---
title: "The Coldest Cannonball Run Record. On Record."
description: "An icepick in the face of commoditized gravitas."
date: "2016-11-26"
modified: "2016-11-26"
authors:
  - name: "Alex Roy"
    job_title: "Editor-At-Large"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/alex-roy"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/polizei144/6183/the-coldest-cannonball-run-record-on-record"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Cannonball Run"
  - "morgan"
  - "Setting Records"
---

# The Coldest Cannonball Run Record. On Record.

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/screen_shot_2016-11-25_at_10.31.00_pm.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

“Absolutely terrible.”

“The dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”

“It’s Stalingrad. On wheels.”

These are just a few of the things my teammate Zach Bowman and I said to each other a little over a year ago, on what has to be the craziest, bravest, and coldest thing I’ve ever done: 2823 miles, non-stop except for gas, in an open-wheeled, wooden-framed, convertible 2014 Morgan 3-wheeler.

Why? To set — to the best of my knowledge — the first (and possibly last) 3-wheeled “Cannonball Run” record ever, from New York City to Redondo Beach, California.

![screen\_shot\_2016-11-25\_at\_10.18.49\_pm.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/screen_shot_2016-11-25_at_10.18.49_pm.png>)
**Chris Cantle/The Drive**

It rained. It snowed. My catheter froze. (Don't worry, [it was external](<https://www.google.com/search?q=external+catheter&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS683US684&biw=1191&bih=868&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjVmNfHs8fQAhVBziYKHRzICGgQ_AUI2QEoAQ&dpr=0.9>).) Also, it tugged. Every time it caught on something underneath the car. Why? Because I ran the tube down my leg and through a whole we'd drilled through the metal floor of the Morgan.

![screen\_shot\_2016-11-25\_at\_9.50.40\_pm.png](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content/archive-images/screen_shot_2016-11-25_at_9.50.40_pm.png>)
**Chris Cantle/The Drive**

Bowman chose not to use one. I’m still not sure which one of us was dumber.

**Read The Story**

The full story is told in multiple parts. I recommend starting with Bowman’s hilarious play-by-play: [I Set the L.A. to N.Y. record in a Morgan 3-Wheeler](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/922/i-set-the-l-a-to-n-y-record-in-a-morgan-3-wheeler>), then following up with my brilliant philosophical treatise on why, [You Are All Cowards: Why The Morgan 3-Wheeled Cannonball Record Matters](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/949/youre-all-cowards-why-the-morgan-3-wheeler-cannonball-record-matters>).

**Watch The Story**

Need some proof that this all happened? We’ve got some video for you: Part 1 goes [Behind The Scenes](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/990/the-morgan-world-record-run-behind-the-scenes-part-i>) before departure, part 2 [follows us cross country](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/1212/behind-the-scenes-video-of-the-world-record-morgan-run-part-ii>), and part 3 takes us [into New York city and across the finish line](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/1247/setting-the-morgan-world-record-the-grand-finale>).

A year later, I still can’t believe we did it, let alone tried. But I’m tired. And still not fully recovered.

Are you thinking of giving this a shot in a [Polaris Slingshot](<https://www.polaris.com/en-us/slingshot>)? How about a [Vanderhall Laguna](<https://www.thedrive.com/polizei144/4513/can-the-vanderhall-laguna-cure-automotive-cancer>)? If so, please let me know. I’ve got some advice for you.

*Alex Roy, entrepreneur, President of Europe By Car, Editor-at-Large for [The Drive](<https://www.thedrive.com/>), and author of [The Driver,](<https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061227935?ie=UTF8&tag=gumballrally1-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061227935%22%3EThe%20Driver:%20My%20Dangerous%20Pursuit%20of%20Speed%20and%20Truth%20in%20the%20Outlaw%20Racing%20World%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=gumballrally1-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061227935>) set the [2007 Transcontinental “Cannonball Run” Record in a BMW M5 in 31 hours & 4 minutes](<https://www.wired.com/2007/10/ff-cannonballrun/>), and has set multiple "Cannonball" endurance driving records in Europe & the United States in the [EV](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/5273/alex-roy-shatters-electric-and-autonomous-cannonball-run-records-in-a-tesla>), [3-wheeler](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/949/youre-all-cowards-why-the-morgan-3-wheeler-cannonball-record-matters>) & [Semi-Autonomous Classes](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/5273/alex-roy-shatters-electric-and-autonomous-cannonball-run-records-in-a-tesla>). You may follow him on [Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/alexroy144>), [Twitter](<https://twitter.com/AlexRoy144>) and [Instagram](<https://instagram.com/alexroy144/>).*

## Author
Co-host of The Autonocast and /DRIVE on NBC Sports, and author of *The Driver*, Roy has set endurance driving records in Europe & the USA in the internal combustion, EV, 3-wheeler & Semi-Autonomous Classes, including the infamous Cannonball Run record. He is also Founder of Noho Sound, Producer of 32 Hours 7 Minutes, and has spoken at the FBI, CIA, MIT & Stanford about numerous driving records which must still remain secret.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/alexroy144>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/alexroy144>)