Gumball 3000 has announced the dates and route for the Gumball 2008 Rally. As expected, the entrance fee for Gumball 2008 remains at an incredible 120.000 dollars per team, the Gumball 2008 start will be in August 2008 and it will run from San Fransisco to Beijing. Gumball 3000 also announced a new 2008 Gumball Rally website to be launched on april 1st (has to be a joke!) aimed at user generated content. Our guess is that it will be ruled after communist Chinese model with plenty of censorship like we have experienced first hand last year. But you can always post your Gumball 2008 photos and videos in our ‘uncensored’ Gumball 3000 forum.

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Gumball 3000 HQ started to inform previous Gumballers about their plans for the 2008 Gumball rally. Although the crash on the Gumball 2007 made many people wonder if they should continue at all, the organisers are certain the 10th edition of the Gumball 3000 is a big reason for celebration. For now the route is said to go from San Francisco (United States) to Beijing (China). From San Francisco the teams will drive to Las Vegas. From Vegas all cars will be flown to Shanghai while all the Gumballers make a stop in North-Korea (as promised for the 2006 Gumball). After a short stay in North Korea the Gumballers will be reunited with their cars in Shanghai for the final drive to Beijing.

A couple facts for the Gumball 2008:

• The Gumball 2008 entrance fee will be £ 60.000 (or € 90.000)
• The rally will take place in August 2008 instead of April/May 2008

More information and the full Gumball 2008 announcement can be found in our Gumball 2008 forum!

The first cars are approaching the Gumball checkpoint in Dubrovnik. You can see the cars arrive at the webcam in Dubrovnik! This years checkpoint location is the same as back in 2005 when the cars stopped in Dubrovnik before taking the ferry to Italy.

Update 15:01 CET:

It seems a lot of teams skipped the checkpoint, while others are having lunch in Dubrovnik. The live tracker keeps you informed on the next stage from Dubrovnik to Bratislava.

Due to treacherous weather and road conditions plus for the safety of both Gumball participants and local citizens, Team Polizei would like to announce that today they are taking a leisurely drive. It has come to our attention that several drivers have consistently been trying to “push� in order to catch up with Alex and Michael. Team Polizei would like to firmly remind all Gumballers that Team Polizei has spent months preparing and planning for such events as Gumball; our success is thanks to proper navigation and efficiency, not speed. In order to lead by example, Mater Piloten Ross and Herr Roy will be enjoying the beautiful geography of today’s stage.

Longest leg this Gumball 3000: over 1.489 kilometers through 6 countries, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia. This morning they will have a breakfast / lunch checkpoint in Dubrovnik, followed by an amazing drive through Croatia. In Bratislava they can finally catch up again with Jay Kay who drove from Frankfurt over Munich to Bratislava two days ago.

Note: Live tracker is back online!

Tirana to Dubrovnik Updates:

Team Polizei Update 9:45 CET:

Team Polizei leading convoy towards the Albanian border. Commander Kokolari of Albania National Security is with them to lead the way.

Team Polizei Update 10:13 CET:

Dinner with the Prime Minister of Albania and the city of Tirana were incredible. Team Polizei still driving towards the border with Commander Kokolari of Albania National Security. First stop: Dubrovnik!

Team Polizei Update 11:55 CET:

Stopped by Monternegro Police for overtaking. Back on the road, approaching Croatian border!

Team Polizei Update 12:07 CET:

Being taken to police station by cops in the town of Budva in Montenegro.

Team Polizei Update 12:25 CET:

Team Gomex (#45) is taking it easy today, the Speedart exhaust makes the noise of a fighter plane reaching the limiter.

Update 13:23 CET:

Team 80 arrived in Dubrovnik with their Porsche 911 Turbo.