Good place to "hammer
down:" US Highway 50 near Ely, Nevada |
"Taking a road trip on speed is just stupid, but taking
a speed road trip is a serious undertaking. It requires of the
undertaker abnormally high levels of stamina, energy, street smarts,
faith, and luck."
—Elijah
Nouvelage,
college student & speed demon
Long distance, "get-outta-Dodge" journeys aren't for
everyone, but they hold undeniable appeal for a certain subset
(you know who you are!) of roadtrippers. Here are just a few of
the more interesting high-velocity odysseys we've run across recently.
Car
Rallyes: Explanations of the various kinds of rallies and
links to national events (3/6/05)
Flat
Out on a Public Highway! And it's legal! Three road races
run on public highways in Nevada. 2005 events are May 12 -15, September
13-18, and Septemver 22-25. (2/6/05)
The
Border Challenge: Eight days of pedal-to-the-metal open-road
racing starting in Brownsville, Texas, and finishing 2,500 miles
away in Ensenada, Mexico. The 2005 event is April 22-29.
(2/6/05)
Alcan
5000 Rally: This is an annual nine-day, time/speed/distance
endurance event that starts in the Seattle area, heads north into
British Columbia, zig-zags into Alaska a couple of times, swings
out to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories and finishes up
in Jasper, Alberta.
Gumball
3000 Rally: Those goofy Burt Reynolds films of the 1970s,
"Gumball Rally" and "Cannonball Run," were inspired
by a real but illegal road race known as the "Cannonball Baker
Sea-to-Shining Sea Trophy Dash." In its heyday, daring hotrodders
sped from Times Square, New York, to Long Beach, California. In
1999, entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper launched the current version
of the Gumball, which features a 3,000-mile, six-day road "rally"
which has been held in Europe as well as the United States. Gumball
3000 takes place on public roads, where racers rack up speeding
tickets (and worse) all day and then spend the night partying at
predetermined watering holes along the route. The last United States
event occurred in April, 2003, beginning in San Francisco and ending
in Miami. For interesting commentary from one of the participants
check out Steve
Dunker's Web site.
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