05/31/2000

Seeing America, from a '48 Packard

Ready to track a 1948 Packard and 100 other classic cars in a raceacross the country? Tune in on June 11th and ride along with somefriends of mine, Rosemary Jarrell and Marvin Price.

Driving the Road Less Traveled
By Rosemary Jarrell

I just received a UPS package from my road travel company. I am staringin awe at eight tour books, three maps, and two bound-charted routesbeginning in Scottsdale, Arizona and ending in Boston, Massachusetts.

The irony of this package is that this is what I need in order to get tothe beginning of my great adventure, driving a fully restored original1948 Packard Deluxe in the 2000 History Channel Great Race. The 101entry cars are driven from Boston to Sacramento without the aid of aroad map. Yet, I need all of these maps and guides to get to thestarting point of the race. You may refer to the Great Race web site at www.greatrace.com to fully understand what a race rally is and howpossessed a person must be to spend an annual salary to compete for theprivilege to drive an original car over 4,000 miles of rally racing. The web site also shows our cross country route and the dates we'llarrive in each of several towns and states.

The race begins Sunday, June 11, 2000, in Boston and finishesSaturday, June 24 in Sacramento, California. The adventure of a daily timedrally race on the back roads of America is strangely reminiscent ofCharles Kuralt's road shows. We run a rally of sorts every day, pitstop morning and afternoon, lunch in a town which typically greets theracers with food, water, and a clean restroom, and a night stop of muchneeded rest for the body and car. Any of these stops are appropriatefor fiddling with the car. The car that once was the state-of-the-artvehicle for it's time may not endure quite as well with today's modernroad engineering. Some of the entry cars are original 1907 HudsonSpeedsters. One entry is a WWII restored jeep. Typically the entrycars must be pre-1950. However, this year, pre-1960 race or sports carsare allowed. MG and Triumph seem to be the choice of entry.

After the race is done and awards have been bestowed, it is time toconsider getting the race vehicle home. For me, that is another 1,000 miles.

The Packard will be on a trailer towed by our 1989 Suburban. We areloaded up with our race team; Marvin Price as driver, me as navigator,and our support team, Tom and Martha Ferran. Tom is previous owner ofthe Packard (and a professional mechanic.)

We will leave Scottsdale on Sunday, June 4 and arrive in Boston on June9. That road trip will be about 3,500 miles. We will find our way toBoston via the just arrived tour books and charted route. We will get toour destination in time for the race registration and final technicalinspection to assure the officials that our car conforms to the racerules. Our support team will leave the day of the race in the Suburbanand we leave in the Packard at our designated start time.

The race is a 4,000-mile trek across the country using back roads. Veryfew times will we have the luxury of using the Interstate highwaysystem. In the meantime, our support team is following the race ontheir own route to meet up with us at the overnight destinations. Therewe can claim our clean clothes and attend to any automotive matters thatmay have crept up. After the race festivities are over on June 24, wedrive our Suburban, towing the Packard, back to Scottsdale.

The entire trip will take one month. The cost is too much to considerhere. The benefit is priceless for the experience. I will be withfriends for 30 days, drive a car that has more love built into it thanmetal, and test the abilities of driver and navigator to place well (OKto finish) in the timed rallies along the beautiful American countryside.

Watch our progress on The History Channel. If you see that we are visiting your town for a pit stop, lunch or for an overnight stay, please stop by and say HI. Our car is #69, a maroon 1948 Packard, and we are privately sponsored by our web site, www.CarHobbyist.com.

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.