Cannonball Run

The Legendary Cannonball Run and The Portofino.

The Cannonball Run or Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash was created in 1971 by legendary race car driver Brock Yates and car magazine editor, Steve Smith.

The Run began at the infamous Red Ball Garage on Manhattan’s Eastside in New York City and finished at the then named Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, California. The purpose behind the initial run was both a celebration of the Interstate Highway System and a protest of strict traffic laws.

The cross-country run became an underground sensation in the racing world, partially due to its illegal, somewhat secretive and unsanctioned nature.

The race was held five more times in the 70s and was made publicly famous by the popular film, “The Cannonball Run” released in 1981. The film boasted a star-studded cast including, Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Chan, Roger Moore, Terry Bradshaw, Peter Fonda and many more. It was one of the top grossing films of the year with box office totals coming in at over $100 million. The franchise went on to also create “The Cannonball Run II” (1984) and “The Cannonball Run III” (1989).

Since that time, the unregulated, unpublicized coast-to-coast race has continued to be held each year and The Portofino Hotel has remained the final finish line. The race is run without official rules or a governing body, however setting the Cannonball record is a coveted prize for the auto enthusiast participants. The record was recently broken in April 2020 with a total cross-country time of 27 hours and 25 minutes. The mystique of the Cannonball Run lives on.

Experience the Run

  • Snap your pic in front of the famous Portofino sign at the finish line.
  • Imbibe on our signature Cannonball Run, bourbon cocktail at BALEENkitchen.
  • Binge all three Cannonball Run movies in your guestroom while enjoying the South Bay’s refreshing Cannonball Run craft beer.

The Finish Line

Check out the winners and record breaking teams, vehicles and times below.

Time  Year Team members Vehicle Notes
271:15 1915 Erwin Baker Stutz Bearcat 50 mph (80 km/h) average
179:52 1916 Erwin Baker Cadillac roadster  
184:16 1917 Alan T Bedell Henderson 4 cylinder motorcycle  
53:30 1933 Erwin Baker Graham-Paige model 57 Blue Streak 8  
35:54 1971 Dan Gurney
Brock Yates
Ferrari Daytona never exceeded 175 mph (282 km/h)
37:16 1972 Steve Behr
Bill Canfield
Fred Olds
Cadillac Coupe de Ville 3rd Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash
35:53 1975 Jack May
Rick Cline
Ferrari Dino 246 GTS 4th Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash
32:51 1979 Dave Heinz
Dave Yarborough
Jaguar XJS 5th Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash
32:07 1983 David Diem
Doug Turner
Ferrari 308 US Express Race
31:04 2006 Alex Roy
Dave Maher
2000 BMW M5  
28:50 2013 Ed Bolian
Dave Black
Dan Huang
2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG 98 mph (158 km/h) average, 46 minutes stopped. 67 US gal (250 L) fuel capacity
27:25 2019 Arne Toman
Doug Tabbutt  BerkeleyChadwick
2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 103 mph (166 km/h) average, 22 minutes stopped, 67 US gal (250 L) fuel capacity
26:38 2020 Captain Chaos 2019 Audi A8 106 mph (171 km/h) average. Set during the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic. Unknown Team. Coverage limited to news reporting as of May 2020.
<26:00 2020 Unknown Unknown Unconfirmed attempt, with unknown driver and car. Record attempt mentioned in a YouTube video released by previous record holder Ed Bolian.