1980's Flashback Road Trip

In the event you happen to be in Jupiter next Wednesday night and wonder why everyone is dressed like Burt Reynolds and driving a Trans Am.

http://www.brift.org/index.html/

Jupiter, Florida-- Nearly 100 Pontiac Trans Ams and other muscle cars with their Bandit-like drivers, will be roaring into Jupiter, Florida, the hometown of the man who starred as the Bandit in the wildly popular series of movies, Smokey and the Bandit, Mr. Burt Reynolds.

The drivers thunder into town May 19th 2010, as part of their annual road trip dubbed the “Bandit Run” sponsored by Restore a Muscle Car. The run is a mild reenactment of the Bandit’s high-speed escapes from the long arm of the law, “Smokey” better known as Jackie Gleason’s character, Sheriff Buford T. Justice. The Bandit always eludes the bodacious sheriff as he runs interference in his super-charged Trans Am for the Snowman’s 18-wheeler and its cargo of Coors Beer.

This will be the first ever trip of the Bandit Runners to see their idol the Bandit’s museum and celebrate their love of the "Smokey and the Bandit" films.

The “Bandit Bash” is being organized by the Burt Reynolds Institute for Theater and Film (BRIFT), and is sponsored by the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission. “We are proud to be able to be able to help welcome the “Bandit Run” to the Bandit’s hometown, and we encourage the public to come out and see these incredible cars, and enjoy a nice evening in a beautiful venue,” said Chuck Elderd Palm Beach County Film Commissioner.

The Runners, most of them driving replicas of Bandit's Trans Am, and some even dressed to look like the Bandit character Burt Reynolds created, will be pulling into the Jupiter Beach Resort in the early afternoon of the 19th. Then at about 4pm the Bandit Run Drivers will parade from the resort to the beautiful River Walk under the Indiantown Road Bridge, where at 5pm the gates will open to the public for a grand “Bandit Bash” to welcome the “Bandit Runners”.

These great cars will make a wonderful car show for the members of the public who attend the bash. Folks who buy their $15 ticket at the door will see all the Bandit Run cars, and enjoy great music by Cooper Getschal and the Beach Boomers as well as other local bands, food, silent and live auctions featuring Burt Reynolds memorabilia.
There will be souvenir t-shirts, tours of the Burt Reynolds and Friends museum and lots of fun for all!

Along with the incredible Bandit Run cars, a replica of the Snowman’s tractor-trailer will also be on display at the Bandit Bash.

The Bandit Bash gets underway at 5pm and ends at 10pm Wednesday, May 19th.

Tickets are $15 and only available at the gate.

The entrance to the under the bridge River Walk location is just south of Indiantown Road off U.S. Highway One and parking is free.

 

I was driving on US 1 in New Smyrna Beach this morning and stopped to get gas for the ride home. As I turned out of the station, there was a red light and about 100 Trans Ams were in line at the light. They even had a few enclosed support trailers. I thought it was just people from the Jupiter area that were attending, but at the next light I talked to one of the guys and he said that people form all over the country were showing up.

I was in the middle of their convoy and a smokie pulled a couple of the cars in front of me over around Edgewater. They even had CBs and were talking to each other. I turned off to take the scenic route along Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, but when I got back on US 1 in Titusville I met up with a bunch of other Trans Ams and followed them to Jupiter.

Too bad it looks like it is going to be a rainout for their event.