Euro-drive petrolheads enjoy 3,500-mile jaunt

Posted on September 25, 2005

The four drivers who took part in a Cannonball Run made it back to the UK late on Wednesday night - and revealed they would do it all over again.

The foursome had the drive of a lifetime along with over 100 other competitors taking in London, Brussels in Belgium, Munich in Germany and Rome in Italy in five days.

Rob Garofall, 33, of Weston Avenue, Leighton Buzzard and co-driver and next-door neighbour 32-year-old Mark Foster drove a Ferrari Spider F355 - while in a Porsche GT3 Mark II was 55-year-old car dealer Dave Fensome of Comp Gate, Eaton Bray, and 39-year-old design consultant Kev Jarman of Sundon Park, Luton.

Speaking on his return Mr Fensome said: "It was brilliant and everybody got back safely. The best bits were meeting a load of other petrolheads and driving such a fast car - a really safe fast car - along all the roads which made up the route through Germany, Italy and back through France.

"The camaraderie was great. We met some really good guys and it was nice to meet them and talk about the cars."

He said that during the French leg of the 3,500 mile trip, gendarmes were out in force every two miles slowing the cars down.

And in Germany the police stopped every driver, checked their papers and breath-tested them.

"The German officers were very, very friendly. They just wanted to check everybody was all right on their roads," said Mr Fensome.

He added the real highlight of the trip was going round the Nuremberg race circuit and nearing the finishing line in Rome.

Last week we revealed that the four bought their two cars especially for the event.

They also forked out more cash preparing the vehicles for the journey wiith the Porsche setting them back around £60,000 while just under £40,000 was spent on the Ferrari.

The drivers were flagged off from Earl's Court in London last Friday by model Nell McAndrew.

Mr Fensome added: "We did 600 miles a day which is certainly going some. But we would do it all over again if we could."

Source: Dunstable on Sunday, 25 September 2005