Since 1983, the Great Race has been a fixture on the calendar for fans of antique motoring. The inaugural race ran from Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California to the Indianapolis Speedway and was only open to pre-WWII vehicles. Today the Great Race changes up its route every year and now allows vehicles as new as 1974 models but remains a grueling cross-country drive that test the endurance of both man and machine.
The 2024 Great Race rolled from Owensboro, Kentucky to Seal Cove, Maine over the course of eight days. Day 5 saw participants in the vicinity of Eastwood’s headquarters in Pottstown, Pennsylvania as they traversed from Gettysburg to Hershey before ending at Binghamton, New York. Eastwood product team member Charlie Valentine took advantage of the close proximity to see the antiques and classics up close.
“On June 25, my wife and I drove to Gettysburg in our 1961 Chrysler 300G to see the cars come in during Stage 4 of the race,” Charlie recalls. “I also had two car care buckets and had to pick two teams to give the buckets.”
“The first bucket went to Dan Rogosich from Middletown, New York. Dan was driving a 1962 Dodge Dart Station wagon, and it was his first time in the Great Race,” explained Charlie, a die-hard Mopar fan. “He placed 90th of the 141 cars that entered the race. Dan was very surprised and happy to receive the bucket, as he uses and loves Eastwood products.”
Charlie spread the love to a GM driver for the second bucket, which went to Dan Foulke. “Dan was driving a 1953 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. He placed 117th of the 141 cars that entered the race. Dan was also surprised and very happy to receive the bucket. He also said that he uses and loves Eastwood products.”
At the end of the race, father and son team, Howard and Greg Sharpe from Fairport, New York, won first place in their 1916 Hudson and walked away with $50,000 out of a total purse of $160,000.
To see all the details of the Great Race 2024 or to get involved with future events, check out www.greatrace.com.
