The only conceivable thing more exciting and crazy than trying to set a Cannonball record from New York to Los Angeles is trying to do it twice, back to back.
With the country’s traffic still at all-time lows, speed freaks have been setting new records throughout 2020. Chris Clemens and Mark Spence are two exceptional examples of the lunatics attracted to the challenge and set to tackling the Granddaddy of all Cannonballs, running the route from NYC to LA and back.
The Cannonball Gods were not kind, but Clemens and Spence were not about to back down. Chasing the heels of Doug Tabbutt and Arne Toman on their latest record setting run by mere miles, the teams shared spotters and gave the smokies more than a little trouble- on one such occasion earning a hefty fine from one of Iowa’s finest.
Before even reaching the halfway point at the Portofino Hotel in LA, Clemens was battling serious fatigue and Spence had a major bout of car sickness. Along the way they met a crew of street racers outside Vegas and rolled into the Portofino on fumes. The obligatory photo was taken and the car was pointed back East at full speed.
Somehow, against the odds, lost time was made up and a record was back in sight- right up until they hit gridlock on the outskirts of NYC. Clemens and Spence found themselves in spitting distance of the finish at Red Ball Garage, completely helpless against the clock…
