The 2024 Route 66 Mother Road Festival, held from September 27-29, has wrapped up and it was another incredible success. Festival organizer Greg Cooper announced that there were 1,006 vehicles registered for display, just 30 shy of the record.
A noteworthy moment occurred during the Isringhausen Imports Burnout Contest when 79-year-old "Grannie" Annie Kohler took home the top prize in her classic white Cadillac. "The crowd loved the vintage car and the vintage driver," Annie shared on her Facebook. "The announcer said it was the first time in event history that a woman was in the contest."
Among the first to celebrate Annie’s win was celebrity guest Chris Jacobs, known for his role as a former host on TV’s "Overhaulin'" and currently part of the Mecum car auction broadcast crew. Chris enjoyed a ride with Annie in her Cadillac and shared a video of their experience online.
Annie is on a roll and doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Just a couple of weeks earlier, on September 14, she secured first place in a burnout contest at the Fall Fest in Bunker Hill, Illinois.
Annie reflected on her winning ways in another Facebook post, thanking "the good Lord for leaving me here long enough to have so much fun!"
Congratulations, Annie! You’re truly an inspiration to us all!