Generally, when you want to find out where the next stop on the Bullrun is, you just line up at the appropriate time, and then an official hands you a route card. But at today’s lunch stop, things were a little different. To get the address of the next destination, you had to play a hand of blackjack, and as you can imagine, it was a complete zoo. By the time I got a card, Team Jeep had already left—don’t blame them, you’d probably ditch me too—so I caught a ride with Team Safety Car. It was a little cozy in the back of the Shelby Mustang, but it sure beat the hell out of walking!

After how insane the last week has been, I didn’t know what to expect during the final stages of the 2008 Bullrun. But after the brutal speeds—and second place finish—Team Jeep achieved yesterday, I knew I wanted to be riding in the SRT-8. Jeb and Angela let ace-driver Kiran take the wheel again, and he piloted the Jeep into a 4th place finish at the check point in Tonto National Forrest. From there,  we took the Apache Trail toward a Casino in Chandler. Drivers of exotics were warned that the road was a little rough, and given an alternate route, but the Aston Martin decided to go for it. While the scenery was gorgeous, I can’t say I’d have taken my DBS down 30 miles of winding dirt road… 

Finishing second in any stage of the Bullrun is an impressive feat, so Team Jeep should definitely be congratulated for that achievement. But you know who else should be congratulated? The engineers over at Jeep! Earlier today, Jeb and Angela’s buddy Kiran took their rally-mobile to an indicated 153—and that’s with four passengers and a full load of luggage. Now, I knew the thing was fast, but 153? Wow. Glad they didn’t get popped for that one.

Today was all about cops. And police. And state troopers. And more cops. From the start in Beverly Hills, the rally traveled to Corona, California, then headed to Arizona for stops in Scottsdale and Tucson. It seemed like every officer in each state knew about the Bullrun, and in an unwelcome twist, many seemed to be keeping their radar guns off, so drivers got no advance warning of their presence. The car-loving cops of Cali pulled over at least four participants before the rally left the state, but just issued citations or stern warnings. The officers in Arizona were not as kind. Ashley Van Dyke, a host on SpeedTV’s Setup, was stopped for doing 110 and placed in cuffs before being fined 650 bucks and released. That’s her in the photo below. And after being paced by an off-duty Precinct Captain at 120MPH, Justin of Team Safety Car was greeted with: "Get out of the car! You’re going to jail. This car is being impounded!" Miraculously, he was able to talk his way out of everything but a formidable reckless driving fine, and arrived in at the hotel just in time for dinner. Unfortunately, Team Angry’s Larry wasn’t so lucky. After being pulled over for doing well over 100MPH in an Audi R8, he was immediately taken into custody and booked at a Scottsdale jail. He still wasn’t at the hotel by dinner time, but he’s supposedly already been released. [Update: Larry showed me his ticket, which said he was only doing 85 when he was stopped, and said that the cops just took him downtown to make an example out of him. What a bunch of dicks. ]

While we were driving into Arizona this afternoon, we were all wondering what the hell was going on with this apparently giant fire burning off to the South. Since everyone is feeling a little bit punchy—the result having spent nearly every waking moment since Saturday in a moving vehicle—our theories to the cause of it ranged from cookout disaster to accidental nuclear detonation. It’s kind of weird how much funnier things sound over a two-way radio…

There’s been a lot of vehicular turnover on Team Angry this year. Mike started out with the Daytona, which was forced to retire after one its custom wheels failed at 100 MPH. He then rented a Ford Fusion, which wasn’t the sleekest or most powerful vehicle, but ran like a sewing machine at top speed for hours at a time, and even delivered an impressive sixth place finish. Now he’s moved on again, borrowing his buddy Lamont’s Mercedes-Benz CLS55 for the Bullrun’s final two days, and it seems better suited to the rally than either of his previous rides. The Daytona was a gas hog, and could be heard coming from two states away, and the little Ford topped out at 111MPH, and had brakes made out of chewing gum. In contrast, the Mercedes should be able to cruise above 120MPH for hours, and be as comfortable as a lazy boy. In other Team Angry news, the much-anticipated return—by me, anyway—of Todd’s F430 is not to be. The Italian Stallion was set to be released from the Penske-Wynn dealership with a new clutch and a clean bill of health, but the replacement parts that were rush-delivered came in one crucial o-ring short. I’m a disappointed I won’t get to hop behind the wheel, but Todd seems enough happy with the C5 drop-top he rented to replace it. Hopefully these cars will last the remainder of Bullrun…

This morning, I hopped into the Team Angry CLS55 AMG, and we headed over to West Coast Customs to have some brunch and check out the shop. Since we were in Southern California, I was hoping that Mexican food would be on the agenda, and I wasn’t disappointed. Along with wash stations to rinse all the road grime off the Bullrun cars, there was a dope taco bar, and I chowed down before heading in to check out the facility. The first ride I saw was this Mercedes CLS55—the same model I’d arrived in—that had been converted from a four-door to a coupe. The job was seamless, and I loved how the conversion  made the car look like a mile long. I also really dug the matte-green Charger parked across from it. I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve seen such an eye-catching color. God, this thing looked cool.  I’ll post up all the pictures I took in our Events Section after I get back to town, but for now, check out a few more of the sick rides I saw after the jump

Continue reading "Brunch at West Coast Customs!" »

Just after I completed this post, I got word that earlier today, Richard Rawlings’ Escalade-powered Chevy Caprice broke down while coming through Death Valley. Apparently, the almost-donk had been running a little hot—but achieved an indicated 134MPH!—before the brand-new fuel pump took a dump. The Chevy coasted to a stop 50 miles from civilization in an area with no cell service, but as luck would have it, there was a phone and emergency shelter within sight. While the occupants waited for a tow truck, an inspection revealed that the custom pump assembly was running off a unit designed to be mounted inside the gas tank, where it could be cooled by the fuel, and not inside a toasty engine compartment. Unfortunately, the tow driver who responded to distress call was reportedly a gigantic prick, and would only agree to take the crippled car 50 miles. To top it off, instead of letting Richard and co-driver Aaron ride inside the cab—like, um, every other tow driver in history would have—he made them sit inside the Caprice as it sat on the flatbed. How lame is that? Currently, the puke green machine is at West Coast Customs—which is just a few blocks from the hotel where the Bullrun drivers are staying—and Aaron is going to head over at seven AM to see if he can get this puppy back on the road. Keep you fingers crossed for them, and stay tuned!      

Everyone from Bullrun is staying at the Sofitel Hotel in Beverly Hills, and while I’m a little disappointed that its zip code is actually 90048—not 90210—I’ll live. I guess I should be grateful that I’ve only been in the metro area for like, ten minutes, and I’ve already gotten to see two of the three things Los Angeles is most famous for: gridlock and smog. Don’t worry, if I see any movie stars, you’ll be the first to know.

On the way to the LA checkpoint, we drove through Death Valley. I’d never been before, and the country is undeniably gorgeous, even with the "if my car breaks down I could die here" vibe it gives off. But more than the postcard-grade scenery, and the unreal temperatures—seriously, 115?—the thing that jumped out at me most were the gas prices. Even given the completely isolated area, $5.79 for premium seems a little steep. Have you ever paid more than that?