Draft:Michael A. Preston Four Ball Rally of 1984

The Michael A. Preston Four Ball Rally of 1984 was the last of the true competitive cross-continent road races held in the twentieth century. The Michael A. Preston Four Ball Rally, commonly known as the Four Ball Rally (FBR), was a quasi-legal race from Boston to San Diego from 1981 to 1984. It was inspired by the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash of the 1970s. On June 2, 1984, the fourth and final Michael A. Preston Four Ball Rally was held. The 1984 FBR was “invitation only,” with 24 drivers allowed to join, and was generally restricted to professional drivers, particularly those who had participated the previous year.

On June 3, 1984, the team of Edward M. Rahill of Barrington, Ill., and Timothy Montgomery of Fremont, Ohio, won the race in a record time of 35 hours and 46 minutes. This time remains the fastest documented time for a race crossing the continental United States between Boston and San Diego.

Background

The Michael A. Preston Four Ball Rally (FRB) was named in honor of its founder, an auto enthusiast who passed as a bystander to a holdup before the first race. The FBR was intended to be the longest practical distance race between two major cities in the continental United States. Preston started the rally around the time the 1981 Burt Reynolds film Cannonball Run premiered, further popularizing crossed-country auto races. Driving teams came from around the world to participate.

Driving teams participating in the rally had multiple route options and determined their route in real-time, most of them exceeding 3,100 miles. Participants pooled their money, and the winners would receive a prize of up to $10,000. The FBR had up to 55 driving teams participating before 1984.

A Showcase of Automotive Excellence

several impressive vehicles participated in the 1984 Four Ball Rally ranging from older but reliable models to some of the newest cars of the time. Winners Edward M. Rahill and Timothy Montgomery drove a 1984 Pontiac Trans AM. Max Rodriquez, a writer for the BMW CarClub, used the rally as an opportunity to compare performance between the Ford Escort and Chevrolet Spectrum. Max and his teammate used one Escort and two Spectrums during the race.⁸ A Porsche 934 Carrera, a 5-Series Alpina, a Ford LTD, a few Chevrolet Camaros, and even a Dodge Royal Tradesman van competed in the rally.

High-Speed Thrills and Police Encounters

Despite 24 driving teams entering the race, only 12 teams finished due to various challenges they encountered. The 1984 rally was marked by intense law enforcement efforts to thwart the racers. The year prior, a segment on the NBC Nightly News drew nationwide attention and allowed police to prepare for racers in 1984. Many driving teams equipped themselves with police radio scanners, radar detectors, radar jammers, and even night vision goggles to avoid police detection. Driving teams were also prepared with bail money in case they were arrested. Many racers, including winners Edward M. Rahill and Timothy Montgomery, were arrested, some more than once.

In Syracuse, N.Y., six driving teams were arrested on the New York State Thruway while speeding at around 100 mph. The six teams received a total of ten citations – five speeding citations, three for possession of police scanners, and two for reckless driving. More teams were stopped in Buffalo, N.Y., and Ohio, with some driving teams giving up on the race after two hours spent in court.

The relentless pursuit by law enforcement added to the thrill and danger of the race, making it a memorable event for both participants and observers. Some police officers considered the FBR to be something of a game between the racers and the police. Ohio State Trooper Roger Teague gained notoriety for arresting four driving teams by himself. Teague hid behind semi-trucks and turned off his radar until he saw the racers. Later, Teague attended the celebrations of Rahill and Montgomery, where he received a trophy naming him “Super Trooper.”

Winners Rahill and Montgomery were first arrested in Syracuse, N.Y., for possession of a police radio scanner and lost an hour and a half during the arrest. They were again arrested for failing to signal a lane change by Roger Teague. Finally, a San Diego police officer chased after Rahill and Montgomery for running a stoplight but gave up after seeing the finish line and realizing they were participating in a road race.

The Winners

The team of Edward M. Rahill and Timothy Montgomery finished the 1984 Four Ball Rally (FBR) in 35 hours and 46 minutes, setting the record for the fastest documented time for a race crossing the continental United States between Boston and San Diego and winning $7,000. During the race Rahill and Montgomery were arrested twice, experienced mechanical failure, and ran from a police car right before crossing the finish line. The team managed to complete the race by alternating driving every four hours.

Rahill and Montgomery both had an early interest in automobiles because their families were involved in automobile sales and repairs, respectively. Both gained an interest in auto racing after the original Cannonball Runs in the 1970s; however, they partially raced in protest of the federally imposed speed law. The drivers insisted that driving 100 mph on an empty stretch of road was just as safe as driving ten mph in a village.

Rahill and Montgomery first participated in the Four Ball Rally the year prior with different partners. In 1983, Rahill and his partner placed seventeenth of fifty-six driving teams, while Montgomery and his partner placed twenty-first. After deciding to team up, Rahill and Montgomery trained on the Indianapolis 500 racecourse to prepare for the 1984 FBR.

Later Years

At the time of the race, Edward M. Rahill was a Technology/Market Forecasting Specialist, but he would later become President and CEO of his own startup. Currently, Rahill writes full-time and chronicles his experience in the 1984 Four Ball Rally in his memoir One Mile at a Time. On July 30, 1986, Timothy Montgomery passed in an ultralight aircraft flying accident.

Other Links

• 45 Hours, Coast to Coast, In A Custom Dodge Van? This Is The Four Ball Rally
• der bayerische newsletter (Sept./Oct. 1984)
• One Mile at a Time by Edward M Rahill