Editor’s Note: Riley Schlick-Trask has built a dedicated following on her Riley’s Rebuilds YouTube channel, but she’s always thinking of new ways to reach younger or aspiring automotive enthusiasts. That’s why she’s hitting the road for the 2025 Great Race, along with a few friends.
The Great Race is a nine-day, controlled-speed endurance rally that takes competitors on a designated route through the U.S. This year’s event kicks off in Minnesota and finishes in South Carolina. Competitors much complete each leg of the event in as close to an established time as possible–sort of like a dial-in!
Riley will be joined by different content creators throughout the trip. Riley will be competing in the Rookie class in a 1972 Stingray; some of her friends will race in the X-Cup class in a 1966 Fairlane. Learn more about the classes on the Great Race website. You can see regular updates on Riley’s Facebook and Instagram channels throughout the journey. Riley and friends will also be providing more in-depth updates here throughout the event.
Day 1 and 2 Updates from the Great Race.
The Great “Content Creator” Race: Day 3
Submitted by Riley Schlick-Trask: “What’s better than two aces? Three aces!
Today the Corvette gained its third ace as our luck turned around for the day. Despite the sweltering heat and long hours, we focused, calculated, and brought the little Corvette across the finish line at an incredible 17 seconds, including our drop for the day.
However, the day was not without its challenges.
We had to adapt our stops to the car’s mechanical strain over the course of the eight hours we spent driving and stopping. Mistakes were also made as we calculated regaining 1:36 seconds, and a time loss from a combine in the road. We would not be behind for long though! We successfully managed to fix our mistakes and come in only 5 seconds off from our target time to our lunch stop: Pontiac, Illinois.
Pontiac greeted us with an exciting mix of automotive buzz and Historic Route 66 culture. We drove through small towns and icons of the famous road, barely taking in the sights and sounds over the drone of the engine and our focus on the speedometer.
We finished our day in Springfield, Illinois where we got our times, fixed, and prepared the Corvette for day 4. Two new rear shocks and rotors, new brake pads, and fresh fluid later, and we are ready for a new day.”
Meanwhile, in the X-Cup Fairlane…
“Today’s leg of the Great Race Rally was one for the books. The day kicked off with a smooth calibration run—everything felt dialed in, and we were feeling confident our day was going to run better than the previous two. Our 1966 Ford Fairlane was running beautifully. All the hours of wrenching and fine-tuning were clearly paying off.
We did have one hiccup early on: we accidentally got out of order on the route, which cost us a one-minute penalty. Frustrating, but we didn’t let it shake our momentum.
A huge highlight of the day was our navigator, Audrey. At just 16 years old and competing in the X-Cup division, she absolutely crushed it. She was calm, focused, and didn’t steer us wrong once. Her timing and calls were spot-on. Easily one of the day’s MVPs.
We made good time throughout the route and were feeling strong coming into the final stretch. That’s when disaster struck. Less than a mile from the finish line, the Fairlane sputtered and died. We suspected a fuel issue, and sure enough, the engine wouldn’t stay alive under throttle. In true rally fashion, the women jumped out and pushed the car the last quarter mile—across the finish line with grit and laughter.
Later, we traced the issue to a popped cap on the carburetor causing a massive vacuum leak. One quick fix, and the Fairlane was purring again.
All in all, an unforgettable day on the road.”
Great “Content Creator” Race: Day 4
Submitted by Riley Schlick-Trask: “Heat, thunderstorms, semi trucks, and traffic attacked the fiberglass Corvette today as we set out on Stage 4 of Hemming’s Great Race. With temperatures upwards of 90° in an old car (without air conditioning), the pressure felt intense in the air. Our hopes were high from the day before: we wanted to do even better.
Unfortunately, our hopes dipped as we pulled into Effingham, Illinois, fearing the worst for our time for the day. However, we knew our calculations were true and we were prepared to do our best for our next leg. The last thing we expected was a thunderstorm which would slow and halt our train of classic cars, sending semi-trucks into low-visibility passes. When we pulled back out on the road, our stopwatch showed 1:30 as the time allowance we should take. We crossed our fingers and hoped for the best.
Our last leg, although tricky, had beautiful scenery: rickety bridges, lakes and rivers, city landscapes, and lush green farmland. As we approached Owensboro, Kentucky, we expected the worst for our times.
We were surprised. Extremely surprised. At 15 seconds total for the day, we sat at 10th place for the day, top rookie for the day, and second rookie over all! Our hardest day on course became our best.
With an eye on the podium and newfound confidence, we can’t wait for Stage 5.”
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Fairlane Update, Day 4: “No matter how early we start, mornings somehow still feel like a scramble.
Today was no different.
We hit the road for our calibration run and quickly realized something wasn’t right. Our speeds were way off. Audrey jumped into action, crunching numbers and making adjustments to the speedometer. With no time to second-guess, we had to trust her calculations and run the day as best we could.
Things felt solid at first, but partway through we started to suspect our calibration might still be a little off. At that point, the best choice was to commit and run the cleanest leg we could. Despite the uncertainty, we felt good about how we handled the course.
One of the highlights of this rally continues to be the amazing people we meet along the way. Car lovers from all over stop to chat, share their stories, and offer encouragement. That kind of community makes this whole experience even more rewarding.
Best of all, no major issues today! The Fairlane ran beautifully and we made it to the finish under our own power. After yesterday’s dramatic push across the line, that alone felt like a victory.
And once again, Audrey absolutely crushed it as our navigator. At just 16, she’s proving every day that she’s got what it takes. We’re learning, improving, and feeling more in sync with every mile.
Here’s to another day on the road, and another small win in the books.”
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Great “Content Creator” Race: Day 5
Submitted by Riley Schlick-Trask: Not every day can be a good day, but every day can be a good lesson.
During Stage 5, the Corvette trudged through the lush and green Kentucky landscape, giving us challenging and rewarding speed changes up and down hills. As gravity worked against us, our trust in each other and confidence in the race made up for the hurdles.
Along our route we passed three marmots: animals dear to the trailblazers in the Jessi Combs Foundation. As we raced, we kept seeing the little marmots, and remembering Jessi’s lead foot when she ran The Great Race.
Arriving at the finish line after a hot day, our spirits were high and we were excited to see our times. Our hearts sank: a speedometer calibration mistake had cost us an early minute. Without it? We would have had a 10-15 second day. When results came out we saw we held our position, still 2nd in class. We have a large lead to pick up, but we’re hopeful we’ll stay consistent, steady, and precise.
We believe Jessi was with us today telling us to slow down. We hear her, and tomorrow we will.
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Update from the X-Cup Fairlane submitted by Annie (@annies_vw): Today started strong. Our calibration felt dialed in, and both the driving and navigating were smooth and confident. Spirits were high, and for a while, it looked like we were in for a clean run.
Then came our first hiccup, we accidentally missed one of our designated fuel stops. Everything seemed fine until just before our afternoon timed leg, when the Fairlane sputtered to a stop. Out of gas. It was a bit of a panic moment, but luckily we had a 2-gallon emergency can in the trunk. That gave us just enough fuel to limp to the nearest gas station, top off, and hustle back into position. Amazingly, we didn’t lose much time.
Unfortunately, the real challenge was just getting started. The combination of extreme heat and other factors led to some brutal vapor lock issues. The engine bay was cooking, and the Fairlane wasn’t happy. In a last-ditch effort to improve airflow, we even pulled the hood off and kept driving, but our fate was sealed. The vapor lock had the final say, and we weren’t able to finish today’s leg.
Despite the setbacks, we’re still smiling. Audrey stayed cool and composed through it all, and the team rallied together to make the best of it. We’re learning more every day, and tomorrow’s another chance to prove what we can do.
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