Since we discovered speed, the urge to dominate every pathway, road, highway, and circuit has only gotten more and more. This can be attributed to our innate competitive nature. Car racing is one of the most popular motorsport activities in the world.

While the races may vary from country to country there is one thing that unites all of them and that is speed and a chance to be a title winner. These include both sanctioned and unsanctioned races. In our innate need to satisfy our need for speed, we have managed to come up with some of the weirdest races and some that have changed our approach to car design, technology, and the whole science of vehicle production.

One of the most popular unsanctioned races in America is the Cannonball Run challenge. This is a race that takes place in New York. It involves contestants racing from the Red Ball Garage in New York to the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach near Los Angeles. This race has a distance of 2,906 miles.

To get a better understanding of how and why this race came to be here is a brief history of the Cannonball Run Record.

RELATED: World Record Coast To Coast Cannonball Run In Under 26 Hours!

What Is The Cannonball Run Record?

Champion Cap in Cannonball Run II 1984

Before we jump into history here is a short explanation of what the race is and what exactly it involves. The Cannonball run Record is a race that is held in New York where the participants race in an unparalleled street to see who can get from New York to Los Angeles in the least amount of time.

When you hear or think of unsanctioned races you think of chaos and unruliness. More underground nitrous filled tanks and people running away from the cops. If you have watched the 1981 film The Cannonball Run you might have been misled. The race, in reality, may be unsanctioned but it is nowhere near chaotic or dramatic.

There is a lot of planning, diligence, attention to detail, and keenness brought into the racing by all the involved parties.

History Of The Cannonball Run Record

The Cannonball Baker Sea To Shining Sea Memorial
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The Cannonball run started in 1933 and has been going on to date. The forbidden fruit is always sweeter and that can be said for this race. How the Cannonball Run Record has managed to withstand the test of time can only be attributed to the love people have for racing.

Because it is unsanctioned, it is deemed illegal and involved parties are well aware of the ramifications that come with participating.

Because of this, the winner of the race is never announced immediately. It might take up to a year before the results are announced. This is because the statute of limitation on anything illegal pertaining to the race expires after one year.

The race was started by Erwin George Baker aka Cannon Ball Baker. He started the race by setting records from coast to coast in the United States. This was before he set the New York to Los Angeles record in 1933 by driving.

This was different seeing that he had previously only used motorcycles to set his records. Back in the day motorcycles were the go-to because of the unpaved roads. During his 1933 run, Baker completed the New York to Los Angeles run in 53 hours and 30 minutes.

This was pretty impressive seeing that 19 years earlier it had taken him 12 days to cover the same distance. The 1933 record was set in a Graham Automobile. When he finished the run, it was not really a competition and it was not dubbed the Cannonball Race. This only happened after Erwin George passed away. It was done to honour his contribution to motorsport and his unmatched overall impact on America.

RELATED: Here's How The Cannonball Run Record Has Improved Over The Years

Records

Since Baker's record of 53 hours and 30 minutes, things have changed. Roads are better and cars are faster. New records are set almost every year. Some of the most popular Cannonball Run Records include the current record of 25 hours and 39 minutes set by Arne Toman and Doug Tabutt in May of 2020 in their 2016 Audi S6.

In May 2020, the double Cannonball Run Record was set by Chris Clemens and Mark Spence in their 1999 Mercedes SL500. The solo Cannonball Run Record is held by Fred Ashmore who won in June 2020 in a rented 2020 Ford Mustang GT.