"Cannonball Run"

[vinj]

Long time Car and Driver readers will know that the original Cannonball run was conceived by Brock Yates, one of it's editors. It was really zany in those days as you'd have guys going for outright speed while there were those who would rely on stealth (i.e. a modified ambulance, wagons full of radio monitoring antennas, etc.). One of the Car and Driver eds (John Philips i think) also did a coast-to-coast run, non stop using a VW Jetta diesel with additional fuel tanks and a rigged-up urinal system. (Man i miss those old C&D days...). The Cannonball Run of Car and Driver evolved into a annual event that was formally organized with the participants driving a route that covered a number of race tracks around the US where they would do their performance runs (The One Lap of America).

BOSS BMW Ironman Challenge is similar although it is not advertised as a race. My Tito joined one of their inaugural runs in his 1200GS Adventure. The real challenge is more on endurance wherein you have to finish the run within 24 hours.

I recall reading an article also on C! Magazine before where one of the energy drink companies had a similar run and the author (Mike Potenciano) was aghast as it was very unsafe to do so. I'd be against something like a cannonball run here as the general motoring public will be put at risk due. It's already risky enough to race wheel to wheel in a controlled environment such as a race track, what the on the open road.