Gumball 2007: The Governments behind the Rally
Albania, a country not necessarily known for its gestures of largesse, has opened its borders, and Presidential Palace, to the Gumball Rally - a group of Western millionaires driving hugely expensive cars - after they were banned from Germany and Turkey.
Since its inception seven years ago the Rally, a seven day dash for the rich and famous, has shot across several continents without much incident.
There has been the odd speeding ticket but no diplomatic incident. Until now.
On route from London on Sunday on the 3,000 mile ‘cultural tour’, that costs £28,000 to enter, the Gumballers, made up of singers, models, actors and businessmen, including rapper Xzibit, model Caprice and Jamiroquai singer Jay Kay, along with their Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Rollers, were on their way to Frankfurt airport to be airlifted to Istanbul when they were pulled over by the German police at the border.
The officers took away the keys of the first 50 drivers and levied fines on each of them.
Despite months of negotiations with German authorities, who were more than happy to have the rally go through their country, one over-zealous officer seems to have taken it upon himself to send out a letter to all 17 countries involved, warning them that an “illegal race” was about to zoom through their streets.
The mix-up, it appears, occurred when the officer did not understand the word rally, so wrongly interpreted it as a race.
As a result Turkey refused to accept them and the 240 drivers in 120 cars, including ice-cream vans and London taxis, had to go straight to Greece after being held airside in Turkey for several hours and not being allowed into the country, disappointing a hundred thousand fans that were waiting along the official route.
In stark contrast Albania has bent over backwards to welcome them to their country, hoping the rally will boost tourism.
And the UN are also supporting the arrival of the petrol-heads, who were due to arrive in Albania this afternoon in an attempt to “highlight Albania’s potential as an eco and cultural tourism destination”.
In a letter sent to Gumball the UN Resident Coordinator said: “UN agencies in Albania are pleased to partner with the Gumball 3000 Rally…..This year, Albania has been included in the itinerary and we are pleased to work with you under the government of Albania’s hosting of this event to make the event a success for the country.”
The Albanian government have even upgraded and renovated a rickety wooden bridge as it was too steep for the low slung sports cars that were about to travel over it.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister refused to say how much the renovation cost.
The drivers have been invited to the President’s official residence for a sumptuous five course meal tonight.
Sali Berisha, the Albanian Prime Minister, said: “I was really impressed to know about Gumball 3000 Rally, and their initiative to include Albania in the tour of this year.
“I am delighted to confirm my Government support for such an interesting event that fits perfectly with our strategy to encourage international events and foreign visitors in Albania to explore its amazing cultural, natural and tourist potentials. “Therefore, I will be honoured to host the organization of such reputable event in Albania. I guarantee the organizers for our highest esteem and willingness to fully support Gumball 3000 in its endeavour in Albania”.
In its seven-year history, the rally, organised by Maximillion Cooper, has mushroomed into a high-octane money-spinner.
Mr Cooper told Times Online today that the rally was not a race but a “cultural international tour that is officially organised with permission and support from each participating countries municipalities and Governmental departments; and is working closely with the Minister of Tourism in each region.”
He added: “All participating vehicles are abiding by all laws and road regulations of each country they are travelling through. Furthermore, contrary to the letter issued by the German Ministry of the Interior the event is not a competition nor a race and it not illegal whatsoever”.
He said that he had been working with the authorities in Berlin for a year and had got permission to to park and display the cars on May 4th, on the return leg of the journey, at the Brandenberg Gate.
“It would appear that the German authorities who issued the statement were not accurately informed of what the Gumball 3000 event is.”
May 2nd, 2007 at 11:35 pm
The strange thing is, i always used to thing that germany did not know a speed limit so technically…
Too bad this has to be so bolloxed up by one person who doesent know the meaning of the word rally.
May 3rd, 2007 at 10:16 am
Hi, can someone please tell me, if the will hold the original way from Slovakia through Czech Republic to Germany or not? Thanks
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:35 pm
May 3rd, 2007 at 1:53 pm
More likely a person who wanted to make some kind of name or increse (decrease) his/her reputation in some way, a power hungry freak, hey just like all of us !
www.calvincrane.com
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Without incident?
In the turkish leg of the Gumball 2 drivers were nearly killed in seperate incidents. One was torqistein the other was some idiot in a Cossie overtaking in the hard shoulder.
There were at least four supercars written off that year.
May 3rd, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Don’t know where to place it else, butsome other news about the Gumball Rally:
http://www.autogespot.com/index.php?id=200
May 3rd, 2007 at 5:57 pm
OK but it is time to stop the rally.
One innocent person just has been killed by one fuck head who didn’t know how to drive !!!
I hope a lawyer will sue him and the Gumball for this tragedy and will stop this nonsense for good.
May 3rd, 2007 at 7:27 pm
And that idiot who killed innocent man, whose wife is struggling for life in hospital, tried to escape from Macedonia, abandoning a wrecked Porsche, in another Porsche, participant in a rally, with licence polates from Russia.
Bravo!!!!
Such a humanity and concience!!!
I hope they`ll get a looong time in prison!
May 4th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
[…] Der erste Tote? Ich glaube nicht so recht daran. Bei der ganzen Veranstaltung geht es - so wie ich das verstanden habe - vor allem darum, zu schnell durch den ganz normalen Straßenverkehr zu rasen. Ohne besondere Rücksicht auf Gesetz oder andere Straßenteilnehmer. Eher im Gegenteil: Bußgelder zahlen ist ja cool - man kann es sich ja leisten. Zum Zustand der Fahrer: sie haben bestenfalls viel zu wenig Schlaf. Ich hab mal einige Web-Videos dieser Angeber gesehen - ob da hintendran ein Auto auf der Strecke bleibt, bekommen die doch kaum mit. Und wenn doch was passiert, es gibt ja zum Glück noch Korruption und Länder, die dringend Geld brauchen. […]
May 5th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Wenn ich bedenke, dass diese Idioten von Gumball offensichtlich Narrenfreiheit besitzen und dass diese Idioten vom Deutschen Sportfernsehen für diese Schweine noch Werbung machen dürfen, sollte man alle diese Verantwortlichen lebenslang einsperren.
Who is responsible for this crime. All the members of Gumball and the organizer should thrown into a prison for many years, this people believe, only because they are rich, they can kill people and pay for it.
Death penalty for the organizer and the members would be a good solution, but oh no - it’s irreverent.
June 6th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Today(6th June) I witnessed the most serious example of Miscarriage of
Justice it is possible to imagine in the court at Struga in Macedonia and
the trial of Nicholas Morley.The defence lawyers destroyed the so called
‘’expert'’ who had earlier claimed Morley was travelling at 100 mph, thus
enabling the prosecutor to press the hugely onerous charge of Reckless
Driving. The courts so called expert ,who in evidence admitted he was
unemployed, and who some locals said was in fact just a part time self
taught guy, admitted he used his own secret formula to calculate accident
speeds but could not or would not tell the court what it was based on. The
destruction of his evidence was embarrassing and complete and I could not
believe that he did not stand up and withdraw from the trial.The man had as
much expert credibility as a garbage collector practising brain surgery.
THEN to make the disgrace even worse the Court twice refused to allow the 2
experts for the defence to give their evidence, or for it to be ever
considered by the Court, and mysteriously gave no reason for such refusal.
One of these experts was the world renowned scientist who investigated
Princess Diana’s death crash and he had painstakingly reconstructed the
accident judging the unfortunate dead driver to be totally responsible for
failing to Stop at a Halt and directly entering Morley’s path only 30
metres in front of him. He established Morley’s speed at only 45mph. This
was confirmed in Court by the man’s own daughter who publicly declared that
she was satisfied that Morley was not guilty.
The Court also refused the defence request to review the pathologist reports
on the two unfortunate victims to see whether they had died as a result of
high speed impact, had been wearing seat belts, had been in a roadworthy
car, had some other fatal disorder pending!
I shudder to think how this Court can expect to dispense Justice when every
tenet of accepted legal practice is being so blatantly ignored.
How can this country expect to be able to join the EU when it’s local Courts
can be run with such total disregard for normal standards of legal
proceedure and human rights.
I pray for Morley! He was instantly judged guilty by the worlds press
before anyone even asked him what really happened that sad day!