Life

Lewisburg witnesses the Great Race

LEWISBURG -- Owensboro, Kentucky, is located just over 700 miles away from Lewisburg. It's another 520 miles from Lewisburg to Gardiner, Maine.

Those distances made Lewisburg the perfect mid-week stop for an event that features more than 120 classic automobiles traversing a portion of the United States in an annual competition in which the winner will claim a $50,000 grand prize.

Several-thousand spectators filled Lewisburg Wednesday afternoon as the classic cars competing in this year's Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire rolled into the community for a lunch stop.

The competition -- which actually covers 2,300 miles -- started Saturday, June 22, in Owensboro, and will end Sunday, June 30, in Gardiner. The vehicles set off Wednesday morning from Gettysburg, before traveling northbound through Central Pennsylvania for the Lewisburg stop.

"This is an old car race, held across the country each year," Jeff Stumb, the race director, said prior to the event. "Every year it's a different route. Last year, it was Florida to Colorado.

"It's all vehicles that are 1974 and older," he continued. "About half the cars are pre-World War II cars."

He also explained the format for the race, noting that finishing positions are determined by timing, speeds and distances traveled through the course of the event.

"The winner is the one who does it the most accurately," Stumb said.

As each day of the race begins, cars are released individually, at 1-minute intervals.

"You are talking about two hours of an old-car train moving across the countryside," Stumb said. "If everybody does it correctly, they stay one-minute apart (throughout the day)."

The classic vehicles rolled into -- and out of -- Lewisburg at, roughly, those intervals. The driver and their navigator were able to enjoy a one-hour lunch break before setting off for the Wednesday night stop in Binghamton, N.Y.

Amy Thomas, who works for the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership (LDP) and served as the Lewisburg lunch stop coordinator for the Great Race, said race participants enjoyed a Polynesian buffet catered by Bull Run Tap House.

Not all of the competitors entered Lewisburg on four wheels. Loring Hill, who is from upstate New York, rolled into Union County on his 1923 Henderson Deluxe motorcycle.

Hill said his is one of two motorcyclists entered in the 2024 edition of the race. While competitors in vehicles with four wheels have a driver and navigator to help with directions, those on two wheels do the race solo.

"It's a challenge to do the Great Race when you have a navigator," Hill said. "It's twice as hard if you don't (have a navigator)."

According to Hill, three motorcycles competed in the 2023 edition of the race. That marked the first year since 1998 that motorcycles were able to enter.

He said it was natural for him to enter the Great Race.

"I competed in other vintage rallies and had a lot of success," Hill said.

Fond memories of past races

Among the spectators who cruised into Lewisburg to catch a glimpse of the historic vehicles, one couple in attendance reflected on their special connection with the Great Race.

Bernard Poremba, of Plymouth, was at the race with his wife, Mary. The two entered a Volkswagen in the 2014 edition of the race, which went from Maine to Florida.

The Porembas said they take in a segment of the Great Race any time it comes within a reasonable distance of their hometown.

"I've been a member of the American Automobile Club of America since 1962," Bernard said. "I've always liked old cars."

He noted that car enthusiasts invest a lot of money in preparing their vehicles for the race. Entries must be filed one year in advance, so preparations are ongoing over the 365 days leading up to the event.

"It's a great accomplishment (to finish the race) because you've been anticipating it for a year… making sure everything is ready," Bernard said. "It's a reliability race."

He said the Great Race is well organized, and he's established a lot of friendships through his years of involvement, as both a competitor and spectator.

Stumb said the camaraderie which develops among those involved with race "is what this is all about."

"It is such a large, extended family," he said. "When you've been in the Great Race, you are a Great Racer for life."

Extensive preparations to welcome racers to Lewisburg

Thomas said the LDP immediately jumped on board with the event upon being contacted about it by the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau. Race organizers initially reached out to the bureau to gauge the local interest in a potential stop being held in Lewisburg.

"We were like, 'Yes, we want to do it, but can we do it?'" Thomas said. "There's all kinds of things to consider… What would it cost to feed all these people?"

The LDP quickly secured the sponsorships necessary to host the event, and related activities. Among the many supporters, Thomas pointed to the visitors bureau as being the primary sponsor.

In conjunction with the cars passing through the community, a slate of activities were offered throughout the day in Hufnagle Park, including food vendors with items available for purchase, children's activities and a display of more than two-dozen antique cars provided by the West Branch Model A Club and the American Automobile Club of America Susquehannock Chapter.

Thomas said it was a massive undertaking, supported by many people, to organize the day's festivities.

"It's been growing and growing like a big, gorgeous puzzle," she said. "What I did, principally at the beginning, was chatted people up. What did they think about it? I was in contact with a couple of car clubs.

"Some of the members had been to the Great Race… I asked them 'What would you like to see?'"

Alex Stammers, an LDP employee who coordinated volunteer involvement with the Great Race Lewisburg lunch stop, said as of several days prior to the event nearly 70 community volunteers had stepped up to assist with the day's activities.

Of those volunteers, he said nearly half are members of the two car clubs which displayed vehicles on Wednesday.

The volunteers were assisting guiding spectators to event amenities, race participants to the VIP tent and lunch area, and with children's activities.

Stammers said he got "goosebumps" when he realized just how many people from the community were stepping up to help.

"I am seriously impressed," he said. "Everybody has been coming out from the community and it's been amazing support.

"I just moved to Lewisburg last fall," he continued. "I knew I fell in love with Lewisburg for a reason. This community is just amazing."

Thomas said a similar enthusiasm for the event was evident in the downtown area leading up to Wednesday. She recently had a chance to talk with business owners while placing posters promoting the event.

She described business owners as "excited" and noted many were decorating their storefronts in themes related to the race.

The Borough of Lewisburg was "heavily involved" in preparing for the event, Thomas said.

"We have a first-aid station sponsored by William Cameron Engine Company," she said. "We got an extra parking lot from Bucknell… Susquehanna Valley Limousine will provide shuttle service (from the parking lot) for us, partly provided in-kind."

Thomas expects the event to have a lasting impact on Lewisburg businesses.

"When people are exposed to Lewisburg, and they find out about Lewisburg, they want to come back," she said. "It's amazing. We understand there's a correlation between people finding out (about Lewisburg) and coming back (later)."

Judy Machesic, member services director for the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau, said the event allowed a national spotlight to shine on the valley.