Cannonball Run, Podcast Edition

July 30, 2018 8:51 PM

The fine folks at Stuff You Should know just released a podcast episode [SLPA] about the Cannonball Run, a.k.a. the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Previously.
posted by mboszko (3 comments total)

I’ve always wanted to do this in my little 94 Miata but I also am scared to death of other drivers so I probably never will.
posted by gucci mane at 12:03 PM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

I don’t understand how anyone recalls this movie on a world where The Gumball Rally did it first and better. I guess the star power of 1981 Burt Reynolds overcomes a lot of objections.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:07 PM on July 31, 2018

ricochet biscuit: David Carradine's Cannonball came first, but as to quality, it's a toss-up, but I'd argue it's question of your appetite for comedy vs. semi-serious drama.

gucci mane: as much as Miata Is Always The Answer, the MX5 is very much the wrong tool for the job if you wanted to turn in a serious time, and would be physically punishing (it took me days to recover from a sub-14 hour 850 mile Sydney to Adelaide drive in my XR4 Fiesta without cruise control).

The keys are to maximise fuel carrying capacity, keep a steady speed, reduce stationary time to a minimum, and minimise driver fatigue. Alex Roy might be ten kinds of jackass, but his book The Driver is certainly worth a read; his E39 M5 set a useful benchmark.
posted by MarchHare at 6:31 PM on July 31, 2018 [1 favorite]