Team Bloomfield Cruisers The Great Race & Other Rally Events
Gentlemen, start your engines!
Members of the Bloomfield Cruisers once again participated in one of the nation’s most prestigious vintage automobile road rallies, the 2024 Hemmings Motor News Great Race. The participants included Carlos Pomares as driver and Steven Martino as navigator, along with Dan Bitecola , Wayne Riedl, Steve Jenkins, and Michael Sceurman as support team members.
The team used Martino's 1931 Ford Model A Victoria with Pomares as driver and with Martino serving as navigator. Bitecola, Riedl, Jenkins, and Sceurman served as the team's support truck lending logistical assistance on the 2,300+ mile endurance challenge.
What is The Great Race?
No, it isn't Cannonball Run! The Great Race is a time, speed, endurance rally, open to cars built before 1974. Tom McRae and Norm Miller organized the first Great Race, back in 1983. They worked hard to promote the event and turned it into one of the greatest automotive events of all time. The goal isn't to get to the finish line first, but to precisely finish each checkpoint in a pre-determined amount of time. Each vehicle has a driver and a navigator, and the team uses a calibrated speedometer to make sure they stay on schedule, according to the day's route. They are scored at secret check points along the way and are penalized one second for each second either early or late. As in golf, the lowest score wins. Cars built in 1974 and earlier are eligible, with most entries having been manufactured before World War II.
Gardiner, Maine or Bust!
The 2024 Great Race, presented by Hagerty Drivers Club, began in Owensboro, KY on Saturday, June 22, and finished in Gardiner, ME, on Sunday, June 30. The 9-day, 2,300-mile adventure brought together about 140 of the world’s finest antique automobiles to 17 cities in Kentucky, Indianapolis, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. More than $150,000 was awarded to top finishers in multiple divisions. Team Bloomfield Cruisers was in Car #145 (not the same # as our last competition in 2022). So, when it's all said and done, here are the results 2024:
- 1. We finished the race! From 141 entries, 35 cars did not finish. As they say, to finish is to win.
- 2. From the 141 cars, we placed 78th. Our overall time was 11 minutes and 19.42 seconds for the week. To give you perspective, the wining car was only off 1 minute and .06 seconds (this is the reason they are 4x Champs!). The last car to finish came in with a time of 33 minutes and 51.0 seconds.
- Frankly, we didn't participate to win, we participated because we have fun and to compete against ourselves. everything the Bloomfield Cruisers do ultimately helps to support our scholarship and other charitable efforts back home, but we just like to do that in style. Thank you to all for supporting us with cheers, words of encouragement, joining as members, buying our swag and for sharing our work.
About Team Bloomfield Cruiser's Competition Car
In 2022, Team Bloomfield Cruisers used Carlos Pomares' 1972 Chevrolet Corvette. Now with some experience under our belt, we have decided to go with Steve Martino's 1931 Ford Model A Victoria for our 2024 competition. It's a beauty of a car and recently prepped for competition: new radiator, new overdrive transmission, new tires and 2 spares, new brakes, new kingpins, battery box, the addition of turn-signals and brighter brake lights for improved visibility, new wipers (especially on the passenger side as it didn't come with one), and carb work. We have new front seats and usually remove the back seat for the competition so we can pack the car with tools and spare parts.
Up Next:
- Participation in the Northeast Rally Club's Pumpkin Run in May, 2025.
- The 2026 Great Race, June 2026
Follow us on social media for updates on the team's ongoing work and competition on Facebook, YouTube and IG @bloomfieldcruisers
How did we do in 2022?
- We crossed the finish line in Fargo! And no bust! That alone was a big win. We experienced only 1 breakdown - which was a busted fuel line repaired before we began competition so, essentially, we never missed a beat. (Though Dan did take a gas bath while fixing).
- Our final standings for the entire 2022 Great Race:
- 8th place in Rookie Class (from a pool of 40 cars)
- 58th Overall from field of 132 cars
- About 115 of the 132 cars completed the competition
- There were roughly 750 timed instructions (a few hundred others for lunch and dinner stops).
- We averaged 3/4 fuel stops daily, about 7-8 gallons per fill up.
- Carlos and Steve could not have completed the Great Race without the support of our team that included Dan Bitecola, Mike Sceurman and Tommy Bandito along with the support from our families. We had a great time, learned to rally, visited new places, and made new friends!
- Last and certainly not least, thanks to those back home for cheering us on and for helping us raise funds for our scholarship!
See the daily videos of our 2022 participation in the Great Race:
Rallying for Charity
Team Bloomfield Cruisers use our rally events as opportunities to raise awareness and funds for the Bloomfield Cruiser’s charitable efforts, including their annual scholarship for a Bloomfield High School student attending Universal Technical Institute in town. We hope our network of friends will adopt a mile for a $1 or more or buy our event shirts, helping us raise over $2,500+ in support of our charities. Donations can be made at Paypal, use our bloomfieldcruisers@gmail.com as the ID.
Follow Team Bloomfield
You can follow us here but the best way to keep up with the latest information is on our social media platforms, especially during the race! We also posted a library of videos from each day of competition on YouTube. Be sure to check out the Bloomfield Cruisers' channel linked below.
Facebook.com/bloomfieldcruisers
Instagram: @greatracecar145 and @bloomfieldcruisers
Join The Team, Donate Now!
Donate via Paypal by adopting one of those 2,300+ miles we will drive during the rally. If you donate $40 or more, we will give you an official Team Bloomfield Rally Team T-Shirt when they are available in May! Donate a lot more and we can probably take you for a ride in the Corvette or the Model A so you can enjoy this view of the road in person!
