Hello all competitors!
We are only 2 weeks away from the GBC! I’m sure you all have been working very hard to get your vehicles ready for the event, and I want to start by thanking all of you for your support and making this the biggest GBC yet! We are set to potentially raise a great deal of money for the Windy City Canine Rescue, and in the process have a great fun weekend and make stories for the future!
Our start will be taking place from Walmart Deerfoot Meadows in Calgary (right near Ikea). I’d ask that you try and arrive around 7:30-8:00am Saturday morning, to give us enough time to get everyone to sign the waiver, and have their initial judging done, as well as take part in what is essentially the world’s worst car show, before having our driver’s meeting and trying to be on the road around 10:00. Day 1 will be the long day, at around 530km, with day 2 being shorter and simpler at about 350km.
Once you arrive in Lodgepole for the overnight stop, Emily from the general store said they would try to have some burgers or something available for those who may not have had an opportunity for supper on the road. They are also staying open till 10pm just for us, and opening early at 8am for us the following day. The start time for the second day is still to be determined, and will be announced when we get there, but it will likely give you a little more time to sleep in. Emily and the crew will also be holding a Pancake breakfast for us on Sunday morning, which is $10 per plate. Please bring cash!
The event finish on Sunday will end at Cardel Homes in Quarry Park of Calgary. There will be a food truck arriving around 5:30, please help support them and feel free to invite family and friends out to see the finish. We will then have scoring, time to hang out and swap stories, and have our awards.
There are a few items we recommend everyone bring with them if possible, and they are:
-Cardboard, to lay down on the ground at the start and finish so our leaking turds don’t mess up their parking lots
-Fire Extinguisher(s), our cars have many flammable things, this is not only for your safety but also the last thing we want to do is start a forest fire if something happens
-High Vis Vests/Triangles/flares/cones, Lets face it, a bunch of you are going to break down on the side of the road. Best to be safe while rebuilding your carb on the Trans Can (Hi Darcy)
-Food/Snacks, makes road trips more fun, and also helps if you are far from civilization. There is a stretch with not a lot on it, aside from a couple high priced tourist stops
-Tools! This one is pretty obvious
-Spares, supplies, fuel filters, zip ties, tape, etc. Anything that could help you cobble something back together
-Cash, for various things along the way
A couple other things of note, we will have sweep crews, as well as fast assistance teams, to help you if you need. They however are not there to carry you the whole way. They can trailer you to the next form of civilization, so you can either fix your car, or be prepared to leave it behind to recover later, and hop in with another team (They’ll get points if you do!). We had 3 truck and trailer heavy recovery teams planned, but right now there is a possibility we may be down to 1… The fast assistance crews can help by providing tools, help, supplies, or a ride into town to get something if needed. Always try and look out for your fellow teams and help when able.
Also, there is a section of route that runs through Jasper National Park. They may require you to purchase a one day park pass to travel through ($19), but you may be able to get away with saying you are just passing through. Be warned that you may need it though.
As a final note, I suck with names (often know people by vehicle more lol), so I apologize in advance if you are new and I don’t remember your name!
Thanks again and can’t wait to see you all there!!!
-Peter Brook
The Great Beater Challenge 