Our engine is a 289, V-8.

Even though the car was introduced as a 1965 model, Ford ended up making changes to the later ‘65 models, thus, early cars are called “1964 1/2”. There are quite a few differences between the early and later models, one being the generator instead of an alternator. Our car was manufactured in Dearborn, Michigan around May 20, 1964.

Yes, we found the car pretty close to the way it is now. We just made some slight modifications to make it a more comfortable rally car (we added power steering). I have also switched out the rims and door panels, but kept all the original parts. I also tinted the windows in an effort to keep the heat out. We do not have air conditioning.

In our first Great Race in 2019, we drove a 1931 Ford Model A Roadster. It’s a pretty small car, with no windows, and no heat. It has a four cylinder engine that produces 40 horsepower. Yes, FORTY. According to the specs, top speed is 65mph but that is if you are going downhill. During that race, it was hard for us to keep our speed on hills when doing the morning calibration run.

When we started talking about doing the race again, we decided we needed something with more power. My dad chimed in with his opinion. He thought we needed something light and it needed to be black. My daughter wanted windows. I wanted a backseat for a cooler with ice cold drinks and snacks. And of course, it needed to be a FORD!

The total length of the race is 2300 miles and it lasts for 9 days. Even though the length of the days varies, we do around 255 miles a day.

Yes, every morning we do a calibration run which allows us to set our speedometers to hopefully match the speedometer used in the planning of the route. We will drive at 50mph for about an hour or so, and this drive is on the highway. Once we get to the starting point for rally, we are driving on side roads. And no, the race is not about speed. It’s quite the opposite. We are usually at least 5mph BELOW the posted speed limit.

I’ve borrowed this description from the Great Race website: “Each day the driver and navigator team receives a set of course instructions that indicate every turn, speed change, stop, and start that the team must make throughout the day (usually 220 to 250 such instructions per day). Along the course route there will be from 4 to 7 checkpoints recording the exact time that the team passes that point. The objective is to arrive at each checkpoint at the correct time, not the fastest. The score for each team is the result of the team’s ability to follow the designated course instructions precisely. Every second off the perfect time (early or late) at each checkpoint is a penalty point. This format is much more mentally demanding than a flat-out cross-country race. Also, GPS or computers are not permitted and odometers are taped over. This is a test of human mental agility and endurance as well as classic car endurance, rather than programming capability.“

Any car up through model year 1974 is eligible to enter. The oldest car in the 2019 Great Race was a 1909 Buick Racer.

My dad and I did our first Great Race in 2019 in my grandparents’ 1931 Ford Model A Roadster. That year the race started in Riverside, CA and finished in Tacoma, WA. In 2021, my daughter and I participated in the Great Race that began in San Antonio, TX and finished in Greenville, SC. We are the second mother/daughter team to finish in race history. This current race will be my fourth and my daughter’s third.

No, the route changes every year. The route for 2023 has been announced and will run from Florida to Colorado.

My favorite part comes at the end of the day when we’re off the clock, we have the music going and we know we are on the right route because we start to see people sitting on the side of the road waving at us. As we get closer to the city where we will stop for the night, there are more and more people waving and cheering us on. It’s amazing and a good thing I have sunglasses on because my eyes start watering, if you know what I mean.