Perfectly understandable. I think most of us can wait for a few days on a challenge that takes some time to complete.
As you insta-binned the HiWay Venture I find this excuse inexcusable!!! 
4 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.
SUNDAY, 2AM - 6AM
VicVictory:
BD: 0 mi OD: 1535 mi AT: 36 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +1 FTG: +0 Last Town: Laporte, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team wakes up at 5 am and will be on the road at 6 am.
@Madrias
BD: 0 mi OD: 1500 mi AT: 36 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: -3 Last Town: Whipholt, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: Ongoing issue: Check Engine Code: P0420. Team wakes up at 5 am and is on the road at 6 am. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@Mr.Computah
BD: 0 mi OD: 1593 mi AT: 36 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +1 FTG: -14 Last Town: Wadena, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Team wakes up at 5am and will be on the road at 6am.
@Jaimz
BD: 0 mi OD: 1648 mi AT: 36 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: -8 Last Town: Little Falls, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is asleep at the Country Inn & Suites in Little Falls, MN.
@BobLoblaw
BD: 0 mi OD: 1535 mi AT: 36 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: -15 Last Town: Laporte, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team wakes up at 5 am and will be on the road at 6 am.
@Zabhawkin
BD: 45 mi OD: 1804 mi AT: 34 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: -7 Last Town: Minneapolis, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: Team has refueled in Faribault, MN. Team has stopped at the Days Inn Faribault in Faribault MN.
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 0 mi OD: 1500 mi AT: 36 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: -16 Last Town: Whipholt, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: Team wakes up at 5 am and gets on the road at 6 am.
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 0 mi OD: 1500 mi AT: 36 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +2 FTG: -6 Last Town: Whipholt, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: Team wakes up at 5am and is on the road at 6am.
@findRED19
BD: 0 mi OD: 1535 mi AT: 36 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +0 FTG: -13 Last Town: Laporte, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Team is asleep at Itasca Lodge in Itasca State Park.
@Mythrin
BD: 0 mi OD: 1524 mi AT: 36 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +2 FTG: -8 Last Town: Lake George, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: Team is asleep at George’s Cabins in Lake George.
@abg7
BD: 0 mi OD: 1380 mi AT: 37 F FS: FULL MRL: +2 FTG: -9 Last Town: Duluth, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: Team wakes up at 5 am and is on the road at 6 am.
@LordLetto
BD: 91 mi OD: 1273 AT: 37 F FS: FULL MRL: +2 FTG: -9 Last Town: Ironwood, MI Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team wakes up at 5 am and will be on the road at 6 am.
@cpufreak101
BD: 0 mi OD: 1500 mi AT: 36 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: -10 Last Town: Whipholt, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: Team wakes up at 5 am and will be on the road at 6 am.
Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range.
Team Moss Boss
Hank and Kyle once again pick through the extremely limited breakfast available at such an early hour. Fresh fruit and instant oatmeal make up their initial chow feed, and each one grabs a bowl of dry cereal for the road.
The Townsend is fired up and ready at 6 am, the boys climbing in during the faded light of the false dawn.
6 Likes
TEAM OUTRIDERS
(Our brave intrepid heroes have woken up from their slumber. As they get breakfast and load the car up, Luigi performs a quick mechanical inspection of the car. Zach is keeping him company.)
Luigi: No sign of anything leaking.
Zach: Anything I can do to help?
Luigi: Yeah, I need to check the bolts holding the motor mounts in place, can you crawl under and make sure the engine doesn’t fall?
Zach: Sure (starts to crawl under the car)
Luigi: Stop. I’m just kidding! I’m not going to drop an engine on you.
Zach: Oh.
Luigi: But you can check the battery for a charge, put a hand on each terminal.
Zach: You got it. (Starts to reach over)
Luigi: Whoa, hold on! Lick your fingers first.
5 Likes
Team Shitbox Brothers
The two brothers had woken up recently, taking their stuff and checking out of the hotel. Alejandro is once again checking his phone.
Alejandro: “Team Redneck overtook us overnight, we’re third now.”
Ana: “Who’s in front?”
Alejandro: “Hartcourt.”
Ana: “We can catch 'em, let’s keep the pace up.”
Ana and Alejandro got a couple of Nescovfefes to take in a nearby bar and got into their car, starting it once again and and roaring off, into the distance towards the south, to Gigawatt by Zombie Hyperdrive.
4 Likes
V6 Vandals - D4 Midnight-2a - “Ditto”
All remained peaceful up until about 5 in the morning, when Luke started to bring himself out of his night-rest. The quiet click of a relay and the soft hum of the first of Luke’s three hydraulic pumps spinning up turned the otherwise peaceful white noise just a little louder. A second click and a similar hum joined the first. The third click was met with a quiet electrical buzz.
Amy woke to the sound of an alarm, but not her alarm clock. The kind of alarm typically found on heavy equipment, where a malfunction could mean lives were at risk. The sort of alarm that no one wanted to hear, especially with a nuclear-powered robot on the team. The alarm was quickly silenced, and Amy glared at Luke.
“Really? Why not use an air-raid siren next time, you jerk?” Amy said, scowling.
“Wasn’t planned.” Luke said, showing her the screen on his left arm, lit up with a harsh red “SYSTEM FAULT” alert. “Lost the third hydraulic pump. Still able to function, but I’ll be limited to about 40% efficiency.”
Jake and Cody barged in, with Cody gasping for breath and Jake managing to get out a ragged, “We came as soon as we heard the alarm. Everything okay?”
“Other than a wake-up call from Luke that could give someone a heart attack, and Luke losing a hydraulic pump, yes, we’re okay.” Amy said.
“Oh, great, so we’ve got to carry 600 pounds of robot.” Cody said.
“No, I can still carry myself. Just not much more than that.” Luke replied.
“Wait… You said ‘40% efficiency,’ Luke. Surely it should be 60% or higher? You lost one pump.” Amy said.
“Compensation for runtime pressure losses, flow inversion, and lack of full pressure. 40% is generous, but I can work with it. I lose another one, we’ll be in trouble.” Luke responded. “In fact, I’ll have my screen display current working RPM and set an alarm, a milder one, for if either of them dips lower than 2,000 RPM. We’ll know in advance if things are going to break.”
Soon after, Luke’s screen held new information, still displaying the System Fault warning at the top, but also displaying the RPM values of Hydraulic Pump 1, 2, and 3, plus a bit of extra information.
“So, 3,267 RPM, 3,792 RPM, and 0 RPM. Why such a wide range, Luke? Other than, well, the obvious one.” Jake asked.
“The line under the RPM readings will tell you that. ‘Synchronization Fault’ That means I can’t link-and-sync like I usually do, hold everything equal. And it’s not worth it right now to try modulating down the high pump to match the low one. If I needed to use combat mode, I’d be able to make 50% hydraulic efficiency, but I’d be asking those two pumps to turn around 4,500 RPM. Normally, it’d be all three, but I can’t get HP3 to turn.” Luke replied.
“So, what caused it?” Amy asked.
“Time. 18 years, and I’ve not had a motor change. Could be a bad bearing, could be a dead spot in a commutator, a burned out brush, a jammed planetary gearbox. I don’t know. And the odds of finding spares out here is unlikely.” Luke said. “So what took it out is the same thing taking the rest of me apart, time and wear. And abuse.”
“Abuse?” Cody asked.
“Yeah, shit like lifting trucks, or not bothering to use the engine hoist, pretty much anything that forced me to use combat mode to move it instead of getting the right tools. 100% duty cycle on the motor drivers isn’t nice to anything on the other end. But enough worrying about me, if push really comes to shove, I’ll junkyard-rig something to work. It’s one motor in a triple-redundant set, and I’m still mobile, even if I’ve lost a bit of precision in the process.” Luke said.
“He’s right. Won’t do us any good worrying about getting spare parts, let’s get breakfast and hit the road about 6:00-ish.” Amy said.
The group made their way to breakfast, where they filled up on bacon, pancakes, sausages and eggs, then washed the whole mess down with coffee. When they got asked if they were the source of the noise earlier, Amy covered for Luke with, “I’m a heavy sleeper. Had him set off an alarm that guaranteed I’d be up. I hate mornings.”
At 6 in the morning, the Vandals got into the Truckling, and Luke started the engine, the screen on his left arm still glowing as he held the steering wheel.
“You’re sure you’re okay with driving?” Cody asked.
“He’ll be fine.” Amy said. “Trust me, I was his co-driver in a rally when he blew a hydraulic line, soaked half the interior of the car in oil. Looked like a triple-homicide in the car when we were done. Had to have lost half his fluid capacity, because he told me to handle the gears for him.”
“I couldn’t take my hand off of the wheel. The only reason we were able to drive at that point is because I lost an upper hydraulic hose, which meant my legs still had fluid. I was steering using the large stepper motors just after the elbow joint. Could still grab because that’s servo controlled. And for the record, 72%. The tank was empty, I was down to what was flowing to HP2 and 3 and what was left in my lines.” Luke said.
“So, basically, if Amy starts shifting for Luke, we’re fucked?” Cody asked.
“No. If I determine at any point that my driving is compromised, I’ll be making a stop to let Amy drive. Rally racing is acceptably dangerous, and a driver swap was against race rules. We had a roll-cage, fire suppression, safety crew on standby. Worst case scenario would’ve been me crashing the rally car, catching the interior on fire. Amy took that risk by unlatching the fire extinguisher so that it was at the ready, long enough to make her escape from the car.”
“So, what about you? What was your plan?” Jake asked.
“Stay in the car. Other than my hydraulic fluid being flammable, I’m reasonably flame-resistant. I was given a choice back in 2000, either work for a car company or work for the fire department. I chose the car company because I’m not overly fond of water. Sure, I can shut my vents and remain water-resistant, but that’s good for small stuff like garden hoses, sprinklers going off, or falling in the company swimming pool. High pressure water, no, and definitely no to anything deeper than about 18 feet of water.” Luke said.
With everyone at least agreeing Luke could still drive, he stuffed the Ishu Truckling in first gear, blipped the gas, and surged out of the parking lot onto the open road. The check engine light was still glowing, and Luke lightly patted the dashboard after they were rolling. “I know how you feel. Hang in there, we’ll do well, I know it.” he said, resting his left elbow on the window-line, his thumb hooked into the wheel and holding them straight ahead.
MRL: +12 (+1)
FTG: 0 (-3)
WAY: 4
GAS: 2/3
FST: 5
OIL: 1 quart
Yes, this was planned for this run. Luke’s okay and will still be okay, just he’ll be taking maintenance more seriously in the future. In fact, this is necessary for his story, because by 2020, he’s forced to retire because things like this keep happening. And he calls in every favor he’s earned in order to pull off the whole “Luke Sinistra” thing.
4 Likes
Team Mountain Pass
Day Four, 5AM, Trapper Landing Lodge
Nothing like a long night’s sleep in a warm, comfy bed to make a man forget what he’s doing the next day! I was so tired last night that, when the alarm buzzed at 5AM, I thought I was at home, in Australia, and that I didn’t have to get up until noon. But then Andrew sat up, threw a water bottle at me then asked me what I wanted for breakfast. My comforting illusion shattered, I groaned then sat up, fixed my gear then had a long, hot soak in the shower. I was the designated driver today so I wanted to prepare my muscles for the trauma to come…
Breakfast was another delicious plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes w/ maple syrup. We washed it all down with strong, dark, freshly brewed coffee then we loaded the car with all our gear. I then prepared the car for the day, getting it started and defrosted, while Andrew paid our bill and handed back our key. We didn’t have far left to travel today; we may even finish before lunch! So, with a steely look of determination in our eye and Andrew already looking for terrible Country and Western music, we set out at 6AM ready to complete the final leg of our journey!
TO BE CONTINUED
Distance covered: 0 miles
Overall distance: 1498 miles
Fuel state: 2/3rds of a tank
Overall fuel used: 5 and 1/3rd tanks
Morale: +2 (+12) We may not win but we surely will finish this time! 
Fatigue: -37 (-2) A full night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast make for happy, energetic travellers! 
3 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.
SUNDAY, 6AM - 8AM
VicVictory:
BD: 13 mi OD: 1648 mi AT: 38 F FS: REFUEL IN PROGRESS MRL: +0 FTG: +0 Last Town: Little Falls, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team pulls in just before 8am to refuel in Little Falls.
@Madrias
BD: 117 mi OD: 1617 mi AT: 38 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +0 Last Town: Motley, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Ongoing issue: Check Engine Code: P0420. Waypoint completed: Itasca State Park. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@Mr.Computah
BD: 115 mi OD: 1708 mi AT: 39 F FS: LOW MRL: +0 FTG: +0 Last Town: Clearwater, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@Jaimz
BD: 112 mi OD: 1760 mi AT: 39 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +0 Last Town: Minneapolis, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Historic Fort Snelling.
@BobLoblaw
BD: 113 mi OD: 1648 mi AT: 38 F FS: REFUEL IN PROGRESS MRL: +0 FTG: +0 Last Town: Little Falls, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team pulls in to refuel in Little Falls at almost exactly 8am.
@Zabhawkin
BD: 45 mi OD: 1804 mi AT: 34 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: -9 Last Town: Minneapolis, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: Team is asleep at the Days Inn Faribault in Faribault MN.
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 101 mi OD: 1601 mi AT: 38 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +1 FTG: +0 Last Town: Motley, MN Next Waypoint: Historical Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Waypoint completed: Itasca State Park. Team has refueled in Laporte, MN.
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 116 mi OD: 1616 mi AT: 38 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +0 Last Town: Motley, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Waypoint completed: Itasca State Park.
@findRED19
BD: 0 mi OD: 1535 mi AT: 38 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +2 FTG: +0 Last Town: Laporte, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Team wakes up at 7 am and will be ready at 8 am. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@Mythrin
BD: 0 mi OD: 1524 mi AT: 38 F FS: 1/2 MRL: +2 FTG: +0 Last Town: Lake George, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: Team wakes up at 7 am and will be ready at 8 am. TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@abg7
BD: 111 mi OD: 491 mi AT: 38 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +0 Last Town: Duluth, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@LordLetto
BD: 110 mi OD: 1383 AT: 38 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +0 Last Town: Duluth, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@cpufreak101
BD: 117 mi OD: 1617 mi AT: 39 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +0 Last Town: Motley, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: None.
Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range.
Team Moss Boss
Dried cereal on the road doesn’t make the best second breakfast, but it’s better than nothing…
6 Likes
Team Mountain Pass
Day Four, 6AM to 8AM
Turns out I was jumping the gun rather substantially in my earlier report. We’d only arrived halfway at our last stop! Since we were headed to New Orleans and that was on the Caribbean coast, there was no way we were finishing at Itasca State Park!
Otherwise, nothing to report, the only news was that we refueled at Laporte. So we’ll just keep on keeping on and we’ll see y’all in the next session!
TO BE CONTINUED
Distance covered: 101 miles
Overall distance: 1599 miles
Fuel state: 3/4 of a tank
Overall fuel used: 6 and 1/4 tanks
Morale: +1 (+13) Unphased that I got the finish point TOTALLY wrong! 
Fatigue: -0 (-2) Lots of easy highway with little towns to break up the monotony. 
3 Likes
TEAM OUTRIDERS
Marc: Good morning Bitch nose.
Luigi: Good morning Fuck stick.
Marc: Now, I want to see some real Italian driving out of you, not the wussy old bitch style you’re accustomed to.
Luigi: Fair enough. (Rips rear view mirror off the windshield)
Blake: Why the hell did you do that?
Luigi: First rule of Italian driving: What is behind you is not important.
Marc: We can get pulled over for not having a mirror there you dumb ***!
Luigi: Then we’ll get some adhesive and put it back on.
Blake: Which is bound to work well in this temperature.
Luigi: At least I didn’t park on a guard rail.
Blake: You guys just aren’t gonna let that go are you?
Marc: Nope.
Luigi: Nope.
Zach: Nope.
Blake: Great, can’t even count on my son to back me up.
Zach: Sorry, but that was a pretty boneheaded move back there.
Blake: This coming from someone who should know not to touch his hands to battery terminals?
Luigi: He he.
Zach: To Hell with both of you!
Marc: I’m not even a mechanic and I know that.
Zach: (grumble)
Blake: So, what’s the mission at hand?
Luigi: We drive.
Marc: I’d say try to catch up with the other teams but I don’t know if we can with this stupid **** behind the wheel.
Luigi: Hardy har har.
6 Likes
V6 Vandals - D4 2-6a - “SYSTEM_FAULT”
“So, we’re quite a way back. Any chance we can make up that gap?” Amy asked.
“Always a chance.” Luke replied. “Might be able to catch up.”
“Any change on the codes?” Jake asked.
“Nope. P0420 Catalyst Efficiency Low. Still the only one showing up.”
“So, what’s that mean for our run?” Cody asked.
“Not much. Means we’re likely to clog up a catalytic converter. It clogs, we lose performance. Then we get to cut it open, rip the core out, then weld it back together. Dirty trick, and completely illegal, but it’ll keep us going.” Luke said.
They made it through the waypoint without much fuss, and the rest of their time period was spent blaring the radio at full volume for no better reason than to be obnoxious.
MRL: +13 (+1)
FTG: 0 (NC)
WAY: 5 (+1)
GAS: 1/3
FST: 5
OIL: 1 quart
4 Likes
Team Shitbox Brothers.
(You know the drill with the accents.)
Ana shifted into fourth gear, the engine breathing as it was coupled back into the new ratio through the clutch.
Ana: “It’s been a while without checking our status. Time for some data, where are we and how many kilometers to go?”
Alejandro: “Right, let’s see. Team Redneck overtook us overnight, they’re stopped now however. Hartcourt is still ahead. Finish line is Bourbon Street in New Orleans, so that means…roughly 2000 kilometers, we’re halfway through.”
Ana: “Halfway through, no fatal breakdows and we’re running third. I have a good feeling about this. We’re gonna make it this time!”
Alejandro: “Let’s not get cocky now, we still have a long, long way to go and we never know. Our pace is good, yeah, but…”
Ana: “No buts, we’re making it to Bourbon Street this time. We don’t know if we will have another chance, so we better make it.”
Ana sipped from her can of Bepis as Gramps GT kept going southbound, this time, to the sound of Red Maesima MRZ-3 by Tokyo Rider.
5 Likes
Team Thunder Taxi, Part 16
Duluth, MN
On Sunday morning, Jack woke up, briefed his team as usual, packed their belongings and set off in the direction of Itasca State Park, when he remembered something from last night…
“So, another one bites the dust, then. That leaves us with one less entrant to worry about…”
“…You’re right!” Chris told him. “They won’t make it to Itasca State Park for sure, but we just might!”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. There was a lot of ground still to be covered, but they had made considerable progress by now, and they could at least take pride in making it this far.
3 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.
SUNDAY, 8AM - 10AM
VicVictory:
BD: 107 mi OD: 1755 mi AT: 41 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +1 FTG: +0 Last Town: Little Falls, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: HIstoric Fort Snelling. Team stops at Fort Snelling to tour and watch the cannon and musket demos (will bleed into next time period)
@Madrias
BD: 117 mi OD: 1732 mi AT: 41 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Rogers, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Ongoing issue: Check Engine Code: P0420. Team has refueled in Little Falls, MN.
TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@Mr.Computah
BD: 112 mi OD: 1820 mi AT: 41 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +1 FTG: +2 Last Town: Pine Island, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team has refueled in Monticello, MN. Waypoint completed: Historic Fort Snelling.
@Jaimz
BD: 116 mi OD: 1876 mi AT: 42 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Rochester, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team has refueled in Rochester, MN
@BobLoblaw
BD: 133 mi OD: 1781 mi AT: 41 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +2 Last Town: Minneapolis, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Historic Fort Snelling.
@Zabhawkin
BD: 0 mi OD: 1804 mi AT: 42 F FS: FULL MRL: +0 FTG: -11 Last Town: Minneapolis, MN Next Waypoint: Eagle Point Park, Dubuque, IA
Notes: Team is asleep at the Days Inn Faribault in Faribault MN.
@HighOctaneLove
BD: 78 mi OD: 1679 mi AT: 41 F FS: 1/2 MRL: -2 FTG: +3 Last Town: St Cloud, MN Next Waypoint: Historical Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: INCIDENT: Just before St. Cloud, there is a loud POP and the smell of burnt electronics, and the stereo goes dead. As the team hits down, the car dies on the side of the road. Diagnosis: Bad voltage regulator in the alternator. No spare onboard, but the local auto parts store has one. Repair will bleed into next time period.
@DoctorNarfy
BD: 115 mi OD: 1731 mi AT: 41 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Monticello, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Team has refueled in Little Falls, MN
@findRED19
BD: 113 mi OD: 1628 mi AT: 41 F FS: REFUEL IN PROGRESS MRL: +0 FTG: +0 Last Town: Little Falls, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Team is refueling in Little Falls, MN.
@Mythrin
BD: 114 mi OD: 1638 mi AT: 41 F FS: LOW MRL: +1 FTG: +0 Last Town: Randall, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Itasca State Park.
@abg7
BD: 118 mi OD: 1609 mi AT: 41 F FS: 2/3 MRL: +1 FTG: +2 Last Town: Laporte, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH. Waypoint completed: Itasca State Park
@LordLetto
BD: 113 mi OD: 1496 AT: 41 F FS: 1/3 MRL: +0 FTG: +2 Last Town: Whipholt, MN Next Waypoint: Itasca State Park, MN
Notes: TEAM MORALE IS HIGH.
@cpufreak101
BD: 102 mi OD: 1719 mi AT: 41 F FS: 3/4 MRL: +1 FTG: +2 Last Town: Motley, MN Next Waypoint: Historic Fort Snelling, MN
Notes: Team has refueled in Little Falls, MN
Vehicles that are traveling in packs:
Note: vehicles within ~5 miles of each other are within CB range.
Team Moss Boss
At the gas station, Kyle and Hank have a passing conversation of pleasantries with the Outriders, before pressing on.
6 Likes
Team Mountain Pass
Day Four, 8AM to 10AM
I was sincerely hoping that I’d have nothing to report this session. Nothing but trees, Yanks and good times! Well that idea was torpedoed when the Bogliq decided to do something weird…
Really bad country music plays POP!!! static…
A: “Oh shit, the radio just died! Quick! Pullover before we die a fiery death!!!”
P: “Roger, roger!”
As we pulled over the car died and wouldn’t re-start…
A: opens bonnet “Yup, refried electrics for the win… Bogliq needs to up their solder budget, stat!”
P: “Any idea what’s happened?”
A: pokes around the alternator “Judging from the wisp of smoke coming from this widget, I’d say this thing is toast!”
P: “I’ll look up a parts store nearby, hopefully there’ll be one close by”
A: “No need. There’s an O’Reilly Auto Parts over there, on the other side of the highway”
P: “I’ll call a tow truck and meet you there”
So Andrew played a real life version of frogger, dodging cars and risking his life (NOT!!!), while I waited for a tow truck, which duly arrived and towed us into the O’Reilly carpark.
Meanwhile inside the O’Reillys…
A: “Hello, I need one of these”
Spare Parts guy: “Hello sir, how may I help you?”
A: “Uh, yeah… I need one of these” places burnt widget on counter
SPG: “What’s it from?”
A: “A 1986 Bogliq K23i”
SPG: “Wow, that’s a pretty cool car there mister, do you take her out drifting much!?!”
A: “Uhh…Not really, it’s the early '86 model with the old cast-iron four”
SPG: “Well, that sucks… Hey, you’re not from around here. You an Australian by any chance?”
A: “If I answer you, will it make you do your job any faster?”
SPG: “Probably… So, Aussie or not?”
A: “I’m an Australian, yes… So do you have the part?”
SPG: “Computer says no… But I may have a solution”
A: “Great! What is it?”
SPG: “A Znopresk spec regulator will do the same job and won’t burn out in 30 years…”
A: “Excellent. I’ll take it!”
SPG: “Lemme check. Computer says no…”
A: getting annoyed “Then get me what you’ve got so I can buy one and be on my way!”
SPG: “OK, OK, just relax and I’ll check the shelf…”
A: hums a old C & W song from the radio
SPG: “Well whaddya know! I got both the Bogliq AND the Znopresk regulators after all! Which one do you want?”
A: “How much?”
SPG: “For you… $120 total”
A: “What!!! I want something much cheaper than that!”
SPG: pulls an identical regulator from under the counter “What about this Ardent unit for $5.50?”
A: “Gimme that!” snatches part from SPG “I need a crimping tool and some wiring doodads as well”
SPG: “Here’s a starter kit with all you need for $14.45…”
A: “That’ll do…” pays bill “Have a nice day!”
SPG: “You too sir!!!”
Turned out that Andrew took longer to get the parts than I did to get the car towed! I decided to grab Andrew and I cheeseburgers and 'shakes at Wendy’s while Andrew repaired the car with the Ardent regulator, but that repair, and that story, would have to wait to be told until next session!
EDIT: Where we stopped
TO BE CONTINUED
Distance covered: 78 miles
Overall distance: 1677 miles
Fuel state: 1/2 a tank
Overall fuel used: 6 and 1/2 tanks
Morale: -2 (+11) Please God, don’t let me burn to death in a Bogliq!!! 
Fatigue: +3 (+1) The unexpected chance to stretch our legs almost made up for the inconvenience
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V6 Vandals - D4 6-8a - “Cruising”
With less than a third of a tank remaining, Luke drove until the fuel light came on, then pulled into the gas station. Amy jumped out and selected the Premium Unleaded, then filled the tank while Cody and Jake were busy digging around in the back for a couple bags of chips.
When the tank was full, Jake and Cody got back into the Truckling while Amy headed inside the gas station to get some bottled water and a bag of beef jerky. With water and snacks acquired, Amy then got back into the Truckling, and Luke took off out of there in a hurry.
Back on the highway, the Vandals were aiming to make up some lost time, and maybe even play a little catch-up on the other teams. Luke rested his left arm on the windowsill again while Amy fiddled with the radio, trying to find a reasonable station to listen to.
“Not a bad little truck after all.” Cody said. “I mean, if you ignore that it’s worthless as a truck.”
“I can see why they didn’t sell well, though. Everything’s wrong about them. Front-wheel-drive, torsion beam rear suspension, cramped back seat space, low towing capacity. Terrible as a truck, and not much better as a family car. Maybe passable for someone who would’ve wanted a tiny little micro-car, but then the wheelbase is too big. But, that said, it’s not the least comfortable thing I’ve been in.” Jake replied.
“Hey, my old Storm Breeze wasn’t that bad!” Amy yelled, looking more than just a bit offended. “It was made in 1984, and it was cheap. You can’t expect it to be comfortable anyway, it was meant to be an affordable car.”
“And it had a back seat that was about as comfortable as a park bench.” Jake shot back, grinning. “At least this Truckling has some seat padding left in it.”
MRL: +13 (NC)
FTG: +2 (+2)
WAY: 5
GAS: 3/4
FST: 6 (+1)
OIL: 1 quart
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TEAM OUTRIDERS
Our team is presently stopped at the gas station.
Blake is presently engaged in a conversation with the Team Moss Boss, Luigi is filling the car, while Zach is somewhat distracted.
Zach: Whoa! Look at that cashier.
Marc: She is pretty, you should say something to her.
Zach: I don’t know.
Marc: Trust me, here’s what you say…
Luigi: Oh hell no! Remember what happened the last time Marc gave you advice on what to say to a girl?
Zach: Oh yeah…
Luigi: This is what you tell her… (whispers his suggestion.)
(Zach walks into the station, speaks to the cashier, and promptly gets slapped.)
Marc: How’d it go?
Zach: How the hell do you think?
Marc: What did you tell him to say?
Zach: His suggestion was as follows and I quote: “Hey baby, once you go white, you know you’ve done right!” (This lovely woman was black.)
Marc: Ha!
Luigi: And thus is a valuable lesson learned.
Zach: What lesson?
Marc: Trust is the biggest liability of all.
Blake: Good lord, we still fueling? That other team finished ages ago.
Luigi: A: This car has a bigger tank, B: This car goes through that tank faster than theirs does. It’s unfortunate but that’s how it is. (click) Ah, here we go.
Blake: Okay, let’s make some tracks!
Marc: Hang on, we should get something to snack on at the station.
Blake: Didn’t Zach do that?
Luigi: Not quite.
Blake: What were you doing in there?
Zach: Don’t ask.
Marc: I’ll be back in five.
(Five minutes later our team is in the car and on the road.)
(The team is currently listening to Motorpsycho Nightmare by Bob Dylan which I could not find a proper version on Youtube.)
Luigi: Think we can overtake that other team?
Blake: I’m certain of it.
Zach: You seem awfully sure of that.
Blake: They’re gonna stop at Fort Snelling for a tour.
Marc: We have any plans for stopping?
Blake: I thought about it, but I think our best bet is to power through.
Marc: Oh by the way, I explained to that cashier what happened and apologized for it.
Zach: Well, that’s a bit late for that, besides, he was the one who gave me that advice.
Marc: Yeah, but he’s Italian, they don’t know how to apologize.
Luigi: Bite me. Besides, it’s good for the kid to learn some humility.
Zach: Every waking moment of my life?
Blake: What can I say? Life’s a bitch.
Zach: Yeah, whatever. Maybe I can start something with Alice back home.
Blake: Who’s Alice?
Zach: Alice Shepard, the receptionist at Petoskey HQ.
Marc: You mean the bosses’ daughter?
Zach: She’s not the bosses’ daughter.
Marc: Yes she is.
Zach: Why doesn’t her last name match?
Luigi: Because she has her father’s last name, Daniel Shepard. At least until their divorce last year.
Blake: Wait a minute, you mean to tell me you’ve been flirting with the daughter of Eleanor Ventnor, owner/CEO of Petoskey Motors ZLC and you didn’t even know it?
Marc: That is rich.
Zach: Oh my God!
Luigi: Just think, if your efforts lead to an acquittal, she’ll be most grateful.
Blake: So that’s your plan, marry into wealth. You’ve got it all figured out.
Zach: I… I… I didn’t know!
Marc: So what?
Zach: So, this changes everything!
Marc: How?
Zach: It… I… um…
Blake: I think he means to say, if you like this girl, her family connection doesn’t mean anything.
Zach: I suppose.
(Our team presses on, with Zach trying to wrap his head around a large revelation)
4 Likes
Team Thunder Taxi, Part 17
Approaching next waypoint in Historic Fort Snelling
Jack had decided to increase his pace, seeing as he was a long way behind the leaders. There was still no sign of mechanical trouble as yet - a miracle considering the sheer mileage the Thunder Taxi had. Having just passed the previous waypoint at Itasca State Park, he was determined to reach the next one as soon as he could. And so he put the hammer down, using more and more of the Thunder Taxi’s performance. All the while, he and his teammates continued to stare contentedly at the scenery in silence, as their morale steadily improved. Now, more than ever, they were confident that they could make it to the next state and beyond.
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