Since the invention of the automobile, just before the turn of the 20th century, there have been many endurance races. One of the most enduring is The Great Race , also known as The Great American Race.  When you think of endurance races, you may initially think of LeMans, Daytona or Sebring. But those are run on dedicated racing surfaces by brand-new purpose-built racecars in races that are over in 24 hours or less, easy by comparison. The Great Race is a seven-to-nine-day rally that usually passes through six to eight different states, usually 1,800 to 2,400 miles. It's a timed event "race" limited to antique, vintage and classic vehicles.

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The route changes every year, but it's always very diverse and travels through superhighways, side streets and everything in between throughout North America and is probably the greatest test of real-world mechanical skill that still exists in the 21st century! That's because old cars are hard to maintain and dependability is key to participating in this annual event, which has been running since 1983.

 

Modern cars have the advantage of more than a century of experimentation and technical advances, so preparing a vintage vehicle for The Great Race requires skills far beyond those of a typical mechanic. Rob’s Automotive has been involved in The Great Race  since 2012 when Rob was asked to prepare a 1964 impala for a friend who wanted to be involved in the Race.  Rob was responsible for  making sure the car was going to be able to finish the race and not have any issues.

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Great Race teams consist of two people, a driver and a navigator/mechanic. In 2019, Rob was asked to navigate for a friend, Rick Horne, in his 1963 Corvette. The race that year went from Riverside California, to Tacoma Washington and they won the rookie division that year. They competed against 40 other rookies for the title. But as the old saying goes, "winning isn't everything." In the case of the Great Race, just completing the journey is a testament to the mechanical skills of those who prepared the participating vehicles! Since preparing that '64 Chevy, Rob's Automotive has built 11 cars for the Race and worked on around 20 cars, all of which completed their arduous journeys across America and most of them were driven home after a week and a half of competition, often adding around another 1500 miles or so! The point is this: Rob Roemer and his crew build dependable cars! They can do the same for yours, even if you're just driving it around southern New England!

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In 2026, Rob will be entering the Race as a navigator/mechanic for the eighth consecutive year. He'd been the navigator in that 1963 Corvette since winning the rookie trophy in 2019 together with owner/driver Rick Horne, but Rick retired after the 2025 event. Rob will now be navigating a 1935 Ford pickup truck, which should be a very different experience from the Corvette.. Come visit the Rob's Automotive showroom in Dudley, MA to see his display of Great Race memorabilia while getting your oil and filters changed.