The End...BABE 8 reports

Photo by 129slayer.com

The final BABE rally came to and end, and what a great event it was. It was great to see another GRMer along for his first rally and hang out with a bunch of great people.

There seemed to be fewer catastrophic troubles this year and every registered team made the start and the finish for the first time ever (with the exception of a team that had to leave on day 5 due to a family emergency, but their car was fine)

I just got home after leaving Pensacola FL yesterday around 9am, the wagon just eats up the miles and I did about 860 yesterday solo without issue. Personal stats on the Mercury are 8 days, 11 states, 2,800 miles, including an 860 mile 15 hour straight run, untold gallons of gas, a single quart of oil and zero trouble. The Honeybadger rocks!

As to what's next for everyone who loves this kind of event and has wanted to try it?..... I have shilled for BABE for years because I have no financial interest in it. I cannot in good conscious advertise my own wares without paid advertising other than to say yes, there will be something coming soon. I will be talking with GRM to line up some type of paid advertising so I can feel free to discuss it here. I will leave you with the website, you can see a bit of what's in the works but I won't be doing event updates here until I'm properly working with GRM to not abuse their website.

So welcome to Asphault Adventures www.asphaultadventures.com and on FB at https://www.facebook.com/AsphaultAdventures

"Liked" My vote would be for something in the mid-west though.

Awesome! I have been wanting to do one of these since I heard about it but was soo sad when I heard this was the last. Please start a midwest one! Clem, psteav and I have been talking about this for while. Do a Chicago to Austin or something like that and you might get some real interest.

Also, "liked"

"Liked"

Awesome indeed. I have liked as well.

singleslammer wrote: Awesome! I have been wanting to do one of these since I heard about it but was soo sad when I heard this was the last. Please start a midwest one! Clem, psteav and I have been talking about this for while. Do a Chicago to Austin or something like that and you might get some real interest. Also, "liked"

Check the website for info on the first planned event, I think you'll be very pleased :) I'll be happy to discuss what we know so far in this thread but if the GRM staff feels its over the line I will not be offended if they shut it down.

We are working on a Rt 66 route from St. Louis to Vegas. That is still VERY flexible, but the general route is what we want for the first event, we just might not end in Vegas for a variety of reasons.

FWIW, I am partnered, in business and life, with a professional meeting and event planner so this isn't one of my crazy hairbrained schemes, this is what she does and she's very good at it (credentials include CMP (Certified Meeting Planner) certification as well as being a CMP trainer and President of the Philadelphia chapter of Meeting Planners International). She is actually running this show and I'm just filling in the car related bits.

We hope to have a finalized 2014 schedule by the end of the summer. Long term goals (ie. probably not 2014) will include multiple 3, 4, or 5 day events around the country. We are also offering the planning and organization services to clubs, companies or any group that would like to put on their own roadtrip adventure rally. So if we dont put one where you want it you can commission us to do it wherever and whenever you'd like, you'll just be required to cover a minimum number of teams. These events can be open or closed so you can ask us to do a private event for your car club or you can get the minimum teams to get us to do an open event in your area but allow us to leave registration open to outside participants.

And now I know what I'm prepping Fergus for. He won't be in the beater class, but he's got the right spirit. The kids are all big enough for this. I'm on board.

Awesome, sorry I couldn't make BABE but am hopeful for the 2014 Saints 2 Sinners!

p.s. Asphault -- whose fault?

dculberson wrote: p.s. Asphault -- whose fault?

Yeah, let's get that one out of the way now, the proper spelling is Asfault. But you ask 10 people and half of them will spell it with the 'ph' anyway. I like doing things the improper way :)

As for classes there is some discussion of adding a vintage class as well for non-bangers but not modern DDs either.

In reply to JThw8:

Awesome will be following this. Right in my neck of the woods

Ah dammit. Saints2Sinners looks absolutely kick ass. I'd take the Bugaru, despite the near-unbearable noise levels.

Unfortunately, I'll likely be elsewhere learning how to march in formation and E36M3 like that.

JThw8 wrote:

dculberson wrote: p.s. Asphault -- whose fault?

Yeah, let's get that one out of the way now, the proper spelling is Asfault. But you ask 10 people and half of them will spell it with the 'ph' anyway. I like doing things the improper way :)

The ph is right, the U is extra. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt ) I assumed it was a play on words. Fault, as in someone made a mistake. Plus every time someone says "asphalt" around me, I say "whose fault?" just to be a pain in the ass.

dculberson wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

dculberson wrote: p.s. Asphault -- whose fault?

Yeah, let's get that one out of the way now, the proper spelling is Asfault. But you ask 10 people and half of them will spell it with the 'ph' anyway. I like doing things the improper way :)

The ph is right, the U is extra. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt ) I assumed it was a play on words. Fault, as in someone made a mistake. Plus every time someone says "asphalt" around me, I say "whose fault?" just to be a pain in the ass.

Honestly it was an intentional mispelling to make it easier to secure the website :) And I'm weird.

Is it a "spirit of the rule" type of event? Pretty sure everything I own would end up in open.

I've always wanted to do the Rt.66 tour so I'm tentatively game.

moparman76_69 wrote: Is it a "spirit of the rule" type of event? Pretty sure everything I own would end up in open. I've always wanted to do the Rt.66 tour so I'm tentatively game.

More details about rules will be posted as they are known but I know a banger when I see one so it's likely to be flexible :)

Watching

aussiesmg wrote: Watching

Long time listener first time caller; I wanna just say...ditto.

Nice. BABE has been on my list for a few years. I was sad to see this was the last one. Keep us posted.

For folks in the Northeast we are planning some one and 3 day events, partially as trials and mostly as charity fundraisers. Looks like the 1 day will be on the NJ coast late summer early fall this year and the 3 day will be most of PA possibly early spring. Northeast stuff is easy for us to pull together so its a good way to test some new ideas and still have fun.

Should have info up by August, still working on many many things but I've been listening and hopefully everyone is interested will notice.

Now for your part, my wife has no interest in loosing money so I can go play, so if we dont make entry minimums we won't continue. So word of mouth is what we have until we have a budget....hint hint...

Get some concrete dates for the first Premier event and I'll have cash in hand...now time to find some suitable French machinery!

SlickDizzy wrote: Get some concrete dates for the first Premier event and I'll have cash in hand...now time to find some suitable French machinery!

Ooooh French! Although not commercially viable I do plan to run Phil Greden (Murilee Martin)'s "Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow" rally someday so hang on to that french stuff. Probably just as a 2 or 3 day from Moscow, TN, to Paris, TX

For those not familiar its basically french and communist bloc cars only with one team hunting the other.

SlickDizzy wrote: Get some concrete dates for the first Premier event and I'll have cash in hand...now time to find some suitable French machinery!

I know where you can find some.

Mailing list has been joined, and I'm looking forward to announcements for northeast events.

HappyAndy wrote: Mailing list has been joined, and I'm looking forward to announcements for northeast events.

They will be fun events, especially the 1 day in NJ, its really a "getting to know you" event where half the people will be car guys who like this stuff and the other half will be meeting professionals who we are selling the idea to :) But at the end of the day it will be a great drive of the NJ coast with some fun stuff along the way. Bangers/beaters optional but encouraged :)

If at all possible if you arent morally opposed to Facebook I'd recommend getting on the page. We'll be having a lot of discussion on plans and ideas and asking for your input on what you'd like. Joining the mailing list will get you official updates on events when they are known, the facebook page will allow you to get a little more "behind the scenes" and help drive the events we design.

I know what I want in an event, but I often find my ideas are terrible for most people, we want to make sure we listen to everyone and put together events that appeal to the whole community.