Great American Run 2008

Great American Run Starts its Engines for SECOND Outing

Indianapolis, IN, May 28^th —As competitors in the Indianapolis 500 prepare for this weekend’s classic competition, preparations of a different kind are under way for another classic in the making: The Second Annual Great American Run.

Presented by Cannonball Run World Events Ltd., the Second Annual Great American Run pits competitors against the clock in five stages, commencing in Los Angeles September 7 and returning September 13 after covering approximately 3000 miles across the American West. While any pre-qualified vehicle and team who pays the entry fee may compete, the run promises a lightning-quick assortment of the fastest cars in the world—from delicate exotics to brute muscle cars—all flashing across the spectacular desert and mountain backdrops of the Great Basin. It is, as organizers promise, “A Week Without Limits.”

The event kicks off with a party “like no other” at the world famous Playboy Mansion hosted by stars of the reality hit TV show “The Girls Next Door” and featuring a performance by the Grammy Winning hip-hop superstar Ludacris on September 6. The run commences the following morning and makes top-secret stops each night in five different cities. On September 10, the group tears up the Bonneville Salt Flats with a high speed flat-out demo day and on September 12 the surviving vehicles return to the finish line, somewhere in Los Angeles.

“After last year’s success, we’re pleased to present The Great American Run again this year—bigger, better, and badder,” says the swashbuckling organizer, Tim “Maverick” Porter. “In the American tradition of independence, this run has something—everything--for both the participant and the spectator—money, fame, adrenaline and glory. Catch them if you can!”

The entry fee is $20,000 and includes accommodations, the kickoff event at the Playboy Mansion and an unforgettable party each night in each of host cities along the way. That fee also bumps up prize money for the winning team and vehicle from a guaranteed minimum of $100,000 with a possibility of a million-dollar prize depending on the number of entries.

Last year’s run featured nearly 200 entries with competing vehicles ranging from the 1000bhp Bugatti Veyron—the rarest, most expensive automobile in the world—to a desert-ready Ford Crew Cab pickup specially modified for long-distance runs. In between, there was every other conceivable type of vehicle from Corvettes to Ferraris. San Diego’s Don Gonley and Steve Games won the 2007 run, driving a black Porsche at an average of a little over 60 miles per hour. They took home a brand-new $80,000 Saleen Mustang presented by Molly Saleen, daughter of the custom car builder’s founder.

Sponsors include media partners National Lampoon, Car Collector Magazine and Makes and Models, as well as Obsidian Enterprises, Ultimate Bad Boy, Laser Protector, and others. The Run welcomes additional enquiries from brands who want to reach the Run’s super-affluent audience of fans and participants with its special combination of immersive and experimental brand marketing. Sponsors can call 800.619.8593 or 714.391.2486.