In 1989, Las Vegas businessmen and racing buffs Phil Henry and Rick Joyce were brought in to handle public relations and merchandising, giving the event a more polished identity. of Elgin, Illinois, averaged 162.58 mph and clocked the fastest time of that first event.Īfter that rather hastily arranged beginning, the Silver State Classic Challenge has seen many changes and refinements over the years, while retaining its original flavor and reputation. For the record, a red 1988 Ferrari Testarossa, driven by Jim Liautad, Jr. Overall, three cars failed to finish, but fortunately nobody was injured. The oldest American car was a ’56 Dodge D500, which blew its engine just twenty minutes into the event. Among the 50 odd entries were six Ferraris, thirteen Porsches and four Corvettes. In addition to vintage autos, it pulled in a mixed bag of late model, high performance vehicles and muscle cars. When the Silver State Classic Challenge debuted on Sunday, September 25, 1988, it was the first legal open road rally of its kind in the U.S. After Steve Waldman, one of the original organizers and then Marketing Director of the Showboat Hotel in Las Vegas, agreed to make the Showboat the official host property, everything was in place. That left less than two months to organize the event, which meant getting the go-ahead from all three counties, formulating a traffic control plan, lining up the Nevada Highway Patrol to secure the highway, and arranging liability insurance of one million dollars. Along with Ferrel Hansen, then President of the White Pine County Chamber of Commerce, the organizers received approval from the State of Nevada to close Highway 318 based on the event’s potential for pumping money into the local economy. It all began simply enough back in 1988, as a showcase for vintage racing cars. Welcome to the Silver State Classic Challenge! The best part is, if you’ve got the nerve, a little cash, and a fast ride, you too can join them to run as fast as you can, legally, down a public highway. The current course record stands at 219.6430 mph average speed, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. Their amazing journey traverses 90 to 120 miles of closed, two-lane public highway, comprised of long fast straights, sweeping corners, blind dips, even carving through a twisty canyon. For the past three decades, driving enthusiasts from around the world have gathered on the third Sunday of May and September in the Nevada high desert for the running of some truly unique automotive events.
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