day 3 mexico city to quaretaro

John Chip Fudge and his son Taylor

My best friend Chip arrives into Mexico city at 2.30 am having replaced his blown engine. and is again all smiles at the start point.


For press pr we line up in Mexico City for a lemans start,  its an untimed transit, but car misbehves and is jump started and then crosses the start line with its hood/bonnet off . but it all counts and as a convoy we exit out of Mexico city with police cars , blue lights and every set of traffic lights being held for us. The whole circus moves out at speeds of 70-90 mph in a city where the smallest car journey is nigh on impossible.

We head for the hills above quaretaro, 3 up hill sections, service, then the same three in reverse as downhill sections.

Before we get to the first stage we pass Chip and Taylors Mustang. We slow to offer our negligible /minimal mechanical advice - he tells us  the treads gone inside his distributor
but typical of him he still has the hugest grin - everything can be repaired !!!

Run the speed stages well, the car is again oil/brake serviced and then back out.

The blue e-type engined XK150 ( thats above us in class ) comes in off-transit on a trailer - mega time penalties !!

Running all day with Sam with his deep growly Califorian voice in your ears is rather like driving the race alongside an older version of  "Crush"  - the turtle from Finding Nemo - "Dude!!"

I am learning a whole new language. in particular a lot of use of the US  informal verb "book"

OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY

verb

[with object]

• 1reserve (accommodation, a place, etc.); buy (a ticket) in advance:I have booked a table at the Swan[no object]:book early to avoid disappointment
• reserve accommodation for (someone):his secretary had booked him into the Howard Hotel[with two objects]:book me a single room at my usual hotel
• [no object] (book in/into) register one’s arrival at a hotel:he booked in at a hotel
• engage (a performer or guest) for an event:the promoter booked him for another appearance
• (be booked up) have all places reserved; be full:at weekends we’re usually booked up

• 2make an official note of the personal details of (a person who has broken a law or rule):the cop booked me and took me down to the station
• Soccer (of a referee) note down the name of (a player) who is cautioned for foul play:McMahon was booked for a foul

• 3 [no object] US informal leave suddenly:they just ate your pizza and drank your soda and booked
• move quickly:my sister and I booked to the playground

EXAMPLES :  "Get this thing on !! - it can book!"   or  "They're booking"

I think I might have to write to the Oxford dictionary with some better examples....



Now there is an unwritten rule of - what goes on in car stays in car, including my full one and ahalf spin 540' in speed section on day 2 - that wasn't seen by anyone or photographed by anyone.
BUT strangely everyone seems to now knows about it.

................Could there be a mole in the car Sam?


so ...Sam....   simple rules for navigator.

1.What goes on in car - stays in car.

2. Only give mathematical terminology to the turns and pertinent surrounding details,
ie LH3 or "loose gravel/ wet road / no rails and cliff etc"
...............not "just max this baby" and "whoaa look at the buns on that one"... "Checkout her mother !"

3. You can only touch the terratrip computer and/or the electric cut out switch.


so back to the afternoon downhill sections . ie faster than the same in uphill!!..
first section 12 kms we cover the first five curves before sam gets lost ....we go visual,  then he picks it up RH2, LH3, RH2, then as we approach a LH 2 / 3  - he informs me its a RH1 - and to "step on it!!"

We have a polite but brief discussion over the fast approaching 30 meters , and then I am informed that "we are lost again".

Back on visual I scream at him that "km 82" marker has just gone by in a blur.....

More navigator panic . followed by about 3 minutes of  page turning. and then a final declaration that he "gives up"

As we pass the finish flag it turns out he was reading the curves for section 6 on section 4 !!


In the next section (5) we start well and  half way in I detect a calm voice calling the turns. Has Sam finally cracked it?  Is he now about to become a fully paid 5 - star navigator?

RH2,  LH1,  RH1,  - he does really well for the next 2 or 3 kms ....he continues RH2,  LH2....   which seems to be a long....

I ask if its a LH2 LONG and Sam tells me - yES its Long.

The Next is RH3 - so I ask whats coming up....  he confesses " i cant see it yet?"

Adrian Stevens LT Special Mexico

Hes gone visual !!!!!  Hes just making a call as and when he can see it..!!!

Honestly I nearly crashed the car from laughing

Just to finish a great days racing we approach the finish arch (untimed section) and the engine cuts out. I try to fire up but Sam seems to have knocked out the emergency cut out key on his side of the dash.
His punishment is to push us over the line infront of national TV.




....the good news is that weve got 2nd in class ans start 59th.
and even better news Chips back again - and chomping at the bit for todays sections