The Illegal Speedrun Across America (Cannonball Run)

TL;DR

The Cannonball Run is an illegal coast-to-coast speed record from New York to LA, driven by obsessive prep, police evasion, and personal glory.

Key Points

• 1.The Cannonball Run originated as a political protest in 1971. Auto journalist Brock Yates launched the "Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash" to defy the federal 55 mph speed limit and Clean Air Act, completing the first run in 40 hours and 51 minutes in a Dodge van.
• 2.Cannonball Baker set the original cross-country benchmark in 1915. Baker drove the New York to LA route first and set a 53.5-hour record in 1933 that held for over three decades until the interstate highway system was completed.
• 3.Alex Roy's 2006 BMW M5 run was meticulously engineered. He equipped the car with multiple GPS units, radar detectors, police scanners, a weather computer, and a satellite phone linked to a scout plane — scouting the route multiple times beforehand and even testing gas pump speeds.
• 4.Roy's first attempt ended in Oklahoma when the BMW broke down and the lieutenant governor reported him. Police placed an evidence seal on his car, but attorney Jack Wheeler accessed it, filmed himself breaking the seal, and posted it to MySpace, allowing Roy to reclaim the vehicle.
• 5.Roy's second attempt in October 2006 set a record of 31 hours and 4 minutes. He beat the previous 32-hour, 7-minute record set in 1983 by over an hour, driving recklessly through LA traffic refusing to stop for any red lights or police in the final stretch.
• 6.Ed Bullan's 2013 team broke 30 hours for the first time at 28 hours and 50 minutes. Driving a Mercedes CL55 AMG with only 46 total minutes stopped, their average speed was 98 mph; the current record of 26 hours and 38 minutes was set during the COVID pandemic on empty roads.