Fargo, North Dakota — Vintage cars that are over a century old fly over much of the United States during the nine-day Classic Car Parade, which spans 10 states and 2,400 miles. Over 100 teams entered his June event, known as The Great Race, which traces a route from Rhode Island to North Dakota.
A Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) rally, the Great Race began in 1983 and follows a new course each year. Competitors must drive each segment of an accuracy-based event within a specified time at a specified average speed. This year’s iteration began in Warwick, Rhode Island and ended in Fargo, North Dakota. The rolling hills and congested roads of the East Coast have given way to the lush plains and cornfields of the Midwest. The most recent car to race is his 1974 Plymouth, with three of his 1916 models (two Hudsons and his Chevrolet) sharing the mantle of the oldest car. I was.
The goal of the Great Race, according to event director and car enthusiast Jeff Stambu, is to “take old cars out of garages and museums and put them on the road.”
The event is loosely based on the 1965 comedy.great racestarring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, 1908 New York to Paris racea disastrous event that took six international teams 169 days to race 22,000 miles.
This year, RPM Foundationis a nonprofit that provides grants and other resources to young people interested in vehicle restoration and preservation, as well as mentorship opportunities, and has assembled a team of five women. Two student navigators and her three adult drivers are her mentors, including this reporter.
Nick Ellis, Executive Director of the Foundation, put the team together. According to Ellis, women make up less than 10 percent of her auto workers.
“In conversations with auto shop teachers across the country,” Ellis said. counterpart. ”
Ellis went on to say he needed “an example of how this perception is challenged.” A young woman said, “To succeed in revitalizing this industry, you have to imagine yourself behind the wheel of a race car, sanding a fender, holding a wrench, etc.”
So, in June, we got together again student team We took off from Rhode Island in a cherry red 1966 Ford Mustang on loan from the LeMay Automobile Museum in Tacoma, Washington.
Our drivers included Sabre Cook, a 28-year-old professional race driver and mechanical engineer, and Mallory Henderson, an experienced Great Race Navigator who was behind the wheel for the first time in a race.
Henderson, 24, and her father, Scott Henderson, were hometown representatives in the final city of the 2013 Great Race, which ended in Mobile, Alabama. In 2018, when the brakes failed on his 1955 Buick competitor at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, Mr. Henderson used his car to stop a runaway vehicle and rescue the team.
Henderson, who died that fall, his courageous actThe Great Race student category known as the X-Cup has been renamed the Scott Henderson X-Cup Division. Scott Henderson X Cup Scholarship.
Our student navigators are Olivia Gallo, a 20-year-old recent graduate from Alfred State University in New York with a degree in motorsports technology, and a student at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, graduating in December. It was Kinzie Wilson. My major is Motorsport Management, and my minor is Digital Sports Media.
Gajo, who plans to take more motorcycle and welding courses, is restoring a 1988 Ford Bronco II given to him by his uncle. Ever since Teacher Gajo’s evangelist, Mike Ronan, spoke about the Great Race in class, she wanted to be part of it. “I was ecstatic and thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” she said.
Wilson got his first job in 2020 with NASCAR and the Mario Andretti Racing Experience before graduating from high school and attending college. She has worked in almost every position on the track.
“When I was 13, I bought my first car, a 1996 Corvette, and immediately took it to the drag strip,” says Wilson, from Mansfield, Texas, with a smile. “I explored the world of racing by trying every kind of race I could.”
“After I graduate, I hope to find a job in Europe,” Wilson added. “My grandmother was born and raised in Italy before coming to America. It would be very cool to work in Italy. I would like to work in F1 or a car manufacturer.”
After the introduction we were off without the face-to-face training that a typical Great Race team often benefits from. , won the “Ace” (perfect score) in the practice run on the first day. But the 56-year-old car also had mechanical problems.
“Almost every day of the race, our team had a plan,” Wilson said. Gracie, the nickname we gave the ’66 Mustang, had a “love-hate relationship with the team,” she added.
“Gracie broke down, got stuck many times, and stumbled when he wasn’t happy,” Wilson continued. “Every time, we did what we had to do to keep her running and cross her finish line the next day.”
“I was in the engine bay for hours rebuilding the carburetor, installing the electric fuel pump, replacing the spark plugs, etc.”
Gadjo appreciated working as part of a team. “Everyone has strengths that benefit the team,” she said. She said, “It’s not about the individual moving parts, it’s about the whole team.” From her teammates, she’s learned to be confident in her own abilities and not let anyone think about her.
“We dealt with a lot of teams and fans because we were an all-female team,” Wilson said, prompting people to ask, “Were you girls really driving?” I added that it would. But she said:
Despite these digs, the larger response was overwhelmingly positive. Fighting overheating and steam lock issues in 1969 alongside Brian Van Zandt, one of the outlet’s social media influencers. Chevrolet Chevelle SS but it helped me diagnose a leaking accelerator pump and was otherwise encouraging.
But most of it was done by us women at the RPM Foundation. There are two moments that stand out for Ms. Ellis. The first: “The team’s willingness to work on rebuilding one of the most complicated mechanical procedures, her carburetor
Second: The next night, the team’s newly installed mechanical fuel pump failed, requiring the Mustang to be towed. “The team was tired, sleep deprived after a long day, and rebuilt at midnight the night before,” he said. “So we all offered to sleep while we installed the electric fuel pump. They all remained to help with the repairs.”
Two teams in Auburn, Indiana, sponsored by National Auto & Truck Museum and the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museumanother ailing team helped replace a transmission in a late-night parking lot surgery, three days after one of the cars lost itself.
With so many classic cars covering so much, mechanical accidents and parts problems were common.
Still, the 550-strong Great Race ran smoothly thanks to volunteers. “We started with a record number of teams. We had 130 teams. 111 teams finished the event after nine days and he had 2,400 miles,” he said. We were one of him on that team and we were 90th.
The Great Race’s motto is “To Finish Is to Win!” A testament to teamwork, collaboration and old-fashioned know-how.
“It shows tremendous grit and dedication to keep using the car when given the option to rest,” Ellis said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our team.”
RPM Foundation will be a permanent fixture in the Great Race X-Cup segment, Ellis said. He plans to recruit new teams to compete.
“Women should consider the automotive industry as a career because there are many opportunities,” Gajo added. “The industry recognizes that women have a lot to bring to the table and is seeking women to fill positions. There is a great demand for professionals in this career.”
