... happened on June 25
The Great Race
For 22 years the Great Race has been the center of free family celebrations in more than 800 cities in North America. Great Racers have logged nearly 6,000,000 vehicle miles, making stops at some of the continent's best-known venues including; The Ellipse at the White House, The Statue of Liberty Centennial Celebration, the Reforma in Mexico City, the Grand Canyon, Indianapolis and Daytona Motor Speedways; and a Parade down Broadway in New York City.
The 2005 Event:
The 2005 event will started on June 25, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and finished 14 driving days later in Tacoma, Washington, on July, 9, 2005. The teams of drivers and navigators ran over 4,200 miles between Washington, D.C. and Tacoma stopping each night in: Harrisonburg, VA; Ashland, KY; Louisville, KY; Urbana, IL; Gurnee, IL; Davenport, IA; West Des Moines, IA; Grand Island, NE; Denver, CO; Rock Springs, WY; Twin Falls, ID; Walla Walla, WA; Puyallup, WA; before the finish in Tacoma.
The Great Race, Presented by the Army National Guard is the world's richest, longest-running road rally for vintage automobiles.
Fri 6/24 - TROPHY RUN - Six Flags, Largo, MD
Sat 6/25 - Official Start, Washington, DC
Sat 6/25 - Pit stop: Front Royal, VA
Sat 6/25 - Overnight: Harrisonburg, VA
Sun 6/26 - Beckley, WV, on to Charleston, WV
Event regulations require that these classic cars be at least 45 years old. Some are much older, having been manufactured as many as 95 years ago. Often called a "seat-of-the-pants" competition, the race echoes the times/speed/distance rallies made popular in the 30's and 40's. The rules limit the teams to a speedometer, time-of-day clock, stop-watch, pencil and paper to follow hundreds of driving instructions each day. The competition is very real with a total cash purse of $250,000. The event is held on the back roads of America, each summer and is usually a coast-to-coast event.
Participants have ranged from a plumber to a professional comedian, from a housewife to a rocket scientist. The Race offers the participants the adventure of discovering America - and the American people - from a unique perspective. When the Great Race rolls into town, the drivers and navigators bask in celebrity welcomes. Each day, crowds line up eager to assist in repairing the historic cars and energizing the competitors - with spare parts and hospitality - with crankshafts and cookies, helping them to achieve the dream - to finish.
The Great Race is owned by Rally Partners, Inc., a limited partnership created to further the success of Great Race events. The Rally Partners have a combined 124 years of Great Race experience and are a group of successful business owners and professionals dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the event while bringing to it a higher level of public interest and competition.
Go to: www.GreatRace.com
RETURN TO: Harrisonburg .org
GOT EVENTS?
If you are sponsoring or holding an event in the area, please enter it into the Harrisonburg.org Calendar of Events.
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