Great 1909 Auto Race Historical Marker

Gosh, they just don’t do things like this any more. In today’s age of superhighways and GPS receivers, what’s a four day endurance race? This marker in downtown Tampa reads:
From this point in front of the Tampa Daily Times Building on Nov. 23, 1909, was started the Tampa-​to-​Jacksonville «endurance run» to promote good roads for Florida. Sixteen vehicles, plus the «confetti» pathfinding car and a press car, made the grueling four-​day round trip. There were many breakdowns, an accident or two and numerous other tribulations as the early mod-​ls made their way through the mud and the woods and across streams. The promotion did, indeed, spark bond issues and construction of highways in the state. The event was sponsored by the Tampa Automobile Club and The Tampa Daily Times.