APEX: The Secret Race Across America could only be made for one reason—extensive onboard camera footage of Alex Roy and David Diem’s car and progress during the 1983 race. Cameras take you inside and outside the vehicle, and 3,000 feet above the car, capturing every moment as proof of what they accomplished.
Without going into much detail, racing across America is not a simple matter of driving fast. Teams have to work their way around ever-changing elements like weather, city traffic, annoyed truck drivers, and the cops. Any one of these elements can slow you down, and the last one can end your journey for good. Roy and Diem’s car is fully equipped with laser jammers, radar detectors, CB radios, GPS, and night-vision cameras to give them the edge. Oh, let’s also not forget that they hired a plane to follow them, which comes in useful with the Oklahoma police. There’s a sequence involving a police chase that would make the Bandit proud.
“…full of thrills, intrigue, and a bunch of crazy characters who just want to win and push the limits of auto engineering…”
The other obstacle is mental fatigue. The duo hopes to complete the race in under 35 hours with no sleep and being ever vigilant about their road safety, traffic pattern, alternate routes, and the above constraints, primarily the police. Let’s remember that traveling above 100 MPH is a felony in most states.
APEX: The Secret Race Across America is an exciting documentary about an underground race that only a handful of people knew about. Who doesn’t love that? It’s full of thrills, intrigue, and a bunch of crazy characters who just want to win and push the limits of auto engineering, mental skill, and a game against nature, the elements, and the cops. There’s a coolness factor as this story could only be told today as the statute of limitations has lapsed, and all the footage in the film is basically evidence against Alex Roy, David Diem, and everyone else involved.
I hope I’ve sold you on this real-life story of Smokey and the Bandit. APEX: The Secret Race Across America is just as exciting as the danger depicted is real.
"…an underground race that only a handful of people knew about."
You really butchered the facts on this story. It’s Dave Maher not Dave Diem. The time they were attempting to break was the time set in the 80’s of something like 33 hours not 55 hours set in the 30’s. They also set the record in 2006. The real question is did you even watch the documentary?