DAY 4 BAPTISM BY FIRE ....AND WATER

The lovely Lauren with cigar chomping Carson in 433.

Our car looking good today, If it could talk i'm sure its wondering why its carrying 300 lbs in dead weight.

Chips back in action. After completing only one speed stage so far .....

We head to the hills for the mornings fast speed stages, 98% 0 and 1 turns.

Car going fantastically fast but on run 2 see poor old chip again at side of road ( still smiling) with a blown clutch. I think we will dig out the local priest when we finish today to bless it in holy water.


Also red falcon? 2 ahead of us, into the armco on a LH3. We pass the copilot running up to the start of the curve waving his red flag but the funny thing was that 200 yards on, where the wreck is - the driver is leaning on it smoking a cigarette!!!! He must have got out and literally lit up immediately

into service and then back out again for the monster "mil cumbres"

On the approach to the second afternoon stage the heavens open. Theres thunder and lightening and the clouds descend to road level.

One minute to control we have a technical hitch....

The car rapidly fills with acrid choking black smoke and Sam screams that his shoes are on fire.
My first thoughts were that his fire-proof shoes couldn't be on fire. His pants - maybe ( as he doesnt wear the nomex) but not his shoes!!

Smoke belches from the car , but luckily with no front,rear or side windows it dissipats quickly.

Anyway - and to put this into perspective - Sam takes a long time to squeeze into his seat with his giant hans device. With 5 seat belts, 2 wrist belts and 2 neck brace belts, a mechanic or I have to help each time.

Well he was out of there like the proverbial scolded cat!!!
 I have never seen him move so fast.  Head first into the undergrowth - leaving me still fully race buckled - i am within an inch of pulling the fire system , but reconsider- - I shut down the electrics, exit and find the MSD igniton box, on the firewall inside the cockpit by sams feet, has caught fire and burnt out.

We switch to the second MSD unit and roll into the section.

Halfway into the speed section the rain becomes impossible. We cant see more than 20 meters, our tyres are cold and theres rain rivers with water flowing off the corners . and as if that wasnt enough the intercom gets wet and fails.

Sam cant even turn the pages without them disintegrating to pulp so we unplug and roll down at 25 mph.


 The final stage is cancelled and we run for town and beers.

The rains continue and we leave the mechanics working on the car under a tent, in the main square, way past midnight.

But we do get 2nd again and creep up a few more places.

Chip is fitting a new clutch but we manage to beg for a finishers medal for him at the arch.

Onto the silver mines tomorrow.