The Spirit of Stahls’ teams are ready to hit the road!
After many months of preparations all five Spirit of Stahls’ teams are underway and on the road for the Great Race 2019. This year the challenging course runs from Riverside, California to Tacoma, Washington and we’re on schedule to reach Tacoma by Sunday, June 30th. As I’ve said before, it’s not really a “race.” In fact the teams of drivers and navigators must follow exact instructions to stay on course at a specific time, which was all pre-determined before the rally starts. The team with the lowest score at the end of the 9-day rally is the winner. The race kicked off on Saturday, June 22 in Riverside, California. On Monday, we rolled through Donner Pass, elevation 7,056 feet. There is still around 10 feet of snow surrounding some homes up here in the northern Sierra Nevadas. Of course the Donner Pass is named after the infamous Donner party (8 pioneer families) that was trapped by the snow about 6 miles below the pass back in October 1846. It wasn’t until February of 1847 when 48 of the original 87 were rescued, with the survivors sharing horrible tales of starvation and cannibalism. We have experienced extremes on this trip, driving through the Mojave Desert with nothing but rocks, cacti, yuccas, wind turbines, and Joshua trees, but at least we have been well fed along the route. On Saturday, we rallied from Riverside to Lancaster, CA. On Sunday, we journeyed from Lancaster to Carson Valley, Nevada. We are also glad to report that all teams are thriving and surviving, despite our first “repairs” of the rally on the Hudson. The father/son team of Brett and Noah (and William) were very proud an “ace,” which means they successfully completed one leg of the rally with no deductions or additions to the allotted time for that leg. Trevor and Josh are currently ranked in third place and we are all still on the first page of the results lists. There are almost 150 entrants this year (although a few have already dropped out). It’s really great to see so many old friends and meet new ones. Today we will overnight in Chico, California. We will be bringing daily reports here and you can also follow Brad Phillips and Dan Stahl on the Hagerty page. Trevor Stahl and Josh Hull share their journey on Motor City Racing! Best of luck to all the teams competing and remember, to finish is to win! We were also quoted in a recent newspaper article about the Great Race’s stop in Victorville, California.
Group shot of all the Spirit of Stahls’ teams in Riverside, CA at the start of the Great Race 2019
The 1967 GTO with Mary behind the wheel and Ted as navigator leaving Riverside, CA on June 22, 2019
The Stars and Stripes, with Trevor Stahl and Josh Hull is currently in 3rd place in the standings. Shown here leaving Riverside.
Brad Phillips of Hagerty and Dan Stahl in the 1916 Hudson, leaving Riverside.
Ted and Mary Stahl in Riverside, California at the start of the Great Race 2019
The Beautiful Lady, the 1941 Packard is the first car through the starting line for the start of the Great Race 2019. This is the car’s 7th appearance in the Great Race. This year driven by Brett Stahl with navigator Noah Stahl.
Erin and Marty are entered in the Rookie Class in the 1962 Chevy Nova. The car has many fans.
Rally, Repair, Repeat…a lot of shaking on these old country roads shook loose something that needed to be repaired…
There is a great collection of Hudsons on this year’s Great Race. We are proud to be one of them!
Dan Stahl and Brad Phillips, Director of Business Development for Hagerty in the 1916 Hudson.
Trevor and Josh picked up two aces during the pre-rally Trophy Run. Scores from the Trophy Run can be used in the case of a tie at the end of the race…Congratulations on a great Trophy Run.
Along the route. We survived.
The Mojave Desert landscape includes wind turbines.
The breathtaking scenery, like this view of the Sierra Nevadas, is one of the reasons we love the Great Race.
Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful story. It’s so important to be aware about history. No aircondition, No navigation system, no cellphones …. just CARS.
H.