The Gumball 3000 rally took place at the end of last month, kicking off in the capital, the Big Apple. The 2012 rally marked a new feat, with the rally entering just two countries, the United States and Canada. 120 drivers headed from Times Square, New York, on to Toronto via Niagara Falls for the first leg of the rally. From there, they moved on to Detroit, Michigan as the next stop off point. The next leg of the journey ran to Indianapolis, with the rally then going on to Kansas City and Santa Fe. A pit stop in Las Vegas was also included in the epic journey from coast to coast, enabling the cars to show off their glamour to America’s equally glamorous crowds. Leaving Nevada, the racers made their way to Tinsel town, ending the journey in Los Angeles to a fanfare of supporters.
There was a mixed bag of cars, as per usual with the entrants for the Gumball 3000, with custom models, such as Jon Olsson’s PPI Audi R8 revving up their engines next to glorious motors like the Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari 599 GTO and the Lamborghini Aventador. Fans in each city were going wild over the cars, with eclectic motors and friendly owners greeting each city with a buzz and good atmosphere.
Started in 1999, the rally has proven to be increasingly more popular as the years go by, now holding an international fan base across the globe. Combining fast motors, music festivals and art shows with a fun-loving crowd, it comes as no surprise that 2012’s tour went off with a bang from start to finish. The crowds were up for a stomper of a show and the drivers loved showing off beautiful automobiles, each unique and special within their own right. “Gumball is about challenging tradition and taking a non-conventional approach to exploring and developing cultural and creative boundaries”, Maximillion Cooper, Found and CEO of the Gumball 3000 group, notes.
Jon Olsson was the overall winner of the rally, despite experiencing a few problems with his R8. He was awarded the prize at the final pit stop for the event, over in Los Angeles. The Dudesons were also involved with the celebrations and the Spirit of Gumball award was handed over to the terrible twosome, Charles Morgan and Kira in their three-wheeler Morgan motor.