Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash


The Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash, widely known as the Cannonball Baker or Cannonball Run, was an unofficial, unsanctioned automobile race run five times in the 1970s from New York City and Darien, Connecticut, on the East Coast of the United States to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, California. The Cannonball Run races have additionally inspired numerous contemporary efforts by independent teams to set the record time for the route, known as the Cannonball Run Challenge.
Conceived by car magazine writer and auto racer Brock Yates and fellow Car and Driver editor Steve Smith, the first run was not a competitive race as only one team was running. The run was intended both as a celebration of the United States Interstate Highway System and as a protest against strict traffic laws coming into effect at the time. Another motivation was the fun involved, which showed in the tongue-in-cheek reports in Car and Driver and other auto publications worldwide. The initial cross-country run was made by Yates; his son, Brock Yates, Jr.; Steve Smith; and friend Jim Williams beginning on May 3, 1971, in a 1971 Dodge Custom Sportsman van called the "Moon Trash II."
The race was run four more times: November 15, 1971; November 13, 1972; April 23, 1975; and April 1, 1979.
Car and Driver magazine detailed the November 1971 running in its March 1972 issue. That article was reprinted to represent the 1970s on the magazine's 50th anniversary in 2005. A remarkable effort was made by American racing legend Dan Gurney, winner of the 1967 24 hours of Le Mans. He won the second Cannonball in a Ferrari Daytona. Gurney said, "At no time did we exceed." He and Brock Yates as co-driver took 35 hours and 54 minutes to travel at an average of approximately while collecting one fine. Snow in the Rocky Mountains slowed them down considerably.
In 1972 the team of Steve "Yogi" Behr, Bill Canfield, and Fred Olds won in a Cadillac Coupe deVille, the first American car to win a Cannonball.
On April 23–25, 1975, Jack May and Rick Cline drove a Ferrari Dino from the Red Ball Garage in New York City in a world record time of 35 hours and 53 minutes, averaging.
The record for official Cannonballs is 32 hours and 51 minutes, set in the final run from Darien, Connecticut, to Los Angeles by Dave Heinz and Dave Yarborough in a Jaguar XJS in April 1979.
After the original Cannonball races, Car and Driver sponsored legitimate closed-course tours, the One Lap of America. Outlaw successors in the United States, Europe, and Australia continue to use the Cannonball name without Yates's approval.

The race

The object of the Cannonball was to leave the Red Ball Garage on East 31st Street in Manhattan, New York City, typically after midnight, and drive to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, California, in the shortest time possible. Those were the only rules.
Nothing was specified as to the route, type of vehicle, number of drivers or crew, or maximum speed permitted. There was a gentlemen's agreement that the vehicle entered would be driven the entire distance Speeding citations received along the way were the driver's responsibility and did not disqualify the vehicle, although stopping to receive a ticket increased the vehicle's overall time.
The Cannonball Run was technically a race in that the team with the fastest time was declared the "winner" and the results were announced in order of time. However, times were not taken very seriously, and sheer speed did not guarantee a first-place finish.

Inspiration

The Cannonball Run gained notoriety after the 1972 run, but the Time story on the 1975 Jack May-Rick Cline race solidified its place in the public consciousness. To the surprise of many, the hilarious reports in Car and Driver were warmly received by press and public alike rather than condemned for the race's recklessness.
In his Cannonball! memoir, Yates reports that in 1972 an all-female team of Peggy Niemcek, Judy Stropus, and SCCA racer Donna Mae Mims suffered a crash near El Paso, Texas, resulting in a DNF. Mims explains that their Cadillac stretch limousine veered off the road and rolled over after the driver fell asleep at the wheel. Although the car was destroyed and she suffered a broken arm, no other vehicles were involved in the crash. This was the only serious accident in the official Cannonball races.
Yates began working on a screenplay to be entitled Coast to Coast but was scooped by two "unofficial" films in 1976, Cannonball and The Gumball Rally. Eventually, an "official" Cannonball Run film was made, The Cannonball Run starring Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore and Dom DeLuise with Yates in a cameo appearance. Two sequels, Cannonball Run II and Speed Zone, also known as Cannonball Fever, followed. A later USA Network television program, Cannonball Run 2001, was given official approval to use the name.

U.S. Express

After the last Cannonball, Rick Doherty, a veteran of the 1975 and 1979 races, organized a successor, the U.S. Express. The 1980 U.S. Express ran from Brooklyn, New York, to the beach in Santa Monica. Doherty won the first U.S. Express with co-driver and famous game designer Will Wright at the wheel of a Mazda RX-7. Their time was 33 hours, 9 minutes.
In 1981 the U.S. Express ran from Long Island, New York, to Emeryville, California, which borders Oakland at the east end of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge). Interstate 80 was largely the route of choice. The winning team in 1981 was the first-time Express team of David Morse and Steve Clausman driving Morse's gray Porsche 928. One unique road hazard in the 1981 run was an early snowfall that closed the Donner Pass for several hours to vehicles without chains just as the U.S. Express cars approached. The Porsche 928, which carried special plastic chains, was able to proceed. Others had to wait for the pass to open. The Morse-Clausman team competed again the next two years. In 1982, they endured several memorable police stops. In the final U.S. Express in 1983 to Newport Beach, California, they placed second.
Although longer than the Cannonball, the fastest time recorded for the U.S. Express was 32 hours 7 minutes in the 1983 race, 44 minutes faster than the fastest Cannonball, and the "official" cross-country record until it was broken in 2006 by Alex Roy and David Maher in 31 hours 4 minutes.

Legacy

Decades after the last official Cannonball in 1979, issues raised and revival possibilities interested some motorists. Yates recalled declining offers to revive the concept because it was unworkable. His reasons included: increased police activity, increased legal liabilities for any organizer, increased year-round traffic, and expanding urban areas. He also warned of the obvious dangers of a race on public roads.
The Gumball 3000 gained publicity in the early 2000s as a similar event, sometimes held on coast-to-coast U.S. routes, but paced over a route several times as long and with no time-based winner.
The unofficial transcontinental record, known as the Cannonball Run Challenge, has been broken numerous times since the last official Cannonball Trophy Dash.

Post-US Express Events

C2C Express Event

The C2C Express was an organized event that was created by Ben Wilson of New Zealand and Eric Propst of Michigan. The event was intended to be limited to pre 1980 automobiles that cost under $3000. This was intended to keep the cost affordable and In the spirit of the original runs of the 1970s. The event spanned from 2015–2019. The run Ran from the traditional Cannonball Route of Redball Garage in Manhattan to The Portofino Inn at Redondo beach California. The original event only had 3 competitors in which Wilson won in his Cadillac with a time of just under 40 hours. Over the next 3 years the event grew to the point that the final coast to coast run planned ballooned to over 40 entrants. The size of the event gave Wilson and Propst the idea to run their final coast to coast event from Darien, Connecticut to Portofino Inn located in Los Angeles. Darien to Portofino was the same route run as the 1979 Cannonball and became a 40-year anniversary tribute to the event. Over 40 teams registered for the event, 33 competed and 24 finished. Amongst the final event was a team of police officers in a 49 Pontiac, an ambulance driven by John Ficarra, a Lexus driven by record holder Ed Bolian, a vintage Monte Carlo piloted by current record holders Doug Tabbut & Arne Toman. Wilson and Propst both competed as well, Wilson drove a Ford Van and Propst a Crown Victoria. The winning time was 31:47.
On September 15, 2019, the Cannonball route event record of 32:05 set by Ed Bolian in 2015, was broken during the 2019 running of the C2C Express. Fred Ashmore Jr of Hancock, Maine, and Travis Hilton of College Station, Texas with Arthur Ashmore of Lamoine, Maine, set a new Cannonball Route event record of 31:47. Using the longer 1979 Cannonball Route, the team was able to cover the 2872 miles in their period-accurate, minimally equipped 1979 Mustang. This made them the second team to ever eclipse the 32:07 benchmark on the Cannonball route in an event over 36 years.

Results 1971-1979Brock Yates,

+ indicates winners
* indicates overall record
Last nameFirst nameRunTimePlaceVehicleYear
AdamowiczTony236:472Chevrolet Van1971
AdelbergHarvey536:199Mercedes-Benz 300 SD1979
AldenAl532:592Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.91979
AllenGerald536:2010Excalibur1979
AmmermanCraig445:3617Travco Motorhome1975
ArentzGary539:1019Jaguar XJS1979
ArmstrongKeith539:2020Chevrolet El Camino1979
ArmstrongTed539:2020Chevrolet El Camino1979
ArutunoffAnatoly449:3218Bristol 4101975
ArutunoffAnatoly540:3324Volvo 242 GT1979
AtwellJim438:567Porsche Carrera1975
AtwellJim542:2829Porsche Carrera1979
BakerClyde "C.J."341:1513AMC Hornet1972
BakerTerry535:587Ferrari 308 GTS1979
BehrSteve239:036Dodge Van1971
BehrSteve +337:161Cadillac Coupe de Ville1972
BehrSteve438:033Dodge Challenger1975
BehrSteve542:2728Porsche 9281979
BellRoger558:0439Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith1979
BerniusTerry544:1332Lotus Esprit1979
BlueDoug349:0425Chevrolet Monte Carlo1972
BrennanPeter5DNF45Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1979
BrockPete337:333Mercedes-Benz 280 SEL1972
BrodrickBill257:257Travco Motorhome1971
BrodrickBill344:4219Travco Motorhome1972
BrodrickBill445:3617Travco Motorhome1975
BrownBob337:262Dodge Challenger1972
BrownellDave561:5140Ford Panel Truck1979
BrowningBob540:3324Volvo 242 GT1979
BruertonEd237:485AMC AMX1971
BruertonEd339:428AMC AMX1972
BruertonTom237:485AMC AMX1971
BruertonTom339:428AMC AMX1972
BuffumJohn440:199Porsche Carrera1975
BuffumVicki440:199Porsche Carrera1975
CadyJack343:0216Ford Van1972
CampbellBill541:0026Ford Thunderbird1979
CanfieldBill +337:161Cadillac Coupe De Ville1972
CannataRichard444:2316Studebaker1975
CareyBob257:257Travco Motorhome1971
CarlsonTim440:3711Ford Van1975
CatalanoChristine535:176Mazda RX-71979
ChapinKim239:036Dodge Van1971
ClineRick +435:531Ferrari Dino 246 GTS1975
CooperBill538:5218Ferrari 308 GT 3501979
CorrizzoniTom349:0425Chevrolet Monte Carlo1972
CoumoRichard3DNF33Studebaker1972
CowellJack337:333Mercedes-Benz 280 SEL1972
CrabbePaul345:3921Opel Rallye1972
CripeTom544:1332Lotus Esprit1979
CrittendenJim536:008Buick Park Avenue1979
DainkoRainer340:5510Chevrolet Van1972
DavidsonStuart546:4836Ferrari 330 GT1979
DawnWes2DNF8MGB GT1971
DawnWes339:357Chevrolet Vega1972
DawnWes438:164Mercedes-Benz 450 SL1975
DawnWes536:4912Cadillac Eldorado1979
De VanFred339:296Mazda RX-21972
DeftyPeter545:3233Chevrolet Suburban1979
DennerTom341:0612Chevrolet Vega1972
DennisonScott340:5510Chevrolet Van1972
DohertyRichard535:176Mazda RX-71979
DornsifeRod542:2728Porsche 9281979
DunajJon536:199Mercedes-Benz 300 SD1979
DurstSteve3DNF27Chevrolet Vega1972
EgloffGeorge543:3230Suzuki 850 Motorcycle1979
EhrichTerry561:5140Ford Panel Truck1979
EpsteinWendy543:3230Suzuki 850 Motorcycle1979
EricksonMorris346:1722Opel Rallye1972
FasslerPaul537:2514Porsche 9301979
FaustDavid536:5113Chevrolet Malibu1979
FeinerFred3DNF33Studebaker1972
FeinerFred444:2316Studebaker1975
FergussonAlice342:0815Citroën DS 191972
FergussonJoe342:0815Citroën DS 191972
FernaldSteve440:3110Volvo 164 E1975
FieldDick532:592Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.91979
FischerPaul341:0111Ford Torino1972
FischerPaul440:5313Ford Torino1975
FogSteven534:074Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1979
FranklAndrew565:5541Ford Mini Truck1979
FrassonJoe344:4219Travco Motorhome1972
FuchsJohn341:1513AMC Hornet1972
GaffordTom545:3233Chevrolet Suburban1979
GallagherJack3DNF34Honda 6001972
GarbariniSteve348:2524Datsun 240 Z1972
GarcioneWilliam348:2524Datsun 240 Z1972
GilmartinRichard337:333Mercedes-Benz 280 SEL1972
GoodmanKirby536:5113Chevrolet Malibu1979
GouldRichard441:3515Oldsmobile Cutlass1975
GrahamPaul539:4522Chevrolet Camaro1979
GregoryFred5DNF45Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1979
GurneyDan +235:541Ferrari Daytona1971
HammilSteve3DNF29Porsche 9111972
HarmstonEdwin558:0439Rolls Royce Silver Wraith1979
HarrisRichard3DNF33Studebaker1972
HarrisRichard444:2316Studebaker1975
HarrisonJohn5DNF44Lotus Esprit1979
HeinzDave +532:51* 1Jaguar XJS1979
HenryBill341:0612Chevrolet Vega1972
HeriskoRon236:563Cadillac Coupe De Ville1971
HickeyTom532:592Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.91979
HitchinsJohn565:5541Ford Mini Truck1979
HoneggerPierre439:228Mazda RX-41975
Hopkins `Danny338:024De Tomaso Pantera1972
HopkinsHoppy338:024De Tomaso Pantera1972
HoschekGero543:4731Jensen Interceptor1979
HougeLarry346:1722Opel Rallye1972
HourihanBob440:3110Volvo 164 E1975
HowlettJack438:456Buick Electra1975
HuntJim541:0026Ford Thunderbird1979
JamesDirk543:3230Suzuki 850 Motorcycle1979
JeanesWilliam445:3617Travco Motorhome1975
JellisonRich357:1926Chevrolet Corvette1972
JenkinsRichard338:375Alfa Romeo Giulia1972
JessenJohn357:1926Chevrolet Corvette1972
JessickPeter540:5325Chrysler1979
JohnsonDon3DNF31Austin-Healey1972
JohnsonGary437:502Chevrolet Pickup1975
JonesDavid538:1017Chevrolet Blazer1979
Kendall-LaneFiona558:0439Rolls Royce Silver Wraith1979
Kendall-LaneStephen558:0439Rolls Royce Silver Wraith1979
KennyArnold3DNF32Chevrolet Camaro Z 281972
KeplerFred3DNF32Chevrolet Camaro Z 281972
KeyRobert548:5337Shelby Mustang GT 3501979
KirbyJim536:4011Chevrolet Camaro Z 281979
KopecRich548:5337Shelby Mustang GT 3501979
KovaleskiOscar236:472Chevrolet Van1971
KovaleskiBob436:4011Chevrolet Camaro Z 281979
KozlowskiTom439:228Mazda RX-41975
LaneJohn537:3115Porsche 9281979
LeibDick344:5420Pontiac1972
LeonardTom537:4616Chevrolet Camaro Z 281979
LincolnSam349:0425Chevrolet Monte Carlo1972
LloydDavid536:008Buick Park Avenue1979
LockePete340:119Chrysler1972
LoveliBill541:0026Ford Thunderbird1979
LynchLeo3DNF30Porsche 9111972
LynchLeo438:395Porsche 9111975
MahlerJohn537:4616Chevrolet Camaro Z 281979
MarbutTom237:454Dodge Van1971
MargetPete341:4114Datsun 5101972
MarshallPierce536:5113Chevrolet Malibu1979
MartinCharles545:3233Chevrolet Suburban1979
MartinChauncey343:0216Ford Van1972
MartiniJeff439:228Mazda RX-41975
MartiniJeff536:4912Cadillac Eldorado1979
MayJack +435:531Ferrari Dino 246 GTS1975
MayoEdward538:1017Chevrolet Blazer1979
McCarthyCharlie536:199Mercedes-Benz 300 SD1979
McConkeyRon440:4312Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1975
McCoyJack437:502Chevrolet Pickup1975
McCoyPeggy437:502Chevrolet Pickup1975
McGovernJohn441:3515Oldsmobile Cutlass1975
McGovernJohn558:0439Rolls Royce Silver Wraith1979
McGrailTom344:4219Travco Motorhome1972
McGrailTom445:3617Travco Motorhome1975
McMeekanGeorge344:5420Pontiac1972
McPhersonGlen3DNF31Austin-Healey1972
McWhorterDonald541:1727Chevrolet Corvette1979
McWhorterGerald541:1727Chevrolet Corvette1979
MenesiniDennis534:525Chevrolet Pickup1979
MenkeVern440:5313Ford Torino1975
MenzelMike5DNF46Fiat 1271979
MicekJohn540:5325Chrysler1979
MillerJames343:4518Bradley GT1972
MillerMark534:525Chevrolet Pickup1979
MillerRobin339:357Chevrolet Vega1972
MimsDonna Mae3DNF28Cadillac Limousine1972
MockettDoug540:5325Chrysler1979
MoodyDave341:0111Ford Torino1972
MooreBill540:5325Chrysler1979
MorinHolly239:036Dodge Van1971
MortonTom341:0111Ford Torino1972
MortonTom440:3313Ford Torino1975
MosesSam539:2921Ford Mustang Boss 3021979
MullenJim540:1123Ferrari SWB1979
MullenJoan540:1123Ferrari SWB1979
NeedhamHal5DNF43Dodge Van1979
NehlTom441:3214Porsche 9111975
NergerUrsula543:4731Jensen Interceptor1979
NicholsJohn539:4522Chevrolet Camaro1979
NickelGil438:164Mercedes-Benz 450 SL1975
NiemcekBrad236:472Chevrolet Van1971
NiemcekBrad3DNF27Chevrolet Van1972
NiemcekBrad440:3711Ford Van1975
NiemcekPeggi3DNF28Cadillac Limousine1972
NunnSpike341:4114Datsun 5101972
O'BrienRobert441:3515Oldsmobile Cutlass1975
O'DonnellBill553:0038Cadillac Eldorado1979
OldsFred +337:161Cadillac Coupe De Ville1972
OldsFred440:3110Volvo 164 E1975
OpertLarry236:563Cadillac Sedan De Ville1971
PoggioMassimo5DNF46Fiat 1271979
ParkerPal257:257Travco Motorhome1971
ParkerPal344:4219Travco Motorhome1972
ParkerPal445:3617Travco Motorhome1975
PashPhil257:257Travco Motorhome1971
PatchettKeith572:5442BMW R 90/6 Motorcycle1979
PearsonJack438:456Buick Electra1975
PeelerJim546:4836Ferrari 330 GT1979
PerlowBob2DNF8MGB GT1971
PfeiferS.347:2823Ford Pinto1972
PierceJeff533:423Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1979
PittJesse340:119Chrysler1972
PostonBecky237:454Dodge Van1971
PrentissLarry546:3735Porsche Carrera1979
PritchMark536:5218Ferrari 308 GT 3501979
PritzkerNate236:563Cadillac Sedan De Ville1971
PryorBill449:3218Bristol 4101975
PryorBill540:3324Volvo 242 GT1979
QuartararoTony546:4836Ferrari 330 GT1979
RaceDonald553:0038Cadillac Eldorado1979
RalstonBenjamin546:3735Porsche Carrera1979
RamseyJohn343:2817Ford Torino1972
RasmussenBuzz539:2020Chevrolet El Camino1979
ReganKen440:3711Ford Van1975
RichardsonTad535:176Mazda RX-71979
RiggsClyde536:4912Cadillac Eldorado1979
RobisonCharlie534:525Chevrolet Pickup1979
RoderDick340:5510Chevrolet Van1972
RomineChris535:587Ferrari 308 GTS1979
RosenblattJoel536:008Buick Park Avenue1979
RostBob338:375Alfa Romeo Giulia1972
RowzieDan438:395Porsche 911 RSR1975
RoyerLyle5DNF43Dodge Van1979
SatulloSandy438:456Buick Electra1975
SatulloSandy536:4912Pontiac1979
SatulloStuart536:4912Pontiac1979
Satullo IISandy438:456Buick Electra1975
Satullo IISandy536:4912Pontiac1979
ScarlatoJerry445:3617Travco Motorhome1975
SchmittCharles553:0038Cadillac Eldorado1979
ScottDick3DNF30Porsche 9111972
ScribnerDoug349:0425Chevrolet Monte Carlo1972
SellyeiLouis539:1019Jaguar XJS1979
SencenbaughJim545:3233Chevrolet Suburban1979
SenekiAlex546:3134Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.31979
ShugarsDave440:4312Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1975
SibioAlbert Jr.536:4011Chevrolet Camaro Z 281979
SimkinDaniel536:2010Excalibur1979
SmithGary539:4522Chevrolet Camaro1979
SmithKen534:525Chevrolet Pickup1979
SmithSteve +140:511Dodge Sportsman Van1971
SnyderMichael533:423Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1979
SolskiPaul339:296Mazda RX-21972
SporticheAlain546:3134Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.31979
SpreadburyBill347:2823Ford Pinto1972
StannerBud337:262Dodge Challenger1972
StantonChick438:567Porsche Carrera1975
StantonChick542:2829Porsche Carrera1979
Stephenson?3DNF34Honda 6001972
StevensDavid536:2010Excalibur1979
StropusJudy3DNF28Cadillac Limousine1972
TaayjesBob343:4518Bradley GT1972
TalbertR.A.344:5420Pontiac1972
TaylorJustus561:5140Ford Panel Truck1979
ThibeauJohn345:3921Opel Rallye1972
TrefethenJon343:2817Ford Torino1972
TruesdaleLoyal572:5442BMW R 90/6 Motorcycle1979
TurkovichBob440:3711Ford Van1975
UnkeferDuane343:0216Ford Van1972
VilleneuveJacques537:3115Porsche 9281979
VisniewskiScott538:1017Chevrolet Blazer1979
WalleRay439:228Mazda RX-41975
WardKen543:3230Suzuki 850 Motorcycle1979
WardSteve543:3230Suzuki 850 Motorcycle1979
WarnerBill441:3214Porsche 9111975
WatersRandy237:454Dodge Van1971
WeglarzDennis440:4312Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1975
WhitesideMark534:074Pontiac Firebird Trans Am1979
WilliamsJim +140:511Dodge Sportsman Van1971
WilliamsWillie538:1017Chevrolet Blazer1979
WilligGeorge539:2921Ford Mustang Boss 3021979
YarboroughDave +532:51* 1Jaguar XJS1979
YatesBrock +140:511Dodge Sportsman Van1971
YatesBrock +235:541Ferrari Daytona1971
YatesBrock337:262Dodge Challenger1972
YatesBrock438:033Dodge Challenger1975
YatesBrock5DNF43Dodge Van1979
YatesBrock Jr. +140:511Dodge Sportsman Van1971
YatesPamela5DNF43Dodge Van1979
ZiegelRobert537:2514Porsche 9301979
ZoeltnerAndreas543:4731Jensen Interceptor1979