EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — The 2025 Great Race, a nine-day classic car rally, took a lunch stop in Effingham on Tuesday.

The Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Coker Tire spans more than 2,300 miles and features 120 of the world’s best antique automobiles. The entire event features 17 city stops, including the lunch stop hosted by Visit Effingham at the Effingham Performance Center.

Tuesday’s event kicked off at 10:45 a.m., with the cars rolling in at approximately 11 a.m. and leaving at 2 p.m. Izy’s Shiver Shack was onsite from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and provided treats for the public to purchase.

This yearly event features a different route each year, which offers an opportunity for Effingham residents and those from nearby communities to see the cars and meet the drivers from all across the world, vying for the $160,000 purse.

After their stop in Effingham, the racers were back on the road to head to Kentucky. Each stop on the Great Race is free to the public and spectators are able to visit the participants and look at the cars.

“When the Great Race pulls into a city it becomes an instant festival,” Jeff Stumb, Great Race Director, said. “Last year, we had several overnight stops with more than 10,000 spectators, on our way to having 250,000 people see the Great Race during the event. There are more than 500 people just in our entourage.”

Cars and teams from Japan, England, Australia, Canada and all across the country participate in the Great Race. Cars, trucks and motorcycles built in 1974 and earlier are eligible to compete and the scoring system includes an age factor to keep the earlier cars competitive. A 1912 Haynes, a 1913 Chevrolet, a 1916 Hudson and a 1918 American LaFrance are the oldest cars scheduled to be in the 2025 Great Race.

This year’s event began on June 21 in St. Paul, MN and will finish in Irmo, SC on June 29. The 17 host cities are in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virgina, North Carolina and South Carolina.

For more information, visit greatrace.com or visit the Great Race Facebook page.