Harvey Herrick Drove Home to Phoenix Through Mexico Without One Repair

Yuma, Arizona Territory, November 5, 1911. Harvey Herrick pulls into the control with the lead in the Los Angeles to Phoenix road race, and he has not stopped once to fix a thing.

He left Los Angeles the night before in a National, one of 16 cars in the race. The finish is in Phoenix, more than 500 miles from the start. Herrick was born there. He won this race a year ago in a Kissel, and a few weeks back he won the road race at Santa Monica.

This year the course is new. It runs down to San Diego, east through El Centro, then across a stretch of Mexico to Yuma. Herrick takes the bonus for the fastest run to San Diego.

Behind him, the desert goes to work. The Pope-Hartford breaks its wheels before it is out of California and loses hours waiting on new ones.

The rules hold the cars overnight at Yuma. In the morning they go out again, and Herrick goes first.

Out of Middle Wells, Harris Hanshue's Mercer runs right on Herrick's tail. Then the Mercer hits a big boulder in the road, and its race is over.

Herrick eases off. He has the lead, and all he needs now is for the car to last. He nurses the National the rest of the way.

In the early afternoon of November 6, the National rolls through the main gate of the Phoenix fairgrounds. The territorial fair is on, and the grandstand roars for the hometown driver. His running time is 20 hours, 22 minutes.

Ralph Hamlin brings his Franklin in second, right where he seems to finish every year.

A few months later, Arizona becomes a state. By then, Harvey Herrick has won the race to Phoenix twice.

What is the longest trip you ever made without having to fix a single thing, and what were you driving?