The fastest time in SlashGear’s February 2025 ranking is 25 hours, 39 minutes, set in May 2020 by Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt and Dunadel Daryoush in a 2016 Audi S6. The Cannonball Run has no governing body, so these are reported times—not an officially sanctioned world-record table. The ranking below reproduces SlashGear’s ten entries, ordered by elapsed time, and should be read with that limitation in mind.
Top 10 reported Cannonball Run times
The figures and vehicle details below come from SlashGear’s list, published February 27, 2025. The runs are not independently audited measurements here. “Cannonball Run” generally refers to an unsanctioned New York-to-Los Angeles drive; start and finish conventions matter when comparing times.
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| Rank | Elapsed time | Date | Vehicle | Driver or crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 hours, 39 minutes | May 2020 | 2016 Audi S6 | Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt and Dunadel Daryoush |
| 2 | 25 hours, 57 minutes | October 2020 | 2019 BMW M5 Competition | Chris Benvie, Chris Duerden and Safi Barqawi |
| 3 | 26 hours, 29 minutes | May 2020 | 2017 Audi S8 Plus | Chris Benvie, Chris Duerden and Samuel Lurie |
| 4 | 26 hours, 38 minutes | April 2020 | 2019 Audi A8L | Chris Allen, James Allen and Kale Odhner, previously known as Captain Chaos |
| 5 | 26 hours, 43 minutes | April 2020 | 2017 Audi S8 Plus | Chris Benvie, Chris Duerden and Matt Fried |
| 6 | 27 hours, 16 minutes | August 2024 | 2015 BMW 535d | Christopher Stowell, solo |
| 7 | 27 hours, 25 minutes | November 2019 | 2015 Mercedes-Benz E63 S AMG, “Angry Ursula” | Arne Toman, Doug Tabbutt and Berkeley Chadwick |
| 8 | 27 hours, 54 minutes | April 2020 | 2016 Cadillac ATS Sedan | Carl “Yumi” Dietz, solo |
| 9 | 28 hours, 30 minutes | April 2020 | 2014 Volkswagen Passat TDI | Sean Petr, Jason Adkins and Mark Spence |
| 10 | 28 hours, 50 minutes | October 2013 | 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG | Ed Bolian, Dave Black and Dan Huang |
SlashGear’s entry for the third-place Audi S8 Plus gives 26:29 in its heading and opening, but later includes a conflicting 29:29 figure. The ranking uses 26:29, the time presented in the heading and opening.
How comparable are these times?
Seven of the ten entries are from 2020
Seven runs in this ranking took place in 2020, during the Covid-era shutdowns. SlashGear notes debate about how those circumstances affect comparisons, and Road & Track’s historical rundown specifically says the Audi A8 team benefited from reduced traffic during shutdowns. That is relevant context for comparing elapsed times, but it does not by itself establish that a particular run should be excluded.
The route and start point can differ
The 28:30 Passat TDI run began in Darien, Connecticut, rather than New York City, according to SlashGear. That difference matters when comparing it with runs described as New York-to-Los Angeles. The 2013 CL55 AMG entry is described as running from the Red Ball Garage to the Portofino Hotel. Elapsed times are most meaningful when the start and finish conventions match.
Solo and crew runs are mixed together
This is a general elapsed-time ranking, not a single-category comparison. It includes solo drives, such as Christopher Stowell’s 2024 BMW 535d run and Carl Dietz’s Cadillac ATS run, alongside multi-person crews. Other Cannonball categories—including solo, electric-vehicle and three-wheeled records—are tracked separately in Ed Bolian’s record-history overview; they should not be blended into this list without identifying the category.
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What stands out about the leading entries?
The 25:39 Audi S6 run
SlashGear reports that the top-ranked 2020 Audi S6 covered 2,816 miles at a 110 mph average, spent 31 minutes stopped and reached a reported top speed of 175 mph. Those are figures attributed to the article, not independently audited measurements. The reported average and top speed also describe an exceptionally dangerous pace on public roads—not a safe or lawful driving target.
The 2024 run outside the Covid-era cluster
At 27:16, Christopher Stowell’s August 2024 solo run in a 2015 BMW 535d is the fastest entry in this ranking that was not set during the Covid-era cluster. SlashGear also describes it as the fastest non-Covid run and the diesel record at the time of its February 2025 publication. Those labels reflect that publication’s cutoff, not a guarantee that the records remain current.
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The older 2013 entry
The tenth-place 28:50 run in a 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG was driven by Ed Bolian, Dave Black and Dan Huang. SlashGear reports 2,814 miles, a 98 mph average and 46 minutes stopped. Road & Track’s December 2020 history traces the progression from Alex Roy and David Maher’s 31:04 in 2006 through the 2013, 2019 and 2020 runs, ending with the same 25:39 Audi S6 time.
These are dangerous, unsanctioned drives—not a challenge to copy
The Cannonball is an underground high-speed drive on public roads, not a sanctioned competition with controlled conditions. Road & Track characterizes it as an illegal race. High-speed driving puts drivers, passengers and other road users at serious risk; this ranking is historical context, not advice or an invitation to attempt a run.
Rank #4
In a GQ interview quoted by SlashGear, solo driver Carl “Yumi” Dietz described the appeal this way: “Driving cross-country is about the most American thing you can do. Driving it at speed, I feel, is just the embodiment of the American outlaw spirit, kind of civil disobedience at its finest.” The quote conveys one participant’s view; it does not make the activity safe or legal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources and cutoff
- SlashGear’s top-ten ranking, published February 27, 2025, is the source for the table and reported run details.
- Road & Track’s historical rundown, published December 25, 2020, provides historical context and discusses the shutdown-era traffic conditions.
- Ed Bolian’s record-history overview, published November 20, 2015, distinguishes Cannonball record categories.
Because the challenge is unsanctioned and its times are reported rather than governed by one authority, the February 2025 list is a dated snapshot—not proof that no faster run has since been reported.
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