The following people and businesses have contributed in some way to ensuring our website is kept up to date and accurate.

THANKYOU

Norman Balke: (Former resident of Darwin) For supplying some of the pics, and sending us the T-shirt to photograph.

Gerry Alleaume: For the countless hours of trying to work out what some of the cars were; and, fixing up some of the pictures for us. A picture of his "Mint Condition Cannonball Run" shirt was also welcomed.

Ashman: For identifying all the Fords. A true "Ford Man."

Slick: For the little push required to get this website started.

Perth Performance Car Club: To all the guys that helped identify the cars. Great bunch of guys. www.perthperformance.com

Club VR4: Even though there is not a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 in the crowd, these guys still lent a hand putting the finishing touches on some of the very hard to identify cars. Well done guys, and thanks a lot. www.clubvr4.org

Kerry Hovell: Who actually worked on the Cannonball Run. His job was to clear all the dead kangaroos, lizards, tyres, steel, etc. on the track from Katherine to Larrimah.

Dave Tuff: When we moved the Cannonball Run website from www.arcadegames.net/cannonballrun.htm to the domain you are viewing now www.cannonballrun.info (much easier to remember, I am sure you will agree ;-)), Dave spruced up the website, spent hours getting everything sorted out; and bought the website kicking and screaming into the late 2000s :). Thanks Dave. Great work.

The Guru: For that cool "page flip" thing on the media page. It's great! If you haven't seen it yet, get on that page and take a look at the magazines. Click on them. Have a read. In case I don't update this page very often, in 2008, that page flip thing was very cool.

Tracy Wilkinson: For driving the new look media style website in May 2018. Couldn't have done it without you.

...Emails...

Well if you have read this far, you must be a car enthusiast. These are some the emails I have received to date:

22 May 2018 Hi, My name is Antony Benedetto, I was 14 in 1994, and went along in car number 78 with my dad Benny Benedetto and his lawyer Graeme Hancock.  I vividly remember meeting Dr Kabe and him letting me sit in his F40.  Graeme believes this is what lead me to becoming a Dentist!
1989 Ford Falcon EA
1989 Ford Falcon EA
 I am away on business right now, but I have some photos you may be interested in, and will send them to you when I return.  Dad's car blew a tailshaft at 250kmh plus, I remember the back seat jumping 20cm when it happened.  I can't believe my mum let me go! I think it would be great to start a facebook group?  Do you have contact details of many entrants? Cheers
14 March 2018 Dear Russ, First of all we would like to congratulate you on your website in memory of the 1994 Cannonball Run. Would you be interested in some information and pictures about the Bufori that participated in the race? We would be happy to send them to you. Best regards, Felix Haller General Manager – Marketing & International Business Development BUFORI Motor Car Company (M) Sdn Bhd (GST No.001137950720)

Hey Mate,

I've heard rumours about there being a cannonball style run in the early 90's but being too young to drive at the time I wasn't interested in cars at all.

I remember hearing about the race being cancelled and that there was an accident in which 2 officials and 2 Japanese died.

Now I am very interested in cars, I own a Skyline R32 GT-R, the same model that was in the race and I couldn't find any information on the internet about this race held in the N.T.

Car 102 Nissan GTR Skyline 1991

Then I came across your site, it's great very informative and the pictures are fantastic for a 10 year old event.

Great work.

From Gary.

17 January 2018 Hi Russ. How are you going? I happened to be Google-ing something about the Cannonball and saw that last month there was a 1994 Cannonball Run sign for sale on Gumtree. Unfortunately it's sold so the ad was removed but the photo is still on Gumtree.  The description still shows on Google too: "Roadside restriction sign from the 1994 Cannonball Run in the Northern Territory Fair condition, ideal for mancave or garage." Wasn't sure if you had seen these before or wanted the photo for your website. -John Avis We put that picture on this page John. Thanks for that mate.
Cannonball Roadside Restriction sign surfaces on Gumtree
29th of November 2017
26 November 2017 Hi Just had look for the first time at your website and it brought back many fun memories It says on the bottom of the time trial page that if any mistakes are spotted to let you know. The photo that goes with the number 17 entry is of a different jaguar Number 17 was a brown jaguar series 3 XJ 6. It doesn't worry me , but because you asked for details if any mistakes were spotted to let you know Car 17 Jaguar Series 3 XJ6 1981 Perhaps you might be able to tell me what number plate 17 would be worth now to sell. I have stacks of news paper items of the cannonball run  as well as photos in case you are looking for anything in particular. I have enjoyed looking at your website very much. Regards Keith Mertens Cannonball 17
30 September 2017 Hi, I entered car 43 the 1971 Dodge Challenger, my co driver was motoring journalist and driver Peter McKay.
1971 Dodge Challenger
Built to race the 1994 Cannonball Run
I imported one of 200 new hemi 426 cu inch motors for the event and the car only ran on 7 cylinders until the day of the accident when it was ready to run on the full 8 cylinders due to bent valves etc. It turned third fastest time the day before, missing out by 1kmh on equal 2nd due to the lack of  a full 8 cylinders, it was very fast and was capable of beating the F40 in my opinion, the other cars were no contest. I was equal third and flagged off by Marshall Peron on the accident day, just behind Kahlbetzer's Porsche (with significant damage to its rear wheel arch) and I had a Tarago following me with my 3 sons and wife, they have at least 12 hours of video footage. I was also up very early that morning and joined Pritchard and Linklater for breakfast, as we were the only ones in the dining room, I explained to them that I was a competitor. I withdrew my car despite it being fully repaired as my family came upon the accident just after I and Peter McKay had, minutes after it happened. This is all on the video from the Tarago. I bought and built the car purposefully to win the race, I spared no expense. The video is VHS and was taken from the Toyota Tarago which my family flew up and hired. Kevin Kent and his mate were there in another service car wagon.When the accident happened, we decided to pull out as it was badly organised and confusing plus dangerous. We had cars passing us at high speed who were flat strap and then had to get back behind us as they would have arrived in front of us and been penalised. We had a high tech Halda and were fully aware of our position. We always started the Flying Mile at 60kmh fearing disqualification, this requirement was never policed and some cars kicked off at 100kmh plus, not fair. The fresh unswept gravel on the apron to pull over on was a major contributor to the accident combined with the F40 not having adjusted its trip meter for its new high gearing and also as Alan Moffat said "Ferrari owners are not necessarily Ferrari drivers" at a Top 10 function prior to the crash. I still have footage of Marshall Perron flagging us off, the F40 first, Kahlebetzer's Ruff Porsche next (1kmh per hour faster than our day before 7 cylinder speed, then the equal placed with us Taylor's Wines Porsche and us, McKay wrote a column on it about a year later which I will forward. He was in a car I entered in the 1979 Repco Trial with Ross Dunkerton, 12 cars finished out of over 200, mine came fourth outright after the 3 commodores (Holden Dealer Team) and George Shepheard, who managed the HDT team was then given my Dodge to prepare for the top speed runs in the Cannonball flying miles, where we felt we could excell. Also, I attach a picture of the Cannonball plate no 43 (Richard Pettys NASCAR number) in my wine cellar and to the left about a half metre away is the Cannonball plaque for competitors. Regards, Nigel Can't wait for the video Nigel. Here is a link we found to the Peter McKay wrap up of the event from car 43 perspective: http://www.motorweb.ws/1996/01/purple-blaze-recalling-1994-cannonball.html

Hi mate,

Just tripped over your site mate. Great stuff! We have an EBGT that (Car 234) ran in the event, so I have always been fascinated by it. Well done on compiling the info, I hope you get the recognition you deserve.

Car 234 Ford EB GT 1993

Cheers, Chris Bowden.

0438 269938

chris@classicthrottleshop.com

www.classicthrottleshop.com

Hi Russ

I watched the video albeit over about 4 hours. Yes it was long, but well worth watching for nostalgia. I think it reflects the nature of the event, and whilst tragic, shows we weren’t all a bunch of hoons going hell-for-leather for 4,000 odd kms.

Prior to you (The www.cannonballrun.info website) coming along, it was almost impossible to find any information on the race, I guess because the internet didn’t become main stream until the very late 90’s and by then it was all a distant memory for us competitors.

You’ve done an amazing job collating information and it’s come along away over the past couple of years.

Car 29

Waiting for the Sweep
Waiting for the Sweep

Thanks Guys..... good to get some feed back...

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