Latest Cannonball Rally

[Two Lane]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-657044,00.html

 

[turboscott]

While us normal guys are out working these rich people are out racing. Must be nice to have that kind of money.

 

[bishir]

Another example of how you can get away with anything if you have enough money...

 

[bsdlinux]

Originally posted by TimesOnline
The Gumball 3000 is inspired by the 1981 film The Cannonball Run,

WTF....

There was a movie in the 70's called the Gumball Rally. This movie came out way before the Cannonball Run. I believe it was also based on true events, but didn't get the press.

 

[bishir]

Another example of how you can get away with anything if you have enough money...

 

[boostedmaxPSI]

Just out of pure luck, I was on vacation in Vegas and the Gumball 3000 race made a night stay at the same hotel I was at.

there were over 150 cars that were at the hotel. I met Maximillion Cooper, Gumabll 3000 host. Mike Tyson, Tony Hawk and another skater Jesse James were there. For any car nut this is the event to see.

I met a guy from Holland who was the 2nd guy to show up in Vegas from Reno doing over 180mph in his new M3 convertable. His M3 was obviously worked over.

I saw an F50, ton of porches and 355/Modenas. If it has performance it was there. I was in a conversation with the owner of the the F50, Joe Macari and in the conversation someone said that one of the coolest cars that they knew of but don't see much anymore is the "Buick Grand National" How cool is that?

I just looked at my wife and smiled

 

[GN One Day...]

Brock Yates has a fit whenever someone mentions the Gumball at the same time as the Cannonball. The Cannonball was most definitely first. Currently reading his book on it "Cannonball!". Pretty cool book with personal accounts from racers in each of the races. This started in 1971 as the Cannonball Baker Sea-to-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash. Still wasn't the first of these races, but it was the first organized with multiple cars. That was a race. They went coast to coast in <33 hrs as the record, treating every gas stop as a pit stop, running as stealthily as possible. The Gumball'ers plaster their cars with stickers so they're easily identified and then wonder why they got a ticket . These morons in the Gumball are a bunch of spoiled rich kids with no respect, too much of Daddy's money and a need to be "cooler" than the next guy. No driving skills were evident to me in the DVD Mishief 3000, just a bunch of jerks that could barely do a burnout when trying really hard to do so. Cannonball was an actual race with selected entrants with skills, the Gumball is a bunch of kids partying. Takes them 5-6 days to do what the Cannonball did in a day and a half.
Also, it was safer back 30 years ago than it is now with the traffic congestion the way it is, even on the interstates. Then add driver's who "think" they know what they're doing because of an expensive car.

 

[Racer X]

Gumball 3000

 

[jmidolo]

PRetty interesting reading, but some of the cars they mention aren't even DOT legal in the states...not sure how they're importing them here and driving em all. Would love to do that though

 

[boostedmaxPSI]

PRetty interesting reading, but some of the cars they mention aren't even DOT legal in the states...not sure how they're importing them here and driving em all. Would love to do that though

Good point. I asked that question as well. I wanted to know how they could get away with their liscense plate being from the europe. One M3's plate was a legit plate that had "FUK IT". You could never get that here in the U.S.

The gentleman from Holland didn't really know either, he just said that becasue our Customs Agency let the cars in the U.S. they had limited time frame to drive them on U.S. HWY's.

 

[jmidolo]

damn...well, I know the M3 can do 150+ no prob stock so it wouldnt take much mod'in to get it to 180 if any..obviously tires.

 

[choppers4life]

why is everyone so bent about this event? do you not realize it is 100% for a charity? they gave all the money last year to the twin tower fund and auctioned off a flippin ferrari.. you guys are supposed to be car nuts.... oh wait, it's not an event hosting a 15 y/o domestic... gimme a brake..;.

 

[boostedmaxPSI]

that's right. This year the money went to a male cancer research.

 

[boostedmaxPSI]

Did you guys read the article attached in this thread? The reporter talks about a cop clocking someone at 210mph.

 

[GN One Day...]

That is great, the charity bit and all. I'm sure that's why those people enter, ship cars and come over from Europe and all. Does that legitimize it? Nope. That's why the still get arrested, tickets etc. It would be fun, I'd love to do something like that, but that doesn't change that it's irresponisble, immature, illegal and it risks others' lives. We're not talking about a sprint here and there, we're talking about people with no driving skill, only money and hangovers driving at top speed for a few thousand miles. The "for charity" line is a BS excuse to cloud better judgement. They don't even race, they just drive fast and pray for the best.

 

[boostedmaxPSI]

That's why the still get arrested, tickets etc

See even the local goverment benifits from this...

 

[GN One Day...]

Well, that's true. I think one guy in Mischief 3000 said he had 7 tickets.

 

[irockwithdirt]

Two years ago my brother and I were going ot enter his car, a 1971 elcamino SS, in this race. Had the entry information packet, confirmation that we would be chosen to race the race (for what that's worth). They guy puting on the race loved the idea of an american muscle car amongst a sea of porsches and ferraris. As things would have it in the end we just weren't ready in time. I'm fairly sure the original cannonball was loosley based on the gumball movie, with the gumball movie being based on the race. Was $8000 to enter, I believe that included nightly lodging during the race. The end of the race that year was a giant party at the playboy mansion. Would have made for some interesting storys

 

[boostedmaxPSI]

I tracked that race last year too. I will tell you next year they are going to give a free admitance to someone. All you have to do is go to their website and answer 10 questions.

 

[GN One Day...]

The first Cannonball was May 3, 1971.
Gumball Rally movie was in 1976. It was inspired by the Cannonball, not the other way around.

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