Last year, 200 some-odd people set off on a 36-hour road trip competition from New York City to Montreal. Now entering its second year, the so-called “Rental Car Rally” is back, this time from San Francisco to Yuma, AZ. Embarking on June 14th will be about 100 “crazily-festooned” teams competing for a few thousand dollars and a “gold gas pump” (a gas pump handle that’s been spray-painted gold).
If you’re envisioning a road race with cars tearing down the highway, go see The Fast and the Furious 4. This will be more slapstick comedy; winners are judged not by speed, but by costumes and lowest odometer reading. Points are also awarded for “hijinks and freestyling.” Says organizer Steve Bryant, “if teams do something particularly awesome, e.g., jump a canyon, or get arrested for public indecency, etc.” Bryant is putting on the show with Supreme Commander, the brains behind the international water gun assassination tournament Street Wars. “Rental Car Rally’s for every Dick and Betty who loves road trips, but maybe can’t afford a gazillionaires-only, Maserati-laden event,” says Bryant. (”Rental cars” is an ethos, not a mandate–drivers can take mom’s mini van if they so choose).
So far, Flip will be a sponsor of the event, providing Flip Mino cams to the rally teams (check out Richard Blakeley’s footage from last year). The ten most fun-looking teams will score a Flip at the start, and their footage will be posted online after they finish. Considering there’s an “unlimited” number of people per car— and they’ll be getting energy drinks, cigarettes, condoms, and beef jerky at the start—this could get interesting.
According to Bryant, there are more rallies in other cities planned for this year. The event costs $250 to enter and registration is currently taking place on the site.
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