By Guest Writer
Jun 27, 2023
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Road Rally,
The Great Race
Photography by Tim Murray
Story by Tim Murray
A total of 132 competitors embarked on The Great Race in St. Augustine, Florida, on Saturday, June 24. The 9-day, 2300-mile road rally for pre-1974 vehicles crosses the finish line on Sunday, July 2, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The Great Race is an unequipped touring rally that has been run in the U.S. since 1983. It stops at different cities every year. This edition’s journey includes 17 cities among 9 states.
Saturday, June 24
St. Augustine, Florida
Tifton, GeorgiaSunday, June 25
Auburn, Alabama
Birmingham, AlabamaMonday, June 26
Tupelo, Mississippi
Memphis, TennesseeTuesday, June 27
North Little Rock, Arkansas
Russellville, ArkansasWednesday, June 28
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Joplin, MissouriThursday, June 29
Emporia, Kansas
Wichita, KansasFriday, June 30
Great Bend, Kansas
Garden City, KansasSaturday, July 1
Lamar, Colorado
Pueblo, ColoradoSunday, July 2
Colorado Springs, Colorado
While American iron dominates the field, there are cars from the U.K., Germany, Sweden, France, Italy and Japan. Newer vehicles are handicapped to allow the older vehicles to be competitive. However, only one Grand Champion in the past 40 years was a post-war car–a 1966 Ford Mustang driven by Barry and Irene Jason in 2014.
If you are near one of the cities along the route of The Great Race, you should try to meet up with the participants. The ones we met were incredibly open and friendly–and who knows, you might get recruited to be on next year’s team or decide to participate yourself.
Several years ago, my wife and I participated in the Coker Challenge, at least at the time an event that attracted some of the same crowd. Wow, fierce competition–like, one second early or late made a huge difference. (We were happy just to arrive in the right place a few times.)
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