Great Race to stop Tuesday in Cape Girardeau

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to correct the Boy Scouts' role in the event.

The vintage cars of the Hemming Motor News 2013 Great Race are scheduled to roll into Cape Girardeau at about 5 p.m. Tuesday. The cars will arrive on what will be day four of the race, and local race organizers are patiently waiting for the spectacle to reach the city limits.

"It's going to be really cool," said Danny Essner of the River City Rodders, a group that helped bring the Great Race to Cape Girardeau. "I think a lot of people will turn out to see cars that they've never seen before."

Essner said the cars will travel south on North Kingshighway and turn east onto Broadway before heading to the Main Street finish line. When all the cars arrive downtown, they will park along Main Street where race fans can visit the drivers and navigators until 8:30 p.m.

"The race has 98 cars starting in St. Paul," he said. "We're expecting 90 to 95 making it to Cape. With cars that old, sometimes there's breakdowns."

This year's race runs from St. Paul, Minn., to Mobile, Ala.

The "Cruise-In" is a local addition to the Great Race festivities, at which about 150 area classic cars will be on display in the parking lot across from Hutson's Fine Furniture.

"The Cruise-In isn't a car show where there's a fee to register," Essner said. "There's free registration and all anybody has to do is show up in a classic car."

The cars participating in the Cruise-In will be on display until 8:30 p.m., and the best car in the show will receive the Mayor's Choice trophy.

The Great Race also will feature Pit-Stop Parties, where businesses along the raceway will celebrate the arrival of the racers, and there also will be Welcoming Parties hosted by downtown businesses.

"The parties are really hopping," said Stacy Dohogne-Lane, director of public relations for the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. "A lot of businesses are planning to show their Cape Girardeau pride."

Dohogne-Lane said things will be running smooth downtown Tuesday with the help of volunteers.

"The River City Rodders and the Capaha Antique Car Club will be getting cars registered and parked for the Cruise-In," she said.

The Boy Scouts will also be assisting in directing people.

For more information on the Cruise-In, contact the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau at 335-1631 or online at visitcape.com/greatrace.aspx. For more information on the 2013 Great Race, visit greatrace.com.

klewis@semissourian.com

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