The Great Race Car Rally Coming to Will Rogers Memorial Museum

The Hemmings Great Race presented by Coker Tire will stop in Claremore, Oklahoma at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum on Monday, June 22. The Great Race is a nine-day classic car rally that spans more than 2,300 miles and features 120 of the world’s finest antique automobiles. The event uses a new route each year and passes through 17 host cities, including Claremore.

In 2026, the Great Race will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road with a Route 66-themed event that kicks off in Springfield, Illinois, on Saturday, June 20, and concludes in Pasadena, California, on Sunday, June 28, passing through many historic towns and attractions along the route.

“We are thrilled to be hosting the Great Race as they travel along the Will Rogers Highway, Route 66,” said museum director Tad Jones.

Racers will start arriving in Claremore at 11 a.m. at the rate of one car every minute. They will leave Route 66, head south on JM Davis Boulevard, turn west onto Will Rogers Boulevard, and head to the Memorial Museum. Each car will stay for 45 minutes at the museum. After their visit, they will take Blue Starr Drive back to Route 66, then proceed south through Claremore to the next checkpoint. The public is encouraged to watch the procession along the route.

“When the Great Race pulls into a city it becomes an instant festival,” says Houston Gibson, Great Race Coordinator. He continued, “Last year, many of our overnight stops drew exceptionally large crowds, with spectators lining the streets to welcome the Great Race! Across the entire event, thousands of people experienced the excitement firsthand. Our traveling entourage alone includes several hundred racers, support and staff.”

The Great Race was started in 1983 by Tom McRae, and it is now considered the world’s top vintage car rally. This traveling race focusing on time, speed, and endurance isn’t just a casual back-road drive; it follows a strict set of rules to maintain competitive fairness. The vehicles, each with a driver and navigator, receive detailed instructions every day that specify every move down to the second. They are scored at secret checkpoints along the route and penalized for arriving early or late. Similar to golf, the lowest score wins. The purse is $160,000, divided among five classes, with the overall winner earning $50,000.

For more information, go to www.greatrace.com, or visit the Great Race Facebook Page