There are many races throughout the world, but none quite like The Great Race, which is an annual distance race featuring classic cars in a contest that crosses over several states.
The city of St. Augustine now has its place in the storied history of the race, as the route usually starts somewhere on the East Coast and this year Francis Field in St. Augustine served as the starting line on June 24.
One-hundred and twenty classic vehicles are taking part in the 2023 version of the race, which will have crossed through eight states before reaching the finish line in Colorado Springs, Colorado on July 2.
The vintage rally lived up to its name as it featured vehicles spanning several decades, including vehicles from the early 1900s all the way to the 1980s.
Brad Phillips and Dan Stahl are driving one of the oldest cars in the competition, a 1916 Hudson Speedster, which presents several challenges that new era cars do not, such as being an open cockpit, having no air conditioning and no power steering.
“It’s really more like riding a horse across the country than driving a car, which is what makes it so much fun,” Phillips said. “One of the biggest things to consider is weather, because if you’re in a ’65 Mustang with a windshield and a roof, you can weather a lot of stuff, but we’re just sitting out in it. “If you haven’t been pelted by rain going 45 (mph), it’s like getting shot in the face by a BB gun and it can really hurt. We spend a lot of time ducking down and dodging, all while driving and maintaining a specific speed.”
According to Phillips there are about five to eight checkpoints each day that the racers must hit in order to continue to be counted as the race progresses, and they also have predetermined destinations to stop for lunch and to stay overnight.
Having a co-pilot is a vital part of having success in the race because the route is already mapped out turn by turn, and staying on course is a must before any thoughts of winning the race can creep into a competitor’s head.
For some winning the race is the primary objective, while others see it an accomplishment just reaching the final destination with the car still intact without having suffered any major mechanical issues that resulted in a retirement from the race.
Tom Gray is one who entered this year’s race, his second with that being the mindset.
“The first year was like a blur, and I think we’ve learned a lot from that,” Gray said.
Gray is driving a 1973 Volvo P1800ES and he is just as old-school as the car itself, as he drove it from Louisville to his place in Daytona, before driving it up to St. Augustine for the start of the race and then driving it back home following the race.
“A lot of the cars they ship, but we like to drive it,” Gray said.
A practice rally and fan event was held in the parking lot of the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine June 23, which allowed fans to get up close and personal with the cars before they headed out on their trek the next day.
Being part of The Great Race was always a dream of his and now that he’s part of it he is soaking up every second.
“I’ve been applying to be in the race for seven years and they finally picked me last year,” Gray said. “I raced NASCAR for 10 years, but this is pretty fun.”
