06/02/2026
On Monday June 1, 2026 our 15 Minutes of Fame exhibitor was Roy Sunstrum with his 1978 Ford F-100. This beauty was purchased by Roy in 2017, making Roy the 3rd owner. The truck left the factory painted brown and the original owner re-painted it black, converted from automatic to 5 speed manual transmission and supercharged the original 302 engine. Roy changed out the wheels and tires after purchase.
Until last year Roy also owned a 1970 Ford Torino GT, convertible, which he purchased in 2008. In 2022 Roy participated in the Hemmings Great Race, which ran from Warwick, Rhode Island to Fargo, North Dakota. Once again in 2023, Roy participated and this time the race ran from St. Augustine, Florida to Colorado Springs, Colorado. During the races it was a constant discussion whether the interior of the car was cooler with the black convertible top closed or with the top down under the blazing hot sun 🤔🤔. As well during one of the races, the Torino had some issues, the major one being the lack of power steering for 2 to 3 days.
So for anyone unfamiliar with this race, the following is a short explanation: The Great Race is a time, speed, and distance rally, not a race for top speed. Teams (made up of a driver and a navigator) are given turn-by-turn directions just 30 minutes before departing. They are penalized for arriving at random checkpoints either too early or too late, requiring precise calculations and expert teamwork.
Thank you Roy for sharing.
