Great Race Rescheduled for August 22-30

May 7, 2020

Great Race 2020 Flyer
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., May 6, 2020 – The 2020 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club has been rescheduled for Aug. 22-30 from San Antonio, Texas, to Greenville, S.C., due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Great Race, out of an abundance of caution for the participants, spectators and the small towns along the route, has worked with mayors and city officials to take unprecedented steps to ensure safety.

“I’m pleased to announce that all of our Grand Champions as well as a majority of the race teams, volunteers and staff have agreed to the new schedule and we look forward to having a full field for the start of the 2020 Great Race in front of the Alamo on Aug. 22,” event director Jeff Stumb said.

The Great Race will follow all CDC, state and local guidelines, and officials have been working closely with cities to have spectators line the streets on the way into the venue to ensure social distancing rather than in large groups. “As the entire United States is opening up again, we will continue to monitor the situation for any changes we may be able to make in either direction,” Stumb said. The event and sponsors have established July 1 as the official “go” date as long as conditions are favorable.

The Great Race has committed to find ways to enhance the racer’s experience in the coming months and during the event with additional social media posts and videos. And as a salute to all of the brave men and women who have been on the frontline combating COVID-19 the Great Race will have decals on each vehicle in the event to honor their heroism.

“We admire our sponsors Hemmings, Hagerty, Coker Tire and Reliable Carriers for their commitment to getting everyone back in their cars as safely as possible,” said Legendary Companies CEO Wade Kawasaki. “After all, there is no place safer than your own car, and that’s where Great Racers are 90 percent of the time during this great backroad adventure.”

The Great Race, owned by Legendary Companies, was originally scheduled for June 20-28. The annual event, which pits vintage cars in a cross-country endurance competition of time, speed and distance, was started in 1983 and regularly sees vehicles as old as 1909. The total purse for the event is $158,750 with $50,000 going to the winning team.

Due to scheduling conflicts of some participants, the Great Race will be offering a limited number of teams the opportunity to join the event, starting with the waiting list. To join the nation’s No. 1 vintage car rally, contact the Great Race.

For more information, contact Jeff Stumb at [email protected] or 423-648-8542.

17 comments about “Great Race Rescheduled for August 22-30”

  • I would like to know the highways the 2020 great race will be taking, I live just south of Granbury, Tx and believe they could pass through our town of Glen Rose. Thanks.

    • Every morning the racers get directions on where they will be going. So no-one knows which roads they will be taking. The best way to find them is either an overnight or lunch stop. I followed the racers from Tifton, Ga north a few years but would lose them occasionally as they would take the back roads. It is great fun and I highly recommend it.

    • David: Give me a call at 423-648-8542 and I’ll see if I can get you in the race in August. Thanks, Jeff.

  • Meeting up with the Great Race at an overnight stop worked really well for my husband and I last year when the Race was on the West Coast. There was a Great Race Finish
    Line set up at the end of each day, and the street had room for all the race cars to park and locals were able to mingle with the racers, take pictures, etc. The city we went to, Grants Pass, has a strong car culture, and there was a live band at a brewery, a cruise and show-n-shine by the local car club, and all the race cars were cheered over the finish line as they rolled into town. It was a super fun summer night! This year will be different (wear your mask) but it’s a once in a lifetime event, and well worth it!

  • Are there different classes?
    What is the entry fee?
    What are the rules?
    Engines original or flathead v-8 or??
    Overdrives
    Wheels original or smaller

  • Gary,

    There are different classes, based on the Drivers and Navigators experience. An overview Is on this web-page: https://www.greatrace.com/great-race-class-system
    and also in the Rules/Regulations page located at: https://www.greatrace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Event-regulations-GAR2020.pdf.
    Entry Fee for an Individual Team is $6,000.
    If the engine is from a newer Year Vehicle, the year scoring factor will be for the newer year. Described in rules.
    Overdrives are allowed, and wheels can be 2” Smaller, providing they are the same look as stock, like spoke .

    There are a number of modifications allowed. Best to check the regulation document, described above. If the link provided doesn’t work, they are available in the menu in the top left of this page, under rally details.

    Hope this helps,
    Bob

  • I would like to know the approximate time the racers will leave Ardmore , Ok. on Mon. morning August 24. I would like to see the racers take off that morning and maybe follow along to Sapulpa , Ok. -If my memory of the year is correct in 1990 – our Fina gas station was an official pit/gas stop here in my hometown of Wichita Falls , Tx. We had the local Corvette Club car show in our parking lot. We gave away drinks, snacks, and candy. The racers and their cars left lasting memories in the heads of a bunch of us old hot rodders- and there are fewer of us now. This is a very exciting event and this very old hot rodder would love to see the cars. Please , please respond . This may be the last time for me to see these cars .Thank you — Rod Lamm-Wichita Falls

  • On Sunday Aug. 23rd when they leave Granbury will they travel up Hwy 377 to Ft. Worth and then get on I35W and connect with I35E in Denton to go to Ardmore on I 35? About what time do they plan to get to Denton, TX?

    • The race has been postponed until 2021. And it will not be going through Denton. We try to stay off the interstate.

  • Has the race been cancelled for this year 2020? I am not sure I am understanding the posts.
    The race was to go to Elizabethtown (KY) Sports Park for lunch on August 27, but the RACE has been POSTPONED until 2021. Is this correct?
    Thanks!!

    — Janet

  • Can a non entry just follow the racers and enjoy the event as a spectator? I have a 1971 2002 BMW and would like to do a non Interstate Road Trip and thought this looked very interesting, with a possible entry and sponsor, in mind, next year 2022.

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