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The Shitbox Rally is a long-distance motoring event run in Australia as a fundraiser for cancer research charities, originally an annual event but increased to twice-yearly in 2019.
The event was inaugurated by James Freeman in 2009 in memory of his mother and father, who both died from cancer within a space of twelve months. His idea was to challenge men and women with a sense of adventure to a roughly one-week drive across the country in an inexpensive motor vehicle, which would be sold by auction at journey's end.
Entrance fees and proceeds of the sale to go to a cancer charity, along with any other money that might be collected in the way of donations, sponsorships and royalties. He secured an agreement from Cancer Council Australia to lend its name to the project, on the proviso that all monies would be directed to Cancer Council Australia. Freeman estimated a profit of $20,000 in the first year and to get the ball rolling, he canvassed friends and relations to take part.
The Sydney Morning Herald 's Drive column, Seven Network 's Sunrise program and Unique Cars magazine ran feature stories, and other print and electronic media followed. Triple J arranged for one of their presenters, Tom Tilley, to participate, sending reports back to Sydney, and capturing moments on videotape. 23 two-person teams registered for the event, which raised $103,000, well above the most optimistic predictions. [1]
The event organisers describes the rally as "not a race, [but] rather a challenge to achieve the unthinkable," [2] being fundraiser and community event where participants have a good time doing something challenging. There is an award presented to the biggest fundraisers, and other awards are given in various light-hearted categories which may change at the whim of the organisers: "Least likely to make it"; "Best car"; "Best team theme" (dressing up the vehicle is part of the fun, but not mandatory); "Best breakdown"; "Best repair"; "Spirit of the Rally".
The number of entries is limited to 200.
Effectively, a team of two needs to raise a minimum of $5,000, which goes straight to Cancer Council Australia, to participate in the rally. The only stipulations for the car are that it is worth/valued at no more than A$1,000 and that it's not an AWD/4WD vehicle. Costs of vehicle registration and roadworthiness checks are not included in the budget, nor are some safety items.
Teams are responsible for getting the vehicle to the starting point, and proceed each day to that night's checkpoint, where they sleep "under the stars" (BYO swag). Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided. There is an auction held following the last day, where optionally, the vehicles are sold to benefit Cancer Council Australia.
Rallying is a wide-ranging form of motorsport with various competitive motoring elements such as speed tests, navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or a destination at a prescribed time or average speed. Rallies may be short in the form of trials at a single venue, or several thousand miles long in an extreme endurance rally.
A telethon is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or even days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other purportedly worthy cause.
The Plymouth-Banjul Challenge or unofficially the Ultimate Banger Challenge and previously known as the Plymouth-Dakar Challenge, is an annual car event for charity. It is not a race or a competition as its website states. It was first run in 2003 to Dakar and since 2005 to Banjul. It very roughly follows the route of the more famous Dakar Rally, visiting many of the same countries.
Fort Street High School (FSHS) is a government-funded co-educational academically selective secondary day school, located in Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1849, it is the oldest government high school in Australia and, notably, the first school not founded by a religious organisation. Today, it remains a public school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education. As an academically selective secondary school, it draws students from across greater metropolitan Sydney.
Gumball 3000 is a brand known for the annual Gumball 3000 Rally, an international celebrity motor rally that takes place on public roads. The brand was founded in 1999 by British entrepreneur Maximillion Cooper, with his vision to combine cars, music, fashion and popular culture.
The Mongol Rally is an intercontinental car rally that begins in Europe and ends in Ulan-Ude, Russia. The rally originally ended in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. However, to avoid punitive costs and taxes associated with vehicle imports and disposal, the rally now passes through Mongolia and ends in Ulan-Ude. The principal launch is from Goodwood Circuit in the United Kingdom, with subsidiary starting points in the Czech Republic. There are three fundamental rules to the rally:
The Holden Dealer Team (HDT) was Holden's semi-official racing team from 1969 until 1986, primarily contesting Australian Touring Car events but also rallying, rallycross and Sports Sedan races during the 1970s. From 1980 the Holden Dealer Team, by then under the ownership of Peter Brock, diversified into producing modified road-going Commodores and other Holden cars for selected dealers via HDT Special Vehicles.
Barrett-Jackson is an American collector car auction company headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was founded by Scottsdale business partners Tom Barrett and Russ Jackson. They initially launched a car show, Fiesta de los Autos Elegantes, in 1967 to raise money for local facilities. The first Barrett-Jackson auction, originally meant as a one-time event, was held in December 1971. Due to its success, it became an annual event, eventually prompting the creation of other collector car auctions in the Scottsdale area.
The University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project, or UMNSVP, is a team of undergraduate students from the University of Minnesota that designs and constructs solar-powered cars. In its 31 years, it has established itself as one of the world's top solar racing teams, and the top Cruiser/Multi-Occupant Vehicle team in the Western Hemisphere, with top-two finishes in eighteen of thirty-four events entered.
The London–Sydney Marathon was a car rally from the United Kingdom to Australia. It was first run in 1968, a second event by the same organizers was run in 1977 and a third in 1993 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original. Three further rallies have subsequently been contested in 2000, 2004 and 2014.
A banger rally is a rally in a scrap or low value car on public roads. The event is a non-racing variant of banger racing. A banger rally may also be a charity rally where the teams taking part in the event also raise money for charity. Banger rallies chiefly appear to be a United Kingdom-based phenomenon and most involve driving through Europe to various destinations where the cars are environmentally scrapped, sold or auctioned for charity. Some events have a limit on how much a participant can spend on buying a car or the size of the engine. Participants in the events often decorate their vehicles with the stickers of sponsors or customising to a theme from popular culture.
A charity rally is a charitable event in which participants usually drive, ride or otherwise participate in through the medium of motorised wheeled transportation in an event to raise money for a charitable cause.
The Mongolia Charity Rally is the charity rally from London to the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolia Charity Rally is organised by Charity Rallies, part of Go Help, a UK-based charity.
The Scumrun is an annual charitable event in the form of a road rally from the United Kingdom to mystery destinations around Europe. It has been running since 2006, originally as the Scumball 3000.
A decrepit car is a car that is often old and damaged and is in a barely functional state. There are many slang terms used to describe such cars, such as beater, clunker, flivver, hooptie/hoopty, jalopy, old banger, but the most popular being junk car.
Damien Thomlinson is an Australian commando, swimmer, rally car navigator, para-snowboarder and author. He joined the Australian Army in 2005, and went on to serve in Afghanistan. While serving with the 2nd Commando Regiment in Tarin Kowt District in April 2009, the vehicle he was in drove over an improvised explosive planted by the Taliban. Thomlinson was severely injured, suffering wounds to his face, arms and legs; the damage to his legs was so severe that they were amputated. After undergoing extensive rehabilitation, he stayed with his unit in a desk job. In June 2011, to honour the memory of a friend who died in Afghanistan, he walked the 96-kilometre (60 mi) long Kokoda Track on rubber prosthetic legs as part of a 25-man team of Australian soldiers.
Molly Anne Taylor is an Australian rally car driver. She is the 2016 Australian Rally Champion, the first and only woman to win the Australian Rally Championship and the youngest regardless of gender, and the 2021 Extreme E Champion.
Gina Long is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, journalist, radio presenter and global charity campaigner. She was awarded an MBE for services to the charity sector in December 2015. She was made a Honorary Fellow of the University of Suffolk in October 2018.
The Grand Henham Steam Rally is a steam rally held every September at Henham Park near Southwold. It features displays of fixed and mobile steam engines and of vintage and classic cars and motorcycles. There are many events and activities, and craft, trade and food stalls. Proceeds are given to local charities. The organiser was forced into liquidation in July 2020.
