New US Driving Record

[dclarkson62@outlook.com]

In answer to Max Rockatansky's comment . Makes me wonder if Lord Clarkson used the same DST->Standard time change to cheese an extra hour for the trip?  (To be fair, Barry Steifel used the same exploit - although he called it "one day" rather than "24 hours"):

Barry did 21 states in 26 hours (1 day). That equated to 19 states in 24 hours.

We therefore had 24 hours (midnight to 10pm) because Summer time ended and we traveled to Central time. We took 23 hours 34 mins finishing at 21.34

This record will be accredited by the Guinness Book of Records and Elite World Records, supported by a Garmin 66 GPS log, a Garmin tandem dash cam and geo-tagged pictures & videos for the whole 1,600 mile trip.

All the forum toilet jokes are childish.

David Clarkson, Sydney

[Rothman]

He's an angry bot.

Looks like he lost his lordship.

[Hunty2022]

Are you able to post some of the pictures you took in Virginia? What route did you take in the state?

[jeffandnicole]

All the forum toilet jokes are childish.

David Clarkson, Sydney

If you want to discuss toilet jokes, we should introduce you to bandit. He's our resident stinker about all things Poo.

[NWI_Irish96]

Carl was a late stand-in for racing driver Aaron Telitz, who was called-up at the eleventh hour for Aston Martin testing at Daytona Raceway.

I've been unable to find any documentation that Daytona has had any testing for any racing series in November.

[Max Rockatansky]

Wait, I thought this guy was a Scottish Lord? 

Also, was there a diaper or two involved?

[SectorZ]

Wait, I thought this guy was a Scottish Lord? 

Also, was there a diaper or two involved?

Don't ask that. It's childish you know.

[hotdogPi]

This is a legitimate user. Please don't "bite" the new people. It may seem a bit unusual that he's bragging about himself, but someone has to be that person. I think most of the hostility in this thread is the OP looking like a spambot (such as having username be his email address) despite not being one and the people posting here not changing once it became clear this was a real person.

Imagine if we talked to Ken Jennings in 2010 disparagingly for not believing he was who he claimed he was.

[Max Rockatansky]

Yeah, I'm not buying it without some substantial proof.  It isn't as though I didn't do a cursory search for this guy and the claimed record before posting. 

Chances are this person would have provided more proof initially or posted more when he was asked if any of this was legit.  Maybe it's just me, but I rather not make the assumption a random new user is telling the truth when the claims don't meet the initial smell test.

[Rothman]

The claim is also very dubious to me of being the first to drive around 20 states in 24 hours.  The feat sounds way too easy given discussions of other marathon drivers on here -- even with our own people on the forum's trip reports and whatnot.

Shoot, I'd be surprised if multiple county clinchers haven't already done so.

[kphoger]

We've had threads about that before.  For example:

Most states you can drive through in 24 hours

Most states you've visited in one day

If you can find anyone in those threads claiming to have visited twenty states in a day, then please link to it.

[Max Rockatansky]

What gets me is that the speed is way too fast for 24 or 26 hours without elaboration.  While "childish" perhaps the questions about bathroom breaks are valid when the claimed speed is over 60 MPH.  There has also been questions about fueling up and avoiding random traffic jams.  All of these require some baseline explanation if we are to even find any of this semi-plausible. 

[kphoger]

What gets me is that the speed is way too fast for 24 or 26 hours without elaboration.  While "childish" perhaps the questions about bathroom breaks are valid when the claimed speed is over 60 MPH.  There has also been questions about fueling up and avoiding random traffic jams.  All of these require some baseline explanation if we are to even find any of this semi-plausible. 

Just some back-of-the-envelope math here...

Assume 400 miles per tank of gas.  This seems reasonable for a Hyundai Santa Fe (17 gallons per fill-up @ 23.5 mpg).

Assume, therefore, only three mid-trip fill-ups.  Assume 12 minutes per fill-up.  This makes 36 minutes total for pit stops.

This leaves 22 hours 58 minutes of actual driving time.

For 1609 total miles, this comes to an average of almost exactly 70 mph.

Even factoring in occasional traffic backups, that doesn't seem unreasonable if they planned their route carefully ahead of time to miss the busiest highways at the busiest times.

[SectorZ]

What gets me is that the speed is way too fast for 24 or 26 hours without elaboration.  While "childish" perhaps the questions about bathroom breaks are valid when the claimed speed is over 60 MPH.  There has also been questions about fueling up and avoiding random traffic jams.  All of these require some baseline explanation if we are to even find any of this semi-plausible. 

Just some back-of-the-envelope math here...

Assume 400 miles per tank of gas.  This seems reasonable for a Hyundai Santa Fe (17 gallons per fill-up @ 23.5 mpg).

Assume, therefore, only three mid-trip fill-ups.  Assume 12 minutes per fill-up.  This makes 36 minutes total for pit stops.

This leaves 22 hours 58 minutes of actual driving time.

For 1609 total miles, this comes to an average of almost exactly 70 mph.

Even factoring in occasional traffic backups, that doesn't seem unreasonable if they planned their route carefully ahead of time to miss the busiest highways at the busiest times.

The entire drive at that avg. speed would be, well, illegal I guess? People shouldn't come here bragging about violating traffic laws for an entire 24 hours either.

[MikeTheActuary]

The entire drive at that avg. speed would be, well, illegal I guess? People shouldn't come here bragging about violating traffic laws for an entire 24 hours either.

We have had more than a few discussions here expressing disdain for some current speed limits; and it is possible to have that disdain without going all the way to endorsing high-speed reckless driving.  And in some venues, admiration (and skepticism) has been expressed towards those claiming notable times for Cannonball Runs.

As to the purported childishness of the bathroom questions...while we certainly joke about the subject, there actually is legitimate interest when it comes to the logistics of pulling off such a drive, including the handling of the obvious biological functions.

If the OP really did pull off the feat, I would be interested in hearing more of the details, etc.

[kphoger]

The entire drive at that avg. speed would be, well, illegal I guess? People shouldn't come here bragging about violating traffic laws for an entire 24 hours either.

I'm not so naïve as to believe that any such driving record is ever accomplished while obeying all the speed limits.

[jeffandnicole]

The speeds seem completely reasonable. In many of the states that would only be the speed limit. For much of the start of the (alleged) drive it would be 5 or 15 over, and in those states neither speed on the highway would get much notice. In states with 70 mph limits, keeping it under 80 is the norm. So he's very likely driving at routinely acceptable speeds.

Regarding fuel & bathroom breaks; if the route was very carefully planned, then likely fuel stops were regularly planned. Picking stations ahead of time that are easy off-ons with convenient bathrooms isn't that hard to do. And face it - they're probably guys. Use a bottle in the car and it eliminates bathroom time.

Regarding travel times: Again with some planning not hard to do. Non-holiday. No rush hours. Minimal family travel days. So that leaves both Saturdays and Sundays in much of the fall. If he did it during the time change to gain that extra hour, it all checks out.

I'm not saying I will totally believe the claim, but some of the questions being raised make me wonder if people here have ever planned anything, or just jump in the car and go.

[dlsterner]

On trips like these, I've wondered about the possibility of using (say) four cars, fully gassed up and parked at strategic points along the route.  When running low on fuel, just change cars.  You would just have a support crew that takes care of planting the fully gassed cars and retrieving the abandoned empty cars (and abandoned piss bottles).

Maybe that's cheating; maybe it isn't.

[Rothman]

What gets me is that the speed is way too fast for 24 or 26 hours without elaboration.  While "childish" perhaps the questions about bathroom breaks are valid when the claimed speed is over 60 MPH.  There has also been questions about fueling up and avoiding random traffic jams.  All of these require some baseline explanation if we are to even find any of this semi-plausible.

Meh.  The speed isn't the issue for me.  Seems plausible to drive 1,600 miles in 24 hours.

Rather, the weird tone in the OP, using the title Lord and then dropping it, posting a phone number, and the questionable significance of driving into 20 states in 24 hours...it's weird.

And, of course, the legitimacy of Guiness' World Records isn't half what it used to be, anyway.

[dclarkson62@outlook.com]

Thanks to Hunty, Irish,Max R, Rothman, kphoger, jeffandnicole

Photos and details on Twitter (X)  @USARecordDrive

States were: (column headings are cum miles, sector files, number of new states)

Maine      1   1   1
New Hampshire      18   17   2
Massachusetts      106   88   3
Rhode Island      113   7   4
Connecticut      258   145   5
New York      283   25   6
New Jersey      361   78   7
Pennsylvania      405   44   8
Delaware      430   25   9
Maryland      571   141   10
Virginia      581   10   11
West Virg       595   14   12
Virginia      924   329   
Tennessee      1129   205   13
Georgia      1133   4   14
Tennessee      1152   19   
Alabama (CT -1)      1317   165   15
Mississippi      1348   31   16
Tennessee      1461   113   
Missouri      1493   32   17
Arkansas      1495   2   18
Missouri      1588   93   
Illinois      1595   7   19
Kentucky      1597   1   20

[Rothman]

You're welcome.

[Hunty2022]

Thanks to Hunty, Irish,Max R, Rothman, kphoger, jeffandnicole

Photos and details on Twitter (X)  @USARecordDrive

States were: (column headings are cum miles, sector files, number of new states)

Maine      1   1   1
New Hampshire      18   17   2
Massachusetts      106   88   3
Rhode Island      113   7   4
Connecticut      258   145   5
New York      283   25   6
New Jersey      361   78   7
Pennsylvania      405   44   8
Delaware      430   25   9
Maryland      571   141   10
Virginia      581   10   11
West Virg       595   14   12
Virginia      924   329   
Tennessee      1129   205   13
Georgia      1133   4   14
Tennessee      1152   19   
Alabama (CT -1)      1317   165   15
Mississippi      1348   31   16
Tennessee      1461   113   
Missouri      1493   32   17
Arkansas      1495   2   18
Missouri      1588   93   
Illinois      1595   7   19
Kentucky      1597   1   20

Looked at your post on X, and gave you a follow.

Looks like you took I-81 most of the way through VA.

[davewiecking]

What surprises me is that you couldn't squeeze in Vermont, but I guess that would have made Rhode Island harder to hit.

[formulanone]

Tennessee      1129   205   13
Georgia      1133   4   14
Tennessee      1152   19   

Definitely took I-24 through Georgia right there...

Alabama (CT -1)      1317   165   15
Mississippi      1348   31   16
Tennessee      1461   113   

...and then through US 72, headed north on US 45, back into Tennessee (hey, it borders 8 states) and onto US 412 / I-155.

[dclarkson62@outlook.com]

The success of beating Barry's great effort was setting off on a Sunday at midnight.

The route was Kittery (Maine), Worcester, Cub World Scout Camp (Rhode Island) diverting from I-395, New Haven, Port Chester, Fort Lee, Bristol Township School District, Newark (Delaware), thru Maryland to Mechanicstown (West Virginia). Then the long run thru Virginia and Tennessee (Roanoke, Bristol Casino, Knoxville) to Chattanooga, Huntsville & Corinth.

So clipped Georgia & Alabama. Then up the 412, thru Tennessee for the 3rd time into Missouri & West Kennett Arkansas. The last leg was up the I-55 & 57 to Cairo Illinois and over Cairo Ohio River Bridge into the 20th state Kentucky at 9-34pm local time. Although jeffandnicole and disterner were correct in it being changeover Sunday (as Barry Steiffel had done in 2003), the extra hour simply meant we had to finish pre-10pm (see reply 25).

On SectorZ's comment about fuel we refuelled 5 times but each stop was approx 5 mins. In Australia we have to pay inside but the credit card option means you can have a piss and refuel in as little as 4 minutes, which we did.

Thanks to MikeTheActuary for conceding our trip could be true. I devised and amended the route with Michael of Sydney (an Australian actuary). My email address is visible. Happy to share endless data, geotech 24hour Garmin Dual Cam Tandem videos using 256GB memory cards (1GB films 4 minutes) and the Garmin 66 satellite GPS tracker.

I presume OP means elderly! I have run 4 marathons and climbed within 600m of the top of Everest.

davewieking - correct - Brattleboro Vermont and Rhode Island would cost us 1-2 hours.

Hunty22 From WV we simply took the 81 South.

NWI_Irish96 in reply 29  "unable to find any documentation that Daytona has had any testing in Nov"
please refer to

https://www.imsa.com/news/2023/11/14/preliminary-team-and-driver-lineup-revealed-for-62nd-rolex-24-at-daytona/

I hope that clarifies some of the sceptics' posts.

If anyone wants photos etc please email dclarkson62@outlook.com      I am unsure how to post many formats to aaroads forum.

There's a bit of stuff on twitter @USARecordDrive

and I will post a commemorative T-shirt to the first 2 who email me and give a shipping address!!