The 23rd Annual Great Race, running this year
from Washington D.C.
to Tacoma, Washington, included an first official overnight stop here in
Urbana, IL for the first time.
The Great Race is a time/speed/endurance road-rally for vintage vehicles.
Competition is intense among the 96 teams in vehicles at least 45 years old,
and several 90+ years old, for a cash purse of $270,000. Not only do they
have to keep their cars going, they are also timed at checkpoints secretly located
along the official route. A missed turn can be costly. In this tight rally, scores
were just seconds apart on Tuesday. In ties, the older vehicle wins.
We arrived for the Spectator Car Show about an hour before the racers
rolled in about 6 p.m. on June 28th.
Scott drove his 1969 Mustang GT. Jay had his 1967
GT500 Shelby Mustang.
Rory drove his 1985 5.0 GT Mustang. Keith and his dad looked sharp with their
1957 Chevy. Woodsy had a crowd around the Superformance Daytona
Cobra Coupe, until the National Guard fired up their Winston Cup
car : )
Here are some more photos of Jay's Shelby and a 1968 Mustang.
Earl Hale's creation, a hand-shaped boat-tail early Ford looks right in place
along side the real steel.
Some interesting vintage racers, including at least one for sale.
Two chopped Mercury Coupes. Chuck McCarty drove his "green onion"
1950 Mercury. He said several women mentioned fond memories of those
back seats. We think he missed their pick-up lines. New pinstriping dresses
up Terry's custom 1950 Mercury. A nice stock Woodie from the same era.
As the race cars arrived, their scores were announced and their cars were
displayed along Main Street.
The majority of the teams are driving stock autos and trucks made before
World War II, although a few raced early Thunderbirds.
Jack Rousch, who had several teams competing, limped in with his son and
daughter-in-law after two
engine fires that day in their 1940's Ford Military Staff
car. Focus on the Family cruised in style in their 1941 Cadillac Convertible.
Local media interviewed Day 4 first-place team Tom Coad & Gary Poulin,
in a 1921 Paige-Hillclimber. Team Yo-Yo Jam entertained with yo-yo tricks.
One of the more inspiring teams was a grandfather and twelve-year-old
grandson -- back for his third year as navigator! The navigators play
a key role in this timed rally as they guide their driver along the route
by following 100s of instructions every day.
A couple of high-school teams are competing, including one from Lawrence,
Kansas driving this 1957 Chevy BelAire. An award for the most bizarre car
would definitely go to the 1934 McQuay-Morris Streamliner, driven by Jeff
and Susan Lane of Lane Motor Museum.
You can follow the route and results at The Great Race website.