Great Race 2019 Day 3 — Gardnerville, NV to Chico, CA

June 25, 2019


Our time spent in Nevada was short, but we made the most of it with an awesome stop in Gardnerville, and we stayed in town a little later than usual this morning. We hit the highway and headed back into California, and started today’s timed course with a challenging climb up Donner Pass. While the racing teams couldn’t soak in the beauty of the scene, our media team had the pleasure of hanging out near the Summit to capture some great images and video. The views were breath-taking…partially because of the natural beauty of the mountains and Donner Lake nestled below and partially because the air is a little thin at the peak. Again, the altitude changes were dramatic, as were the temperature changes, as we saw a 30-degree swing between Donner Pass (where there was still snow on the ground in certain areas) and our lunch stop in Grass Valley, California. This area is the home town of long time Great Racing team, Bill and Carolyn Croker (from Penn Valley), so they led the pack as we visited the beautiful downtown area that was packed with spectators and awesome hot rods from the local car community. We enjoyed a delicious meal and hit the road again.

The landscape changed drastically, and the racers were treated to a special surprise half-way through the afternoon route. Their instructions listed a lengthy transit time, and as they rolled into the small town of Oroville, California, they were greeted by a great crowd of people who assembled to welcome the racers. This pit stop came at a good time, as the afternoon heat was intense. From there, we hit the road into Cherokee, following miles of twists and turns on a narrow road that seemed to last forever. Then, it was an easy drive into Chico for our evening stop. We had another great turnout, and another local cruise in that coincided with our event. The spectators and racers filled the town square until it was time to crown a winner and head back to the hotels. Stage 3 winners were Daniel and Brad Epple in their 1916 Hudson with a score of 9.24 seconds. Several Great Race heavy hitters were following closely behind them in today’s results, so it shook up the overall standings quite a bit. If you’d like to check out the daily scores and the cumulative scores, please visit our Results Page! For now, let’s take a look at the highlights from today’s rally through the mountains and valleys as we inch our way closer to the Pacific Coast in Northern California.
























































18 comments about “Great Race 2019 Day 3 — Gardnerville, NV to Chico, CA”

  • Great to see the #73 car in that scenery ….following your daily travels Keep up the good work guys!!

  • Yo Mark and Dane Axen Volvo #139
    Great numbers today, well done, great to see you getting in the groove. I think you made up close to 30 places today :):)
    More rallying through the rocks!!
    All the best from Your Phoenix friends
    David and Peter

  • We drove two hours to see the cars at their stop at City Plaza in Chico. What an amazing event! A true celebration of the vintage car hobby. Friendly people…amazing cars!

  • Wow! All the competitors are really on their game! I’ve never seen such a close cluster of combined times being so close! Holy Cow! What a great experience! Congratulations to my good friends Bob and Bruce, you “Two ol’ Buggers!” Go Team 61!

  • Even the mighty Sierra mountain range couldn’t best this group of vehicles. Great going, owners & drivers. Special shout to #14, Mike Ruck from Placerville…Way to go, see you in Spanaway!!

  • Thank you so much for this experience! Our 10 year old grandson Logan is spending the summer with us from Oregon, and this was an extra special treat for all of us.

  • Thank you for coming to have lunch in Grass Valley CA. We sure loved having you. It was great to give my son a quick hug before he continued on navigating for #146 in the X Cup division. He is having a blast and an on the road education that he will never forget! Journey on!

  • Greetings to Brian Lockwood/Millikin Position 18 Car#56
    Great to see you doing so well Brian and team. Congrats keeping everything between the rocks and rails AND making good times!!
    Remember you well, putting in time as a volunteer last year welcoming us in at stops, rain and shine. And previously at Beach Lake 2017 where you were also volunteering. You are a very good example of the “Spirit of the Charge!!!”
    OMG I don’t envy you out in the open all day roasting in the heat and sun, with no protection…only “Press on Regardless…!!”
    I hope your service team bring you chilled towels and iced drinks at the breaks??
    Best wishes
    from “Team Phoenix” david wells and Peter McGuire

  • Great combination of spirit and companionship all brought together by the spirit of the open road. Truly enjoyed our time in Grass Valley and Oroville,
    Safe travels !

    C. Shelby and crew…

  • Jimbo and John (#39, red ’54 Chevy convertible)…..
    We’re following your adventure and hoping that you’re having the experience of a lifetime. Good luck, and be careful.
    Love ya! Ken ‘n Cindy

  • This was an Honor for our Roamin Angel Car Club in Grass Valley, CA to greet and
    park the Great Race Cars. Safe driving and No Car Problem to all the drivers. Thank
    you for coming and having lunch in the town of Grass Valley.

Leave a Reply to Susan & Barry Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• The Latest Stories •

• Thanks to all our Sponsors •

Menu