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.

Team Polizei offered a truce to the Albanian Ministry of Transportation and Livestock this evening; this was only after successfully navigating the Polizei M5 across a few hundred miles of goat paths. It seems that the only true enemy to Team Polizei is the quality of Eastern European roads and wild packs of dogs. Alex Roy and Michael Ross were the first to enter Albania, taking an alternative route through central Greece which confused many other Gumballers. Team Polizei entered Albania only to find that the roads were more like dirt paths. According to Master Piloten Ross, Albania has the worst roads he has ever seen. Despite such treacherous conditions and a low average speed, Alex and Ross still managed to arrive in the top ten into Tirana. This was, of course, without the UN escort provided to the rest of the Gumballers. Sad news though; it seems that a Porsche 997TT crashed this afternoon just shy of the eastern border entry into Albania.

Team CoPilot just send another update over!

WEDNESDAY 2 MAY | 21:43 GMT

Michael driving our trip from Northern Greece through Macedonia and into Albania has been incredible. The Scenery through the mountains was priceless and CoPilot has saved us so many times I don’t know how we would have made it to Albania without it.

We joined Team Zebra in Macedonia and have been caravanning with them ever since. We were able to open up the cars today and found it hilarious when Macedonian Customs asked us to burn rubber immediately after clearing through. We happily obliged our mates at Team Zebra and caught it all on camera!

Macedonia was beautiful and very cool. Lots of people were out to see the Gumball and we added a couple of cars to our caravan (at one point we and the Rolls Phantom overtook a donkey chariot which I’m quite certain will never happen again).

After clearing through Albanian Customs we stopped and joined at least 19 other Gumballers for a Police Escort all the way from the border approximately 90 miles into Tirana. You should have seen all of the Gumball fanatics that aligned the streets throughout this route! I almost lost my arm giving everyone high fives from the car. The people here have been wonderful.

We have about 50 Miles left in our Police Escort and I expect things will be manic at our destination.

We just got this update from Team Fuel and the Fuel Girls:

As Team Fuel crossed Macedonia they hit a massive pot hole and completely wrecked the wheel, bringing them to a stand still. Another Gumballer in a Lambo stopped and took them to a small town where they met an excited guy who had been following the rally.

Richie swapped some signed topless calendars of the Fuel Girls for a tow truck and soon had his wheel fixed.

It turns out the guy had lived in the UK and had actually lived 4 doors away from Richies parents in Ilford – the chances of that? Zero.

Back on the road now, very late and with a rattling wheel.

Also read their update from this morning in Athens!

Team Latvia (#50) crossed from Macedonia into Albania at 18:25 CET. Sadly Ainars is not driving with Janis today so he’s driving all by himself. Janis shook hands with the Albanian Minisiter at the border and then quickly continued towards Albania’s capital Tirana. A mere three minutes later also Team Gomex arrived at the border. Team 50 driver Janis has confidence he will make it to Tirana as first car today, Team Polizei entered Albania about an hour ago but took the eastern route which accounts for a lot more kilometers to cover in Albania. Team Latvia has an additional fuel tank installed which gives him confident they will make it to Tirana without anymore stops.

Tonight all Gumballers have a black-tie dinner with the Prime Minister of Albania and tomorrow they are back on the road for the longest leg of the rally. Crossing through 6 countries: Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia and over 1.489 kilometers of challenging roads.

Update 19:27 CET:

Our doubts are now confirmed, the Gumball live trackers don’t work in Albania. We can only wait for confirmation of arrival by telephone now. Stay tuned!

Update 20:10 CET:

Team Herbie had a great day in their Herbie R32, Xzibit is back behind the wheel and was driving in front of Team Herbie on the way down to Tirana (apparently the Dutch police took Xzibits fake license, haha). They are almost in Tirana now.