A new Cannonball Run record was set, surpassing the previous one by just under ten minutes

Gabriel Ionica

October 7, 2024 at 7:30 PM·4 min read

Ladies and gentlemen, the Cannonball Run record has once more been broken according to Ed Bolian's latest VINWiki video.

Chris Stowell achieved a solo coast-to-coast time of 27 hours and 16 minutes aboard his 2015 BMW 535 Diesel with an average speed of 105 mph and a top speed of 151 mph, earning him the solo record, diesel record, and outright non-COVID record. Why break a single record, when you can go for three?

As is customary, Chris ran an auxiliary fuel tank in the trunk of his BMW for a total capacity of 40 gallons and 800-900 miles of range. Several GPS systems were on board along with a laser jammer and an Insta 360 camera.

From the factory, the BMW ran staggered tires, but for ease of replacement, all four were changed to be the same size, and a spare was carried in the back seat.

Chris Stowell's BMW at the Portofino Inn<p>Chris Stowell</p> — Chris Stowell's BMW at the Portofino Inn
Chris Stowell

What is the Cannonball Run, and how did it come to be?

For the uninitiated, a Cannonball Run is an unsanctioned speed record challenge for driving across the United States. The typical route is from New York City's Red Ball Garage to the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, CA. Why those two stops? A deep-seated respect for history.

See the Cannonball Run originally started in 1972 as the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Then Car & Driver writer Brock Yates and editor Steve Smith had the idea of a timed coast-to-coast race to celebrate our majestic Interstate Highway System yet protest the draconian 55 mph speed limits that inhibited their enjoyment of such a marvelous stretch of roads.

1972 Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash<p>Car & Driver March 1972 Issue</p> — 1972 Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash
Car & Driver March 1972 Issue

The name of the race is a nod to Erwin George "Cannon Ball" Baker, a 20th-century racer and organizer who set a total of 143 driving records spanning from the 1910s to the 1930s. Baker's most well-known record, and his fastest following the traditional Cannonball route, was his 1933 New York to Los Angeles run of 53.5 hours in a 1933 Graham-Paige model 57 Blue Streak 8. That record wore the crown for almost 40 years until it was beaten in 1964 with a time of 48 hours and 9 minutes.

Chris's BMW was not the biggest fan of such a cross-country trip

Chris Stowell's Check Engine Light<p>Chris Stowell</p> — Chris Stowell's Check Engine Light
Chris Stowell

Chris's trek began at the Red Ball Garage on a Monday at 2 am, his reasons being that the partygoers would be lying comatose in their beds while the working folks wouldn't be up for another few hours.

Almost right away, the BMW protested such an irresponsible exhibition of speed by throwing a check engine light for a fuel injector-related fault. Any further mashing of the gas pedal would send the car into limp mode, meaning gradual acceleration to top speed was a must.

No speeding tickets or slowdowns all the way to California

The only police-related stop the entire way was in Oklahoma. In a rather unorthodox series of events, the officer asked Chris to get in his cruiser while he got the speeding ticket written up. As luck would have it, the ticket printer was a proponent of Cannonball attempts and malfunctioned to such a degree, that the officer just let Chris go on his way with just a warning.

His luck carried on to California, where not even the stoplights on the way to the Portofino Inn could stop him, turning green as soon as they saw him slowing down.

Chris Stowell's Cannonball GPS Data<p>Chris Stowell</p> — Chris Stowell's Cannonball GPS Data
Chris Stowell

Chris beat the previous Cannonball record by less than ten minutes

The previous non-COVID record of 27 hours and 25 minutes was achieved by Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, and Berkeley Chadwick in November 2019. Their steed of choice was a tuned 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG with 800 horsepower similarly modified with an additional fuel tank in the trunk, police scanner, CB radio, thermal camera, and a laser jammer.

Chris's record time was just nine minutes shorter, showing the thin margins of Cannonballing and how just a few minutes on the side of the road can kill a record run.

Final thoughts

Now I can understand why the idea of a Cannonball Run may seem like an irresponsible affair meant only for those with utter disrespect for common law, and that's a fair take. It takes a special kind of enthusiast with a desire to explore the limitations between man and machine, to throw common sense to the wind, hop in that driver's seat, and conquer the open road in an attempt to defy the rules that deem such dreams impossible. They are the visionaries that line the pages of world record books, and I applaud their everlasting mettle.

Watch the VINWiki video below for Chris's full story on his record-breaking run!

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