Last summer, we were sitting in Salida, CO (see previous entry) on an off day of travel. In the garage, there sat a 1932 Auburn speedster adorned in racing numbers and sponsor stickers. We got to talking about the vintage car rally that happens each summer where this speedster is one of the cars that has participated called, The Great Race. Each year, roughly 125 vintage cars enter the 2300 mile race.

From that day, we had the race penciled into our calendar to see if we could tag along next year. When the route was announced, it was starting in Minnesota and ending in South Carolina. Perfect! The route literally runs through our backyard. Our team was the “Wandering Troubadours of Finland,” or better known as “WTF.”

My buddy Jeff and I joined the crew in his 1972 VW microbus and decided to do the first half of the race. We would tag along with their schoolie as well as track the race car during the day. The great thing about vintage cars is they lack all the creature comforts we have grown accustomed to. No bells or electronics, just the basics. Of the 125 entries, usually only 100 make it to the finish. This particular week in June had a forecast that was 90 degree heat each day, so perfect for a road trip in vehicles with no AC!!! Windows down and radio up it is. The only issue was the packs of film I brought along and how to keep them from boiling up.

This year for the great race, the WTF crew would be taking the 1918 American LaFrance Speedster. Equipped with an open air top, chain drive gears, wooden wheels, it is a loud crowd favorite that spits and sputters oil with the occasional backfire. By the end of each leg, the Driver, Jay and his navigator, Chris, are normally covered in bugs, dirt and oil from the day. Rain or shine, the vehicle has to complete the course assigned each morning to their next stop. If you follow the correct turns, speed and times, you can end each leg with the points needed to place each day. The end of the circuit, the team with the best score is the winner.

Jay and his team have been at this for well over a decade gaining noteworthy accolades for their unique cars, 1973 crown school bus, fully adorned team WTF crew and the fun they bring. Having never shot action sports or a car race, my goal was to create a journalistic documentation of their team on the road along with others in the great race.

I just sent my first run of zines for the WTF crew off to the press and will be publishing a few other versions from our time on the race.

Here are a few photos from the week. I have a lot more aspects I will be publishing over the next months as well as a few zines that will be available to the public.