Dennis Downes, a 1981 Council Grove High School graduate and son of Carole and Bill Downes of Council Grove, recently participated in the 2026 Hemmings Great Race.
The race began in Springfield, Ill., and followed much of historic Route 66 to Pasadena, Calif., from June 20 through June 26. Downes, who is now retired after 35 years with PEC in Wichita and lives in Maize, teamed up with his friend Terry for the event. The pair competed in Terry’s 1956 pickup truck, which had no air conditioning.
All vehicles in the Great Race were required to be more than 50 years old. Some entries were classified as open cockpit vehicles, meaning they had no roof. When rain fell along the route, those drivers and passengers got wet, and some vehicles did not even have windshield wipers.
Downes and Terry led the Rookie Division from the first day and went on to win the division, which included 40 teams. They recorded eight “aces,” or perfect score segments, and earned $10,000 in prize money.
Downes said the prize money almost covered the cost of participating in the race. He said they had a great time and met many nice people, although living out of a suitcase for six days in an old pickup was not always easy. The team also dealt with several breakdowns along the route but was able to get them repaired After finishing the race in California, Downes still had one more trip ahead of him: returning to Springfield to pick up the car and trailer left there at the start of the race.
Despite the challenges, Downes said the experience left them with many great memories.