Date:         Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:50:42 -0800
Reply-To:     Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Subject:      Sea to Shining Sea In a Graham Paige Mdl. 57 Blue Streak or  a
              365 GTB/4
In-Reply-To:  <200710310305.l9V351P0020216@flpi125.prodigy.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

One could just google this phrase but in essence there was an informal race
across America called at one time the Sea to Shining Sea. (Cannonball Baker
Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Run) Later immortalized by those famous
words "what is behind me is of no importance" in the cult movie "The Gumball
Rally"

 As a tortoise and hare sort of thing, those with limited stop capabilites
(read Travco Motorhome) could have had an advantage equipped with extra fuel
tanks over the sportier and hairier-chested two seaters.

Famous participants included Keith Patchett, Dan Gurney, Brock Yates and of
course a host of others.

From Wikipedia:

As it was found out, the newly imposed 55 mph speed limit was actually
slower than the quickest average speeds of point-to-point travels of Erwin
George "Cannon Ball" Baker in the first half of the 20th century. In 1933,
Baker drove coast to coast in a Graham-Paige model 57 Blue Streak 8,
averaging greater than 50 mph, setting a 53 hour 30 minute record that stood
for nearly 40 years. If this could be done by a single man driving on bad
roads and through villages, a team of two or more experienced (and even
professional race) drivers, driving a modern car on safer and wider
intersection-free highways which by-pass towns, should be able to do it
quicker without taking unacceptable risks apart from getting a speeding
ticket, by cruising at 90 to 100 mph. As reported in the New York Times
October 17, 2007, the current unofficial record is 31 hours and 4 minutes,
set by Alexander Roy in 2006."

"In 1971, the Daytona gained fame, or infamy depending on your point of
view, when a Sunoco Blue example was driven by racing legend Dan Gurney and
former Car and Driver editor at large Brock Yates the entire 2,876 miles
(4,628 km) from New York to L.A. in 35 hours 54 minutes (at an average speed
of 80.1 mph) to win the inaugural Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea
Memorial Trophy Dash. The two claim to have driven the car to 172 mph on the
backroads of Arizona. Befitting the car's heritage, both reported stability
to be rock solid the entire trip, even at that elevated speed.

This 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4, serial number 14271, belonged to exotic car
dealer Kirk F. White, who loaned it to Yates and Gurney for the race. White
afterwards offered to sell the car to Gurney at a bargain price of $15,000,
but Gurney regrettably could not afford it at the time. It is currently a
prized vintage piece in the collection of Bruce McCaw, restored to its
historic racing livery: midnight blue with yellow pinstriping."


To quote A.C.B Chapman of Lotus Cars after a bit of a squeaker " you only
need lead at one point in the race".  The Ironbutt society sponsors long
distance moto rides.  And then there is Three Flags, Four Corners.  But hey,
lookitup and enjoy.

Now a vanagon with extra fuel, a portapoo, GPS, and other fine accoutrements
could do well with three drivers aboard.  RVC.

There is rumour that O. Gnashly Cogswell aboard a Spagthorpe Whippet was
leading in 1971 by over two hours when waylaid by a buxom lovely in a GTO
Judge and retired due to exertion exhaustion.

The Motorcycle record is a shade under 80 hours sea to shining sea.