Champions Crowned in 11 Different Speed Classes at Sandhills Open Road Challenge

The 21st Sandhills Open Road Challenge was held Saturday on the county road between Arnold and Dunning.  The 55 mile stretch is considered to be by many the most challenging open road race in America.  Champions were crowned in 11 different speed classes.  There were two extreme classes held where competitors tried to average their target speed without going over.  The extreme 90 mph class was won by local driver Robbi Smith of Arnold with wife Shelley serving as navigator in a 2021 Corvette averaging a speed of 86.701 mph.  The extreme 120 mph class was won by AJ Meadows of Stanton, TX with Kendra Meadows as navigator in a 1999 Chevy Corvette averaging a speed of 107.529 mph.  Here are the winners of the other speed classes with their time “off perfect” listed in parentheses.

120 mph class – Ted Hughes of Seward, NE  David James navigator in a 2020 McLaren (-.032)

115 mph class – Jared Helge of Fort Wayne, IN  Matthew Helge navigator in a 2009 Chevy Corvette (-.032)

110 mph class – Eric Schmidt of Lincoln, NE  Chris Garner navigator in a 1989 Chevy Corvette (-.368)

105 mph class – Mike Black of Garland, TX  Janet Black navigator in a 2015 Chevy Corvette (-.021)

100 mph class – Mike Hill of Allen, TX  Julie Hill navigator in a 2015 Chevy Corvette (-.087)

95 mph class – Michael Schultz of Raymond, NE  Garrett Mohr navigator in a 2003 Ford Mustang (-.028)

90 mph class – Lirel Holt of Olathe, KS  Nick Halteman navigator in a 2015 Subaru (-.066)

80 mph class – Robert Dietrich of Franklin, TN  Bill Bennett navigator in a 2016 Dodge Challenger (+.361)

85 mph Vintage class – Keith Bisson of Palo, IA  Pat Goracke navigator in a 1983 Chevy Camaro (-1.09.515)

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