From New York to Los Angeles in 27 Hours and 25 Minutes
The Cannonball Run is a famous New York to Los Angeles trip that many people have forgotten about or don’t know about. It’s a run that often involves breaking multiple traffic laws and is therefore illegal. Still, some petrolheads do it, and the run has its own subculture. Recently some guys set a new record.
The three guys who set the record are Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt and Berkeley Chadwick. They recently became Cannonball champions. They left Red Ball garage on the east side of Manhattan at 12:57 am on November 10 and they arrived in Redondo Beach in LA’s South Bay 27 hours and 25 minutes later.
According to Road and Track, the team traveled 2,825 at an average speed of 103 mph. They only spent 22 and a half minutes total at fuel and pit stops.
The car they did it in was a 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG sedan that had some modifications to it, including bigger turbos, better downpipes, intercoolers, intakes, and a custom-fabricated fuel cell. The team also had a slew of electronics, including gyro-stabilized binoculars to keep a lookout for police. There was also a radar detector, a laser jammer and a system designed to help the team identify police highway patrol aircraft. The team also used the GPS navigation app Waze to spot hazards and two Garmin GPS units.
The team also used 18 lookouts along the run. These were friends who drove hundreds of miles to scout the road ahead of the car to let the team know of police. The spotters were a key to the team’s success but it was really all of the technology, preparation, and plenty of luck that allowed it to happen. We doubt anyone will beat 27 hours and 25 minutes anytime soon.
