The stunt jump at the Carlisle Chevrolet Nationals on June 22 lasted only a few seconds, but it was an open question about whether the vehicle would be drivable again - or if the driver would walk away unharmed.

For Raymond Kohn, the stunt driver with Northeast Ohio Dukes, walking away at all after such a jump wasn’t always an option.

“This is my 12th year[of stunt driving], and I’ve jumped [a recreation of the “Dukes of Hazzard” car] the General Lee 22 times,” Kohn said. “I’ve had about nine concussions, about eight broken ankles. I’ve broken my wrist in Detroit, I’ve broken my collarbone and had severe whiplash.”

Instead of doing a stunt jump with 1969 Dodge Charger that the Duke boys were famed for driving on the aforementioned TV series, Kohn was behind the wheel of a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am - the vehicle used by Burt Reynold’s character in the film “Smokey and the Bandit.”

Kohn’s jump at the Carlisle Fairgrounds recreated the bridge jump made in the film, as a tribute to Reynolds following his death in September of 2018.

And just like in the film, there was no landing ramp.

“There was never a landing ramp in Hazzard County, or in ‘Smokey and the Bandit',” he said. “And that’s what we’re doing now. We’re going to stay true to Hollywood, stay true to the movies, and the TV shows, and we’re going to do it old school, the right way.”

Watch the live video of the jump below:

Fortunately, Kohn did indeed walk away unharmed and under his own power after the jump, addressing a cheering crowd only minutes after his crash landing.

Kohn first did a stunt jump in 2007, thinking it would be a “one-time thing.” But the demand for further stunt jumps led him to quitting his job to pursue more of these kinds of events.

“The financial reward hasn’t really been there yet for me, but definitely the fame and the glory and the love of the fans,” he said.

Kohn was quick to admit that he’s far from fearless when he gets behind the wheels for such stunts.

“I’m scared to death,” he said. “But it’s about confronting your fears. Last night I had to battle a lot of demons. But we’re here and we’re going to show these people a good time.”

The rush of excitement when he’s in the air is what brings him back - that, and love of the stories from his childhood.

“I was born in ’77, the year ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ came out,” Kohn said. “I remember my dad and older brothers watching it, and laughing so hard at Jackie Gleeson. It was a good old boy thing. There was always that story of the cat and mouse. and it reminds us of our childhood."

Kohn said his jumps are also a response to criticisms of Confederate symbols, particularly the Confederate battle flag which features prominently the hood of the car in “The Dukes of Hazzard” as well as on the license plate of the car in “Smokey and the Bandit.”

“The shows that we’ve grown up with in the ’70s and ’80s, they’re all under attack by political correctness,” he said. “I’m just trying to do my small part to keep those iconic movies and TV shows alive. This is my tribute to that great stuntman, Burt Reynolds. Not a lot of people know that he was a stuntman before he was an actor. If we didn’t have the guys out there restoring the Chargers and the Trans Ams, these things would die. I believe it’s up to the children of the ’70s and ’80s to keep it going. Otherwise nobody is going to remember it”

However, Kohn was also quick to denounce those who use the Confederate flag to propagate hate, discrimination or white supremacy.

“We are against any kind of white supremacy, any kind of racism or prejudice. The people who are against the flag, I understand where they’re coming from. I’m mad for them. I would definitely tell them that we’re on their side, and we’re against that too. People who take the Confederate flag and stain it with hatred and racism, they bring dishonor to the flag.”