BULLRUN 2011 – RALLY DAY 1
Last night’s launch party at ‘The Gallery’ was so much fun, that many Bullrunners partied on until 5:00am! A good time was had by all, and a special musical performance was done by none other than Bullrun alumni, Kristine Elezaj! Last night everyone meshed as a big Bullrun family, and we could already tell that everyone was extremely excited for the rally’s official launch today – and for a good reason.
Of course the usual rumours were starting to spread about where the rally would be heading on its first day. Sorry Bullrunners, we don’t divulge the info until minutes before we start each leg. You should know that by now!
Last night we also saw some entertainment form of Robert (EuroCruise) Valik. But this wasn’t in the club. This was on the roof of the parking garage. Robert came drifting around the corner of the closed off parking level in his bright red Ferrari F430, and did a few doughnuts and power slides for the on looking Bullrunners. The crowd cheered him on as he drifted around a light pole in perfect formation. Even though it looked like he may have lost it at one point, EuroCruise maintained perfect control of his car, a true Bullrunner!
By the time he was done, Claus had to run out and get Robert a new set of Michelin tires. It’s already looking like it will be an expensive trip for Team CEC if Mr. Valik keeps this up, and if previous rallies tell us anything, when we hit the track, he will be going through tires like crazy!
The late start time today gave the Bullrunners a chance to sleep in, something that was enjoyed by most. The morning was an opportunity for the drivers to talk amongst themselves and plan for the night ahead.
The drivers lounged around the pool for the morning and went off to do some interviews for Bullrun’s new TV show airing on MTV this fall.
Somehow one Bullrun vehicle got towed last night. David Pearsall’s Ford F-650 Limo somehow found its way hooked to the back of a tow truck heading for the impound lot. Could Team Wu be involved?
At 3:00pm the cars arrived on Fremont Street to the welcome of thousands of spectators. The drivers had a chance to meet the fans and talk about their cars and get to know one-another, as well as adorn some costumes and amuse the crowd.
Some of the notable rides this year are the pre-production 2012 Jeep SRT-8 driven by NASCAR and Dakar rally driver, Robby Gordon, who also brought along his Dakar rally vehicle as a support vehicle, the Dudsons brought a custom Hummer H1 ‘Very Special Forces’ unit, Rob Ferretti brought a very rare Ford Mustang Cobra R, Vanilla Ice was at the wheel of the Firebreather movie car, Ice-T and Coco brought a custom SL55R with aftermarket wheels and an SLR style hood. Of course the usual Lamborghini’s, Ferrari’s, Porsche’s and Maserati’s were there too!
Some drivers were lucky to arrive to the start line on time. Rob Ferretti of Team SuperSpeeders bought a 2000 Mustang Cobra R for the rally, and hadn’t seen the car in person until arriving in Vegas, and driving to LA to pick it up. It turns out that the car has some brake problems, and the Ford dealership in Vegas kept ordering the wrong parts for the car. Rob showed up to the start line just in time!
Liutenant Jeb Lopez arrived on Fremont Street to arrest a few more Bullrunners including Jennifer Nicole. Team Wu showed up wearing crash test dummy costumes, and the Dudesons showed up wearing diapers. They entertained the crowd before a skateboarding demonstration by the DTA skate crew. One of their tricks was jumping over the matte black Bullrun Shelby GT.
After the skate show, some live music performances took to the stage to the amusement of the fans and drivers, and then the drivers briefing. Rally organizers, Andy Duncan and David Green took to the stage to a thunderous applause, and announced this year’s first twist. In order for the drivers to get their first route cards, they would have to take a zip line ride across Fremont Street to pick up their much needed route information.
The flag girl was also announced, Amber Rose, American model, and former wife to American Rapper, Kanye West.
As the drivers scrambled towards their cars, their co-drivers headed towards the zip line. The first overnight stop of Bullrun 2011 was Scottsdale Arizona, a 309 mile drive! The W Hotel in Scottsdale will be housing the rally for the night, and we’ll be off again early in the morning.
As the co-drivers returned to their cars, they began on their epic seven day journey! Right away, teams all split off in different directions. Some followed the Wu’s in their Trapster Patrol car, while others followed Team LuckyNutZ in their Renntech CL600. Some drivers decided to map out their own route entirely and head off on their own. One thing is for sure, a lot of teams got lost trying to find their way out of Sin City!
The first checkpoint on the way to Scottsdale was the town of Chloride, AZ. On the way there, Bullrun Navigator Award winners, Team LuckyNutZ were forced to pull over to the size of the road when they encountered a flat tire on their Mercedes. Ouch!
Claus and Joaquin, determined to take home the Navigator Award, were the first into the Chloride checkpoint, and continued onto Scottsdale to the W Hotel, likely in first. Way to go Team CEC!
Team Hudson Jeans, Seth and Tony, in the White GT-R, navigated into Chloride in the top 10, and managed to pass Team Wu and Vanilla Ice undetected. Ice-T and Coco ran strong the entire driving leg, and stayed at the front of the pack.
Teams Texas, JebAng!, and Ice-T and Coco also arrived at the Chloride, AZ checkpoint in the top 10.
Ice-T and Coco continued to surpruse the Bullrunners as they showed superior navigating skills, picked a quicker route, and showed up to the W Hotel in 7th. Claus and Joaquin in the C63 AMG navigated to a superb 1st place, and Seth and Tony in the GT-R were not far behind, navigatiing to 2nd place.
Party tonight at WET at the W Hotel in Scottsdale tonight!
More updates coming your way tomorrow!
