The Original Cannonball Run

When most people hear about the Cannonball Run, the image that immediately comes to mind is the 1981 slapstick Burt Reynolds road rally movie. But, before there was the Hollywood blockbuster, there was a real cross-country outlaw road race that had been in existence since 1915.

"Cannon Ball" Baker

In 1915, Erwin George "Cannon Ball" Baker set a record, driving his Cadillac roadster from San Diego to New York City in seven days, 11 hours, and 52 minutes. In 1933, he set a cross-country record that wasn't broken until the 1970s; from New York to L.A. in 53.5 hours.

Before he was an outlaw car driver, Baker was one of the first daredevil motorcycle riders. In 1909, he won the first race ever held at the Indianapolis Speedway.

By the time of his death in 1960, "Cannon Ball" Baker had made 143 trips across the country, mostly by motorcycle.

Brock Yates

In May, 1971, Car and Driver magazine writer Brock Yates established a cross country event named after "Cannon Ball" Baker. He called it the "Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash." To avoid any legal difficulties with Baker's family, Yates changed the "Cannon Ball" nickname to "Cannonball." With the intent of breaking Baker's 1933 record, Brock Yates took a solo cross-country trip from New York to L.A. in a Dodge van dubbed "Moontrash II." This initial run took 40 hours, 51 minutes, thus breaking the record.

In November of that same year, Yates' cross-country was challenged by several teams of other drivers, including the "Polish Racing Drivers of America." When he accepted their challenges, the first Cannonball Run was born. Participants included some of auto racing's legends like Dan Gurney, Don Garlits, and Phil Hall.

Cannonball Run

Dan Gurney partnered with Brock Yates in a blue Ferrari, and they won the race in a record 35 hours and 54 minutes.

In 1972, the second Cannonball Run included a three-woman team in a Cadillac limousine.

The last official Cannonball Run was held in 1979. In this race, Brock Yates teamed with his friend, Hollywood stuntman and director Hal Needham. They rode in an ambulance and were accompanied by a fake nurse and doctor.

Yates decided to end the event because the entrants were becoming wacky and more risk-taking. Because of this, he was concerned that there would eventually be casualties.

After 1979, there were other cross country races using the Cannonball Run name without Brock Yates's permission.

Cannonball Run - the Movie

Brock Yates wrote the screenplay for "Cannonball Run" and approached Hal Needham, who had scored a monster box office hit as director of "Smokey and the Bandit." Needham loved the screenplay and the movie was made. The original ambulance from the 1979 race was a major player in the film.