Posted on 10/05/2006 10:11:00 AM PDT by Republicain
AGEN, France, Oct 3, 2006 (AFP) - Six Britons and a Polish driver were arrested Tuesday for taking part in an illegal high-speed race across southwestern France reserved for the millionaire owners of ultra-powerful sports cars, police said.
All were released after paying fines.
The drivers were participating in an unofficial contest called the Black Carbon Rally -- a cross-country competition in which Ferraris, Porsches, Bentleys and other costly cars are pushed to their limits by their wealthy owners.
The race involved getting from Kent in England to Milan in Italy, via Bordeaux, Barcelona and Geneva in the shortest time.
The Polish driver arrested Tuesday was clocked driving at more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) per hour in a Bentley.
He had to cough up 1,500 euros (1,900 dollars) to police and promise to appear in court next January for reckless driving.
The six Britons -- driving a Porsche, a Ferrari and other exotic machines -- got off with 90-euro fines because rain prevented police from accurately recording their speeds, estimated in excess of 150 kilometres per hour.
The top limit on French tollways is 130 kilometres per hour.
Police said that on Monday they had registered speeds of over 200 kilometres an hour by a Porsche driven by a Swede and a Lamborghini with another Briton at the wheel. Their vehicles were confiscated and they, too, faced court.
According to officers, five or six of the dangerous rallies occur each year, with all of them starting in Britain.
Coast-to-Coast GUMBALL Rally!
It's still nothing like the original "Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Trophy Dash, Sponsored By the True Friends Of Hernando DeSoto"! It was featured in the March 1972 issue of Car and driver, and was held on November 13, 1971.
These rallys occur annually in the US also. They're a bunch of rich exotic car owners from around the world. They start in NY and run to LA. There was a local news report that showed a video taken in a Z-06 Vette which followed a group of Ford GTs, Lamborghinis, vipers, Porches etc, traveling close to 200 mph down I-94 west of Detroit zig-zagging around cars doing 70 mph like they were standing still! Pretty dangerous to the innocent motorist. (Also lucky they didn't meet up with a famous Michigan pothole/crater). Here's a clip from youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEr0la4gMiY
Very easy to stop. these guys dont worry about fines , They are rich. Impound the cars and let them spend a year in jail, where they cant buy their way out. Suddenly the fun goes out of it.
As dangerous as these races are, such is my dislike of European social conditioning that I have a warm feeling toward these mavericks.
Dumbasses should have had some Southwest Asians driving.
Must...avoid...Polish...joke.
I remember seeing that video a while ago. What I can't get over is all the stickers and paintjobs that say 'LOOK AT ME!!! I'M IN A RACE!!!'
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