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Cannonball Run Europe 2004
The Event
The drive of your life! Body recovered, car re-serviced, spirit revived? Are you ready for another outrageous Cannonball Run? Cannonball 2002 and 2003 spectacular events were the most talked about driving adventure in Europe.
So, what is The Cannonball Run? A driving adventure, a physical and mental challenge, a meeting of man, machine and mayhem. Expect the unexpected and be prepared for an event that you will remember forever. A 2,863 mile route with breathtaking roads and stunning scenery. It's not a race but the rules will tax your abilities to the limit.
It doesn't matter what you drive: Lamborghini or Lotus, Ferrari or Ford, Mini or Mazda - these were just some of the machines entered on last year's event. It ain't the metal that counts but the spirit you bring with it.
What other event pitches an F40 against a London taxi, multi-millionaires against milkmen and all with an equal chance of winning? And all with a common desire to have the time of their lives? Only Cannonball Run Europe! From snaking mountain passes to fast sweepers on the Mediterranean borders and with exclusive use of a race track along the way, it's guaranteed to be the drive of your life.
To complete The Cannonball Run you will need to navigate your way through a series of checkpoints. Your route to the next checkpoint will only be revealed at the end of each leg so you won't know where you are going until you get there! Just taking part is an achievement, winning is nothing short of life changing! The victorious team takes the title and a free entry into next year's event to defend their crown. Their names will also be engraved onto the prestigious Cannonball Trophy, held at Cannonball HQ.
How do you win? A target time has been set for each stage (achievable without breaking the speed limits) and all you have to do is match it. At each overnight hotel you can view the Leader Board and check out your progress. Hit the front early on and take the coveted Yellow Jersey! The overall trophy is awarded at the final night gala dinner held back in England.
This is Cannonball Run Europe. Outrageous driving machines, the very best driving roads and an "up for it" crowd. An unforgettable adventure with luxury hotels, quality dining and the infamous Cannonball parties staged at top nightclubs along The Run. It is "the time of your life" and you have been warned.
The History
The Cannonball name originates from the die-hard adventurer Erwin G Cannonball Baker, the greatest cross-country record breaker of them all. Baker set 143 American distance records including a 53˝ hour coast to coast solo drive averaging over 50 mph - in 1933! He died a hero in 1960.
Inspired by the great man and in defiance of the then introduced 55 mph US speed limit, rebellious journalist Brock Yates launched the “Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash”. It’s fair to say that the response for the first event was somewhat underwhelming – in fact he was the only racer to turn up. Regardless, they went ahead – a mark of the man – and setting off at midnight on May 3rd 1971, completed the route in 40 hours and 51 minutes.
An account of his tale in Car & Driver Magazine lit the Cannonball fuse. Four subsequent races were held, the culmination being the 1979 event – the fastest of them all - which attracted 26 entries and was won by David Heinz and David Yarborough who completed the entire course in just 32 hours and 51 minutes at an average of nearly 88 mph. The legend was established.
Of course everybody remembers the subsequent Cannonball movies and great fun they were too. Whilst Yates was involved in the creation of the first, he felt the real spirit of the event was lost in the translation to film and professed his disappointment at the creative, if not financial outcome.
And so there it lay. Until 6th October 2002 that is when an astonishing 69 cars and 140 new Cannonballers stepped up to be counted when Cannonball Run Europe threw down the challenge of a European revival. The machines may have been more modern (save for the 1970s Fastback Mustang), the rules refined to take account of a more modern age but the spirit of the event had not been diluted with the passing of time. History had been restarted and The Cannonball story continues once again. Where will it all end?
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