Pedal To The Metal! Michigan Gumball Rally Is On
DETROIT (WWJ) - The 2nd annual Michigan Gumball Rally is underway, with more than a few dozen teams -- consisting of a car, driver and navigator -- making a 1,200 mile road-trip around "The Mitten."
The race kicked off Friday at Belle Isle's Scott Fountain. The route will take the group of over 100 people from Detroit to the U.P. and back, ending at the Automotive Hall of Fame on Sunday, August 12.
Among the participants -- father and son team Ken Holloway of Garden City and Richard from Canton driving a really sweet ride: a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette.
The Holloways in their metallic blue #38 and other Gumball Rally racers will stop at Michigan landmarks and race tracks to complete "checkpoint cards" that show the time they made it to that particular location. Checkpoints include Michigan International Speedway, Mackinac Bridge Park, Sault St. Marie and Milan Dragway.
Of course, the official word is that speeding on public roads is discouraged and will not help you win, but the grand prize of up to $15,000 may cause a few participants to seek more than just the entry plaque.
"Sometimes you take it easy and sometimes you don't, you know, it's according to who is watching," Ken Holloway joked about speeding..
An awards ceremony will be held at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Downtown Ferndale on Aug. 18.
The Michigan Gumball Rally started in 2010, after a yearly party at the Dream Cruise simply got too big -- and too old hat, for organizer Randy Kohler. He put together the poker run-style rally, and the race was on.
Get more information on the Michigan Gumball Rally on their Facebook Page or at www.MichiganGumball.com.
