If you see a flash of hot pink whilst traveling the east coast of America later this month, be sure to make room for Molly Saleen and her candy coloured, customized automobile. With 3000 miles of road ahead and America’s premiere car manufacturing dynasty sizzling pink all around her, Molly Saleen and her Molly-Pop Mustang are likely to be in a hurry. After all, Burt Reynolds didn’t hang around as he made Hollywood History with the ever-popular Cannonball Run made during his Hollywood heydays of the 1980s.
Set to be re-enacted on July 29th with the inaugural running of the Great American Run road rally, the Molly-Pop bristles with more attitude than Reynolds could ever muster in the slapstick road trip celluloid. Formerly a modest stock S281-SC, the Mustang has undergone more image changes than Madonna. It now wields 500bhp, 475 lbs-ft of torque and shines with star quality thanks to Saleen engineered Watts Link style suspension and Saleen designed aerodynamics.
“The Molly-Pop is like a sour candy,” says Molly. “It looks sweet and inviting on the outside, but once you get mixed up with it, you’re sorry you ever did.”
Plotting a route across the States, Molly and the rest of the Great American Run challengers will drive for six days in a rolling motorcade to Los Angeles. Thrown off route along the way, a series of unexpected detours, hidden stages and unknown itineraries will test the spirit and staying power of driver and machine.
Passing through the best America has to offer in open roads and awe inspiring scenery, the Great American Run is the only one of its kind and will make history when the first cars leave their tyre marks on the tarmac in the twin starting cities of New York and Miami. It’s a driving adventure, the largest road rally in American history and one million reasons to succeed – automatic entrance to next year’s event, boasting the ultimate prize package and a limited edition Saleen Bad Boy Mustang to drive home in.
The Molly-Pop will stand out thanks to its striking good looks and vibrant livery but there are a handful of other Saleen Mustangs in the field. The American manufacturer of the world’s fastest production car are the official automotive partners of the event and have uniquely modified 25 stock Saleen S281 “Extreme” Mustangs with an additional 50 horsepower and identical black-on-black paint and graphics packages. The Bad Boys bear gold plated chassis numbers and will be a focal point as the entrants swarm through the countryside.
Open to professional drivers and first time racers, the Great American Run is unique in welcoming all comers. “I have been involved with the family business my whole life” says Molly. “I’ve also attended a number of racing schools along the west coast and driven everything from karts to high performance street cars.”
With a clutch of entrants for the Great American Run already confirmed from outside of America, Molly has one advantage over those jetting in specifically for the event. She’s rumoured to have driven practice runs to the penultimate stop, Las Vegas, NV from her home in Orange County, CA.
Organized by the team behind the seven Cannonball Run World Series outings, the Great American Run is built on that same reputation for safe, fast fun. The parties are almost as legendary as the rallying with extravagant get-togethers each night to help drivers unwind after a hard day at the wheel.
For sales information and start dates and times, contact Jo Groome. Tel: +44 1403 276191 or email: info@cannonballworld.com. Alternatively, call toll free in the USA: 800-619-8593
Editors Note:
The Great American Run is organized by Cannonball Run World Events Ltd. Please direct all press queries to Rebecca Appleton. Tel 0800 040 9192 or email Rebecca@topposition.co.uk.
High resolution images, editorial comment, archived press information and interviews are available on request. These can also be downloaded online from www.thegreatamericanrun.com