Map images courtesy of The Great Race.
At the conclusion of the 2016 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, Great Race and Coker Tire Company owner Corky Coker announced that the 2017 event – the country’s premier time/distance vintage car rally – would travel along the historic Dixie Highway; the third such legendary stretch of blacktop the rally would traverse in as many years. As the 2017 announcement was in its infancy, veteran and rookie participants only had a general idea as to the route that would commence in Jacksonville, Florida, and finish in Traverse City, Michigan. In addition, the dates were shifted slightly – June 24 through July 2 – enabling the rally to conclude in conjunction with the Cherry Blossom festival in Traverse City. City stops along the south-to-north adventure had yet to be finalized; however, any speculation has finally come to rest as the Great Race has announced the complete list of city stops, after months of careful consideration and logistical planning.
Following registration and safety inspection traditions, teams are scheduled to begin arriving in Jacksonville, Florida, as early as Tuesday, June 20, and should all be on-site for the aforementioned formalities by Thursday, June 22. During that time, they will be able to tour local attractions. The Great Race’s preliminary event, the Hagerty Trophy Run, will be held on Friday afternoon, June 23, which will start and finish in Jacksonville (the exact start/finish location of which is still to be announced).
The 2017 Great Race will officially commence on Saturday morning, June 24, in Jacksonville. Once teams have taken the green flag, they begin their 2,200-plus mile journey, which will take them to 16 cities in six states. In order of appearance, scheduled lunch/overnight stops include Tifton, Georgia (note that this is an overnight stop due to the mid-morning start time); Newnan, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, on June 25; Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Bowling Green, Kentucky, on June 26; French Lick and Franklin, Indiana, on June 27; Wapakoneta, Ohio, and Auburn, Indiana, on June 28; Hickory Corners and Ypsilanti, Michigan, on June 29; Chesterfield and Frankenmuth, Michigan, on June 30; and Alpena and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on July 1. The final leg of the journey will be held on Sunday, July 2, and will take teams from Sault Ste. Marie to the finish line in Traverse City, Michigan, where the team with the lowest cumulative time will be presented with a check for $50,000, in addition to other prize money.
According to Great Race officials, there are currently two “pit stops” built into the schedule for participants. Racers will have the opportunity to stop at Great Race veteran Wayne Vick’s collection in Armuchee, Georgia, during the day on Sunday, June 25; the second is the Hudson Auto Museum and collection of the late Eldon Hostetler in Shipshewana, Indiana, on Thursday, June 29.
First run in 1983, the Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty is open to all 1972 and older collectible cars and trucks. Based on experience, team entries compete in five divisions: Grand Champion, Expert, Sportsman, Rookie and X-Cup, the latter reserved for college and high school teams. Registration is already open for 2017 for teams wishing to compete in this south-to-north adventure along the Dixie Highway, but available spots are filling up exceptionally fast. For more detailed information, or to register, visit GreatRace.com.
A quick note to those who would like to catch segments of the 2017 Great Race: As is always the case, the exact rally route is kept secret to prevent teams from practicing. Before the start of each day’s stage, teams are given course instructions just one hour before their start time; no GPS or maps are permitted in the rally vehicles, so drivers and navigators must rely on analog watches and course instructions to get from point A to B successfully and on time. The best locations to see the cars and meet the drivers/navigators are at the day’s lunch and dinner stops. Exact locations for each day’s stops will become available as details are finalized, or you can monitor the official Great Race website where you can also learn more about the Great Race history, rules, and award structure.
