"The Great Race"

75 cars are entered ($4000.00......yes a four thousand dollar entry fee) into the great race sponsored by Coker Tire & Hemmings. So it runs between the two businesses, Chattanooga, TN to Bennington, VT June 11 - 18.

The first stop is Wheels Through Time Museum on the afternoon and evening of Saturday, June 11, in Maggie Valley, NC. Our local PCA in East TN is doing a drive that day to WTT to see the cars. Reportedly, one of the cars entered is 100 yrs old.

Gordon mentioned on another thread that he was attending probably towards the end in VT.

Check out www.greatrace.com to learn more & perhaps see these cars run this long distance rally.

Hey all in the central PA area don't forget WE will be cruising speedsters as they come though Chambersburg, PA around noon and head to Hershey PA.
~ Alan

From the Great Race web site:

Lunch stop in Chambersburg, PA

Hope you PA guys get some good pictures for us.

Kathy and I will be heading up for the last day; Lunch at Stratton, VT, then the big finish into Bennington, VT that afternoon on June 17'th.

gn

Al, I think it's Tues. the 14th they're coming thru.

http://www.hemmings.com/events/greatrace.html?refer=news

Poster in C'Burg had it for Wednesday ....ok I penciled in Tuesday

Uh oh...wonder which is right?

I don't trust those Printers bwaaaaaahahha

Great Race site has it on Tues. 14th

I might could make a Tuesday run from Cumberland MD. Only 150 miles or so. Call in sick at work. Heck, maybe make it part of work somehow.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

I was thinking of intercepting them in Cumberland, but it would mean a 5 a.m. start time for me & Bridget so thinking no. I'll see y'all in Chambersburg an hour before the racers arrive. Good enough?

OK all you New England Speedstah Groupies!!! Kathy and I are planning on attending the finish of the Great Race in Bennington, Vermont on June 17'th. We plan on leaving Grafton, Massachusetts, around 9am and it should take us about 3 hours to get to Bennington. Route is I-90 west to I-91 north to Brattleboro and then VT RT 9 west to Bennington (more precise route next week - we may head out Mass RT 2 and then up RT 7 - Either way is mucho scenic). The cars should start arriving shortly after 2pm (the site says 2:30pm) after their lunch stop at Stratton Mountain.

Anyone want to caravan?? I do not believe that the New England TYP356 club is making this an event, as they have something else going on that weekend. If I hear of any members heading out to Bennington I'll try to hook up.

Any New England joiners?????

gn

I put in for 1/2 day. i.e. will be getting off at 10AM.

~WB

I thought about driving Pearl up to Bennington for the Grand Finale of the Great Race. Haven't had her running at all and she's been in hibernation since Aug. 22'nd, 2010 - Full tank of Gas with Sta-Bil, battery minder, car cover in an unheated garage and that's about it. 12-year-old tires were down about ten pounds of pressure, but other than that, she looked pretty good to these stressful eyes.

Went out yesterday to see if she would start, as there was a tech session in my town sponsored by the TYP356 club of Southern New England. Removed the battery minder, turned the key to "on", sat and waited for 30 seconds while the electric fuel pump filled the float bowls, then pumped the gas pedal about twenty times and hit "Start". Cranked for about 15 seconds without catching, but I figured that was good for priming the oil pump. Pumped another ten or twelve times or so and hit Start again and this time she caught - sort-of. Coughed and puked and snorted and stuff, but with another 10-15 pumps or so she finally reved a bit and smoothed out at higher revs while scaring the hell out of the neighbor's cat (serves her right for being in my yard, damn cat...) Idled awful, but she was running well enough to move, so off we went.

Backed out of the driveway and headed to the tech session amidst a bunch of coughing and puking (sounds familiar to a lot of you, doesn't it?). By the time I got half way there (about three miles) she was smoothing out and even idling (poorly) around 550 rpm. By the time I got there, even her idle had smoothed out and was stabil at 800 rpm. I think blasting out of a stop light to beat an unsuspecting "tuner" to a 2-to-1 lane merge helped a bit - blew all of that crud out of the cylinders to let her breathe easier (and dumped a big cloud of brown/black smoke out in front of the tuner).

Will Miracles never cease????????

Along the way, I noticed that my normally dead-straight steering wheel was cocked about 75 degrees from straight, then I remembered that, at the end of last Summer, I had installed the extra adjustment ball joint eccentrics that Jack Crosby gave to me at Carlisle two years back and never had the front end aligned- I just eyeballed it and tightened everything up. It shows. So I guess I'll be driving the truck up to Bennington unless some other miracle happens and I get new tires and an alignment before June 17'th.

One way or another, we'll be there for the finish!!!!!

New tires and an alignment....you'll be glad you did!

~WB

OK gang......we need.... a head count for the Great Race Intrusion
A late morning gathering in town. O
Or a late breakfast and BS session Denny's ?...Actual location TBA.

I still need to call the local Chamber to get details but what I have heard is that Chambersburg may shut down the town square at lunch time, this should be a neat trick as Rt. 81 has narrow construction lanes and they reroute oversize loads, guess where? Right through the square in Chambersburg.

I'm thinking Bill, Me, Chuck, Kelly, Cory and ? ? ? ?

Dude! Me. I'll be there with a video camera & y'alls are getting interviewed so I can write the miles off for work.

The TRiCities PCA (& my Vintage) has 15+ cars headed to Maggie Valley this Saturday to see the Great Race entries as they arrive at Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, NC

Great Race Hershey arrival schedule.

Visitors "us" MUST,be in place at the AACA no later than 430PM ....the first car arrivers at 4:45pm.


I'll post add'l Chambersburg info tomorrow as I get it .

OK, as per other thread this topic: I'm in. Just need some more specific info on where to meet (exactly) and when.

My local car club is going to meet up with the group for their first lunch stop in Athens, TN. I will be sure to have the camera at the ready.

Kelly, Ed, Bill and ????

Meet at 11:00AM in Chambersburg.

RT 81 to exit 16 onto Rt 30 West ..aka Lincoln Way West.
Pass the Rite Aid on your left, go through the railroad tunnel,
pass the Post Office on your left at that light and on your left will be a empty brick bank with a "For Sale" banner accross the front. It's on the corner of Lincoln Way and 3rd street. (Old M & T Bank) and just one block from the Town Square. Cars start to arrive at 12:00 and one every minute there after. We'll head up to the AACA in Hershey arriving there by 4:15.

Anyone else coming ? ?

My cell 717 860 8476

Hi Alan

I'm thinking I may show-up, it should be interesting. Don't wait if I'm not there

Lew

Hope you can make it Lew ~

Forecast is for sunny and a high of 73 degrees !

I saw them today in Athens, TN. It was hot outside and one poor lady spectator was overcome by the temperature as the cars rolled in on schedule. The drivers and navigators had an hour to rest and grab a bite (provided free by a local restaurant---nice touch) and then they were off. Wait until you get a load of Marmom Wasp, a 1911 model and what a beast it is. This was a fun outing; I can't believe I forgot my friggin' camera but bought the program book....well worth the five bucks. You upstream guys are in for a treat.

Thanks Hoss, look'n forward to the event.

Report from Maggie Valley (end of Day 1)

DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT !!!!!!!!!
These cars are amazing, and to see them driven over great distance is unflippin' (Palin) believeable ! A 37 bhp Morris Minor Woody, A '29 Auburn, a Peerless, 68 Dodge Charger, the lone Porsche, a 68 911 w/ a 72 RS ducktail (???), A Hudson Hornet, A Bugatti boatail speedster, the 50's aqua car, on and on. Dale Walklser of Wheels Through Time put on a great finale, along with commentary by "Motor Mouth & Corky Coker. Coker also brought a recreation of the 1st Indy 500 winner from 1911.

DO NOT MISS THIS. Cheer them On. Open cockpit, tight quarters, 6 inch wide tires, etc.

Ohhh, this sounds like it's gonna be fun!

~WB

Been checking the updates on Face Book....can't wait to see the unique rides on Tuesday~

So, just to be sure I get it right, will aim to be there around 10:30 or so. Leaving time for a pit stop, more coffee, or whatever. See youse guys there then. Any particular place one should park? I'll give GoogleMap a try, and see if I can zero in on this one. I'm sure I've been past here several times in recent years visiting the MerklinWerks.

PS: anybody know where they will be approaching C'burg from? What route they will take in?

My 6/10 post will get you to the old bank lot.
Google 278 Lincoln Way East (and 3rd st.) Chambersburg...
I'll be there by 10:45. My cell 717 860 8476.
The Franklin County Visitors Agency here is to rope off a parking area for specility cars, provide a free lunch.
We'll check the inbound cars until after 2:00 then arrive around 4:00 at the AACA - Hershey. Chuck Martin has extended an invite to his nearby home after the AACA stop.

Got overnight reservations in Bennington and now trying to score some tickets to the banquet after the race.

Looking forward to this weekend!

Got it. see you at the M&T Bank lot. It'll probably be a bit after 11am till I get there(unless I can sneak outta work early).

~WB

Bill we will wait at the bank on ya ..

Picture perfect weather here today.. sunny slight breezes and a high of 73 degrees.... see you guys in a bit.

Look for me at the Bank Lot around 11 a.m. Leaving Joppa in 5 minutes

OH! What a day! Ran to Chambersburg to meet up with Alan, Kelly and MG Ed. Lew Martin and Syl Matthews showed up too! Hung out in the Square until all the Great Race cars showed up. What a show these guys put on! Spectacular!
Then it was off to the Soda Jerk in Hummelstown for a late lunch and then On to the AACA Museum to catch them arriving again. The SOC wss represented well with 5 cars parked right in the FRONT row thanks to Chuck Martin and Jim Chichi who saved us prime spots.
We also got to meet Posie, the local Hot Rod Guru. What a hoot!
Blackie did all of 160 miles today and is taking a nap!
Here's a few shots, the rest I have to get from the camera.

~WB