Day 1 recap of the Cannonball Sun: We left the Red Ball Garage in New York City; this is the traditional start of the Cannonball Run. We started our trip at 4:21 am on 7/8, aiming to dodge traffic and maximize our driving time. Sun Strider has a small battery so we can drive up hills, in inclement weather and at night. This is what made the first 40 miles of driving in darkness possible. We were able to start the trip with a full battery thanks to yesterdays sun. The roads out of Midtown Manhattan were quite stressful. With poor road conditions, limited visibility, and significant traffic (most all of which was taking out their phones to record video of Sun Strider). Despite these challenges, Sun Strider ran great, and we continued all the way through through New York and into New Jersey problem free.
This is a super exciting milestone along our journey.
Us leaving the Red Ball Garage in Midtown Manhattan, NYC
After a driver swap in New Jersey, we continued on towards Pennsylvania.
We drove through the Appalachian Mountains, setting a new team single-day record of 246 miles. With 16,000 feet of climbing for the day! with all these miles we faced some unexpected obstacles, including two flat tires and issues with a motor wire scrubbing against the tire. Near the end of the day, we got caught in a rainstorm, forcing us to take shelter for an hour beside a friendly farmer’s house and barn in rural PA. The team handled these challenges exceptionally well, efficiently fixing everything well, and getting back on the road quickly. Unfortunately, we didn’t get an evening charge due to the storm, and we encountered a flat tire about two miles from our shelter location.
Our focus on heat management paid off, as we had no issues with the car overheating through the mountains which was a significant relief given our previous experience in 2021. Overall, Sun Strider drove great.
By the end of the day, despite the flats and rain, the team’s morale was high. We were thrilled to set a new single-day record and to be actually driving towards LA. It was a tiring, yet successful first day!
If you'd like to support us on our journey our Venmo is @thecannonballsun
I had the pleasure in seeing this awesome car and I was simply amazed of the dedication y'all have! You stopped at my store "sunoco" in mifflinburg PA and took care of the minor flat but y'all were up in no time and hitting the road.. Stay safe and have a amazing trip!!!
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