‘Cannonball Run’-like race starts downtown today

By Delen Goldberg

Saturday, July 9, 2011 | 2 a.m.

Seven days, eight parties, 4,000 miles and 100 exotic cars — each having paid a $20,000 entry fee.

That’s Bullrun in a nutshell, which starts Saturday in Las Vegas.

The Bullrun Live Rally is a high-end, cross-country road race that pits drivers against road conditions, traffic, cops, vehicle mishaps and themselves — basically anything that could slow them down. It doubles as an exercise in excess.

Racers, known as Bullrunners, shore up exotic vehicles, luxury automobiles, muscle cars and just about anything with four wheels for the coast-to-coast trek. This year’s race, the eighth annual, stretches from Las Vegas to Miami.

Past entries have included Lamborghinis, limousines, decked-out taxis, party buses and even a fake police car. Drivers push the limits of speed and navigation to try to be the first to reach daily checkpoints. Many wear costumes or disguises.

At night, they party like rock stars. Sometimes, they really are. Previous rallies have attracted such celebrities as Ice-T, Dennis Rodman, Mario Andretti, Vanilla Ice and Kim Kardashian.

The car with the fastest total time earns a coveted Bullrun Navigator belt. Bragging rights are just as important.

Speeding is officially frowned upon by Bullrun bylaws, but warnings often go unheeded by drivers. Bullrunners brave serious consequences to beat their competitors. Last year, five racers were ticketed for excessive speed and a sixth was arrested for reckless driving after Colorado authorities stopped him going 105 mph in a 65 mph zone.

This year’s racers and more than 20,000 fans are expected to gather Saturday evening on Fremont Street for the road rally’s opening ceremonies. Organizers said they chose Fremont Street as their starting point because the race ended there last year and they loved the party atmosphere.

Cars will be lined up for public display starting at 5 p.m., and fans can mingle with drivers as live bands play. Sometime later (everything with Bullrun is very secretive), the Bullrunners will take their marks on the starting line, start their engines and head off on their adventure.

Where they will stop is anyone’s guess. Route details are kept secret until just before racers depart for their next city.

But you can still be part of the action (and keep your $20,000 in the bank). Camera crews will follow the Bullrunners, and the rally will be broadcast on an MTV television network this fall.