The Hemmings Great Race presented by Coker Tire is a nine-day time-speed-distance rally for antique, vintage and collector cars. The 2027 route, called Gulf to Great Lakes, runs about 2,400 miles through seven states from Mobile, Alabama to Buffalo, New York, from Saturday 19 June to Sunday 27 June 2027, per the route page.
The organizer’s calendar lists the official start in Mobile on Saturday 19 June 2027 from noon to 1pm. It does not yet name the start venue, and the route page says locations and spectator details will be added as plans are finalized.
The route
Great Race publishes the host stops, not the competitive route, which is kept private and handed to teams each day. The host cities as published: Saturday 19 June, start in Mobile and overnight in Montgomery. Sunday, lunch in LaGrange, Georgia and overnight in Cartersville. Monday, lunch in Dalton and overnight in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Tuesday, lunch in Crossville and overnight in Somerset, Kentucky.
Wednesday 23 June, lunch in Lawrenceburg and overnight in Dayton, Ohio. Thursday, lunch in Circleville and overnight in Marietta. Friday, lunch in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania and overnight in Erie. Saturday 26 June, lunch in Ellicottville, New York and overnight in Buffalo, which hosts the finish on Sunday 27 June. Stops named along the way include the Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Great Race headquarters in Chattanooga, Somerset as the home of Somernites Cruise, and America’s Packard Museum in Dayton.
What the event is
Driver and navigator teams follow precise course instructions on back roads and are scored on accuracy, not speed, per the organizer. More than 120 cars and trucks built in 1974 or earlier are expected, with vehicles back to 1913. The organizer gives the 2027 purse as more than $160,000, including $50,000 for the overall winner.
How entry works and what it costs
The 2027 competitor field is already sold out, per the route page, and prospective teams can join the official wait list. The 2026 Event Regulations set entry at $7,500 a car for a private entry and $10,000 for a corporate entry, for a team of up to four people, with $250 for each extra person. Great Race has not published a separate 2027 fee schedule on the pages read for this guide.
The participant FAQ says teams pay for their own hotel rooms, fuel, preparation and travel, and that hotel arrangements near each night’s host city are made by Great Race and shared with registered teams. A sweep truck collects broken-down cars, and teams may repair them at the hotel at night.
The rules
The 2026 Event Regulations describe the events as timed, controlled-speed endurance rallies, not top-speed races. Assigned average speeds on highways are often 50 or 55 mph. A team is automatically disqualified if a crew member is cited or warned by police, or judged by officials, for dangerous or reckless driving, which may include speeding, or for driving under the influence.
When does the 2027 Great Race start?
Saturday 19 June 2027 in Mobile, Alabama. The organizer’s calendar lists the official start from noon to 1pm. The start venue has not been published yet.
Where does the 2027 Great Race finish?
Buffalo, New York, on Sunday 27 June 2027, after an overnight there on 26 June.
Can I still enter the 2027 Great Race?
The field is sold out, per Great Race. The organizer runs an official wait list for 2027.
How much does it cost to enter the Great Race?
The 2026 Event Regulations set $7,500 a car for a private entry and $10,000 for a corporate entry. Hotels, fuel and travel are extra, per the FAQ.
What cars can run the Great Race?
Antique, vintage and collector vehicles, generally model year 1974 or earlier, per the FAQ. The current regulations govern exact eligibility.
Is the Great Race a race for speed?
No. It is a precision rally at assigned average speeds, and speeding can get a team disqualified under the regulations.
Details checked 6 sources, latest read 1 November 2026
- Source: Great Race, 2027 route, read 1 November 2026
- Source: Great Race, calendar of events, read 1 November 2026
- Source: Great Race, start event listing, read 1 November 2026
- Source: Great Race, participant FAQ, read 1 November 2026
- Source: Great Race, 2026 Event Regulations (PDF), read 1 November 2026
- Source: Great Race, wait list, read 1 November 2026
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