PASADENA, CA (WGNS) - The Stones River Racing Team — a tight‑knit student group from Murfreesboro — has officially won the 2026 Great Race X‑Cup Division, but the announcement didn’t come right away. When the team rolled into Pasadena on Sunday afternoon (6/28/2026), “Bonnie,” their 1953 Pontiac Chieftain, was parked side‑by‑side just before the finish line with a Ford Mustang belonging to their closest rival.

The delay centered on a timing discrepancy involving Mustang Country, the X‑Cup team representing Mustang High School in Mustang, Oklahoma. Their navigators had posted tight scores all week, but a questioned checkpoint during the Arizona‑to‑Nevada segment triggered a full review of their timing sheets and procedures. With the Stones River students standing only seconds ahead in the division, the ruling carried real weight. Officials needed to be absolutely certain before declaring a winner, and that meant the Murfreesboro team had to wait for the official word rather than receiving an immediate celebration at the finish line.

In the end, the review confirmed Stones River’s lead, securing the national title for the Rutherford Count students. The moment underscored just how precise the Great Race truly is — a time‑speed‑distance rally where every second counts, every checkpoint is secret, and student teams are held to the same standards as seasoned veterans. For Stones River, the victory was not only a triumph of skill and teamwork, but a reminder of the razor‑thin margins that define this uniquely demanding competition.

A Student Team with Serious Skill

This year’s X‑Cup champions weren’t a college squad or a big automotive tech program. They were three local high school students who spent months learning rally math, antique‑car maintenance, and the art of staying calm under pressure. Navigators Ayden Schoenfield of Riverdale High School, along with Carson Byrd and Owen Mosley of Siegel High School, teamed up with veteran driver and mentor Jeremy Byrd to form Stones River Racing Team 163 — the youth group proudly representing the Stones River Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America.

Their mission was simple to describe but tough to execute and guide a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain named “Bonnie” from Springfield, Illinois, to Pasadena, California, across more than 2,400 miles of historic Route 66. And not just get there — but do it with precision timing, razor‑sharp navigation, and the consistency needed to beat student teams from across the country.

A Rally Where Every Second Counts

The Great Race isn’t a speed contest. It’s a nine‑day endurance rally where teams must hit exact average speeds without GPS, computers, or modern navigation equipment. Students spend hours calculating time‑speed‑distance equations, calling out turns, and adjusting to hundreds of route changes. One missed instruction can cost minutes. One moment of hesitation can erase a day’s worth of perfect driving. But Stones River’s student navigators didn’t flinch. Day after day, they kept “Bonnie” on pace, on time, and at the front of the X‑Cup Division. By the time the rally rolled into Pasadena, the Middle Tennessee team had maintained their lead and secured the national title.

A Car with History — And Heart

“Bonnie,” the team’s green ’53 Pontiac, is practically a celebrity in Great Race circles. Owned and maintained by the Stones River AACA Region, she’s been campaigning for years as part of the club’s youth program. Central Magnet School students previously raced her in the X‑Cup Division, including the 2024 team that made national history as the first middle school group ever to win the division. Now, Bonnie has carried another set of young navigators to victory — proving once again that Murfreesboro’s student teams can compete with anyone, including college programs.

A Community Effort

Behind the wheel and behind the scenes, the Stones River Region of the AACA provides the backbone of the program: the car, the training, the fundraising, and the mentorship that makes these cross‑country adventures possible. Their commitment to youth involvement in the collector‑car hobby has produced multiple national titles and a growing legacy of student success.

As the 2026 Great Race wrapped up in Pasadena, the Stones River Racing Team stood proudly at the finish line — champions once again, and ambassadors for Middle Tennessee’s spirit of teamwork, determination, and community pride. And if you ask anyone who followed their journey along Route 66, they’ll tell you the same thing: these students didn’t just win a race. They made history!