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Above: Leading the World Cup Classics is the Escort of Iain Freestone and Rod Maclean Day 8 - Zagora to Ouarzazate A much-appreciated short day today, saw some competitors relaxing around the pool by mid afternoon. This is despite a 2 hour hold up on the way into Ouarzazate while the King of Morocco inspected the local dam and put the entire surrounding area on hold. The day started with a desert loop, just outside of Zagora, with an undulating first half that clearly suited the 4x4's with their increased ability to soak up the lumps and bumps. Beyond expectations however, was David and Jaqueline Palmer's storming fastest run of the day in a Land Rover with 13 seconds less time taken than the mighty Mk 1 Escort of Angus Stamper and Mark L'Anson - the fastest World Cup Classic. In the other Mk1 Escort navigator, Rod Maclean, needed a minute to himself at the end of the test after missing a turn off and losing the Escort wielding pairing about 3 minutes. It was a small and tricky junction and, running as first car on the road, they did not have the benefit of previous tyre tracks to help. They still however remain at the top of the leader board. Rock steady Alastair Caldwell and Brian Johnson had no such problem and continue to lead the Hatchback World Cup in the Peugeot 205. Mike Thornton and Jeffrey Bechtel put in a very respectable time despite hauling the bulk of a Toyota Land Cruiser around. And Adrian Grinstead and Nick Mason continue to achieve healthy consistent results in their Rover214. A day on the World Cup wouldn't be complete without a roll over and Michael Snaith and Brian Sunderland, in the Jeep Cherokee, even had the courtesy to conduct today's episode in front of both the photographer and camera man. After failing to notice the rear tyre was running flat, they continued at full speed until digging the wheel in to a corner and falling on their side. Continued drama included wheels falling off both the BMW 2002 of Father and son team Mark and Ben Munne, and off the Nissan Patrol of Mark Dinoulis and Vaida Zabarauskaite. Mark and Vaida escaped turning over, after sliding fast and sideways into a bank, and luckily shearing all six wheel studs before the big 4x4 could flip right over. Rally planner and results guru, Chris Bruce, came to the rescue bolting it back on with three studs borrowed from the other rear wheel hub. It was the exhaust that fell off the Lotus Elan today and Allison and Peter simply finished the test with it poking out of the side window. Robert Belcher and Jeremy Buckler, as well as being last in the bar every night, are conducting an encouraging campaign this year which has included a superb second fastest test time. The amicable pairing have competed in every World Cup rally to date, and they have dramatic stories to tell from them all. Their snazzy looking Volkswagen Polo has, so far, suffered little more than a bent sump guard and is going like a train. If Robert hadn't stopped for a friendly chat with the 'mid test' passage control marshal's, thinking he was at the end, they would have got a pretty decent time today. Peugeot pilots, Kevin Anderson and Paul Emmerson limped in late last night with the gearbox mounting torn clean off the top of the aluminium gearbox and exposing the gears inside. After a local garage's failed attempt to weld the broken parts it was left to ace service crew, Pete Banham and Rob Kitchen, to make one of their legendary repairs using bolts and washers. Amazingly they too are going strong again and still competing in the tests. For such a tough and action packed rally, it is quite incredible that we head for Marrakech tomorrow, still with every single vehicle that left Brooklands nine days ago. |
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