Cannonball driver: across US in 31 hours !!
Cannonball driver: across US in 31 hours !!
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Extreme sports fan Alex Roy said Friday he had smashed the record for the fastest "Cannonball run" across the United States, defying police and speed traps.
Alex Roy, 35, who waited a year to boast about his exploits and remains vague about the exact dates in a bid to avoid any prosecution, said he had blistered across 13 states in 31 hours and 4 minutes, breaking the old record by more than an hour.
Car enthusiast and rally driver Roy travelled the 4,496 kilometers (2,794 miles) from New York on the East Coast to Santa Monica, California, on the West Coast at an average 145 kilometers (95 miles) an hour.
At times though he reached top speeds of 257 kilometers (160 miles) an hour, breaking the previous record set in 1983 of 32 hours and 17 minutes.
The American driver of German origin set the record at the wheel of his blue BMW stamped with "Team Polizei" and traveled with a cameraman to document the event.
He also equipped his car with several GPS units, police scanners and radar detectors in a bid to avoid any speed traps.
"The GPS really is not that useful because there is only four tolls and maybe four turns between New York and LA. This is purely to calculate our speed and time," he told a television reporter.
He added that normally he's a very careful driver who has only been given one speeding ticket in the past five years.
Alex Roy, 35, who waited a year to boast about his exploits and remains vague about the exact dates in a bid to avoid any prosecution, said he had blistered across 13 states in 31 hours and 4 minutes, breaking the old record by more than an hour.
Car enthusiast and rally driver Roy travelled the 4,496 kilometers (2,794 miles) from New York on the East Coast to Santa Monica, California, on the West Coast at an average 145 kilometers (95 miles) an hour.
At times though he reached top speeds of 257 kilometers (160 miles) an hour, breaking the previous record set in 1983 of 32 hours and 17 minutes.
The American driver of German origin set the record at the wheel of his blue BMW stamped with "Team Polizei" and traveled with a cameraman to document the event.
He also equipped his car with several GPS units, police scanners and radar detectors in a bid to avoid any speed traps.
"The GPS really is not that useful because there is only four tolls and maybe four turns between New York and LA. This is purely to calculate our speed and time," he told a television reporter.
He added that normally he's a very careful driver who has only been given one speeding ticket in the past five years.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,430
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From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Nope. I can't agree with that. No congragulations from me.
It's just a shame they didn't catch his sorry a**.
Maybe so, but what kind of example does this set for other people on public roads? 
He may be skilled behind the wheel, but how many unskilled drivers are going to try and equal or break his record.......and maybe kill themselves or someone else in the process.
Hey, I was a good pilot, too......considered one of the best in my class, and earned a number of FAA Flight Proficiency awards. But that didn't mean I had the right to take an airplane and do stupid and reckless things with it, or deliberately break Federal Air Rules.
Sorry, guys, I don't want to just sound like I'm venting and ranting, but I have strong opinions about the kind of stuff Roy did, and a very low opinion of it. Even Brock Yates, formerly of Car and Driver Magazine, who has driven in past Cannonballs himself, now admits it was wrong, dangerous, and a mistake.
It's just a shame they didn't catch his sorry a**.
He added that normally he's a very careful driver who has only been given one speeding ticket in the past five years.
He may be skilled behind the wheel, but how many unskilled drivers are going to try and equal or break his record.......and maybe kill themselves or someone else in the process.Hey, I was a good pilot, too......considered one of the best in my class, and earned a number of FAA Flight Proficiency awards. But that didn't mean I had the right to take an airplane and do stupid and reckless things with it, or deliberately break Federal Air Rules.
Sorry, guys, I don't want to just sound like I'm venting and ranting, but I have strong opinions about the kind of stuff Roy did, and a very low opinion of it. Even Brock Yates, formerly of Car and Driver Magazine, who has driven in past Cannonballs himself, now admits it was wrong, dangerous, and a mistake.
Last edited by mmarshall; Nov 17, 2007 at 02:49 PM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,864
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From: Massachusetts
One problem I don't understand: Traffic!!
He'd have to travel the same main highways (especially for the most direct route) as everyone else. Surely he'd run into dreadlock.
Anyone have any guesses as to how this could be avoided. And don't say finding alternate routes (even with GPS) because that would add a lot of time.
He'd have to travel the same main highways (especially for the most direct route) as everyone else. Surely he'd run into dreadlock.
Anyone have any guesses as to how this could be avoided. And don't say finding alternate routes (even with GPS) because that would add a lot of time.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,430
Likes: 249
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 740
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From: MA
One problem I don't understand: Traffic!!
He'd have to travel the same main highways (especially for the most direct route) as everyone else. Surely he'd run into dreadlock.
Anyone have any guesses as to how this could be avoided. And don't say finding alternate routes (even with GPS) because that would add a lot of time.
He'd have to travel the same main highways (especially for the most direct route) as everyone else. Surely he'd run into dreadlock.
Anyone have any guesses as to how this could be avoided. And don't say finding alternate routes (even with GPS) because that would add a lot of time.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5,350
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From: Inside
Ezra Dyer did a story with Alex Roy couple issues back in Automobile magazine where he raced Fedex from NYC to Miami in a Bentley Continental GT convertible..
it's pretty crazy the amount of prep Alex puts in a car that's going to do a race-run thing.
it's pretty crazy the amount of prep Alex puts in a car that's going to do a race-run thing.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,963
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From: rip current, CA
NPR did a special on him. He opt'ed for an M5 and according to him, the trip was meticulously planned with spread sheets he heavily relied upon .
He purposefully avoided slow gas pumps and minimized eating and drinking so on and so forth. There's a book out but I don't know who's gonna be paying for that.
He purposefully avoided slow gas pumps and minimized eating and drinking so on and so forth. There's a book out but I don't know who's gonna be paying for that.