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By Don Mandrik

Power…torque…ego…these are only some of the essential elements that are fueling the passion behind Cannonball Run World Events’ The Great American Run. This is one car rally that guarantees to be unlike any other ever held in the United States, jumpstarting a whole new level of driving experience for rally amateurs and gear-heads alike.

Approximately four hundred exotic and high-end automobiles will all start their engines on July 29, 2007, from four separate starting lines in each of the following the cities: Miami, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; Washington D.C.; and New York, New York. With one hundred automobiles slated to navigate each of the four routes, each driver and their respective co-pilot will attempt to outwit and out-maneuver the competition on a 2,900- mile cross-country trek.

The course will challenge drivers to navigate their way through a series of strategically mapped checkpoints through cities such as New Orleans, Denver and Las Vegas, before finishing at an undisclosed location on the west coast. The participants will also be provided the opportunity to spend a “track” day burning rubber at one of a series of race tracks along the way, giving the drivers a chance to show how fast their horses can really run.


“To prevent anyone from getting a leg up on the competition, the driving routes from checkpoint to checkpoint are a closely guarded secret and will only be revealed to drivers at the beginning of each subsequent leg,” stated Tim Porter, founder and director of Cannonball World Events Limited. “The Run then concludes with a massive celebration in Los Angeles for drivers and their guests. This rally will truly set the benchmark for all future events of its kind.”

The Cannonball name originates from die-hard adventurer and cross-country record breaker Erwin G. “Cannonball” Baker. Throughout his driving career, Baker set 143 American distance records, including a 53½-hour coast-to-coast drive where he averaged over 50mph – which was considered pretty damn fast in 1933.

Inspired by Baker, and in defiance of the then introduced 55mph U.S. speed limit, rebellious journalist and auto racer Brock Yates and Car and Driver editor Steve Smith kicked off the “Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash” (widely known as simply Cannonball Run) in 1971. The race, starting in New York City and ending in Los Angeles, ran four times throughout the 1970s, and inspired the popular Cannonball Run movies starring Burt Reynolds and Farrah Fawcett.

The last of the Cannonball rallies took place in 1979, and for several years thereafter, enthusiasts of unconventional racing had to play the game of “wait and see.”

Then, like the perfect hairpin curve on an unpoliced country road came London native and car aficionado Tim “Maverick” Porter, who single-handedly revived the auto rallies and the Cannonball name in October 2002.

A long-time master driver, Porter launched the first ever Cannonball Run Europe, which boasted 69 cars and 140 drivers, and proved that the spirit of the original race had not died with the passing of time. Now, after seven successful European events, Porter is bringing the Cannonball Run’s unique driving experience back to its original birthplace through The Great American Run.