[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZTKSk9iNEE[/ame]
CHENECTADY — The Fireball Run, a hybrid road rally that borrows from the ‘‘Cannonball Run’’ movie and reality TV show ‘‘The Amazing Race,’’ is coming to the Electric City on Sept. 26 as part of a 15-city, 2,500-mile Ohio-to-Maine extravaganza.
The 40 cars will include pricey exotics such as a Lamborghini Aventador, Devon GTX and Fisker Karma; a DeLorean used in the Back to the Future II movie and a Crystal Springs Water delivery truck driven by the company’s CEO.
City Councilman Carl Erikson is signed up for the race with Richard Ruzzo, of Schenectady, who owns Shepherd Communications & Security.
“I remember watching ‘Cannonball Run’ when I was a kid and thinking it was so cool,” said Erikson, 40, a sourcing manager at GE. “We won’t get as crazy as that movie, but it will be a lot of fun.”
Erikson and Ruzzo not only had to get the green light from their families, they had to convince each other they wanted in.
“We went back and forth talking each other into it,” said Erikson, a self-described car nut who owns a 1969 Firebird convertible. They’ll drive Ruzzo’s 425-horsepower limited edition Chrysler 300.
The two men have lined up sponsors to help cover the $7,500 entry fee.
The two-person teams will also drive on a local scavenger hunt of sorts, trying to figure out clues and drive to historic locations around the city in order to complete that day’s challenge.
The six-site challenge that will highlight the city’s history, including likely stops at Proctors, the first all-electric house and others.
“It’s all about following instructions because if you drive too fast or too slow you won’t get it right,” Erikson said. “We’ll see if we’re good listeners.”
The event is being produced at Universal Studios in Orlando and will be streamed live on the Internet and will be filmed for a later limited theatrical release.
Director Brian Bazala and executive producer J. Sanchez stopped in Schenectady Wednesday during a test run of the course and itinerary.
“We just want to make sure there are no surprises and they can keep to the schedule of stops they’ve laid out,” said David Hickman, the event’s marketing director.
The biggest celebrity signed up for the Fireball Run, former astronaut Sally Ride, died July 23 at age 61 of pancreatic cancer. A replacement female astronaut is being lined up, Hickman said.
This year’s focus is on female trailblazers and drivers will include women’s rodeo champion Kelly Kaminski and popular drag racer Tina Stull.
Schenectady was added to the eight-day itinerary after a community in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains dropped out.
Don Rittner of the Schenectady Film Commission pounced.
“It’s a great opportunity to promote the city, to boost the local economy and to interest tourists by the media and exposure in the movie,” Rittner said. His one concern is that he has not yet lined up sponsors to help underwrite a welcome dinner for the driving teams, film crew and support staff on Sept. 26 at Glen Sanders Mansion. Before the private dinner, the public is invited to come to the catering facility for a photograph and autograph session with the drivers.
“It’s a fun way to get people excited about Schenectady’s history and culture,” Rittner said.
Another aspect of the rally is to raise awareness about missing children. The rally is affiliated with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Each car has a decal of a missing child from the area it represents and crews will distribute more than 50,000 posters and fliers about missing children. The Fireball Run claims it has helped recover 38 missing children since the race began in 2007.
Erikson and Ruzzo will carry fliers about Craig Frear of Scotia, who vanished without a trace at age 17 near a wooded area in June 2004.
“What made us decide to do this in the end was that it supports a great cause,” Erikson said.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Road-rally-coming-to-Schenectady-3745129.php#ixzz23GvKfhMN
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