You asked for more time, now you’ve got it!

We’re getting lots of “I don’t have enough time to finish my entry” sort of comments.  We had tried to move the race from fall to early summer, as we thought it would work better in relation to other event  scheduling around here.  But this is proving to be incorrect.  Maybe early Fall is the best time to Escape From Berkeley, who knew.

Thus we decided yesterday to move the race back to the same time frame as last year — early fall.  We are considering two possible weekends. Is there any input on which one would work better for people here that might want to participate?

Sept 26 - 29th
October 3 - 6th

These dates will not include a formal El Mirage land speed event.  We’ll likely organize an approximation we can do ourselves, without taking a full day to do it. Thus the complete race
can be done in 4 days instead of 5.  Shortening the race has been an interest of several entrants.

These changes are in response to common issues people keep raising, so like the change of destination to the border and not Ensenada, we’re changing things once again.

However, this is final.  The race is now in the early fall again.  You once again have 6 months to get ready, not 2.

Go directly to your shop, garage, barn, shipping container, junkyard and make stuff - you have more time - no excuses.

Please pass on the word to others who you think should be racing with us - in non-petroleum fun!

Love,
Your Escape From Berkeley Team
babaLou, Blair, Jess, Jim

Saturday, April 18th, 4-7pm
5pm – Rules and Route Review and open discussion
Berkeley Shipyard  / All Power Labs
1010 Murray St, Berkeley, CA 94710

The Escape racing season is fast approaching.  Thus this Saturday we are gathering at the Shipyard to address related specifics, as well as the people generally associated with them.

Center stage in this is the issues of rules.  People keep asking what the rules are, and this year we’re actually going to tell them, in actual writing.  Still, no more than one page.  Extremely simple– yet clear, precise, and with curatorial gravitas (if such is possible for rules).  The rules will be presented at 5pm sharp on Saturday.  The general BBQ and gathering is from 4-7pm.

So If you are considering racing this year, or are considering volunteering to help us make the race happen, or are simply considering being around while other people are racing and doing the work to make the racing possible, we encourage you to join us this Saturday at 4pm.  There will be a BBQ and some treats.  You are encouraged to bring consumables for the grill and ice chest.  Utensils will be provided at no additional charge beyond the free gate entry fee.

Thus recap the logistics, this Saturday we are having a gathering to talk about things relating to the Escape from Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary) alt fuels race.  This will be a great time to meet other participants, talk about your entry or gathering ideas, find other people to help with your entry, or otherwise muse on the myriad of mobile power solutions available immediately for our needs.  This event will be at the Shipyard at 1010 Murray Street in West Berkeley from 4pm to 7pm.  The rule discussion will be 5pm sharp.

Escape from Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary)

A road race to Mexico, no fuel allowed
June 12-16, 2009

Berkeley, CA - “Escape from Berkeley (by any non petroleum means necessary)” is a road rally of alternatively powered vehicles from Berkeley, California to the US-Mexican Border. Part engineering problem, part artistic opportunity, the rally challenges contestants to start their “engines” on something other than petroleum based fuel, and by any means necessary, cause their “vehicles” show up at the border five days later - using only fuels/power/motive force scavenged for free along the route.

Last years inaugural race took us from the DIY oasis of ALL Power Labs in Berkeley, CA, to the consumptive excess of the Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. Returning to compete for the second running of the race will be 1st Place Rally Winner Jack McCornack from Cave Junction, OR and Runner Up Wayne Keith from Springfield, AL. Registration for new racers is now open.

All types of vehicles are welcome. All schemes for non-petroleum based transport are encouraged. In short, everything is permitted – just as long as your “fuel” is from a non-petroleum based source, your acquisition of it does not require money, and you start the race with no more than 10kwh of it on board. The full field of power generation and conversion is open for scavenging and creative power hacking.

DARPA had a Grand Challenge. . . the rednecks a Cannonball Run. . . and the Auto X prize is still a year away. So now, NASA scientists and junkyard fabricators will go head-to-head in a no holds barred battle of engineering prowess and creative excess. Hanging somewhat in the balance are bragging rights for saving the world. That, and a grand prize of $10,000.

Schedule:

• June 12th – Race begins at ALL Power Labs in Berkeley, CA. End and overnight in Parkfield, California, the Earthquake capital of the world.
• June 13th – 2nd leg start at Parkfield. End and overnight at El Mirage dry lake.
• June 14th – Day off at El Mirage dry lake for landspeed trials. Some EFB racers to run speed trials.
• June 15th – 3rd leg start at El Mirage. End at Salton Sea, California State Recreation Area.
• June 16th – 4th leg start at Salton Sea. End at the beach where the fence goes into the ocean at the Border Fields State Park, US Mexico Border.

“Some entries will arrive at the start line with extreme technical innovation. Others will arrive with only creative excess. The best entries, as well as the likely winners, will need to arrive with both.” - Jim Mason

A production of ALL Power Labs and The Shipyard.

For more information about Escape from Berkeley contact Jessica Hobbs jess [at] escapefromberkely [dot] com

This week has seen quite a burst of activity on the planning front for this years Escape From Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary) - the road to Ensanada.  Many details need to be worked out but here is the suggested route so far.  Google seems to be in denial of Baja California, but the route will follow Highway 3 into Ensanada, so just imagine the directions tell you this.  I will have to lodge complaints with the proper authorities at Google. I am sure they will fix this so we can have the appropriately digitized route for all to enjoy.  Meanwhile you will just have to use your imagination.



View Larger Map

Jack McCornack will be back to defend his title this year, who is ready to challenge him?

See you racing,
The Escape From Berkeley Team

We are going racing … and again Escaping from Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary)!

Set the date on your calendar … June 12th to the 16th, 2009.

This time we travel to Baja, ending at Hussong’s Cantina, the traditional start of the Baja 1000.  And might I add this is also the place where the Margarita was invented. This year we extend our race to five days full of fun and frivolity. 4 days of racing and one day off at El Mirage Dry lake for the landspeed trials on June 14th.  Who knows maybe some of our racers will be inspired to set some records?  I heard rumor that a certain green truck from last year was doing 90 in Death Valley, sounds like a land speed contender to me. Info on competing in the trails to be found here.

Will Jack McConack defend his title? Will Wayne Keith return and show us how it’s really done? Will the Homeschool Heros blow us away with how much they have learned over the year with their Merc v2.0? Or will Shannon and Kimric show us that “beard shavings and pink slips” can fuel the steam car all the way to the finish line (this is funny if you watched us on the Colbert Report)? Who know the 2Cats team my just have the advantage this year? Or will the Escape From Berkeley Grand Poo Baa be someone else? Will we see last years other contenders take the prize; GoodLife Trikes with their cable car solar wonder, Tom Kimmel with his steam buggy that we all coveted, The Blue Flame Club’s hybrid dystilation on the fly, Mike Thielvoldt with a less toxic version of his vehicle, or Snook with the Hooker Cooker that is if NIMBY is safe from distruction (please donate to NIMBY so Snook can compete in the race this time).

Look for more exotic stops along the way:

• June 12th - Parkfield, California, the Earthquake capital of the world and where DVRoger’s All Shook Up was last seen http://pieqf.allshookup.org/
• June 13th - El Mirage dry lake famous for many things, included landspeed trials (and surprise, surprise one is happening June 14th, and lucky us we’re taking an extra day here).
• June 15th - Salton Sea, California State Recreation Area, this is one of the world’s largest inland seas, created by accident in 1905.
• June 16th - Hussongs Cantina in Ensenada, Mexico the oldest cantina in the Californias and as said before the origin of the Margarita.

It is time tinkers, go to your garages, shops, warehouses, barns, or containers and start building, NOW!  June is just around the corner and we have some serious racing to do.

Love and non-petroleum kisses,
Jessica and The Escape From Berkeley team
Vroom Vroom

Even though the glory days of the race are now but a memory, people are still taking notice of what we did, a race with no fuel.

A nice bit from Violet Blue And Eddie at Geek Entertainment TV. Our own Judge Brian Doherty has an article out about our Racing to a Non-Petroleum Future. Also a front page feature in the Chronicle by Justin Berton, Canola oil powers gasless race winners to Vegas.

Some great images of the Celebration at the Sahara, By John DeVenezia.

We are all returning to our garages, warehouses, and backyards after quite an amazing adventure.  Some said it was ridiculous, some said it wasn’t going to work, and most thought it was crazy.  But after being made fun of on the Colbert Report I think people are paying attention.  We promise to have just as much fun and mayhem next year but until we meet again in the “liberal gomorrah of Berkeley” (that makes sense if you watch the Colbert Report) it is back to the garages, warehouses, and backyards to fine tune your engines for Baja.

Here are some of images from the event to relive the moments: Scott Beale Laughing Squid.com, Jessica Hobbs, Phil Glau, Brad Ballard, Tim O’Hare , heathervescent, Kimrick Smyth, Eddie Codel , Jalopnik.com

Homeschool Heroes blogged their journey.  Take a little time to check out their adventure I think you’ll be impressed.  Even though fuel filter and battery issues plagued them they never gave up, and never put an ounce of petroleum in the tank.  They are already planning on returning to the starting line next year.  They will be joined by The Prisoners of Petroleum and the 2 Cats Crew (and a few more I am trying to sweet talk into join us again).

Jesse McKinley from the New York Times joined us here for the party and start and shined the national spotlight on us with his great article.  His colleague Steve Friess joined us at the Sahara finish line to update readers with details about our arrival in Vegas.

We were also covered by Chuck Squatriglia from Wired, Laura Casey writing for the Oakland Tribune, Susan Kuchinskas from the East Bay Express, Tess Townsend with The Daily Californian, and our own Jack McCornack for motherearthnews.com.  But one of the more interesting write-ups came from Murilee Martin with Jalopnik.com.  With the the love/hate Berkeley opening the article won us over.

Ending in Vegas while considered gastly by some, put quite a punctuation on the end of the race.  From the Lovely DIY Oasis of our dear Shipyard to the glitz and over the top nature of Vegas we travel to extremes in this Road Rally.  Celebrating at the Sahara racers crossed the finish line in Valet Parking.  John Hell and Dr Hall joined us again in Vegas for the tallying of the times and debating of the awards, which were given out at our end of the road party in the NASCAR cafe.

But really you aren’t interested in the rich conceptual ideas around using Vegas as an end point are you.  Really you want to know who won.

1st Place Rally Winner – Grand Prize $5000 – PRISONERS OF PETROLEUM - from Cave Junction, Oregon.  Jack McCornack and his rugged navigator Sharon Wescott in their homebuilt, high mileage sports car gussied up to look like Number Six’s Lotus Seven, KAR 120C Won the first ever Escape from Berkeley race. Read more about Jack Kinetic Vehicles.

2nd Place Rally Winner – GREEN TEAM - from Alabama, and supported by Auborn University, Wayne Keith, Dave Gamble, David Bransby in their gasified Dodge Dakota. Using Biomass - mainly wood scrap as their fuel they competed fercly for the Grand prize, but the re-route on the seconday, a trailer wheel blowout, and fuel issues put them behind, but they just might come back next year, and I put them as a favorite to win.

Special Awards for Exceptional Accomplishments were given in the Realms of:
Most difficult engineering problem attempted – GREEN TEAM

This award given for a solution to the most difficult, noteworthy or evocative engineering challenge. The team’s implementation does not necessarily need to perform well, just show impressive heroics in the attempt. This award is intended to acknowledge creative thinking and effort, irrespective of outcome.

Most energy conversion steps between source and road – KRISTIES FLYER

This award is for Rube Goldbergian efforts in the realm of power engineering. Not necessarily smart or effective, just the “most”. Judes determined the award by an integer count of power conversion steps between the energy form input to the vehicle, and output finally applied to vehicle propulsion. For instance, a PV panel to electricity to chemical battery storage to electrolysis to hydrogen to fuel cell to electricity to plasma gasifier to heat engine to electricity to shocking the butt of the hamster team to feet on the road is 9 or 10 or 11, depending on how you interpret it.

Worst affront to sensible automotive aesthetics – MIKE THEILVOLDT

This award is for the vehicle that looks terrible and brings you negative aesthetic pleasure. An entry that does not succeed in sensual design particulars to a degree that it deserves an award for the dimension of the failure.

Worst idea actually made to kind of work – HOMESCHOOL HEROS

An award for an engineering solution to a problem not wisely chosen, but made to somewhat work anyway. Bestow on the team who was not tempted by more simple, direct and elegant solutions, and in their stead pursued the more esoteric, vaguely evocative or just tragically heroic and difficult solutions to a problem much more simply solved by other means.

The Judges also awarded the HOMESCHOOL HEROS an award for EXCEPTIONAL COMMUNITY BUILDING in their approach to gathering fuel. They combined reliance on a broad social network and recycling of waste material, changing it into a resource.

Sexiest vehicle on the road – PRISONERS OF PETROLEUM

Self-explanatory.

Smallest GHG footprint between Berkeley and Vegas – THE GREEN TEAM

Finally, an award requiring a bit of math. This award goes to the smallest GHG footprint in the total energy system of the vehicle; from tank to wheels and out the “exhaust” pipe. Consider all inputs and outputs from the energy system of the vehicle. Do not include calculations for the vehicle manufacturing itself, just the GHG consequences of the “fuel” sources and emission products.

So there you have it the winners of the 2008 Escape from Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary).  Stay tuned for Escape from Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary) 2009.  Jack is in for the second round (he already gave me a check), who else will join?  More details to come on the new route, the new racers, and more non-petroleum fun.

An interesting adventure had by all racers yesterday as we had to navigate around Tioga pass which had been temporarily closed (opening mid day yesterday, such is life).  Some chose to go south over the 178 some chose to go north and try their luck with Ebbetts pass.  At the end of the day we lost two more and had a surprise change in the ranks, with the Prisoners of Petroleum coming in First.

We followed the Neverwas crew with Judge Michael Michael North to go over one of the Northern passes.  We even found Ol’ Beth, in Angels Camp to show Kristie’s Flyer what she could grow up to be some day.  Going over Ebetts pass proved to be quite a challenge and Home School Heros and Kristie’s Flyer stayed the night in Lee Vining planning to catch up with us later today.

Vegas is our destination today.  We will update with highlights from the awards cerimony.