Also in my mailbox last week was a note from Ed Thompson. Ed and a couple of friends have entered this summer's Mongol Rally under the team name Don't Panic; I sense from their team name that the enormity of the adventure is beginning to dawn on them. Imagine driving (perhaps pushing) an old (1 litre) Fiat from London to Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia. They are desperately looking for sponsors of any type - equipment, car parts, finance or even good advice, so if you can offer any of the above, helping them to raise shed loads of money for charity, contact them through the link above.
The organizers don't believe in telling teams what to do or where to go, figuring that this is supposed to be an adventure not a cosy guided driving tour. However, last year the rally attracted 251 entrants, of which an incredible 198 made it to the finish line. Some teams starting from Madrid and Milan. This year's London start is from Hyde Park on 18th July 2009.
The Caucasian Challenge is billed as a minimal assistance motor rally from Budapest, the capital of Hungary to Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It is an adventure that takes contestants through Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Armenia. Two weeks of motoring through every type of terrain imaginable, across 11 countries.
Actually, you can race in anything you like, cars, trucks or even mopeds, and since the challenging route goes through the remote and mountainous areas of Europe's Caucasus region, low-tech vehicles might have a distinct advantage. Teams are already registering for next year's Caucasian Challenge, taking place from August 28 to September 13, 2009.
The Italian Job is an annual fundraising for childrens charities. This year's run will begin in Imola on October 24 and finish on November 1, 2008 in Brighton.
Launched in 1990, more than 100 Minis will drive over 3,000 miles from Italy to Britain, through some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe. The rally was inspired by the classic 1969 film, The Italian Job, starring Michael Caine. To date, over £2 million has been raised for various childrens charities.
Back in 1947, a hell-raising group of bikers descended on Hollister city, California, USA, 90 miles south of San Francisco, for a 3-day rally over the Fourth of July holiday. The notorious events of that weekend are said to have inspired the 1953 Hollywood cult classic, biker film, starring Marlon Brando.
Hollister became known as the "Birthplace of the American Biker" and each year since then, played host to an annual Fourth of July rally where bikers were reckoned to spend an incredible eight million dollars, but times have changed. I came across this letter by Charlie Scott, a Hollister local, about the imminent demise of the famous motorcycle rally.
He relates how in recent years, there has been almost a doubling of policing and related costs, together with a perception that certain people in authority have a dislike of bikers and just don't want a rally in their community.
Charlie goes on to write,"People from all over the world recognize the name of Hollister, California, due to the rally and come from all parts to enjoy and participate. There have been fewer and fewer coming in the last 3 years and hardly any staying the 2 or 3 days."
His letter has prompted some thoughtful comments and background on the rally, which might provide some useful information for anyone thinking of attending this iconic event.
The 2008 Australasian Safari, billed as the Paris to Dakar of the Southern Hemisphere, heads off from Kalgoorlie on August 23. This off-road event is one of the toughest and most challenging, in the world of motor sport but will attract over 100 competitors, riding motorbikes and quad bikes and 4x4s.
This year's Australasian Safari runs until August 30 and will be broadcast on the Australian Nine Network, it has named the Royal Flying Doctor Service as its official charity for 2008.
The annual Italian Job Mini Cooper rally is based on the 1969 film, The Italian Job, and is a nine day, fun-filled, adventure for 100 teams driving through Italy before heading back to the UK. This year's registration and start point is on Friday October 26 at the Holiday Inn in Quarto d'Altino, Venice, and the rally ends in Brighton, UK, for the closing dinner on Saturday November 3, 2007.
In the ten years of its operation, the Italian Job rally has raised almost £2,000,000 for charity so they are bound to be celebrating reaching the magic figure after this years rally.
The Institute of Adventure Research, a group of eccentric lunatics, have decided that the best way to enjoy the Christmas holiday season is to spend it in a three-wheeled, 150cc, motorised rickshaw, navigating the mountains, mud tracks and tropical heat of India.
Not to be confused with the Cannonball Run, the Rickshaw Run has been organized by the mysterious League of Adventurists, who believe that the world is far too full of health and safety regulations and have set their sights on saving the world from the tyranny of boringness and safety. However, being a jolly good bunch of fellows, they decided that all their adventures should raise money for amazing charities.
This year's Rickshaw Run started on the 27th of December, 2006, at Cochin in the deep south of India and will finish some 2000 miles and 2 weeks later, at the famous tea town of Darjeeling, in the Himalaya foothills. The exact route is left to the discretion of the teams or possibly the number of gin & tonics they consume.
