Anyone involved with 2021 Great Race?

[alexiskai]

The rally is stopping overnight in Mooresville on Saturday, which is only 2 hours from me. I've been thinking about going to check it out, but the website doesn't say anything about how best to experience the rally as a spectator, only as a participant. Anyone here involved with the race that could give me some tips? Main thing is that my time is limited, so I'm wondering whether I should go Sat. evening or Sun. morning.

[kbinde2]

I had the opportunity to view as a spectator when during an East Coast event they made a lunch stop in Delaware. The event had posted an approximate ETA,
and the streets and parking areas adjacent were lined with spectators.
The entrants only had a certain amount of time to eat, regroup and check maps and times. I could only imagine the overnight stays with repairs, maintenance and getting ready for the next segment.
For me, a great experience to see a variety of vehicles, in a different part of
the hobby I had only read about. kb

[MrBruce]

Alex
Contact Walter, he has VIP seats and parking for the clubs Model A's

Walter O'Neal <[email protected]>

[alexiskai]

Originally Posted by MrBruce

Alex
Contact Walter, he has VIP seats and parking for the clubs Model A's

Walter O'Neal <[email protected]>

Thanks, I just did!

[SteveB31]

Go in the evening and be there before the cars are scheduled to arrive. Do not go in the morning as they leave early . It is a fun event as a participant or spectator, but very little time in the morning or lunch stop, only in the evening.

[77Birdman]

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Not the great race, but the Motorcycle Cannonball went through our area a few years ago. I went to the lunch stop that was at a local HD dealer. It was quite a cluster(mess). The bikes did not come in all at once, I think there was a span of several hours between the first and the last. It was interesting, glad I did it but wouldnt go out of my way to do it again. Was able to get up close and talk to riders and look at bikes but they had bigger things on their minds, and Im sure the public was a big distraction. Being that cars take up a larger area, and you may have a chance to grab lunch might be a good afternoon if its close. I have been hoping that the Great Race one day would be close enough to do what you are asking about.

I had dreams of participating in the Great Race, but my perception is that it has grown to a level that the average joe would be hard pressed to do so. Entry fees are high, and it seems like the same group of people win every year.

[alexiskai]

I got in touch with Walt. Seems there'll be a local car show early in the afternoon and then the racers will arrive, roughly one per minute, from 5:30-7:15. So we'll check out the local cars, do something out of the heat, get dinner, and then circle back to see the racers once they're parked.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by alexiskai

I got in touch with Walt. Seems there'll be a local car show early in the afternoon and then the racers will arrive, roughly one per minute, from 5:30-7:15. So we'll check out the local cars, do something out of the heat, get dinner, and then circle back to see the racers once they're parked.

The car show for the GR is called the Parc Ferme'.

Someone you should probably go find on the race is Dr. Tom Littrell. Tom has run the race for years (he started racing when we were doing it some 25 years ago). Tom is from the Galax, Virginia area and will be driving a purple Model-A Roadster. Feel free to name drop me if you like. I will text him to let him know you are looking for him there.

[alexiskai]

Thanks, I'll do that.

[Swingle]

Did four Great Races, first three as pit crew, the last one as a driver.


Best time to see the cars and talk with the drivers is at the nightly stop, the car show, the Parc Ferme'. The drivers, and team, will be hot and tired, but the show is mandatory for the Great Racers.


For the morning send off, is a good place to see all the cars and teams as they depart, but don't get in their way or interrupt them. They are given their driving instructions a set time before departure and need to review them. They also need to make sure that the car is all ready for another day of 'racing', tanks are topped off, tires up to pressure, and the car is free from prohibited items that could disqualify them.


Was a lot of work doing the Great Race, but it was a lot of fun also.

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

There are two from the Seattle A club. Neither one is driving an A though.

[Gene F]

I went down to the lunch stop in Huntington, WV today. It was organized well.

[whirnot]

They stopped here for the night, two years ago. That is the best time. Here, they lined the streets as they arrived and visited with spectators. Really enjoyed it

[31Tudor]

we had a great Model A day in Mooresville, NC today participating in a car show and waiting for the Great Racers to come into town. We had 5 club members with their cars in a car show on main street from 11:00 to 4:00. Lots of great cars and a really nice cross section of all cars. Then at 4:00 they cleared us off main street and we parked in another lot just for us, then the big event! all the cars came into Mooresville for the night. lots of excitement, great turnout, really fun to see the Great Race cars. A really fun car day!

[alexiskai]

We made it to the early show, the Queen City A's brought out some nice cars, including two running various speed parts. The parc fermé included a '31 running a V8, the Team Snyder's Tudor, Doc Littrell and several other speedsters. Doc was first off the starting line that morning in what he said was his 13th GR.

The Team Snyder's car had a neat mod where his turn signals were controlled via a toggle switch mounted on the shifter just below the knob. Seemed like a good way to keep hand movement to a minimum.