The 2016 Hemmings Motor News Great Race is scheduled to cross the finish line in Moline on Sunday, with 120 antique cars competing for $150,000 in prizes.
The first place prize is $50,000.
Tom McRae started the Great Race in 1983. It was inspired by the 1965 movie The Great Race. The comedy was in turn inspired by the true story of the 1908 race from New York to Paris. Tony Curtis, one of the stars of the movie, rode in the Leslie Special, his car in the movie, in the 2004 Great Race.
The 2,400-mile rally is not based solely on speed, but time, speed and distance. The 2016 race began on June 18 in San Rafael, California, and ends in downtown Moline. Every day, the driver and navigator are given instructions on the day's drive, which details every move. The teams are scored at check points and penalized for deviations from the day's schedule. A one-second deviation results in one second being added to the team's score.
The family-friendly event features cars manufactured before 1972. The oldest cars in this year's event are three 1916 Hudsons, an Indy Racer, a Four Passenger Speedster and the 2015 winner, a Hillclimber; a 1916 Chevrolet Phaeton; a 1917 Peerless Racer and a 1918 American LaFrance Speedster.
The Great Race cars will begin arriving at 2:15 p.m. at the finish line in Moline. The cars will cross the line at one-minute intervals for approximately two hours. In addition to the Great Race cars, downtown Moline will host a car show featuring a variety of antique and vintage cars, including locally manufactured Velie automobiles.
The Great Race is free to the public. Spectators are welcome to visit with the participants and look at the cars at each stop along the route from California to Illinois.
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