Thursday 18th August 2005

Sevens drive to the West

Cluster of Caterfields ships out next week

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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.

• More here

[Steve-B]

Many thanks Ted, we can't wait to go....

We also have WCM Ultralites joining us once we're in the USA

[Steve-B]

knowley, i'm trying to get Manek a better picture to use. I had that one about, that was a cracking good drive that day wasn't it

[Steve-B]

Knowley -- that'd be telling, and i don't know if i'll ever run a Tour7 event this large again. 2.5 years of personal time is a huge amount of work. i now have 8 other folks helping in the final 2 months as there was more work to do.

pesmo -- we're starting the morning of the 16th from the Hampton Inn on NASA-1 in Kemah just off of I-45 south. we'll be off about 0900-ish on the day, to head west then NW to Austin. there will be a START line i can assure you for the group setting out, perhaps you can come and do the "official" start pictures for us?

Sooooooooo, perhaps i'll organise a future event....you never know. The power of Tour7 is immense

>> Edited by Steve-B on Sunday 21st August 11:20

[Steve-B]

current ship location with our 40 cars in Se7en containers is located here:

www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/shipposition.phtml?call=WGXN

>> Edited by Steve-B on Thursday 25th August 22:19

[Steve-B]

ship is almost there

Yee Haw, come on Thursday !!!!




>> Edited by Steve-B on Saturday 10th September 15:18

[Steve-B]

Only 2 of our 56 cars didn't make it from start to finish. A Series 1 Lotus-7 holed a piston, and a Sylva Stryker blew a head up.

We were on the way to / from Infineon where Russell Racing School did a free lunchtime track day for us.

We're home now, sans cars, and there's about a dozen driving home across the USA now to various points......

[Steve-B]

>> Edited by Steve-B on Thursday 12th January 09:52