Who could ever anticipate what their first Great Race would be like? We sure couldn’t. When we lined up for the start in St. Paul, Minn., in 2013, we were nervous, excited and hoping to have some fun. By the time we finished, we were tired, exhilarated – and having so much fun that we’ve kept coming back every year since!

Your rookie year in the Great Race is all about learning. How to get your car ready for the road every morning; how to efficiently transport your gear from one stop to the next. You watch the veteran teams and see how they handle things. You strike up conversations and learn that everyone is eager to give you a hand, to loan you a tool, to stick their head under your hood and help you figure out why the dang thing won’t do what it’s supposed to.

You also quickly learn that the Great Race staff and crew are utterly devoted to making this the best possible experience for everyone involved. From Corky Coker and Jeff Stumb right on down to the kids selling race programs, there’s not a single one of them who won’t do anything to help their teams. You also quickly learn that Brian Goudge, aka Motormouth, is a font of information on everyone and everything connected with the race.

We have loved being with friendly, energetic people who love old cars. What better way to spend 10 days than traveling through our beautiful country with this group? We’ll be back again…and again….and again.