Gloomy News from the Frontline... Day 28 Tabriz to Erzurum

OCTOBER 7TH, 2010

Peking to Paris Motor Challenge update. More about the race here

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Nicky Bailey and Janek Mamino - Buick Roadster

We set off early for the Iran border this morning, and once a special track had been set up, things began to look up… cars were making good progress through all the formalities. We said our goodbyes to Ramin and the lads from the Motor Federation who have been working closely with us on an almost daily basis for the past six months, they have done a magnificent job… and then we rolled through the first gate of Turkey.

Things were slow to begin with – just one person in a kiosk to process 200 plus people, and with a broken computer. Things improved after we suggested he moves to another kiosk where a computer was working. This is actually a big improvement on the first time the Peking Paris crossed this border in 1997, when Turkish officials had no electric lighting and dim offices were lit by candles in cut-down coffee tins and the odd huricane-lamp.

Trucks were parked up to enable the Peking Paris to get through, a shrewd bit of foresight on someone’s part. Eventually the formalities were speeded up and after 20 or so cars had gone through, the process improved markedly. From now on, border hassles ought to be a thing of the past.

A day spoilt by stone throwing incidents

The roads today were excellent and we all bowled along, swallowing up the kilometres with relative ease. All that is except Car 48, the big Chrysler 75 of Michael Thompson and Andrew Davies that has developed a serious-sounding engine noise, which might be a loose flywheel, according to Andy Actman. Simon Ayris and Bill Hitchcock are giving it some attention, the word is that it's possibly coming here by truck.

Although everyone is happy to be in a comfortable hotel again, where beer and food is readily available, there is an atmosphere of considerable concern among some competitors. It’s nothing to do with borders or the massive distance covered... what is occupying minds most is that a good many cars – including the open cars at the front of the field today – were hit by stones lobbed by kids on their way home from school. This has shaken several drivers. We have all endured a great deal on this event… and coming into Turkey nobody was expecting a greeting quite like this.

Naturally, the regional police have been informed and steps taken to ensure close policing of our passage for tomorrow – which is the longest day of the whole event, and with a string of Time Trials in the hills, on gravel roads, kick-starting the competition again. But right now, a number of drivers say that’s the last thing on their minds.

Has Anyone Seen Richard Head?... Day 27 Rasht to Tabriz

OCTOBER 6TH, 2010

Peking to Paris Motor Challenge update. More about the race here

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Driving remarkable roads on the final day in Iran

Who is Richard Head? Who has heard of him? What did he ever do to have his name engraved on a rally trophy?

For the first Peking Paris Retrospective in 1997, a special award, decided by the Marshals, was awarded to a competitor called The Richard Head Award. Alas, the recipient never understood why he was presented with this trophy, or, what he had done to qualify for this unique award.

The talk among the marhals now that we are about to enter Europe is a simple question: Do we revive the Richard Head Award, and if so, who should qualify for this?

A little background: The winner in ’97 drove a red Allard. In the Baluchistan Desert, between Pakistan and Iran, he ran out of water with an over-heated radiator. Along comes Peter Banham, and tops up the rad, and all is well. “You ought to carry a spare can of water, you’ve got a leak,” advises Peter.

The following day, the rally is now crossing Iran and is the hottest part of the desert. A tiny spec on the horizon. Peter Banham inches closer… it’s the red Allard, in trouble again. The radiator has run dry. “I thought I suggested you carry a jerry-can of water,” says Peter, now just a little exasperated.

Driver David Arrigo then explained his reasoning. “I can’t possibly carry a can of water… the only way of strapping a jerry-can onto the car is on the back, and if I did that, it would spoil the lines of the car in the photos.”

This, and other incidents, qualified David for the Richard Head trophy. The Marshals are now wondering if there are any candidates out there to ensure this prizegiving initiative perhaps becomes a perpetual trophy.

Some years after this event, David Arrigo called us to enquire “Who was Richard Head… what did he do to get his name onto a rally trophy, and what did I do to qualify for this?” A lack of understanding of rally procedures, the event Regulations, preparation tips, and advice from the sweep-mechanics might count in the criteria… alas, explanations are not always a good thing. We dropped off the David Arrigo Chrismas Card list.

He was last seen driving an Austin A35 around Malta.

Alastair Caldwell and Catriona Rings with propshaft problems on the Alfa Romeo 6C

TABRIZ LATEST: We have reached the city of Tabriz, and are all now in a modern glass and marble hotel. Alastair Caldwell has repaired the cylinder head of his Alfa, and navigator Catriona Rings came running up the steps into the main foyer to reach the final time-control of the day with a minute to spare. We gather that they were swept through red traffic lights by baton-waving policemen. The latest worry for the driver however is that now the propshaft sounds as if it it’s about to fall out.

We have driven some remarkable roads today… at times it reminds you of South Africa and the hills of Isalwandha on the way to Rorkes Drift… turn a corner and you could be on the Alaska run from Anchorage through the Rocky Mountains to Dawson… Iran has some remarkable scenery.

The American crews are all impressed, and feel overwhelmed by the reception by local Iranians… several crews have received invitations to visit the homes of locals. American VW Beetle driver Garry Staples Jnr. is now back in the rally, having abandoned his plans to truck the Beetle to Turkey for repairs… a VW main-dealer spotted the car on the back of the truck, asked what the problem is, and when told that the crankshaft has a serious issue with a thrust bearing, he offered them a replacement engine… which was fitted in a matter of hours. The VW will now drive to the Turkey-border under its own power.

Where is Car 89? The local police know where every car is… they chalk off our progress as we go through the towns and villages… the national police have an over-view on where we all are and what we are doing… but, there is a problem with Car 89. The little blue Renault 4CV of Andrew Drinkwater is missing. Nobody has seen it… even the Iran police and security departments don’t know and the Motor Federation are just a little concerned that a car that has never given the impression of doing more than 50 kph flat out has somehow managed to give everyone, including those helping us, the total slip.

Tomorrow we head for Turkey.