I see this is the topic for questions and I have a whole bunch
. So, let's start with these:
1. Is there any official connection between the movie "Rat race" and The Amazing Race?
2. How much is Phil involved in choosing prospective competitors, and who else does that?
3. What is the contract like the teams sign with TAR? What are the conditions and their main obligations? Do they receive some kind of fee during the race?
4. Can the provided money on the start of each leg of the race can cover all the basic expenses (food, water, etc) or is it just for transport, and TAR always provides the rest to the contestants?
5. What happened with the eliminated teams from Seasons 1 to 10? Was there Elimination Station, on they just went home before getting reunited at the finish line in the final leg?
6. Speaking of the Elimination Station, did it start in Season 11, and was it abolished after Season 17? It says "The first five teams eliminated were sequestered at a villa in Acapulco, Mexico to await the finale. Subsequently, eliminated teams telephoned to inform the teams at the villa of their elimination, but
continued to run the Race as decoys to throw off spoilers to the final outcome of the Race. The sequestered teams met up with the decoy teams in the final destination city, to cheer the final three teams at the Finish Line." This is from Season 13. What does this for spoilers mean? I don't understand it at all. What did those 3 teams do?
7. What about Phil's Video Diary? I only managed to find it for Season 18.
8. I will repeat Rachel's question. What about the Pit Stops? Before, Phil always used to say "teams can eat, sleep and mingle with each other", something like that, and there were some scenes of it. Later, there hasn't been anything said nor emitted. Also, I noticed many times that Pit Stops don't always last 12 hours. Sometimes more, and sometimes less. Why is it like that?
9. What about the camera guys? Does each team have 2 of them who follow their every step and record every second of their activity? How does it work?
10. How does it work for the transport of Phil, camera and sound men and other staff? Who else is there, except them? Is there a special plane for all of them, leaving the current Pit Stop country soon as the last team checks in? In the last few seasons we could have seen Phil talking in the middle of leg and one or more teams racing just behind him.