Stage Four Joplin to Cape Girardeau

Every morning exactly 30 minutes before start time Sam picks up the instructions.  You must wait for your car number to be called.  At that point any changes to the route or special instructions are given.

Darrin will give the car a final go over, check tires then relax. 

Sam will set the clock to the official race clock.

As navigator you will go through the instructions and mark them up.

We found all the parts we have been looking for!!!  We set the GPS and headed to Cape Girardeau. We were to busy talking and it cost us an extra 100 miles of travel. We saw lots of the old cars traveling on the original Route 66. We arrived a little early today at the finish line.

The city was on the Mississippi River.  To protect the town they have built walls with doors that can close to keep the flood waters out.  These walls we painted with the faces of the people who made history in the area.

The locals had a car show with about 60 cars.  There were some very cool ones.

Day 4 of the 2021 Great Race sent us on a long haul across the state of Missouri. We started the day in Joplin and headed east early in the morning with a lengthy trek on the interstate, before going on the clock. After we peeled off the interstate, it was time to start the day’s competition, and it was a tough one. There were quite a few long stretches of steady speed, but way more maneuvers and challenging terrain than previous days. We also encountered plenty of traffic, which plays a huge role in the competition. We made a lunch stop in Rolla, Missouri and this small town came out in full force! We were treated to a delicious lunch, and hit the road again. After navigating the beautiful, rolling hills, we made our way to the Mississippi River for yet another spectacular evening stop. This one was familiar to our longtime Great Racers, as we visited Cape Girardeau, Missouri for an evening stop on the 2013 Great Race. Once again, thousands of people came out to cheer on the Great Racers. 

Darrin made his way through  the crowds down the main street.  Eventually parking along the riverwalk. Dinner was directly across from where the team parked. 

After dinner Darrin was interviewed about the team and what the Great Race meant to him.  The interviewer would ask a questions and Darrin would respond with a recap of the question and the answer.

Some of the most fun you have is explaining the race or the car.

A sunset ride back to the hotel in Big Red is quite a thrill!

Stage Three Ardmore to Joplin

We at the worst hotel breakfast yet. Darrin and Sam did their thing. 

Darrin relaxing and doing stuff to distract him.

Every morning Sam gets his directions.  He goes through a series of mark up to highlight important items like comes quick and timing marks.

Ready and waiting for their start time the boy sit in the hotel parking lot.

Paul and I loaded up and decided we wanted to get local food for lunch. When we arrived in Joplin we in dumped the trailer and headed to a Mom & Pop for our lunch. We spotted a craft beer store and got Sam a smorgasbord  of local crafts.  We then headed to the finish line.

Day 3 of the 2021 Great Race kicked off from our hotels in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and we covered a lot of ground before ever going on the clock. Long transits were common on the entire route. It was a matter of time before we ran into some rain, and today was the day. We blasted onto Historic Route 66 as we zeroed in on our lunch stop in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Even with the rainy conditions, spectators flocked to the Heart of Route 66 Museum, where we made a brief stop…just long enough for a BBQ sandwich and a quick look at the collection inside the museum.

From there, we made our way around Tulsa, finally diving off of Interstate 44 and finishing the day’s rallying on Route 66. It was a long straight drive for most of the day, but a challenging set of instructions nonetheless. Thousands of spectators came to Joplin, Missouri to welcome the Great Race to town. The street leading up to the finish was lined with local antique cars. You could feel the excitement build as it got closer to time for the cars to arrive.

As the cars arrived more and more people wondered around all wanting to see the cars.

When WTF (Wondering Trubadores of Finland) arrives the crowds go crazy. The drive a 1918 American LaFrance Speedster.  The vehicle is chain driven, it pops and backfires.  The have a support crew of 9 this year all wearing one piece junpsuits.

We waited on the streets of Joplin and waited for the cars to arrive,  The crowds were about twice of what they have been so far.

At each stop they have a finish line to cross under.  It looks the same at each stop except the name of the town.

Each car as they come in have a stop sign they must obey.  At that point they recieved any ACEs and instructions as to where dinner is.

Not long after arriving they receive a text with their scores. Sam always analyzes  them.  After a while they post the standings on the Great Race website.

Stage Two Temple to Ardmore

The morning started early. Darrin and Sam got off to the hotel that host's the start of the race.  Paul, Lisa and I loaded up the truck and headed to the store and bought some items we need.

Big Red got stickered in San Marcos, TX at the lunch stop

Nacona put on a big show for the weekend.  The historic area was beautiful. 

The Big Daddy Saloon pput on a big spread for us. The old bar was decked out like Deadwood. You felt like you stepped back in time. The town even had glasses made made to give us that commemorated the event.

We toured the Horton Museum. This nice Corvette collection was accompanied by a nice collection of 50s and musel cars.

In the car museum They had a map of where people came from.  We added one for Mobile.

I love an old fashion soda fountain.  This one was done well.  

It was cool to see all the things that the town had put together.

The town did things nicely.  I love these street signs at every stop

The amount of food that was displayed for us was amazing.

The boys got a ACE on there first day! 

Day 2 of the Great Race kicked off with intense sunshine, as we motored north of Waco before peeling off the interstate and starting the timed portion of the route. Early on, the route sent the teams into a loop, and then continued on toward Granbury, Texas. We received a warm welcome at the historic courthouse square, ate a quick lunch and jumped back on the road to get the afternoon route started. We passed so many beautiful farms and ranches, and the rolling hills provided a nice view of the landscape. As the day of rallying came to an end, we started seeing people pulled off the side of the road, and sitting in their front yards to watch the cars roll in. The smiling faces and friendly waves let us know what to expect at our dinner stop in Nocona, Texas, a small town that is the Classic Car Capital of Texas! With so many enthusiasts around the area, we were surrounded by car guys and gals, and we had the opportunity to check out the Horton Classic Car Museum. 

Getting their scores at the finish line.

After the day of rallying it is time to relax and talk about the day and the car

Stage One Evening Temple, Texas

The first finish line was in Temple Texas.  One of the first things we needed to do in Temple... locate parts, ice, and shorts for Sam.  Covid took its toll on Sam's waist.  

The over night stop was in Temple.  We checked into the hotel and headed to the finish line.  When Darrin and Sam arrived the were hot and tired! They recieved their time and went over them.  Sam discovered that the score on one leg was incorrect.

The two went to dispute the score.   They were gone a long time so Paul and Lisa held court at the car.  Lisa explained to anybody that asked about how the Great Race worked.

There is nothing like watching 109 antique vehicles roll into a small town.  The anticipation to see if your car arrives on time.  As participants these people become your family.

Sam and Darrin finally came back and the do have an ACE!  That is a perfect score.  We all went to dinner at the museum. The  town of Temple feed all of us dinner.

WTF stopped and took a picture with Lisa and I.  The stop was fun and plenty of people were there to see the cars.

Touring the Geeky Way

While Darrin and Sam were out on the Trophy Run Lisa, Paul and I use the Adventure App to tour the city.  We left the hotel and walked a few blocks to the first location the San Fernando Cathederal. The remains of several of the men who lost their lives at the Alamo are in tombed there.

Bexar County Courthoue was not on the app, but we wanted to see it anyway. The building originally was the Villa due San Fernando, the first Spainish settlement.

Our next adventure was to the Spanish Governor's  Palace.  For $3 each (the senior rate) we all toured the palace and the gardens.

The city had so many interesting  buildings.

The next stop on the app tour was the Market Square Plaza.  Fiesta had started the night before.  Everything was decorated for the occation.

The three of us stopped and had lunch at a Mexican Restaurant.  We sent pictures to Sam that had tried to have Mexican food in San Antonio dat last four times.  After eating we headed back to see Darrin and Sam off.  We stood there watching the car come out of the parking garage.  Darrin and Sam's time kept getting closer and nothing. The start time passed nothing.  Nerves were going crazy so Paul and I walked the parking garage. Nothing... they were gone,

Stage One Morning - Official Start o the 2021 Great Race

An early morning start to prepare for the Offical start of the 2021 Great Race. Packing five people's stuff and getting it all to one room was a treat. Sam and Darrin headed to the car to get things set. 

We went down to the street to see all the cars as they staged to leave from the hotel and travel .3 miles to the Alamo.  It was fun to watch as some competitors get into their cars in costumes. 

Sometime around 6 am an alarm started going off in the parking garage. Not a car alarm but an alarm on the side of the building.  It sounded like a bank alarm. We laughed that there were plenty of Bonnie and Clyde cars around to escape in.

About 15 minutes before the scheduled start time Darrin Paul and Lisa brought the car down to the street.  There was a lot of movement going on. Sam and Darrin climbed in the car with 3 minutes to go.  Darrin started the engine and waited to pull out in the proper order. 

And just like that they were off. We headed off to breakfast and our last little bit of time on the Riverwalk.

All the cars were lined up and the opening ceremony  began with the Janet Hedke singing the Star Spagel Banner and Wade Kawasaki praying for the racers.  One by one the cars headed out.  90th position out of the gate.  

The start of the 2021 Great Race was incredible. The downtown location right next to the Alamo was super cool, and we had a great crowd of folks to cheer on the racers as they took the Green Flag. The sun and heat was intense, but that’s to be expected here in Texas. The highlight of the starting ceremonies in San Antonio was Great Racer Janet Hedke’s performance of the National Anthem–it was awesome! After all the cars left the starting line, we blazed a trail to San Marcos, Texas for our lunch stop, and were blown away with the hospitality. The folks in San Marcos really got behind it with a car show, great food and a very nice setting. From there, the racers prepared to go on the clock for the first time. The route was designed to take the racers on a scenic ride, but he also threw in several challenging maneuvers that really kept the drivers and navigators busy. We saw twists and turns, flat lands, empty roads and busy highways on today’s route.