We just received this letter from the Gumball boss:
Hey Gumballers,
The clock is ticking…..are you ready!
This is set to be the craziest adventure yet. And if we didn’t tell you virgin Gumballers earlier, I’m sure you are now familiar with the whirlwind organisation process of just getting yourself and your car to London, along with getting insurance, not getting insurance, getting insurance again, missing the shipping date, loosing your car, loosing your license, loosing your passport, …tired yet, we’re exhausted! We’ve done more paperwork in this past month than I expected to have done in a lifetime! Don’t worry the adrenalin is starting to kick in!
No one said Gumball is going to be easy – it never is – and on the insurance front I never cease to be surprised – especially when the insurance company that was going to insure all of you in the US sent me an email last week from a new (and unnamed Gumballer) saying:
“Can I get a quote for my Porsche for 1 week between the dates May 5th – 8th as I’m racing on the Gumball. I’m gonna win!”
I will have polite words with the culprit on the rally – but sufficient to say – that word ‘RACING’ has caused us and all of you considerable hassle this week! In theory insuring your cars to drive in any continent whilst abroad is usually simple – afterall, you’re driving on public roads, and abiding by all road regulations. Gumball is not a race! If it was, you can safely say that any of the supercars will beat that 50s Cadillac, and I’m not quite sure what category the ‘ice-cream’ van is in!
Anyway, thank you again to the Gumballer that saved the insurance crisis….so ‘Around the world in 8 days’ here we come….
This year we have the most amazing support from over 20 sponsors, all of which I will be properly introducing later this week. However, one sponsor has asked if I’d put out a little request this evening regarding the party they are hosting for us in Las Vegas. So here it is: Peter Morton’s Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas is hosting the night, they have already been amazing and are really hyping the Gumball coming to town. If you’ve been to Vegas this past month you may well have seen one of the gigantic Hard Rock Gumball 3000 Billboards on the Strip. During our stay, that night fellow Gumballer and skateboard legend Tony Hawk is going to put on a demo for you all on his huge ramp. This is a real privilege and will send you spinning in awe off to our party where we’ve got Snoop Dogg performing! What a night this will be. Anyway, Hard Rock wants to be ahead of the game and make sure they are prepared for accommodating any extra VIP requests. The party will be huge, and they are concerned about seating and VIP table service during Snoops performance, and have asked that if any Gumballers would like to reserve VIP champagne tables, then they should do so immediately – to save not getting one on the night – afterall there are 250 of you (and that night I’m inviting a load of models and LA celebs!) As such, they would like to propose the following, that you contact the following people to reserve tables (Gumball doesn’t usually work like this – Vegas is a little different as you know!):
During the Snoop party in ‘The Joint’ – Each table will sell for a 2 minimum bottle purchase. Contact Jessica Burry @ 702-693-5063 or [email protected] for table reservations;
And in ‘Body English’, at the after party (2-4am): as this is small they are reserving a VIP area for just 100 Gumballers. Please direct table reservations to Phil Shalala while en route and we will work with the Body English team to accommodate as many table reservations as possible. Phil is the VP of Marketing at the HR and is driving the Gumball with the owner and MX legend Carey Hart in cars # 5 & 6.
And finally regarding the Hard rock, The Penthouse has been reserved for the night of 5/6 should a Gumball participant or VIP wish to upgrade – I hear its pretty stunning!!!! Contact Phil Shalala while en route with reservation name and credit card info prior to check-in.
I’ll be emailing you all one final check list tomorrow, and as I know many of you are flying over in the next 48 hours it won’t be too crucial, more of another reminder to bring your car and passport! (Believe me, many have forgotten one or the other in the past!).
And do me a favour – please just go outside and make sure your car works, as I really don’t want the call that saying “My Ferrari has broken down, can I bring the family car” – Well no you can’t – this year I want every car to be insane – whether super or wacky, it’s all about style and spirit!
Remember the start to Steve McQueen’s Le Mans movie, when he’s sat on the starting grid and his heart starts beating really fast, well get ready as Sunday is approaching……..Pall Mall 3pm…..the word is on the street!
Maximillion Cooper
