There is a 1 day early bird special price tomorrow (from 10am CT) of $200 including stickers. On Wednesday it'll increase to $250 until 31st January 2012. From 1st February to 30th April the entry fee is $300.
Stickers are an optional extra of $40 if purchased with the signup.
Race ya Back?
And if GRM would like to field a team ('cmon guys, you know you wanna) I'm pretty sure the free press entry rule is still in play.
TW and I are considering one last run each. For me, at this point, it is more a matter of finding the right car than it is one of wanting to go on the rally. It's been 2 years, I think I could do it again, but it would have to be just right. I really wish there was something other than BABE. RMR had me foaming at the mouth, shame it was just a unicorn fart.
My history, for those who have never been:
2007 (1984 Renault)
2008 (1988 VW)
2009 (1994 Volvo)
SlickDizzy wrote: RMR had me foaming at the mouth, shame it was just a unicorn fart.
The unicorn fart was all the teams who said "I'd soooo sign up for a west coast event" and then when presented with one noone signed up. You just cant run a rally with 3 teams.
Said it before and I'll say it again, you get 30 teams willing to put up their money right now and I'll get Justin to run RMR one way or another.
In reply to JThw8:
I understand, but they also didn't put a whole lot of effort into spreading the word. Remember the word-of-mouth BABE 2006 had going? Nobody really bothered to promote/talk about RMR. It was quietly put up online and quietly taken down, never to be seen again. It seemed like StreetSafari was not even interested.
As a 3x BABE veteran, I would buy a car to run RMR. BABE is another story. The car would have to come first. Even then, I might just drive to the PNW on my own. Cheaper, and somewhere I haven't been before.
JThw8 wrote:SlickDizzy wrote: RMR had me foaming at the mouth, shame it was just a unicorn fart.Said it before and I'll say it again, you get 30 teams willing to put up their money right now and I'll get Justin to run RMR one way or another.
I'm calling Hansen right now. We will (attempt to) hold you to that one. That being said, it is hard to get 30 teams of people to put money down for something that doesn't have any official existence. Do I accept the cash? Can we get a route? My last post about RMR on the BABE forum was deleted, I presume 1 USA rally is enough for Justin's taste. I guess Tim and I could run a heck of a thing ourselves if it came down to it.
No idea where this RMR conversation is going.
We did RMR because we got a lot of feedback from BABE Rally teams that that is what they wanted to do the following year (as well as BABE Rally).
So Karin (the other half of StreetSafari - I could only spend so long in the US on each of my visits) drove out to Rockies with a route and ran the recce, and collected the material for all the challenges that we'd run. I think she spent about 2 weeks on the road and put about 5,000 miles on one of our vehicles.
As part of the route wasn't good enough, she also flew out to Denver and reran the route in a hire car (this was 3 days after some tragic news in the US regards her family). She then spent another week in the Rockies running the route for a second time.
We did all the same marketing that we do with BABE Rally and got no where with it, including a full website as we normally do.
We spent thousands on RMR, K wasted 3 weeks of her life on the road, and not to mention the cost of kennels/sitters for her pets whilst she was away.
We had 3 signups. We gave each team a full refund and a free entry into of that year's BABE Rally.
I would love to do more rallies in the US. I love the US, I have even emigrated to the US and this is my home now. And when/if the opportunity to expand on BABE Rally appears, I will gladly be the first person to put on more events.
I hope that puts the record straight. 
tinman wrote: No idea where this RMR conversation is going. We did RMR because we got a lot of feedback from BABE Rally teams that that is what they wanted to do the following year (as well as BABE Rally). So Karin (the other half of StreetSafari - I could only spend so long in the US on each of my visits) drove out to Rockies with a route and ran the recce, and collected the material for all the challenges that we'd run. I think she spent about 2 weeks on the road and put about 5,000 miles on one of our vehicles. As part of the route wasn't good enough, she also flew out to Denver and reran the route in a hire car (this was 3 days after some tragic news in the US regards her family). She then spent another week in the Rockies running the route for a second time. We did all the same marketing that we do with BABE Rally and got no where with it, including a full website as we normally do. We spent thousands on RMR, K wasted 3 weeks of her life on the road, and not to mention the cost of kennels/sitters for her pets whilst she was away. We had 3 signups. We gave each team a full refund and a free entry into of that year's BABE Rally. I would love to do more rallies in the US. I love the US, I have even emigrated to the US and this is my home now. And when/if the opportunity to expand on BABE Rally appears, I will gladly be the first person to put on more events. I hope that puts the record straight.
I understand, and the record has pretty much been put straight. I did not mean to demean your and Karin's efforts, I know you both work very hard at putting these events on. Tim, Fox and I have discussed it many times - as middle coasters, and 3x (4x in their case) BABE veterans we are much more interested in doing something other than BABE, as the driving distance is about the same for us no matter where it starts and ends, and as big as this country is, the same old road can only be drove so many times. I just feel like, as somebody that read about BABE in 2005 before it actually happened, and told everybody I possibly could about it, making two of my best friends through craigslist in the process (i.e. Tim & Fox) if RMR had that same buzz it would be a resounding success. I'm sure between us Wisconsinites, and Gary L. and the other west coasters we could make it a success. I just want something other than BABE. I've had some of the best times of my life on StreetSafari rallies. I just want to drive a different road.
I'm not in a position to ask you any favors, but if RMR could even go back up as a website with an established route and a TBD start date, that would be enough to get the buzz going. StreetSafari has gained quite a few more regulars since then who would undoubtedly share the cause.
I passed on a $500 Maserati because I had no use for it. Coulda done BABE, but the route is not NEARLY as interesting as what RMR was, IIRC. Plus, a final night in Vegas? Give me a use, Justin. I'd love to run a Masi on an SS rally... 
SlickDizzy wrote: the same old road can only be drove so many times.
This alone points out you haven't been on BABE in a few years. The organizers have been doing a good job of switching up the routes and getting on some new (and fun) roads each year.
But whereas its easy to look on this from the fun outside I have been spending the time understanding the gory behind the scene details and its just not that easy to take something that is working and pick it up and move it.
Even GRM experienced the same issues when they tried to have a west coast challenge.
My comment about the 30 committed teams was somewhat an idle challenge because I dont think you can do it, however I would challenge you, and Justin that if you say you have 30 teams ready to pull the trigger and if Justin could set up a sign up page and those 30 teams ALL OF THEM, sign up and pay within 48 hours then maybe the event could happen.
The word was out there last time, lots of people were buzzing about it and many many said they would go, but when it came time to put up or shut up 3 of you were there. No less advertising was done than any other event, just less people were willing to commit.
With the current economy and people slowing down on expenditures for "frivolous" things like this I don't blame Justin for not wanting to be burned again by it.
I for one would be interested in running a west coast rally. I'd like to do the BABE again, but Colleen doesn't unless we're going to see completely different scenery. She's stated a few times that she'd love the excuse to explore the west coast. Obviously without a date or anything we wouldn't be able to commit, but we'd definitely consider it.
Oh, and just for the record I never heard about the proposed west coast event.
Here's some pics of our '09(?) car:
At the Ferrari/Maserati dealership:
Glistening in the sun:
After the BABE, before the Demolition Derby:
And after the first (of three) demolition derby:
Registered 
I wonder if I could take my protege? I paid more than $500 3 years and 70k miles ago, but I've been looking at newer cars and every place I go offers me $500 to trade it in (very rusty).
mw wrote: I wonder if I could take my protege? I paid more than $500 3 years and 70k miles ago, but I've been looking at newer cars and every place I go offers me $500 to trade it in (very rusty).
post up some pics, but generally I'd say if it looks like a heap it will probably get little scruitiny
Just a little nudge to the top since this years "spec" class has been decided.
Spec class is optional and may or may not get you some small bonus points in scoring.
In past years there have been "generic" spec classes such as American Iron, for any 6 or 8 cylinder powered, american car pre 1980
And some more specific classes like last year's terribly unsuccessful spec Tempo which only one team had the guts to participate in.
This year goes back to the generic with Spec Station Wagon. No SUVs CUVs or any UVs, not 5 door hatches, good old family truckster station wagons, estates, tourings and shooting brakes only need apply.
What you already have a car and its not a wagon? Be creative, I hear the judges like creativity.
928 wagon...that's AWESOME!
JThw8 wrote:mw wrote: I wonder if I could take my protege? I paid more than $500 3 years and 70k miles ago, but I've been looking at newer cars and every place I go offers me $500 to trade it in (very rusty).post up some pics, but generally I'd say if it looks like a heap it will probably get little scruitiny
To be honest, we're not that strict on price paid as everyone has a totally unverifiable story in the first place. We could ask you to provide an eBay receipt, but that wouldn't take a genius to hack a bit of source code they download from eBay. Likewise any other documentation.
We could ask for the DMV receipt for taxable sales, but I understand that nearly everyone in the US has a second receipt for car taxing purposes ;)
It's when teams turn up with some really nice vehicles that gets up our nose - like the 2003/4 Taurus on the 2008 event. No way in hell was that ever sold for $500 regardless of the shaggy dog story we were told. And the team were competing for points, which rather added insult to injury! They didn't win.
On the complete opposite scale, there was a mechanics team from Ohio or up there with a completely rusted out Toyota pickup. I wouldn't say that this thing had been exposed to salt, but I'd say it was just parked in a tub of seawater each night. Plus it had the ever tasteful chain link steering wheel and gear knob skull. But the vehicle was in such a state on the other end, we wouldn't have bothered with checking it's authenticity.
We were more likely to pay for a tetanus shot for that team.
So all we ask is - keep it real - and don't think that we'll swallow any old story ;)
Then there was the 2000 Jetta that another Canadian team brought.
I would have been the first to call foul on it, it was WAY too nice. But they sold me the car for $500 at the finish line so either they were lying and didnt mind loosing money to cover it up, or they really scored it for $500.
This is after I cleaned it up post-rally....$500? I sold it for $1800 as a parts car with no title (long story)
16vCorey wrote: I for one would be interested in running a west coast rally. I'd like to do the BABE again, but Colleen doesn't unless we're going to see completely different scenery. She's stated a few times that she'd love the excuse to explore the west coast. Obviously without a date or anything we wouldn't be able to commit, but we'd definitely consider it.
The problem with the US is that the scenery doesn't exactly change, but the people do. In the east you have the Appellations and that's really about it. The change though is in the architecture and the people. There is also the requirement for Deals Gap, which is understandable as that is a fabulous road.
Every state is different, and there are subtitles. If you can't see the difference between Virginia and Tennessee then you really are missing something. America is incredibly rich in it's diversity once you get out of the cities. Once you start looking for the changes, seeing the US is a rewarding place.
But compared to the similar size area in Europe, I can take you over 4 different mountain ranges in the distance that BABE Rally covers. (Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, and Carpathians - not to mention the Dolomites (which is really a bit of the Alps, the Maritime Alps (bit of the Alps but very different than the Alps), and that's not to mention that the Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps are all very different as well).
To get the scenery changes in the US - you have to cover some huge distances. Whether you get the variation in scenery across the whole of the US that you do in Europe I'll let another more qualified person to decide.
So the US does have some constraints on roads and routes.
The key thing in the US is to find fun roads, and that takes time and money. I could copy biker roads (eg Deals Gap - boy do they hate anything with more than 3 wheels), but the problem with biker roads - are bikers. Bikes and cars don't mix. SR221 just to the south of the Blueridge for instance is a fantastic bit of a road and I've boiled the brakes in our SUV in 6 corners for instance, but no one ever tells you that it's a great road.
At the end of the day, the route has been evolving, and evolving is the right term. I would love to spend x weeks each year on the road from Harrisonburg southwards, but until BABE Rally hit some high signup numbers it's difficult for that to happen. Instead we limit ourselves to grabbing a week where we can and driving some researched routes and letting the route evolve.
However, the route is only one part of BABE Rally as it totally overlooks the tailgate parties each evening. What makes BABE Rally totally different to our European events are the parties each night whilst everyone is repairing their POS. Some of the best stories involve LEOs, and that's not to mention the interaction with some of the locals when your car does break down.
What the US does extremely well, and is repeatedly found on BABE Rally is the huge hospitality Americans show to strangers, especially strangers who are driving some clapped out wreck that they used to own.
And finally, there are the stories and memories that you get from BABE Rally. Never sign up to relive a memory - sign up to have a new adventure. If you can have as many memories and stories from lying on a beach for a week, then more power to you!
However, the route is only one part of BABE Rally as it totally overlooks the tailgate parties each evening. What makes BABE Rally totally different to our European events are the parties each night whilst everyone is repairing their POS. Some of the best stories involve LEOs, and that's not to mention the interaction with some of the locals when your car does break down. What the US does extremely well, and is repeatedly found on BABE Rally is the huge hospitality Americans show to strangers, especially strangers who are driving some clapped out wreck that they used to own. And finally, there are the stories and memories that you get from BABE Rally. Never sign up to relive a memory - sign up to have a new adventure. If you can have as many memories and stories from lying on a beach for a week, then more power to you!
you make it sound like its a rowdy orgy every night.
It should be noted that while yes there are parties and socialization it is also very family friendly. You've never seen a group of semi-inebriated, gearheads straighten up faster than when someone's kid wanders out of their hotel rooms.
Its a good time, and there is a party for sure, but the debauchery is minimal (most people are too busy wrenching to get completely knackered anyway)
JThw8 wrote: you make it sound like its a rowdy orgy every night.
well if you got your head out of engine bays in the evening, you might discover the hot tubs at the hotel
tinman wrote:JThw8 wrote: you make it sound like its a rowdy orgy every night.well if you got your head out of engine bays in the evening, you might discover the hot tubs at the hotel
Dangit...I've missed out on hot tub action?
Hmm hot tub in the bed of the Ranchero.. oh yeah
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