Around the World in Eight Days:

Gumball 3000 Combines Cars with Music, Celebrities, Billionaire Businessmen and Sheiks,

Fueled by Adventure, for a 3000-Mile Trek (and Party) across Three Continents

LONDON – March 2006 – The eighth annual Gumball 3000, the world’s largest cult car rally, combines Phileas Fogg’s quest to traverse the world in 80 days with a rock star style-tour – a 3000-mile adventure around the world, starting in London (April 30), making its way through Europe and Asia and finishing eight days later in Los Angeles (May 7).  Picture previous Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody racing against adrenaline junkies Johnny Knoxville, Tony Hawk, Bam Margera, Carey Hart and 200 other testosterone-prone car enthusiasts, spending pit stop evenings partying with Missy Elliot and Pamela Anderson and you’ve gotten a peek at this year’s journey.  The prize at the end of this rally is not cash or fame, but rather a bronze bust of Burt Reynolds fancied after his portrayal of J.J. McClure in Cannonball Run.

Taking a page from such 1970s road trip movies and quoted as “the most rock ‘n roll car rally ever staged,” the Gumball 3000 has grown in popularity since it began in 1999, becoming the annual playground for rock stars, supermodels and billionaires alike.  With thousands of applicants vying for a space in the rally each year, even more take to the streets to cheer participants on as they drive.  In 2005, more than three million people in 13 countries turned out to watch the rally drive by, garnering media coverage in 153 countries.   Even more Gumball 3000 fans watched the rally’s progress on the Internet as Gumball3000.com logged 57 million visitors in seven days, making it the “No. 1 mover” for Yahoo Buzz Charts in May 2005.

Proving that the coveted 18- to 30-something crowd can be reached by combining pop culture mediums, the Gumball 3000 has also become a ‘who’s who’ of sponsors.  The 2006 rally includes such sponsors as: Intel, MAC Viva Glam, Von Zipper, Playboy, Louis Vuitton, Rock Star Energy Drink, Alpine Stars, Ministry of Sound, Hasbro Toys Top Trumps, Co-Pilot Satellite Navigation, Davida Helmets, Hard Rock Las Vegas, Transcar and Iceland Air, among others.

“If Batman took a vacation, he’d do the Gumball,” said founder and entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper.  “Gumball is not just a rally, it’s becoming a way of life.  We embrace the attributes of the sports, music, fashion and film industries, and are creating a lifestyle brand for everyone.  Through this rally, we’re forging ties with corporations and citizens of the world.”

Capitalizing on the success and fan base of the rally – and the various television series and documentaries it has inspired – Gumball 3000 has rapidly grown into a multi-million dollar lifestyle brand.  Through this brand, one-time racing driver, fashion designer, footballer, skateboarder and BMX rider, Cooper, is gearing up for a record year as he launches a fashion line, music label and publishing and film companies.  His Gumball 3000-branded clothing line debuts at Selfridges in London on the eve of this year’s rally.

The 2006 ‘Gumball 3000’ Rally Route

Setting the benchmark for modern day explorers, the start flag to the 2006 Gumball 3000 drops in central London on Pall Mall before hundreds of thousands of fans on Sunday, April 30.  Here, 120 of the world’s most expensive, luxurious and eccentric cars, driven by an eclectic group of enthusiasts, will set-off on their adventure, driving a 1,000-mile route through Europe, crossing the capital cities of Brussels, Vienna and Budapest.  Upon reaching “war torn” Belgrade, the group will be airlifted in 3 Russian Antanov cargo planes and a private ‘Gumball 3000’ Iceland Air Boeing 757 to Asia for stage two of the rally.

After landing in a tropical paradise, on the island of Phuket in Thailand, guests of the Thai Royal family, the route follows a 1,000-mile drive through the beaches and tropical rainforests of Thailand, reaching Bangkok and a party befitting the Gumballers. The following day, the rally participants and their cars will once again travel by air, this time to Salt Lake City, USA, for the final 1,000 miles of the rally.  Before leaving their first American destination, the Gumballers will attend a red carpet premiere of Mission Impossible 3 (M:I:III) and be among the first to circle the new $100m Miller Park Raceway. From there, they’ll make their way through the Bonneville Salt Flats and desert to Las Vegas for an exclusive performance by hip hop legend Snoop Dogg at Peter Morton’s Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas; and the final day will take the drivers via the serene nothingness of Death Valley, before crossing the finish line on the closed-off, famed Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.  From the finish line, they will parade their cars to The Beverly Hilton before attending a finale celebration at the Playboy Mansion on Sunday, May 7, where porn legend Ron Jeremy will DJ and Hef will present the awards.

About Gumball 3000

The Gumball 3000 was launched in 1999 when Maximillion Cooper invited 50 of his friends to take part in a 3,000-mile rally around Europe. Eight years later, Gumball has consistently hit the headlines as "Cool Britannia's" most unique addition to pop culture.  Each year the route changes, but the foundation of the rally stays the same: 3,000 miles of driving adventure with the most eccentric group of thrill-seekers imaginable, competing for the coveted Burt Reynolds statue and partying every night with the who’s who of international society and pop culture.  Cars featured on the rally range from million-dollar ‘one-off’ supercars to customized VW campers and even ice cream trucks.  The cost for entering the rally this year is approximately $70,000.