Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s, there was a restaurant in Goodwives called the Lock, Stock, and Barrel. The LS&B was owned by Darien resident George Lysle who, after a brief tenure on Wall Street, decided to take on the challenge of managing the careers of the most notable names in the auto racing industry at IMG. With George’s connection to motorsports, and his long-time friendship with race car driver Peter Revson, when George opened the LS&B, it became a hangout for local motorsports enthusiasts, and in 1979, the LS&B served as the starting point for the last “official” Cannonball.

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The Cannonball (technically it’s called The Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash) was conceived by automotive journalist Brock Yates – a writer and Editor for Car and Driver magazine. In May 1971, and again in November 1971, November 1972, and April 1975, this infamous cross-country, no-holds-barred outlaw race began in New York City at the Red Ball Garage, and ended at the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach, California. But the 1979 race, the one that inspired the 1981 film “Cannonball Run“, started at the Lock, Stock & Barrel in Darien, CT.

Directed by Hal Needham, the Hollywood blockbuster featured an all-star cast, including Burt Reynolds, Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Sammy Davis Jr., Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Farr, Terry Bradshaw, Jackie Chan (in one of his first screen roles), and many, many others. The fil was so successful that it led to a sequel in 1986 called “Cannonball Run II.”