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Upon arrival, the route which included the Yukon River and Bering Strait was deemed too treacherous, so the car was shipped to Japan via the steamer S.S. Once across America, the Flyer was shipped up to Valdez, Alaska and was the first car ever seen in the state. He was joined by George Schuster, NY Times Correspondent George MacAdam and assistant Hans Hendrik Hansen along the way to the west coast.

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The Thomas team reached San Francisco first and pioneered cross-country travel in winter.īefore the Thomas Flyer even reached the shores of San Francisco, its key team members were swapped, leaving only George Schuster to do the full distance. Their 22 000 mile journey initially embarked across America in the dead of winter.

The Thomas team faced seven other teams, each from a different country. Sponsored and championed by the New York Times, over 250 000 people came out to witness the start of the 1908 Great Race. Quick preparations were made over three days that included a larger fuel tank, running boards which could be used as planks for traction and spare tires. Available was one of his expensive and lavish Model 35 chassis which featured a standard 70 hp, four cylinder engine. Thomas took advantage of a last minute offer to enter the inaugural edition of the Great Race and represent America. The first and only instance of the Great Race was won in 1908 by this Thomas Flyer from Buffalo. With few roads, hostile conditions, language barriers and mechanical failures, courage, endurance and ingenuity were paramount. It was run across four continents and in the dead of winter to pass the frozen Bering Straits that linked Alaska to Russia. The most adventurous of these was an around-the-world event called the Great Race.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the dawn of the automobile industry motivated several ambitious and expansive races.

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