Visit Joplin is excited to announce that The Hemmings Great Race is making a major stop in Joplin during the 2026 Route 66 Centennial celebration, bringing dozens of vintage automobiles and thousands of spectators to the city along the historic Mother Road. The event is part of the nationwide 2026 Hemmings Great Race, a nine-day classic car rally traveling from Illinois to California along Route 66.
The 2026 Great Race will feature around 130 antique vehicles dating from 1911 to 1974. Unlike a traditional speed race, teams compete in a precision time-speed-endurance rally where drivers attempt to match exact course times on public roads.
Joplin’s stop is scheduled for Sunday, June 21 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm and is expected to become one of the signature Missouri Route 66 events of the centennial year because of the city’s deep connection to classic car culture and Route 66.
The Great Race is designed to be very interactive for fans. Spectators can typically walk right up to the vehicles, meet drivers and navigators, take photos, and see rare classic cars up close, everything from early Ford roadsters to muscle cars and vintage trucks.
The event is free for spectators and because the race travels directly through Route 66 communities, it creates a rolling celebration of Americana across the country.
To prepare for this fun event, a stretch of Joplin’s Main Street will be closed to traffic on Sunday, June 21. Vintage cars will park on Main Street between 1st and 7th Streets, which will close at 10:00 am. They will reopen at 9:15 pm.
Reference:
Patrick Tuttle, Director
Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau
417.625.4789
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