Latest Press Release:

A 3 Day Competition for Alternatively Fueled Vehicles
Escape From Berkeley – a Road Rally from Berkeley to Las Vegas

Berkeley, CA – (September 25, 2008) – Shipyard Labs is sponsoring an event to “Escape from Berkeley (by any non-petroleum means necessary)”, a road rally of alternatively powered vehicles from Berkeley, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. The rally challenges contestants to start their engines on anything other than petroleum, and by any means necessary, having the vehicles show up at the Sahara in Las Vegas three days later using only fuels and power scavenged along the route.

Contestants cannot begin with more than the equivalent of a gallon of fuel, nor purchase it along the way. Rally organizers expect a mash-up of “Mad Max meets the DARPA Grand Challenge.” Cash prizes and awards for a variety of areas: the rally time winner, most difficult engineering problem attempted, worst idea actually made to kind of work, sexiest vehicle on the road, and smallest carbon footprint between Berkeley and Vegas

Currently, Racers David Bransby and Wayne Keith of Springville, Ala., are on a nationwide tour in their Dodge Dakota bio-truck to raise public awareness about renewable energy.  For more information about this team and the other racers visit the main event site www.escapefromberkeley.com.

The rally kicks-off the festivities with a VIP dinner and vehicle showcase October 10th 5pm to 12am at Shipyard Labs, 1010 Murray Street, in Berkeley, CA.  Teams will show case their vehicles to the public.  The rally starts October 11th at 10 am with a National Anthem send-off by Racer Paul J. Travitzky.  The event will culminate with an awards ceremony in Las Vegas, NV October 13th. A panel of Judges, which includes Burning Man organizer Michael Michael, futurist Paul Saffo, Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle, and senior editor at Reason magazine Brian Doherty, will judge who gets the top prize.

For more information about Escape from Berkeley contact Jessica Hobbs jess.
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