Undie 500 Car Rally

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The Undie 500 is an annual student-run car rally between Christchurch and Dunedin, New Zealand. The event is held on the last Friday of the third term and is organised by the University of Canterbury Engineering Society Inc. (ENSOC). The premise of the event is for student members of ENSOC to purchase a used vehicle for under NZ$500, decorate both the vehicle and themseves before driving five hours south to the city of Dunedin. The vehicles are individually themed and occupants pub crawl over the entire day of driving. This event is characterised by the high level of work performed on the entrants' cars; transforming them from normal motor vehicles into something unique.

Since 2003, the number of vehicles has been limited to 150. The annual event continues to attract more than 1,000 participants and thousands of spectators. The event is widely reported, attracting national TV news coverage, newspaper, radio and has even featured in Ralph magazine. The New Zealand Police accompany the convoy throughout the trip to ensure both the safety of participants and other road users.

The event has also received much negative publicity due to rioting students and others associated with the event.

Contents 1 Rules 2 Prizes 3 Disorder 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Rules

Cars are expected to meet the following requirements:

• Have a current Warrant of Fitness and Vehicle Registration
• Be driven by a sober driver

In previous years it has also been a requirement to have a vehicle under the price of $500, hence the name UNDIE 500. However due to rising prices and stricter regulations this rule is overlooked.

[edit] Prizes

Before embarking for Dunedin, cash prizes are awarded for outstanding entries including:

• Best Car
• Best Dressed Team
• Best Mechanical Car
• Best Structural Car
• Best Engineered Car
• Best Overall

[edit] Disorder

The 2006 event was marred by drunken rioting in the Castle St area of Dunedin; resulting in 30 arrests and a liquor ban subsequently imposed on the main student area over the events weekend.^[1] After the incident ENSOC worked with the various local authorities in Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru and Dunedin to minimise any possible disruption caused to local residents, including paying the Dunedin City Council to tow away any abandoned vehicles.^[2]

In 2007 the event saw further drunken rioting in which 69 people were arrested, on a night which Dunedin students involved described as "a usual Dunedin Saturday night".^[3]. Crowd estimates are at 1,000 - 2,000 at the height of the riots. Couches, a mattress and at least 2 Undie 500 cars were torched on Castle, Dundas, Hyde, Grange, and Leith street, and police and firefighters were pelted with bottles. Nine of the 24 University of Canterbury students arrested were officially registered on the Undie 500, along with 30 Dunedin students and 15 non-students.^[4] Subsequently there has been calls for an end to the event, with the Mayor of Dunedin Peter Chin calling the event 'history'.^[4]

In response to the rioting, police upgraded charges from disorderly behavior to the more serious crime of rioting for 21 of the 69 arrested people, which could have resulted in up to 2 years in prison.^[5] These charges were later dropped by the police, with ten offenders pleading guilty and six pleading not guilty to lesser offences.^[6] Furthermore, Otago university students involved in the rioting could also risk being expelled from the university.^[7]

Chin later said he expected the event would go ahead for 2008,^[8] though he soon pulled out of meetings with Ensoc and emergency services.^[9] Ensoc had submitted a management plan with bonds and behavioral guarantees for participants,^[9] and had planned for a concert for the Saturday night after the official event, which has been the scene of the rioting in recent years. Meetings had been held with concert promoters with the aim of organizing a large event with a budget of over $100000.^[10] Without approval, Ensoc are refusing to condone the 'underground' Undie 500 that they expect to occur.^[9]

[edit] See also

• Indy 500
• Engineering
• Engineering Society
• University of Canterbury
• University of Otago

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• ENSOC Website
• ENSOC Undie 500