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Car and Driver Editor, Federal-Mogul Team Up for 'Cannonball Classic'

23 September 1999

Car and Driver Editor, Federal-Mogul Team Up for 'Cannonball Classic'

    NEW YORK, Sept. 23 -- Once the subject of several movies, the
infamous cross-country "Cannonball Run" is about to be trekked again.  Twenty
classic cars will depart New York City on Sunday, Sept. 26 to begin a
six-stop, 3,000-mile tour ending in Redondo Beach, Calif. on Saturday, Oct. 2.
    Unlike the old "Runs," that were based on outright speed, the "Federal-
Mogul 1999 Cannonball Classic" is an un-timed tour across scenic blue
highways.  Drivers are required to complete the trip with a car from model
year 1971 or before, or documented vehicles that actually competed in one of
the original events.  This prerequisite has brought out cars from around the
world including a 1971 Nissan Fairlady from Japan, a 1950 Cadillac from
Australia, and a 1940 Ford Sedan from the United States.
    "America's fascination with cars continues to demand events that celebrate
the endurance of the automobile and the desire to crisscross the country,"
said Brock Yates, Car and Driver editor-at-large and coordinator of the old
and new Cannonballs.  "We hope to make the Cannonball Classic an annual
event."
    The original Cannonball evolved into the "One Lap of America," an annual
endurance circumnavigation of the United States.
    "One Lap is a long distance road rally based not on speed but on a team's
ability to make checkpoints at precise times," said Yates.  "With the new
Cannonball Classic -- the longest of the 'old-crock tours' (pre-1971 models)
that have become increasingly popular worldwide -- we hope to capture some of
the spirit and flavor of the first Runs.  Many of our entrants are fairly
historic vehicles."
    The "Cannonball" will begin in Manhattan at the conclusion of the famed
Luis Vuitton Classic Concours d'Elegance at Rockefeller Center.  From there,
drivers will cover the route making planned stops where the public can view
the cars and talk to the drivers.

    Date                                       Leaving From

    Sunday, Sept. 26                           New York
    Monday, Sept. 27                           Scranton, Pa.
    Tuesday, Sept. 28                          Southfield, Mich.
    Wednesday, Sept. 29                        St. Louis, Mo.
    Thursday, Sept. 30                         Lincoln, Neb.
    Friday, Oct. 1                             Steamboat Springs, Colo.
    Saturday, Oct. 2                           Eureka, Nev.

    Each entrant pays a fee, for two people, of $5,000, with each additional
crew member at $2,500.  The cost includes hotel accommodations, limited
on-road mechanical assistance, meals and hospitality.  A percentage of the fee
will be donated to the charity, Big Brothers-Big Sisters of America,
designated by title sponsor Federal-Mogul Corporation of Southfield, Mich.
    Car and Driver magazine, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., is the world's
largest circulation automotive magazine and the premier source of information
for automobile enthusiasts.  Content includes everything from new car
previews, road tests and features to industry news and automotive humor.