Mark’s Best Time Billings to Great Falls. Rules for Clocking Time

What's your best time? It's a question that guys ask each other all the time. "What's your best time from Billings to Great Falls?' I get asked that one a lot.

I bring this up because I saw a couple of articles in Road & Track Magazine that two guys have set the new EV Cannonball record going coast to coast in 42 hours and 17 minutes. Because it was an electric car, they had to stop and at least partially recharge it several times. So, the car was sitting still and recharging for about seven hours total during this record run.

If this is really true, then how do you drive that fast all the way across the country and not get pulled over even once. As a former "maker of speed records", I find it a little hard to believe. But if it is, these guys are going to sell some electric cars.

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Here are the Wilson rules for timing your speed records. All times are measured ramp to ramp. So as soon as the front tires hit the on-ramp on the interstate, the clock starts. For no interstate records, the clock starts as soon as you pass the city limits.

Billings to Great Falls, my best time was two hours, eleven minutes.

I once made it from the turn at the Blue Basket to Grass Range in 54 minutes. That run included slowing down and doing the speed limit all the way through Roundup. And a magpie that met his demise when I hit him doing 145.

That was a long time ago. Now I drive like an old guy and don't set any more records. I'll always have the stories and several tickets.