Great Race to visit for pit stop on July 7

The Great Race, a cross-country rally event for vintage automobiles, will arrive in Mountain Home July 7, and organizers of the "pit stop" here are hoping for a strong community turnout to see the antique automobiles.

The 97 cars in the race, all at least 45 years old, and one 95 years old, will arrive in Mountain Home for their first pit stop after leaving Twin Falls, where the drivers and cars stayed overnight, as part of their final leg of the journey from Washington, D.C., to Tacoma, Wash. The drivers began the race, which will be later broadcast in documentary form on the History Channel, on June 25 and are expected to complete their journey on July 9.

Lou Burden will be the emcee announcing the cars and drivers as they arrive.

The Chamber of Commerce is planning a number of activities for both young and old to coincide with the pit stop, in the hopes of winning a cash prize for the best pit stop along the route. If won, the prize will be presented to the Mountain Home Public Library.

The public will have a chance to visit with the drivers while they make their pit stop here, and discuss vintage vehicle restoration. Anyone in the community with a vintage or antique car, or any custom-designed vehicle, is encouraged to drive their cars down the area.

The cars will leave I-84 at the Pilot Exit (Exit 95) and travel down American Legion Boulevard to the stop light at N. Third East Street, where they will turn left and drive to marked location along that street and E. Second North Street adjacent to the Chamber of Commerce office. Second Street will be closed the night before the event and Third Street will be closed from 7 to about 10 a.m.

The cars are expected to arrive at one-minute intervals beginning at about 7:40 a.m. Each car will stay for about an hour, and then head back to the interstate, clearing the area by about 9:40 a.m.

Breakfast will be served to the drivers, and a separate burrito breakfast open to the public will be provided by the Officer's Spouses Club. Serving will begin at 7 a.m.

In conjunction with the event, a series of races for remote controlled cars will be put together by library staff from about 7:30 a.m. throughout the rest of the morning. The open competition will take place in the parking lot of Linscom Private Ledger (Soapy Walborn's office) and will feature a barricaded track and jumps for the cars. Anyone with a remote-controlled car is invited to test their cars against others in the community. There is no charge to participate.

The Great Race, presented by the Army National Guard, is the world's richest, longest-running road rally for vintage automobiles.

The 22-year old event has its origins in the cross-country races in the early part of the 20th century, and recalls a part of the famous 1908 Great Race.

Event regulations require that the classic cars that participate be at least 45 years old. Some are much older, having been manufactured as much as 95 years ago.

Often called a "seat-of-the-pants" competition, the race echoes the times/speed/distance rallies made popular in the '30s and '40s.

The rules limit the teams to a speedometer, time-of-day clock, stop-watch, pencil and paper to follow hundreds of driving instructions each day.

The competition is very real with a total cash purse of $250,000.

The event is held on the back roads of America each summer and is usually a coast-to-coast event.

The teams of drivers and navigators will compete over 4,200 miles between Washington, D.C., and Tacoma, stopping each night in: Harrisonburg, Va.; Ashland, Kent.; Louisville, Kent.; Urbana, Ill.; Gurnee, Ill; Davenport, Iowa; West Des Moines, Iowa; Grand Island, Neb.; Denver, Colo.; Rock Springs, Wyo.; Twin Falls; Walla Walla, Wash.; and Puyallup, Wash.; before finishing in Tacoma.

Participants have ranged from a plumber to a professional comedian, from a housewife to a rocket scientist. The race offers the participants "the adventure of discovering America -- and the American people -- from a unique perspective," organizers said.

When the Great Race rolls into town, crowds usually line up eager to assist in repairing the historic cars and energizing the competitors -- with spare parts and hospitality -- with crankshafts and cookies, helping them to achieve the dream -- to finish.

The Great Race can cost each Driver/Navigator team and a two-person support crew less than $10,000, not including the entry fee. Entry fees start at $5,500 for a private team, and cost up to $10,000 for a corporate participation.

The Great Race is owned by Rally Partners, Inc., a limited partnership created to further the success of Great Race events.