Cannonball Run Record — NYC to LA Speed Record History

The transcontinental record tradition began in 1914 when Erwin "Cannonball" Baker rode an Indian motorcycle from San Diego to New York City in 11 days, 12 hours — shattering the previous record by nearly 9 days.

Over the next two decades, Baker set 143 cross-country records covering over 550,000 miles. He drove for every major manufacturer — Stutz, Cadillac, Gardner, Rickenbacker, Franklin, Graham-Paige — continuously pushing the limits of man and machine.

In 1971, Brock Yates of Car and Driver magazine organized the "Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash" in Baker's honor, and Dan Gurney finally broke Baker's 38-year-old record. The modern era of unsanctioned attempts began in 2006.

Tracking

11+ Days to 25 Hours · Every Known Record

The Modern Era (2006–Present) ▼

2024

Chris Stowell

BMW 535d (tuned) — Diesel Record

27:16:00 ▼

Vehicle 2015 BMW 535d

Engine 3.0L I6 Turbo Diesel

Power (Tuned) ~350 HP / 500+ lb-ft

Fuel Tank 18.5 gal (stock)

Avg Speed 102.7 mph

Fuel Stops 6 stops

Full Diesel Analysis → Route breakdown, fuel strategy, Garmin data, segment times

2020

Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, Dunadel Daryoush COVID

2016 Audi S6 — Current Overall Record

25:39:00 ▼

Vehicle 2016 Audi S6

Engine 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8

Power 450 HP / 406 lb-ft

Avg Speed 112 mph

Set during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns with dramatically reduced traffic. The fastest cross-country time ever recorded.

2019

Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt, Berkeley Chadwick

Mercedes-AMG E63 — Last Pre-COVID Record

27:25:00 ▼

Vehicle Mercedes-AMG E63 S

Engine 4.0L Twin-Turbo V8

Power 603 HP / 627 lb-ft

Avg Speed 103 mph

Broke Ed Bolian's 2013 record. The last record set under normal traffic conditions before COVID-19.

2013

Ed Bolian, Dave Black, Dan Huang

Mercedes CL55 AMG — Sub-29-Hour Barrier

28:50:00 ▼

Vehicle 2004 Mercedes CL55 AMG

Engine 5.4L Supercharged V8

Power 493 HP / 516 lb-ft

Fuel Tank 66-gal (45-gal aux + 21-gal factory)

Broke Alex Roy's 7-year record. Founded VinWiki to tell car stories. First to break the 29-hour barrier.

2006

Alex Roy & Dave Maher

BMW M5 — Modern Era Begins

31:04:00 ▼

Vehicle 2000 BMW M5 (E39)

Engine 4.9L V8

Power 394 HP / 369 lb-ft

Avg Speed 90 mph

Broke the 1979 record after 27 years. Launched the modern era of unsanctioned cross-country attempts.

The Brock Yates Era (1971–1979) ▼

1979

Dave Heinz & Dave Yarborough

Jaguar XJS — Final Official Race

32:51:00 ▼

Vehicle Jaguar XJS

Engine 5.3L V12

Power 285 HP

Avg Speed 85 mph

Final official Cannonball race. Record stood for 27 years until Alex Roy's 2006 run.

Dave Heinz & Dave Yarborough with Jaguar XJS

1975

Jack May & Rick Cline

Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

35:53:00 ▼

Vehicle Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

Engine 2.4L V6

Power 195 HP

Top Speed 148 mph

Third official Cannonball race. The beautiful mid-engine Ferrari proved you didn't need massive displacement to compete.

1972

Behr, Canfield, Olds

Cadillac Coupe de Ville

37:16:00 ▼

Second official Cannonball race. The massive Cadillac was an unconventional choice — comfort over speed.

1971

Dan Gurney & Brock Yates

Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona — First Race

35:54:00 ▼

Vehicle Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona

Engine 4.4L V12

Power 352 HP

Top Speed 174 mph

The first official Cannonball race organized by Brock Yates. Dan Gurney (F1 champion) and Yates broke Cannonball Baker's 38-year-old record.

Dan Gurney & Brock Yates with Ferrari Daytona

The Cannonball Baker Era (1914–1933) ▼

1933

Cannonball Baker

Graham-Paige Blue Streak 8 (supercharged) — Record stood 38 years

53h 30m ▼

Baker's ultimate achievement — a supercharged straight-eight that averaged over 50 mph on roads that were still largely unpaved outside cities. This record would stand until Dan Gurney and Brock Yates broke it in 1971.

1929

Cannonball Baker

Stutz Versaille — Baker's fastest official time

60h 31m ▼

Baker continued pushing records through the late 1920s, shaving hours off each attempt as roads and automobiles improved.

1928

Cannonball Baker

Franklin (air-cooled)

69h 31m ▼

The Franklin's air-cooled engine was an unusual choice but proved reliable over long distances without risk of overheating.

1925

Cannonball Baker

Rickenbacker Six — Sub-3-day barrier broken

71h 33m ▼

Through snow and sleet, Baker broke the 3-day barrier for the first time. The Rickenbacker was named after WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker.

1924

Cannonball Baker

Gardner Sedan — First winter transcontinental

7d 17h 8m ▼

NYC to LA in the dead of winter. Baker proved the transcontinental crossing could be done year-round.

1916

Cannonball Baker

Cadillac 8 Roadster — Sub-8-day barrier broken

7d 11h 52m ▼

LA to NYC. The Cadillac's V8 engine was cutting-edge technology, and Baker used every bit of its power to smash the 8-day barrier.

1915

Erwin "Cannonball" Baker

Stutz Bearcat — First Automobile Record

11d 7h 15m ▼

Vehicle Stutz Bearcat

Engine 6.4L Wisconsin T-head 4-cyl

Power 60 HP

Route San Diego → NYC

One year after his legendary motorcycle run, Baker made his first automobile crossing. The Stutz Bearcat was the sports car of its era — a stripped-down, no-frills racing machine. This began Baker's 18-year campaign to continuously push the transcontinental record.

1914

Erwin Baker

Indian Motorcycle — First transcontinental record

11d 12h 10m ▼

San Diego to NYC. Shattered the previous record by nearly 9 days. A New York newspaper writer compared him to the Illinois Central's Cannonball Express train, and the legendary nickname stuck.

Speculation

Deep Analysis · What's Next?

Deep Analysis

Where Does the Record Go From Here? →

Interactive analysis of vehicle selection, route optimization, fuel strategy, and the theoretical floor for the cross-country record. Can the 25-hour barrier be broken under normal traffic?

Diesel Deep Dive

Where The Next Diesel Record Comes From →

Extra range isn't about fewer stops — it's about increased sustained velocity. The 2-stop threshold, 40 vs 45-gallon tank builds, fuel cell options, and how surplus fuel unlocks higher sustained speed across 2,803 miles.

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