Undie 500 Car Rally

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 was organised by the University of Canterbury Engineering Society Inc. (ENSOC) until 2007. 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 used 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.

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.

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
* Most Politically Incorrect Car
* Best Overall

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. [ [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10397227 Dunedin police face drunken, rioting students - 21 Aug 2006 - NZ Herald: New Zealand National news ] ] 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. [ [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0708/S00066.htm Scoop: ENSOC Undie 500 ] ]

In 2007 the event saw further drunken rioting in which 69 people were arrested, on a night which one student involved described it as "a usual Dunedin Saturday night", while Dunedin emergency service workers said it was the city's worst trouble for many years. [ [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/423466/1323121 The Undie 500 could be banned after riots in Dunedin over the weekend | NATIONAL | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz ] ] Crowd estimates were 1,000 - 2,000 at the height of the riots. Couches, a mattress and at least two Undie 500 cars were torched on Castle, Dundas, Hyde, Grange, and Leith streets, and police and fire-fighters were pelted with bottles. 9 of the 24 University of Canterbury students arrested were officially registered on the Undie 500, along with 30 Dunedin students and 15 non-students. Subsequently there has been calls for an end to the event, with the Mayor of Dunedin Peter Chin calling the event 'history'. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/4178979a11.html Undie 500 'history' - Mayor - New Zealand news on Stuff.co.nz ] ]

In response to the rioting, police upgraded charges from disorderly behaviour 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. [ [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=30&objectid=10460661 Charges upgraded after Undie 500 riots - 30 Aug 2007 - Crime News - NZ Herald ] ] These charges were later dropped by the police, with ten offenders pleading guilty and six pleading not guilty to lesser offences, [cite web|title=Police drop Undie 500 rioting charges|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10480023|date=December 3, 2007|work=NZ Herald|accessdate=2008-05-06] resulting in at least one conviction for fifteen people.cite web|url=http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/18129/undie-500-convictions-please-police|title=Undie 500 convictions please police|last=Porteous, Debbie and Reid, Marian|date=16 August 2008|publisher=Otago Daily Times|accessdate=2008-08-16] Furthermore, University of Otago students involved in the rioting also risked being expelled from the university. [ [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/413551/1324056 Rampaging students face boot from Otago uni under its code of conduct | NATIONAL | NEWS | tvnz.co.nz ] ] 31 people were charged at the Dunedin District Court, 22 being convicted (9 on two charges), and 5 receiving diversion. One charge of disorderly likely to cause violence was upheld on appeal to the High Court. The people convicted were forced to pay fines, reparations, donations and court costs exceeding $16,500 (up to $2,000 for some individuals), and received 250 hours community service, in addition to lawyers fees estimated at up to $1,000 to $5,000 each.

Chin later said he expected the event would go ahead for 2008, [ [http://www.aus.ac.nz/Publications/tertiaryupdate/2008/No%203.asp#6 AUS - The Association of University Staff of New Zealand ] ] though he soon pulled out of meetings with ENSOC and emergency services. [http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4415113a6009.html 'Underground' Undie 500? - press.co.nz - Christchurch's daily newspaper] ] ENSOC had submitted a management plan with bonds and behavioural guarantees for participants, 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 $100,000. [Canta, Issue 3, March 12, 2008, pages 18-19] Without approval, ENSOC are refusing to condone the 'underground' Undie 500 that they expect to occur.

In 2008 the offical event was cancelled, but around 100 students from the University of Canterbury travelled to Dunedin in about 40 cars and vans. [cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4662004a24035.html|title=Rerun for rally that led to riot|last=Hartevelt, John and Suisted, Narelle|date=20 August 2008|publisher=The Press|accessdate=2008-08-30] cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10528717|title=Around 30 students arrested after riot police move in|date=August 24, 2008|publisher=New Zealand Herald|accessdate=2008-08-30] More than 100 police were rostered on for the event, and had placed checkpoints on the out skirts of Rolleston and the entrance to Dunedin city. The event once again sparked violence, with police in full riot gear three times charging a group of around 500 students throwing rocks and bottles, before dispersing the crowd in the early hours of 24 August 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/19219/rogue-undie-descends-mayhem|title=Rogue Undie descends into mayhem|last=Porteous|first=Debbie|date=24 August 2008|publisher=Otago Daily Times|accessdate=2008-08-30] Around 30 arrests were made, in addition to 3 University of Canterbury and 2 University of Otago students from the previous night.

ee also

*Indy 500
*Engineering Society

References

External links

* [http://www.ensoc.com/ ENSOC Website]