Undie 500 cancelled, but some may still go

The infamous Undie 500 car rally has been officially cancelled but an unofficial version is expected to hit the road next month.

The event's organiser, Canterbury University's Engineering Society (Ensoc), yesterday officially cancelled the rally, citing a lack of support from the Dunedin City Council.

Last year, about 1000 mainly Canterbury University students drove to Dunedin in themed cars that cost less than $500.

The Undie 500 officially ended when they reached Dunedin on a Friday night, but riots broke out in the city's student quarter the next night.

Twenty-one Canterbury University students were among the 69 people arrested in Dunedin on the Saturday night.

Ensoc had been negotiating with authorities in Dunedin and Oamaru to improve the organisation of the event this year but Ensoc president Graeme Walker yesterday said the talks had been fruitless.

"I am very disappointed to announce that Ensoc will not be able to run the Undie 500 in 2008," he said. "It is both frustrating and confusing that the powers that be prefer the unknown over a controlled event."

Walker said there was "definitely a chance" students would organise an unsanctioned rally.

Nearly 3000 people have subscribed to an online Bebo group called "Save the Undie 500".

Another group, on Facebook, has more than 300 members pledging: "I'm going on the Undie 500 with or without Ensoc."

"If the official undie falls through, we will be organising the next best thing," the group organiser, Thomas Watson, said on the website.