Video: Alex Roy and Team Polizei in "The Battle of Rome"

It's been five years since Alex Roy and Team Polizei took on the infamous 2005 Gumball Rally in their equally sinister BMW M5. Through the blessed passage of time, the statute of limitations on most of the infractions the team accumulated during the race have lifted, meaning that the rest of the world can now safely enjoy/be enraged by Roy's battle with a blue Porsche 997 X50 as they race toward Rome. The video after the jump is the first part of a multi-part series that covers the 100 mile race at speeds of better than 120 mph.

Now, here's the thing. We've been known to push on a vehicle a time or two and we have plenty of faith in Roy's driving skills, but the clip after the jump should serve as a blatant reminder of just how stupid races like the Gumball are. As easy as it is to get your car on a proper race track, there's zero excuse for engaging in this kind of lead-follow on public streets. We know Roy's a folk hero among those who prefer putting the skinny pedal down and that we aren't going to be gaining any friends by denouncing his former activities, but those that participate in racing on public streets are playing the worst kind of numbers game. Avoidable tragedies like what happened in the 2007 Gumball Rally are why Roy himself abandoned the sport in favor of sanctioned events.

Hit the jump to see the video. Thanks for the tip, Jason Bordeaux!

[Source: YouTube]

The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.