June 4th until the 11th next year will see the 2014 Gumball 3000 motor rally taking place, with the route starting in South Beach, Miami and finishing right here in Ibiza.
The Gumball 3000 is an annual British 3,000 mile international motor rally which was founded in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper. More of a road-trip adventure than a serious race, the event takes place on public roads with a different route around the world being allocated each year.
A total of 120 mostly exotic and powerful sports cars compete in the rally, although a strong sense of lightheartedness prevails with vehicles like police cars and camper vans often taking part too. There is no official time-keeping, and prizes are awarded for such things as bad behaviour, enthusiasm and back-seat driving, rather than being the fastest.
The original Gumball 3000 rally involved fifty-five of Cooper's friends, and the route was from London to Rimini, Italy and back. Since then, famous people to have taken part include the indie band Placebo, The Happy Mondays, Goldie, Vic Reeves, Tony Hawk, Daryl Hannah, Idris Elba, David Hasselhoff, and F1 World Champion Damon Hill.
Leaving Miami on June 4th next year, the cars will cruise through Florida, towards Georgia and Atlanta, then on to New York. All 120 super cars will then be loaded onto cargo planes and flown to Scotland, with their drivers following in private jets.
Roaring south from Scotland to London, the participants will then cross the channel to Paris, driving through France and Spain until they reach Barcelona. From there, the home stretch is just a short drive and ferry ride to the finish line in Ibiza.
Promising that "2014 more than ever will be about the fans", Gumball 3000 will be showing their appreciation of the thousands of people who come out each year to catch a glimpse of the super cars and superstars, by hosting free public events, such as beach concerts, VIP Kids' Zones, skate demonstrations, DJ sets, mini festivals and car displays in all of the city stops.
From Miami to Ibiza
To sum up…Two continents, five countries, 3000 miles, seven days…and an explosive finale weekend celebration in Ibiza. Gumball 3000 is sure to be one of the most exciting and entertaining motor events of 2014.
Photo Credit: Gumball 3000 Rally.
