This Illegal, No-Rules Race Across America Could Never Happen Today

1. Based On A True Story

Movies like Cannonball Run and The Gumball Rally were based on a real event: The Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash.

2. Two Men Had An Idea

The idea first came from Brock Yates, an auto racer and writer for Car and Driver, and the magazine's editor Steve Smith.

 Robert Alexander, Getty Images

3. They Named It After A Legend

The race was named after Erwin "Cannonball Baker," a famous turn-of-the-century auto racer who set many of the world's first long-distance driving records

Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

4. They Rode In Moon Trash II

The first Cannonball Run wasn't a race—more of a proof of concept. Yates and Steve Smith, along with Yates's son Brock Jr.

and their friend Jim Williams, ran the race alone in a custom Dodge Sportsman they called "Moon Trash II".

AutoPhoto, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

5. The Interstate System Was The Perfect Course

Yates and Smith wanted the run to promote the Interstate Highway System and to protest America's increasingly strict traffic laws.

RacingOne, Getty Images

6. They Went And Did It

Moon Trash II began the inaugural Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash on May 3, 1971, crossing the finish line at the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, California in 40 hours and 51 minutes.

Dave Proffer, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

7. They Wanted A Real Race

After the Moon Trash's voyage, Yates and Smith wanted to do a real race.

By November 15, 1971, a motley crew of six vehicles gathered at the Red Ball Garage in Manhattan.

smartmaper, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

8. The Poles Had The Pole Position

The first to leave, just after midnight, was a heavily modified Chevrolet Sportvan driven by members of the Polish Racing Drivers of America: Oscar Koveleski, Tony Adamowicz, and Brad Niemcek. 

The PRDA laid obvious claim to the race's pole position.

Humphrey Sutton, Car and Driver, March 1972

9. We Don't Stop!

The crew of the Sportvan had a plan: By decking out their van with enormous gas tanks and a complex system of hoses—bringing their total carrying capacity up to 298 gallons—they would not need to stop, easily getting them the fastest time.

Kecko, Flickr

10. It Wasn't Exactly Safe

The Poles were confident, but Cannonball Baker veteran Steve Smith had his doubts they'd make it that far with the fuel they had—plus he pointed out that flying across the country non-stop with 298 gallons of gasoline maybe isn't the best idea.

Don O'Brien, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

11. Some Boys In A Cadillac

Next to go were Larry Opert, Nate Pritzker, Ron Herisko of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The near-new 1971 Cadillac deVille sedan they drove stood out among the other vehicles—but it was their only option.

That Hartford Guy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

12. They Answered An Ad

The boys from Cambridge wanted in on the Cannoball Run, but they didn't have wheels—so they just answered a newspaper at from a New York businessman who needed his new car driven out to LA.

Greg Gjerdinge, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

13. They Had Specific Rules

The Cadillac owner's rules were simple: don't drive before 8am, don't drive after 9 pm, and don't exceed 75 mph.

Opert, Pritzker, and Herisko crossed their fingers, nodded their heads, grabbed the keys, and screamed off to the Red Ball Garage.

Sicnag, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

14. They Had To Change Plans

A 1970 MGB/GT followed the Cadillac, driven by Bob Perlow and Wes Dawn. The duo originally planned to drive a Volvo P1800, but someone stole it not long before the race.

Mic, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

15. Quick Turnaround

Undeterred, Perlow bought a used MGB/GT and picked it up just a few days before driving it non-stop from the New York to California.

Cars Down Under, Flickr

16. The Vans Had Good Names

Next up was another van, this time a brand-new 1971 Dodge, custom-fitted with 190-gallon gas tanks. Tom Marbut, Randy Waters, and Becky Poston called themselves the Little Rock Tankers, and they called their van "Snoopy II".

Andrew Bone, Flickr

17. The Clear Favorite

Steve Smith sat out the second Cannonball Baker, but Brock Yates took part—and he'd upgraded both his wheels and his team.

He was driving a blue 1971 Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona coupe alongside American racing legend Dan Gurney, who won the 1967 24 hours of Le Mans.

Harry Pot / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons

18. Moon Trash Still Kickin'

The Ferrari looked extra sleek next to the next competitor: the original Cannonball pioneer, Moon Trash II, which joined the caravan by the skin of its teeth. A crash just a few weeks earlier had required serious, last-minute repairs. 

By the time the race started, Moon Trash II rolled, but neither the headlights nor the heater worked.

Humphrey Sutton, Car and Driver, March 1972

19. The Biggest Of The Bunch

After Moon Trash II was a 1996 Union 76 Travco Motor Home, driven by Bill Broderick, Phil Pash, Bob Carey, Joe Frasson, and Pal Parker.

 

They rented the beast in Cincinnati the day before, drove it to New York, got some sleep, then headed straight out on the Cannonball Run at 5:56 am.

Humphrey Sutton, Car and Driver, March 1972

20. There And Back Again

The last car, a 1969 AMC driven by brothers Ed and Rom Bruerton left a little late, rolling out of the Red Ball at nearly 3:00 in the afternoon, but they had a good excuse: They'd just arrived in New York at midnight.

..after doing a full, 44-hour reverse Cannonball Run from Redondo beach for reconnaissance.

Christopher Ziemnowicz, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

21. A Bunch Of Lunatics

All in all, 23 individuals ran the first Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Brock Yates' Car and Driver article detailing the event affectionally called them all "lunatics".

Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

22. They Were Fools And They Did It

The first line of Yates' article says it all: "Those damn fools, they went and did it".

23. There Was Only One Rule

Auto racing tends to be a discipline bogged down by rules and regulations.

The Cannonball Baker had one: 

“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".

Jim Culp, Flickr

24. The True Friends of Hernando de Soto

Unlike most auto races, the Cannonball Baker had no organizing body beyond a "shadowy" group dubbed "The True Friends of Hernando de Soto".

Jeremy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

25. For The Glory

Most important of all:

There would be no prize money for Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Just pride. 

Oh, and one other thing.

Blood Destructor, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

26. To The Victor Go The Nutmaster

The winner of the Cannonball Baker was to be awarded the S-K “Nutmaster” trophy, a sculpture made of various tools, created and donated by the S-K Tool company.

Ken Lane, Flickr

27. Timing Is Everything

The Cannonball Baker started at midnight for a reason: The competitors could get out of New York before rush hour, and if everything went well, they would be cruising down Los Angeles's freeways in the middle of the day.

Alexandre Prevot, Flickr

28. The Checkered Flag

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Ferrari driven by a Le Mans champion took home the checkered flag. Yates and Gurney finished in 35 hours and 54 minutes, travelling 2,963 miles at an average of 80 mph.

Joost Evers / Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

29. The Longest Was The Fastest

Funnily enough, the Ferrari was actually the only car to take a different route, but it was actually 35 miles longer than what the other teams drove.

ZANTAFIO56, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

30. Put The Pedal To The Metal

The Ferrari wasn't the fastest car either:

That title went to the overeager boys in the Cadillac, who clearly ignored the owner's requests to never exceed 75 mph.

Greg Gjerdingen, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

31. Twinsies

Funnily enough, the Moon Trash II ended up having the same average speed as the Ferrari.

ZANTAFIO56, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

32. Don't Stop For Gas, Don't Get Caught Speeding

The Ferrari won for two simple reasons: It got the best gas mileage, was better designed, and they only had to stop for one speeding ticket.

mangopulp2008, Flickr

33. Big Surprise

For contrast, the Cadillac was busted for speeding five times during the cross-country trip, which cost it heavily.

Joost J. Bakker, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

34. The Tortoise And The Hare

The Ferrari may have won, but both the PRDA tortoise wasn't far behind: The Chevy Sportvan only needed to stop for gas a single time while maintaining a steady speed in the 90-100 mph range, which helped the PDRA lay claim to second place.

Don...The UpNorth Memories Guy... Harrison, Flickr

35. A Close Race

For such a chaotic, unsanctioned event, the first five competitors finished the near 3,000 mile journey all finished the Cannonball Baker within two hours of each other.

Marco 56, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

36. Five Times Club

The Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash ran three more times, in 1972, 1975, and 1979.

Charles01, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

37. The Record

The official record time for the race is 32 hours 51 minutes, set by Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough in a Jaguar XJ-S in the final run.

XJ-S Pilot, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

38. Nothing Lasts Forever

Though the outlaw spirit of the Cannonball Baker was part of its charm, as traffic enforcement grew more strict and the race gained more notoriety, it could not continue.

Robertgarven, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

39. Unsanctioned Unsanctioned Races

Successor races inspired by the Cannonball Baker have popped up all over the world over the years, frequently using the Cannonball name without Yates's approval.

Noah Wulf, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

40. Sounds Like A Good Movie

The madcap Cannonball Baker sounds like a perfect idea for a movie and Yates knew it. He started a screenplay—but he was too late.

RacingOne, Getty Images

41. He Was Too Slow

By 1976, two unofficial films inspired by the Cannonball Baker, Cannonball and The Gumball Rally, had hit theatres, beating Yates to the punch.

RacingOne, Getty Images

42. Cannonball! 

Yates's official film, The Cannonball Run starring Burt Reynolds, finally came out in 1981. It was a huge hit, spawning two sequels and, many years later, a television spinoff.

Alan Light, Flickr