Tonight on Speed!

 

I wonder what the vin of the early 68 that they cut in half during the movie was...

 

Watching it now. NOt sure why but this movie kills me. Looking at a white vette with an L88 hood as I write this. Couldn't see enough of it other than it's a chrome bumper.

"What's-a behind me is-a not important!"

 

The "real" first Canonball Run happened in 1971..New York-Los Angeles..bunch of movies followed..like Vanishing Point,which are "cult " movies today...

"The initial cross-country run was accomplished by Yates, son Brock Jr., Smith, and friend Jim Williams beginning on May 3, 1971. It 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 by, and the man himself put it best, "at no time did we exceed 175 mph." With Brock Yates as co-driver, it took them 35h and 54min to travel 2863 miles at an average of 80 mph, while collecting one fine.

The standing record time of 32 hours and 51 minutes (about 87 mph) was set in the final run by Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough in a Jaguar XJS.

After the original Cannonball races were halted, Car and Driver began to sponsor a legitimate closed-course tour, the One Lap of America. Outlaw successors in the United States, Europe, and Australia continue to use the Cannonball name without Yates' approval."

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=117576

 

Bought the dvd... I might be young, but cannonball run, and gumball ralley are two great movies Bought both of them,

 

I have read the book by the original starter of the (Cannon Ball Run). The (Cannon Ball Run) with (Man Law) Burt, this movie is more like the Original than the (Cannon Ball Run). It broke my heart to read this, because I like (Gumball Ralley) better. The first (Cannon Ball Run) was so close to the Original race that it is Scarey. Even with the Bear Truck and Motorcycle. Read the book if you get the chance. It is good reading.

 

pretty sure the gumball rally still goes on every year. very hush hush and noone knows when or where.

vc

 

Source?

 

I watched it, too. Great to see it again.

"And now my friend, the first-a rule of Italian driving.
[Franco rips off his rear-view mirror and throws it out of the car]
What's-a behind me is not important."

"If you can catch me, you can have me."

Some of the Cannonball imitators used to run ads in AutoWeek back when it was a newspaper. They were semi-subtle, like "don't like 55? write ..."

You would have to look around performance car magazines and web sites for subtle hints to find any, however, a lot of the reason is gone today.

I used to make regular trips between St. Louis and Boca Raton in the '80s. 1200 miles Cruising the Florida Turnpike in the middle of nowhere, you still had to be careful to not get caught running 65 and 70. My best was about 18 hours pre I-95 and pre I-24 completion for an average of 65 mph.

Today, 70 will get you run over on the Turnpike, and 80 is typical. Too many places today you can run 80 and above without issue that the idea of an 80 mph average across country is not a big deal.

I made a trip to St. Louis a year ago in my gas-guzzling 9 mpg one-ton truck including stopping to find and replace an alternator, stopping to eat, a gazillion gas stops, and still averaged 64 mph without pushing it, while driving at or only 5 over the speed limit.

So my ever-alert, nerve-whacking '80s trips were 1 mile per hour average faster than a casual (except for the alternator) drive today. And if the alternator hadn't died, I'd have been faster.

So the need for speed is still there, it just isn't the challenge it was.

 

I remember back in the early eighties, I saw an ad in a newspaper that read only "CANNONBALL", then a phone number. When you called the number you got an answering machine that said to leave your name and address. Several weeks later you received a letter which basically desribed the race and that the entry fee was $5000. Once you paid the fee and I'm sure was checked out by them, they would let you know when and where to be to start the race. Could've been a scam, but I never took it any farther.