Great Race

Great events don’t happen by accident and they certainly don’t happen in the blink of an eye. It takes a lot of work to develop, organize and run an intricate event such as The Great Race, and it took a lot of work behind the scenes to get it off the ground, when Tom McRae and Norman Miller did just that in 1983. The two individuals were partners in the deal, and bought out an ailing race promoter who planned to race pre-World War II automobiles across the United States for a massive purse. There were plenty of folks who doubted the feasibility of an event of this magnitude, but with help from a crew of like-minded car nuts, McRae and Miller made it work. From the inaugural event in ’83, there have been lots of memorable moments.

Looking back to the early 1980’s, Tom McRae was an ordinary car guy, toying with his projects on a regular basis. But in late summer of 1982, his outlook on the old car hobby would change dramatically, thanks to a phone call from good friend and fellow enthusiast, Curtis Graf. With excitement in his voice, Graf told McRae about an event that would surely be one of the greatest marvels in automotive history. “It’s something called the Great American Race from L.A. to Indy for $250,000 in prize money!” Graf explained. The most alluring part of the event was the fact that it was open only to pre-World War II vehicles, making it a grand challenge if it were to live up to the hype.

McRae and Graf signed up for the long-distance journey, but as it turns out, they were the only entrants. So, McRae contacted his old friend Norman “Bubba” Miller and pulled him into a partnership to buy out the original promoter. From there, it would be a long battle to stage the first event and market it well. The result involved 69 brave antique auto enthusiasts who arrived at Knott’s Berry Farm, near Los Angeles, California for the departure and beginning of the inaugural Great Race. At that time, participants paid a $5,000 entry fee, which put them in the hunt for the $250,000 purse.