A nice shot captured by Tommy Lee Byrd of Coker Tire. Navigator is Dan Stahl and driver is Brad Phillips.
We’re more than halfway through the Great Race 2021. The camaraderie this year, one of the main reasons we participate year after year, has been phenomenal. A lot of cars are experiencing the thrill of repairing, including one of our Spirit of Stahls’ teams, Brad Phillips and Dan Stahl in the 1916 Hudson. Here is what Brad had to say on his Facebook page the last few days…
Brad Phillips: JUNE 22, 2021
Today was one of those loony rally days where everything just sort of fell apart! I cost us a bunch of time by second guessing my navigator Daniel Stahl on a key instruction, then we were sitting at an intersection and heard a huge BLAM when the wheel rim blew out! We managed to get the wheel and tire swapped with the one we had removed before we started, and another spare wheel is getting drop shipped to tomorrow night’s hotel. Super lucky it happened there.
JUNE 23, 2021
Alright! The replacement wheel showed up to our hotel as scheduled. Unfortunately the tube in it was knackered, so we ended up disassembling two wheels so we could get the the old tube out so we could reuse it. Okay, done. But an old problem popped back up today, the leaking master cylinder. The brake pedal went to the floor after entering a little town after a timed section- fortunately it had two last pumps left in it, getting us safely off the road and stopped in a gas station parking lot. It was crazy good luck, and now adding brake fluid is part of the process at every gas stop again. The weather is beautiful, and the Great Race family has never been more fun- let’s keep going! Off we go through the Kentucky countryside tomorrow, heading for West Virginia and beyond!
Waiting on a replacement wheel rim! It arrived!
Rally, repair, repeat. That’s the mantra of many Great Racers. Luckily there are always a few folks around to lend a hand.
Waiting for the rally to restart on the original Route 66.
Historic bridge crossing on Route 66.
The crowds at the beginning of the race in San Antonio were just the start. We’ve seen really great turnouts in every stop along the route this year.