Traction 15-6 in Hemmings’ Great Race 2022
A freshly restored 1955 Traction Avant 15-6H participated in Hemmings Great Race 2022. Peter and Eric Hardsteen from Texas purchased the lovely Traction we featured in our Showcase section that was thoroughly and professionally restored by Stephane Palumbo in Montreal, QC Canada. Stephan purchased it from the Citroën collection of Louis Grenier in QC.
The 2022 Hemmings Motor News Great Race presented by Hagerty Drivers Club was a nine day, 2,300 mile journey for 1974 and earlier cars and trucks. Starting on June 18, 130 Great Race cars took the green flag at beautiful Rocky Point State Park in Warwick, and headed West into Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and finally North Dakota.
The course for the race was 9 daily stages between Warwick, Rhode Island and Fargo, North Dakota.
- Day 1 – Warwick, Rhode Island to Windsor Locks, Connecticut
- Day 2 – Windsor Locks, Connecticut to Binghamton, New York
- Day 3 – Binghamton, New York to Erie, Pennsylvania
- Day 4 – Erie, Pennsylvania to Perrysburg, Ohio;
- Day 5 – Perrysburg, Ohio to Plainfield, Illinois
- Day 6 – Plainfield, Illinois to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
- Day 7 – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin to Duluth, Minnesota
- Day 8 – Duluth, Minnesota to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
- Day 9 – Detroit Lakes, Minnesota to finish in Fargo, North Dakota.
There was no shortage of great stops this year, with thousands of excited spectators, welcoming the cars into various towns.
Peter and Eric placed 51st overall out of 105 finishers. But it really wasn’t about the finish position — it was about the ride! And what a ride it was in a hydraulic suspended rear-end Traction with extended torsion bars up-front — what Citroën fitted to the 15-6 (six-cylinder model) to give it an amazingly smooth ride as a prelude to the DS that the company introduced that same year.
Many participants make big sacrifices to compete in the Great Race, and just about every participant schedules their lives around the Great Race making plans well in advance to be in it. It’s this kind of dedication that has made the Great Race such an awesome event.
If you would like to know more about The Great Race, go to: www.greatrace.com