Dom and Kevin could not be happier about achieving two ACES after the leg that ended in Auburn.
Today marks the halfway point for the Great Race 2017. The day started again with the distribution of about 30 pages of rally course instructions. Teams receive each day’s instructions only 3o minutes before their scheduled start time, which doesn’t allow for much time to review them. Today the course heads to Wapakoneta, Ohio, which has been a stop in previous Great Races. This means we must drop a few miles off our northern route to drop into Ohio. Wapakoneta is the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man to step foot on the moon. There were a lot of stop signs along the route to Wapakoneta. So many that it caused car 91, driven by the Fredettes, to lose their brakes. As they gingerly rolled to a stop in town, they furiously began repairing the car, gulped down a sandwich someone brought them and then they got back on the road. The rest of the cars looked right at home parked in front of the 19th century buildings which lined the main street. It was a spectacular sight to behold, with flags waving from most of the buildings and people everywhere. Huge crowds were also out in full force–5-6 people deep on both sides of the street–and we had the chance to say hello to some old friends. After lunch, we headed back into Indiana, and the racers had the chance to drive over the Spencerville covered bridge, which is an historical landmark. Talk about a photo opportunity. Mary and I are both very excited to arrive in Auburn, Indiana because it is the birthplace of some of our most beloved antique automobiles. The town of Auburn is where they produced the Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg automobiles. In its heyday there were more car companies in Indiana than in Michigan. It is a special treat to visit the ACD Museum there and see some rare and exquisite examples of automobile engineering from the days when design was king. We didn’t want to leave.
It was a special treat to visit the Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg Museum in Auburn and see the beautiful cars that were produced in Indiana.
Brett and Dan arrive in Auburn, Indiana. Great run today!
Another ace for Trevor and Josh. Congratulations guys.
Auburn is the home of the Auburn Automobile Company.
This town was the perfect choice for an overnight.
The Stars and Stripes has arrived.
Welcome to Auburn!
The Spencerville Bridge is in the National Registry of Historic Places. It’s located in DeKalb County, Indiana. It was built in 1873, and spans the St. Joseph River.
Downtown Wapokeneta…hard to pronounce, wonderful to be there. I spy Mary near the GTO.
Race, repair, repeat. The Great Race mantra had this team doing the world’s fastest brake repair.
Dan and Mary DiThomas of the The Stutz Club dropped by to give us a hat. Thank you! The Stutz Club was organized to further the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of the motor vehicles manufactured from 1911 through 1936 by companies founded by Harry Clayton Stutz.
Great Race leaders the Fredettes experienced a loss of their brakes upon entering Wapokeneta. They got right down to business, repaired it and got on their way.
Kevin and Trevor explain how the course instructions are followed to a fan.
Arriving in Wapakoneta, OH for the lunch stop. What a beautiful downtown.
The Great Race cars look even more fantastic parked in front of these buildings.
Students from Central Magnet School of Technology checking out the Great Race cars.
All the Great Racers could relate to this man’s t-shirt. We thought it was perfect.
The man standing, John Clausen, is the course planner for the Great Race.
Welcome to Wapakoneta, Ohio.