The Great Race Returns
June 28, 2023 4:45 PM –7:30 PM
Great Race is bringing vintage and classic cars to Joplin!
The public is invited to a spectacular event when Joplin hosts the Day 5 finish of the 2023 Great Race.
The 2023 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty, the world’s premiere old car rally, will bring 120 of the finest road-worthy antique and classic automobiles to 6th and Main Street in downtown Joplin.
Activity at the finish line begins at 4:45 p.m., Wednesday, June 28.
The event is free to the public, and spectators can visit with the participants after parking. Kids of all ages are welcome to climb in the cars for a first-hand look or take in the nostalgic feel.
Cars built in 1974 and earlier are eligible, with most entries having been manufactured before World War II. Come out and experience the grand collection of automotive history. Get up close with a 1916 Hudson Hill Climber, get a selfie with a 1928 Ford Model A, or reminisce on what movies the beautiful 1917 American LaFrance Racer or the 1973 Cadillac Ambulance remind you of.
Relive the Happy Days or American Graffiti memories with the 1955 Ford Thunderbird or 1957 Chevy Bel Air, or the 1966 Mustang and Corvette entries, and certainly do not miss the 1963 Ford Falcon or the 1971 AMC Javelin.
These are just to mention a few of the 120 cars arriving in Joplin starting at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28.
In addition to the fine restaurants and shopping downtown, there will be food trucks.
In all, the Great Race participants will cover more than 2,300 miles in 9 days, starting in St. Augustine, Florida, on June 24, and completing the race on July 2 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. As an event, the Great Race began 40 years ago. It is not a speed race, but a time/speed/distance rally. The vehicles, each with a driver and navigator, are given precise instructions each day that detail every move down to the second. They are scored at secret checkpoints along the way. As in golf, the lowest score wins.
