Dateline Sandown Park, Sunday 1 July 2007 It’s 2.30pm, the Cannonball Run flag is raised and then dropped by Sam’s checkpoint team and the first car is underway to the first location, the beautiful, cool and peaceful Lake Garda in the Italian Alps. In a new twist, drivers have been given different routes to follow this year to each destination, a move which has several benefits. One, it is more courteous and considerate of other road users, as a smaller number of cars will be on each route, and two, it allows our drivers to see more of the beautiful roads of Europe. By 6pm everyone is away and on the ferries to mainland Europe, where they will enjoy breathtaking scenery, wonderful roads and excellent hospitality for the next few days! Keep checking in to hear the latest stories! Dateline Bratislava, Monday 2 July 2007
Friendships are being developed and stories are being swapped as drivers and co-drivers relax in luxurious surroundings ahead of their track day tomorrow. And all this whilst having the most incredible revolving view from the restaurant, seeing for almost 50 miles in all directions. Talk of the evening was the challenge set by one of the Cannonball teams for checkpoint team leader Charlotte. By the time we made it to Bratislava, Charlotte was to have charmed a builder somewhere along the route into handing over his hard hat. Sadly, Charlotte didn’t manage to crack this challenge, and so now has to pose in full Cannonball checkpoint girl uniform on the bonnet of one of the Cannonballers’ Ferraris! It seems that the only hard hat she saw on the route was on a dummy which slowed drivers down on the way into the St. Gotthard pass in Switzerland, and he was not persuadable! We will of course bring you the picture as soon as we get it! Dateline Budapest, Tuesday 3 July 2007 Well, how do you describe a day like this! Even before Lewis Hamilton gets his chance to drive there, our Cannonballers have had exclusive access to the Hungaroring here in Budapest for their track day today. Yes, a real live current Formula 1 racetrack, and we were there! Cannonballers set off excitedly from the Square in Bratislava early today to drive out of Slovakia, into Hungary, and to their own personal track of dreams.
Checkpoint team leader Charlotte lost her hard hat bet earlier in the week of course, and today was the day when she had to perform her forfeit of posing on, and washing, a Ferrari in her bikini. Look out for those photographs tomorrow! Hungaroring track day photos! Here is a selection of photos from today's fantastic track day at the Hungaroring F1 circuit! Berlin, 4 July 2007Four days into the Cannonball Run now, and the circus has rolled into Berlin after a great drive from Budapest. Drivers took several routes mixing both picturesque views and the efficiency of the German motorway system! Jaime and Tormo were there already to meet us as we arrived in the German capital, having waved goodbye to their hurt Ferrari in Budapest, they flew ahead to Berlin to book themselves a hired Mercedes to complete the Run. Go boys! Dinner was a French Polynesian affair in Trader Vic’s near the historic Brandenburg Gate – but that was just the beginning of the evening as many Cannonballers moved onto the AM/PM club to party on. Where next? Who knows…but we hear a beach party might be involved! Driver snippets Everyone has a story (or seven) to tell on the Cannonball Run – we caught up with a few drivers in Berlin to hear a few of them.
Antwerp, 5 July 2007
Oatlands Park, Weybridge, Surrey, 6 July 2007
Black tie party and awards ceremony, 6 July 2007
Eventually, it was time to present the prizes! Jan came to the stage and announced all of the awards. As everyone knows, the winner of the Cannonball Run is the one closest to a ‘target mph’ for the whole event – and most certainly not the fastest! This year’s 1-2-3 was:-
As well as their trophies, all of the winners above will receive custom-made ‘Vitallo’ racing driver shoes (naturally in gold, silver or bronze!) provided by Cannonball Run sponsors Vitallo! The ‘Spirit of the Cannonball Run’ trophy was won to huge acclaim from the audience by Dave Hustler and Anisa Aubin who almost unbelievably completed the whole course in their Ariel Atom! And finally on the awards front, Jan made a special presentation to Jaime and Tormo of a new red Ferrari to replace the one they broke at the Hungaroring – sadly it was only a model one, but it was the thought that counted! As the awards ended, the ‘Blues Brothers’ bounced into the room, the party began, and was still going well into the wee small hours…..! Until next time!!
|
|||||||||||||
Finally, a quick word from the ‘Godspeed’ team of resident clerics Dave and Bruce in the Irish-plated BMW 530D. Reprising roles from the Cannonball Run film, they have kept us on the straight and narrow all week. ‘Drive safely and may the force be with you’ they said as they relaxed in the bar last night! 
At 8pm tonight the Cannonballers, guests, checkpoint girls and staff descended upon the ballroom at the Oatlands Park hotel to celebrate the week on the road, covering almost 3000 miles in 10 (yes, 10!) countries in 6 days.