Great Race 2019 Day 7 — Bend, OR to Vancouver, WA

June 29, 2019


Yesterday’s wow moments still have everyone buzzing, but today’s route was another incredible journey through some giant hills, twists and turns. We started our day in Warm Springs, Oregon, and rallied our way through a beautiful road full of tough speed changes, elevation changes and tight turns. The scenery was outstanding, as the landscape allowed you to see the road in the valley below. The ups and downs led us back to Highway 26, where we would continue our Northern trek to Hood River, Oregon for lunch. The folks at Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum (WAAAM) opened the doors to our participants and staff. The giant building is packed with vintage cars, trucks, motorcycles and airplanes, and we enjoyed a little longer lunch break than normal, giving us enough time to check out the coolness. We left lunch and headed toward Mosier, where we hopped on Historic U.S. 30 for a breath taking and very photogenic route. The switchback curves and extreme elevation grade made it tough to hold speed, but it sure made for some cool photos. Then, we crossed the Columbia River into Washington, where we rallied on Highway 14, which follows the river for many miles of scenic views. After a good full day of rallying, it was time to wind down in Vancouver, Washington. The crowd was huge at the WAAAM West facility, which is a collection of cars by Ron Wade. He has a diverse collection of cars, engines and memorabilia. Along with the Great Racers pouring into the parking lot, other areas of the lot were occupied by local hot rods and classics. As the parc ferme was drawing to a close, we got word from the scoring staff that Howard and Doug Sharp won the day with a score of 3.30 seconds. Things are about to get interesting as the Sharps lead the pack into the Championship Run.



The WTF boys broke the 1913 Cadillac, so this was their next best idea to finish the race. No, it doesn’t fit our rules, but they deserve a little bit of fun after fighting the Cadillac all week!




















































13 comments about “Great Race 2019 Day 7 — Bend, OR to Vancouver, WA”

  • Thank you, thank you so much for a week of wonderful photographic traveling. Now, on the plane and watch a fantastic finale. Whoever put this together made the trip a part of all our lives. Well done,all of you!

  • YO! Arnie and Lynn…#123 very good day…. In with the big teams:):)
    Hold on tight, patience rules, sending our energy to you….
    Best wishes from Team Phoenix

  • It was great having you come through Bend,Or and sharing your journey with us we are enjoying the pics and it was a pleasure meeting Aaron and Eric and the crew. Thanks Rob and Jacquie Warden and MCP

  • As a “car guy” and amateur photographer. It sure was fun hunting down the rally group for photos…
    I got lucky and caught the group on hwy 281 before the lunch break at WAAAM and on old Hwy 30….
    Just wondering how I can share my photos…

  • We got to watch the start of the race but couldn’t tag along for the whole route. So it’s great to follow the progress in these updates! Love seeing my favorite Patriotic 3 (red, white, blue Studebakers)! ❤️

  • It looks like your Friday route didn’t pass by my uncle’s place in Troutdale, Oregon, but at least he got to see the race from his house about 30 years ago. Saturday morning at our breakfast group’s weekly get together, I was telling our friends about the race. As it
    turns out, our friend Judy Baxter and her husband Virgil participated in the 1984 race, the one that went from L.A. to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. They were the support for a fellow by the name of Bauman out of Riverside, Ca. Virgil has passed on, but he was
    an ace mechanic.

  • It took me to Hood River to catch up with the Great Race and was thrilled!
    I learned about it from some friends who used to participate but can’t anymore.
    I missed the start in Riverside and all the stops along because of a family move I got involved in.
    The first time I could catch up was after the move and it was well worth it.
    Compliments to the Museum at Hood River too!

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