Rutgers/UCLA 2025 Cannonball Run
- Thread starter MGSA99
- Start date
83mph is way too high unless you wear diapers and refuel car While still moving
Electric cars have no chance!
Might just have to enter this one - have always wanted to drive across the US and this might be the excuse I need to do it. If solo, that's likely 2 X 18 hour driving stints sandwiched around 6 hours of sleep, although Google Maps shows it being only 2763 miles from Metuchen to the Rose Bowl vs. the 2953 miles shown from NYC to Redondo Beach (and Metuchen should only cut off about 30 miles from that). Would probably take the leisurely way back to see some sights.
I am in and will be driving my EV.
Plenty of charging along the way. Won’t be setting any speed records. lol
I have my pee bottle. Used on the last trip across the country. Saved on the bathroom breaks.
I'm in and I hope to do better than 83mph average in a good american muscle car with a naturally aspirated mopar hemi. I just hope I don't end up like Kowalski in vanishing poiint.
You're going to have to mount an aux tank. I've owned that engine - it sucks it down at speed.
Two years... hmm. I just bought a new car and my wife told me if I don't keep it for at least 5 years, I have to buy her a Chanel bag. But my new CX-30 Turbo just doesn't have the fuel capacity for something like this.
I got 2 years to figure it out.
It's really not. If you allow yourself a 10 minute fuel / bathroom stop every 3 hours - which will be about the extent of the average car's endurance at these speeds - then you only need a runtime average of 88 mph to average 83 including stops.
Once you get to the western half of the route, especially through the flat emptiness of the plains states, you can easily average a running speed of 100 mph. The real challenge to the traditional Cannonball route is everything that happens between here and Kansas City, which is where you'll hit all the traffic you're going to hit (until you get to LA, of course).
In all seriousness organizing a rutgers cannonball run would be amazing. Even if we only did it as cross country caravan together at speeds lower than the 83mph avg. I would be in. Of course a race aspect is also intriguing.
Very true. This is my 5th Mopar and they can pass most anything on the road except for a gas station.
Hmmm, I'm still driving my 2008 Civic Si, because I love the way it handles and I'm cheap when it comes to cars. But maybe it's time to upgrade, although the wife wants me to get a "sensible sedan" like an Accord (she won't even ride in the Si with me, lol - we take her car on longer rides together). Or, if @mildone can't go, maybe he'll lend me his Porsche, lol.
Might also be time to break down and get a good radar detector - I typically just speed about 25-30 mph over the limit (traffic allowing) to avoid any really big tickets, but that does limit the high end, of course. I usually just rely on paying close attention to what's ahead and behind and slowing down at obvious potential hiding spots and that does well enough for me to only get a ticket every few years. Regardless of who "wins" it sounds like a fun time for all.
I had an '08 Charger R/T. When I had it I was super active on the first aid squat, averaging over 100 calls per month - most of them as a first responder in the ol' hemi. So for the year I was averaging 8 mpg and a set of brake linings every 3000 miles (it's a heavy car).
My wife insisted I sell it. To her, $300 per month for gas wasn't acceptable. So I did, and bought one of my Top 2 3 favorite cars, my 2008 GTI.
I was quite surprised to discover that the GTI was the quicker of the two cars. I loved that thing. Drove the **** out of it.
The more I think about it, the more it might make sense to rent a car for the event.
I could easily see running the rally in probably half a dozen different cars that I could easily pick up in National's Executive Elite aisle. The Camaros will probably be gone by then, but they'll still have Mustangs and the usual compliment of Audis & BMWs with the odd Cadillac thrown in. For this, you don't need a sports car. You need a reasonably powerful, reasonably economical Euro road car - something that's bred for the autobahn. An A4 would be ideal (as I demonstrated with my 8:00 flat time to Detroit for the QuickLane).
Start planning.
Oh God now were gonna hear non-stop about how RU4real... blah blah balh detroit whatever, Audi blah blah balh. We beat him there regardless of what he claims. So overdone. Yeah you drove a car. SMH.
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Dude... you beat us by 3 minutes. We started from Manalapan and you started from Lancaster PA - at exactly the same time. You literally had a 100 mile head start and we reeled you in in Ohio.
You're making yourself look silly.
I once drove from San Francisco CA to Hoboken NJ in like 2.5 days. Lotta cigarettes and red bull drinks 
Departed San Fran, stopped to sleep in Cheyenne WY. Next day drove to Des Moines IA. Next day drove all the way to Hoboken. Seemed to me like getting through all of Pennsylvania was the longest. Also Salt Lake City Utah area... it's soo straight and long. There were even large signs telling you to pull over and sleep if you're tired. Guess lotta people fall asleep at the wheel there.
I'd do it again... but will stop and see the sights. I was in a hurry that one time. Rt 80 literally goes all the way from San Francisco to just about the GWB. One road for 99.9% of the way, its crazy.
Departed San Fran, stopped to sleep in Cheyenne WY. Next day drove to Des Moines IA. Next day drove all the way to Hoboken. Seemed to me like getting through all of Pennsylvania was the longest. Also Salt Lake City Utah area... it's soo straight and long. There were even large signs telling you to pull over and sleep if you're tired. Guess lotta people fall asleep at the wheel there.
I'd do it again... but will stop and see the sights. I was in a hurry that one time. Rt 80 literally goes all the way from San Francisco to just about the GWB. One road for 99.9% of the way, its crazy.
Not a canon ball run but I just did NJ to San Diego Sunday to today. Always wanted to drive cross country. Absolutely positively an amazing experience that my 12 year old daughter and I got to share.
Everybody has to start from the Red Ball Garage in Manhattan.
I am on record of being the first one to call dibs on the couch of @PatrickRU92 when we get there.
Did this years ago, so the rest of you are out.
Did this years ago, so the rest of you are out.
I can't imagine this. We drove to Disney with my 13 and 11 year old daughters in a minivan and you would have thought we were water torturing them on the way given the amount of complaining on the way home.
Ha! Remember that one... remember quoting it reasonably often... that and the Flintsones Goggles Pizano stuff.
I live two blocks from the terminus. The one in the city you *never* refer to by ... that name.I once drove from San Francisco CA to Hoboken NJ in like 2.5 days. Lotta cigarettes and red bull drinks
Departed San Fran, stopped to sleep in Cheyenne WY. Next day drove to Des Moines IA. Next day drove all the way to Hoboken. Seemed to me like getting through all of Pennsylvania was the longest. Also Salt Lake City Utah area... it's soo straight and long. There were even large signs telling you to pull over and sleep if you're tired. Guess lotta people fall asleep at the wheel there.
I'd do it again... but will stop and see the sights. I was in a hurry that one time. Rt 80 literally goes all the way from San Francisco to just about the GWB. One road for 99.9% of the way, its crazy.
Just did a mini cannonball run. Went from right near Disney World to Cranford in 16 hours total(probably 15.2 hours of actual driving). Left at 7am with a full tank and arrived in Cranford at 11pm. Just 2 stops for gas,food and bathroom breaks. Was planning on stopping after 12 hours, but was north of Richmond after 11 hours so decided to go for it. Luckily it was after rush hour when I got to the DC area.
Did you take your time doing it? Make meaningful stops along the way?
I'd happily drive to UCLA but would do it over 2 weeks seeing the parts of the country we haven't seen yet.