With the news out today that next year's annual classic car Great American Race will kick off in Concord, North Carolina next June 30 (and end 4,000 miles away on July 14 in Orange Country, California), it's a good idea to clarify how this race relates to another "great race" coming in the near future.

I'm talking about the "First Ever World Race For Alternative Fuel Automobiles," where alternative fuel and hybrid-powered automobiles will compete in a race that goes around the world. This race is called the "Great Race World 35,000km, New York to Paris 2008," and will offer $1 million Innovation Prize to the Innovation Technology division winner. This race starts in New York City in the middle of February 2008 (hopefully biodiesel users will have cold-weather gelling figured out by then) and end 80 days later at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 80 days, huh? Clever. This race in being held to commemorate the Greatest Auto Race, a famous round-the-world race held in 1908. Teams have until the end of this year to enter applications for the "Great Race World 35,000km." The Great American Race is a domestic recreation of the Greatest Auto Race.

[Source: Great Race]