StreetSafari 2012 Sneak Preview

It's that time of the year when we announce StreetSafari's 2012 Season!

Staples2Naples officially turns 10 years old in 2012 and we have decided to celebrate! Since the Original European Banger Rally deserves a proper birthday party, Staples2Naples is the only European event offered for the 2012 season.

A few people have asked about End2End, our UK camping rally. End2End is tentatively scheduled for planning purposes only. End2End is not guaranteed to run unless all Staples2Naples spaces fill. In that case, we will allow teams to move entry fees between events, as always.

BABE Rally 2012 is on, of course (as it's US based, for a start), but that will be the subject of another post next week.

What to expect from Staples2Naples 10th Anniversary? As expected, all the signature quirkiness that makes a StreetSafari Banger Rally, plus a few new twists along the way. Costumes are always in, along with the legendary water pistol fight. Car value stays at £250, but the age limit rises to 1998 (S reg) . Costumes are announced closer to the event date. Remember that water pistols need to be big!

Happy 10th Birthday, S2N!

Merit points are back again this year. Teams can start earning bonus points well before the start line. Car type, decoration, theme, all contribute to points, as well as participation before the event. Articles, photos, forum contributions, are all weighed in. We are all about rewarding effort! Full details will be posted in the near future.

Challenges are a bit interesting this year. The 2011 Hooker Hunt Challenge proved that you guys are just as tasteless as we are! We intend to expand on this tastelessness.

We will be tracing our historic route of Calais-Sarnen-Aprica-Viterbo-Naples. Oh yes, Naples is back on the menu! We were considering a return to Pinetamare, if only for nostalgia's sake. But considering that most of the nostalgia surrounding this broken down 1970s Mafia retreat (no lie!) involves a rather bizarre odyssey that includes an argument with a local don, a demolition derby outside the restaurant, the selling of cars to 14 year old Italian kids, the crash of said 14 year olds on the roundabout, one team's heroic clash with the hotel fence (Fence 1, Team 0), another team's inadvertent fire involving a throttle peddle and a brick (long story), we've decided to go to another part of Naples. One where they don't know us.

We are also adding a Stelvio Breakfast Club for anyone who wants to play on Stelvio first thing in the morning whilst we are at Aprica. Unfortunately, we just can't get Stelvio on the main route as it's too far out, hence the option for the early risers.

Finally, we are arranging a couple of nights in the Alps for anyone travelling north with their old banger at the end of the event, or for anyone who wants to stay at the top of Stelvio. It'll be for a couple of nights and we'll issue driving notes as well so that you can see some of the great passes in that area, not just Stelvio. We know a great hotel, we know some great routes and if you haven't stayed on Stelvio for a night, it's worth doing. The view from your breakfast table has to be one of the best in the world. This is an extension to the official four day event, but has no additional cost. We do, however, need to know who is participating. Details will be provided to teams after signup and confirmation.

Staples2Naples 10th Anniversary spaces are limited to 100 paid teams. This is a firm limit and as the only European event for 2012, we expect it to fill sooner rather than later. Signup for Staples2Naples 2012 begins November 1, 2011 10am.

A note about previous years' deferrals and award recipients

Currently, there are still several free award entries outstanding. This includes High Mileage Awards, First Place Winners, and any *confirmed* deferrals from 2011 events. All free entries must be used toward Staples2Naples 10th Anniversary. Teams and individuals will continue to earn free award entries for future events, but anyone holding a free entry as of November 1, 2011 will have that entry applied toward Staples2Naples 2012. We figure that 10 years is plenty of time to claim an award and a good time to clear the slate and start fresh.

As a reminder, free entrants go through the same signup process as always, but do not continue to the payment screen (which is PayPal as of this writing, subject to change). You *must* then contact us to say that you are applying your free entry. Please do not assume that we know your entry is free and will automatically process your team out. We will not. You must contact us *after* you have signed up for the event.

Keep in mind that qualifiable deferrals are all previously confirmed. You may be required to produce your deferral confirmation email if requested. Deferrals are not the same as teams who didn't make the start line. If you aren't sure whether or not you have a qualifiable deferral, then you probably do not.

The dates for Staples2Naples 10th Anniversary are 24th-27th August, 2012. As always, teams must be in Calais on the previous Thursday night, August 23rd, known as Night 0, so plan accordingly. That is the bank holiday weekend, hence less days off work. Entry fees stay the same, but there will be a special offer for the 1st November. Stay tuned!

Finally, we just want to say how excited we are about this milestone, the 10th running of what has become the most imitated budget rally in Europe. We've made countless memories, friends, and trips across Europe and look forward to many more in a brand new decade of banger rally mayhem.

We can't wait to see you all at the Start Line in 2012!