The Long Way Home – The Great American Detour Gets Underway to Cover Over 3,000 Miles and Go Coast to Coast, as Robert Voss Leads the Pack to Become the Longest Drag and Drive Event on Distance!
Defining the term “street car” can get you opinions and discussions that can rival most debates on politics. And although most drag and drive events will start and end at the same location and/or race track, there are some that make the most of the days by starting at a different point than the last day.
Robert Voss, or otherwise known to many as ‘Camp Counselor Bob’, wanted to put his own spin on a drag and drive event after participating in several as a competitor. Today marked Day One on The Great American Detour, which will span over 3,000 miles and cover several states, all in the name of getting from New York to California in seven days!
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“I’ve done several events, and learned a little about not only competing, but also the organization and ways of doing an event,” said Voss. “It got me thinking about a bigger event, more driving, and exploring different parts of America.”
There have been several drag and drive events with more than 1,000 street miles clocked during the course of the event. Although Hot Rod Drag Week set the original standard with nearly every event over 1,000 miles, Rocky Mountain Race Week increased that standard just a bit more, as well as adding in the mountain drives.
Sick The Magazine’s Death Week event in 2023 pushed the envelope farther than any event had done it, with three states and over 2,000 miles logged in nine days, where Jason Rousseau captured the overall win.
The Great American Detour brings new elements to the playing field, as the event got underway this morning from the historic Red Ball Garage in New York, which was the starting point to America’s cross-country endurance known as Cannonball Run.
Following in the path of the Cannonball Run, the east to west endurance challenge has a destination point of the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, California. But the Great American Detour adds one more stop, the Graffiti USA Museum in Modesto, California, as the final stop on July 4th to conclude seven days of travel and racing.
In traditional drag and drive fashion, the Great American Detour will combine the elements of drag racing and street miles. But, from the starting point of Red Ball Garage in New York, competitors will forge their own path westward across the country.
Rules dictate that competitors are required to submit six runs on a minimum eighth-mile standard, and the runs must be from a minimum four different tracks in three different states. Competitors are responsible to find tracks open with test and tune dates, and video verification and time stamps will also be a necessity.
Like the route and tracks, checkpoints will also be done on a competitor’s choice basis. At least one checkpoint per state traveled through is required, and can include national monuments, current or historic automobile stops or shops, or unique attractions.
In addition to a photo to document your checkpoint, each state requires a souvenir or a trinket to mark a competitor’s visit. or souvenir to signify your visit. An example could be a state’s magnet, or even a hat or shirt from a popular stop.
Awards for individual time-based classes (based on a consistency standard) include gift certificates from Summit Racing Equipment, as well as awards for the Fastest Overall Average, Most Consistent Car, Fastest Single Pass, and a few others.
Competitors set off on their journey today; how many will survive to the final stop in California?
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of The Great American Detour.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com