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With the country sheltering in place, and most major roads seeing significantly less traffic, there has never been a better time to take a crack at breaking the record for the famed Cannonball run race.
So an unnamed crew took a shot.
According to Road & Track, a new record was set in the process, breaking the old record by 45 minutes.
The 26 hour, 38 minute time appears to be legitimate, verified by two former Cannonball record-setters, it’s not yet official.
Here are the specifics so far:
All we know about this new set of scofflaws is that there were three, maybe four of them, and that they were driving a white 2019 Audi A8 sedan with a pair of red plastic marine fuel tanks ratchet-strapped into its trunk.
They started at the Red Ball Garage in New York City at 11:15 pm on April 4, and ended less than 27 hours later at the Portofino Hotel & Marina in Redondo Beach, California, the traditional start and end points of a Cannonball attempt.
The previous record was set just a few months ago at 27 hours and 25 minutes.
Naturally, race purists are calling the record tainted because of road conditions and traffic being less than normal. Plus, law officials across the country are probably a little less worried about speeders with a national pandemic going on.
Cannonball purists are criticizing the run and calling it “grossly irresponsible” with what’s going on in the country.
Ed Bolian, who set a Cannonball record in 2013, confirmed the time in a video but feels the time should have “some sort of asterisk” and compared the win to “setting swimming world records illegal full-body suits.”
Bolian’s time of 28 hours and 50 minutes was broken by an hour and a half just a few months ago.
If you’re toying with the idea of trying to break the record, here’s a video of the former record holders breaking down their impressive run, covering topics like the car, fuel considerations, and not stopping for too many pee breaks.
The Cannonball Run event was named after Erwin “Cannon Ball” Baker. His original 53.5-hour ride from New York to Los Angeles record lasted nearly 40 years until Bolian and his crew broke it back in 2013.
If you don’t feel like driving across the country, maybe just check out the 1981 Burt Reynolds movie of the same name.
[via Road & Track]