by Matt DeLaere, Marketing
From left to right: Ted, Mary, Brett, Dan
The 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race kicked off this weekend in St. Paul, MN. Named after the classic 1965 comedy movie, the race features classic cars (manufactured before 1969) traveling across the country on back roads, all to benefit the Vintage Car Rally Association’s autism charity. And while Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Natalie Wood might not be involved in this Great Race, it’s exciting nonetheless.
The race operates as an endurance road rally, with teams of drivers and navigators receiving specific course instructions detailing turns, stops, and speed changes that the car must make each day. Each team’s arrival at checkpoints along the route is recorded, with the goal being to arrive at the checkpoint at the correct time rather than the fastest.
There are two Spirit of Stahls teams in this year’s Great Race. Ted and Mary Stahl are driving a 1934 Ford Deluxe Phaeton, while sons Brett and Dan take to the road in a 1941 Packard. Each team will be traveling down the mighty Mississippi, beginning in St. Paul this past Saturday and finishing in Mobile, AL on June 30.
If you live along the race route, be sure to come out and cheer Team Stahl and the other Great Racers. If not, you can follow their progress on the Spirit of Stahls Facebook page.