So, I spent the weekend in UP Michigan as our team competed in the 2011 Lake Superior Performance Rally. This is the final event of the Rally America series, the same series that granted Ken Block his automotive fame.
We have an old 1985 VW Golf, but it is built like a tank. We have two mechanics, including myself, and the team lead/driver. We basically get a different co-driver every event.
We drove the fourteen hours to Houghton, MI on Wednesday. Thursday, it was cold and raining. We prep'd the car and got everything in order.
Friday, the event starts. It's ~40 F, raining hard with winds gusting up to 50 MPH. All day. The other mechanic and myself basically have to sit in the rain for 15 hours and work our asses off in the dark fixing problems as they rise.
We bent three wheels and destroyed our rally computer due to the conditions. We didn't return to our hotel until 3am, that's when we discovered a major problem with the control arms. We were up until 7am fixing it.
The next day starts at 9:30 am, 50 miles away. We didn't sleep, and ended staying awake for over 42 hours as we serviced the car the next day.
The second day was just as windy, but it was ten degrees warmer and the rain stopped.
The day was going well. One bent rim, but nothing else needed except clean windows.
Then stage 12 happened.
The stage notes listed the turn as R5/kick ( wide right-hand turn, with a 'bump' ) and didn't make any note of the huge drop after the kick.
The windshield was completely cracked. Too much for the officials to get us continue. Game over?
Nope. The clock started and we had 30 minutes of our last service period of make this work.
We ran around the pit, pleading with any team to see if they had glass to spare. We thought we checked with everyone until we double-checked with a big-budget Polish team. They had a spare windshield for their Lancer Evolution.
In fact, they were so tight on space, that one of their team members was forced to sleep with it in his bunk as there was no other space to store it.
New glass in hand, Stan (the lead mechanic) and I got to work. After kicking out the old windshield, we started taping in the new one. other teams were pitching in roll after roll of duck tape.
We eventually had this:
This event is known as one of the most harsh in the series. 45 cars entered, 17 completed it. We ranked #16.
Pictures supplied from EuroTrash:
http://team-eurotrash.blogspot.com/2011/...dless.html
LSPR 2011 Stage #12 Avron Tower Car #841 R5/Kick Roll