For some people "now is not the time" just doesn't penetrate as for the second time in five weeks the Cannonball Run record has been broken with an under 26 hour time. The previous record was set at 26 hours and 38 minutes in a specially equipped Audi A8. That run was done at the beginning of the nationwide lock down, drawing criticism from the previous record holder that had just set a record in a modified AMG Mercedes.
The Cannonball Run
While The Cannonball Run for most people is a series of all star action comedies staring Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise, it's based on a real illegal car rally started in part by Car and Driver editor Brock Yates. Yates wrote the script for the cult classic which was originally intended for racer and actor Steve McQueen.
Coast to Coast
The run has only two points, the start at the Red Ball Garage in New York and the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach. Between those points the route is up to the drivers. In order to set a sub-26 hour time the team would have to average 108 mph with the team saying some states where they averaged 120 mph. The additional gas tanks allowed for fewer fuel stops.
Record Setting
The pre-pandemic record had also recently been broken in December of last year with the first sub 30 hour run since the previous record was set in 2013. The team of drivers used a 2015 E63 with a raft of police sniffing technology and 20 spotters to site clear roads. Since the shutdown, many records have been set including coast to coast records, coast to coast solo, and diesel records. These teams have received backlash from Cannonballers that don't think record runs are appropriate at the moment. The new record holders haven't been revealed nor their exact time.
Source: Road & Track