| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Above: The Defender 90 of David and Jaqui Palmer leads the 4x4 Category at the end of Day 6 Day 4 - Tanger to Fes As we leave the hustle and bustle of Tangiers behind us, the long run from the UK, through France to Bordeaux, and to just South of Madrid the following day, was already in the dim and distant past. The ferry crossing to Africa, carried a full quota of rally cars that even included the troubled Ford Focus of Felix Wright and John Hall. On the way to the start at Brooklands their Focus threw a wobbler that culminated in a frantic trip back home, a complete overnight engine rebuild, and an heroic non-stop drive across Europe to catch the ferry before it set sail. The road south to Fez immediately caused general surprise by including several hairpin bends covered in ice! If you had not already been caught out by the freezing conditions the sight of a jack-knifed truck blocking one particular corner was warning enough to encourage caution in the shadows. The frost had cleared by the time we turned off the tarmac onto the long and rough gravel road leading us to the eagerly awaited first test section. The pre-test road alone was tricky enough to catch out the hapless Tim James and Gary Salter who managed to slip off the road in their Land Rover Discovery before reaching the test start. Only pride was hurt badly however and the Organisers service crews had them 'right way up' and on the way to the hotel before sunset - albeit without a windscreen and without the front wheels pointing in exactly the right direction. In the meantime the competitors enjoyed a twisting forest track that loosened up the veterans and initiated the novices without much incident. Most competitors ran this first one cautiously and were clearly very aware of the long distance that lay ahead to Dakar. Despite this, Classic Category runners, Iain Freestone and Rod Maclean put in a storming fastest time in their Mk1 Escort. Alastair Caldwell and Brian Johnson, in the World Cup Hatchback Category, immediately rose to the occasion and staggered some of the more powerful classics with the second best time in a Peugeot 205 Rallye. David Williams and Keith Whyman surprised nobody in their monster truck by becoming fastest 4x4 Category runner. Their Dodge Ram took off up the gravel hillside like a rocket but the huge pick up, complete with chrome wheels, must surely have been quite a handful on the twisty bits? Last years World Cup winners, Nicky Porter and Malcolm Sinclair, started in a calculated and mature way placing the well proven Mitsubishi Space Star at a modest 7th by, presumably, using the same successful and drama free tactics of last year. Day 6 - Fes to Midelt Another frosty start, this time out of Fez, left the James/Salter Discovery behind to make vital repairs to thier bent front suspension. This day saw the most fabulous and diverse selection of landscapes that anybody could wish to experience in a single day. Even before the sunshine warmed us up enough to remove our fleeces we had passed through typical Moroccan villages set in stunning gorges and dramatic hillsides, rocky barren desert-scapes, and onto the first test of the day starting by a lake that wouldn't look out of place in the Alps! The test was smooth tarmac that wound its way around the edge of the lake and climbed to the top of the mountain. Angus Stamper and Mark L'Anson in a BDA powered Escort won this one with an impressive 18 second advantage over yesterdays fastest Escort but did end up leaving the uphill finish line gasping for mercy as its peaky Twin Cam motor struggled with a ridiculously high first gear ratio...fingers crossed for them when the going gets sandy in the creek beds! Fastest Land Rover so far, Geoff and Elisabeth Johnston, made it speedily to the top but suffered a slipping clutch near the finish. Meanwhile Kevin Anderson and Paul Emmerson in a Peugeot 106 Rallye were 'doing the gardening' several bends back down the hill and couldn't get back on the tarmac without the assistance of a tug from the service crews. That leaves them behind the 106 XR of retired schoolteachers Sue Howell and Molly Falcon who are, as usual, having a wonderful time. The second test of the day was hailed as a superb piece of beautifully graded gravel track and, fortunately for us, was not due to be metalled until later this week! The track was dutifully exploited and Iain Freestone and Rod Maclean showed just what Escorts were made for with yet another fastest time. Jim Smith and Peter Stone also flew up this one in the Astra Sport but after quickly coming to the boil are now suffering blown shock absorbers having followed the unusual advice to retain standard units. Main disappointment here was for Reena Pastakia and Steve Rutherford in a VW Polo who slipped off the track and knocked the rear suspension out of line resulting in a day away from the action while until proper repairs are made. The run into our night halt at Midelt continued to delight with some twisty roads so narrow that the Dodge Ram must have had a wheel off the tarmac....both sides, to a mountain pass that surreally had thick snow on one side and bare rocky desert on the other. With the hot sun beating through the windscreens, and prompting those with air-conditioning to switch it on, it was most unusual to then find yourself driving through the villages under friendly siege from children with snowballs. With the last variation of landscape being a dead straight and endless run between a pair of distant mountain ranges, the first-timers to Morocco are already convinced by the beauty on offer. Day 7 - Midelt to Erfoud Out of the dusty little town of Midelt we soon reach the first gravel test, still aided by helpful and smiling policeman at many of the junctions. Unfortunately before reaching the test Alison Cotes was forced to fight her, and husband Peters, Lotus Elan to a halt after watching a rear wheel shear off at the stub axle and bound away far into the desert. The car was bought to a dramatic halt without excess damage and this well-travelled little car will surely rejoin us shortly. Both tests today totalled 80Km of tough, rough gravel with dips and rocky creek beds to keep the crews on their toes. Mary and Paul Kane shone in the growling Ford Mustang GT350 and are now sitting in second on the leader board. Greg Macleod and Daniel Butler had a self confessed 'reality check' and reshaped their Land Rover Defender after two and a half rolls into the boondocks. They continued in the crooked vehicle after Jerry and Margaret Meek, very sportingly, sacrificed their own test time and pulled them up the right way with their Land Rover Discovery. Alastair Caldwell finished the day with no clutch operation but still leads the Hatchback World Cup, and seemed very unfazed by this minor irritation. Leading 4x4 is David and Jaqueline Palmer in a Land Rover Defender 90. After pacing themselves sensibly and preserving the MG ZR from the start Paul and Sandra Merryweather have still needed to change the damaged top mounts - but have been supplied the wrong size spares. As we drove into the lovely and unusual desert palace of the Kasbah Xaluca in Erfoud we are pleased to see Tim and Gary in the Discovery, after completing repairs back in Fez. They are just in time to rejoin us in the dunes tomorrow! |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
