J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

Have only really taken a passing interest in this over the last few years and seen bits of footage on various tv programmes and thought it was quite cool, however having recently seen a bit more footage there seems to be an awful lot of wrecked exotica littering the path of the Gumball, as far as I am aware nobody so far has been killed either competiton, spectatator or just somebody who happened to be in the way.

Surely this is just a matter of time considering there are a lot of very fast cars with drivers some of whom may be skilled but others only qualification seems to be having the car and the entrance fee, this to me seems to be a recipe for disaster considering they are travelling through some pretty rural and backward areas where the fastest thing around is the local bus. I would be a bit p1ssed off if a load of rich foreigners went past my house at 150 mph.

This is not a jealousy thing and I can see the appeal but surely its only a matter of time before the first really bad accident, I really hope it dosent happen but it just looks so ineviatable.

astraboy

IIRC Martin Hadland has had the worst off, left the road at over 160 with multiple rollovers, destroying his Escort Cosworth.
Luckily he was okay thanks to the rally specification interior, but you're right, it does make you think.
Still if I was in their position and had the car and the means to compete, I wouldnt dwell too long on the consequences.
astraboy.

Fantom

probably worse off than him was the guy in the red Dodge Viper that year who lost it on the bumps. The car had the roof down at the time and he was very lucky to be alive. Cant remember his name, he was the one wearing some mad mask all the time!

Neils wrx

I brought the "Gumball 3000" DVD after Christmas in the HMV Sale for a couple of quid. Most of it seemed to be people moaning about their cars breaking down all the time ..... Interesting footage of a Porka doing about 180 in traffic !!!

Brun

The Cossie in question
It will ride again

Jerome

The convertible white Ferrari (IIRC with the number plate L100 NEY) also lost it and rolled at high speed. How either of the occupants walked away is beyond me. The driver was such a d1ckhead he probably deserved to kill himself.

Chrisgr31

Personally I agree. Not so concerned for those who are taking part. If they wish to drive like total idiots, write of their cars and kill themselves then thats up to them. However it could be innocent people who are killed who are minding their own business. Its not like having a properly organised event where the locals have a chance of knowing competitors are coming at high speed.

k.b

Torquenstein.

Buckrogers

Doing 160mph, under taking on a dusty, poor condition, hard shoulder losing it, going through both single lanes of traffic then past the other hard shoulder and only just missing some poor fella walking his horse and cart. The guy is an idiot and should be banned from driving for life. This is not a WRC event with closed off roads.

Members of the public are minding their own business and at risk of losing their lives because some rich **** with no driving ability deems to drive beyond their limits for fun.

The guy in the F355 or F360 who blipped the throttle, I think in France, lost it and hit a nice big kerb.... There he was, thinking I am so big look at all these people looking at me and then bang, all these people looking at me thinking what a kn0b.

Sadly, too much money, not enough sense or ability....

scoobfan

It's not just rich folk who take part in this.

A guy on the BMW forum i used was a competitor and took his own footage.

He used a e30 cab running a 3.2 turbo'd m3 engine, talk about an adrenaline rush.

I do agree with the safety aspect though, alot of people have been seriously hurt not all of them competitors.

Fantom

I must admit, the gumball rally is just one of them things that I have to do before I die!! The dvd they produced was excellent and I'd love to drive across America. Obviously a lot of them are nutters, but they always get filmed as they do nutty stuff. I'm sure theres plenty of well behaved entrants.
Cant imagine how much fun that Alex Roy nutter has had in his M5 Polizei with all his costumes and that!
Still can't believe someone did it in a Citreon 2CV though ha ha!

scoobfan

Yeah - Some rush man, real smokey and the bandit stuff

astraboy

I would hardly describe Martin Hadland as a "Rich ****"
I had a chat with him at a redline track day and he is a down to earth and pleasant bloke to speak to.
Are you seriously telling me if you had the car and the opportunity to get away with some serious hooligan antics you wouldnt bother?
If you say yes then you really do have no sense of occasion.
astraboy.

Tidgy

i think like everything they need to pick a time and place to do it. Personaly i'd love to go on one and plan to one day, but you have to be careful, just look at the pics of my car and you'll see what can happen even when your not pushing to the limit.

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

To be honest if I rolled my car at 160 and got away with it I wouldnt go back for more of the same, I know Martin Hadland is spoken of on here with reverence due to his very impressive cars but may I humbly suggest he sticks to airfields and track days ?

And whats the sense of occasion when somebody hits a kid at 100+ mph, if the closed the roads fine but they dont. Those guys in the diesel Beemer seemed ok until they and the German **** got into town, the German egomaniac goes along the pavement !!!! and they just aggresively spin their wheels and shout 'Get out of the way f*cking peasants' making people **** themselves whilst minding their own.

Suprised nobody gave them a slap.

Buckrogers

"Idiot" was the specific term used.

Rich *****, for the rest of the, "I have lots of cash, but no idea how to drive cars fast" gang.

Driving at speed, in a fast car, of course.
But there is a time and a place for everything, doing 160mph on some pot holed, off camber, hard shoulder did not look like that place. Easy to say with hindsight or maybe foresight... Still, no one was hurt which is the main thing.

2000TLondon

I went to the first night party last year in Paris. A real mix of people. Part of competing in the Gumball is about being outrageous and flash, and many of them like to show off, but this happens every night in small towns, especially those with seafronts. People drive beyond their limits everyday and cause accidents. Most people on here have probably got to France and leathered it, too.... (I'm not condoning reckless driving and neither do the Gumball organisers, who actually put the police onto the leaders if when they were getting out of hand, I heard!!!!!)

Plus, all the local models seemed to enjoy the atmosphere!

Like the idea of picking up three Hooters girls in the conv. Merc and driving them across America on the DVD!