Roulette Runner [FINAL RESULTS]

Community Challenges & Competitions
256

Day 2 Leg 5

The lack of shade wasn’t annoying team Castle Greenskull. Climbing up the ridge, the 130Kw engine had no shortage of power, even with the AirCon on full. Yes, the throwout bearing was still noisy, admittedly more so than ever before, but the fact that they were still going buoyed their spirits significantly… even Bill and Wookiee were smiling. Toni had the wheel again.
Bill: Day 2, climbing this hill in a 500AMU van. We’ve got sun, blue skies, fantastic views…
Wookiee: … and a van that hasn’t fallen apart!
Toni: I’m glad you two are finally seeing eye to eye. Can one of you grab me some water?
Bill: Sure. (hands a bottle from the esky). Aunt Toni, can you do something for me?
Toni: Depends on what it is…
Bill: I’ve done some calculations here, and I’ve worked out that you’re running about 3200rpm. That’s around 70Kw. I’d like to hear the van at full throttle. Give it some stick.

Day 2 Leg 6
Bill takes another stint at the wheel for the trek to Pearson. It seems like it’ll be an easy run…
The temp gauge goes a little higher than is ideal, but there are no other concerns.12 miles into the desert conditions, and things change rapidly. Pulling away from a small dune they just crossed, Bill shifts form second to third. As he releases the clutch, a terrible noise comes from under the van.
Bill: What the hell? (pushes clutch pedal fully)
Toni: Oh, shit!
Wookiee (seated closest to the trans), almost jumps out of his seat.
Toni: Stop! Stop!
Bill: I am! I am!
Wookiee: Well, that was fun!
Bill: Was that noise what I think it was? (Kills engine)
They get out and look for any other competitors.
Toni: Ummmmm…yes.
Bill: Woohoo! ( A huge smile on his face)
Toni: What? Woohoo? You do know that was a disintegrating clutch? The bearing died.
Bill: I thought as much. I’m actually happy. When you consider what this van has been through in the last few days. The drive to Walker River campground. The mud. The mountain. Sure, it’s a little disappointing that we didn’t win, or even finish. But I’ve had a blast.
Toni: Well, I suppose we’ll just have to call for a lift. While we’re waiting…(She reaches under the passenger seat, and pulls out what appears to be Moonshine).
Bill: You thief! (puts his hand into the rear seat-back pocket, and pulls out a matching bottle).
Toni: A toast to the hosts, drivers, and support staff, without whom none of the would have been possible.

@Darkshine5 , I hope you don’t mind, but nobody else seemed interested in knocking off your stuff.
A big thank you to @VicVictory for hosting.
Team Castle Greenskull wishes all surviving competitors the best of luck on their journey. We’ll see you at the victory party.

5 Likes
257

Day 2 Leg 7 Data

Pearson to Jademount via Pearson Dam Road and railroad maintenance road

Again through shrewd negotiation and connections, the course passes over private property — this time in the form of the service road running over the Pearson Dam, and the railroad service road on the other side that runs parallel to the tracks. Participants have been drilled over and over that they need to maintain a minimum of a 7 foot buffer from the tracks at all times, due to the active railway. The service road is rough, with large potholes, and chunks of ballast all over. There are no services in Jademount; it is merely a storage yard for power and rail companies

Length 16; Avg Grade 0; Max Grade 0

@Madrias
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: Kind of disconcerting hearing chunks of ballast get tossed into the undercarriage and rear valance. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH.

@Fayeding_Spray
LAE Medium (slow); MRL +0; Notes: Lifter tick is getting even worse. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH.

@DeusExMackia
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: This leg was mostly in the shady side of the canyon. It’s still hot, but bearably so.

@Mikonp7
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +2; Notes: Shade is so very helpful.

@JohnWaldock
LAE Medium (slow); MRL 0; Notes: Car is down on power, and the Serivice Engine Soon light came on at the same time. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@DoctorNarfy
LAE High (fast); MRL +0; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@BobLoblaw
LAE High (fast); MRL +2; Notes: This leg was really fun! TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Dorifto_Dorito
LAE - High (fast); MRL +0; Notes: Very jarring ride this leg. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Darkshine5
LAE - Exact; MRL +2; Notes; None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Rk38
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; Notes: Rough ride, but faster than expected.

@EnryGT5
LAE Medium (slow); MRL 0; Notes: Had to repair the jury-rigged shifter again. Starting to run out of zip ties. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE High (slow); MRL +0; Notes: Van’s lurching again. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

5 Likes
258

Team Twin-Snail

Day 2, Leg 6

Before the Stage

“Wonder why they kept having to tell everyone to stay away from the tracks.” Scott said for the eleventy-fifth time.

“Because of idiots like you.” Luke said, having lost his patience after the third explanation. “Seven feet. That gives more than enough room for a locomotive and its consist to pass us without risk of us getting hit by either the train itself, debris from the train, or any odd-sized non-standard cargo. And we’re maintaining that, because a car, even one so heavy as this, will lose against even the smallest of trains.”

“We weigh a little more than 2 tons.” Scott said.

“And a small locomotive weighs about 120 tons more than us.” Amy said. “Simple physics, doesn’t matter that we’ll be bombarding across the rough road at around 100+ miles per hour, a locomotive moving at half a mile per hour will still win that fight.”

“Plus, the closer you get to the tracks, the rougher the ride will be anyway. It’s gonna be bad enough with loose ballast on the road, but right next to the tracks, there’s tons of the stuff. It’ll be like riding in an industrial paint shaker.” Linda added. “How is it everyone else gets it, but you don’t?”

“I may have flunked physics in school.” Scott said after a few minutes.

“Well, that explains why you’re in interior design.” Linda quipped.

“Enough fighting, let’s get on the move.” Luke said, as they headed toward the starting line.

Day 2, Leg 7

“Think it’s gonna be an appropriate stage for your choice of music, Luke?” Amy asked, as Luke waited for the flag to drop.

“All flat ground, for the most part, but we’ll be traveling at very high speeds… I think it’s time for Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, then.” Luke replied, starting the song.

The flag dropped, and Luke floored it, spraying gravel behind the car as the engine roared, the gearbox gremlin making quick work of the gear changes, and the lights all turned on, casting a dire warning to anyone nearby that they were coming, get out of the way.

Luke blared the horn, the first time anyone had heard the Sinistra’s aftermarket air horn, the blast echoing across the dam, only barely louder than the cannon-fire coming from the exhaust. It still made Amy and Scott flinch, with only Linda having seen Luke installing it before they’d headed out for the first day.

“Why would you do that!?” Scott yelled from the back seat. “What was the point of putting a truck horn in here!?”

“Stock horn didn’t work. Figured it was better to have a horn than not to.” Luke said, the car still accelerating down the mostly-flat road, only being slowed down as Luke made the turn onto the railroad maintenance road.

The first pothole was a wakeup-call to everyone in the car that the road was worse than it looked. The clatter and bang of chunks of railway ballast pounding against the underside of the car, the rear valance, the gas tank, and what was left of the exhaust all ended up making everyone in the car a little nervous, especially as a larger piece got kicked into the bottom of the fuel tank. It sloshed the fuel and sent the car into a series of 90-mile-per-hour tank-slappers, though Luke managed to recover without losing much speed, nor much time.

They made it to Jademount without much more going on, other than more clattering and banging against the chassis from the debris scattered around the road.

Day 2, Leg 7 Aftermath

“That was some wicked driving, Luke!” Scott said. “How’d you get out of the tank-slappers?”

“Simple physics. It was caused by a weight shift, so I had to counter the shifting weight without over-corrections to avoid spinning out.” Luke said.

The rest of their resting time was spent topping up fluids, wiping dust off of the car, and cursing as they found out one of their two ceramic bricks had been smashed and left in pieces all over the maintenance road.

“Damn it. Now we only have one cooking brick to work with.” Linda said.

Car Condition:

Functionally identical to the previous leg. Very dirty. Air horn air tank is almost empty. Fluids topped up again.

Team Condition:

MRL +14 overall. Feeling lucky. Confident in their chances of success, though keeping in mind that there’s every chance that they might not make it that far.

4 Likes
259

#Team ‘Southend Or Bust’
Original Post - Previous Post

The story so far: Our three uni students are starting to feel the pressure of this challenge, and its straining both the car and their friendship. But, after some recent high tensions, things have cooled down a little - literally…

James was again behind the wheel, as (I quote) he “wanted to drive alongside a passing train wearing sunglasses and looking cool”. The other two couldn’t understand, but they still let him.

After a few miles, they pass over the the dam. James opened his mouth, and Seb quickly stopped whatever he was going to say. “Don’t you fucking dare” he snapped. “I know what your thinking”
James laughed. “What? Come on, it’s funny!” he said.
“Mate, it’s the worst joke in the world, and you always make it” said Martin.
A brief silence. Then, quietly, James said “Damn”.
The other two immediately let loose at him. At least spirits were running higher than before.

.

“Alright” James announced. “I demand some good driving music. I want to blast down this service road”.
“Right you are” said Martin, scrolling through the iPod. “Try this”.
“Yes!” James shouted. “It’s Seb’s favorite song!”
“What because it’s about Spain?” he asked. “I don’t even get punk rock”
Martin tutted. “You’re missing out mate”

James swerved around a few pot holes, laughing. “I don’t even know what it’s about, but it makes me want to drive faaaasst!” he cried, dropping a gear and flooring it.
“James, I know your enthusiastic but I only just fixed that exhaust!” Martin said, clearly worried.
The sudden burst of maniac driving from James was interupted the massive sound of a truck horn from behind them.
“Jesucristo!” Seb remarked. “What was that? Have we got a Semi competing against us?”
“It would seem so” said Martin, who was glad the horn had forced James to slow down, a little.

.

At Jademount, Martin slipped under the car to check his exhaust job while Seb and James watched the other cars roll in.
“I didn’t get to drive alongside a train” said James, sadly, still buzzing after that fast drive.
“Aww, it’s ok!” said Seb, teasingly. “We can do it another time”.
James gave him an equally sarcastic look. Martin reappeared. “Hows it looking?” asked James.
“What, me?” said Martin. “Great, as always”. Neither Seb or James was impressed by that comment. “Nah, it’s good though, it seems to be holding well. And hey, there isn’t much more to go now”
“Certainly not” said James, the bright sunlight reflecting off of his beloved sunglasses as he inspected the rival cars. “We’ve lost a lot of competitors, haven’t we?”
“Yeah, we have” said Seb, “I count 11 other cars here, and there were what, 20 to start with? We’ve been halved almost”.

Indeed, that filled them with confidence. The Berlose wasn’t perfect, but the problems it had only seemed to be relate to comfort issues. Mechanically, it was just about fine. For now.

6 Likes
260

Day 2 Leg 8 Data

Jademount to Jade Mountain Fire Lookout via FR 3910

nother long, modest grade. This road has many obstructions and a couple nasty tight, blind curves. There are also some very narrow sections with short brush forming the boundaries between sharp drop offs and cliff walls. No respite from the sun, either.

Length 23; Avg Grade 4; Max Grade 6

@Madrias
LAE High (fast); MRL +0; Notes: The “narrow sections” are a little narrower than the Sinistra. Both sides have been thoroughy ‘massaged’ by bushes. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH.

@Fayeding_Spray
LAE DNF; MRL -5 ; Notes: CRITICAL FAILURE: Oil pump has given out. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH (despite the failure)

@DeusExMackia
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: None

@Mikonp7
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +1; Notes: None.

@JohnWaldock
LAE High (Fast); MRL +1; Notes: Car still down on power, but otherwise OK. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@DoctorNarfy
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +1; Notes: Still smokin’ along. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@BobLoblaw
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; Notes: Like the Sinistra, a bit too wide for the narrow sections. There’s some new foliage “sprouting” from the side mirrors. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Dorifto_Dorito
LAE - High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Darkshine5
LAE - High (fast); MRL +1; Notes; None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Rk38
LAE DNF; MRL -5 (still positive overall); Notes: A driving mistake led to cutting a blind corner a little too close. Caught the LF corner on a rock, tore off the bumper, strut mount, ball joint, and tire.

@EnryGT5
LAE Medium (slow); MRL +1; None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE Low (slow); MRL -2; Notes: Van died for a few minutes, and had been sputtering and lurching a lot. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

4 Likes
261

Team Twin-Snail

Day 2, Leg 7

Before the Stage

“So, we’ve got 13 stages on Day 2, right? And we’re about to start stage 8?” Amy asked.

“Yes.” Luke said, studying the map Linda had handed him.

“Isn’t 13 your lucky number?” Linda asked Luke.

“I don’t believe much in luck.” Luke replied. “But I don’t mind 13 as a number.”

Day 2, Leg 8

As Luke drove up to the starting line and the flag was waved, they made a mad dash for the road, the car roaring as they threw it around the winding corners and twisting, rough road. The sun tried to burn them all, though with the top down and air flowing around the car, it wasn’t able to make them miserable.

However, not all was entirely well on the trip. Being from 1977, the Sinistra Savage was not a small car, and the first encounter with a narrow bit of road ended up scuffing and scraping the paint. Several more bushes near the narrow spots in the road scratched the paint and smashed the passenger side mirror, as well as breaking one of the headlights on the car.

“Most of that can be repaired. We’ll just use the can of clear-coat spray paint in the trunk to go over the scratches, keep them from rusting.” Luke said, as everyone seemed upset by the scratches and scrapes.

“Luke, the mirror exploded into my seat.” Amy said.

“I said most of it can be repaired. Not all of it. And we don’t need three mirrors, anyway, just one.”

Another crash through a bush claimed a turn signal lens and banged a branch against the rear quarter panel.

However, they did make it to the Jade Mountain Fire Lookout mostly in one piece, other than some broken lights and a missing mirror.

Day 2, Leg 8 Aftermath

“So, battle plan, Luke?” Scott asked.

“Top up the fluids, clear-coat the scratches, replace the broken headlight with one of our spares, dismount the rest of that mirror assembly, and if we have any remaining time, replace the driver’s side turn signal side-marker lamp.”

“Got it. Let’s get this crap going.” Linda replied, as they opened the trunk and started with what needed to be done.

Car Condition:

Looks like hell, but functionally identical to previous leg. Now sporting a blue paint job with bare-metal abstract scratches, and a new coat of clear-coat to keep the rust away.

Team Condition:

MRL +14 overall (no change). Feeling good, and they’re confident that they might be able to make it. With 5 stages to go, keeping the car in one piece is more important to them than going the fastest and risking the car.

3 Likes
262

TEAM OUTRIDERS

Day 2 Leg 7

Marc: Okay, we’re headed to Jademount, we’re gonna take the Pearson Dam road. Bladder check.

Blake: I’m good.

Marc: Me too.

Blake: Aw, son of a bitch! I’ll be back.

Marc: Hmm, now that I think of it I should probably go too.

(A few minutes later)

Blake: Okay, let’s rock.

Marc: Remember, we have to stay at least seven feet away from the tracks, this is an active railway.

Blake: I know, I was at the briefing.

Marc: Okay, okay, it’s just that I don’t want to be flattened by a train.

Blake: Looks like this road hasn’t been very well maintained. It’s gonna get a little bumpy.

Marc: Ouch! You call that a “little” bumpy?

Blake: Okay, so I tried to soften the blow.

Marc: How’s the car handling?

Blake: Just fine, in fact, I’m having the time of my life!

(The team arrives at Jademount, with nothing really to peak their interest, they prepare themselves for the next leg.)

Day 2 Leg 8

Marc: Looks like some tight curves on this next one.

Blake: Bring em on!

(SCRAPE)

Marc: Shit, could you hug the right side any closer?

Blake: You’ve got more clearance on that side than I do here.

(BRUSH, SCRAPE)

Blake: Dammit!

Marc: Now I see the advantage of some of those smaller cars.

Blake: Yeah, but if we had to we could camp out in this car and our spines would still be straight the next morning.

(Arrival at Jade Mountain Fire Lookout)

Blake: Damn, look at all that!

Marc: I never knew side mirrors could hold that much foliage.

Blake: I’m almost tempted to leave it in, it could be camouflage.

Marc: Really? Any negative effects to doing that?

Blake: Nothing comes to mind, but I’m gonna rip em clear anyway, give me a hand.

4 Likes
263

#Team ‘Southend Or Bust’
Original Post - Previous Post

Given that this route had sharp corners with big drops off cliff edges, Martin was elected not to drive immediately, so Seb took the wheel. The narrow roads didn’t stop him from driving quickly though, plus it meant that at least some air was coming into the car to keep them cool.

“Mind the paintwork” asked Martin, worried.
“Martin it’s only bushes” said Seb, getting a little tired of Martin’s constant worrying about the car. “And anyway, this car has certainly been through much worse” he chuckled.
“Well still” said Martin in a stubborn tone. He looked down at the map - “Here come a few more sharp turns”.

“I can’t believe we’re really almost there” said James, getting a little emotional.
“Careful now, we’ve still got to finish first” replied Seb, his black hair being roughed up by the bumpy road conditions.
“True” said James. “But come on, we’ve made it this far, while many others haven’t”
“Speak of the devil” said Martin “I think that’s the Unfazed team isn’t it?”
“So it is” said Seb, a smile growing on his face. He always seemed to adopt this slightly evil tone whenever he saw a team in distress.

“My word, that’s nasty” said Martin, scoping out the damage to the car. “Look’s like the whole of the left front wheel has been ripped out of the car”.
“There’ll be no fixing that” said Seb. “Shame”.
“We can at least give them some help” said James. “Especially after what Twin-Snail were willing to do for us”.
“What is there to do?” questioned Seb.
“Well I’m going to do something” said Martin, determined. He rolled down the window and shouted “Sorry to see you’re in a bad situation, can we help?”
“Oh my god Martin” said Seb, clearly embarrassed.

The other team looked up, bemused. Martin read their faces. “Seb, drive”
“Huh?” said Seb, still dealing with Martin’s actions.
“Drive for fucks sake!” shouted Martin, and Seb floored it.
“Guys I think we just misread them” said James, trying to bring some balance.
“No no, it’s not that” said Martin. He sighed. “They’re Australian”.
“Sorry, what?” said James, very confused. “You wanted us to drive away because they’re Australian?”
“YES” - Martin cut in - “I…I just don’t like them, ok?”
James was taken quite aback, as was Seb. It seemed they’d all learnt something on this trip.

6 Likes
264

Needs more Duct tape. But pretty much

Team Riot Uncontrol

Day 2 Leg 2

Aaron " Wow. You really won the grand prize now…"
Paul “WHAT”
Aaron “You destroyed the Wood holding together the K-member”
Paul “At least we didn’t crash our van like the russian wagon did”
Aaron “Still. This needs to be redone…”

Day 2 Leg 3

Paul “What is this ?”
Aaron “What ?”
Paul “This road. It is… so normal”
Aaron “We could always just dive into the next field if you want”
Paul “CAN WE ?!”
Aaron “You serious ?”
Paul “NooOOOooooOooo ?”
Aaron “Yeah i can see that…”

Day 2 Leg 4

Paul " Nice weather with a nice road"
Aaron “Yeah my butt really enjoys this”
Paul “Lets put some music on”
Aaron “Sure can do”
Aaron take the megaphone and starts playing music ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNjG22Gbo6U)
Paul " Thats a good song, but nobody will get it."
Aaron “What ever”

Day 2 Leg 5

Aaron “Can you turn on the AC ?”
Paul " This and an AC ? What’s next Launch Control?"
Aaron “This sun…”
Paul “We will survive”

Day 2 Leg 6

Aaron " GOD IS THIS HOW HELL FEELS ?!"
Paul “I am cooking… Can you do something for me ?”
Aaron “What?”
Paul “Hold the wheel for a second”
Aaron starts to grab the wheel, “Now what ?”
Paul starts to strip his shirt
Aaron “Wowowowowo What is this”
Paul also gets rid of his pants, “MUCH BETTER”
Aaron “Really ?”
Paul "Not Like you havent seen me like this before "
Aaron “Just… just take the wheel again”

Day 2 Leg 7

Aaron “Finally some shade”
Paul " It will still take a while to get all this hot air out the van…"

Day 2 Leg 8

The van slowly drives past the crashside
“Danm” Paul says “That is scary”
Aaron “Well thjis could happen to us if the K-Member fails”
Paul “Thanks for that confidants boost…”

4 Likes
265

Day 2 Leg 9 Data

Jade Mountain Fire Lookout to Jade Lake, unnamed “road"

This is really more of a glorified ATV trail, winding VERY quickly down to the lake below. It’s a good thing that this area has not seen recent rain, because this would be extremely treacherous otherwise.

Length 2; Avg Grade 9; Max Grade 20

@Madrias
LAE Low (slow); MRL +0; Notes: Played it safe with the brakes this time around and went slow. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH.

@DeusExMackia
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: Enough shade + decent pace = good.

@Mikonp7
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: Mirror image of the Erin’s run.

@JohnWaldock
LAE Very low (slow); MRL -2; Notes: Extremely down on power. Very slow pace, despite being downhill. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@DoctorNarfy
LAE DNF; MRL -5; Notes: CRITICAL FAILURE: Aaand the head gasket has puked completely. Morale overall positive, despite failure.

Shromet.png1280×474 133 KB

@BobLoblaw
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Dorifto_Dorito
LAE - High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Darkshine5
LAE - High (slow); MRL +1; Notes; None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@EnryGT5
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

6 Likes
266

Team Twin-Snail

Day 2, Leg 8

Before the Stage

“Luke, you’re not gonna like this.” Linda yelled.

Luke set the bottle of coolant down and walked over to Linda, who had laid one of her maps over the windshield. “What is it?”

“Remember that hill that fucked the brakes early on? We’ve got another one just like it.”

“Thanks for the heads up. I’ll start planning… And that’s done. We’ll go down it in first gear.”

“Really, it’s that simple?” Scott asked.

“Pretty much. I mean, if it’d make you feel better, I can stuff a sock in the dirty side of the air filters, clog them up, starve the engine of air so we have even more drag.” Luke replied.

“Then do it, please, because that hill made me think we were all gonna die.”

“I wouldn’t die. I have backups.” Luke said.

“That’s not the point!” Amy yelled. “Luke, can you just take it easy down this hill?”

“Sure. Though we’re not using Scott’s socks because they’re full of sand.”

Day 2, Leg 9

Luke gripped the column shifter and pulled the car all the way down to low gear, then waited for the flag to drop. Once it did, Luke let go of the brakes and gave the car barely any gas, letting gravity do the hard work. The engine, despite the lack of fuel, started to rumble louder and louder. The power steering pump bearing started squealing as the revs climbed above 1100, and shortly after, there was a sharp chirping, a clunk, and a screech as the fan clutch engaged, providing the big engine’s radiator with enough cool air to keep from overheating. Luke turned on the lights, then the radio.

“Scott, pick a song.” he said.

“What? Why?”

“Alternator load. I don’t care what you play, but play it.”

“Ride of the Valkyries it is, then. Still the song cued up.”

Soon after, the loud music started, with Ride of the Valkyries playing as they just-about-coasted down the steep winding hill, engine screaming as gravity pulled over-two-tons of car down the road. Luke didn’t mind as other cars passed them, knowing that his strategy would mean they lived instead of pulling a death-or-glory dive down the hill.

As Team Southend-or-Bust flew past, Luke blared the air horn, just for good measure, only to round the next corner and have to avoid the broken down Shromet with probably the widest car on the planet.

“They couldn’t pick a better place to break down?” Amy grumbled as they rolled past, engine still screaming despite Luke being very careful with the gas pedal.

Once the road started leveling out a little more, Luke went up a gear, and the gremlin in the gearbox, having been denied the right to hammer for so long, smacked them into second with everything it had, unsettling anything in the car that wasn’t bolted down.

They rolled through the checkpoint at Jade Lake and parked the car.

Day 2, Leg 9 Aftermath

“Well, there goes all that time we gained by speeding.” Linda said.

“Yes, but we made it down safely, and more importantly, the car’s still working. That means next stage, depending on the terrain, we could take it easy or we could flog the car. I’d rather make it to the end of all this, even if we don’t win.” Luke said.

“So, fluids, check for damage, cook burgers. Good plan?” Amy asked.

“Sounds good to me. Luke, you feel like doing the car stuff while we eat?”

“Nothing better to do anyway, so I’ll go top everything up.”

Car Condition:

Socks removed from air filters. Brakes are fine, transmission’s okay, radio’s still on and playing some random bit of mid-90’s techno. Air horn air tank refilled for later.

Team Condition

MRL +14 (No Change). Everyone’s having fun.

4 Likes
267

Day 2 Leg 10 Data

Jade Lake to Historic Jade Trading Post via Jade Lake Road

A mostly dirt segment with some exposed rocks and occasional washboarding. Not difficult compared to the last few legs, and it ends up and an interesting historic wooden trading post and museum, part of overland expansion.

Length 17; Avg Grade 2; Max Grade 5 (downhill from Jade Lake)

@Madrias
LAE High (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Growing concern: Fuel level is low. Reserve can was poured in the tank at the end of this leg. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH.

@DeusExMackia
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; Notes: Quick soak of heads/shirts in the lake before departing helps keep cool.

@Mikonp7
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; Notes: Mirror image of the Erin’s run. Including self-cooling in the lake.

@JohnWaldock
LAE Medium (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Gave the engine everything it could. Still very slow. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@BobLoblaw
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Dorifto_Dorito
LAE - Exact; MRL +1; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE AT MAXIMUM.

@Darkshine5
LAE - High (slow); MRL -1; Notes; Lack of comfort is starting to take its toll after nearly 2 full days. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@EnryGT5
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE Low (slow); MRL -2; Notes: Van sputtered a lot, and died again rolling in to trading post parking lot. You now have a diagnosis: failing fuel pump. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

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268

Team Twin-Snail

Day 2, Leg 9

Before the Stage

“How much do we have in the reserve?” Luke asked, tapping the fuel gauge on the dash.

“Not a lot. We’ll be hard-pressed to make the distance with our fuel stores this low.” Linda said, banging on the gas cans in the trunk to find they were rather low on fuel in the reserves as well.

“I don’t like this. We’ve got 3 stages to go, and we might be out because our fuel supplies can’t make it.” Scott said. “Is there anything you can do, Luke?”

“We can shed as much weight as we can from the car. But that comes at a risk of not having that stuff when we need it. If we had a lift, a transmission jack, and enough time, I could re-ball the valve body, change the shift points so we’re more economical, but we don’t have any of those things. We can reduce the load on the engine, but that means any major down-hill sections will need more brakes.”

“How much load can you reduce on the engine?” Amy asked.

“I don’t need power steering, and we’re in a convertible, so we don’t need air conditioning. And the bearings in both of those are awful right now. We could remove the belts, but… I don’t think it’d make a big difference in the grand scheme of things.” Luke said.

“Well, how much can the little things add up?” Linda asked.

“We get 8.8 MPG unloaded in our starting condition. If we lose the air conditioning belt, the power steering belt, oil the flying-crap out of the fan bearings, and gut the radio, we’ll make no change.” Luke replied.

“So what can we do?” Scott asked.

“It’s not legal. If we got pulled over, we’d be in big trouble, as in ‘massive fines’ kind of trouble.” Luke replied.

“No, seriously, at this point, what can we do?” Amy inquired.

“My calculations predict that we could improve fuel efficiency from 8.8 MPG to 9.6 MPG by removing the catalytic converters.” Luke said. “But we lose all emissions legality if we do it.”

“What about the rest of the exhaust?” Scott questioned.

“We might have to ditch it. And our car’s much, much louder than the Erin Berlose that Team Southend-or-Bust has been driving. It drove them crazy when their muffler went.” Luke replied. “But… It might have to be done.”

Day 2, Leg 10

Luke pulled the big beast up to the starting line, this time trying to keep the revs low so that they didn’t burn more fuel than they had to. As the flag dropped, he slowly let out of the brake and gave the car the barest tickle of gas, making it rumble as it began rolling. With no radio on, no lights, nothing that could put a significant drain on the engine, they were driving this stage as economically as possible.

They made their way down the hill, coasting as much as possible to avoid burning fuel as much as they could, each team member looking at the gauges as Luke drove down Jade Lake Road.

It became obvious that Luke’s pace was picked for more than just saving fuel, as he was trying to avoid putting any excessive heat through the engine. The turbos were barely whispering, the intercooler air-side temperature gauge stayed reasonably close to the ambient temperature, and Luke seemed more concerned about the engine temperature than anything else.

“What are you doing, Luke?” Amy asked.

“Trying not to build any extra heat into the engine. The longer it runs without clutching in the cooling fan, the better off it’ll be.”

“Wouldn’t driving faster help that problem too?” Scott commented from the back seat.

“It’d burn more gas. And right now, we can’t afford to blow through fuel like we have been. We need every drop we can get.”

They crawled their way over the finish line at the Historic Jade Trading Post, then set about their duties.

Day 2, Leg 10 Aftermath

Linda finished dumping in the last remaining 5 gallon can of gasoline, dropping the empty container back into the trunk once she was done. “Well, there’s either 44 or 48 miles, depending on whether Luke can dismount the converters. Plus whatever little was left in the gas tank.” she said.

Scott checked the fluids while Luke was under the car, both trying to decide if he could remove the converters and also if he could manage to put the muffler back on, straight off the turbo down-pipe.

“It might be possible, but… I don’t know if I can manage to get those bolts out. We have to make 3 more legs in this car to finish, but we weren’t briefed on how much distance we’d be traveling, or I’d have made sure we had a sufficiently large reserve, more than we brought already.” Luke said.

Car Condition:

Similar to last leg. Potentially missing the Catalytic Converters to improve fuel efficiency.

Team Condition:

MRL +13 overall. Nervous about the fuel supply issue.

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#Team ‘Southend Or Bust’
Original Post - Previous Post

The story so far: Three uni students in an un-air conditioned Erin Berlose pushing it and themselves to the limit. They’ve had a rough few legs, both for the car and their friendships, but they seem to have got things back together (crowd goes “Ahhh”).

It was Martin’s turn to the drive once more, though he was getting seriously annoyed at this air con problem. It had been manageable for the last two runs as they’d either had some shade to utilise or they’d been driving fast enough to keep the air moving in the car. But, having just been standing around for 20 minutes waiting for the next leg in the heat, Martin had snapped.

He fell into the car, with the rest of them. “Are you alright mate?” asked James, grabbing the map and taking up position.
“Yeah, it’s just” - Martin paused - “It’s just I’m…”
“What?” asked James, gently.
“…I’M FUCKING HOT, THAT’S WHAT” - Martin was evidently quite hot.
“No no” chuckled Seb, “that’s me, silly”. The joke didn’t go down well.

Thankfully, after Seb’s ridiculing by James and Martin, he found a solution. “Hey, hang on, the start of the next leg is right next to that lake” he announced.
Martin turned to him with a face like a puppy, seeming very hopeful. He immediately started the car, sped over to the starting point and promptly got out when they reached it.
“Ha, that cheered him up” said Seb. The air had stopped moving again and the heat returned. “Though, er, I might have to go join him”.
“Yeah me too” replied James hastily, and they both got out to run after Martin.

.

The dip in the lake had made all the difference, and the boys hadn’t even bothered to dry off once they got in the car. It wasn’t like they’d need a lot of time to let it dry out, after all. It was a good run, too, nothing to difficult and the guys had plenty of laughs along the way too.

.

Martin crossed over the line and went over to park near the historic trading post. He turned the ignition off and paused. The other two turn to him.
“Look guys” he began. “I know I’m a worryer”
“A warrior or worry-er?” questioned James, prompting a smile from Martin.
“The latter” he said, jokingly. “Anyway, I know I worry a lot and I’ve particularly worrisome on this thing what with a slightly mechanically unsound car and all, but…” - he stopped for a moment - “I just want to say thank you for putting up with it. Because, you know, you dragged me into this James knowing full well I might be like this, and yet you were more concerned about my mechanical knowledge than my, er, habits, shall we say”

“Oh man” said James, blushing a little. “I’m gonna fucking tear up in a second” he mocked.
“But seriously, thank you, both of you, for putting up with me. And also thank you for making this so much fun. Even if we don’t make it to the end, it’s been so great doing this with you guys. You guys in particular, and I only hope you think the same”.

Seb thought for a moment. “Yeah, it’s been alright” he said before pretending to get out of the car. Martin and James laughed. He turned to Martin “No, but I get what you’re saying. It has been a lot of fun. Heck, I dare say we might be up for doing it again”
“Careful now” said James. All the boys got out of the car to go and check the incoming competitors and the museum too. Things were ‘great’. Just great, right now.

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Day 2 Leg 11 Data

Historic Jade Trading Post to Trout Lake via FR 3912A

Steep in places, and full of snags and hazard, this spur climbs quickly to a small fishing lake known mostly by the locals (and anyone with an internet connection).

Length 5; Avg Grade 6; Max Grade 12

@Madrias
LAE Exact; MRL 0; Notes: Everyone is watching that gas gauge. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH.

@DeusExMackia
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: Trout Lake also made for a good quick soak.

@Mikonp7
LAE DNF; MRL -5 (still positive overall); Notes: CRITICAL FAILURE: multiple fatigue fractures along the length of the rusted-out frame.

@JohnWaldock
LAE High (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Leg completed, but still doesn’t have enough power to maintain pace. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@BobLoblaw
LAE High (fast); MRL +1; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE AT MAXIMUM.

@Dorifto_Dorito
LAE - High (slow); MRL +); Notes: None. TEAM MORALE AT MAXIMUM.

@Darkshine5
LAE - High (fast); MRL -1; Notes; Lack of comfort is starting to take its toll after nearly 2 full days. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@EnryGT5
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; None. TEAM MORALE AT MAXIMUM.

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE High (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Sputtering continues. Fuel starvation is slowing the van. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

5 Likes
271

With all but eight entries having fallen by the wayside, this challenge has turned out to be a true test of durability and crew ingenuity!

2 Likes
272

As a note on that, last year’s OG 500 (in Oregon) had a dropout rate of just under 50%.

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273

Team Twin-Snail

Day 2, Leg 10

Before the Stage

“Looks like we’re as ready as we’re going to get.” Luke said, looking at the fuel gauge.

“Shame that we’re gonna have to give up the cooking block for fuel efficiency, but… I’d rather make it instead of running out of gas.” Amy said. They left a pile of car parts and some cheap pots and pans at the Trading Post, as well as one ceramic brick.

The four of them got back into the land-barge that’d been their home for the past couple days, then headed out to the starting line.

“Just remember, Luke, we finish this stage, there’s only two more to go.” Scott said.

“I just hope there’s a gas station or something where we can top up the tank soon, because I don’t want to be stranded out here. There might be bugs.” Linda grumbled out.

Day 2, Leg 11

Knowing that the fuel was low and that this stage was all uphill, Luke knew he had to drive as efficiently as possible. “9.6 MPG. We need to avoid burning fuel as much as possible.” Linda said, as the flag dropped. Luke rolled into the power, trying to keep the engine cool. Everyone felt the clunk of the gearbox changing gears as they climbed the hilly road, everyone focusing on the gas gauge, bobbing lightly as the float in the tank moved around.

“I wish it’d quit moving.” Scott said.

“Don’t say that!” Everyone else said at the same time.

“That just means we’re out of gas if it stops, Scott.” Luke said. “I’d rather have it bobbing like this, even though it’s not optimal for reading it.”

It was a long, mostly slow drive with no radio, and Scott’s attempt at “99 bottles of beer on the wall” was cut short when Linda threatened to tape his mouth shut. However, they did make it to Trout Lake, and apparently did so with good time.

Day 2, Leg 11 Aftermath

All of Team Twin-Snail watched as everyone arrived, counting cars.

“Someone didn’t make it.” Luke said. “The old riot-van’s gone.”

“Shame we didn’t nick their gas.” Scott said. “Would’ve given us a chance, at least.”

“That’s not being a good sport, Scott.” Linda snapped.

“Well, how are we going to make it with basically nothing in the gas tank?” Amy inquired.

“We’ll make it. I don’t yet know how, but we’ll make it. We have to. I’d say we could disable half the engine’s fuel injectors, but… We really wouldn’t gain from that at all. It’d lose us so much power that we’d be crawling along, burning more fuel while not going anywhere at all.” Luke said.

“How about asking one of the other teams for fuel?” Scott asked.

“This close to the finish line? We’d be lucky if they didn’t siphon the rest of ours to seal our fate, take one more team out of the chances for the prize.” Luke replied. “No, we’ve got to solve this ourselves.”

Car Condition:

Missing catalytic converters, mufflers attached directly to manifolds. Lightened up by removing the can of broken junk, the catalytics, the spare catalytic from the trunk, Luke’s miscellaneous pots and pans, Amy’s small grill, and the empty food wrappers Scott put in the trunk. The only empty containers left in the vehicle are the gas cans. Fluids topped up, containers thrown in the trash.

Team Condition:

MRL +13 (No Change). Hoping for a lucky break. Worried about the gas problem.

4 Likes
274

Well. At least i have a hella stanced van now…

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Day 2 Leg 12 Data

“The Orchard Run”, FR3912A to private roads

Back down to the valley, then across the river to another private landowner. A bit of an eccentric, this guy has an old orchard that he is about to cut down and re-plant. A course through the rows of trees has been planned. Plenty of potential snags here…

Length 15; Avg Grade 2; Max Grade 12 (downhill from Trout Lake)

@Madrias
LAE High (fast); MRL 0; Notes: It looks like it’s close, but the team might make it on fuel. The side panels of the Sinistra, on the other hand, will have several new scratches from some low branches. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH.

@DeusExMackia
LAE High (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Getting hot again.

@JohnWaldock
LAE High (fast); MRL -1; Notes: Power wasn’t as bothersome on this portion, but the power steering fluid is probably all gone, given how heavy low-speed turning is now. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@BobLoblaw
LAE High (fast); MRL -2; Notes: Engine suddenly sounds like a can of ball bearings in a paint shaker. Noticeable vibration, but power doesn’t seem to be affected. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@Dorifto_Dorito
LAE - High (slow); MRL +0; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE AT MAXIMUM.

@Darkshine5
LAE - High (slow); MRL -2; Notes; Lack of comfort is increasing its toll. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@EnryGT5
LAE High (fast); MRL +0; None. TEAM MORALE AT MAXIMUM.

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE High (fast); MRL +; Notes: Starting to get a handle on the fuel starvation, made up a little time. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

5 Likes