1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff you should know 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:16,319 Speaker 1: from house Stuff Works dot com. Hey, and welcome to 4 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: the podcast. I'm Josh Clark with me as always is 5 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: our good friend, Charles W. Chuck Bryant already, Chuck, your 6 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: good friend. How are you feeling right now? I'm fine, 7 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: a little hot, I'm Schwitz. Yeah, Chuck is bright red 8 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,159 Speaker 1: right now. Everybody, it's kind of weird looking. Thank you, 9 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: Martin and for that are super fans. Yeah, thank you. 10 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: But he's not a super fan. He's a buddy. He 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: has been. He he was such a fan that he 12 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: actually became a friend. He's a friend that we haven't 13 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: met yet. Yeah, So, Chuck, take us back to in 14 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: the time machine. Yes, the way back machine. You're ready, 15 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: Here we go. Okay, all right, Josh, I'm ten years old, 16 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: knee high to a grasshopper. Disco is dead. Margaret Thatcher 17 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: is the Prime Minister of England. I take issue with 18 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: the disco being deadline. I don't know that disco ever died. Man, 19 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: You cannot make the argument that all modern R and 20 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: B pop soul is all Disco Disco is alive. Margaret 21 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: Thatcher is the Prime Minister of England. Ronald Reagan is 22 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:19,199 Speaker 1: in office, just as Jimmy Carter has exited. Walter Cronkite 23 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: resigned from the CBS Evening News desk. That was a 24 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: said day. The first AIDS case was made public in California. 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: Have you ever seen in the band played on? My 26 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 1: brother worked on that. That was a great made for 27 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: TV movie. It really was. It was really good and 28 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: he had a great experience working on that. So find 29 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: people in that movie. Major League Baseball has just gone 30 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: on strike in the summer for what will be the 31 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,479 Speaker 1: first of eighty times over the next five years. Right, 32 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: So America is depressed, but not for long, No, because 33 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: one Mr Burt Reynolds is about to dash across the 34 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:55,279 Speaker 1: silver screen in a little movie called Cannonball Run. Great, great, 35 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: great movie. It was a great movie. I haven't seen 36 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: it in forever. I think I probably saw it in 37 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: like seven. It was one of the first movies we rented, 38 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: along with Beverly Hills Cop. Very hokey and corny, but 39 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 1: still beloved. What's What's Yeah? Everyone takes it as a 40 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: comedy because it is a comedy. But this is not 41 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: to say that it started out as a comedy. Actually, 42 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 1: it was supposed to be serious and Burt Reynolds part 43 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: was originally written for Steve McQueen, who died before he 44 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: could film the movie. It was supposed to be a 45 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: serious movie and it didn't turn out that way. Why 46 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 1: would anybody want The Cannonball Run to be a serious movie? Well, 47 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: because it was in fact based on a real race. 48 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:40,959 Speaker 1: What what true? Based on a real race? As you know? Yeah, 49 00:02:41,080 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: I I do know after reading this article. I think 50 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: I had heard that before, but I had no idea 51 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 1: the details. I didn't either until I wrote it. This 52 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: was really amazing, Like I have. I'm just gonna come 53 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 1: out and say I have a man crush on a 54 00:02:54,160 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: seventy year old Mr brock Yates. He is a cool 55 00:02:57,960 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: dude who I would have loved to have hung out. 56 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: I bet he's still a very cool dude and hung 57 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,679 Speaker 1: out with in a strictly platonic sense. Yeah, maybe a 58 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: little making out, but aside from that, Yeah, I bet 59 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:11,480 Speaker 1: he's still away cool guy. I get that impression he is. 60 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: He Um, this is this is kind of what I 61 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: gathered about brock Yates. From researching this and reading your article, 62 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: go and say who he is. He was a pretty 63 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: much the premier automotive journalist of his age. Eventually. Yeah, 64 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: but I think he started out as a journalist and 65 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: something of a gonzo journalist, I take it. Um, But yeah, 66 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: he he was very well known and respected in the field. Um. 67 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: And in the early nineteen seventies, America was at a 68 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: fork in the road, if you will speak, and brock 69 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: Yates represented one direction and that was the out just 70 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: go and if you die, that was your number was up. 71 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: Kind of mentality behind the wheel that is, yeah, you know, 72 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: damn the torpedoes full steam ahead. Right on the other 73 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: side of the road. At on the other side of 74 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: the fork was a guy named Ralph Nader who was 75 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: still there on that other Um. He for those of 76 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: you who don't know who Ralph Nader is, he's running 77 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: for president a couple of times. Um. He got George 78 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: Bush elected in two thousand four. Yeah. Um. But he's 79 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 1: also a very dedicated consumer watchhot He has for many 80 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: years lived in a tiny, little one room apartment. He 81 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 1: uses a hot plate. Um. He just really he lives 82 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 1: his very meager life so no one can say you're 83 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: corrupt because he goes after everybody else. And in the 84 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies, in the early nineteen seventies, he was going 85 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: after the automotive industry, right. He went after He wrote 86 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: this book called Unsafe at Any Speed and it was 87 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: basically about have you read it? I've read parts of 88 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,359 Speaker 1: it through research and stuff. Yeah, okay, Um, so you 89 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: know then it was basically about how the automotive industry 90 00:04:56,440 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: was producing these incredibly dangerous vehicles and at the time, 91 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,279 Speaker 1: we didn't really have much of a speed limit. So 92 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 1: uh as as a result of his book, we like 93 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: got seatbelts became mandatory, new safety designs had to be 94 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: instituted by car Manufacturer's a big deal. Um, so America's 95 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 1: at this fork in the road brock Yates, Dowle one 96 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: and and Ralph Nader on the other and America went 97 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 1: down the Ralph Nader I think what you're referring to is, 98 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: uh the national speed limit. That's part of it, definitely, 99 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: But I think even more than that, it's a more 100 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: of a you know, the way you and I were raised, 101 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: where like we could do anything we put our minds to, 102 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: and we were special. I think that that came out 103 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: of that collective decision to go towards safety rather than 104 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:47,119 Speaker 1: you know, fun at any cost, reckless, abandoned exactly, devil 105 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 1: make care sure. But yeah, the national speed limit was 106 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 1: definitely one part of that. Yeah, that was which was 107 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: that has since gone up quite a bit in certain areas, 108 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: of course, has but even more than safety. Do you 109 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: know why they set the speed limit at fifty five 110 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: gas consumption? Yes? Yeah, the the Arab oil embargo had 111 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: just taken place. OPEC was like, hey, US, we're not 112 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: real happy with you for siding with Israel during the 113 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: Yam Kapor War, so we're gonna cut off your oil, 114 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: and they did, and prices spiked and the US said, okay, 115 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: we need to rethink our dependence on foreign oil. Had 116 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: a huge rippling effect. But one of them was setting 117 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 1: the speed limit at fifty five mile per hour, which 118 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: is too slow. It is too slow, especially in the 119 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: opinion of somebody like Brock Yates. I thought, you're gonna say, 120 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:44,240 Speaker 1: Sammy Hagar, Yeah, he can't drive. He's tried, he has, 121 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: He's made a concerted effort, but it just can't out. 122 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: He tried. I love that song. It wasn't I don't 123 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: like to drive fifty five or I would prefer to 124 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: drive faster. It was I can't d tried and it 125 00:06:55,720 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 1: just doesn't happen. It was very explicit. Yes, so chuck, um, 126 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 1: this this is nineteen seventy one. Brock Yates saw the 127 00:07:03,640 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: writing on the wall that the speed limit was going 128 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: to be reduced. America was becoming something of a mamby 129 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: pamby yes um. And what did he do as a result? 130 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: He uh, in nineteen seventy one, he took a trip 131 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: across the country in a Dodge Van with three travel 132 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,480 Speaker 1: mates and he drove from New York to Los Angeles 133 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: as a way of proving slash protesting. I believe his 134 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: quote said something like this, good drivers and good automobiles 135 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: could employ the American interstate system the same way that 136 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: the Germans were using their auto bonn Right. So he 137 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: wanted to prove that you can drive fast if you're safe, 138 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: if you're a good driver, you can get to point 139 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: a to point being a car and it's safe. Yeah, 140 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 1: and you you said reckless abandoned. There was definitely a 141 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: certain level of professionalism or um. The people who he 142 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: considered good drivers were actually good drivers like he had 143 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: to be good driver to drive fast. In his opinion, 144 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: it wasn't just like everybody go as fast as you can. 145 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: That wasn't the point, right, So he did so. He 146 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: drove a two thousand, eight hundred fifty eight miles from 147 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 1: New York to l A in forty hours and fifty 148 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: one minutes, which is an average of seventy miles per hour. Yeah, 149 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: which is pretty fast if you're talking about an average speed. Yeah, 150 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 1: because that included stops. I think stops, uh you name it. 151 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: So um, after that happened, I think it got a 152 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: little bit of publicity, um, by word of mouth maybe 153 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: the racing world. And there was a famous telegram that 154 00:08:34,040 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: came I guess a month or so later. Yeah, I 155 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: love this. Can I read it? Yeah? Uh. It says 156 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: this constitutes formal entry by the Polish Racing Drivers of 157 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: America and the next official Cannonball Baker's Sea to Shining 158 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:52,520 Speaker 1: Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. The drivers are Oscar Kovaleski, bred 159 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:57,320 Speaker 1: Nementcheck and Tony Adam Awakes. If we can find California, 160 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: will beat you fair and square. So basically the gauntlet 161 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,319 Speaker 1: was laid and the Cannonball run was born, although, like 162 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:08,559 Speaker 1: you said, the official name has always been Cannonball Baker 163 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: s to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy. That right, So who's 164 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: Cannonball Baker. Cannonball Baker, Irwin G. Cannonball Baker was a 165 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: He was famous for for pushing the limits limits on 166 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: a motorcycle. Yeah. So he would drive from Canada to Mexico, 167 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: from New York to l A on an old Indian 168 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,560 Speaker 1: motorcycle and we're talking starting in nineteen fourteen, right, So, 169 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: like the old Indian motorcycle was basically a bike with 170 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,440 Speaker 1: a motor. Yea, that's exactly what it looks like, you know. Um, 171 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: he actually had a pretty well deserved reputation for like 172 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: his nickname and just the stuff he was doing, his 173 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: endurance level. Apparently on one ride, uh, he came around 174 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: a curve and was about to barrel into a herd 175 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:51,959 Speaker 1: of cattle that was in the middle of the road 176 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: because it's nineteen fourteen, and um, he swerved to miss him, 177 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: hit a pothole, flew off of his bike onto the 178 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: ba back of a cow, which bucked him off and 179 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: eventually landed in a ditch, got up and drove away. 180 00:10:06,120 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: That is the stuff of legends. That's how you get 181 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:11,160 Speaker 1: a race named after you, my friend. Uh. And he 182 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: went on to become the first commissioner of NASCAR, which 183 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 1: I thought was pretty interesting. So there you have that. 184 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: Nothing to do with Moonshine though, or did he I 185 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: don't know, maybe, ye curious? So yeah, Yates wanted to 186 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: pay homage to Cannonball Baker, so he named it after him, 187 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,040 Speaker 1: although he did shorten the name. Cannon Ball was two 188 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: words for Baker, Yeah, for Baker, but he shortened it 189 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: to Cannonball to avoid any illegal mess. Right. Lawyers advised 190 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: him to do that. Yeah, I thought it was kind 191 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 1: of weird. Well, anyway, so you have the Cannonball originally 192 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: called the Cannonball Dash, uh, and then it finally became 193 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: the Cannonball Run, which is how we know it today. Right. 194 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: And thanks to the Polish drivers of America who laid 195 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: down the gauntlet it was a real thing. They didn't 196 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: They weren't the only ones to participate in the first 197 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 1: official Cannonball. That first run he made in the van 198 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: was considered like a preliminary test ro and it wasn't 199 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: the first Cannibal because there was nobody competing with him, 200 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: so this second one. Uh. There was the Polish Racing 201 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: Drivers of America UM and seven other groups, including three vans. Uh. 202 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: There was a huge motor home. There was an American Motors, 203 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 1: a m x an MGB G T and a Cadillac Sadanderville. 204 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: And this is probably the coolest part of this entire story. Yeah, 205 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: I love it. Uh. This Cadillac was UM owned by 206 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,920 Speaker 1: an old gentleman in New York in Boston, in Boston 207 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:37,240 Speaker 1: and he wanted to And this happened back then it 208 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: may still happen now, where you would contract someone to 209 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 1: drive your car from one place to the other case 210 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: you can't get it there. Richard Pryor contracted Dana Carvey 211 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: and moving really great movie. Dude, I didn't see that one. 212 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:49,559 Speaker 1: I thought it was a stinker. It was good. It 213 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:52,079 Speaker 1: was good. So this old man put out an ad 214 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: in the paper and I need to get my car 215 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:56,720 Speaker 1: to Los Angeles. And these guys answered it and said, 216 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: we'll get your car to Los Angeles. And unbeknownst to 217 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: him it was it was one of the entries. And UM, 218 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: I think one of the stipulations was the car not 219 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,160 Speaker 1: be driven faster than seventy five miles per hour at 220 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 1: anytime or in the dark. Oh is that the other one? 221 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,120 Speaker 1: And clearly they broke both of these because the Cadillac 222 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 1: averaged seventy nine miles per hour, right, which means they 223 00:12:17,280 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: were driving out a heck of a lot faster than that. 224 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 1: I think they came in third to third place. Yeah, 225 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: not not too bad, but I think they got the 226 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: car there in one piece, and so good for them. 227 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: They're like, here are the keys, pal, so, uh, go 228 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:32,679 Speaker 1: ahead and start with the first race? Where did it start? 229 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: Where did it in? Well, it started in New York 230 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 1: at the Red Ball Garage at midnight, I believe is 231 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: when all of them started. Yeah, um, and this is 232 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: what okay, novembeve uh And the ending place was a 233 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 1: hotel in Redondo Beach what is it the Portofino in right, okay, 234 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:54,760 Speaker 1: which is from pictures I saw. It was a pretty 235 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,959 Speaker 1: lux little hotel. Um. And you didn't have to follow 236 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 1: any specific route. He just got there any way you could, right. 237 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: Basically the only rules were, uh, you could have as 238 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,320 Speaker 1: many drivers as long as the only one car, and 239 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:10,719 Speaker 1: you could leave at any point within the twenty four 240 00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,800 Speaker 1: hour window. It wasn't like everyone started at the start 241 00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,079 Speaker 1: line like a typical race, just like in the movie. 242 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 1: You would punch a time clock for when you're starting 243 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: time was, and then punch it again for when you arrived. 244 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: And whoever won one and I believe there was no 245 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 1: trophy at the time. It was only a fifty dollar 246 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: entry fee. And then they donated two hundred apiece to charity. Yeah, 247 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:32,719 Speaker 1: I thought that was pretty cool. Why not? So apparently 248 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: two days before the race, brock Yates had managed to 249 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:40,840 Speaker 1: finagle a Ferrari daytona brand new Ferrari daytona loner out 250 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 1: of a out of an auto dealer. Um. And he 251 00:13:43,760 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: had the car, but he only had himself. He didn't 252 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: have a co pilot or a driver. Uh. And apparently 253 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: he sent out all these invitations and a lot of 254 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,200 Speaker 1: two race car drivers, like legitimate race car drivers, and 255 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: they were like, you know something, if somebody dies or something, 256 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,320 Speaker 1: that's gonna look really bad for the sport of racing, 257 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 1: and I don't want to do that. And then, uh, 258 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: one guy he had invited, Dan Gurney, who was a 259 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: professional race car driver, had declined initially. UM. But he 260 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: apparently UM was told by his wife that his dying 261 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: father in law said you should go do this. Life 262 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: is short. So Gurney contacts um Yates the day before 263 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: the race and says, hey, can I still come? And 264 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:25,880 Speaker 1: Yates said heck yeah yeah, And that proved to be 265 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 1: fortuitous because they won. They did can run, Yeah they did. 266 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: They're winning time Josh was thirty five hours and fifty 267 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: four minutes. Not bad cross country, not bad at all, 268 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: and not Atlanta to l A, New York l A, 269 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,560 Speaker 1: which is further Yeah, because I've made it in thirty 270 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:43,320 Speaker 1: three hours from Atlanta to l A, have you. Yeah, 271 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: that's way I've always done it. Three eleven hour days 272 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: is how I schedule it out. I never time myself, 273 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: but you know, I went and drove around the West 274 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:52,240 Speaker 1: for several weeks and lived in a van with the 275 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: dogs and all that, and um, I would drive, like 276 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: I think the longest I drove is a twelve hour stretch. 277 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: Um that's about all I can mustard. Yeah, that's enough 278 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: for me. Yeah, depending on how much coffee I drank 279 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: or whatever, you know, then I could drive you know, 280 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 1: six hours or twelve hours or whatever. But it's amazing 281 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: the toll that just sitting in a car with your 282 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: foot on the gas has on you, especially when you're 283 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:21,280 Speaker 1: driving that fast. Uh. Should we talk about some of 284 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 1: the some of the things they preferred to do on 285 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: the on the first race, please? They One of the 286 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 1: common tactics that seemed like was to keep it slow 287 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: in the Eastern Seaboard. Um, I think New Jersey and Connecticut, 288 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: in Ohio and Pennsylvania. These states are notorious for for 289 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: having some pretty hardcore highway patrolman. Yeah, still do. Yeah, 290 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: Like you'll get pulled over for doing sixty five? Isn't 291 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 1: that nuts to you? That is nuts. I can't imagine 292 00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: if you're getting pulled over for anything less than seventy 293 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: two seventy five. In Georgia, by the way, everyone flies 294 00:15:57,320 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: as fast as you can, as fast as you can 295 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:01,240 Speaker 1: get away with us. How fast two drives generally. Yeah. 296 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: Even my my friend Derek used to say that the 297 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: deal with Atlanta rush hour is everyone drives as fast 298 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: as they can till somebody recks and then there's a 299 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: been just stops. Yeah, it's pretty funny to think about that. 300 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: So the trick was to kind of keep it slow 301 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: on the Eastern Seaboard and in the Midwest, and then 302 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 1: once you got to the Great Plains is when you 303 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:25,080 Speaker 1: really opened up, yeah, and made up some serious serious time. Yeah, 304 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: they got it up to a hundred and seventy two. 305 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: I think is how how fast they found out the 306 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: Ferrari would go. Yeah. I think twelve speeding tickets total 307 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 1: between all of the all the competitors. Yeah, between four 308 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: the competitors. Four of them didn't get a ticket at all, 309 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: So four of them split twelve tickets. And the famous 310 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: quote l A Times it is like kind of a 311 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: blurb of an article from Dan Gurney, Right, Yeah, Dan 312 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 1: Gurney famously said, at no time did we exceed a 313 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy five, which is pretty cool. Yeah, So Chuck, 314 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 1: that was the first one. And as with all cool things, uh, 315 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: that also began. It's co option. News got out, word 316 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: got out by little Yeah, the Sports Illustrated covered it, uh, 317 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 1: and so did the Los Angeles Times. UM. And so 318 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: when there was a second one, I think the following 319 00:17:14,800 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: year there were a lot more competitors, right, Yeah, they 320 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:21,920 Speaker 1: had um twenty five entries a second year, and brock 321 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: Yates finished second place, this time in a Cadillac Um. 322 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: The third race, they skipped a couple of years, and 323 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: it was in nineteen seventy five, and they moved it 324 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,800 Speaker 1: to springtime this time, and if Ferrari won the third 325 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: race with Yates and Gurney behind the wheel once again. 326 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:40,200 Speaker 1: But I didn't know they won the third one. Yes, 327 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:42,359 Speaker 1: oh no, no no, no, I'm sorry. They beat Yates and 328 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 1: Gurney's record time the third year. Yeah, by a one minute, right, 329 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: but it was not in them, you're correct. So by 330 00:17:48,680 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: seventy five, which is what the third one fourth one 331 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:54,200 Speaker 1: third one was invent? Okay, by nineteen seventy five, it's 332 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: officially co opted. There's actually corporate sponsorship. The Right Bra 333 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: Company placed three ladies in Pink in a limousine and 334 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: apparently the driver fell asleep in Texas and rolled the 335 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: thing and I guess rolled into a porter potty which 336 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:14,560 Speaker 1: tipped over and drenched the um the ladies inside with 337 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:19,640 Speaker 1: its contents and where exactly So by this time now 338 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 1: you can see why Burt Reynolds would have chosen more 339 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: of a comedic route than the Sharky's machine route. Yeah, 340 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,199 Speaker 1: well it wasn't Burt's choice. Let's should we move to 341 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: the final year. Yeah, what happened was Brock Yates was 342 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 1: pretty much finished with it, and he said, you know, 343 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 1: it's run its course. He said he was worried that 344 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,119 Speaker 1: somebody was gonna die, although no one ever got hurt. No, 345 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:42,959 Speaker 1: but the the the roads in the last eight years 346 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: had become much more congested. Um. He was ready to 347 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:50,160 Speaker 1: scrapped the whole thing. But he had a friend, director Stuntman. 348 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,199 Speaker 1: Hell need him, Hell need him? Or is it needed him? No, 349 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: it's need him. And he was. He was famous for 350 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: a lot of the early Burt Reynolds movies. He hid 351 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 1: them Hooper, which is a great movie. Is it? I 352 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,120 Speaker 1: even seen that one? Are you kidding me? I kid 353 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: you not, dude. I gotta get Hooper. That was the 354 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:08,640 Speaker 1: one about stunt Mean, you have to see My Blue 355 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: Heaven though, all right, we'll get to that later. So 356 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:14,200 Speaker 1: he did Hooper, and he did um, the Cannonball Run 357 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,600 Speaker 1: and a couple of other of the Burt Renold's films. Yeah, 358 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: they did a Smokey and the Bandit too. Brock Yates 359 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: wrote that I'm sorry so uh over the place today 360 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: we are how Needham says, you know what, Brock, I 361 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 1: want to make a movie about the Cannonball Run, And 362 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,720 Speaker 1: so I think the best way to do this is 363 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: if we stage another one and I participate with you 364 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:38,520 Speaker 1: as my partner, and they did. They did that in 365 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: nine and they had a record forty six entries this time. 366 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: And a lot of what happened in this race actually 367 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,640 Speaker 1: ended up in the movie. Yeah, there's some zany madcap 368 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 1: stuff that was going on. Let's hear it. Well, Brock 369 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 1: Yates UH and Hew need Him UH actually had an 370 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: ambulance and Yates's wife, Pamela posed as a woman suffering 371 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,439 Speaker 1: from a condition and as a result, couldn't fly because 372 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: of the pressurized cabin, so she had to be zoomed 373 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: across the country at a hundred miles in the back 374 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,200 Speaker 1: of an ambulance that was their vehicle of choice. UM. 375 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: And definitely they modified the engine UH and it killed 376 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: the transmission, so I had to be eventually towed across 377 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,439 Speaker 1: the finish line, which I thought was pretty cool, right, 378 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:25,720 Speaker 1: And in the film that actually happened. Burt Reynolds and 379 00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: Don Deloise were the Needham Yates characters, and fair Fawcet 380 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: was the was the wife. Didn't didn't what else happened 381 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,640 Speaker 1: that was real? Three drivers actually did pose his priests. 382 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,320 Speaker 1: I remember in the movie. It was awesomely it was 383 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 1: Sammy Davis Jr. And Dean Martin drunk priest in the movie. 384 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: But I don't know that they were posing. They really were. 385 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 1: They were probably hammered. What else, Josh, I don't know. 386 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:58,280 Speaker 1: I haven't seen the movie in a really long time. 387 00:20:58,280 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: All right, well, I got it for you. Then, Uh, 388 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: there were in fact um scantily clad skin tight jumpsuits 389 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: on a couple of ladies in a sports car. I 390 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 1: read the opposite. I read that that was the right 391 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 1: broad company that inspired that part. I read the opposite. 392 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: We'll have to check that. All right, we'll do it. 393 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:21,639 Speaker 1: And then there was a wealthy entrant that had his 394 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,359 Speaker 1: chauffeur drive him in a Rolls Royce. And in the 395 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: movie that was Jamie Farr played a middle Eastern chic. 396 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:31,439 Speaker 1: That's right, Clinger. Yeah, you know he and I are 397 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: from the same hometown, Talita Tala. Is that why he 398 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: always wore the Talita mud hints had and match. Yeah, 399 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,360 Speaker 1: and well he talked about it incessantly. He really was not. Yeah, 400 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: and Tony Paco's hot dogs that he talks about all 401 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: the time, real place best hot dogs. On the planet 402 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: really had no idea. So those are just a few 403 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: of the things that actually happened in the final Cannonball 404 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: Run that ended up in the film. Um and a 405 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: Jaguar driven by Dave Hines and Dave Yarborough one that 406 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 1: year and they obliterated the time period with thirty two 407 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: and fifty one minute, eighty seven mile per hour average, 408 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: fifty speeding tickets that year. Well, there were forty two contestants. Yeah, 409 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: so that was the last one, and it has spawned 410 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: imitators over the years. Before the before Cannonball Run the 411 00:22:15,359 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: movie came out, there were already imitators. Really. Yeah, there 412 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,159 Speaker 1: was one movie that came out in seventy five and 413 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 1: two that came out in seventy six. You want to 414 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: hear the weird thing about it. David Carriden was in 415 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: two of them. He was in Uh, Let's see uh 416 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: Deathmatch two thousand, Death Death Race two thousand, which was 417 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 1: set in the future, but he was also in Cannonball 418 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: exclamation Point, which is a farticle take on the Cannonball Run. 419 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: And there was a second one that had Gary Busey 420 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:45,960 Speaker 1: in it, or third one that had Gary Busey, and 421 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,119 Speaker 1: it called the Gumball Rally, right, and that's that's a 422 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 1: real one. The Gunball three thousand is still in existence. 423 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 1: Is that European or in America? Well, they do both, 424 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: and they're quick to say that it's not a race, 425 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: it's more like an adventurous road trip. And then the 426 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: lame tell him, yeah, tell him about the European version 427 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,680 Speaker 1: of the Cannonball runs actually too, you know why, because 428 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: they call it the cannonball Run. They use that name, 429 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: and this thing is not even a race. The goal 430 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: of the Cannonball Run Europe is to stay as close 431 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,360 Speaker 1: to a sixty one mile per hour average as you can. 432 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 1: And in two thousand and eight, a frigging smart car 433 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,960 Speaker 1: one Oh, talk about a slap in the face. Were 434 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: brock Gates steady would have rolled over in his grave, 435 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: he's rolling over in his Instead, he rolled over a 436 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 1: smart car with his bare hand. If anybody could do it, 437 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: Mr brock Gates could, my friend, So I think cannonball running, 438 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:42,679 Speaker 1: how fast have you driven? What's the fastest you've ever driven? Oh? 439 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 1: I don't know, a hundred and ten. I actually once 440 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: got a speeding to or no, you want to hear 441 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: a weird story let's hear. I don't know if this 442 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 1: will make the final cut or not because it's kind 443 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 1: of long, but get this. So, my friend and I 444 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: were driving from Atlanta to Charleston in my old Toyota Corolla. 445 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:01,359 Speaker 1: It was an eighty six Champagne colored Toyota Corolla UM 446 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: and I was doing a hundred and ten on I 447 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,679 Speaker 1: twenty during a stretch where the speed limit I was 448 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:09,120 Speaker 1: doing twice the speed limit. I get pulled over by 449 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 1: this guy in this car UM with a little dash 450 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: headlight on it, spinning around and I pull over and 451 00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: this guy is just like a paramilitary cop and he's like, 452 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: you're so dead. You're going to jail forever, right, And 453 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: he goes back to his car and calls somebody, and 454 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 1: this other guy comes out and he comes back. He's like, 455 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,760 Speaker 1: you're at least gonna lose your license. And he goes 456 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:32,880 Speaker 1: back and talks to the guy, who he said later 457 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,719 Speaker 1: was the sergeant on duty. And he comes back and 458 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,399 Speaker 1: he goes, you're gonna get a ticket of some sort. 459 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: And he goes back and talks to the guy again 460 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,960 Speaker 1: and he goes, here's your license back. You guys drive 461 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,119 Speaker 1: safely now, and let's just go. You're free to go exactly. 462 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:49,920 Speaker 1: So what my friend and I are looking at each 463 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:54,320 Speaker 1: other like what just happened? But it was so surreal, 464 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,919 Speaker 1: and to this day, I wonder, have you seen pull fiction? 465 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,119 Speaker 1: Of course you have remember Zed. Yeah, I have the 466 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 1: distinct impression that these guys were into ZED like affairs 467 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:08,960 Speaker 1: and something else was took precedent. I think my friend 468 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,440 Speaker 1: was He's not a good looking guy, so I'm thinking 469 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:15,399 Speaker 1: maybe they're like, we'll pass on these two. Oh, I 470 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:17,440 Speaker 1: got you. So they were going to get you back 471 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,680 Speaker 1: to the police station. And I don't think they were cops. Okay, 472 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:22,840 Speaker 1: what cop would not give you a ticket when you're 473 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: driving twice the speed limit? I got you. Yeah, I 474 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,800 Speaker 1: got a story. Let's hear it. About four years ago, 475 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: me and my buddy Scotty were doing it was actually 476 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 1: the last TV commercial job ever did. It was a 477 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:36,680 Speaker 1: six Flags job and six Flags Massachusetts. Whatever that one's 478 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: called six flags over in Massachusetts? Is it? I think 479 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: it's a great America anyway. So we go up there 480 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:44,919 Speaker 1: to do this job and um, what kind of do it? 481 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:47,680 Speaker 1: Was New Jersey? But we have to drive, h yeah, 482 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:50,520 Speaker 1: we we we we drive. At one point my friend. 483 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:52,240 Speaker 1: We have like two days off while we were up there, 484 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: and I had a friend in Vermont and the third 485 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: Star Wars prequel was being released that friday, So I said, 486 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 1: hey man, let's go up and see John Pendel and 487 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 1: uh rent a car and drive up there because we 488 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,119 Speaker 1: had a camera truck. He said, cheerless, do it? So 489 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: we ran. We rented a like a little Geometro whatever, 490 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,240 Speaker 1: the cheapest little four stroke engine car you could get. 491 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: And we have a time limit because we have to 492 00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:17,200 Speaker 1: make the movie. It's like a six pm showing. And 493 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 1: so we're speeding through Vermont, like the hills of Vermont's lovely, 494 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: and this little engine is like and we topped this 495 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:27,120 Speaker 1: hill and we see one of those signs that say 496 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: your current speed, and it said your current speed and 497 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: it blinked and went one oh two. And I've never 498 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: seen a triple digit on one of those signs. So 499 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 1: we just laughed and blaze right through it and made 500 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 1: the movie. It's like call the police, and we literally 501 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,199 Speaker 1: we made it right as the movie was starting, and 502 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:47,359 Speaker 1: you know, the engine was like it was like ticking, 503 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 1: it was red hot. And that that's my fast story. Well, 504 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 1: if you have a fast story. We'd actually like to 505 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: hear it. Here's the caveat. Don't go out and commit 506 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 1: any kind of crime or act that includes fastness. Now, 507 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: if it's already happened, then we'll hear about it. We'll 508 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: tell you the email right after we get to listener mail, right, Chuck, Yes, Josh, 509 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:12,639 Speaker 1: all right, let's go, Josh, I'm gonna call this, uh second, 510 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,040 Speaker 1: the only time we've ever read a listener mail from 511 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,360 Speaker 1: the same dude. Oh, I don't know about this, Chuck, 512 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: we have to This is the Hackster, Ryan Hack, my buddy. Alright, Uh, 513 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: listen to the house History podcast, and I have a 514 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:26,960 Speaker 1: creepy story. One of the houses I grew up in 515 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:28,919 Speaker 1: as a kid had a hidden door. As you go 516 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: to the basement, it's more or less just blended into 517 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: the wood paneling. As you walk through the door, you 518 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 1: came to an open area with some shelving and a workbench. 519 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 1: There are a couple of old bike tires and some 520 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,679 Speaker 1: random parts still lying around. A guy names it, and 521 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 1: a guy names it. Every once in a while, we'd 522 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,399 Speaker 1: hear what sounded like people working on their bikes and 523 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:50,400 Speaker 1: chit chatting, pounding metal, gears dropping, laughing, chains turning every 524 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,439 Speaker 1: time we'd go into the room. There was nothing weird weird. 525 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: Later on we found out the history of the house. 526 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,200 Speaker 1: Turns out one of the previous owners was a couple 527 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: that enjoyed by Viking and they died in a Viking 528 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: accident and forgot to get the memo. So just thinking 529 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:09,920 Speaker 1: about it gives me chills. And this is from Ryan 530 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,159 Speaker 1: and uh, I'm gonna just go ahead and say that 531 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:16,160 Speaker 1: Ryan Hack has inspired me to exercise because he has 532 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:20,479 Speaker 1: a blog called Hacks first five k dot blogspot dot 533 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: com where he started running in Lost Weight and is 534 00:28:24,119 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 1: into it now. And he got me listening to another 535 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: podcast called Two Gomer's Run a Marathon. I don't know 536 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:34,200 Speaker 1: that I'm entirely okay with you leading this extra life 537 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,880 Speaker 1: that I'm unaware of until you read a listener mail 538 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: I know. But Two Gomers Run a Marathon is actually 539 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 1: a really funny podcast. This these two guys that say 540 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: they're Gomer's kind of nerdy and they're they're completely unathletic, 541 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 1: yet they want to run a marathon. So their podcast 542 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 1: goes through their trials and travails and it's really funny. 543 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: They got a website called two gomers dot com. So well, 544 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: Ryan Hack, since you got all those plugs and because 545 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:03,480 Speaker 1: you had to too listener mails read on there, you 546 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 1: have to go contribute twenty five bucks to Kiva dot 547 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:08,760 Speaker 1: org on the Stuff you Should Know Team Chuck. You 548 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: want to tell everybody else about that Kiva dot org. 549 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,320 Speaker 1: Go to the click on community and search Stuff you 550 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: should Know Team Join our team loans twenty five dollars 551 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,840 Speaker 1: to a to someone in need. You can now donate 552 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,960 Speaker 1: two Americans. Yes I've heard. If you're a nationalistic or 553 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,360 Speaker 1: an isolationist you can still donate. But right now, as 554 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: a press time, we have raised more than bucks in 555 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: about ten days. And uh who has seventy Chuck? Uh 556 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:39,920 Speaker 1: the lousy cheap fans of the cold Bear quote unquote Nation. 557 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 1: You know it's sad that guy's got way more fans 558 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: than we do, right, way more hundred ten members on 559 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:48,600 Speaker 1: his team. We got a hundred and eighties so far already. Yeah, 560 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: So way to go those of you and the Stuff 561 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,120 Speaker 1: you Should Know Nation who supported Kiva dot org so far. 562 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: For those of you who want to get on the trolley, 563 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: you can go to www. Dot eva dot org slash 564 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 1: Team Slash stuff you should know, and you can become 565 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,520 Speaker 1: a member, and like Chuck said, you can contribute as 566 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 1: little as bucks and you actually get that back if 567 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: you want, sure, you can roll it over again or whatever. Yeah, 568 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:17,880 Speaker 1: so Chuck, that's it, right, that's it. If you have 569 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: a cool high speed story, Chuck and I want to 570 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: hear about it. Uh. If you have a great unicorn story, 571 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 1: you know, we always want to hear about that. Sending 572 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 1: in an email to stuff podcast at how stuff works 573 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: dot com. For more on this and thousands of other topics, 574 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:40,240 Speaker 1: visit how stuff works dot com. Want more how stuff works, 575 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 1: check out our blogs on the house. Stuff works dot 576 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 1: com home page brought to you by the reinvented two 577 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: thousand twelve camera. It's ready, are you