Great American Race 2006     By Don Prieto, edited by Mark Byer

        

        It all started at Frank and Evelyn Currie's 50th wedding anniversary party.  One of the many guests was Wayne Stanfield, the honcho of the National Guard Great American Race (GAR).  He extended an offer to Frank and Jerry Kugel to bring their street rods and participate as VIP guest in the 2006 GAR.

 

        Now Frank and Evelyn were GARs long before they joined the California Roadsters in 1993.  Their first GAR was in 1986, campaigning a 1934 Ford Phaeton, powered by an Art Chrisman built flatty. The Ford was replaced in 1991 with a 1920 Packard Indy Racer, which won the whole enchilada that year.  The Packard was replaced in 1995 with a 1910 Selden speedster to become more competitive, and it won in 1997 with their son, Charlie Currie, doing the driving and Wayne Stanfield as navigator.

 

        Frank's recently completed 1932 Ford Roadster, and Jerry's recently refurbished 1932 Ford Roadster were welcomed with open arms by the GAR racers.  So encouraging was the reception of the two street rod roadsters, the organizers have decided to expand the entries for 2007 to include street rods and muscle cars up to 1969.  The purse has also been increased to $350K, which should also broaden the interest.

 

        The 2006 GAR started on June 22 in Philadelphia, PA, and ended on July 8 in San Rafael CA,. some two weeks later.  While it called a "race", it's actually a time/distance rally, where the navigator is as important as the driver.  Lengthy pages of instructions, dictating where, when and how fast the contestants must go. There are no maps, no highway numbers, just "turn left -- turn right -- go straight -- don't miss a sign and maintain XX miles per hour for XX minutes. 

 

        GAR covered a 4,180 mile, zig-zag course across the Heartland, including over nites in York PA, Washington PA, Dublin OH, Indy ID, St. Louis MO, Springfield MO, Wichita KS, Pueblo CO, Durango CO, Page AZ, Tonopah NV, Placerville CA and the finish line at San Rafael CA.

The rookie team of Jerry and Judy Kugel did very well, achieving a .01 second time variance on one of the legs, which is almost perfect.  In the end, experience won out with Frank and Evelyn out lasting the Kugels.  Support was provided by two other CR members, Hank Adams and Don Prieto, who followed in a chase motor home. Don was also taking notes for an article he's writing for one of the car mags.

 

The 2008 GAR, will be around the World, 35,000 km from New York City to Paris France, celebrating the centennial of the original GAR in 1908. That should be something, and yes the cars will be shipped across the big pond.