So you've heard of Cannonball, Gumball, Bullrun, etc...

"Jonathan Harper" (jbh)
08/20/2013 at 15:57 • Filed to: miler 24, rally, rallies, jbh, classic car club

We know about these things because people with fast cars enter these events to drive their cars fast, and we like fast cars. Generally these road "rallies" set waypoints and drive from one place to the next, and whoever gets there first (despite it "not being a race") receives certain accolades. I propose a new style of "non-racing" road rally.

The cool thing about this one is that anyone can do it, from anywhere, in any car. Here's the idea:

How far can you drive in 24 hours?

The goal is to cover the most number of miles in 24 hours, kind of like Le Mans, but with your car, in your area (or not). The route doesn't matter, so long as it's on public roads; start and end anywhere.

The way I imagine it, I'd leave at midnight on a Friday and end at midnight on Saturday. I'm planning to embark upon a benchmark run on an upcoming weekend, I'll probably just head west. The one thing I haven't quite figured out is proof; what would be the best way to prove how many miles one has covered?

How many miles do you think you could do? Where would you go? What would you drive?

DISCUSSION (29)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 15:58

My odometer broke at 319,640.

Z_Stig > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:01

Track everyone with their phones' GPS. Then have a big board like in Rat Race.

But for safety's sake, maybe we should use co-drivers.

Blondude > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:03

Well, technically if you're doing 65 mph the whole way it'll be 1,560 miles. I feel like there could be problems with it because it's basically requiring you to speed unlike the point-to-point based rallies that could still (in theory) be won by taking a better route, traffic, etc. without doing anything illegal.

Not that I wouldn't participate given the chance.

Crocket Bernet > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:03

On an unrelated note, did that website ever respond to you telling them that the video of the Audi was yours?

duurtlang > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:07

It depends on if you are willing to break the speed limit or not. Let's assume you're not willing to do break any laws.

If so I could still get quite far. Although I don't live in Germany I can drive to Germany in half an hour. It'll take another 5 minutes to reach an unrestricted Autobahn. Once there you've got the most obvious public place where you can cover the longest distance in the shortest amount of time while not breaking any laws.

daender > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:08

1.) Start in the southeast.

2.) Head west like no tomorrow because the scenery sucks when all you see are trees lining the highways.

3.) Coordinate with pickup trucks and friends to refuel you illegally while in motion.

4.) Drive something comfy...and classy.

Brian Tschiegg > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:09

I'm thinking that if I start in Miami on I-95 and head North that I could do the entire Eastern Seaboard in 24 hours. Maine here I come.

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:09

Facebook check in as well as a picture for proof?

As far as me, I've done Miles City, MT to my parent's house near Port Huron, MI in 28 hours (that's including stops and I had the wife and kid with me while I drove the whole way). That's 1,435 miles according to Google Maps. I would venture a guess that with the right vehicle, and just me in the car, I could maybe hit 1,800 miles in 24 hours. I've also covered Houston to Tucson in 16 hours (1,056 miles) so I think 1,800 is do able.

Kugelblitz > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:10

Get a police officer to sign a piece of paper with your odo reading on it at the beginning and end of the trip. Look up the Iron Butt motorcycle deeds.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:11

If you run Highway 130 south of Austin back and forth at 5 over for 24 hours you'd net 2160 miles (not accounting for the slowdown for each turnaround).

Jonathan Harper > duurtlang
08/20/2013 at 16:13

Well, if you want the most miles, you'd have to drive faster than the rest. ;)

Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole > Z_Stig
08/20/2013 at 16:13

Why didn't I think of that! Waze has a "share my route" feature that you can track your friend's routes.

duurtlang > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:14

...or take fewer breaks. Theoretically you could camp behind some big rig doing its mechanically restricted 90 or so km an hour (56 mph). But the potential is there.

Jonathan Harper > Brian Tschiegg
08/20/2013 at 16:15

I've done Orlando to NYC in 15.5 hrs, but I don't recommend it. 95 sucks with cops and trucks and construction.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
08/20/2013 at 16:24

If you run the unrestricted part of the A81 (autobahn) back and forth at 150 you'd get 3600. Need to blast up to 180 a few times to make up for gas stops, of course.

Ad Astra > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:36

As a separate challenge, it would be interesting to see how far away from your starting point you could travel ("as the crow flies"). It would be more about navigation and planning than outright speed.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Dukie - Jalopnik Emergency Management Asshole
08/20/2013 at 16:38

I've managed 1,650ish splitting the driving duties with a co-driver between Michigan and Salt Lake City. Took us 24:15 on the way out and 23:45 on the way back, so it is as close to 24:00 hours of driving as you'll get.

Eric Siedlecki > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 16:46

I'm sure that Mister Alex Roy could give you a few pointers.

Jonathan Harper > Eric Siedlecki
08/20/2013 at 17:06

He already has!

GooseTheThrottle > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 17:10

I made a solo drive from Tucson to St. Louis in a little over 22 hours. Thats a total of 1488. I think if i wasn't in a Penske truck I would have gotten there sooner. I think in a car, solo, one could make it 1600 miles in 24 hours.

dumpus > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 17:55

i've did this this a few years with a bunch of college buddies headed on spring break in grad school. took like 6 different cars leaving from different locations headed to the same destination; each person took a screenshot of their GPS coordinates on their phone at a particular starting time and then did the same thing after 10 hours and just plugged the coordinates into google maps and presto! our car made it from the lincoln memorial to the waffle house in daytona beach in about 10:10, including food and fuel, which shocked me as i didn't even expect to make it into florida by then.

You could go a long, long, LONG way in 24 hours, depending on what time you leave and where you're leaving from. theoretically if you time it right, and if you pack some food in the car, you could split from NYC at midnight on a weeknight and make it to Dallas within 24 - assuming you go the speed limit and give yourself an hour and a half for fueling, liquid evacuation, and minor traffic. keeping up with traffic, or just slightly keeping above traffic speed (or even more through VA and TN), you could damn near make it to the border at Laredo.

twinturbobmw > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 18:22

I feel bad for the Jalops in Hawaii right now.

GhostZ > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 20:30

As a 16-year-old I used to race in western Nebraska. Occasionally on the weekends, just for shits and giggles, I'd tried to see how fast I could cover the 400mile to-and-back journey from where I lived to Denver, Colorado. Without stops (I would eat in Denver, but usually didn't need to) I could do it in about 4 hours, keeping the speed regularly above 100mph. This was in a car with 150HP. Cost no object, I bet I know enough abandoned highway without cops and the only limited factor would be the top speed of my car, and how reliable it is. I could just make a 1000 mile loop around NE, CO, WY, and Montana, and drive it a few times non-stop. I'm also fairly confident that with proper preparation, I could go 24 hours driving without sleep.

The problem is, if you invite everyone, you invite Alex Roy. We know who would win that one.

Jonathan Harper > GhostZ
08/20/2013 at 20:36

Alex Roy is not infallible.

GhostZ > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 20:37

Sabotage?

GhostZ > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 20:38

Also, in addition to my other post, I'd like to leave this here:

Kinja'd!!!

GhostZ > daender
08/20/2013 at 20:39

The southeast may not seem the best place to start, with its trees and winding roads, but the desire to leave will cause you to drive faster than you ever have before.

Aaron Brown > Jonathan Harper
08/20/2013 at 21:35

Personally I think not being in direct competition with other people takes a decent amount of fun out of the equation.

I love driving and I agree it would be fun just to haul ass and see how far you could get, but I think itd be pretty awesome if there was an organized event with people racing against each other, at the same time.

Z-animul > Jonathan Harper
08/28/2013 at 15:49

Try this maybe? http://www.tracker.co.uk/my-tracker/ A friend of mine used his HAM radio to track one of his journeys and you could follow him online.