Driver Jeremy Byrd and three Middle Tennessee student navigators complete a 2,300-mile Route 66 rally to claim first place, cementing a growing dynasty in precision motorsport.
By Mike Sparks | TennesseeLedger.com | June 30, 2026
PASADENA, Calif. — They left Middle Tennessee nine days ago with a , a stack of stopwatch calculations, and a dream. They came home champions.
The Stones River Racing Team, representing the Stones River Car Club of the Antique Automobile Club of America, has won first place in the X-Cup Division of the 2026 Hemmings Great Race, completing the legendary nine-day, 2,300-mile endurance rally from Springfield, Illinois, to Pasadena, California. Driver Jeremy Byrd, a Smyrna-area veteran of precision rally events, guided the team across the finish line in a moment that left supporters thousands of miles away in tears.
“I cried like a baby when I saw them cross the finish line,” said one team supporter. “My heart is overflowing with joy.”
Young Navigators Carry the Load
The heart of the team is its three student navigators. Ayden Schoenfield of Riverdale High School, along with Carson Byrd and Owen Mosley of Siegel High School, served as the precision navigators for the entire 2,300-mile run. Their job was anything but simple. The Great Race bans GPS, modern navigation tools, and even speedometers. Success depends entirely on stopwatch math, mechanical intuition, and split-second teamwork. Competitors must maintain exact assigned speeds over hundreds of miles per day, judged to the second.
Over nine days and 17 host cities, the boys learned together, worked together, and fought hard together, building the kind of bonds that outlast any trophy. On Day 6 alone, racing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Flagstaff, Arizona, the team finished just 9 seconds off their target time despite absorbing a 5-second penalty, a performance that left coaches and parents beaming.
“This event is about much more than competition. These young men have spent countless hours preparing, learning precision rally techniques, and working together as a team. Watching them perform at this level has been incredibly rewarding.”
— Jeremy Byrd, Team Driver
A Race Built on Precision, Not Speed
Now in its decades-long history, the Great Race is one of America’s most demanding vintage automobile rallies. The 2026 edition launched June 20 in Springfield, Illinois, as an official Route 66 Centennial event, marking 100 years of the Mother Road. More than 120 vehicles, all 1974 or older, took the starting line and wound through 17 cities across the American heartland and Southwest before culminating in Pasadena.
The final western stages were among the most demanding of the rally. Stage 6 carried competitors from the cool ponderosa pines of Flagstaff westward into the desert heat of Laughlin, Nevada, requiring sharp focus, steady nerves, and flawless teamwork. From Laughlin, teams crossed into California for the last two stages before Sunday’s grand finish.
History Repeating Itself
This is not the first time the Stones River Racing Team has made history. In 2024, the group became the first middle school team ever to win the Great Race outright, beating out college programs from across the country. That breakthrough set the stage for what has now become a dynasty in the making. With back-to-back Great Race championships in their growing legacy, these young men from Rutherford County are proving that Tennessee can compete, and win, on any stage in America.
A Team Effort from Start to Finish
Behind every champion is a team that makes it possible. The Stones River Racing Team credits driver Jeremy Byrd for his steady hand behind the wheel, and mechanic Dean Holland for keeping the vintage machine race-ready across thousands of miles of varied terrain over the past six years. Team moms Misty and April kept spirits high, while Emma filled the role of supportive little sister along the route. Gary and Vicky served as the backbone of the support crew, traveling alongside as the dedicated grandparent supporters.
Between rally stages, the support crew found moments to take in the natural wonders of the American West, including a stop at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, a reminder that the journey itself, not just the destination, was something worth savoring. “It was amazing to see the beautiful petrified wood and experience such a unique part of God’s creation,” one team member noted.
Rutherford County Cheers Them Home
The team has been followed closely throughout the rally by supporters and fans across Middle Tennessee, many tracking daily updates on social media as the boys pushed deeper into the Southwest. The outpouring of encouragement from the local community, from Smyrna to Murfreesboro and across Rutherford County, served as fuel for the team on the harder days of the rally.
The Stones River Racing Team extends its deepest appreciation to all sponsors, supporters, and the Middle Tennessee community who prayed for safe travels, good health, and victory every single mile of the way.
