Dust off the cowboy hats, adjust the gain on the old CB radios and prepare to drop that hammer. The Bandit Run is back and for 2013, the route heads West. The Bandit Run is an annual road trip and rolling celebration of the 1977 movie “Smokey and the Bandit.” Although the movie centers around the Pontiac brand with a wicked black Trans Am relentlessly chased by a Pontiac LeMans Police car, the event is open to all makes and models so everyone can participate. 

This year the event will kick off at Restore a Muscle Car in Lincoln Nebraska on July 13th. Over the next six days the tour will follow a route through Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado. Activities scheduled along the way include a visit to Mt. Rushmore, a scenic drive through Custer State Park, laps around Colorado National Speedway and lots of other fun stuff at each stop. The week-long event culminates on July 19th, with a visit to the Coors brewery in Golden Colorado and a big car show at the 2013 Bandit Run’s official end at Golden’s Heritage Square. 

Burt Reynolds, Sally Fields, Jerry Reed, director Hal Needham and the legendary Jackie Gleason combined to produce what could be the most popular car chase movie ever made. In 2007 the Bandit Run was created to commemorate the movie’s 30th anniversary and has grown to become an annual event. Lots of photos and video from previous runs along with registration and other information can be found on the Bandit Run 2013 website, so be sure to check it out.