Photo by Joe Grippo, one of many excellent shots from the Hershey stop.

We left Binghamton early Thursday morning for an early lunch stop at Cooperstown. The roads were challenging, and the sun brought temperatures that reminded us of the first few days of the Great Race in Chattanooga. The racers were greeted by a large crowd in downtown Cooperstown and were allowed to tour the Baseball Hall of Fame before setting out across the Mohawk Valley and the Leatherstocking region of central New York. After all teams crossed the finish line in front of the Saratoga Auto Museum, Team Fredette won the day with a 10.60-second score. The 1911 Velie of Sharp and Sharp finished second to narrow the gap for the top spot going into the last day. Their 10.98-second day allowed them to gain almost three seconds on the first place Knowles/Gentry team. For overall scores, Knowles/Gentry leads by a mere 2.20 seconds going to the start of the last race day. The Hemmings Speedster had a respectable day, posting a 27.52-second score, and they are still fifth in the Sportsman’s Division and rank 23rd overall. Friday’s racing will be completed by the lunch stop in Stratton, Vermont, and we should know who the winners are by the time they arrive in Bennington this afternoon for the grand finale. With 20 teams still within one minute of the top, and no scores being thrown out, anything can happen and often does in rally racing. The other 39 teams are still trying for that elusive Ace and to be able to drive their car across the finish line under its own power. After more than 1,500 miles in seven days, the motto “To Finish is To Win” has never been so easy to grasp.

For the complete list of scores, visit GreatRace.com.