113 classic cars roll into Springfield this weekend

The race is on in Springfield this weekend.

The Hemmings Motor News Great Race along historic Route 66 kicks off today in Kirkwood and will pit stop in Springfield Saturday afternoon for an overnight stay as racers make their way to the Santa Monica Pier.

The 2015 Great Race will feature 113 classic cars – one driven by Springfield’s own classic car guru, Guy Mace. Mace, along with son and navigator Colby, who are partners in Baron Venture Capital LLC, drive under the moniker The Bomb Squad. The name stems from their cherry red 1932 Ford Roadster, affectionately called The Bomb from its second life as a rebuilt racer in the mid-1950s.

Springfield’s finish line will feature area car clubs, Route 66 vendors, music and food, according to a news release from the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. The public is invited to cheer on the parade of antique, vintage and collectible autos from around the world on historic St. Louis Street to the finish line in front of the Shrine Mosque. Opening ceremonies begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Springfield Expo Center and racers will arrive in one-minute intervals starting at 5 p.m. The classic cars will be on display 4-8:30 p.m.

Springfieldian David Eslick, who worked with Mace as co-chairman of the event’s organizing committee, said roughly 400 drivers, navigators and mechanics are participating from the United States, Europe and Japan. The committee paid a $10,000 fee for an overnight stop in the Queen City, and expenses total around $17,000 including food and signage.

Routed through seven states and mostly along the original Route 66, a $50,000 prize awaits the winner June 28. The total purse is $150,000.

Read more about Mace’s Roadster and the journey in the June 22 edition of Springfield Business Journal.

Reporter Zach Smith contributed to this article.