Teams from all over America are preparing their cars for the very first all-American beater rally. BABE2006 leaves from New York on May 25, 2006. The Teams must acquire cars costing less than $250 and have been tasked with making them road-worthy and able to complete a 1,500 mile fun run.
The first American event is dubbed the BABE Rally, short for Big Apple 2 Big Easy, and was originally planned to launch in early August 2005. Due to Hurricane Katrina and various charity events with the same name, the launch of BABE2006 was voluntarily delayed until October 1, 2005.
The BABE Rally is based on a hugely successful concept from the European Banger Rallies, Staples2Naples and Home2Rome, but is no pale knockoff. The same proven team organizes all three events.
Organizer Justin Clements said “I have run many European events, and because I have a home in America, many friends have urged me to do a similar event here as well. It’s definitely a new concept to the States, but I’ve found amateur American mechanics are equally up to the challenge of preparing an old car for its final trip – just like their British counterparts.
“Many people enjoy repairing cars in their spare time and the rallies give them an excuse to work on their cars.”
Clements stresses that the allure of a motoring event that centers around jalopies has nothing to do with speed or reckless driving, but more with the sheer quirkiness of it all.
"The appeal, I think, is that teams are not really competing with one another, but with their cars. The ultimate goal is to get your bucket of bolts to the end of the route with the most points accumulated from the daily challenges. Most of these cars can barely meet, much less exceed, the speed limit."
BABE2006 starts in New York on May 25 and ends in New Orleans on May 28 and covers around 1,500 miles. Registration for the event is still open.
For more information, visit www.baberally.com.