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2015 Gumball 3000 Rally Live Journal - Day One - Supercars, Muscle Cars and Charity

This year we jumped the Gumball 3000 bandwagon and we are now going through the final preparations before the starting line lights up with an explosive number of HP and just as many fun people. We'll be sharing our daily adventures with you and this is just a preview.
Gumball 3000 Rally Team Anastasia Date / Asian Date 108 photos
Photo: Anastasia Date / Asian date team
Anastasia Date / Asian Date Girls for 2015 Gumball RallyAnastasia Date / Asian Date Girls for 2015 Gumball RallyTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow Camaro drum brakesTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red Camaro brakesTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Red CamaroTeam Anastasia Date / Asian Date Yellow CamaroGumball 3000 Rally Team 81 CarGumball 3000 Rally Team 81 CarGumball 3000 Rally Team 81 CarGumball 3000 Rally Team 81 CarLiberty Walk Ferrari 458 at Gumball 3000 RallyLiberty Walk Ferrari 458 at Gumball 3000 RallyLiberty Walk Ferrari 458 at Gumball 3000 RallyLiberty Walk Ferrari 458 at Gumball 3000 RallyLiberty Walk Ferrari 458 at Gumball 3000 RallyLiberty Walk Ferrari 458 at Gumball 3000 RallyLiberty Walk Ferrari 458 at Gumball 3000 RallyGuess ViperGuess ViperGuess ViperFord Mustang GT500 Shelby at Gumball 3000 rallyFord Mustang GT500 Shelby at Gumball 3000 rallyFord Mustang GT500 Shelby at Gumball 3000 rallyFord Mustang GT500 Shelby at Gumball 3000 rallyFerrari 458 at GumballFord F-150 at Gumball 3000 RallyFord F-150 at Gumball 3000 RallyFord Mustang GT500 Shelby at Gumball 3000 rallyTeam Nicholas Feuillatte FerrariTeam Nicholas Feuillatte Aston MartinLamborghini LM0022 SUVLamborghini LM0022 SUVFerrari California at GumballTeam 89 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGTeam 33 Ferrari 458Team 55 Audi RS7Team 33 Ferrari 458Team 89 Porsche 918 SpyderTeam 89 Porsche 918 SpyderTeam 89 Porsche 918 SpyderTeam 89 Porsche 918 SpyderTeam 89 Porsche 918 SpyderTeam 47 BentleyTeam 47 BentleyTeam 77 Porsche 918 SpyderTeam 77 Porsche 918 SpyderTeam 77 Porsche 918 SpyderFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyFerrari 250 Testa Rossa at Gumball 3000 RallyLamborghini LM002 InteriorLamborghini LM0022 SUV interiorLamborghini LM0022 SUV interiorMitsubishi Lancer Camera car for Gumball 3000 rallyMitsubishi Lancer Camera car for Gumball 3000 rallyGumball 3000 Rally Registration RoomGumball 3000 Rally Sponsor tableGumball 3000 Rally Sponsor tableGumball 3000 Rally Sponsor tableGumball 3000 Rally Sponsor tableGumball 3000 Rally Sponsor tableGumball 3000 Rally Sponsor tableMitsubishi Lancer Gumball 3000 Rally Camera CarVolvo XC90 Camera CarVolvo XC90 Camera CarVolvo XC90 Camera CarVolvo Military VehicleVolvo Military VehicleVolvo Military VehicleVolvo Military VehicleTesla Team Tesla P 85D Gumball rally carTesla Team Tesla P 85D Gumball rally carTesla Team Tesla P 85D Gumball rally carTesla Team Tesla P 85D Gumball rally carTesla Team Tesla P 85D Gumball rally carJon Olsson's Audi RS6 for the Gumball 3000 RallyJon Olsson's Audi RS6 for the Gumball 3000 Rally
We're riding with Team AnastasiaDate / AsianDate and we're currently all together in Stockholm, Sweden, waiting for the rally to kick off. Well, we're not exactly sitting around and waiting, but we'll get back to that later on.

We're going to keep you updated with everything that's going on through our Facebook, Google Plus and Twitter, but you can also check out our website daily for our journal and some action-packed photos and videos.

The 2015 line-up

The first day is usually the slowest but to me it seemed like a lot of things were happening at the same time. The speed with which they were going down was out of this world. 120 cars have signed up this year, and every driver has to go through the registration process that isn't necessarily tedious but when you're dealing with so many people, it can get quite lengthy.

The good part is that we're riding with one of the biggest sponsors of the event, and have access to all the stuff going on. We're here to share the experience with you.

The organizers hit us with what they call "a swag bag". While we didn't know what to make out of it at first, we noticed an umbrella. This came in handy right after we left the hotel as the Scandinavian weather started acting up, a freezing rain pouring down on the cars in the capital city of Sweden. Around here, you can't just protect yourself from the rain with a black umbrella. Oh no. You need the Gumball stuff.

As for the cars, the town is filled with them, and they are as crazy as they can get. Most Gumballers bring out the latest supercars and hypercars to have fun in them. All are wearing the same wrap featuring the main sponsors of the event and underneath that wrap we have all sorts of weird combinations.

From a gold Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe belonging to Team Goldfinger, veterans of the rally, to Porsche 918 Spyders sitting back to back and Ferrari 458s with Liberty Walk kits, you can admire them all.

Restomod muscle

However, we're here to drive something else. You see, we get to review the latest cars in the business, but getting to drive a real old-school Camaro is something entirely different. That's what we're riding on these days, two restomod 1969 Camaro Z28s that have been tuned by a true car guy, Steve Elstins.

I had a long chat with the man last night about his love of petrol. Whenever he'd bring up a car or another, one that he worked on or that he simply got to enjoy for a couple of moments, his face would light up immediately and you could feel the excitement in his voice.

The best thing about this great man is that he knows that life is supposed to be about having fun as well and as long as people enjoy his work he's more than pleased to do it.

Out of his nifty hands came these two Camaros, the red one that's pushing around 425 HP and the yellow one that has around 540 HP. Steve isn't a big dyno guy, but he knows what he's talking about.

The brakes have been kept along, so we're going to be enjoying that amount of power with drum brakes on the rear wheels on the ye. It's going to be interesting, to say the least.

Right now the cars are getting line-up on the starting grid, according to the donations they made to the Gumball 3000 Rally Foundation. Its purpose is to benefit disadvantaged youth through educational, recreational and environmental-focused projects around the world.

Charity

Therefore, the money raised ($157,561) will be shared between the Tony Hawk Foundation, When You Wish Upon A Star, The Sir Simon Milton Foundation, The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund UK and The Westway Trust and Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Depending on how much each team donated, they will line up for the starting line. Team AnastasiaDate / AsianDate will be number four on the line-up. Oh, and did we mention we're going to be the only team here that will have a helicopter at its disposal? It's going to be crazy, and it's all kicking off tomorrow, May 24, at 12:00 PM (CET).

Just as we were ready to call it a day, a Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa entered the enclosing where the Gumball cars are being held. Needless to say that I had to stop for a couple more minutes to take some photos of the legendary car.   Ferrari built only 22 of them back in 1957, and they are extremely expensive. As a matter of fact, one of them was sold for over $12 million not too long ago, that price tag making it the fourth most expensive car ever sold!

If you missed our coverage of the whole think, you can check it out here: day two, three, four and the final cover story.
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