Archive for October 2010

As many of the StreetSafari regulars know, after CzechWrecks 2010 we did a recce to Romania and the Transfagarasan Highway.

It's a road that was shown on Top Gear back in early 2009 and we have been asked repeatedly to go drive it for StreetSafari and maybe to include it on an event. You may think I have the best job in the world. Maybe. Definitely top three.

First problem is “you need to go and drive the Transfagarasan Highway”, erm, yeah. Anyone know where it is? Romania. And where exactly is Romania? Anywhere near where we already go? No. Romania is the other end of Europe.

CzechWrecks is StreetSafari's fourth Banger Rally of the year, and when you write the wrap article you have to ask yourself, where do you start? Thunderbird 4 probably, but we'll get to that in a moment.

This event was promoted in the Daily Telegraph back in 2009 when a charity team had a Telegraph journalist along as a team mate. Our event received some excellent coverage a few weeks later with front page and inside front cover of the Motoring Telegraph section. Talk about lucking out!

It's been a few years since we've done a music video on the events (BABE Rally 2008 was the last) so in a moment of "Yeah, what the heck" we decided to have a bit of fun with the nuns on Staples2Naples.

Home2Rome 2010 was always going to be a special event. It was the event that was getting the most signups for the 2010 season, had a large number of veterans (good fun element assured), and for some reason had its own energy.

There are some events that are destined to go down as classic events to be on, and this was most certainly one of them.

S2N2010 Group Photo on Day 2, just outside Sarnen, Switzerland. The official Staples2Naples group photo has been taken on this same spot overlooking the Sarnersee since 2004.

The second photo was taken on Day 3 in Aprica, Italy. Day 3 is traditionally Fancy Dress/Costume Day. The 2010 theme for European events was "Nuns on the Run".

CRX2010 Group Photo on Day 3, in Bormio, Italy. Day 3 is traditionally Fancy Dress/Costume Day. The 2010 theme for European events was "Nuns on the Run".

H2R2010 Group Photo on Day 4, at the top of Passo dello Stelvio, Italy. Day 4 is traditionally Fancy Dress/Costume Day. The 2010 theme for European events was "Nuns on the Run".

BABE 2010 Group Photo on Day 2, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Day 2 is traditionally Costume Day. The 2010 theme was "The Wizard of Oz."

End2End is StreetSafari's camping event. We're trying to persuade people that caravans are good, especially painted ones, but that's not going so well. Trailer tents are all the rage in the banger rally scene, as we soon discovered this year.

E2E2010 Group Photos, taken at Land's End (one end of the UK), in costume at Carnarvon, and finally in John O'Groats (the other end of the UK). The 2010 Fancy Dress/Costume theme for European events was "Nuns on the Run".