Gumball 3000

                While sorting through some pictures on my iPhone the other day I found a group I had taken in New York last year. It was a damp, rainy Sunday morning and I had gone out for a walk. For some reason I was drawn to Time Square, a place affectionately known in our family as “tourist hell” and a place where I generally try to avoid. But that morning I went and found some amazing subjects to photograph.

What made these pictures special (despite the quality) and why I had taken them and kept them was the fact that these were cars that had been racing in the annual Gumball 3000 rally. Not familiar with Gumball 3000? Since 1999 the Gumball 3000 rally has drawn drivers from all over the world to compete in an international multi-day 3000 mile race.

The 2010 event started in London and went to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Boston, Quebec City, and Toronto before winding up in New York’s Time Square.

Loosely based on the 1976 feature Gumball Rally, which saw a group of people from different backgrounds who take part in a no holds barred cross country auto rally.  

This year’s event began in London and traversed eight countries in eight days. Drivers rallied from London to Paris, Barcelona, Monaco, Venice, Belgrade, Sofia, and finally ended up in Istanbul. Next year’s race is all in North America, going, as they put it, from sea to shining sea encompassing eight cities, two countries and 12 different states. The race will begin in New York City the race progresses through Toronto, Indianapolis (which will include a stopover to watch the Indy 500 track), Dallas, New Mexico, and Las Vegas before ending up in Los Angeles.

If you’re interested in signing up for next year’s race, check out the web site at http://www.gumball3000.com/. Just keep in mind that the entry fee is 25,000 British Pounds. That does include all of your hotels, meals and parties along the way.