TeamD Adventures

Well, we got up this morning all beaten down and couldn’t decide whether to pack it in and head home to PDX or not. We ran the numbers to see what the cost to go home would be offset by cancelling the remaining hotel rooms and the POS rental car. I say POS because the rental agency called it, ‘The Beater’. In the end we decided to press on. However, if we continued to have problems, we’d call it done. But it is good practice for No Alibi after all. 5 good days of practice.

The sensor settled down. It seems to be working today. I dumped 8000 out of the factor since yesterday morning’s odo check. Yes that’s 8000. The numbers settled down to something reasonable. but the wheel spin that we’re getting with the bald tires is unbelievable. I pull out tenths of miles not thousands!

Near the end of the first section, we heard a rolling sound followed by a CRASH. Marinus said, excitely, ‘THE SENSOR PICKUP FELL OFF THE WHEEL AGAIN! ARE YOU COUNTING? ARE YOU COUNTING?”. I thought one of the antennas came off. I looked behind us and saw part of the car in the road. “It’s not the sensor, keep driving until the end of the section in .15″. It was the external wheel cover. I hope we got the insurance waiver because that thing ain’t showroom new anymore.

We’re in Payson tonight, headed to Cottonwood tomorrow night. Payson is much cooler than Gold Canyon/Apache Junction and Globe. The high was about 70-80 depending on location, unlike the 100-104 that we’d seen Sunday and Monday.

Overall we did ok today. I’m still haven’t gotten the hang of the wheel spin. We took 21 at one control because of it. But our score from yesterday was 650. We finished with 107 today. Good enough for 4th overall. This is without a doubt the most difficult rally we’ve run in the UNLIMITED class, not because of the rally itself. But because of the compensation for the equipment.

We did decide on one thing: no more rental cars. Marilyn is our dedicated rally car.