A Chelmsford man has sold his family home for £180,000 to finance his vision of Europe's first American-style Cannonball Run.

Thirty-five-year-old car enthusiast Ian Whitehorn, who has moved into his wife's parents' home with their child, believes that his ultimate gamble will eventually pay off on October 9, when 90 entrants set off for the continent from a secret location in London.

Cannonballers will spend five days crossing seven countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Lichtenstein, relaxing each night in five star hotels, said Mr Whitehorn.

"It is my brainchild and I believe in it so much that I have gambled my home. I know it is a winner," he said. "You only get one chance with a big idea and I want to take it."

He has teamed up with Tim Porter, managing director of Jap Village, Japanese performance car importers, to revive the original American Cannonball Run of the early 70s.

It was immortalised in a film of the same name with an all-star Hollywood cast, including Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Roger Moore, Sammy Davis Jnr and Farrah Fawcett.

Each Cannonballer is paying £2,300 for the privilege of taking part in what Ian believes will become an annual event. He said that 68 people, ranging from doctors to entrepreneurs, had already signed up.

Mr Whitehead, for 10 years events manager at the Santa Pod race track, said that Cannonball Run Europe was not a road-race, but an endurance event, testing car and driver over 2,863 miles across five countries.

The Cannonball website is www.cannonballruneurope.co.uk

Published Monday August 19, 2002

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