Today, as usual, I was browsing CNN when I came across a list of the ‘10 best’ car chases on film.  I’m not sure if these really are the best 10, but one item that did catch my eye was the note attached to #10, the Cannonball run about George Baker.

I’d  heard of the Cannonball Run, but didn’t really know anything about it other than the casual reference to a movie by that name until last summer.  One day last summer I was browsing the new books section of my library and came across a book called The Driver, by Alexander Roy.  That provided me some background on the race, with which I’ll end this post.

Note:  I’m no expert on rally racing or it’s history, nor much of an expert on anything at all, but I’ve never let that stop me from writing anything else.  So, here’s a brief Cannonball history for those that like this sort of thing.

Mr. Cannonball Express:

In 1915, Erwin George Baker drove a Stutz Bearcat across the country in only 11+ days (this was one of 143 driving records of various kinds he set).  The next year he drove a Cadillac 8 from LA to NY in only 7 days.  This feat earned him the nickname (or a reference of) the Cannonball Express.

The Cannonball Express was a reference to the fastest train, at least at the turn of the century, that motored between Chicago and New Orleans.  It’s the same train that was operated by the immortalized Casey Jones, who would be killed at the reins of the train, attempting to slow it before it crashed into boxcars.

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