Fireball Run racing toward Cedar Rapids today

Three Lamborghinis against a Model T? A pair of Deloreans vs. a tiny Smart car? A 2011 Camaro SS facing off against a Ford Coachman RV?

How fair is that?

Very, when you consider these are among the dozens of cars scheduled to arrive at Greene Square Park in Cedar Rapids about 5 p.m. Friday in the annual Fireball Run, a cross-country road rally designed to bring awarness to the general public about missing children.

Among the participants are “The Spirit of Cedar Rapids,” a 2006 Audi S4 driven by Bart Woods of Primus Construction and Pete Lammers of European Motors to represent Erin Pospisil, the 15-year-old girl who disappeared from Cedar Rapids on June 3, 2001.

Officially dubbed the Fireball Run Adventurally & Race to Recover America's Missing Children, organizers say the combination race, rally and games event has helped locate 32 missing children. The 9-day event that covers 3,500 miles began Thursday in Henderson, Nev., and winds its way through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Missouri before coming to Cedar Rapids. Saturday's final leg goes to the drag strip at Cordova, Ill. on the way to Galena.

In the Fireball Run, teams score points during the road rally from place to place, in speed events at area race tracks and in the game portion where “missions” call for them to visit certain locations or perform certain ”stunts.”

Woods, for example, in a post for The Spirit of Cedar Rapids web site, talked about the need to buy, light and photograph sparklers near Albuquerque to earn points.  He also commented about the stop at Blue Hole City Park in Santa Rosa, N.M.

“This is a fresh water spring measuring 80 feet in diameter and 81 feet deep,” he wrote. ” Those of you that know of my love for water will understand why Pete did this mission.  We received 60 points for Pete going down into the frigid water up to his neck.”

Before arriving at Greene Square Park, the teams will visit Bloomsbury Farms' corn maze designed with the Fireball Run logo, several other area locations and Four Oaks, one of the rally's beneficiaries. The cars will be on display at the park from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a private VIP reception following at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. Participants will stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

In addition Friday night, people 21 and older are invited to participate in a pub crawl that begins at 6:30 p.m. from Greene Square Park. (Registration is from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) Participants will perform a task at each bar in a competition to win prizes including a hot air balloon ride.

Mayor Ron Corbett is scheduled to wave the green flag around 10 a.m. Saturday at Greene Square Park for cars to begin the last leg of the rally.

In addition to a 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo driven by Valentino Balboni, others cars making the trip include a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, a 1981 GMC ambulance, a 1968 Dodge Charger, at least two Ford Mustangs and a 1932 Custom Ultra. For more information about the Fireball Run go to

http://www.fireballrun.com