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About BABE2010
We leave in June!
The Big Apple 2 Big Easy (BABE Rally) is StreetSafari's first American event.
Event details are still under active development so check back often. Confirmed teams receive direct updates.
BigApple2BigEasy is a unique motoring experience and as we've said and heard time and time before, "You either get it, or you don't."
After all, what's not to get about buying a $500 car, making it safe and road legal, cramming it full of (hopefully, for your sake) like-minded friends or family, then chugging across -- at least -- 1500 miles of pure American highways and byways?
It's very easy to join in. Just get yourself the worst looking vehicle you can for $500 or less and enter the Rally.
Big Apple 2 Big Easy is based around the same formula as our highly successful European rallies, Staples2Naples and Home2Rome.
In the beginning...
BABE2006 was a huge success. The cars were absolutely appalling - exactly what was expected. In fact, they were worse than appalling, which was definitely a bonus.
The teams enjoyed themselves immensely and created a new chapter in American history: The American Banger Rally was born.
BABE2007 doubled the field and saw America's introduction to a unique part of the StreetSafari Banger Rally recipe: Dress-Up Day. When else could you find dozens and dozens of Elvis clones in crap cars on some of the most beautiful roadways in America?
Just when it seemed it couldn't get any more strange, BABE2008 sent mobs of Supermen (of a wide and imaginative variety) deep into the Appalachian Mountains for 'just the right picture'. If it weren't for the video, we would believe that we dreamt the entire thing.
Now it's time for BABE2010. Many veteran teams have vowed to return, but now is the time for new teams to make history, make this an even better event and have the adventure of a lifetime.
The car...
The car must cost less than $500. Yep, you read right. But before you start bemoaning the impossibility of finding a suitable $500 candidate, don't expect any sympathy from BABE veterans teams who were forced to find $250 chariots.
With the rising cost of scrap value and the growing scarcity of salvagable finds, we've decided to increase the car price to $500.
You can either look for the most comfortable cruiser around for that $500, or you can look for a car that's on its last leg and needs coaxing to New York, let alone New Orleans.
The key to having fun is to find a car that is safe but is also utterly knackered. You will be pitching your mechanic skills in getting your heap of trash to the end. None of this cruise control, air conditioned, motorized sofa nonsense. You want raw, edgy and uncomfortable.
Just ask the Teams who managed to puff and pant their way through the American Deep South and BABE history. They'll tell you... sweat and steam are good for the soul!
If your car breaks down you have two choices: retire from the rally; or get the car disposed off and start hitch- hiking with other teams to the end!
Either way, you won't be the first team who's been-there-done-that.
The challenges...
Along the way you will be asked to participate in some challenges. These are simple challenges, they may include costume on one particular day, they may involve collecting things from particular places. Challenges, in turn, are worth points.
The challenges do not, however, involve doing anything dangerous or any sort of mechanical competition. This isn't a race, and no points will be given for arriving first, doing something fastest, etc. Safety is important at all times. Anyone caught displaying bad driving will be disqualified. Or worse.
The Prize...
The Team that manages to acquire the most points over 5 days of hard driving will get $1500 in cash.
The second place team will win $350 and the third place team will win $150.
However, you must make it to the end! And that includes your Banger!
The Charities...
StreetSafari events aren't officially run for charity, but you are certainly welcome to collect sponsorships and do the event for charity.
Many of the European teams use the events for charity and an impressive amount of money is raised each time.
StreetSafari has experimented and participated in the past with 'official' charity sponsorships and points rewards for teams who made the effort to raise money for their own chosen charity, with mixed results.
StreetSafari neither encourages nor discourages teams to raise money for charity, but we do insist that money raised indeed goes to the benefit of the charity and is not used to finance the expenses of the event.
This is, of course, unless your team happens to be the charity that people are donating towards! Believe us, some of the teams look like they can use all the help they can get.
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