North Little Rock, Arkansas, will host a lunch stop on the 2023 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire on Tuesday, June 27, race organizers have announced.

The Great Race, the world’s premiere old car rally, will bring 120 of the world’s finest antique automobiles to town for the $150,000 event, with the first car rolling into downtown North Little Rock east on Bishop Lindsey Avenue from I-30 starting at 11:45 a.m. North Little Rock Tourism will sponsor lunch from David’s Burgers North Little Rock for race participants and staff.

“We are excited to welcome The Great Race to North Little Rock for the first time,” said Erica Warden, Director of Events for North Little Rock Tourism. “It’s a unique opportunity for us to showcase our beautiful city to visitors from all over the world, and we hope locals will enjoy seeing vintage cars in downtown North Little Rock.”

The June 27 stop in North Little Rock will be free to the public and spectators will be able to visit with participants and look at the cars. The Great Race, which began 40 years ago, is not a speed race, but a time/speed/distance rally. The vehicles, each with a driver and navigator, are given precise instructions each day that detail every move down to the second. They are scored at secret check points along the way and are penalized one second for each second either early or late. As in golf, the lowest score wins. Cars start – and hopefully finish – one minute apart if all goes according to plan. The biggest part of the challenge other than staying on time and following the instructions is getting an old car to the finish line each day, organizers say.