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A new world record attempt got underway just after midnight

A new world record attempt got underway just after midnight as 70-year-old Vintage Adventurer Rod Wade and his co-driver Michael Flanders drove their 1930 Ford Model A off the sandy beach at Ocean Avenue, Staten Island at 00:01am on Columbus Day (Monday October 14th), heading for Venice Beach, California in under 60 hours.

The motoring duowill travel through ten states as they attempt the 2,947 mile non-stop drive in under 60 hours. Their planned route will take them along the Lincoln Highway, the pioneering American transcontinental route as well as down sections of iconic Route 66.

After leaving Staten Island, the Vintage Adventurer headed for Columbus on the i-70, before moving onto St Louis, Kansas City, Emporia, Wichita, and the Route 66 Park near Oklahoma City. Then it's highway 40 to Amarillo, Albuquerque, Kingman and Barstow before they start to head through Los Angeles and the finishing point of the Venice Beach fishing pier.

The car - a 1930 Ford Model A - is well accustomed to handling tough terrain as it has recently completed the Peking to Paris Rally, considered to be the world's greatest motoring challenge.

The "Ocean to Ocean Challenge - America" will raise much needed money for the American Kidney Fund. With kidney disease affecting Rod's wife and daughter, he has raised thousands for Kidney Health Australia and now is looking to support kidney sufferers in the USA.

Rod added: "The money we have raised in Australia will allow us to outfit RVs and campervans with dialysis machines so people requiring dialysis can have a little personal freedom to travel and enjoy life, instead of needing to be constantly within reach of a machine at their home, clinic, or hospital. We're hoping that through this world record attempt, we can do the same for those having treatment in America."

For more information on the Ocean to Ocean Challenge, the Vintage Adventurer and the latest updates, visit www.vintageadventurer.com.