Gearing Up for a Cannonball Run

Growing up, Ed Bolian, PP 08, loved the Cannonball Run movies, starring Burt Reynolds as a mechanic angling to win a cross-country car race. When Bolian learned about the real-life attempts to set the speed record, he decided that one day he’d make a go himself. In 2009, Bolian started planning his attempt at what’s officially known as the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. The goal: Drive from Manhattan to Redondo Beach, Calif., in record-breaking time without drawing the attention of law enforcement officials.

Bolian, the sales director at Motor Cars of Georgia, knew he needed a car that would be powerful but also comfortable and unassuming. “I looked at lots of exotic and mundane options but ended up choosing the CL55 AMG Mercedes due to the fuel economy, forced induction, space and adaptable suspension to cope with the weight [of added fuel],” he says.

But that was just the start. Bolian outfitted the car with an array of modifications, including radar detectors, laser-jamming systems, navigation systems, a CB radio and a police scanner. In the trunk, he added two 22-gallon fuel cells, which gave the car a total capacity of 67 gallons. The car also went through a $9,000 tuneup.

At 9:55 p.m. on Oct. 19, 2013, Bolian—along with Dan Huang, CM 11, and pal Dave Black—hit the road. They started in Manhattan. The record to beat? Thirty-one hours and 4 minutes, set in 2006.

The scanner and CB weren’t as helpful as expected—wiring problems—and the antennas flexed too much from the speed of the car, which averaged about 100 mph and topped out at 150 mph. “Having three people fully alert and paying attention to the likely places for police to hide and to monitor other road hazards was the best tool that we had,” Bolian says. “There was no small talk, no radio.”

At 11:46 p.m. on Oct. 20, the trio arrived at the Portofino Hotel and Marina in Redondo Beach. They had traveled 2,803 miles in 28 hours, 50 minutes and 30 seconds, shattering the record. A GPS company monitored the trip, providing thorough documentation of the record.

Previous record breakers waited a year to publicize their efforts—long enough for the statute of limitations on speeding violations to expire. But Bolian, in keeping with his daredevil nature, wasted no time in breaking the news. His feat has been featured in automotive magazines and on CNN.

“The response has been great and much more positive than we had even imagined,” he says. “The idea of that great American road trip appeals to everyone.”

The Equipment

Bolian tricked out his car with an assortment of tools and gadgets, including everything listed and “a few other things we won’t mention publicly.”

1. Two Valentine one radar/laser detectors
2. Escort Passport radar/laser detector and diffuser
3. Laser interceptor and laser diffuser/jammer
4. Two Garmin GPS units with XM Radio NavTraffic
5. Three iPhone cradles with chargers
6. iPad cradle and charger
7. Satellite tracking device
8. Uniden police scanner with GPS and radio antenna
9. Cobra 29 CB radio with K40 antenna
10. Toll passes for the pertinent areas
11. Two 2 gallon auxiliary fuel cells with transfer pumps
12. Custom switch panel with kill switch for rear lights, fuel pump control, power to all devices
13. Power inverter with outlets in center console
14. Full-size spare tire
15. Fire extinguisher
16. Full-size hydraulic jack

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