Posted on 05/25/2020 5:06:22 PM PDT by Ciaphas Cain
The highways and byways of America have been eerily quiet over the past several weeks thanks to responsible citizens doing their best to remain indoors and limit unnecessary travel. Meanwhile, a small group of highly irresponsible drivers have taken these open stretches of asphalt as a sign that they should drive as fast as possible from one coast to the other. That’s right, it’s high time to revive the Cannonball Run Challenge, which you may remember from that cruddy Burt Reynolds comedy.
In a recent video, former Cannonball Run record holder and éminence grise Ed Bolian reported that, over the last five weeks, the longstanding 28 hour and 50 minute record had been beaten a whopping seven times, with a number of the cross country trips coming in under 26 hours.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.avclub.com ...
One of the many reasons I love Americans.
I loved the running gag on Lucas electrics in the Jag with it never getting out of the garage at the start.
I drove from San Diego to DC in 76 hours Back in 1990 by myself a jar of peanut butter and a gallon of water no stopping just gas. Good times. Nissan king cab. 10-20-85-95 I think. So much fun I could have gone another 3000
Best car movie ever. (The original, of course.)
AFAIK, there have been no wrecks or injuries involving other vehicles or people. Only minor injuries to participants.
Above is an article from 2019 about three guys that “destroyed” the record at that time. Had all sorts of high-tech stuff. I didn’t read the entire article, but I think they also got troopers involved (friend of a friend type thing) in various states to “keep things safer” for everybody.
I can’t recall now what the troopers did, but iirc it was more than just not stopping them. Closing on-ramps for a minute at busy places???
They even had a smoke machine if they needed to evade the police. I think they declined to answer if they had to use it or not.
They got it right with the Jaguar. Lucas, Prince of darkness!
Gumball.
Ladies, Gentlemen, you have been selected because you have the necessary skills. You are here because you have the determination to suceed. Now, it won’t be as easy as last year. There are some who will use any means to try and stop us. Some of you won’t make it. For those of you who do, there’ll be no glory, no headlines. But... just a few magic hours flat out against the red line, with no catalytic converter and no 55 mile-an-hour speed limit.
Ladies and gentlemen... The Gumball Rally has begun!
All I have to do is get on the autobahn, I cruise at 85 mph (136 km/h) in the center lane, cars and motorcycles in the left lane pass me like I’m standing still.
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