Cannonball runs are wack, but they’re also all the rage these days. The allure of driving from New York City to Redondo Beach, California in one fell swoop is real, and the repeated record resets over the past few years show just how far enthusiasts are willing to go with preparation, planning, and all-out horsepower.
But there are other folks making runs that aren’t in it for blistering average speed. Instead, they’d rather just take it easy and enjoy the adventure aspect. It is, after all, a road trip. Recently, two good buddies took on the Cannonball for the challenge and potential glory, but moreover, just to hang out and have a good time.
[Ed Note: I want to note that we don’t condone the Cannonball Run here. I see it as pretty much the automotive version of big-game hunting — a way for rich folks to get their thrills speeding across the U.S. while putting the rest of the population at risk. But these gentlemen that Peter is writing about in this story are clearly true car nuts, and averaging only 73.1 mph — 40 mph lower than the record speed. Plus, given that most of the trip is probably empty highway, one could at least imagine managing 73.1 mph without having to spend much time in the triple digits. And honestly, there are plenty of parts in the U.S. where triple-digits are safe. Still, the risks of such a drive aren’t just speed-related; without stopping for hotels, such an endeavor pretty much requires driving-while-fatigued, and that’s also something we don’t condone. -DT].
Their rig of choice: A largely stock—including the fuel tank—NB-generation Mazda Miata. Here’s their story.
Setup and Preparation
“We’re both gearheads and had done some racing back before wives and kids,” Jonathan Blakemore, a live audio engineer from Mesquite, Texas told me over Instagram. “We both have a big appreciation for old school hot rodders and ’60s-’70s car and racing culture.”
His buddy is Jason Awalt from nearby Fate, Texas, and works as a radio, film, and television teacher. They’d been friends for a long time, and in between lengthy sessions of playing Project Cars 2 during the pandemic, Jason picked up the blue NB as a fun daily, autocrosser, and track day whip.
One day about a year ago, while in line to buy a jack—Awalt’s jack had broken during a suspension job—the plan was hatched. “As we were standing in line he just blurted it out ‘Here me out, a Cannonball run.’” Blakemore shared. “I said ‘I’m in’ before he finished with ‘in the Miata.’” He thought he’d meant Awalt’s larger and more fitting Firebird Trans-Am, but no, it was apparent that Awalt had been thinking about such a challenge in the less-commodious sub-2,500-pound sports car for a minute.
Still, they agreed to make the run the following spring. Awalt’s 50th birthday was around then, too, so what better way to celebrate a major milestone?
Their prep was fairly minimal in the grand scheme of things. It’s “a mostly stock Miata with 170,000 miles on the clock,” Blakemore said. “We went through the whole car, changed all the fluids, bushings, ball joints, etc. before the run, though.” Then, they improved the ride quality by fitting Xida XL coilovers from Supermiata. “They cost almost as much as the car, but they were beyond amazing.” From there, it was just a matter of bolting up aftermarket wheels with some Hankook all-seasons, plus aftermarket gauges for monitoring vitals, a couple extra power circuits to run electronics and cameras, and most importantly: A nice pair of butt pads for the stock seats.
The Run
“The journey was an absolute blast,” Blakemore said. “Neither of us really ever got super tired, and there were only a few really stressful moments. We did a good job at staying focused, sticking to our strategy, and keeping each other’s heads in the game.” Their strategy was to maintain the optimum balance of economy and average speed, minimize stop time, and stay focused. Their fuel stops are quite methodical: They exit the car and very methodically get to filling up the tank, cleaning the window, and checking/adding any oil.
“It was also a very good bonding experience. We’ve been close friends for years, but doing something like this puts a whole new meaning on ‘ride or die.’”
As far as stats go, they averaged 73.1 mph. Because of the stock 12-gallon fuel tank, they were able to get around 300 miles per fill-up, and only had to stop nine times. 2,814 miles in 38 hours and 29 minutes. Spread out over the entire run, they were probably bookin’ it pretty well here and there, but 73 miles an hour seems quite tame and easy-going, and proves that you can still make a solid run by just being really quick and efficient when you stop. Like any long-haul trucker might say, the key is to not get out of the vehicle.
“We didn’t set out to try to break the overall record. It was mainly just to prove to ourselves that we could do it, and to prove to the world that it could—and should—be done in a Miata.”
There were a few setbacks, too. Besides not having toll passes at certain points, the card reader wasn’t working at their first fuel stop. How convenient. Otherwise, Mother Nature threw down some bad weather on the west sides of Colorado and Utah, including some heavy rain. Blakemore estimates that weather alone tacked on 60-90 minutes.
A Good Excuse to Hang
What a fun journey to embark on with a good friend. Doing the Cannonball run in a largely stock NB Mazda Miata proves that you don’t need a ton of power to have a good time, and that it’s more about the experience than anything else. For more on this particular Cannonball attempt, Blakemore and Awalt documented the experience on their Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
Plus, as we get older and devote more time to our careers, families, and so on, it’s great when you can carve out some time with a good buddy and just tick off some miles. A good excuse to hang if I’ve ever heard one. Congrats to Blakemore and Awalt for safely traversing the Cannonball, and we hope their next run is at least a few minutes shorter.
The post A Mostly Stock Mazda Miata Is A Terrible ‘Cannonball Run’ Car Unless Your Goal Is To Have Fun appeared first on The Autopian.
