Whatever Happened to the Cannonball Run?

One of the most iconic car movies of all time is The Cannonball Run. The screenplay was written by legendary automotive journalist, Brock Yates and starred some of Hollywood's biggest names, including Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Chan and Roger Moore. What some folks may not realize is that the writing for this movie came easy for Yates, as it was based on actual events that took place during the 1970s.

While there have been many imitators, both on screen and off, Yates' original concept remains the standard with everyone else simply riding it's coattails. The proliferation of urban sprawl, increased police activity and legal concerns have prevented Yates from keeping the event going in it's original format. However, Yates did legitimize the event in another form in 1985.

This event is now known as the One Lap of America (OLOA) and it is still run (legally) every year, with competitors doing all their racing on a variety of tracks. OPTIMA wishes good luck and safe transit to all competitors that compete in the One Lap of America. You can see more of this event here.