Great Racers are everywhere. They are even on television. A few nights ago, I was doing some late night surfing and came across a new episode of our friend Wayne Carini’s show, Chasing Classic Cars. Wayne himself has become part of the Great Race family the last three years – he participated in the 2012 start in Traverse City; he competed in the 2013 Trophy Run and was our Grand Marshal; and he helped promote the 2014 event by appearing at the start in Ogunquit, Maine, the overnight stop in Lowell, Massachusetts, and the lunch stops in Rochester, New Hampshire, and Bennington, Vermont.

On this particular episode, Wayne tried to buy a 1904 Ford AC at an auction to participate in the London to Brighton Run. He was not able to buy the car but who shows up to save the day but old friend and legendary Great Racer Buck Kamphausen. Buck told Wayne he had a car just like the one Wayne tried to buy and Buck offered to let him borrow it to take to England for the run. That’s just like Buck – he’d give you the shirt off his back.

Later in the episode, Wayne visits Buck’s shop in California to see the car. Great Racer Josh Voss, who works in Buck’s shop, shows Wayne how to start the car. Josh first got into the Great Race as an X-Cup team member from Washington state. He later competed with Buck in several events, the last being the 2012 Great Race around the Great Lakes.

The following episode was familiar to me because Wayne visits Maine and buys a Packard 840 roadster and a Model A phaeton. I had dinner with Wayne the following evening in Ogunquit and he told me about the cars.