storage in NYC on April 19, 2024.
Ross “Beau” Earnest set the present Cannonball Bike report on April 21, 2024, aboard a 2008 Yamaha FJR1300, with a time of 32 hours and 32 minutes. Beau averaged 86.5 mph on his over 2,800-mile journey, which began April 19 on the Crimson Ball Storage. He took the southern route via Texas and Arizona to keep away from storms in Colorado.
He solely stopped for gasoline 5 instances, as he was working a 13-gallon gasoline cell. The bike was outfitted with an Adaptiv laser jammer, a Valentine V1G2 radar detector, a seat by Russell Day Lengthy, a few cellphones, and a Nite Experience thermal digital camera.
Beau’s using jacket pockets have been stuffed with beef jerky and some 40-ounce water bottles to maintain him fueled and hydrated. A couple of GPS monitoring apps, together with Joiner, which was working dwell and monitored by a number of the Fraternity of Lunatics, helped validate Beau’s report run.
Ross “Beau” Earnest and his Cannonball record-holding 2008 Yamaha FJR1300
With quite a lot of pals using their very own bikes forward of Beau on numerous sections of the report run, he was capable of keep away from any main climate, site visitors, or regulation enforcement points. Nonetheless, his Bluetooth helmet comms failed close to Oaks, Missouri, and he needed to journey the remainder of the run to the Portofino with out audio comms. He acquired texts however couldn’t reply very properly at these speeds.
Cannonball Run Diesel Report
The present Cannonball Run diesel report (which can also be the Solo and Non-COVID information) was set on August 25-27, 2024, by Chris Stowell in a tuned 2015 BMW 535 diesel with a time of 27 hours and 16 minutes. A powerful 105 mph common velocity was completed over the two,803.1 mile report run. (For extra particulars and a video of this run, see the Solo report part above.)
The previous Cannonball Run diesel report was set on April 4, 2020, by Sean G. Petr, Jason Adkins, and Mark Spence. The staff drove a 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI throughout the nation in an impressively quick 28 hours and half-hour. A very 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 Automobile Report
The three-wheeled car report is held by Alex Roy and Zach Bowman is 41 hours and 49 minutes. They set the three-wheeled Cannonball Run report in a Morgan 3 Wheeler in 2015.
Cannonball Run EV Report
The electrical car report started in 1968 with the Nice Transcontinental Electrical Automobile Race that was deliberate by college students at MIT and Caltech. In 1986, the Caltech staff gained with 210 hours and three minutes spanning from August 26 to September 4.
The present report holders are Drew Peterson, Tijmen Schreur, and Kyle Conner in a 2025 Porsche Taycan RWD Massive Battery in a time of 39 hours 29 minutes, which was set on October 4, 2024.
The earlier report holders are Ryan Levenson and Josh Allan in a rented (off Turo) Tesla Mannequin S Lengthy Vary in a time of 42 hours and 17 minutes, which was set on October 22, 2021. The one car “modifications” have been overinflated 19-inch Tesla Tempest wheels, and the staff solely used Waze for site visitors and regulation enforcement detection.
The October 2021 report beat the earlier report 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 report will proceed to fall rapidly as new EV tech is altering. Longer vary, sooner charging, and evan sooner EV automobiles are all on the close to horizon.
Cannonball Run Semi-Autonomous Automobile Report
(Picture/Invoice Howard)
The semi-autonomous car report started in 2015 when a Delphi self-driving automotive went coast-to-coast from San Francisco to New York over the span of 9 days.
Later that 12 months, Alex Roy, Carl Reese, and Deena Mastracci set the precise semi-autonomous and electrical Cannonball information in 57 hours and 48 minutes driving a Tesla Mannequin S P85d electrical sedan. Roy stated the two,995-mile run was performed 96.1% utilizing autopilot.
The next 12 months, on August 24, 2016, Alex Roy, Warren Ahner, and Franz Aliquio reset the semi-autonomous Cannonball Run report of simply 55 hours, in a 2016 Tesla Mannequin S90d.
(Picture/Jay Roberts)
A full 8 years later, the report has been as soon as once more reset, however with an unlikely car. On April 13, 2024, Jay and Gypsy Roberts set the semi-autonomous Cannonball Run report at 43 hours and 18 minutes in a 2017 Toyota Prius geared up with a Comma.ai driver help system. This run is the primary to have a verifiable hands-free driving time, with a 98.416% hands-free run.
Cannonball Run Photo voltaic Report
(Picture/Cannonball Solar)
The Cannonball Solar staff designed and constructed the ‘Sun Strider’ photo voltaic automotive particularly to make a Cannonball run. It took two makes an attempt within the span of three years, however the 5 individual staff set the Cannonball run solar-powered report on July 21, 2024, at 4:42 p.m. PT. The report now stands at 13 days, 15 hours and 19 minutes.
The earlier report, and the one different identified Cannonball photo voltaic try, took 57 days. It was completed in a Tesla Y with a trunk filled with transportable photo voltaic panels in 2023. You’ll be able to take a look at the Photo voltaic Cannonball Run YouTube channel to see all the main points of the run.
Total Coast-to-Coast Information
Apart from the Cannonball Run, which is from the Crimson Ball in New York Metropolis to the Portofino in California, there may be additionally an outright coast-to-coast, or transcontinental, report that’s hotly contested. This route is shorter — at about 2,565 miles. It’s normally from Jacksonville, Florida, to San Diego. It’s referred to as the “Southern Route,” “Southern Run,” or “Old Spanish Trail.”
Coast-to-Coast Total Report
In a Christmas miracle, Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and David Simpson in a 2015 Mercedes E63s AMG — on December 25-26, 2018 — set a mind-boggling cross-country driving time of 24 hours flat. They managed this unbelievable time even after spending properly over a half-hour whole on the aspect of roads in three states getting pulled over for rushing, and receiving two substantial tickets.
Coast-to-Coast Solo Report
Bronson Justice set the solo outright report at 25 hours and 35 minutes in a Dodge Charger on October 4, 2020.
Coast-to-Coast Nonstop Report
The nonstop report is at the moment at 27 hours and 13 minutes by Steve Brown in a 2014 GMC Sierra on March 21, 2020.
Coast-to-Coast Semi-Autonomous Report
(Picture/Jay Roberts)
In April 2024, Jay Roberts and Mason Dibley established a semi-autonomous Spanish Path/coast-to-coast report of 32 hours 56 minutes, with 97.432% hands-free driving in a 2017 Toyota Prius with Comma.ai driver help system.
Coast-to-Coast Bike Report
A coast-to-coast motorbike report was set by Axe Dekruif in a time of 33 hours and 10 minutes. It was performed on a BMW S1000RR with an additional gasoline tank whereas consuming a Crimson Bull/Gatorade combination in a CamelBak, and utilizing a Flir thermal imaging digital camera for night time driving. Axe averaged 72.6 mph on his cross-country run and produced a documentary (No Limits — No Regrets) on his journey.
In June 2022, a brand new coast-to-coast motorbike report was set at 28 hours and 42 minutes by Andrew Pieper on a 1999 Honda Blackbird 1100xx.
(Picture/Jacob Scroggs)
The present coast-to-coast motorbike report was set on August 26-27, 2023, at 28 hours and 28 minutes by Jacob Scroggs on a Harley-Davidson. Scroggs’s route from Jacksonville, Florida, to San Diego coated 2,375 miles, at a mean of 83.3 mph.
Cannonball Run Films & Books
Movies
The Gumball Rally (1976)
This film is impressed by the 1975 Cannonball Run report by Jack Might and Rick Cline that broke Yates’ and Gurney’s report by a mere 60 seconds. Whereas “The Gumball Rally” is completely fictional, the movie is hilarious, speedy, and an exquisite watch.
The Cannonball Run (1981) & Cannonball Run II (1984)
Whereas 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 offered as a field set on Amazon.
APEX: The Secret Race Throughout America (2019)
Shifting forwards and backwards between the views and experiences of these concerned within the 1983 U.S. Categorical and the 2006 unsanctioned Cannonball Run, this movie transports the viewer right into a front-row seat for the notorious race. Starting with a short historical past of the Cannonball Run, the movie then shifts into first-person recounts of the races.
Greater than something, this movie reveals the preparation and willpower it took for the 2006 staff of Alex Roy and David Maher to efficiently beat a report held by Doug Turner and David Diem that stood for almost 20 years.
You will notice the lengths and strategies that Roy and Maher used. They might cover behind 18-wheelers, flip off their headlights to keep away from being seen, and keep in fixed contact with a small airplane hovering over them.
Through the run, at one level, the radio utterly stopped working. On 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. After all, you might marvel, “Why didn’t they just pack food?” However who is aware of, once you need rooster fries, you need rooster fries.
You should buy the movie, “APEX: The Secret Race Across America” to stream through 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 Best Outlaw Street Race by Brock Yates
Printed in 2003, “Cannonball!” was the primary e book written in regards to the Cannonball Run.
Within the Seventies, Brock Yates was the senior editor of Automobile and Driver Journal. However, that was not the one factor he was as much as — Yates created the Cannonball Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Sprint.
Not solely is that this e book filled with unbelievable tales of the Cannonball Run, nevertheless it additionally comprises images from many legendary moments. Written by one of the vital well-known automotive journalists whose influence continues to be reaching automotive lovers right this moment, “Cannonball!” is bound to impress.
The Driver: My Harmful Pursuit of Pace and Fact within the Outlaw Racing World by Alexander Roy
Alexander Roy beat the Cannonball Run Report in 2006 after the report stood for almost 20 years. “The Driver” is Roy’s memoir, reflecting on all of his daring races internationally.
All the races in his life ready him to beat the Cannonball report, driving from New York to Los Angeles in 32 hours and seven minutes. This e book offers a compelling and deeply attention-grabbing take a look at the story behind Roy’s motivations and experiences.
FOR THE RECORD: 28:50 A Journey Towards Self-Discovery and the Cannonball Run Report by Ed Bolian
Printed 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 report. This e book intertwines fascinating automotive tales and Bolian’s grappling along with his religion, and it explores what led him to have the need to develop into the following record-holder for the Cannonball Run.
Actuality Is Extra Attention-grabbing Than Fiction
To most, the prospect of taking part on this race would possibly as properly 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 individuals who hold desirous to beat the report.
After studying this text, maybe you wish to go on a Cannonball Run bender and skim each e book and watch each film you could find. Or, maybe you wish to scratch that racing itch of yours, a method or one other. When you love the joys 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 velocity in these shops 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.
The Might 2020 Cannonball run by Arne Toman and Doug Tabutt in a 2016 Audi S6 is the present report, at 25 hours and 39 minutes. An insane common velocity of 110 mph was achieved on this report run.
The present coast-to-coast-to-coast report is 74 hours and 5 minutes. It was set in Might 2020 by Chris Clemens and Mark Spence driving a 1999 Mercedes SL500 over a 5,600-mile spherical journey from New York to Los Angeles to New York.
There isn’t any set distance for the Cannonball Run. Typically, Cannonball Runs take over 2,800 miles to finish.
The standard begin and end for the Cannonball Run are the Crimson Ball Storage in Manhattan, New York, and the Portofino Lodge & Marina in Redondo Seaside, Calif.
The Cannonball Run has no set route. Cannonballers can take no matter route they suppose is finest to make it throughout the nation the quickest.
The Cannonball Run is unlawful, because it requires breaking a number of site visitors legal guidelines with a purpose to set a report time.
