On November 15, 2021, we set out from Connecticut, marking exactly 50 years to the day since the very first Cannonball Run. The event, known as the “Musketball,” was a tribute to those who came before us—a Cannonball with a 100-horsepower limit designed to honor the history of underground transcontinental racing celebrating 50 Years of Cannonball History . Hosted by John Ficarra of The 2904, it was a chance to celebrate the spirit of the original runs. While not everything went according to plan, being part of this historic moment was unforgettable.
Building the Ultimate 100HP Cannonball Car
When John announced this event it had one rule: 100 horsepower measured at the wheels. I called him up to make sure that was the only rule and to ask what kind of Dyno the cars would be measured on. I had a plan! The 100HP limit was clear, but no one said anything about torque. Torque and aerodynamics were going to be our secret weapon!
Lightweight, Aerodynamic, and Unconventional
I knew the ultimate car for the Musketball would be the lightest and most aerodynamic option I could find: a Honda Insight. These cars were meticulously crafted, built in the same factory as the NSX and S2000, featuring an aluminum body, chassis, brake parts, and suspension components. Weighing about half as much as a Civic, the Insight’s expensive construction made it a proof of concept rather than a high-volume production car. Designed to explore the limits of efficiency with its super lightweight and aerodynamic build paired with hybrid power, it was an ideal platform for this unique race.
By sheer luck, we stumbled across a TDI-swapped Honda Insight on Facebook Marketplace. What luck! At first glance, it seemed like it just needed a few minor tweaks—toss in a fuel cell and a radar detector and done. But, as always, I couldn’t resist taking it way too far.
From Flawed Foundation to Flawless Execution
When I got the car I realized it was a pretty typical budget build that haphazardly used all the factory VW components like intercooler, piping, turbo etc. The whole car would shake with it’s solid motor mounts. I didn’t trust what I was seeing to get us across the country so we dove in deep basically re-doing the whole car because it seemed to have a lot of potential points of failure.
The engine was removed and Blane Hinze built proper engine mounts, a new front mount intercooler and intercooler piping and a proper exhaust to quiet this thing down. I then sent the car over to my buddy Gibby to handle all the mechanical and electrical work and fuel cell plumbing. We installed a 20 gallon fuel cell to complement the factory 10 gallon tank in hopes of a 900 mile range between fuel stops.
I transformed the car into the perfect weapon to win the event, all while staying perfectly within the rules. With a European 6-speed manual transmission, taller tires to maximize top speed, a tune carefully dialed to stay just under 100hp, and all my usual police countermeasures, I felt confident we were perfectly prepped and even ahead of schedule.
That confidence took a hit just two days before departure when the clutch failed. Since the 6-speed transmission had never been offered in the U.S., I wasn’t sure if I could source a replacement in time. Thankfully, ID Parts had exactly what I needed, and Ivan stepped in to install the new clutch in record time, saving the day.
A Day Late and a Few Horsepower Short
I had kept the car a secret, and when we rolled in to the dyno party, everyone threw “cheating” stickers on our car forcing it to be one of the 10 cars to prove it’s numbers on the Dyno. It went on the 2wd Dynojet dyno, and came in WAY under at 86whp. We were not relieved, but disappointed. I had tuned the car to 98-99whp on my AWD Dynojet not expecting the power results to be so different. Apparently, I had been a little too conservative!
Lobsters, Puzzles, and Extra Weight
John had warned anyone with over 100HP would be given crippling penalties to try to curb anyone wanting to cheat. Turns out the penalties were hardly detrimental to performance at all. Had I know I for sure would’ve come with more power and taken the measly penalty!
The penalties you ask?
Option 1: Take a LIVE lobster on the run that you had to keep alive (if you knew John Ficarra this would not surprise you at all)
Option 2: Build a puzzle (# of pieces varied depending on how much you were over) and a 10lb penalty for every 1 horsepower over 100.
The Power Struggle Across 2800 Miles
When I heard the penalties I knew a cheating car was going to win. In a quarter mile the weight would be devastating, but over the course of 2800 miles it would mean nothing! We had our work cut out for us. There were 3 teams we figured were going to be the toughest to beat, 2 being VW Jetta TDI Wagons. Team Cheatdi with 124whp and the Boston Brawlers with 110whp. Seasoned Cannonballer Yumi Dietz was also in the running with a Ford Focus with a staggering 115whp. Never thought I’d worry about anyone with that little firepower under the hood!
The Chaotic Start – A Le Mans-Style Sprint
The Musketball had a Le Mans-style start—complete chaos as 25 teams sprinted to their cars. Much different than the calculated staggered starts of any other Cannonball. The race isn’t won in the first mile, but it sure seemed like everyone thought it was. Our Honda Insight took off on the Northern Route, where we quickly found ourselves in an epic battle for first place with a couple of VW Jetta Wagons. The Boston Brawlers and Yumi in the Focus followed the Northern Route with us, while the other opted for the Southern Route.
Running through PA with some snow flurries we got a call from the Boston Brawlers to say we were smoking profusely out of the back of the car/something was leaking. We pulled over to check, nothing was amiss. They got out ahead.
The race was intense, with each team playing to their strengths. Our smaller fuel tank forced us to make more stops than the Jetta Wagon with its 60 gallon cell, but the Insight’s lightweight setup and incredible fuel efficiency kept us in the running.
Sneaky Cops and Late-Night Challenges
Running through Iowa at night was tough, as the cops are sneaky. I had been running across IL with Yumi in the Focus right behind us for some time so I decided to let them past and run rabbit for a while. It seemed like only moments later they got hit with instant-on, and immediately ducked down an exit ramp and shut off their lights. The officer pulled a u-turn and went after them with no success, and returned to the interstate to continue the pursuit and ended up coming up past us, never suspecting that our eco-mobile could also be guilty of traveling the same speeds. We radioed back to them that the coast was sort of clear, and they were able to continue on. We pushed hard through the night, logging 32mpg flat out across Nebraska, but things took a turn 1,800 miles in.
Breakdown in Colorado… AGAIN
We caught up to the Boston Brawlers TDI Jetta in Colorado according to the Joinr app, and were running far behind them for quite a while. They had a top speed of 126mph compared to our 121 so it was going to be hard to get ahead of them. Doug had just the trick, a radar gun! Pacing behind them a ways back Doug hit them with a blast of KA band, they slowed down and we drove right by. The victory would be short lived…
After our second fuel stop, around 2:00 am, Doug noticed the alternator wasn’t charging. We pulled over to investigate and quickly realized the belt tensioner and belt had failed. It was a devastating blow that seemed to take us out of contention. Ironically, this happened on the same stretch of road where we’d broken down during the 2019 C2C Express.
Thankfully, the TDI’s design worked in our favor: the only accessory operated by the belt was the alternator. This allowed us to limp the car to the nearest Walmart 100 miles away where we stopped and waited for them to open to get ourselves a new fully charged battery. With some fresh juice we made our way to Denver to my friends at iCraveboost Performance for repairs. Unfortunately, the breakdown cost us eight crucial hours, but we were determined to finish the race. Looking back we should’ve bought a bunch of batteries along the way and swapped them out as they died off but hindsight is always 20/20!
The Spirit of Cannonball
Despite the setbacks, we pressed on. Colorado has always been a tough spot for us—whether it’s breakdowns or bad luck, the state seems to be a recurring challenge. Even so, we pushed forward, knowing the importance of completing this journey.
Closing in on Los Angeles
As we neared Los Angeles, our competitive instincts kicked in, and we started checking for other teams finishing around the same time. Jared Pink and his crew in the Short Bus were closing in from the Southern Route. Doug couldn’t resist throwing a little trash talk their way, but it completely backfired—they hit the gas and managed to beat us to the Portofino by just a minute or two. So close, yet so far!
The winners crossed the finish line with a historic time of 32:07 in their 124whp Jetta TDI Wagon—though they didn’t realize the significance of that time at first. They do now. However, their victory wasn’t without controversy. The car exceeded the 100hp limit, raising allegations of intentional rule-breaking. To add fuel to the fire, they didn’t complete their puzzle penalty, which stirred up most of the frustration among competitors. Of course it didn’t matter to us because we got beaten by a Short Bus!
Echoes of the 1970s – A Celebration at the Portofino
The event felt like a perfect fusion of 24 Hours of Lemons and Gumball 3000. Most teams finished within a six-hour window, greeted at the Portofino by cheering teammates and lukewarm Coors. The following night’s awards ceremony gave us a glimpse of what it must have felt like to compete in the 1970s Cannonball Runs. The wild part? Even with double the traffic and half the horsepower, our times mirrored those from decades past.
Despite all our significant delays, we still managed to finish in under 40 hours, with an official time of 39:41.
The Musketball – A Celebration of Cannonball Spirit
The Musketball wasn’t just a race—it was history in motion. A celebration of Cannonball history. The spirit of the event was about camaraderie, storytelling, and honoring the past. Every team that participated in the Musketball had a story to tell—each one as unique and memorable as the event itself.
We may not have claimed victory, but we achieved something far greater. We put a bookend on an unbelievable era of underground transcontinental racing. Crossing the finish line, even after delays, was a triumph of determination and a nod to the adventurers who came before us.
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