Them Duke boys are at it again, this time in the small town of Somerset, Kentucky. Townfolk recently saw the General Lee take flight once again, just like in the old days, when stunt driver Raymond Kohn jumped a replica 1969 Dodge Charger through the town square’s fountain. The event was the highlight of the Somernites Cruise festival, which is billed as the “The Official Car Cruise Capital Of Kentucky.”
The jump was successful, though many videos uploaded to social media show Kohn and the car enduring a rough landing. The General Lee lost both its passenger door and rear bumper when it touched down after flying through the air around 150 feet. Upon reintroduction to the ground, the car then veered to the left and almost took out a cameraman, as well. “Praise the Lord, everybody’s safe,” Somernites Cruise Executive Director Keith Floyd declared after the jump, according to the Commonwealth Journal.
Why We Still Love The General Lee
Hopefully, it’s not controversial to say the General Lee is one of the most beloved car characters in pop culture, despite its controversy. We’re not here to debate the Confederate flag on the car’s roof and whether it’s appropriate or not in the modern era; for those who don’t like it, check out this guy on TikTok who built the General Grant, a blue ’69 Charger wearing a period-correct version of the Union’s flag on its roof.
All that aside, many of us have fond memories of watching The Dukes of Hazzard on TV back in the early ’80s and for many years after in syndication. Heck, some of us even liked the rebooted film from 2005 starring Johnny Knoxville, Sean William Scott, Jessica Simpson, and Willie Nelson. To have seen a replica General Lee launch through a fountain in person, though, must’ve created an awesome rush of nostalgia for those festival-goers.
The man behind the stunt, Raymond Kohn, told reporters this marked his 30th successful stunt behind the wheel of a replica General Lee, and that his longest jump was 217 feet long. As if the fountain jump weren’t enough, attendees also had the chance to meet Bo Duke himself, actor John Schneider, who was there for a meet-and-greet and to sign autographs.
TopSpeed’s Take
What’s there to say? Who doesn’t love seeing the General Lee fly through the air like an orange streak of rural rebellion? While not incredibly long, this jump did have a water element that upped the ante over your typical stunt. And while landing smack on the pavement wasn’t as graceful as touching down on an opposing ramp might be, it was in character for the car and demonstrated how destructive all those jumps in the TV show were. Some estimates put the number of Chargers the show destroyed at over 300.
Who doesn’t love seeing the General Lee fly through the air like an orange streak of rural rebellion?
Kudos to the Somernites Cruise organizers who realized this would be a big hit, not just in the town of Somerset, but around the country and the world, which is how far videos of the jump have spread in just a couple of days. What famous car should they jump over the fountain next year? Did someone say Bandit’s Trans Am?
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