Gumball 3000 News

After the first three days of this years Gumball 3000, only 22 teams are still in the ‘race’ to Beijing. The other teams are relaxing in Las Vegas after their participation in the US leg of Gumball 2008. One of our favorite teams in this years rally, team Driver Side, is still among the 22 teams that’s flying to North Korea today to see the mass games, and they supply the world wide web with frequent updates. Meanwhile the Gumball staff is trying to get all 22 cars cleared by the Chinese customs in Hangzhou before the Gumballers arrive in China tomorrow.

Gumball 3000 participants dropping their cars off at the Southern California Logistics airport in Victorville for the cars to be transported to China:

Photos copyright Dan Loveridge

All Asian Gumballers:

Team #007 1993 Jaguar XJ220

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The last three days we created a list of all the Gumballers and cars in this years Gumball 3000 Rally. Most popular cars in the rally this year are the Rolls Royce Phatom Drophead and the Ferrari F430 Spider. At least five of both supercars were present at this years Gumball 3000, followed by three Lamborghini Gallardo’s and three ‘normal’ Ferrari F430’s. The total number of cars in this years rally adds up to about 65, showcars excluded. Only a very small group of teams signed up for the full trip from San Francisco to Beijing, most of the teams displayed below only did the US leg or one day of this years Gumball 3000.

More information / teams and photos will be added over the next couple of days. If you know a team that did the Gumball 3000 but is not yet in the list or if you have additional information / photos / videos than please contact us.

The Gumball 2008 Team Portfolio:

Team #007 Jaguar XJ220 (white)
Gumball 3000 Founder
Driver: Maximillion Cooper

Team #009 Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead (CCCP)

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Today the Gumball 3000 heads from San Diego to Las Vegas. The participants who are also doing the Asian leg of the rally have to drop off their cars at the Southern California Logistics airport and are flown from there to Las Vegas. The other teams that only entered the US leg of this years Gumball 3000 continue driving to Las Vegas and finish at the Hard Rock Hotel.

Yesterday took the Gumballers from Los Angeles to San Diego with stops at four checkpoints. The first three checkpoints were at Huntington Beach, HRE Wheels in Vista and Rancho Santa Fé. The fourth checkpoint (SoCal Euro Gathering at Qualcomm Stadium) was cancelled last minute and the Gumballers headed from Racho Santa Fé straight to the Ivy hotel in San Diego.

Gumball 2008 Day 3 Updates:

Update 1 8:20 PST: Team Arbuckle left San Diego together with Ashley van Dyke and Eric Ward in the Mercedes E-class. Follow them on the road to Las Vegas at the live feed.

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After an easy and according to some slow first day of driving the Gumball 3000 arrived in Los Angeles. Last night Gumball hosted a party at the Tropicana club in the Roosevelt hotel and Gumballers met locals and celebs. Meanwhile the Gumball cars and a large number of show cars gathered crowds on Hollywood Boulevard outside.

Today the Gumballers will leave Hollywood and head out to San Diego. On the way Gumball set up a number of checkpoints including a checkpoint at the SoCal Euro Gathering in San Diego. Between 4 and 6pm tonight the teams are expected to check-in at the Ivy Hotel in downtown San Diego.

Gumball 2008 Day 2 Updates:

Update 1 13:24 PST: Team Arbuckle arrived first at the second checkpoint of the day at HRE Performance Wheels in Vista.

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With a 45 minute delay the Gumball 3000 kicked off in downtown San Francisco this afternoon. The first checkpoint of the day is at Buttonwillow Raceway along the I-5 interstate. After a couple laps on the track the rally will continue to the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles. There the cars will be on display at Hollywood Boulevard from 8pm onwards. For a full list of checkpoints and a timetable go here.

Below you can find a number of videos and photos from the start and the latest news from the road, frequently updated.

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Team Polizei just shared a brilliant piece of modern technology. One of the teams on this years Gumball 3000 Rally, Team Arbuckle, has a camera onboard that submits live video, paired with a GPS transmitter this delivers the video / location feed you can find below.

Team ‘Driver Side’ of Trevor Traina and Adam Jackson also has a live video feed from their Audi R8. You can watch both feeds below and of course discuss what’s happening in the comments.

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The wait is over, today the Gumball 3000 flag drops in San Francisco and sends the teams and their precious supercars on their way. Last night some of the Gumball cars were on display in front of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and our friends from San Francisco took some pictures of the supercars while the Gumballers enjoyed the kick off party at Club Temple.

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Gumball 3000 has announced the dates and route for the Gumball 2008 Rally. As expected, the entrance fee for Gumball 2008 remains at an incredible 120.000 dollars per team, the Gumball 2008 start will be in August 2008 and it will run from San Fransisco to Beijing. Gumball 3000 also announced a new 2008 Gumball Rally website to be launched on april 1st (has to be a joke!) aimed at user generated content. Our guess is that it will be ruled after communist Chinese model with plenty of censorship like we have experienced first hand last year. But you can always post your Gumball 2008 photos and videos in our ‘uncensored’ Gumball 3000 forum.

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Gumball 3000 HQ started to inform previous Gumballers about their plans for the 2008 Gumball rally. Although the crash on the Gumball 2007 made many people wonder if they should continue at all, the organisers are certain the 10th edition of the Gumball 3000 is a big reason for celebration. For now the route is said to go from San Francisco (United States) to Beijing (China). From San Francisco the teams will drive to Las Vegas. From Vegas all cars will be flown to Shanghai while all the Gumballers make a stop in North-Korea (as promised for the 2006 Gumball). After a short stay in North Korea the Gumballers will be reunited with their cars in Shanghai for the final drive to Beijing.

Ignoring the usual pre-rally hyping in the announcement it leaves us with a couple facts for the Gumball 2008:

• The Gumball 2008 entrance fee will be £ 60.000 (or € 90.000)
• Very small chance the Gumball 2008 route will include Europe
• The rally will take place in August 2008 instead of April/May 2008

More information and the full Gumball 2008 announcement can be found in our Gumball 2008 forum!

Team Polizei is pledging $10,000 toward the creation of a fund on behalf of Vladimir and Margarita Cepuljoski.

Other Gumballers have expressed interest in supporting the Cepuljoski family, including Team 53, who have started their own effort, and several drivers who wish to remain anonymous.

Any Gumballers or fans interested in supporting our joint efforts may contact Team Polizei at Cepuljoski Memorial
Family Fund.

More information can be found in our Gumball 3000 forum!

An open letter from Team Polizei regarding their withdrawl from Gumball 2007 and the fatal crash in Macedonia:

Team Polizei’s Alex Roy & Michael Ross feel compelled to challenge Gumball 3000 over the untenable position in which participants were placed.

At 8am on Thursday, May 3rd, 2007, Maximillion Cooper addressed a driver briefing in the Sheraton Hotel, Tirana, Albania.

Despite the disturbing rumours of the fatality of a Macedonian motorist on Wednesday, May 2nd, Mr. Cooper stated that “Gumball is often the subject of wild rumours,� after which the rally was allowed to proceed.

We question whether participants were given all facts available at that time, enabling them to exercise personal judgment in deciding whether to withdraw from the event immediately.

Today Margarita Chepunjoska passed away in Skopje Clinic Center after suffering severe injury in the fatal crash during the Gumball 3000 two days ago.

We like to give our sincere condoleances to the family.