Disco Rave Rally 1000: The Ultimate Map Point Party - 7/4 to 7/5 2008 - San Diego, CA

[DiscoRaveRally]

We're bringing back an old-school tradition: the map point. But this time, there's a twist, because we won't actually be giving you a map.

Driving on "E" Productions is proud to present....

DISCO RAVE RALLY 1000: THE ULTIMATE MAP POINT PARTY
(Getting there is half the fun.)

4th of July Weekend, 2008
San Diego, CA, to ????
All-inclusive ticket price: $500 per car
Grand prize: $20,000+

With performances by:

Armando Needlefluff (Portland) - House
da'Basscaterpiller (University of California, Santa Cruz) - Drum 'n' Bass
DJ Emperor Blase-Bubblee (Las Vegas) - House
Grassskirt (San Diego) - House
Mindy Steppa (San Diego) - Drum 'n' Bass
DJ W.M.D. (Salt Lake City) - Techno
More TBA....

The basic idea is this. On the evening of July 4, 2008, you, a friend, and a car arrive at a designated location in San Diego. We provide you with the location of a party 1,000 miles away (give or take 100). The next step is for you to get there -- as fast as you can. The first team to arrive at the party venue gets $20,000, and everyone "wins" with a party featuring DJ's who are sure to please.

The rules? There are no rules.

Okay, well, we have to set a few rules. (Sigh.) But we're trying to keep them to a minimum. So here they are:

1. You have to complete the trip in a street-legal motor vehicle. This means you can't enter in a Formula One car. It also means you can't win by dashing to the airport and buying a plane ticket to the destination city. (Yes, we already thought of that.) For our purposes, if your car has a valid registration and license plate from any state or Canadian province, then it's street-legal. Your license plate also serves as your official team number.

2. Each car (team) must have at least two occupants, each with a valid U.S. or Canadian driver's license, who are over the age of 18. Your team may have extra drivers. You can also carry "navigators"; i.e., non-driving passengers who don't need a license, but must be 18, with government-issued photo ID to prove it. The only limit on team size is that there must be a seat belt for every person in the car.

3. You must have proof of liability insurance for your car.

4. If something bad happens (ticket, accident, etc.), it's not our fault. You may want to invest in additional insurance. And if you're not already a member, it might be a good idea to join AAA, since you can use your card as an arrest bond for traffic violations.

5. P.L.U.R.R. No joke! Especially the last "R" -- Responsibility. Don't be stupid.

That's it. Otherwise, there are no rules. You can take any route you want. Subject to Rule #5, you can and probably should drive as fast as you want. You can use any tools that you think might help. (At a minimum, you really ought to bring a map, since we're not giving you one.)

We've got some tricks up our sleeve to make this even more interesting. For example, we've done the research to figure out what roads will be under construction next summer and where holiday traffic is likely to be a problem. You're probably not going to win with just a Ferrari and whatever route Mapquest thinks will take the least time. Suggestion: we made the trip last summer as a test run, and we're pretty sure the winning team will mostly stay off the Interstates.

You've probably got questions, and we've got answers....

Q. Does this really cost $500 per car? Are you insane?

A. We're not sure about our sanity, but yes, the price is $500. Remember, we've got a $20,000 prize to fund. And that's on top of DJ's to pay and all the other expenses involved with this sort of event. The ticket price covers includes a pre-party lounge (see below), admission to the party, a hotel room across the street from the venue, and free bottled water.

Q. Why San Diego?

A. We chose San Diego, California, as our "you-don't-get-a-map point" mainly due to the vast number of possible routes between San Diego and the destination.

Q. When exactly is the party?

A. Saturday, July 5th, at 24 hours past the start time. The idea is that you'll leave on Friday night, party on Saturday night, and have Sunday for at least a few hours of sleep (we hope) and the drive home.

Since we expect that most teams won't need 24 hours to complete the 1,000 mile trip, we're renting the hotel's hospitality suite and setting it up as a pre-party lounge with downtempo tunes and free refreshments. We've also arranged for early check-in so you can get some sleep in your hotel room.

Q. Will the party be open to those who can't participate in the race?

A. Yes, but there's a catch. We're not releasing the location of the party until the race has started. Not even the city and state. If we gave out this information earlier, the teams could plan their trips in advance, which sort of defeats the whole purpose of this thing.

Q. I can't afford $500 and whatever else this will cost me (gas, etc.).

A. Technically, that's not a question. But we'll answer it anyway. One suggestion we have is to find some sponsoring businesses who pay you to put their name on your car. Or think of something else creative. In fact, we really hope everyone will be creative with this whole event.

One more thing....

$20,000 is a pretty decent prize for the winning team. But starting with the 101st car that registers, we'll add another $100 to that amount. As in life, this event is what you make it.

Good luck to all teams! We'll see you on the 4th of July.

[Cvl4]

Where in SD do we meet?