Thanks for posting this as I didn't catch it the other night live or even remember to TiVo.

I'll say again that the book is a great read. Setting the record depends on logistics/planning as much as the driving...and Herr Roy and company certainly sweat the details when it came to that.

He certainly did not make a fool of himself on the show, which I think would be able to do given the reason for his appearance. But then again, Dave's got a thing for speed, too.

Hoon of the year.

Very few times does Letterman let a line go, but I guess that, "I hear you're pretty good", was a bit much for him.

Hoon of the Year or Dick-in-a-Box?

I really wanted to like Mr. Roy and find his story cool, but I guess I've grown up.

My vote is for the latter.

Not something I really approve of, but who am I to judge. Good interview though.

Unlimited resources and utilization of logistical planning contradicts the very essence of hoonery!

I think this is the only time I've ever seen Roy without sunglasses.

@goatrope: but he's a "7-time road rally champion!"

He should have Mr. LeMons on there instead.

Paul Schafer is straight?

@smokeydog001: I must agree. Still, he was really only leveling the playing field with law enforcement. They use planes, choppers, anything. I dunno. There is a good chance he is gonna get a summons from this appearance. If he goes to prison, looks to me like he's gonna end up a catcher, not a pitcher. Not something I'd do, but why not live 'Born To Be Wild'.

@DoctorNine:
I think the statute of limitations is up in the majority of states he drove through...

Alex Roy is pretty much my hero.

I thought you guys hated him:

[jalopnik.com]

@DOCTORNINE

Quite true. I am just old school enough to still believe hoonage should remain in the amateur ranks. Philosophically, I feel professional status corrupts the free spirited inner demon inside all of us. Hooning for a book is like having sex for a cigarette. It just seems so wrong to me.

@66Satellite: He's a deluded idiot.

I really don't know what to think of Alex Roy. I admire his chutzpah and I envy his record (and I won't apologize for that...I've had Cannonball fantasies since I was six years old, and kindly stuff your judgement) but I resent that he basically purchased that record, and I am put off by his slimy, rich kid-slacker affectation and perpetual self-aggrandizement (and the fucking costumes.) After reading The Driver, I was ready to credit him with a bit more sincerity than I first assumed, but following his Letterman smugfest, I'm not so sure.

His repeated nervous/I'm-funny laughter drives me nuts. A cool record but the illegality of it makes it hard to consider him a "real" racer.

I must say, after having a similar but much shorter trip from Chicago to Kansas City, driving for that long even at the speed limit is a bad idea. In 2001 I drove 565 miles from downtown Chicago to Lawrence, KS in exactly 6 hours and 30 minutes which included one fuel/restroom stop of less than 15 min. Thats a total average of 87 mph at night with minimal traffic. Obviously I went over the speed limit at some times but never during traffic congestion (weekday, late night, plenty of open stretches of road to make time on).

After the 6th hour I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Driving 30 hours even with a co-pilot, while trying to break a speed record is a terrible idea. I can agree that the added safety of all the weather and congestion planning, the spotter plane, driver skill/training made Alex's run safer than the stupid kid that will try to emulate him this summer while he's out of school. However, the most skilled driver with all the backup and 4 red bulls in him, will not have good enough concentration or reaction time on the 30th hour to drive 100+ mph through southern California.

I am no saint on the road, but even someone who believes in there own skill should be smart enough to know that their skills are weakened when sleep deprived. They may as well had a few drinks before they left NY.

By the way, the previous trip was completed in a 1994 540i with noting but a k40 radar/laser detector and less than 2 tanks of 93 octane.

The book is actually really good. Especially if you are a fan of rally racing & the gumballs.

@PatFromGundo: Can someone be smug when uttering the line "if you don't have the talent or money for real racing, like me, then you go underground"? Call it faux modesty, but he didn't seem to come off as smug to me. He actually seemed a SLIGHTLY humble when speaking of his wealth, buying equipment off ebay and the fact he has a friend with a plane.

Or maybe I've been taken in by his slimy rich slacker-kid affectations. I suppose either is possible, but I can't deny that I'd try something similar with nigh-unlimited resources.

@clank-o-tron: Maybe "smug" is the wrong word. "Insincere" is closer to what I really think.

If it were just a question of throwing money at the problem, all sorts of people would have beaten the 32:07 record already.

Yeah - it's really not that fast, when you think about it. Ask Google Maps how long it'll take to drive the standard Cannonball route non-stop and it says 42 hours. Doing it in 76% of that time with stops is impressive, but the sustained performance potential of modern GTs would probably be able to push that into the low twenties.

The fact that nobody has actually managed that is, I think, testament to the fact that these guys aren't actually that irresponsible. In a death-proofed car with drop tanks, aerial spotting and benzedrine assistance you could sustain Ludicrous Speed across most of the country with no problem, but that'd require you to have no particular concern for other people.

Some of the rich Gumball idiots do seem to qualify, here, but I don't think it's a fluke that Roy hasn't mowed anyone down.

@Panos540: Nashville to chicago on a motorcycle had a few stops for fuel and a bit of traffic, but no big deal. Chicago back to Nashville for a BS no insurance had to show up for court thing with 1 stop in a car, starting at 10pm no problem. Coming back the next day leaving after court at 11am no problem also.

Wussy.

@beercheck: Deluded? OK...but idiot? I expect better than that.

@PatFromGundo: Smugfest? FYI, going on Letterman with minimal prep and having him toss the script out of the gate is a little more hair-raising than you might think. Haven't you ever seen a bald man get nervous before? ;-)

@PatFromGundo: Wait...now it's "insincere"?? Now that hurts my feelings.

Best, Alex