Spanners: We’ll drive until 5 and then stop to eat for an hour. Then we’ll continue until 10. Have supper, up at 5, breakfast, check car and be on the road by 6. Everyone happy?
Gran: Sounds good.
Mopey: Yeah, can do.
And so our intrepid pioneers continued on their way…
Gran: Oh, dear Lord…what IS that smell?
Mopey: Sorry…
TEAM OUTRIDERS
Luigi: Countin’ flowers on the wall, that don’t bother me at all.
Blake: Playin’ Solitaire 'till dawn, with a deck of 51.
Marc: Smokin’ cigarettes and watchin’ Captain Kangaroo. Now don’t tell me, I’ve nothin’ to do.
Zach: sigh I sometimes forget how old you guys are.
Marc: What’s for dinner bitch?
Luigi: I figure we’ll put some sandwiches together and eat em on the fly. No sense stopping unless we have to.
Blake: We’ve got cheese and lunch meats in the cooler. And plenty of bread.
Zach: Don’t forget safe dining, use a condiment every time.
Marc: Ha!
V6 Vandals - D4 Noon-2p - “Now This is Street Racing”
The Vandals’ Ishu Truckling was sitting at a stop light, and Amy was revving the engine mercilessly, watching the lights. The twin turbos howled as the 2.7 liter V6 snarled, the whole mini-truck shaking with the fury of 325 horsepower threatening to be unleashed.
The light turned green, and Amy dumped the clutch at about 4500 RPM, then carried first gear to the 8000 RPM redline. The tires squealed, then chirped in second, and a soft chirp in third as she went through the gears. Luke looked over at Amy, then said, “And you call me crazy.”
“I didn’t make a wig of brass chains just before the event, nor am I the one with a 150 mile-per-hour speeding ticket in Nevada.” Amy shot back.
“Keep this up and you will, but it won’t be in Nevada. Luckily for you, I’m eavesdropping on the police channels, and they haven’t noticed our shit-brown mini-truck yet. But they’ll be able to follow the cloud to find us because we’re still burning oil.” Luke replied.
“So, rest plans when, exactly?” Jake asked, breaking up the talk of speeding tickets.
“Probably tail end of 6 PM, maybe 8 PM. Not sure yet. When this lunatic feels like relinquishing the wheel.” Luke replied.
Cody laughed, then said, “Good thing your mom’s a race-car driver, Jake. We might actually make decent time.”
“If she doesn’t break the car. After all, tapping the rev-limiter isn’t nice to an engine with an oil-burning problem.” Jake responded. “And she’s driving it like a race-car.”
“No, I’m driving it like a rental. There’s a reason a rental car is the best off-roader, and the fastest car you’ll usually ever drive, and it’s because you don’t have to care about it.” Amy said. “This just happens to be a sporty front-drive rental in an unassuming shell.”
The next stop-light also ended up with a one-tire-fire all the way across the intersection, and the V6 wailing like the Hounds of Hell were chasing their smoke-blowing Truckling. The blow-off valves hissed like a bowl of angry rattlesnakes between each gear change as Amy tried to close the distance on the other teams.
“So, Cody, Jake, tell me, who’s gettin’ passed by the Turbo Truckling next?” Amy asked.
Jake looked at the GPS, then said, “If things hold out, we’ll either be matched with the Outriders in a couple hours, or we’ll blow their doors off. Depends on how much gas they’ve got versus how much we’ve got, and whether they plan to stop or we plan to stop. Either way, they’re the ones in front of us that we stand a chance to catch.”
“Good. It’ll be fun to pass their Petoskey Enforcer.” Amy said.
“You’re still bitter about that?” Luke asked.
“About what?” Cody inquired.
“Few years back, contract to replace some police cars out in Tatum Heights, MI. We put in a bid but while we were liked, our car just couldn’t win the contract.” Luke said. “So Amy’s bitter that we lost the contract, and that two of the people who were involved are in the car in front of us.”
“I am not still bitter about that. That was 18 fuckin’ years ago, and we still contracted with a different police department and unloaded our supply of Interceptors.” Amy said.
“So, why the sudden urge to pass them?” Luke inquired.
“Because I’m competitive and I’m driving. It’s like racing on a road course, you push just that little more when someone’s close enough to pass. That’s why I want to pass them.” Amy replied.
“Fair enough.” Luke said, as they raced down the road.
MRL: +15 (NC)
FTG: +20 (+8)
WAY: 6
GAS: 1/2
FST: 7
OIL: 1 quart
(Yep, felt that a bit more story had to come out. And contrary to what Amy says, she is still bitter that the Tatum Heights Police Department didn’t pick the Interceptor. Mostly because it took three years to find a buyer for the cars that were made. As for me, no, I entered knowing mine was a wild card and wouldn’t win. But it makes for a better story if Amy has a little touch of a rivalry just because her Police Interceptor didn’t get chosen. As for all the links, they go to a Car Shopping Round that was done forever ago.)
Nice touch, though I should point out that Marc is the only one who’s a cop. Blake and Luigi are mechanics, and Zach is an accountant (Albeit in training)
Oh, I know that Blake and Luigi are mechanics.
From a role-playing perspective, though, my characters don’t know everything. Does Luke know Blake and Luigi are mechanics? Yes. To him, mechanics are just as important as police officers. Why did he say ‘two members’ when there’s technically three, by his count (including mechanics)? Because Luigi wasn’t involved with the contract. Does Amy know Blake and Luigi are mechanics? Probably not. She knows Blake and Marc are from Tatum Heights and that Marc’s a cop. She also knows that Tatum Heights was the police department that they were contract-bidding on with the Storm Interceptor.
I will, however, adjust one line to better fit what Luke intended to say. While it said “two of the members of their police force are in the car in front of us.” before, I’ll adjust it to “two of the people involved are in the car in front of us.” Which, I suppose, is more what Luke should have said, keeping his mechanic bias under wraps.
Well, if their perception is skewed, I can live with that. Just thought I’d clear up any misunderstandings.
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.
@Madrias
BD: 153 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 63 F FS: LOW MRL: +1 FTG: +10 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Ongoing issue: Check Engine Code: P0420. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Gateway Arch. TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Team will check in for the night at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis at the beginning of next time period.
@Jaimz
BD: 46 mi OD: 2327 mi AT: 63 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +3 FTG: -1 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is slightly tired. Waypoint completed: Gateway Arch. Team has stopped for dinner at Llewelyn’s Pub in St Louis.
@BobLoblaw
BD: 139 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 63 F FS: REFUEL IN PROGRESS MRL: +1 FTG: +10 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Waypoint completed: Gateway Arch. Refuel in progress.
@Zabhawkin
BD: 142 mi OD: 2217 mi AT: 63 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +0 FTG: +4 Last Town: Peoria, IL Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO
Notes: None
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 128 mi OD: 2111 mi AT: 62 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +6 Last Town: Davenport, IA Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Eagle Point Park. Team has refueled in Dubuque, IA
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 130mi OD: 2268 mi AT: 63 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +10 Last Town: Springfield, IL Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St Louis, IL
Notes: TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Team has refueled in Springfield, IL
@findRED19
BD: 139 mi OD: 1894 mi AT: 60 F FS: 1/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Rochester, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@Mythrin
BD: 133 mi OD: 2136 mi AT: 62 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +8 Last Town: Davenport, IA Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is tired.
@abg7
BD: 75 mi OD: 274 mi AT: 61 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +2 FTG: +2 Last Town: Davenport, IA Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team stops at Putnam Museum and Science Center in Davenport, IA for a POI stop.
@LordLetto
BD: 137 mi OD: 1969 AT: 62 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +10 Last Town: Guttenberg, IA Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. TEAM IS EXHAUSTED
@cpufreak101
BD: 129 mi OD: 2255 mi AT: 52 F FS: 3/4 MRL: -2 FTG: +12 Last Town: Peoria, IL Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Team has refueled in Peoria, IL
Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range.
TEAM OUTRIDERS
(This sounds like it could be part of a training montage)
Marc: Okay, my turn. I spy with my little eye, something white.
Zach: Easy, that state trooper over there.
Marc: Damn, you win.
Zach: Okay, I spy with my little eye… something blue and orange.
Blake: That Bogliq that’s on fire.
Luigi: Shit, is that the other team?
Marc: No, this one’s a hatchback.
Blake: “Let’s use cloth insulated wiring, no one in the west would do anything like that”
Luigi: Yeah, there’s a very good reason for that.
Zach: Heh. Mind if I ask you a question?
Luigi: You didn’t give me much choice there did you?
Zach:…
Luigi: What is it?
Zach: How is it you don’t have an accent? I’ve known other people from Italy, and they usually have some kind of accent.
Luigi: I coached myself into losing it. Now if I try to speak with an accent it’ll probably sound fake.
Blake: You should’ve heard him when he hired in, sounded fresh off the boat.
Marc: Despite being in the country for eight years by then.
Blake: Our director was worried he’d have trouble fitting in with that accent.
Marc: I forgot about this story!
Luigi: He was worried people would have trouble understanding me.
Blake: Hey are you telling this story or am I?
Luigi: Then get it right, he was worried people would have trouble understanding me because of the accent.
Blake: Yeah, then he flipped them all off saying “I know sign language too if that helps!”
Zach: Ha!
Marc: So you can clearly see he had no trouble fitting in.
Luigi: We’re gonna need to stop for gas soon.
Zach: Again? I thought we just filled up.
Marc: Big block in a full size sedan. Like the fuel crisis never happened.
Blake: Yeah, but look on the bright side, this car could haul a boat.
Luigi: Or yank down a telephone pole.
Marc: I remember that commercial.
Zach: Didn’t Petoskey recently do a commercial with a truck pulling down a redwood tree?
Blake: The EPA was pissed!
(The Enforcer pulls into the gas station.)
Zach: Hey, isn’t that one of the other teams?
Marc: Yes it is, dammit!
Blake: Just means we’re playing catch up, that’s all. I’ll get us some sandwiches ready. Ham okay?
Luigi: Yup.
Zach: Fine with me.
Marc: (is cut off before he can speak)
Blake: PB and J fine with you Marc?
Marc: Uh, yeah. That’ll be good.
Day Four, 4PM to 6PM
You’d think that, as journalists, we’d find lots of interesting stuff to talk about. Waxing lyrical about salt-of-the-earth locals, picturesque scenery and pithy commentary on current events. Well… We’ve got none of that crap! The more I travel, the more I’m shocked at just how similar different places are. The greens are the same hue, the dirt is similarly brown, red or black and the people are just people; neither special or horrible, just generic! The buildings all look weirdly similar as well…
In fact, the only way to really experience these types of road-trips is to… Wait for it… Stop and have a look around! Nothing can be fully appreciated by being glimpsed at from a passing car or two minute fuel/bathroom break. Each town we pass through deserves a thorough ferreting to glean all of its secrets, no stone left unturned. But, we really want to win which means we have to miss out on all the fun and keep pressing ahead.
We decide not to stop this session; we’re making good time and we’re not tired yet. Hopefully next session will see us dining in a small restaurant in a small town, meeting some of those salt-of-the-earth types!
TO BE CONTINUED
Distance covered: 128 miles
Overall distance: 2109 miles
Fuel state: 2/3rds of a tank
Overall fuel used: 8 and 1/3rd tanks
Morale: +0 (+12) Things are going well for Team Mountain Pass!
Fatigue: +6 (+20) Feeling the day’s driving but in a good way…
Davenport, Iowa
The Thunder Taxi pulled up to the Putnam Museum and Science Center with four weary, but increasingly confident men on board. Jack lead his loyal teammates through a quick tour of the facility, stopping only at whatever they were most interested in to save time. After the monotony of driving constantly at a rapid pace on mostly flat ground for several hours at a time, gazing at the museum’s many attractions brought some welcome relief. But the team’s visit was over all too soon, and eventually they had to return to the open road.
“Some of our rivals are struggling with fatigue right now”, Jack remarked as he returned to his car.
“Yeah, we were, too, until our recent rest stop”, Chris added.
“Unfortunately, we’re well behind the lead pack, and they might have already made it to St. Louis by now.” Bob replied.
“All is not lost, however,” concluded Vince, “and we’re proud of ourselves for having come so far.”
Thus ended their first actual POI stop, and the team’s first chance to take a break in a long time.
V6 Vandals - D4 2-4p - “Rivals”
Amy was in the zone. Every gear change was as fast as she could handle, her feet worked the pedals nearly as well as Luke could, and she had her sights set on passing the Petoskey Enforcer. It was about a mile ahead of them at that point, and she knew they could catch it.
Luke was watching the dashboard for signs of trouble and saw none, other than the “check engine” light that was still glowing, still telling them about the dying catalytic converter. A second light glowed angrily a few moments later, illuminating the “E” on the fuel gauge.
“You’ve got a light.” Luke said. “Fuel.”
“That’s a 15 mile reserve. We’re fine.” Amy responded, still staring at the Enforcer as they closed in. They were close enough to hear the growly big-block V8 now, even over their screaming V6. Just then, the Enforcer turned away, heading into a gas station.
“I think they’re the smart ones.” Jake said from the back seat. “Remember, Luke can’t push the car.”
“I can, just… I’ll need help.” Luke replied.
“I’d love a hotel for the night, honestly.” Cody said after a few seconds. “After all, we pushed an extra two hours today.”
“Yeah, one hotel room, coming right up. You know, you two back there better hope we can pass them again in our smoke-throwing micro-truck. I just spent the better part of the day playing catch-up.” Amy said.
MRL: +16 (+1)
FTG: +30 (+10)
WAY: +7 (+1)
GAS: LOW!
FST: 7
OIL: 1 quart
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.
@Madrias
BD: 0 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 59 F FS: LOW MRL: +1 FTG: -5 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Ongoing issue: Check Engine Code: P0420. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis.
@Jaimz
BD: 142 mi OD: 2454 mi AT: 59 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +4 Last Town: Jackson, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is slightly tired. Team has refueled in Perryville, MO
@BobLoblaw
BD: 120 mi OD: 2437 mi AT: 59 F FS: 2/3 MRL: -1 FTG: +14 Last Town: Cape Girardeau, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. TEAM IS DELIRIOUS WITH EXHAUSTION. Team has stopped for the night at the Candlewood Suites in Cape Girardeau, MO.
@Zabhawkin
BD: 129 mi OD: 2346 mi AT: 59 F FS: FULL MRL: +1 FTG: +6 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Team is feeling slightly fatigued. Waypoint completed: Gateway Arch. Team has refueled in St Louis.
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 46 mi OD: 2157 mi AT: 59 F FS: FULL MRL: +1 FTG: +1 Last Town: Monmouth, IL Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is feeling slightly tired. Team has stopped for fuel and food in Monmouth, IL
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 49 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 59 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +2 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Waypoint completed: Gateway Arch. Team has stopped for the night at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis.
@Mythrin
BD: 134 mi OD: 2270 mi AT: 59 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +10 Last Town: Davenport, IA Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. TEAM IS EXHAUSTED.
@abg7
BD: 146 mi OD: 2220 mi AT: 59 F FS: 1/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +5 Last Town: Peoria, IL Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St. Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is feeling a lilttle tired.
@LordLetto
BD: 30 mi OD: 1999 AT: 58 F FS: FULL MRL: +2 FTG: -2 Last Town: Dubuque, IA Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Eagle Point Park. Team has refueled in Dubuque, IA. Team has stopped for the night at Holiday Inn Dubuque due to exhaustion.
@cpufreak101
BD: 62 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 56 F FS: FULL MRL: -2 FTG: +8 Last Town: St Louis MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Waypoint completed: Gateway Arch. Team has refueled in St Louis. Team has stopped for the night at the Magnolia Hotel St Louis.
Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range.
2,220 miles from start line
The Thunder Taxi maintained a steady but rapid pace as it drove past Peoria and onwards in the direction of St. Louis. Jack was unfazed by the long distances he had covered so far, and despite some minor fatigue, seemed content to drive on as if he were completely unhindered by it. Suddenly, Chris interrupted him with: “Jack, you’re not going to believe this. According to the latest rumors, yet another team has just dropped out of the race.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Jack replied.
“Hmmm… It could be the one with the big wagon. We haven’t seen them in ages… probably because they were so far behind that we had no need to worry about them at all. I suspect a mechanical failure brought an early end to their adventure.”
“Well, that’s it for them. Now just let me drive towards the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and we’ll all be fine.”
Bob and Vince said nothing. They had already known that whichever team dropped out during this time block was not a threat to their placing, and never were. Meanwhile, the Thunder Taxi continued to make progress in the fading light, slowly making up ground on the teams ahead of it.
Day Four, 6PM to 8PM
We started this session with a plan. Reach Monmouth, refuel, have dinner then drive on for at least one more session. Since Monmouth was only 45 miles from where we were it was a simple run; only an hour, tops. We stopped at the Monmouth Circle K to get more petrol then headed to the Maple City Restaurant for our dinner.
We arrived at about 7PM, which was lucky because they close at eight, and we were immediately served. We both had the $9.99 special; I chose catfish and shrimp and Andrew went for sirloin and shrimp. As always we accompanied our meal with hot, strong coffee. The food was good and the atmosphere was relaxing. Andrew and I caught up on news from home, via our phones and free wifi, and we said goodbye to the evening staff when they closed and got ready to hit the road again… Monmouth. Great place and good people. Thanks for having us!
TO BE CONTINUED
Distance covered: 46 miles
Overall distance: 2155 miles
Fuel state: A full tank
Overall fuel used: 9 tanks
Morale: +1 (+13) I’m glad we met some great locals at Monmouth, IL 
Fatigue: +1 (+21) Our dinner stop relieved some pressure but we need to stop soon… 
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.
@Madrias
BD: 0 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 53 F FS: LOW MRL: +0 FTG: -7 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Ongoing issue: Check Engine Code: P0420. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis.
@Jaimz
BD: 139 mi OD: 2593 mi AT: 54 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +7 Last Town: Blytheville, AR Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. TEAM IS VERY TIRED.
@BobLoblaw
BD: 120 mi OD: 2437 mi AT: 53 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: -6 Last Town: Cape Girardeau, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at Candlewood Suites in Cape Girardeau, MO.
@Zabhawkin
BD: 140 mi OD: 2486 mi AT: 54 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +0 FTG: +8 Last Town: Cape Girardeau, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Team is tired.
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 143 mi OD: 2300 mi AT: 53 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +5 Last Town: Hamel, IL Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is tired.
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 0 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 53 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: -6 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Team is asleep at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis.
@Mythrin
BD: 47 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 53 F FS: FULL MRL: +2 FTG: +2 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. Team has stopped for the night at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis
@abg7
BD: 130 mi OD: 2350 mi AT: 53 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +1 FTG: +7 Last Town: Peoria, IL Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. TEAM IS VERY TIRED. Waypoint completed: Gateway Arch. Team has refueled in Springfield, IL.
@LordLetto
BD: 0 mi OD: 1999 AT: 58 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: -7 Last Town: Dubuque, IA Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at Holiday Inn Dubuque.
@cpufreak101
BD: 0 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 53 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: -5 Last Town: St Louis MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Team is asleep at the Magnolia Hotel St Louis.
Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range.
Day Four, 8PM to 10PM
Turns out that driving at night resulted in us massively overshooting where we wanted to be at. We had planned to do an easy run to Jacksonville but we missed our turn-off and ended up in Hamel instead! This was a good mistake to have made as we did many more miles than our original plan would have achieved and we’ll easily be able make St Louis tomorrow morning!
But for now, we’ll aim to reach the Drury Inn at St. Louis Collinsville so we can get some rest and complete our next waypoint tomorrow morning…
NEWSFLASH: We decided to drive straight to St Louis and stay at the Hyatt Regency at The Arch!!! Saves us having to drive into, and park at, St Louis in the morning and we’ll be able to walk to the Arch before heading off tomorrow, helping us stretch cramped muscles!
TO BE CONTINUED
Distance covered: 143 miles
Overall distance: 2298 miles
Fuel state: A full tank
Overall fuel used: 9 tanks
Morale: +0 (+13) Loving every minute of this automotive adventure!
Fatigue: +5 (+26) But our butts aren’t, damn seats! We’re both looking forward to going to sleep. 
Nathan is driving after their fun tour and stop at the AEA Headquarters. The old ElGovnor wagon was taken on the shake-down track… And Failed Miserably in all handling, bump, and stopping tests. However it was competent enough to just pass the acceleration tests. This is where a nice chunk of the episode will focus as well.
The team is driving through, passing through the rest of Minnesota and headed into Iowa. This is relatively uneventful, outside of fuel fill-ups. Then when traveling in the middle of Iowa, tragedy hits.
The car suddenly start revving a lot in waves as the speed they are traveling at slowly spirals down. Then the trans tries down shifting, causing even more revving and loss of speed until they finally let the car coast to a stop on the side of the road.
The torque converter has failed. The team laughs it off, morale high from the previous events of the day, and the episode finishes with them promising to feature the “Wagoneer” (as it’s been dubbed by now) in another episode, hinting at more power for smokey burnouts and drifting the boat-sized wagon.
Gran: OK David, it’s getting close to 10 so I think we need to look for somewhere to stop.
Spanners: Couldn’t agree more Mrs E.
Mopey: Can I have a beer tonight?
Gran and Spanners: NO!
Mopey: Fine…didn’t want one anyway… sigh
St. Louis, Missouri
The Thunder Taxi continued its relentless march southeast towards the finish line, with an increasingly upbeat crew on board. Despite considerable fatigue, Jack boldly pressed on past the Gateway Arch, leapfrogging anyone who had chosen to take a rest stop there. So far, it seemed that his brave approach to this cross-country race was working wonders; nobody, not even themselves, expected the Thunder Taxi to make it this far, let alone challenge the frontrunners.
That’s when Chris suggested a possible place for a rest stop. “We might want to make our next rest stop in Cape Girardeau. I reckon the Holiday Inn off I-55 would be an ideal location for it. All in favor, please say ‘Aye’, and if two or more of you do so, we’ll stop right there for the night.”
His teammates all replied, “Aye”, having realized that an imminent rest stop would be a great idea.
“So, Holiday Inn it is, then. We’ll stick to our plan as before.”
And so the Thunder Taxi continued to charge on through the night, unhindered by adverse weather or an overly conservative strategy as it had in the past.
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.
@Madrias
BD: 0 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 50 F FS: LOW MRL: +0 FTG: -9 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Ongoing issue: Check Engine Code: P0420. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis.
@Jaimz
BD: 9 mi OD: 2602 mi AT: 52 F FS: FULL MRL: +2 FTG: -5 Last Town: Memphis, TN Next Waypoint: Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg, MS
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Mississippi River Museum. Team has refueled in Memphis, TN. Team has stopped for the night at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown.
@BobLoblaw
BD: 0 mi OD: 2437 mi AT: 50 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: -9 Last Town: Cape Girardeau, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at Candlewood Suites in Cape Girardeau, MO.
@Zabhawkin
BD: 116 mi OD: 2486 mi AT: 52 F FS: FULL MRL: +2 FTG: +10 Last Town: Memphis, TN Next Waypoint: Vicksburg National Military Park, Vicksburg, MS
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Mississippi River Museum. TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Team has stopped for a short sleep at Tom Sawyer Campground just outside of Memphis.
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 17 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 50 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: -5 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is tired. Team has stopped for the night at the Hyatt Regency St Louis (and will do the waypoint in the morning)
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 0 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 50 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: -8 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: Team is asleep at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis.
@Mythrin
BD: 0 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 50 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: -7 Last Town: St Louis, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at the Magnolia Hotel St. Louis
@abg7
BD: 87 mi OD: 2437 mi AT: 50 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Cape Girardeau, MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team has stopped for the night at the Holiday Inn Express is Cape Girardeau, MO.
@LordLetto
BD: 0 mi OD: 1999 AT: 58 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: -9 Last Town: Dubuque, IA Next Waypoint: Gateway Arch, St Louis, MO
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at Holiday Inn Dubuque.
@cpufreak101
BD: 0 mi OD: 2317 mi AT: 53 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: -8 Last Town: St Louis MO Next Waypoint: Mississippi River Museum, Memphis, TN
Notes: TEAM IS EXHAUSTED. Team is asleep at the Magnolia Hotel St Louis.
Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range.
