The Cannonball Run Challenge
Doug Tabutt driving to set the new record in May 2020
The Cannonball Run is the epitome of street racing, where drivers race against the clock from New York to LA.
Street races are fun. The thrill of cars racing on the same roads we drive on, alongside the risk of police, street racing is an adrenaline rush. One of the longest street races in the US is the Cannonball run. Though not regulated, drivers push themselves to drive across the US from the Red Ball Garage on East 31st Street, Manhattan to the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, California. Drivers use technology like GPSs to track their time. Since it’s not regulated, though, not only do drivers have to work their way around technical problems, they have to work their way around police, state troopers, and other law enforcement agencies.
History
The cannonball run first started as an unofficial race from New York City and Darien, Connecticut to the Portofino Inn in LA. Run five times, the races were originally called the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Thought of by car magazine writer and racer Brock Yates and editor Steve Smith, the goal was to celebrate the US’s Highway System and protest the strict new traffic laws.
The first run consisted of just a single car, driven by Yates, his son Brock Yates, Steve Smith, and a friend Jim Williams. Afterward, the race was officially run four more times.
Record
Though the record has been broken many times, it was currently set in May 2020 at 25 hrs and 39 minutes in a modified 2016 Audi S6 disguised to look like a Ford Taurus police interceptor. The car included brake light kill switches, radar detectors, laser diffusers, a police radio, and a thermal camera on the roof. Additionally, the trunk was made to hold 67 gallons of fuel, and parts like the turbos and heat exchangers were upgraded. Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and spotter Dunadel Daryoush set the record, driving at an average speed of 110 miles per hour.
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