Spanners is from very loosely based on Guy Martin with a more upper class of accent. So Grimsby way. 
2 Likes
Team Thunder Taxi, Part 25
Eastbound towards Memphis
Jack and his loyal teammates woke up at 6am as usual, only to realize that several teams had already left Cape Girardeau before he was about to do so.
“What the…?” he exclaimed as he packed his belongings.
“So they’re already on the road now? No problem. Our strategy should see us back in front of these lunatics, and put them on the back foot to boot - although the overall leader may be out of reach, we should be able to gain some places back and salvage a decent result!” Chris replied.
So everyone packed their belongings as quickly as they could, with encouragement from Bob. “Just make sure not to leave anything important behind - you’ll never know when you need it!”
By 7am the team was ready. Jack floored it out of the parking lot, eager to close in on the rivals which had just leapfrogged his Thunder Taxi. Using as much of his car’s performance as he dared, he soon began to make up ground. “They’ll be within sight soon enough”, he muttered to himself.
Buoyed by their bold yet successful decision to stop at Cape Girardeau instead of St. Louis, the team was even more upbeat than before and gaining confidence very quickly. But would they live up to Jack’s prediction that they would regain all, or even any, of the positions they had just lost? Only time will tell.
3 Likes
TEAM OUTRIDERS
(Marc is behind the wheel, Blake is riding shotgun, Luigi and Zach are in the back seat)
Blake: We’ve fallen behind, step it up!
Zach: Maybe we should tie a dollar to a string and hang it in front of the car.
Luigi: (Spits out the water he just took a swig of) PFFFFFFTT!!! HA HA HA HA!!!
Blake: Hey! You got that all over me!
Marc: You’d do better with a twenty, or a fifty.
Zach: A buck is all I’ve got.
Marc: I’ll take a check.
Blake: Nasty motherfucker, ugh! I’m a mess.
Luigi: Sorry.
Marc: Hold on to your ass! We’re gonna make some tracks!
6 Likes
Legend of Terms:
POI NOTE: Blah blah blah you know the drill by now.
BD: Block Distance. This is the amount of mileage covered during the current 2 hour period.
OD: Overall Distance. This is the total distance that the team has covered since the event started.
AT: Ambient Temperature
FS: Fuel Status. Approximate fuel reading. May also include other fuel related concerns.
MRL: Morale modifier
FTG: Fatigue Level
Last Town: Last town of note that was passed (will not include tiny villages)
Next Waypoint: Should be self explanatory.
Notes: Any notes I have for your team during this time block. Including POI results, car issues, etc.
MONDAY, 8 AM - 10 AM
@Madrias
BD: 89 mi OD: 2741 mi AT: 58 F FS: 1/3 MRL: -2 FTG: +6 Last Town: Batesville, MS Next Waypoint: Vicksburg National Military Park, MS
Notes: Ongoing issue: Check Engine Code: P0420, massive oil leak from rear of engine. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Oil leak has greatly accelerated. Car is now pouring smoke out of the tailpipe like a James Bond smokescreen. Smoke is starting to invade the climate control vents, and irritating the human occupants. Team has to stop frequently at the side of the road to refill oil.
@Jaimz
BD: 127 mi OD: 2870 mi AT: 68 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +3 Last Town: Crystal Springs, MS Next Waypoint: Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS EXTREMELY HIGH. Weather condition: Intermittently heavy rain, excessive humidity. Team has refueled in Vicksburg, MS (projected to be their last fuel stop). Waypoint completed: Vicksburg National Military Park.
@BobLoblaw
BD: 133 mi OD: 2715 mi AT: 61 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Batesville, MS Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team has refueled in Memphis, TN. Waypoint completed: Mississippi River Museum. Weather condition: Rain, excessive humidity.
@Zabhawkin
BD: 143 mi OD: 2887 mi AT: 68 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Crystal Springs, MS Next Waypoint: Bourbon Street, LA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is slightly tired. Weather condition: Intermittent heavy rain, excessive humidity. Waypoint completed: Vicksburg Military Park. Team projects that they need one more fuel stop.
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 161 mi OD: 2716 mi AT: 61 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +5 Last Town: Batesville, MS Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team has refueled in Memphis, TN. Waypoint completed: Mississippi River Museum. Weather condition: Light rain, excessive humidity.
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 132 mi OD: 2663 mi AT: 61 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Senatobia, MS Next Waypoint: Vicksburg National Military Park, MS
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team has refueled in Sikeston, MO. Waypoint completed: Mississippi River Museum. Weather condition: Rain, excessive humidity.
@Mythrin
BD: 125 mi OD: 2596 mi AT: 60 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Blytheville, MAR Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team has refueled in Sikeston, MO. Weather condition: Light rain, excessive humidity.
@abg7
BD: 134 mi OD: 2648 mi AT: 61 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +1 Last Town: Memphis, TN Next Waypoint: Vicksburg National Military Museum, MS
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. NEW ISSUE: Transmission is slipping significantly at speed. Team has refueled in Sikeston, MO. Waypoint completed: Mississippi River Museum. Weather condition: Rain, excessive humidity.
@LordLetto
BD: 142 mi OD: 2488 AT: 60 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +5 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Gateway Arch. Team has refueled in St Louis. Weather condition: Light rain.
@cpufreak101
BD: 131 mi OD: 2593 mi AT: 60 F FS: 1/2 MRL: -1 FTG: +2 Last Town: Blytheville, AR Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Team has refueled in Sikeston, MO. Weather condition: Light rain, excessive humidity.
Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range.
So it looks like this one might come down to fuel stops…
5 Likes
V6 Vandals - D5 6-8a - “Smoke Machine!”
Amy pulled off to the side of the road again, coughing and trying to wave the oily miasma out of the car. Cody and Jake looked downright sick, trapped in the back with fumes lingering around their heads. The car looked like someone had been either smoking an entire carton of cigarettes at once, or had started a fire with the interior, from all the blue smoke hanging around.
“Luke, you’re gonna have to drive. I can’t do this. I can barely see in there.” Amy said, as they stopped again to refill the oil. Luke had stopped bothering to check the dipstick and was instead just adding oil until the engine started chugging, and he’d been getting a good arm for distance with the oil bottles.
“Yeah, I’ll take over.” Luke said. “One moment, though.” He got into the car, got Cody and Jake to duck for cover, and broke the rear window out. “We’ll have to have the windows down, so we’re going to get wet, but it’s the only way to keep the cabin clear.”
Amy got back in after slamming the hood shut, and Luke limped the Trucking another few-dozen miles before they stopped for more oil. “It’s the rear main. Nothing else can leak this much oil this quickly.” Luke responded, topping the engine up again.
“So, what’s the plan?” Jake asked.
“We have two options.” Amy said. “We could drive to a city, retire from the race on our own terms, rent a car, go take a shower and head to an airport. Or, we could drive until the wheels fall off and the engine seizes.”
“Second.” Cody said.
Jake thought about it, then said, “Second as well. Our last car broke down at the finish line. No point stopping.”
Luke got back in, then said, “Never give up, never surrender. We’ll run this batch of oil out, stop, and I’ll prepare the car.” They drove until the oil light came on again, and this time, Luke popped the hood open, filling the crank-case until the engine was shuddering violently. Both tailpipes blew heavy blue smoke as Luke emptied what was left of their case of oil into the engine, then slammed the hood and got back in the truck.
“When that light comes on again, we’ll be ready for it. And we won’t be stopping.” Luke said.
“Blaze of Glory!” Cody yelled from the back seat. Luke revved the engine violently, plugged the OBD-II cable back in, and disabled the oil level safety that was reducing power every time the light went on. He dropped it into first and floored it, leaving stripes from the front tires and a huge cloud behind them. Second, third, and fourth were similar, with no mercy given to the Truckling’s dying engine. Fifth and sixth weren’t even given the benefit of the clutch, just rev-matched in. And the engine screamed, pelting them down the road in a huge blue cloud of smoke.
“I think it’s time to see if this bitch can do 140.” Luke said.
MRL: 17 (-2) - So many oil stops. Can’t breathe! We’re losing speed.
FTG: 9 (+6) - “God damn it, it’s coming through the vents!”
WAY: 8
GAS: 1/3
FST: 9
OIL: 10 quarts
2 Likes
Team Thunder Taxi, Part 26
Memphis, Tennessee
As it passed the Mississippi River Museum, the Thunder Taxi continued to make up ground on the leaders. But Jack noticed that the tranny was beginning to slip ever so slightly for the very first time, and calmly addressed his team as follows:
“Hmmm. Looks like the clutch is slipping. It seems we couldn’t fix that before the race. But even if our Thunder Taxi shudders to a grinding halt before it reaches New Orleans, we’ll still be proud of ourselves for having come so far against all the odds.”
“You might be right”, Chris replied. “But spare a thought for those V6 Vandals ahead of us. Rumors suggest they’re being hindered by an engine oil shortage - and there’s no guarantee they’ll reach the finish line either.”
Bob’s response was short and to the point. “If their car gives out before ours does, and we cover more distance than they did, we’ll definitely gain yet another place.”
“Well, that’s an interesting possibility. Unfortunately, there’s no way we can catch Spanners and his henchmen no matter how fast we go, unless he drops out and we don’t. But at least we had a lot of fun on this race, which is more than we can say for some of the other entrants!” Vince hollered.
Invigorated by the possibility that his car could still hold out on the last few hundred miles south, Jack continued to drive as fast as he could, no longer caring about whether or not the gearbox would disintegrate at any point before the finish. He and his team was having too much fun anyway, and they had done much better than his friends at Team Big Blue several months earlier. Whether or not the Thunder Taxi would actually finish this long and grueling race, however, was still up in the air… For now.
3 Likes
Spanners: Bloody rain. Really wish it would either chuck it down constantly or bugger off!
Gran: It is rather grim. Everything is quite sticky and damp.
Mopey: Gran, would you pay for my insurance when we get home please?
Gran: But you already have insurance on your Street City.
Mopey: Yeah I know but I’d rather have this instead!
Gran: We’ll see dear.
5 Likes
Team Mountain Pass
Day Five, 8AM to 10AM
Another fast and furious session with nothing much to report. Neither Andrew or I are Elvis fans so Memphis held no special magic for us. We were just glad to get in, get our picture evidence at the Museum and hightail it outta there! We grabbed a hot snack and an iced coffee when we got fuel… Breakfast was served, roadtrip style!
I feel like we were short-changed on this competition. If the rally had have started an extra 350 miles further away then I could’ve made some sweet puns about being on a roadtrip that’s “3000 miles to Graceland” but, sadly, I have been denied this privilege.
Another change I would gladly hand back is the light rain and humidity. The light rain has made the roads slippery, the old oils on the road are coming to the surface and someone has recently driven these roads dropping oil everywhere. The high humidity requires us to keep the windscreen cold so that we can see which means that the ole Canadian chill is still with us! But it won’t impair our progress; We Aussies have hot, humid weather at home and we know how to deal with it. 
FUN FACT: Elvis wasn’t born in Memphis, Tennessee. His hometown is actually Tupelo, Mississippi!
Source
TO BE CONTINUED
Distance covered: 161 miles
Overall distance: 2714 miles
Fuel state: 2/3rds of a tank
Overall fuel used: 11 and 1/3 tanks
Morale: +0 (+16) We’re making good time and we’re going to finish…
Fatigue: +5 (+9) Come Hell or high water!
5 Likes
TEAM OUTRIDERS
Luigi: I’m telling you, it was a total piece of shit.
Zach: It was an iconic piece of automotive history.
Luigi: It was built by a drug dealer in a cocaine-infused haze of insanity.
Zach: It’s one of the most popular cars people know from the '80s.
Blake: If those Back to the Future movies weren’t made, hardly anyone would even know what a Delorean was.
Luigi: They were slow, their build quality was questionable, it was a flop.
Marc: This rain is a bit of a pain.
Blake: How you holding together?
Marc: Fine, though the road feels slick. Like someone dumped a case of oil on it.
Luigi: Wasn’t one of those other teams dealing with an oil leak?
Blake: Yeah, I think the one with the robot.
Marc: Robot?
Zach: Yeah, didn’t you notice a robot at the beginning?
Marc: No. Of course, I wouldn’t really know what one looks like.
Zach: What are you talking about? There are literally hundreds of shows and movies that had robots in them.
Marc: And I’ve only seen one with any robots in it.
Luigi: Which one?
Marc: Heavy Metal.
Zach: So you’ve never seen Star Trek? Star Wars? The Forbidden Planet? Lost in Space?
Blake: The Wizard of Oz?
Marc: Where was there a robot in The Wizard of Oz?
Blake: The Tin Man.
Marc: Oh that’s a load of horse shit! The Tin Man is not a robot!
Blake: Yes he is.
Luigi: No he isn’t, he’s a magical being. Like a leprechaun.
Blake: You are idiots, he’s a robot. Isn’t he Zach?
Zach: Um, I don’t think they mentioned anything about him being mechanical, just a man made of tin. I don’t think he was a robot.
Marc: Thank you.
Blake: Yeah, whatever.
Radio: Now for weather on the fives! We have rain, and with the heat brings some severe humidity.
Luigi: Man, I pity those guys who don’t have A/C.
Zach: There’s a sports car coming up on us.
Marc: That’s the Bogliq. Shall we greet em with an unknown salute?
Blake: Nah, I’m not in the mood for any feuds.
(The Team Mountain Pass comes alongside the Outriders. The Outrider team greets them with a friendly wave)
Luigi: You know they’ve overtaken us.
Blake: Yeah, that does mean we’re losing.
Marc: Now is not the right time.
Zach: When is? When they’re fifty miles ahead of us?
Marc: I’m not gonna destroy the car trying to gain a place, not yet. The time will come to make a move, until then…
7 Likes
Jake: “were going to need gas soon, were not going to make it on this tank”
Otis: “Harcourt-Entwhistle is only 17 miles back, we will have to make it quick, ill start looking for one right off of an exit”
1 Like
COMPETITION FINISH
BD: 73 mi OD: 2813 mi AT: 71 F FS: LOW MRL: +3 FTG: +10 Last Town: Jackson, MS Next Waypoint: Vicksburg National Military Park, MS
CRITICAL FAILURE: Team decides to go out in a blaze of glory, giving the residents of Jackson, MS a loud, smokey spectacle as it rattled to its death most of the way through town, on I-20 West. Final morale: +17 (frickin fun!) Final fatigue: +19 (A shower, a drink in the airport lounge, and another on the flight sounds good)
@Jaimz
BD: 165 mi OD: 3035 mi AT: 77 F MRL: +5 FTG: +7
Final morale: +25 (ecstatic)
Final fatigue: +10 (Could use a rest and refreshments)
Finish time: 1220p
@BobLoblaw
BD: 320 mi OD: 3035 mi AT: 77 F MRL: +5 FTG: +10 (+1 refuel stop)
Final morale: +17 (FUN!)
Final fatigue: +12 (Could use a rest and refreshments)
Finish time: 332p
@Zabhawkin
BD: 143 mi OD: 2887 mi AT: 77 MRL: +10 FTG: +7
Notes: Team does a quick, partial refuel just outside of Brookhaven, MS.
Final morale: +21 (ecstatic)
Final fatigue: +23 (After the celebration, definitely need a nap)
Finish time: 1216p
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 319 mi OD: 3035 mi AT: 77 F MRL: +7 FTG: +16 (+1 fuel stop)
Final morale: +22 (ecstatic)
Final fatigue: +23 (Is it bedtime yet?)
Finish time: 314p
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 372 mi OD: 3035 mi AT: 77 F MRL: +6 FTG: +12 (+1 fuel stop)
Final morale: +16 (FUN!)
Final fatigue: +14 (A stretch and a rest, will be fine)
Finish time: 422p
@Mythrin
BD: 454 mi OD: 3035 mi AT: 77 F MRL: +7 FTG: +15 (+2 fuel stops)
Final morale: +25 (ecstatic)
Final fatigue: +18 (tired, should probably wind down for the evening)
Finish time: 802p
BD: 138 mi OD: 2648 mi AT: 69 MRL: -5 FTG: +6
CRITICAL FAILURE: Complete transmission failure occurs just after noon, and short of Jackson, MS.
Final morale: +10 (this was fun)
Final fatigue: +7 (the day is young)
@LordLetto
BD: 547 mi OD: 3035 AT: 73 F MRL: +5 FTG: +21 (+2 fuel stops)
Final morale: +24 (ecstatic)
Final fatigue: +31 (Time to fall over in a bed)
Finish time: 936p
Side note: You’re not taking your car home. It BARELY made it over the finish line under its own power, before one of the three rods rattled itself to death.
@cpufreak101
BD: 442 mi OD: 3035 mi AT: 77 F MRL: +6 FTG: +19 (+2 fuel stops)
Final morale: +14 (that was fun)
Final fatigue: +21 (Commies can’t build seats for shit)
Finish time: 617p
Y’ALL (well, ok, a few of you) HAVE MADE IT!
First across the line: @Zabhawkin
Closest to average time: @DoctorNarfy
Most POI stops: @LordLetto
And the other awards are as follows:
Ballsy: @Fayeding_Spray … takes huevos to show up in a completely rusted out War era relic
Hard Luck: @findRED19 … the dice didn’t like you, but that tank took it like a champ
RP: @Madrias, @Zabhawkin, @HighOctaneLove, @BobLoblaw
Zen: @BobLoblaw … you seem to be a steadfast fixture in this category. Old cops + old cranky cops/city employees…
WWVB: @findRED19 … gotta give it to the old iron pimp wagon.
Thank you to everyone who participated! See you again in the future… at some point.
12 Likes
WOOT We made it…Barely.
Also, Most POI Stops, Interesting.
1 Like
Oh, and a note… special shoutout for @HighOctaneLove and Bogliq. 4th try, and you finally didn’t explode! 
4 Likes
Team Thunder Taxi, Conclusion
Near Jackson, Mississippi
As the Thunder Taxi ground to a halt just outside the town before noon, Jack was hit by a brainwave…
“I knew it! The tranny was doomed as soon as it started slipping!” Chris fumed quietly.
Jack’s reply was short and to the point: “I think we’ll have to replace it ASAP - but with what?”
Bob’s suggestion was straightforward: “Why not a new six-speed manual?”
To which Jack answered: “Sure, why not? But at least we beat the odds and outlasted a few other teams, although to be fair, we never had a chance of winning either due to our overly conservative strategy early on. Speaking of which… I’ve just heard that someone managed to beat Spanners and his henchmen to the finish line in New Orleans, which is no mean feat. And as for those dreaded V6 Vandals, they didn’t make it there either. They must have run out of oil by now.”
Vince nodded in acknowledgement and walked away to call for a tow truck. Even though the Thunder Taxi hadn’t actually finished the race, not many of the other entrants did, and its unexpected resurgence near the end, thanks to a ballsy strategy, would stick in the mind of its crew for decades to come.
Epilogue
One week later
Detroit, Michigan
Team Thunder Taxi had done themselves proud on this grueling transcontinental endurance run. Unlike their colleagues at Team Big Blue, they were able to make it well past the halfway mark and even managed to be in contention for a podium finish, if only briefly.
Meanwhile, Jack was overseeing the fitment of a brand-new six-speed manual gearbox - and a mechanical LSD - to the Thunder Taxi.
“So, what are we going to do with this thing?” he told his teammates.
“Either we keep it as it is, or we tune it up to make it faster than it was before”, Chris suggested.
“How?”
“Forged internals, high-flow headers and air filters, straight pipes, hotter cams, more compression, and if possible, a longer stroke. While we’re at it, we’ll refurbish the rest of the car as well, and install a fully adjustable coilover suspension kit along with high-performance brakes and tires to complement the engine mods.”
“It has to look good on the outside, too. I’m thinking of pearlescent yellow paint and matt black forged wheels, with a subtle aero kit.”
“What should we call it, then? I’m suggesting Thunder Taxi 2.0”.
“Unimaginative, but appropriate. Oh, and one more thing, if any of my friends have finished rebuilding Big Blue, I’ll hire them to help me on this latest build. Their expertise could prove invaluable to us.”
With that, Jack quietly walked away and enjoyed a brief nap while his teammates began work on transforming their car into Thunder Taxi 2.0.
3 Likes
Team Mountain Pass
Day 5, 3:30PM
And so it finishes. We have reached the end of the OLH rally and we’ve not burned down, crashed and burned or destroyed our brakes then burned! (I’m not so sure on the last one, I don’t think we burned, 
)
We overtook the V6 Vandals at Jackson, Mississippi. We’d been able to smell (and skid through) their trail for some time before we passed them. Looks like they’d had an ever-worsening oil leak since before Memphis and they were the cause of all the extra oil on the road and the cloying stench as we got near Jackson!
Also, thanks to SuperSalty69er, we were made aware that we passed Team Outriders near Memphis as well. Sorry guys, we didn’t see you! I’m going to blame the humidity and the fogged up side windows for that!
Since we knew that the finish line was near we pushed hard, stopping only for fuel, and we reached the finish line in third place! This was by far the best result we’d ever have and we were over the moon at our success… But we didn’t win the trophy though. Oh well, next time maybe we’ll win, let’s just hope we can find another Bogliq that won’t burn, crash and burn or seize it’s overpowered brakes on us!
THE END!!!
Distance covered: 319 miles
Overall distance: 3033 miles
Fuel state: 2/3rds of a tank
Overall fuel used: 12 and 1/3 tanks
Morale: +7 (+23) We are the (kinda) champions, my friend!!!
Fatigue: +16 (+25) We’ll keep on fighting 'till the end…
Epilogue
Our intrepid duo, tired but jubilant, spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool and then sleeping at the Holiday Inn at Vicksburg. The next day they visited all the museums in Vicksburg then, after staying at the Holiday Inn for another evening, drove down to New Orleans. There they met Mountain Pass Online fans where the Bogliq K23i was auctioned off to help pay for flights back home to Melbourne, Australia.
Once back home, Pierre went back to manning his desk and Andrew collected his S12, entered a hillclimb on the weekend, then came last outright!
OOC - Thanks @VicVictory for an awesome final competition to see off the Kee engine! I look forward to entering Team Mountain Pass into your UE4 competitions in the future!!!
6 Likes
Wow, thanks for the challenge! It was a lot of fun.
3 Likes
And then the Shitbox Brothers will enter with a second hand kit car, back for more 
5 Likes
V6 Vandals - D5 8-10a - “Blaze of Glory”
The mortally-wounded Ishu Truckling screamed through city streets on the rev limiter, creating a huge cloud of smoke behind them as Luke kept pushing the engine harder, demanding more distance from the failing micro-truck. The valves started rattling as the top end lost oil pressure, and soon after, the engine spun a bearing, letting out a sharp screeching wail as the revs dropped.
Luke pulled off to the side just as the engine stalled, kicked in the clutch, pulled it out of gear, and coasted to a stop. The trip meter said they’d covered 2,813 miles since it’d been reset in Canada, and the oil light was flashing at him. The fuel light, just to add insult to injury, lit up as well.
“Looks like that’s it for us. Our V6 has died.” Luke said.
“Well, had to happen sometime. We’ve breezed through two of these with the car in one piece at the end. And they made it through their first run before their car broke down.” Amy said.
“So, what’s the plan?” Cody asked.
“Normally, I’d say we go get cleaned up, then get on a plane, but some twisted part of me wants to finish this.” Jake said.
“With what car?” Luke asked.
“Good point. Though how do you plan to get back?” Jake responded.
“There’s a scrapyard about a mile from here, I think. Should be a running car or two I could make it back with.” Luke said.
Luke’s End-of-Day Social Media update.
“So, looks like we broke down 222 miles from the finish line. Rear main seal went on the engine, lost all the oil, couldn’t keep up with it. Hopefully the other teams hold no ill-will toward us for oiling the roads, but we weren’t giving up. Luckily for my team, there’s an airport nearby. For me, I’ll have to see what’s available to drive back in. Though there’s a scrapyard not too far from here that might be worth a look.”
So, the V6 Vandals abandoned the Ishu Truckling in Jackson and made it to a hotel, got cleaned up, and had a night of rest. The morning came quickly enough, and three of the four team members made it to an airport, and they got on the first plane back to Chicago.
Luke took a bit longer to get moving, though eventually found something in the scrapyard worth driving.
Back in Chicago, Amy, Jake, and Cody got into the waiting Storm Surge at the airport. With almost 1.3 million miles on it since they’d built it in 2004, the little hybrid was showing its age, but still going strong.
Around 12 hours later, they heard the not-so-quiet sound of a 1.8 liter inline 4 in a 1976 Ishu Myriad. Amy looked out the window just in time to see a mostly-white car with a red trunk-lid and green rear bumper fish-tail into the parking lot.
“That god-damn maniac!” Amy said. “He bought one of those deathtraps anyway!”
“At least he finally got to drive a rear-engined car, then.” Jake said. “Let’s face it, he really wanted to before the run, but we convinced him the Truckling was a better idea. Now I wonder if that was such a good idea, or whether the squirmy rear-engined sedan would have gotten us there. Guess we’ll never really know.”
“True. So, let’s keep our eyes out for more of these to do. Luke seems to like them, and I’ll even admit, there’s a fun amount of challenge to them. We’ll just have to see if we can squeeze that old hybrid under the rules, or whether we’ll be in one of Old Man Sinistra’s deathtraps again.” Amy said.
“Sinistra? That’s right, the Savage you guys ran the first time. Funny you should mention that. I keep seeing some going really cheap. Couple of cheap Minerva’s, too.” Jake said.
I have to admit, that was a lot of fun. I’m glad the breakdown happened near the end of the run, admittedly, but hey, you can’t finish every run you’re in. Thank you to @VicVictory for hosting this, and thank you to everyone who participated or helped weave a bit of the story together. It’s more fun to have mild team-conflicts than to have to keep having conflicts within the team, after all.
As for my next car, I’m really hoping to get that 1.3 million mile Storm Surge into one of these, though I do have backup plans in the event that the hybrid isn’t allowed. Just because I haven’t started a thread doesn’t mean Sinistra isn’t alive and well. Just means I haven’t gotten a good start yet.
7 Likes
TEAM OUTRIDERS
Blake: Step on it will you?
Marc: Between these oily roads, and the weather, I’m not gonna go too crazy. Not to mention that cop that we passed ten minutes ago.
Luigi: So what if we don’t win? This makes the fourth one of these events that this car powered through. Three on the same engine.
Blake: That’s true, the old girl certainly didn’t let us down.
Zach: Not to mention this car is more comfortable than many of the others.
Marc: Yeah, whatever we do next, make sure the car has A/C.
Blake: Our next run will have A/C.
Luigi: This car.
Marc: Isn’t that tempting fate?
Blake: Hell no! We’re driving this old gal until the wheels fall off. Then we’re gonna bolt em back on and drive it some more.
Zach: Maybe tweak out the performance some.
Luigi: I don’t know about that. I think our saving grace is that this big engine while not too powerful, does not have to work hard. We certainly didn’t push this car as hard as that one. (points)
Blake: Shit, that’s the truckling.
Marc: Looks like the motor is cooked.
Zach: That would explain the oil slicks.
(The team crosses the line at 3:32 PM. Not ideal, but at least they made it through intact.)
Marc: So, your wife coming by to pick us up?
Blake: Actually, I didn’t send for her this time.
Zach: Mom isn’t coming with the flatbed?
Blake: I felt the car would hold together and we wouldn’t need it.
Luigi: That was bold.
Blake: The old girl should be more than enough to get us back home.
Zach: Maybe some nicer seats in the future, the car wasn’t bad, but it could be a bit more comfy for long trips.
Luigi: We’ll see.
Epilogue:
The four men return to Tatum Heights without incident.
Upon arriving home, Zach received a subpoena to appear in court as a witness in the People Vs. Eleanor Ventnor case. It was discovered that the head of the IT department placed a small worm in the computer network when all transactions were converted to digital format in 1996. This worm collected pennies from every transaction performed by the company eventually building up a stockpile of over 200 million dollars. The money was placed in a Cayman Islands account that had slowly accrued the money over the years. While Eleanor Ventnor was the chief suspect, it was discovered that there was an attempt to access the account shortly after it was frozen. That was done by Robert Dunbar, head of Petoskey Motors ZLC Accounting. It seems that he and Bill Seward, the IT head who quit not long after the conversion to digital transactions were working together on this scheme. In light of this evidence, the SEC dropped all charges against Ms. Ventnor and opened up a case against Dunbar and Seward. Seward made a plea bargain which turned in all evidence against Dunbar in exchange for a reduced sentence. In light of his efforts, Zach was promoted to assistant director of the accounting department. (He still has to finish school after all)
Blake and Luigi set to work on the Enforcer, performing minor tweaks and basic maintenance. Next time, their car will be ready.
Marc continues to lament about the lack of excitement working mostly from a desk. But the trip did help him appreciate the down time for a while.
Conclusion: No, actually screw that. There is no conclusion. This is the final page for now, but the next chapter has only yet to be written.
See you next mission!
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Otis hollers: “There’s one exit now”
Jake hits the brakes and cranks the wheel, the old ABS system struggles to keep the tires turning while the back end begins to swing to the left with water spraying everywhere. Jake lets off the brakes and counter steers as the back bumper clips the guard rail between the exit ramp and the freeway. The truck doesn’t even make it to a stop at the stop sign as it skids around into the gas station. Otis operates the pump as Jake starts relieving himself on one of the back tires, once the pump is running Otis waters the other rear tire.
The tank not even full, the duo complete the splash and go and rush back to the freeway as quickly as they can.
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