Fifty-nine-year-old Dave Schaub is going on the trip of a lifetime this fall. The Los Gatos, California, resident and founder of Schaub's Meat, Fish and Poultry will set out Tuesday, September 8th to drive his 1932 Ford roadster through all 49 continental United States in just nine days. That's 9,800 miles in just 216 hours. For each mile he travels, Schaub hopes to raise as much as $50,000 to $100,000 for the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.
An experienced adventurist with many years of cross country hot rod journeys under his belt, Schaub is supremely confident he can go the distance. "I'm doing this because people said it couldn't be done and I've always wanted to find a cool way to help some kids in need," he said. "It's going to be hard. It'll be the ultimate reliability run to test the mettle of me and my machine. I got excited about the whole concept a few years ago through the Iron Butt Association - a group of motorcyclists who bill themselves as the 'World's Toughest Motorcycle Riders'. They've organized several long distance rides around the country for motorcycles, but through all of my research I haven't been able to find anyone who has done all 49 states in a car in nine days. When I get road weary, I will turn my thoughts to the kids. I'm hopeful that will give me the added boost to pull it off."
Sponsors will also have an opportunity to get involved. Schaub's black '32 Ford roadster, built by the Roy Brizio Street Rods shop, will be wrapped in a vinyl cover to carry sponsor logos and signage. Schaub made it clear that he's paying for the gas, food and lodging out of pocket. All private donations he receives will go directly to Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.
His plan is to launch from Needles, California, and head southeast. Once he gets to the Deep South of the Florida panhandle, he'll drive up along the eastern seaboard, going through New England at night before heading back west picking off the Northern states along the Canadian border one by one. His biggest day will see him pick off 12 states in one day's drive time. As he approaches the eastern edge of Washington state, he'll head north through British Columbia before hitting his final destination and 49th state with a stop in Southeast Alaska in the small town of Hyder.
To authenticate his journey, Schaub will keep a time stamped receipt for gasoline and other items in each state he visits. He will use a GPS satellite device known as "SPOT" which will allow Internet users to track his progress in real time on Google Maps through his website.
To donate funds, see the route map, or to ask Dave a question or simply send him well wishes, visit www.49in9.com