 Sevens line up  The route |
A group of 41 Caterham-style cars is heading off to the US next week for a drive from Houston, Texas to San Francisco, California. The idea is for it to be an adventure and fun for everyone, as many of the drivers have never been to the US before.
The three-week tour, dubbed 'USA2005: How the West Was Driven', involves Caterhams, Lotus', Westfields, Robin Hoods, and Strikers. The cars will be loaded into containers in Barking next Monday and Tuesday for shipment 6,000 miles to Houston's port via container ship. Their owners will next see the cars on 15 September.
Originally conceived in 2003 on the Tour7 "Lynch the Leprechaun" drive around of Ireland, USA 2005 has over 60 Sevens registered from the UK, eight European countries, and the USA.
The event is a 22 day driving extravaganza starting in Houston, Texas. Joining the European group will be another 15 cars and the group will make their way through locations such as Austin, Sante Fe New Mexico, Vail Colorado, Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, and up scenic Hwy-1 on the California coast to finish the 3,400 mile trip in San Francisco. Along the way as they cross the USA, another 40-50 Lotus/Caterham 7's will join at various stops to meet and drive with the group.
The route has been especially designed for the Lotus 7-styled vehicle, as originally designed by Colin Chapman, said organiser Steve Blair, a native Texan and UK resident since 1998.
"This group is the largest international tour of Lotus / Caterham 7's ever conceived", said Blair. "The dream of many owners the world over to take their Se7ens and enjoy the best of the USA's huge road network is about to start."
Advance group supporting USA2005 drivers departs the UK on 13 September and the core group of drivers and passengers join them on 15 September in Houston. The event ends in San Francisco on 6 October after a track day at Infineon Raceway as guests of the Jim Russell racing school.
The group's also looking for sponsors.
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