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 John and Brandi Bornschein with Jack Roush
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And the Winner of the 2006 Great Race is...
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Saturday, July 8
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 Congratulations to Dave Reeder and Sawyer Stone, winners of the 2006 Great Race! These two champions take home $100K in prize money and have written their place in the history books. Their winning race car was a 1916 Hudson Speedster and they finished with a score of 2 minutes and 5 seconds off perfect over 14 days of racing from Pennsylvania to California. This is an incredible score! Sawyer Stone, the team navigator, is only 13 years of age. He has been navigating cars in the Great Race since he was 9 years old.
The rookie team from National Day of Prayer and Focus on the Family did very well. Our team finished with a score of 37 seconds off perfect for Stage 14 which included 2 (two) additional aces for a total of 6 aces this year - a record for Car #34. The 1941 Cadillac now sports 12 aces on the doors giving it the accomplished look of a true veteran racer. Overall, our team placed 44th out of 97 cars with a score of 7 minutes and 29 seconds off perfect for the two week challenge. In addition, we secured our place in history winning stage four in Indianapolis taking home 2 (two) trophies - another first for Car #34.
The true success of this event has not been the times, the calculations, the trophies or aces. In fact, the true success of this event is not about the racing at all. The value to us has been driving through the heart of this great nation and meeting the people that make America strong. Shaking hands, giving hugs, hearing and giving words of support and even praying with families in need, that has been the purpose all along. Our car never left us stranded. We made it and your prayers are the reason for that. It has been a wonderful journey and it was a delight to share it with you.
Our journey is not over!
Another Adventure begins August 14 - next month. The National Day of Prayer will be sending church leaders out in 2 cars to drive 14,000 miles around the country to meet and pray with other church leaders in nearly every great state in the US. This event is called the Unite America Tour. This effort is intended to cross denominational barriers and unite our churches in prayer for this country. Information will be available at www.nationaldayofprayer.org next week.
Please keep our Great Race team in prayer as they venture back to Colorado and others to Arizona to prepare for next year. Thanks, again, for your support and prayers.
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Championship Run
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Friday, July 7
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Hi everyone. We started the Championship run today. It was every bit as hard and more than what I had heard. We received our course instructions 20 minutes before we started as usual - 6:36 a.m. Today's instructions were twice as long as any other set before - 45 pages with 260 different instructions. They were really shaking the tree to see who would fall out.
We started out perfect, we even had an ace at the first check point - the 4th for this year. Then we made a right turn too soon. By the time we noticed there were no other cars around us and found the correct route, we were down 12 positions. So we speed up and passed three really quick. It was easy when they were going 20mph and we were going 40mph. Then we took another wrong turn. I couldn't believe it. God was with us though. The 2nd wrong turn put us three positions ahead of where we should have been. So we pulled to the side of the road and waited for the right car to pass us. We jumped back in line and prayed we didn't miss a check point. If you miss any the last two days, its an automatic "pack your bags" and head home. After all was said and done today we only lost 31 seconds by the second check point and ended today at 56 seconds in 27th place out of 90 racers.
We met people in every town along the way asking about Drive Thru History America, Focus on the Family and National Day of Prayer. THANKS for coming out to see us and the car. Also thanks for all the encouragement, prayer and kind words. They mean so much to us. I still can't get over all the people who drive one or two hours to come and greet us with banners and signs or even just to say God bless you. THANKS from the whole team.
One more day of racing! We're going to finish strong and have some good fellowship at a banquet tomorrow.
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Back on Track
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Thursday, July 6
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We'll where back on track. We scored 30.4 seconds off perfect for the day. It feels really, really good after the day we had yesterday. There were three great stops today and the biggest crowd we have seen so far. Thanks to Placerville, CA, for a terrific meal and an amazing gathering. We saw lots of folks, again, sitting in their driveway or pulled up to the highway with their lawn chairs. Car clubs lined the streets. It was incredible.
We are starting the Championship Run tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing what they are going to throw at us next. It is only getting tougher.
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Drivin' Thru the Desert
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Wednesday, July 5
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It was an incredible journey today, but, we posted our worst score so far, 3:05. Painful. I would like to blame the train that held us up for 14 minutes and all the cars that got stuck behind and decided to leave together at the same time. It was my first experience with a time delay sheet. We, however, where greeted very well at the lunch and pit stops. Thanks to the folks by Area 51 for the Twinkies and fruit punch. We met many people in the desert waiting to see the parade of cars cruising by. They where out in the middle of nowhere supporting us and it really helped break up the barren landscape.
In other news, The Great Race raised $20,000 for the renewal of downtown Tonopah, NV. One man gave $16,000 for the first printing of the new mural that was dedicated to the city of Tonopah commemorating the 1908 Greatrace New York to Paris.
Thanks for all your prayers.
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Independence Day Racing
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Tuesday, July 4
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What an awesome day running through the four states that make up the four corners. We had such a great welcome for lunch in Farmington NM. Thanks to the chamber of commerce. It was also a beautiful drive into Page, AZ and definitely worth taking the back roads and extra time to go out of the way. We had a little trouble with the speedometer again. We tried to adjust while we where driving and finished with a decent 47 seconds for the day. Our hats go off to Gab and Evonna Joiner who ran 1.6 seconds off perfect for the day. It was one off the lowest scores ever in the great race. We wrapped the day up with a fantastic fire works show over Lake Powell.
We hope you, also, had a terrific celebration for Independence Day!
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Colorado Country
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Sunday, July 2
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 Beautiful weather greeted us in Pueblo as rookies Terrell Mayton & Clay Miller took over the number 34 Drive Thru History America/National Day of Prayer Cadillac in the Great Race. After getting off to a challenging start with speedometer calibration problems, we made up for it by finishing the day with an Ace (perfect segment score) and a time of 1:29 off perfect for the course. Not too bad for a new team with speedometer challenges that probably cost us around 20 seconds.
The car ran well and the scenery was beautiful coming up through Wolf Creek Pass. God blessed us greatly. It is amazing at the turnout in each of the race communities. Upon arrival with great fan fare in Durango, Colorado at the end of our first day, we were surprised to see several friends of the National Day of Prayer, the McCrary's from Texas and their friends who were on their own vacation drive in sports cars. Neither group knew the other was going to be there, so it was a great surprise and time of fellowship. It is always nice to see a few familiar faces in the crowd. We were so blessed by their presence. Later Pastor Maury Davis who will be driving around America later this summer on the National Day of Prayer Unite Tour came into town on his vacation. A real National Day of Prayer reunion. We get a day off tomorrow, so we will be adjusting our strategy and have the opportunity to meet some of the other teams and enjoy a day in Durango.
July 4th is in 2 (two) days. Remember to celebrate our nation's freedom and independence and honor those who sacrificed for God and Country.
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A New Team, A New Adventure
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Saturday, July 1
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 Thank you for your prayers! My wife was feeling much better today, not 100%, but better. We had another navigator trained and ready to step in, but she wanted to finish the race.
I have to tell you that we have been seeing a trend in the car over the past few days. I really believe the speedometer is not quite right yet. In fact, I have had this gut feeling that we are running about 1-mile per hour faster than the meter indicates, but our calibration run was off just slightly yesterday and off dramatically this morning. It was hard to tell though. Construction and heavy traffic made our calibrations difficult to pin-point a problem. In the past, we would find the better racers in front and behind us and just gage accordingly to our rate of speed, but today, we were out in front, #1. We had to set the pace and lead this parade of classics into each city.
Our travels today took us through Dodge City, KS, Garden City, KS, Lamar, CO and then into Pueblo, CO, where it was raining something fierce. It did clear up right as we were pulling in though and I am amazed at how many people came from all over Colorado, braved the storm and lined the streets to celebrate this historic event. Hundreds made us feel welcome and happy to be back home in Colorado.
Then we saw our score sheet...2 minutes and 9 seconds. This was our worst score in 5 (five) days. We were shocked. This was our best run in the past 10 (ten) days. We nailed every sign, turn, rate of speed...it was a terrific run. However, our concerns were validated. The car was running faster than the speedometer indicated. In fact, since the calibration run led me to believe this was true, I was running under the speeds we were instructed to run, so if we were on mark for 55 mph, I was running 54.5 mph. This still didn't make a dent, as the straight-aways destroyed our perfect day. If you are driving 55 for over 1 hour in virtually a straight line but the car is going 1 to 2 miles per hour faster than you think it is, this will add up quickly. The longest run brought us in 2 minutes and 30 seconds ahead of the other cars (we were already 1-minute ahead at the start for spacing). The announcer said we were just eager to get home. Perhaps, but we really wanted to finish strong before the other team took over. I am glad we found this problem before they took lead though or they would have had a rough start.
The new team is Terrell Mayton, Driver, and Clay Miller, Navigator. They are on their way to Durango, CO, tomorrow and we ask that you cover them in prayer as they have no idea what they are in for. We wish them the very best and will keep you updated on their efforts.
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A Long Road to Travel
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Friday, June 30
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We left Springfield this morning at 8:00 a.m. However, our team has been in preparations since 6:00 a.m.
It was a long day today. My navigator was sick. She suffered heat stroke really bad. She was vomiting with headaches and severe cramps all over her body. It was a very difficult journey. Our score was evident of that, but it was really the last thing on my mind. We finished with something like 90 seconds off for the day. We traveled through Miami, OK, Parsons, KS, Fredonia, KS and then crossed the finish line here in Wichita, KS. Immediately we jumped out of the car and took Brandi to a cool area and had her treated. When they had her stabilized, I went back to the event to join our team in distributing content, thanking supporters and greeting families. For those of you there tonight, I have to apologize if I seemed "not all there". It was hard to focus when my wife was in such bad condition. However, I know a lot of you came a long way to thank and support our team, so you were important to me as well. I do ask for your prayers that my wife, our team navigator, would recover and be 100% tomorrow. I have to run but will be sure to update you tomorrow.
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The Navigator
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Thursday, June 29
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 We are in Springfield, Missouri tonight and the festivities have been just terrific! From Mexico, MO to Jefferson City, MO to Springfield, MO, the Great Racers have been welcomed with huge crowds and lots of energy!
I have to report that God gave us another great day of racing. After 4 (four) legs of courses and long treks (8 hours of racing), we finished just 16.95 seconds over for the day. Not bad at all. In fact, I think our past 3-day total will move us into the top 20 now (out of 97).
You know, each day I report on the status of our racing and the great times we have received, especially over the past 3 days. But, I have to tell you that the reason for this success is first, because of God's blessings and second, because of the efforts of my Navigator, Brandi Bornschein. She is a homemaker by trade. She keeps our home in order and tends to 5 (five) children every single day. She receives no pats on the back from the business world or accolades for her efforts. With little appreciation she gives of herself 24 hours a day, a quiet warrior raising up the next generation in our family line. I must admit that I was nervous when the Rally School stressed the math required to be successful in this race - the quick percentages and ratios required to excel. I knew she would work hard, that is not unusual for her, but to compete with the best Rally runners in the world, I was nervous. I was tasked to drive the car. Simple enough. She had to keep the car going the right speeds in the right direction for the right amount of time no matter the obstacles, delays or challenges - extremely difficult. Not only did she study hard and learn this art in just 48 hours, she has mastered it. The veterans are now seeking her advice on their calculations. It is amazing. I must tell you that I have more respect for this woman, my wonderful wife, than I have ever had before. I now know without a doubt that she can be the best at whatever she puts her mind to - but she chooses to be a servant every day. This is what she feels called to do and I will honor her for that as long as she lives. She is my hero.
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Another Great Day for Racing!
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Wednesday, June 28
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 The pressure was on today. We took home 2 (two) trophies yesterday and we didn't want people to chalk it up to "beginners luck". We worked hard to finish in the top 3. However, we have to give credit where credit is due and confess that the Lord pulled us through the challenges yesterday.
Anyway, we started off this morning in 12th position behind Corky Coker and his Ford Indy Car. We finished our morning calculations and then pulled up to the starting line at 8:42 a.m. This run took us through Greencastle, Indiana to Marshall, Illinois. We ran 3 (three) legs in this time frame and we felt like we aced the times. The chemistry is there and we are really firing on all cylinders now. Our communication strategy will be the key to our success.
A funny thing happened, though, when we were pulling into the big event, lunch stop, in Marshall, Illinois. The horn on our 1941 Cadillac got stuck so the whole show nearly came to a halt as this airhorn echoed off the old buildings and nearly gave half the town a heart attack. I quickly pushed the center cap to the side and it poped out and hit me right in the nose. At this point, I was ready to turn the car around and go back to the race track, but we stayed and laughed with everyone else. They just said I was trying to get all the attention. I think it worked.
We went out for another hard drive through the maze course, a 2-hour course and then headed into Vandalia, Illinois for a much needed break. The town was full of energy and excitement. The horn did not get stuck for this entry.
The last leg for the day was another 1.5 hour course and just when we thought we were going to have the "perfect" race day, a tractor pulls out in front of us and stops, delaying us for over 30 seconds - nothing in the everyday world, but a difference of winning or losing in the race world. We quickly tried to recover by factoring a 20% increase to our speed and cutting down the stop times. It worked, barely. The check point came and our confidence was now shaken. Did we really rebound and have the day we thought we would have?
We pulled into Saint Louis, Missouri, at just after 6:00 p.m. on the Eads Bridge and Brian read the scores to the crowd,...33.97 seconds. This was not perfect, but we were still excited. We were now considered contenders among the pros. Our first three legs were less than 10 seconds and we even aced the first leg to put another sticker on the car. But, the recovery tactic I took in the 4th to make up for lost time behind the tractor actually speed the car up too fast. We ended up nearly 24 seconds early. I did panick when that tractor almost put us at a dead stop when we were supposed to be driving 45 MPH over that section, so I punched it and actually came in too hot.
But, the highlight of the day came when Keith and Anna-Mae told Brandi and I that a member of one of the race teams took the Salvation Message cards we are passing out and committed his life to Christ. He had been contemplating the gospel message for years, but our team just won him over and the card was all he needed to make the decision right then and there. It was powerful!
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Stage Four Champions!
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Tuesday, June 27
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 From left to right: Bob, Sue, Clay, John, Brandi, Anna-Mae and Keith
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We departed Dublin, Ohio, this morning at 7:45 a.m. Our position was 12th off the starting line. We ran 2 (two) legs and then headed to Vandalia, Ohio, for a morning pit-stop where I had the chance to do an interview with Chad Bresson of FrontPage News, WCDR. The interview went great and we had a lot of fun talking about the race but more importantly the reason for FOF and NDP having a car in this race - to share with people the love of Jesus Christ. Keith, Anna-Mae, Bob, Sue and Clay are the team behind the scenes keeping the car ready to run and giving out the fun gifts at each city. But the reason they are here is to pray with those in need, shake hands and fellowship with the people who make up the heartland of America. This team is unbelievable. Their heart for the Lord is inspiring.
It was on to Richmond, Indiana, for the 3rd leg and then the lunch stop. After 3 (three) legs, we were feeling pretty good. We made some serious adjustments last night to our stop time percentages. We were hoping the changes weren't too drastic. The car ran strong and finished solid.
After the lunch stop in Richmond, Indiana, we headed to Knightstown. The 4th leg felt like our best but the 5th and final leg, before we made the final run into Indianapolis, was by far the most difficult of the day. The track engineers knew we would be tired. But we did our best to stay focused. The rain started coming down in buckets. It was hard to navigate through the weather and the challenging course. The roads were washing away right under the car. We passed the final check point and really didn't know if we finished well. There were so many delays and calculations to get us back on track, at that point we had to let it go and say, we gave it our very best in difficult circumstances.
We pulled up to the massive grand finale in Indianapolis and there at the finish line, shouts and cheers filled Monument Circle when Brian "Motor Mouth" read the score time. We finished just 13.94 seconds off perfect for the day. This was a huge rebound for us since we finished 128 seconds early yesterday. In fact, this time earned us a position on winners circle! Car #34 took home 2 (two) trophies for this time, the first time in 9 years for this car. Our team was awarded the Rookie Class Champions Trophy and the Sportsman Class Champions Trophy. The most amazing part was the fact that the fuel pump wire disconnected just inches after we drove over the finish line. Our 1941 Cadillac had to be pushed to the pit crew bay to find out what was wrong. You can't tell me this wasn't God getting us home.
We met some amazing families today and we felt the prayers all the way through. Thank you for your support! Hopefully we can bring home another stage trophy tomorrow as we make our way to St. Louis, MO.
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Over the River and Thru the Woods
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Monday, June 26
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 Car 34 driven by John and Brandi Bornschein
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Today was absolutely beautiful! The morning cleared to a light fog above the tree covered hills of Pennsylvania. We departed Washington, PA, at 7:50 a.m. this morning to the start of the race for our official start time of 9:51 a.m. The starting line was located just outside Wheeling, West Virginia. So, the officials had us detour into Wheeling for a 30-minute pit-stop. It was incredible. They had music, coffee and a full group to welcome us. The backdrop for the cars was the Wheeling suspension bridge which was a sight to behold.
At the starting line we lined up in order on the road side. We were in the 6th position. The cars all took off perfectly exactly one-minute apart. It was our turn next so we decided to take the advice of an ol' veteran and attempt a running start. We were feeling more "experienced" so we thought we would do what the pros do. The key was to be up to 45 miles per hour right out of the gates so you wouldn't lose time or have to calculate your stops with less time to make up the seconds. We backed up and then let 'er loose. The back-end kicked out, threw some rocks and we were off. It felt like were in the General Lee for those few seconds. That Cadillac can really move. Our #34 hit the starting point at 42 miles per hour - almost perfect. We ended up finishing the leg 2 (two) seconds early. Not bad for our first "pro manuever". The morning consisted of a total of 3 (three) legs and we were just under 16 seconds over 3 (three) very long and difficult courses.
The lunch stop was a much needed pause to a long 3 hours of racing. Cambridge, Ohio, was the location and it seemed like the whole town was there. A group was there cheering on the #34 car and we were just overwhelmed with all the support, cheers and shouts of encouragement. The energy was amazing and the food was terrific! We met a group that was going to follow us to Dublin and they did. It was the #34 fan club! How cool is that?!
We finished the final 3 (three) legs of the race, another 3 hours of racing and headed to Dublin, Ohio. I have to say that it must have been the largest crowd yet. Thousands were cheering as we came over the bridge and made our way through the mob of enthusiasts. The #34 supporters were waiting for us. They followed us through from Cambridge to Zanesville and then on into Dublin. Their support was truly appreciated. We were handed our score sheet and had a near perfect day for the first 5 (five) legs of the race but we had a miscalculation in the last leg that cost us nearly 60 seconds. We will have to re-work our formulas tonight and get back to it fresh tomorrow. The day ended at 128 seconds early. We were coming in to the finish lines too hot. I have to slow the car speed down so we will recalibrate in the morning. At least the speedometer was working today. That was really good news. It is hard to run a race without a speedometer.
Thank you to Wheeling, WV, Cambridge, OH, Zanesville, OH and Dublin, OH, for world-class hospitality and support!
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Racin' Thru Pennsylvania
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Sunday, June 25
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I (John) had the opportunity to help lead chapel this morning for the racers and it was good to start the day out with prayer and scripture reading. We really needed to stop and focus on more important issues than racing. It was an early and wet departure after services though. Chapel finished around 6:50 a.m. and we were in place, engines fired up and rolling by 7:30 a.m. We were in 7th position so our departure time was 7:37 a.m. This was the start of the first leg that ended at 10:07 a.m. It was pouring rain with heavy fog. The roads were slick and it made for an interesting morning. However, we managed to stay on time and on course to finish the 2 hour and 30 minute run at 2:30:25, just 5 seconds over the perfect mark.
You have to remember that this race is not simply point 'A' to point 'B'. The course management group plans out difficult tracks for us to follow for a year in advance. They find all the hairpin turns, hard 90 degree angles, dirt roads in the middle of what seems to be never before seen backlands - all the challenging roads you can find with a time run that requires error-free precision. You can appreciate the magnitude of what is expected.
Anyway, we thought we were going to have a near flawless day after our great start. But, when you drive classics and you run them hard, things happen. The speedometer went out again and by the 4th leg, it was completely offline. I tried doing some roadside repairs, but I didn't have the proper tools as our mechanics are not allowed to follow. The vehicles cannot be serviced between the morning and evening events. This is where the tough cars come through. I talked with a veteran team after the race today that said they made it all the way to the championship event the last day and had a transmission fail. Things happen so you consider it a victory when you finish. We tried to estimate our speeds and calculate our time off the car in front of us. Turns out the car in front of us was also 2 minutes off so we ended up finishing 3 minutes and 22 seconds over for the day. Not a good score but we did finish and made some adjustments to the speedometer. It seems to be working now. We will see what happens tomorrow. If it fails again we are going to rewire the whole unit to its own battery.
The highlight of the day was pulling into Cumberland, MD, Uniontown, PA, and Washington, PA. These three amazing towns hosted celebrations and parades like you only see in the movies. The people welcomed us with open arms and I truly wish we could have stayed longer. If you make vacation plans - stop at these towns.
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Start Your Engines!
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Saturday, June 24
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The Great Race is officially underway!
Today we lined up in the 12th position, out of 97 cars, and this group filled the Benjamin Franklin parkway until 12:30 p.m. when we headed out for Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The streets were lined with cars and the Greg Biffle, National Guard, Ford Fusion NASCAR screamed down the street to signal the start of the race. The noise echoed off the tall buildings in downtown Philly for blocks. Thousands gathered to see the cars, meet the drivers and join the festivities. It was quite a show.
From Philadelphia we drove through the country side and performed some very difficult timing manuevers. We were only 12 seconds off for the first 3 legs. This was 3 hours of driving through rain and avoiding other traffic while trying to maintain accuracy to the 1/100 of a second. So, we were pretty happy with 12 seconds. We actually aced the 2nd leg with a perfect 0 (zero) score.
Anyway, we headed into Lancaster for a short 20-minute Pit Stop. Again, the racers lined the Main Street area. We had a group of people waiting for the Focus on the Family/National Day of Prayer car and they greeted us with warm smiles and tremendous support. I can still remember their names and their glowing faces as they shared their hearts with us. Lancaster, we won't forget you!
From there we performed 2 more manuevers and then headed into York, Pennsylvania. We started our 4th leg and the speedometer went out on us again. We pulled over, repaired the unit in less than 14 seconds, but it cost us nearly 40 seconds by the end of the leg. We recovered and finished the 5th leg 6 seconds over. So, at the end of the day we had 58 seconds over perfect which ranks us 35th out of 97 cars. We start in 7th place tomorrow.
In York, we pulled in just after 5:30 p.m. to a town celebration. We visited with hundreds of spectators for over 2 hours. It is just after 10:00 p.m. now in York, PA, as we post this log entry and we are getting ready for tomorrow. We are up tomorrow, Sunday at 5:00 a.m. and will be ready for another long, but exciting day out on the American highways.
God pulled us through today - no engine failures or transmission problems. That is always a good thing. He also kept us on course despite the pressure. We are rookies and have to give credit to the Father for allowing us to come in early enough to each city to talk with people about Jesus Christ. That is the whole point.
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Trophy Run
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Friday, June 23
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ttttttttgreat race
We made it back about an hour ago from a long run through Delaware and then back to Philadelphia, PA. This was the first trophy run and all 107 cars were giving it their best shot. These cars were tuned and ready to roll by 8:55 this morning. Today's line-up put us 12th in the running for departure.
After 6 hours of driving, calculating and compensating for delays including a leaking radiator and malfunction in the race speedometer, we actually ran very well for the first day. The best time I have heard so far was 12 seconds off perfect for the day. There are 12 legs to the race so this was an amazing score. We finished 62 seconds off for the day. This was actually very good considering this is our first race. A lot of veterans ran 120 seconds or more and at least 2 cars did not finish the race. So, we are definitely in the hunt and learned a lot so we can score better tomorrow.
The main thing is that we want to do well so that we can stay in the top line-up, arrive early to each city and have time to meet with people waiting for the cars to cross the finish line. This is where the greatest impact will come from this whole event. It is not about winning a race - it is about meeting people and sharing the message of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for your prayers today. Challenges have already come upon us in this journey but the Lord has pulled us through each time.
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Rally School
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Thursday, June 22
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The team arrived safely and our first day has been non-stop.
On Wednesday, Bob, Sue, Keith and Anna-Mae rolled into Philadelphia around 9:00 a.m. and made sure our 1941 Cadillac was in prestine condition - waxed and ready for the showroom floor. The Great Race officials then decorated the car with all the race sponsor decals like Geico, National Guard, Interstate Batteries, Roush Racing and more. We then added our logos for DTHA, FOF and NDP. The car passed all technical inspections. They covered the odometer, wired in a new calibrated speedometer and added an analog clock - no electronic devices allowed in this vintage race - not even an iPod.
This morning, Keith and Anna-Mae, 5-year veterans of The Great Race, gave Brandi and I (John) a crash course on navigation strategies. They reminded us that this is an endurance and time rally not a speed race. Accuracy will win. Keith then took us to driving school where we practiced timing the accelaration and braking distances. Of course, both of us are new to driving an "H" pattern on the column. So, that was new and challenging - but we picked it up very quickly. That was followed by a quick lunch were we took the car out on the town - Society Hill in Philadelphia. We drew a lot of attention and the crowds were gathering - especially when we turned back to the hotel to join about 20 other racers rolling into town.
Lunch ended and we went back to work - Rally School. In this class we took in a 2-hour lecture of how to succeed in this 4200 mile journey. Our ability to follow the clock, stop-watch, written directions and speedometer at the same time is going to make or break us. Each day we will be given the course directions, time and speed specifics and we won't be able to take our first look until 20 minutes before the clock starts. Needless to say, we are anxious.
We headed back to the hotel and all the racers were nearly checked in. The streets were still lined with a classic auto parade. Jack Roush arrived in his 1940 Ford Deluxe and of course his impression entourage was with him. Also in the X-Cup division, we had the privilege of talking with the teenage team from Walla Walla, Washington, driving their 1928 Model A Phaeton.
There is an energy here that is hard to describe in words. The media is everywhere and our team is already being approached to pray with other teams. I think we are the designated chaplains. This is going to be an event you won't want to miss so I urge you to come out and see us. We leave for York on Saturday. Tomorrow is the first trophy run through Delaware and then back to Pennsylvania. We want to take that trophy back to Colorado.
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Final Preparations
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Friday, June 16
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This is John Bornschein - the team and I met this morning and we are finalizing all the details from who buys the water bottles to which churches we have scheduled fellowship with along the journey. We have 4 cars as part of our convoy. The Cadillac of course will be driven by my wife and I until July 1. Terrell Mayton will join the team where he will take the car from Pueblo, CO to San Rafael, CA. That moves Clay Miller, who is driving the H1 Hummer, over to the Navigator position from July 1 to July 8. That left us with no one to drive the Hummer which is filled with about half of our supplies. So, Dale and Jeanne Parrott will be joining us and taking the Hummer ahead of the race team to make sure each overnight stop is ready to go. Dale Parrott has served at Focus on the Family for nearly 10 years and Jeanne Parrott has served the National Day of Prayer for 9 years. These two will make an excellent addition to the team.
The next time you hear from us will be out in Philadelphia. We arrive on the 21st and will be in training for two days. Then we start the engines and head out to York, Pennsylvania for an overnight stop.
See you out on the track!
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Team Selected to make Trek Across Country
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Thursday, June 8
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Focus on the Family and the National Day of Prayer partnered to enter the Drive Thru History America car in this year's race. The challenge was to find the right team for this great adventure and on June 6, the team was assembled.
Driving the vintage 1941 Cadillac Sixty-Two is Terrell Mayton, former Vice-President of Time Warner, Inc. and now Senior Executive for the National Day of Prayer Task Force, with John Bornschein, a Director with Focus on the Family for 10 years in Family Ministries and now Director of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. John is also an Executive Producer of the Drive Thru History America project. Guest drivers include: Wayne Hoag with Lee and Anne McCune.
The Navigators are Clay Miller, Event Planner for Focus on the Family, with Brandi Bornschein, mother of 5 and wife of John Bornschein.
The Chase Team and Anchors for this group will be led by Keith and Anna Mae Philips with Bob and Sue Oaks.
A total of 3 chase vehicles will support this team. One of the vehicles is the H1 Hummer used in the Drive Thru History America videos.
Our team humbly asks for your prayers as we make plans to meet families from all across the country and share the gospel message. We are really excited and hope to see you in one of these great cities.
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