By Gazette staff
CNHI
TIFTON —
Locals should be gearing up for the fourth annual Bandit Run through Tifton May 16 when a traveling car show that pays homage to “Smokey and the Bandit,” the 1977 Burt Reynolds classic, brings more than 50 Trans Ams on a tour through the city.
The Bandit Run, sponsored by Restore a Muscle Car of Lincoln, Neb., starts May 15 at the Year One facility in Braselton. Tours, car shows, parades and various special meals are all part of the six-day traveling show.
The Bandit Run was created in 2007 as a re-enactment of the journey portrayed in the film, where Sheriff Buford T. Justice and his son Junior chase a trucker, Snowman, and his buddy Bandit, a runaway bride, Frog and 400 cases of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia. Over the years, however, the event has “become so much bigger and more meaningful,” according to Bandit Run sponsor Dave Hall.
“What started out as a small group of die-hard Trans Am lovers, evolved into a 100-plus group of close kit friends, traveling all over the U.S. with a variety of muscle cars.”
Along with classic cars, Snowman’s rig will also be joining this year’s run. Rumor has it that Smokey may also be in hot pursuit.
Participants of the Bandit Run will leave the Year One facility in Braselton and head to Tifton May 16. They will be rolling into the Agrirama around 3 p.m.
At 5 p.m. May 16, the Trans Ams will parade from the Agrirama, down Eighth Street, turning right onto Forrest Avenue. They will travel down Forrest, taking a left onto Second Street, then a left onto Love Avenue. The cars will travel down Love to Eighth Street and will then return to the Agrirama for a car show.
To find out more information about Tifton events, you can contact Ed Branch, president of the Tiftarea Auto Club at (229) 382-4211. For more information on the Bandit Run, visit www.thebanditrun.com.
