Gumball 3000

History

In 1933 legendary motorcycle racer "Cannonball" Baker crossed the United States coast-to-coast in approximately 54 hours. In the 1970s Car & Driver Founder & Editor Brock Yates started the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash in his honor. The second race was won by Yates and Dan Gurney, former Formula One and Le Mans driver, in a Ferrari Daytona. They needed about 35 hours from New York to L.A. These events inspired the 1976 movies The Gumball Rally and Cannonball, as well as sequels such as Cannonball Run, Cannonball Run 2, etc. The "Cannonball" race was finally canceled in 1979 due to a combination of media attention and pressure from political and police organizations.

Related Topics:
1933 - "Cannonball" Baker - United States - 1970s - Brock Yates - Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash - Dan Gurney - Formula One - Le Mans - Ferrari - New York - L.A. - 1976 - The Gumball Rally - Cannonball - Cannonball Run - Cannonball Run 2 - 1979

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Drawing inspiration from the 1970s race, the movies and Smokey and the Bandit, Maximillion Cooper revived the spirit of the old races in the summer of 1999 by combining the racing element with nightly parties and layovers at luxury hotels. The "Gumball 3000" has since captured public attention through celebrity participation and coverage on everything from MTV to Vanity Fair, who rode with 2003 Winner Alex Roy through Morocco on the 2004 Rally.

Related Topics:
Smokey and the Bandit - Maximillion Cooper - 1999 - MTV - Morocco

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