Nostalgia CAnnonball

Back in 1981, Roy Phelps introduced an unforgettable event to the Santa Pod Raceway calendar, to coincide with the release of the new film ‘The Cannonball Run’. With a fox-hunt format based around funny cars, Bill Sherratt took the very first event win and the infamous Cannonball was born and has lived on in Santa Pod’s history ever since.

Santa Pod has hosted an annual Cannonball at Dragstalgia for over a decade and to celebrate the Raceway’s 60^th anniversary in 2026, 45 years after the original event, 3 additional Cannonballs have been introduced at nostalgia events throughout the year.

Today, the new Nostalgia Cannonball honours that defining chapter. It brings the Cannonball back to the very strip where it earned its reputation, reviving the spirit of 1981 with the cars, the attitude, and the authenticity that made the original event so special.

Open to all nostalgia vehicles, expect iconic Funny Cars, period-correct drag machines, and the unmistakable atmosphere that only Santa Pod can deliver. This is more than nostalgia; it’s the continuation of a legacy that began when Bill Sherratt’s Cannonball charged into the history books.

The legend was born in 1981. The name lives on. And the Cannonball runs again at Santa Pod Raceway.

How Does A Cannonball Work?

The Cannonball format is a fond tip of the hat to a famed event from yesteryear and, contrary to regular drag racing, there’s no regular qualifying and eliminations. Instead, you’ll see 3 qualifiers before the finals.

Each competitor will have each of their qualifying times totalled together. The racer with the lowest total time from the 3 qualifiers will qualify 1^st, second lowest 2^nd and so on. Then on the fourth and final run, number 1 qualifier will face off against number 2 for the event win. Number 3 will take on number 4 to settle 3^rd and 4^th, 5^th vs 6^th and so on.

Speed and consistency are the key here – every run counts!

In qualifying, no shows, incomplete runs or DQs will be allocated with either the slowest time of the session or a 10-second run, whichever is slower.