In 2008, Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was parodied on Saturday Night Live for saying, “I can see Russia from my house.” Hers was a reference to how geographically close America is to the USSR, separated only by the Bering Strait, which, by the way, when frozen, can be traversed by automobile. One hundred years earlier, that’s exactly what George Schuster did on his way to winning what has become known as “The Great Race” by becoming the first driver to make a transcontinental crossing of the United States. The Great Race began in New York City’s Times Square on Feb. 12, 1908, and ended in Paris, France, on July 30.
Schuster was part of a team fielded by the Thomas car company to compete in what is still regarded as the longest motorsports race in history, covering 22,000 miles across three continents. During that trek, Schuster drove his 1907 model 35, a 4-cylinder, 60-horsepower vehicle known as the Thomas Fyler. It’s hard to imagine what it took to drive a car that far so long ago, but we can all get a glimpse of that feat on April 25 when Jeff Mahl, the great-grandson of George Schuster, gives a living history presentation at the Kernersville Auto Museum. Mahl will be dressed in authentic clothing from 1908 and flanked by a descendant of the famous car, a 1911 Thomas Flyer, for all to see.
The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the Kernersville Auto Museum, which was created by former Piedmont Aviation CEO Jim Taylor and opened in April 2022. The nonprofit museum houses scores of vintage automobiles and is normally open to the public, free of charge, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. However, this special presentation will serve as a fundraiser to help sustain the museum.
“This is more than just a car show,” said Taylor. “It is a celebration of human grit and mechanical innovation. To have a direct link to the 1908 Great Race right here in Kernersville is an honor we want to share with the entire community.”
Taylor once worked as a baggage handler for Piedmont Airlines and eventually became CEO of Piedmont Aviation, but his love of old cars pre-dated his love of planes. “I bought my first car for $75. It was a 1931 Model A Ford.”
Over the years, Jim and his friends collected other vintage cars, which he wanted to share with the public, thus the impetus for the Kernersville Auto Museum, whose slogan is “Where Memories and History Come Alive.”
In addition to welcoming visitors every weekend, the museum also serves as a popular venue for community meetings and luncheons and is the home base for Triad Today.
Tickets are $25 to attend the April 25 event and can be purchased at the door or online by visiting the museum website KernersvilleAutoMuseum.com. All proceeds will go to benefit the museum’s ongoing preservation and for educational programs. The Kernersville Auto Museum is located at 204 Holly Tree Drive in Kernersville.
Auto Museum to Commemorate ‘The Great Race’
In 2008, Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was parodied on Saturday Night Live for saying, “I can see Russia from my house.” Hers was a reference to how geographically close America is to the USSR, separated only by the Bering Strait, which, by the way, when frozen, can be traversed by automobile. One hundred years earlier, that’s exactly what George Schuster did on his way to winning what has become known as “The Great Race” by becoming the first driver to make a transcontinental crossing of the United States. The Great Race began in New York City’s Times Square on Feb. 12, 1908, and ended in Paris, France, on July 30.
Schuster was part of a team fielded by the Thomas car company to compete in what is still regarded as the longest motorsports race in history, covering 22,000 miles across three continents. During that trek, Schuster drove his 1907 model 35, a 4-cylinder, 60-horsepower vehicle known as the Thomas Fyler. It’s hard to imagine what it took to drive a car that far so long ago, but we can all get a glimpse of that feat on April 25 when Jeff Mahl, the great-grandson of George Schuster, gives a living history presentation at the Kernersville Auto Museum. Mahl will be dressed in authentic clothing from 1908 and flanked by a descendant of the famous car, a 1911 Thomas Flyer, for all to see.
The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the Kernersville Auto Museum, which was created by former Piedmont Aviation CEO Jim Taylor and opened in April 2022. The nonprofit museum houses scores of vintage automobiles and is normally open to the public, free of charge, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. However, this special presentation will serve as a fundraiser to help sustain the museum.
“This is more than just a car show,” said Taylor. “It is a celebration of human grit and mechanical innovation. To have a direct link to the 1908 Great Race right here in Kernersville is an honor we want to share with the entire community.”
Taylor once worked as a baggage handler for Piedmont Airlines and eventually became CEO of Piedmont Aviation, but his love of old cars pre-dated his love of planes. “I bought my first car for $75. It was a 1931 Model A Ford.”
Over the years, Jim and his friends collected other vintage cars, which he wanted to share with the public, thus the impetus for the Kernersville Auto Museum, whose slogan is “Where Memories and History Come Alive.”
In addition to welcoming visitors every weekend, the museum also serves as a popular venue for community meetings and luncheons and is the home base for Triad Today.
Tickets are $25 to attend the April 25 event and can be purchased at the door or online by visiting the museum website KernersvilleAutoMuseum.com. All proceeds will go to benefit the museum’s ongoing preservation and for educational programs. The Kernersville Auto Museum is located at 204 Holly Tree Drive in Kernersville.