Great Race 2021 Day 5: Cape Girardeau, MO to Owensboro, KY

Jun 23

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On the road again! We had a little less ground to cover today, so the route featured lots of turns, speed changes and maneuvers compared to previous days. We left Cape Girardeau, Missouri on a high note, after an incredible stop the night before. Thousands of people joined us, and these big crowds really energize the racers and staff as we cross over the half way point of our nine day adventure. The smiling faces make all the difference in the world after a tough day on the course, and we were once again greeted by thousands of folks today. But before we reached the hosted stops, we saw beautiful farm land and we actually crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois on our way to lunch. It was a surprise for our racers, as we had not publicized our small taste of Illinois in any of our marketing materials. Another special surprise consisted of a quick photo opp in front of the giant Superman statue in downtown Metropolis, Illinois. After that, we went across the Irvin S Cobb bridge, crossing the Ohio River, to enter Paducah, Kentucky for our lunch stop.

Great Race 2021 Day 5: Cape Girardeau, MO to Owensboro, KY

Our lunch seemed to go by in an instant and we were back on the road. Before we got back on the clock, we crossed the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River. The scenery was wonderful this afternoon with a mixture of rolling hills and flat farmland. We rolled into Owensboro, Kentucky with high expectations after our last several nights of huge turnouts. And, when we rounded the corner on Veterans Boulevard, it was a major shock! One of the largest Great Race crowds we've ever seen welcomed the cars and drivers to town. Thousand of people surrounded the cars, and we all enjoyed live music, delicious food and fellowship with the awesome car-crazy community in Owensboro. By the end of the day, the scores were once again all over the map, but for the first time in the 2021 Great Race, we had a repeat stage winner. The Gentry girls did it again with an outstanding score behind the wheel of their Flathead powered 1932 Ford five-window coupe. Take a look at some highlights from today's action.