This years Pinto Stampde will be a mid-west tour starting in Rockford Il to Memphis TN along the Mississippi River Aug 1st- 3rd.We will have a get together the night before we leave at the Bullet Stop gun shop in Loves Park Il. If you want to see 20 or more Pintos in one place from stock to modified stop by after 5pm. As in the past two years we are doing a Wounded Warriors Project fundraiser as part of our drive. Over the past two years we have raised over $ 30,000 and hope to keep that total climbing. For more info contact me or go to pintostampede.com. Below is our offical press release.

Contact: John Mooney, Over The Moon PR, (908) 720-6057 john@overthemoonpr.com
Norman Bagi, (646) 408-7526 or bosspinto@pintostampede.com

Pinto Stampede 2013 Will Roll Down the Mississippi River

Third Annual Celebration by Ford Pinto Enthusiasts Will Raise Money for Wounded Warriors

New York, NY, July 10, 2013 – The Third Annual Pinto Stampede (www.pintostampede.com), a four-day journey in which two dozen vintage Ford Pintos will roll down the Mississippi River and raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project (WWP), will start in Rockford, IL, on Thursday, August 1st and conclude with “victory laps” around the Memphis International Raceway on Sunday, August 4th.

All proceeds from sponsorships and other fundraising efforts will continue to go the Wounded Warrior Project, which helps soldiers returning with disabilities regain normal lives. To date, the Pinto Stampede has raised over $30,000 for the veterans’ organization.

“The Pinto Stampede enables Pinto enthusiasts the opportunity to celebrate our cherished little cars while doing something meaningful for others,” said “Trail Boss” Norm Bagi, organizer of the Pinto Stampede. “We want to keep raising money and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. Donations can be made through the Pinto Stampede website and go directly to the organization.”

Along the route, drivers in The Pinto Stampede will make several stops along the way, including Gateway Motor Park (Madison, IL), where the Pinto drivers will be on the oval and road course and will participate in the Midnight Madness drag racing event. The Stampeders will also visit The John Deere Museum (Davenport, IA); Antique Archaeology (LaClaire, IA); Snake Alley (Burlington, IA), and Memphis International Raceway (Memphis, TN), the final destination of the 2013 Pinto Stampede.

“The first Stampede was such a success we had to keep it going. Those who participated in the second event cried out for more, so this is the third installment,” said Bagi. “Over the past two years we made lasting friendships and dispelled many of the myths associated with the Pinto while raising money for a worthy and noble cause, so we are keeping the Wagon Train rolling.”

Enthusiasts of the Ford Pinto have truly established a unique way of recognizing the compact car, which sold more than 3 million units from 1971-1980. In the 1970s, the Pinto became known for fatalities due to fires caused when the car was rear-ended at high speeds. However, the actual number of fatalities (27) was far less than the “thousands” reported by the media of the era and was consistent with the performance of other compact cars of the time.

2013 Pinto Stampede highlights:

Pre-Stampede:

Monday, July, 29th, 2013, “Trail Boss” Norm Bagi will visit the birthplace of the Ford Pinto: the Ford Plant in Dearborn, Michigan, as well as the Henry Ford Museum.

Day 1 – Thursday, August 1st, 2013
 Pintos leave from Rockford Illinois and drive south along the Lincoln Highway between Rochelle and Sterling, Illinois.
 Visit to Antique Archaeology in LeClaire, Iowa
 Stop at the John Deere Museum in Davenport, Iowa
 Drive down “Snake Alley” in Burlington, Iowa (Photo opportunity)
 End in Fort Madison, Iowa

Day 2 – Friday, August 2nd, 2013
 Pintos leave from Fort Madison and continue down the Mississippi toward the St. Louis area.
 Arrival at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois (ETA 3:00-4:00 PM)
 Pintos drive on the Oval Track and the Road course
 Stampeders watch “Midnight Madness” drag racing and raise money for WWP
 End in Festus, Missouri

Day 3 – Saturday, August 3rd, 2013
 Pintos leave from Festus, Missouri and head on down along the Mississippi
 Stampeders arrive at Memphis International Raceway and raise money for WWP
 Arrival in Memphis to rest the ponies after a three-day trip.

Day 4 – Sunday, August 4th, 2013
 Pintos take “victory laps” at Memphis International Raceway celebrating the end of the trip and the official closing of the 2013 Pinto Stampede (8:30 a.m.)

Ford Pintos By The Numbers

Number of Ford Pintos built and sold from 1971-1980: 3,127,322
Membership of the Pinto Car Club of America (P.C.C.A.): 6,500+
Number of Pintos left: Approximately 5,000-10,000 road worthy Pintos. (Estimated at 100-200 per state)
Years in production: 10 (1971-1980)
Fatalities: 27 tied to the gas tank explosion – fewer than the hundreds per year as portrayed by some media in the 1970s. (The numbers were comparable to the results of other compact cars of the era.)
Amount of money raised by The Pinto Stampede for Wounded Warriors to date: $30,000+

In 2011, enthusiasts of the Ford Pinto, which sold more than 3 million units from 1971-1980, established a unique way of recognizing the compact car’s 40th anniversary by organizing a charity drive entitled The Pinto Stampede. Along the way, the compact cars have done laps at Kansas Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway, and attended the All Ford Nationals at Carlisle, PA.
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