PRESTWICK TRIO'S BANGER BOUND FOR KAZAKHSTAN CANNONBALL RUN!
FORTY of Europe's bravest banger drivers will set off in twenty old cars on Thursday...heading for Kazakhstan on their very own charity "Cannonball Run"!
Fifteen days later they’ll arrive, by which time border controls and pot holes you can stand up in will have reduced the twenty cars down to fifteen or so.
Amongst them will be an intrepid trio representing Prestwick Airport – Andrew Coogans, Ellis McNaughton and Iain Downie.
Andrew is a Passenger Handling Supervisor, Ellis is a former Aircraft Dispatcher and Iain a former Check-in Agent.
Andrew explained: “The rally is known as the "London Tashkent Rally" even though it doesn't go to either London or Tashkent!
“The idea behind the rally is to buy a car here for as close to £100 as possible and drive to Almaty in Kazakhstan, where the car will be sold and the proceeds go to local charities.
”Our car is an old but hopefully reliable 1998 Nissan Serena people-carrier and we’ll be driving the length of the UK and then across Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia and into Kazakhstan.
“Last year, around 40 of Europe's finest bangers relocated 5000 miles and moved to the streets of Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan, where they will be cherised forever by their new owners as a living tribute to our motoring heritage.
”Originally, this year’s rally was also due to end in Kyrgyzstan but the political instability there caused the end point to be changed to neighbouring Kazakhstan."
Kazakhstan was of course lampooned in the film “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”, created and portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen.
Andrew added: “We are raising money for SWORDE-Teppa, a charity in Tajikistan, which Ellis and I visited on the Mongol Rally in 2007.
“Additionally, we are collecting some items for an orphanage near Chernobyl in Ukraine.”
The drivers say the rally is an alternative to the corporately sponsored and expensive Dakar rally and others like it.
The airport's Chief Executive Officer Iain Cochrane said: "It sounds a fantastic and memorable trip. I hope their people mover keeps going all the way to Kazakhstan so they can raise lots of money for local charities."
Our picture shows the three getting ready for their trip outside the airport.
Posted: 14-Jul-10
