Burt Reynolds turned down a huge sum of money from Orion Pictures to return for this movie, to focus on shedding his "good ole boy" image, and becoming a serious actor. The film was subsequently re-cast and the title changed to "Speed Zone".
The only character to return from The Cannonball Run movies is Jamie Farr as the Sheik.
Considered to be a distant relative of The Cannonball Run films, and was at one point going to be called "Cannonball Run III".
As of 2025, this movie has never been officially released on DVD or Blu-Ray. All discs currently for sale are simply bootleg copies of the original VHS release.
One of three films the late John Candy would star in 1989. The others were the surprise hit "Who's Harry Crumb?" and the John Hughes-directed blockbuster "Uncle Buck".