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2006 Gumball 3000
By: Frank Filipponio
Photos by Frank Filipponio and Drew Phillips
May 09, 2006

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Crazy-Rich Celebrities and Billionaire Businessmen Racing (and Partying) across Three Continents on a 3,000-Mile High- Adrernaline Trek.

The eighth annual Gumball 3000, the world’s largest cult car rally, combines Phileas Fogg's quest to traverse the world in 80 days with a rock star-style tour – a 3,000 - mile adventure around the world, which began in London (April 30), made its way through Europe and Asia, and finished on May 7 with a celebrity welcome on Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive.

While 120 cars may have started the race, far fewer made it to the Rodeo Drive finish line. Aside from some well-documented and spectacular crashes, there were several arrests and a few entrants withdrew from competition, bypassing the final checkpoints and opting to head straight to the Beverly Hilton. After battling neck and neck for nearly 3,000 miles, it was fitting that Team Polizei (Bentley Continental GT) and Team Torquenstein (Ford GT) drove across the finish line together to share the win. But the Gumball is about a lot more than winning or losing.

Picture pretty Brit actress Martine McCutcheon (EastEnders, Love Actually) in her Team 8 pink Land Rover racing against adrenaline junkies Tony Hawk, Bam Margera, Carey Hart and 200 other testosterone- prone car enthusiasts, spending pit stop evenings partying with Pink and Snoop Dogg and you’ve gotten a peek at what this year’s journey was all about. The prize at the end of this rally is not cash or fame, but rather a bronze bust of Burt Reynolds, who immortalized this type of race as J.J. McClure in Cannonball Run.

Taking a page from 1970s road trip movies and quoted as “the most rock ‘n roll car rally ever staged,” the Gumball 3000 has grown in popularity since it began in 1999, becoming the annual playground for rock stars, supermodels and billionaires alike. With thousands of applicants vying for a space in the rally each year, millions more take to the streets to cheer participants as they drive.

In 2005, more than three million people in 13 countries turned out to watch the rally drive by, garnering media coverage in 153 countries. Even more Gumball 3000 fans were able to watch the rally’s progress on the Internet through live tracking of contestants and daily photo blogs from entrants.

Perfectly demonstrating Gumball’s spirit, Team Flash driver Paul Naden (aka Nods) discussed his brush with death while piloting his freshly repainted, lightning-streaked purple Murcielago Roadster through the rainforests of Thailand:

“Good job I slid into a perfect parking spot outside a bar! The Thai girls came out with cold beers and noodles whilst we waited for a tow truck. They laid out a big mat for us as all the local kids came up to us all wide-eyed and excited. They treated us like gods. We got a lift in the backof a pickup to Bangkok. Got there 3-ish, had a beer and caught a jet to Salt Lake. I had asked the tow-guy how much the damage was and he didn’t want to say. So I asked him what he earned in a week. It was pitiful. I offered him about 20 times that amount and he refused it, saying it was far too generous. Amazing people. Wonderful experience.”

Brittish singer/actress/part-time round-the-world-racer, Martine McCutcheon showed up at the Beverly Hilton final stop looking exhausted, but as beautiful as ever. “It was grueling. I did quite a bit of driving and it was loads of fun. The people and the whole thing have been just lovely. It was wonderful.”

“If Batman took a vacation, he’d do the Gumball,” said founder and entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper, before changing hats and turning into The Promoter: “Gumball is not just a rally, it’s becoming a way of life. We embrace the attributes of the sports, music, fashion and film industries, and are creating a lifestyle brand for everyone. Through this rally, we’re forging ties with corporations and citizens of the world.”

Capitalizing on the success and fan base of the rally – and the various television series and documentaries it has inspired – Gumball 3000 has rapidly grown into a multi-million dollar lifestyle brand. Through this brand, one-time race driver, fashion designer, footballer, skateboarder and BMX rider, Cooper, is gearing up for a record year as he launches a fashion line, music label and publishing and film companies. His Gumball 3000-branded clothing line debuts at Selfridges in London on the eve of this year’s rally.

Proving to be as much a marketing opportunity as a race, the Gumball 3000 has also become a ‘who’s who’ of sponsors. The 2006 rally saw sponsors such as: Intel, Von Zipper, Playboy, Rock Star Energy Drink, Alpine Stars, Ministry of Sound, Hasbro Toys, Top Trumps, Co-Pilot Satellite Navigation, Davida Helmets, Peter Morton’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Transcar, Celebrity Poker Shootout and Iceland Air, among others.

The 2006 Gumball 3000 Rally Route

Setting the benchmark for modern day explorers, the start flag to the 2006 Gumball 3000 dropped in central London on Pall Mall before hundreds of thousands of fans on Sunday, April 30. Here, 120 of the world’s most expensive, luxurious and eccentric cars, driven by an eclectic group of enthusiasts, set off on their adventure, driving a 1,000-mile route through Europe, crossing the capital cities of Brussels, Vienna and Budapest. Upon reaching war torn Belgrade, the group was airlifted in three Russian Antanov cargo planes and a private Gumball 3000 Iceland Air Boeing 757 to Asia for stage two of the rally.

After landing on the island of Phuket in Thailand as the guests of the Thai royal family, the Gumballers followed another 1,000-mile route through the beaches and tropical rainforests of Thailand, reaching Bangkok and a party befitting the group.

The following day, the rally participants and their cars again traveled by air, this time to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the final 1,000 miles of the rally. Before leaving their first American destination, the Gumballers attended a private screening of Mission Impossible 3 (M:I:3) and were among the first to circle the new $100 million Miller Park Raceway.

From there, they made their way through the Bonneville Salt Flats and desert to Las Vegas for an exclusive performance by Snoop Dogg at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The final day took the drivers via the serene nothingness of Death Valley before crossing the finish line on the closed-off, famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. From there, they paraded their cars to The Beverly Hilton before attending a finale celebration at the Playboy Mansion, where famed DJ AM spun accompanied by Travis Barker playing percussion and Hugh Hefner presenting the rally awards.

About Gumball 3000

Maximillion Cooper launched Gumball 3000 in 1999 when he invited 50 of his friends to take part in a 3,000-mile rally around Europe. Eight years later, Gumball has consistently hit the headlines as "Cool Britannia's" most unique addition to pop culture. Each year the route changes, but the foundation of the rally stays the same: 3,000 miles of driving adventure with the most eccentric group of thrill-seekers imaginable, competing for the coveted Burt Reynolds statue and partying every night with the who’s who of international society and pop culture. Cars featured on the rally range from million-dollar ‘one-off’ supercars to customized VW campers and even ice cream trucks. The cost for entering the rally this year was approximately $70,000.

For more information and a complete list of results, visit
www.gumball3000.com .