Roulette Runner [FINAL RESULTS]

Community Challenges & Competitions
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TEAM OUTRIDERS

Working tirelessly, Blake Worden swaps the place of two injectors, then unplugs two, leaving only four functional injectors on the once mighty V8. Marc Levinstein meanwhile is sitting in the drivers seat waiting for Blake to instruct him on his next task.

Blake: Okay, that should do it. Turn the key on to cycle the fuel pump.

(Marc turns the key to the on position, the fuel pump activates. Blake closes up the left side fuel rail once fuel starts coming out.)

Blake: Okay, switch it off, let me get the other one.

(After a few more minutes both fuel rails are bled of air. Blake grabs a rag to clean off his hands.)

Blake: Okay, now for the moment of truth. Start her up.

(Marc turns the ignition key, the car cranks over, fires, then immediately dies)

Marc: Shit!

Blake: Try it again.

(Once again the engine turns over, fires up, then dies again)

Blake: Son of a bitch! I’m not ready to give up dammit! Come on, start you bitch! You’re an Enforcer! A car that’s made to fight, so fight dammit!

(Marc turns the car over again, this time giving it a little gas. The engine turns over, fires, sputters… then runs!)

Blake: It’s running!

Marc: It’s running!

Blake: IT"S RUNNING!!!

Marc: Have you ever heard such beautiful music in your life? Ha ha ha!

(Marc releases the gas pedal and the car starts to sputter, he quickly puts his foot back on the pedal and feathers it to keep the engine running.)

Blake: Hmm, it seems we don’t have an idle anymore.

Marc: That’s a fun irony. Most of my time sitting in these things that’s all they did, now we can’t.

(Blake closes the hood, gathers up his tools and puts them in the trunk, then gets in the car.)

Marc: Okay, we have less than half our original horsepower, she stalls at idle, we’re out of Ruffles, and we may have some rough driving ahead.

Blake: Hit it!

(The Enforcer takes off at a considerably slower pace than before, but she’s going)

Marc: Oh man, looks like we’ve got some rough trails ahead.

Blake: Theirs not to make reply. Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die.

Marc: Into the Valley of Death rode the six hundred.

(Some time later when the Enforcer reaches the end of the rough trails)

Marc: Man, the car did better than I thought.

Blake: Thank God I didn’t get a cop version. That stiffer suspension would’ve been deadly.

Marc: What are you talking about, the cop ones are bulletproof.

Blake: I’m talking about us, I think when I get home the first thing I’m gonna do is take a bath in ice.

Marc: Heh heh heh, that’s what you get for being out of shape.

Blake: Screw you, I can’t wait until you retire, then maybe all your aches and pains will come and bite you in the ass!

Marc: Okay, okay, I guess I had that coming. At least it looks like a nice downhill stretch at this part.

Blake: Hey, turn that radio up, I love this song.

Blake: You see those guys in that Bogliq? I heard the poor bastards lost their radio.

Marc: That sucks, but they have their whole engine still.

Blake: Eh, you win some, you lose some. Just because we went down doesn’t mean we’re out.

Marc: True, and she is surprisingly smooth at speed. It takes a while to get to speed, but she can still haul.

Blake: Hey! We have a more modern car than I thought. It’s got a cylinder deactivation system!

Marc: Ha ha ha ha!

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Team Riot Uncontrol

Before Leg 5
Aaron " Do you know what kind of route this one will be"
Paul " Beside bouncy? "
Aaron " Bouncy ? In like Potholes ?"
Paul " Dont worry. Did you check the crossmember ?"
Aaron " Sigh YES i did. Taping that get on my nerves… But you gotta do what you gotta do"

During Leg 5
" JESUS FUCKING CHRIST"
Aaron grabs every handle in the van he can reaches
“What’s the deal” Paul replied
“YOU DIDN’T TOLD WE HAVE TO SKID ON THESE DROPS”
“Your just not hard enough”
“YOU THINK THE FRAME IS ,YOU IDIOT ?”
“OH yeah there was something”

After Leg 5
Paul “What is the damage”
Aaron “We lost a pair of pants. Other than that we are still getting lighter. And we might have to stop for Ducttape soon”
Paul “Could be worse”

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Day 1 Leg 6 Data

Thunder Meadow to Monsen via FR3100 and Thunder River Road

After leaving the lush meadow, the well-maintained dirt road turns eastward, following the Thunder River. It becomes paved (though still occasionally potholed) over 20 miles later, where it is followed to the small town of Monsen, which has minimal services.
NOTE: Some teams are making mandatory stops at Monsen. Your times will reflect this, and it will be noted as to who and why.

The weather is overall fair, with high clouds occasionally passing in front of the sun.

Length 35; Avg Grade 2; Max Grade 5 (downhill overall)

@cpufreak101
LAE High (slow); MRL 0; Notes: None

@Madrias
LAE Low (slow); MRL +0; Notes: Trans fluid leak has accelerated slightly. Team has to stop in Monsen for fuel and fluid top-offs, plus replenish the supply they’ve already used.

@Fayeding_Spray
LAE Medium (fast); MRL 0; Notes: Team has to stop in Monsen for fuel.

@F17Francesco
LAE Exact; MRL +1; Notes: Perfect placing, large fuel tank, and decent efficiency. This van does NOT have to stop.

@HighOctaneLove
LAE Medium (fast); MRL 0; Notes: None

@conan
LAE Medium (slow); MRL 0; Notes: Only a brief stop was needed, to top off trans fluid and buy another bottle.

@DeusExMackia
LAE Medium (fast); MRL 0; Notes: None.

@szafirowy01
LAE Medium (slow); MRL 0; Notes: At speed, the temperature gauge has started fluctuating again. Team has to stop only briefly to top up coolant and perform a quick mechanical inspection.

@Mikonp7
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; Notes: Team is getting used to the harshness of the temporary repair. Only a quick mechanical inspection at the stop. Fuel not required due to large tank capacity.

@JohnWaldock
LAE Low (fast); MRL 0; Notes: Making up time from being behind pace. No stop required.

@DoctorNarfy
LAE Medium (fast); MRL 0; Notes: Also making up time. No stop necessary.

@BobLoblaw
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +2; Long, relatively smooth section allowed for getting up to and maintaining speed to cut down on time deficit.

@stm316
LAE High (slow); MRL 0; Notes: None

@Dorifto_Dorito
LAE - Medium (slow); MRL 0; Notes: None

@Leonardo9613
LAE - Low (fast); MRL 0; Notes: None.

@Darkshine5
LAE - High (slow); MRL 0; Notes; Hurried down to Monsen, then took time to swap driveshaft in a paved parking lot where it was a little easier to work.

@Rk38
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +1; Notes: Driver took a risk and drove at a fast pace to Monsen. This paid off, as they were able to get in to town, source a replacement spare tire from the service station, and still make up time.

@EnryGT5
LAE Medium (fast); MRL 0; Notes: Transmission refuses to stay in top gear unless it’s held in.

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE High (fast); MRL 0; Notes: None

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Mike: well then, that was an easy stage.

Josh: yep.

Mike: nice town at least.

Josh: yep.

Mike:…

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Day 1, Leg 6

Andrew
Having successfully traversed the “road” in yesterdays leg, I resolve to hit the ground running when we set off again. The road is nicely looked after graded gravel with some potholed tarmac sections, and it’s all downhill, which means that I have to choose between fast and noisy or slow and awkward (thanks SO much, CZ Audio, I hope the 5c in savings on solder were worth it!) so I chose fast. We yowled down the stage, drinking in the glorious howl of the DOHC four, which resulted in us reaching Monsen too soon in regards to our target time. Monsen is a sleepy little town and is very rustic so fingers crossed on behalf of the other teams needing various car supplies! Basically this town is the embodiment of “Nothing to see here, move along” so I can’t wait to head out on the next leg.

Pierre
Andrew has decided he is the reincarnation of Fangio or something, since he has decided to go all-in and redline every gear. Since we have no radio, the engine and road noise is less of a problem than it was earlier today. The scenery around here is really picturesque and I would have loved to see more of it but we’re moving too fast for me to catch anything more than a glimpse of a tree or bush, let alone anything else. The road was uneventful and we were starting to run out of witty commentary… Damn I really miss that radio! Monsen, Monsen, Monsen. No shops, no cafe’s, no nothing. I’m kinda glad we’re not stopping here for more than a drivers change and some bottled water…

Summary

Day 1.6

Car: Runs and drives fine, just needs a few things for roadworthy… Like a stereo! :sob:

Crew: Nothing to report! MRL+0 (+6 Total)

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Team Twin-Snail

Day 1, Leg 5

Before the Stage

Packing up the camp was done with little ceremony, just another thing that needed done before they headed out on another long run of this long and crazy race.

Team Twin-Snail started this leg of the race with Amy in the driver’s seat, choosing to make sure everyone had driven the car at least once so far.

Day 1, Leg 6

As much as everyone hated to admit it, the well-maintained dirt road and the pothole-scarred pavement made for rather… boring driving. Amy held back to keep from hurting the car, and Luke gave directions to the small town of Monsen, as they were going to need some fuel and more supplies for the car. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to get a slice or two of gas station pizza for Scott, Linda, and Amy, either.

Scott was the first to shatter the peaceful drive by reaching for the MP3 player, starting up some Metallica for the long journey.

When they arrived at Monsen, the team, however, became a blur of activity, between Luke rushing into the building in order to buy oil, brake fluid, and automatic transmission fluid in large quantities, as well as two 5-gallon gas cans ‘just in case’ they needed them, Scott getting the gas pumping for the old car’s rather large gas tank, Amy wandering into the store and buying plenty of gas-station food in the form of snacks and junk-food, and a few slices of the cheap pizza, and Linda buying two cases of beer ‘for good luck’ and inevitably getting stuck paying for the Sinistra’s rather… expensive gas bill.

Day 1, Leg 6 Aftermath

“Asshole.” Linda said to Scott as they settled into the car to eat their pizza.

“What’d I do?” Scott asked, trying- and failing- to pull the innocent look.

“Stopped pumping gas so I’d have to foot the bill. How the hell can this damn car drink nearly $270 in gas!?”

“8.8 MPG, lots of miles, hard driving, and it’s not just gas. You got stuck with the bills for the whole team. Fluids for the car, food, gas, that can of spray-on truck bed-liner I picked up to try mending the scrapes, all of it.” Luke said.

“Well, why’d you stiff me with that?!”

“Because you were the last one to run into the store.” Amy said.

“Anyway, the car’s leaking transmission fluid more often now, so we’ll have to keep on top of that, along with the other problems. I’ve gotten extra fluids, but… We still have to remember to keep topping it up.” Luke said.

Car Condition:

Still mostly okay, leaking transmission fluid slightly faster than before, wearing a new undercoat of cheap spray-on truck bed-liner to ‘protect’ the underside of the car from scratches.

Team Condition:

MRL +3 overall (unchanged). Slightly bored, concerned about the transmission, enjoying greasy pizza, even if it’s going to ruin their day later. “At least it’s not chili.”

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Chili would require an extra fortitude saving throw… lol

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Not like any of the rest of the crew would’ve let Scott get any chili anyway. One of those back-blasts with extra bean power in the car would require them to burn the back seat.

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Note to the participants: I will be publishing one more leg’s results per day through Tuesday (Day 1 Leg 11), which will be the end of Day 1. There will then be pretty much open RP from then until the evening of Saturday the 8th, when Day 2 Leg 1 will be posted.

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TEAM OUTRIDERS

Marc: That was a smooth dirt road, probably one of the smoothest I’ve seen in a while.

Blake: Not surprising with that ski resort back there. Attract all the money people.

Marc: Makes sense. Looks like a few potholes.

Blake: Yeah, too bad it’s not Wednesday.

Marc: Why is that?

Blake: The locals call it “Asphalt Day” when the crew comes in and patches all the potholes.

Marc: They really make a big deal out of that?

Blake: You kidding? They close the stores for that shit! Everyone drives over the fresh patch to undercoat their cars for free, then they get wheelbarrows and shovels so they can dig em out and fix their own driveways.

Marc: You’re really making me start to miss civilization.

Blake: How’s the car holding up?

Marc: She’s holding up nicely, once she gets up to speed it’s smooth sailing.

Blake: Well, put some speed on, we gotta make up for lost time.

Marc: Done and done.

(20 miles later)

Blake: Look sharp, maybe there’s a parts store here.

Marc: This place looks so backwater I wouldn’t be surprised to see a stable.

Blake: Nothing, nothing at all. Anyway, how are we on gas?

Marc: Still got plenty to tide us over. No need to stop here.

Blake: Doesn’t look like there’s much need for anyone to stop here.

Marc: Oh well, just means we don’t have to worry about anything going missing. A couple people have noticed things disappearing.

Blake: Any idea who’s responsible?

Marc: I’ve got a pretty good idea, I’m gonna keep a sharp eye out at our next stop. A little flash of a badge should encourage an apology and the return of any missing items.

Blake: Sounds dangerous.

Marc: Well, I’ve got Mr. Ruger Security Six backing me up. I’m certain it won’t come to that.

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Team Riot Uncontrol

during Leg 6

Paul “This is easy”
Aaron “Almost boring”
Paul “At least nothing will break”
Aaron “I guess. Hey can you give me the mic ?”
Paul “It all your’s”
Aaron takes the mic , turns it on and holds his smartphone speaker against it
Paul “What is your plan?”
Aaron " Psss. And play "
Aaron presses play and the van blastes loud music out the megaphone ( https://youtu.be/9ZrAYxWPN6c )
Paul "OH YES . We should have done this way earlier ! "
Aaron “We should get a wireless speaker at some gas station”

After Leg 6
Paul “Damage Report”
Aaron “Megaphone works. Van runs . Repairs seems to hold”

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Day 1 Leg 7 Data

Monsen to Mount Townsend Fire Lookout via FR3200 and FR 3210A

North of Monsen, this fire lookout is accessed by a spur road that is steep at points, with near constant hazards in the form of exposed rocks, ruts, and a narrow road bed. The views of Monsen and the nearby mountains in all directions at the end are pretty spectactular, though.

The weather has turned cloudy and gray again, though no rain has fallen… yet.

Length 14; Avg Grade 5; Max Grade 18

@cpufreak101
LAE High (fast); MRL +2; Notes: None

@Madrias
LAE High (fast); MRL +2; Notes: None

@Fayeding_Spray
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +2; Notes: None

@F17Francesco
LAE DNF; MRL -5; Notes: CRITICAL FAILURE. Just before arriving at FR3210A turnoff, the Raziel van’s rear differential fails (spectacularly). The driveshaft also comes out from the trans output, causing it to puke trans fluid everywhere.

Raziel Cargo Van.png1427×1002 889 KB

@HighOctaneLove
LAE Medium (slow); MRL +1; Notes: Slightly annoyed that the Bogliq’s tires got compromised temporarily by trans fluid from the Raziel van. But very happy to be at the summit.

@conan
LAE High (slow); MRL +2; Notes: None

@DeusExMackia
LAE Medium (slow); MRL +2; Notes: None.

@szafirowy01
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +2; Notes: None.

@Mikonp7
LAE High (fast); MRL +2; Notes: None.

@JohnWaldock
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +2; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE VERY HIGH.

@DoctorNarfy
LAE Low (Slow); MRL +1; Notes: Navigator missed turnoff to FR3210, adding 5 miles to the leg.

@BobLoblaw
LAE High (slow); MRL +2; Doesn’t like the grade on 4 cylinders, but still did well.

@stm316
LAE Exact; MRL +3; Notes: Absolutely nailed this leg.

@Dorifto_Dorito
LAE - Exact; MRL +3; Notes: Matched the Grasshopper move-for-move. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH

@Leonardo9613
LAE - Low (slow); MRL +1; Notes: Scraped undercarriage a couple times, but no damage.

@Darkshine5
LAE - Low (fast); MRL 0; Notes; None

@Rk38
LAE High (fast); MRL +2; Notes: None.

@EnryGT5
LAE Very low (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Shift cables failed early in the stage. A temporary repair has been done with zip ties. Unknown how long it will hold, or if it will cause other issues with the transmission.

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +2; Notes: None. TEAM MORALE IS VERY HIGH.

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Day 1, Leg 7

Pierre
We’re headed up the mountain again and the road is narrow, badly rutted and rocks are poking out everywhere like teeth in the mouth of a 1 year old. Also some points are REALLY steep. Nice. The short ratio gearbox allows us to scamper up the hills like a mountain goat but it doesn’t make for pleasant travel conditions. Oh well, you only live once right? Well, thanks to an old Army van’s differential grenading spectacularly and haemorrhaging transmission fluid everywhere, we nearly didn’t get to write our summary of this run! We slid towards the edge, seemingly unstoppable, then we came to an oily stop in a convenient bush. Regaining traction, we backed up, parked the Kitten, quickly helped clean up the oil spill then got on our way. Despite (or because of) much wheelspin, the fluid coated tyres had traction issues for most of the run, so we ended up falling behind our target time for the run…

Andrew
I’m not an overly competitive person, usually, and I have a live and let live mentality. So when I tell you that I wanted to bury alive the team that allowed all that transmission oil to spill out everywhere, as it nearly cost us our lives or worse; our chance of winning! However, surviving a near-death experience like that tends to make one see things in a more benevolent light, so I helped clear up the oil and wished them well. We jumped back into the Kitten and Pierre red-lined us all the way, skimming over hazards with (what felt like) reckless abandon and getting us to the summit in a relatively good time. When we got to the summit I couldn’t help but be awed by the scenery, but not for too long as we had a race to win…

Summary

Day 1, Leg 7

Car: Smells faintly like trans fluid and diff oil, Boglex carbs work well on WOT!

Crew: I feel on top of the world!!! Lucky save has us feeling almost bulletproof! MRL +1 (+7 Total)

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TEAM OUTRIDERS

Blake: Come on girl, you can make it!

Marc: She definitely doesn’t like the hills.

Blake: She likes hills just fine, what she doesn’t like is climbing them with half an engine.

Marc: It’s handling the bumps nicely at least.

Blake: I’m glad we got a second gen, I don’t know how all that electronic crap they threw in the third gen would hold up under these conditions.

Marc: Again with the ripping on electronics, at least try to join the 21st century.

Blake: By the way, who were you calling at that last stop?

Marc: Oh? Right, well, remember that van that was blasting that loudspeaker?

Blake: Yeah?

Marc: I just placed a friendly call to the local Sheriffs office.

Blake: I don’t think calling the cops on our opponents is part of the rules.

Marc: That loudspeaker setup and what they are doing is way illegal, and I am a cop after all.

Blake: Man, they’re gonna start calling us “team narc”

Marc: Bah, local police won’t make too much of a fuss, they most likely watch while they make them take that setup down.

Blake: You’re nuts.

Marc: Wow, look at that view!

Blake: Monsen may not have anything going for it, but it sure makes a pretty sight.

Marc: Not to mention those mountains!

Blake: I’m not liking the way those clouds look.

Marc: At least it’s not raining yet, I’d hate to see how these roads would be when muddy.

Blake: Then we’ll do some good ol’ fashioned muddin’!

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#team Arstotska
on mobile so don’t really feel like linking

Mike: that was a much more difficult drive than I expected.

Josh: mhm, surprised we were a bit fast there.

Mike:yeah, also lucky we took no extra damage on, I should probably be a bit more careful.
Josh: then again, like you said, we didn’t take any damage despite the difficulty.

Mike: that is true Josh, that is definitely true.

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Team Twin-Snail

Day 1, Leg 6

Before the Stage

Linda looked at the map again, then out over the horizon, then back to the map.

“Hey, guys, we can make up time on this stage. It’s uphill, and we’ve found out this car likes going uphill. Might be a bit dangerous if we go too fast, but quick is better than slow at this point.” she said, as Scott and Amy finished wrapping more burgers to throw on top of the engine.

“Good. I’ll drive a bit faster, then, so that we can make up for the inevitable downhill section we have to take at a snail’s pace.” Luke said.

“Long as you don’t bust up the car.” Amy said, and Scott chuckled.

“This thing’s almost guaranteed not to survive this. I’ll be surprised if we make it to the second day.” Scott remarked. “That said, if we do, I’m gonna be glad. If we make it to the end at all, I’ll be surprised, though.”

“Now, see, this is why you’re not driving most of the time. You’re failing to understand that you have to think positively when driving like this.” Linda said.

The four of them got into the car and headed to the starting line, ready for the uphill battle.

Day 1, Leg 7

Luke pulled the transmission down into low, holding on the stall-speed as the engine snarled, waiting for the flag to drop. As soon as it did, Luke launched the Snail-Boat at the long, uphill pass, already banging on the rev-limiter as it wound out first gear. Luke, instead of putting it in drive, held it back, screaming up the hill in second, keeping the engine near peak power.

“Damn, this car’s loud!” Scott shouted from the back seat.

“Yeah, and just think, it has mufflers already!” Amy yelled back. Linda grabbed the MP3 player, only to put it back in the cupholder, annoyed that not even Led Zeppelin could drown out the roar of the old V8.

“Can you cut the fuckin’ noise, Luke!?”

“Sorry, Linda, but you said you wanted fast. That means I can’t let the car auto-shift or we’ll lose power in third and waste time going back to second to do this anyway. Might as well make her run hotter than the fires in the very depths of hell right now.” Luke said.

They hurtled up the hill with all the grace of a hill-climb racing car, and about as much noise as one, also. The engine roared, the old mechanical fuel injection system keeping pace with the engine’s strong thirst, with the turbos howling at full flight.

Luke kept his foot flat on the throttle as they started to level out, though saw the tell-tale signs of a voltage regulator starting to fail in the form of light, wispy blue smoke at the back of the hood. “Amy, mind looking in the glove box for another of those regulators? We’re going to lose this one.” Luke said, as he turned off the radio.

Amy grabbed one and held onto it as the smoke grew more spectacular, gave a quick puff, then went away as fast as it’d arrived, though left signs of its betrayal. The dash lights glowed brighter, and the voltage gauge was pinned at 17 volts. Luke stuffed the car in drive and backed off, choosing to preserve the battery instead of making an environmental disaster out of it.

Still, with the only failure being a very minor one, hardly noteworthy at all, and one they prepared for with dozens of replacement parts, all of them agreed it was a great trip up there.

Day 1, Leg 7 Aftermath

“That was a good run!” Luke said, replacing the burned out voltage regulator. He set the dead one on top of the valve cover, installed the replacement, then collected the expired one and dropped it in the water bucket Scott had found. As it sizzled angrily, boiling the water around it, Scott had something to say about it.

“Still think you should’ve dropped that in the crapper.” he said.

“The last thing I want, Scott, is to be known to the town of Monsen and the rest of the locals around Mount Townsend as being the guy who blew up their fire lookout and started a forest fire with some sort of bomb in their toilet.”

“It wouldn’t have exploded.”

“It might have. That was well-over the boiling point of water. The whole bucket’s boiling now.” Luke said.

Linda grabbed the burgers out from under the hood, preparing a quick meal for the team. “Hot, hot, hot, ow, these are burning my fingers! Luke, you fucking jerk! You’ve overcooked the burgers!”

“You knew we had a hill to climb and you still put burgers under the hood.”

“Well, you coulda told me you were gonna fuckin’ redline it the whole way up the hill, and I’d have put them somewhere else in there, rather than right near the turbo manifolds!”

Amy shook her head and laughed, then said, “They’d have been overcooked anyway. All that heat builds up under the hood of an old car like this.”

The three of them sat down to have another couple burgers while Luke drained the water from the intercooler and put fresh, cold water into it. “Hot boost is not good boost.” he grumbled, checking the temperature of the old water. “Well, good news is, the intercooler can keep up with the old turbos.”

“It better. That was supposed to go on the Knight Hill-Climb racer, with nearly 40 pounds of boost pressure.” Amy said. “This thing’s peaking at 10.”

“With old turbos. They get hotter.”

“Not by that much.” Amy said, ending the minor argument.

Linda got up, turned the radio on, and decided to blast some Led Zeppelin after all.

Car Condition:

Functionally identical to the previous leg. Fluids topped up, brand new home-brew voltage regulator in place, burned out head-light replaced. Radio still functions and is still capable of being overly loud.

Team Condition:

MRL +5 Overall. While the fluid leak is still a mild concern, good food and a great view have countered the cloudy skies this time. By making decent time on this leg, team Twin-Snail is feeling cautiously confident. Amy wishes she’d remembered to bring a book.

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Previous Post — Next Post

Day 1 Leg 6
Wookiee: I’M supposed to be the navigator, right?
Bill: Relax. So, the map says Monsen is… thataway…ish. East…ish. I think. Screw this. Where’s my GPS? Where’s… Why do I get the feeling you’ve done something? Turns to Wookiee
Wookiee: You ever get the feeling that you’re being watched? Like people are expecting you to do something they don’t approve of?
BIll: Where is my GPS?
Wookiee: I don’t have it. Someone else, maybe, but not me.
Bill: YOU GAVE SOMEONE MY GPS!?!?!?!?!?!
Wookiee: No. Someone “stole” it. They just don’t know it yet. I’m a man of many talents.
Bill: Dead set, Wookiee… I’m going to find a way to have you deported!
Toni: Come one, you two. Get in. Who’s up for a stint. I don’t want this one…not feeling great.
Wookiee: Ooh, ooh! Me! Me! turns to Bill You didn’t need your phone, did you?

----10 miles later----
Toni: Sorry guys. It must have been something I ate. I’ll wash it off the back door when we get to that town.
Bill: It’s ok. I’m sure the paint will survive. It’s just lucky you opened the window in time. Which reminds me, we’ll see if we can get another plastic sheet to replace it. That one’s starting to tear.
Toni: If we take too long, there’ll be nothing left to buy.
Wookiee: We’ll get there when we get there. Just let me know to stop BEFORE you hurl next time.
Toni: Bucket!!

Leg 7

Bill: Okay. Okay. Fine. You are a better navigator than me. Happy now?
Wookiee: Yes. And a better cook.
Bill: That too. Why do you think those guys were stopped on the side of the road? shifts back to 2nd for the corner
Wookiee: Are you blind? They’re out. Now I guess you’ll say you didn’t see those skid marks into that bush. You need to get some outdoors time. Basic observation skills.
Bill: I observed my GPS on the counter at the gas station, and you’d better hope someone knows they’ve got my phone! Maybe you could tell me where you put it… or just call it, see who picks up.
Wookiee: Where’ s the fun in that? How are you feeling , Toni?
Toni: Like I could use a drink. How are we doing, on the whole?
Bill: Not sure, but going by the look of the sky, I’m beginning to think this journey’s going to get a lot harder…(pulls the van into a clear spot not too far from the tower)…and one of us might not make it to the end of this trip.

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

The story so far: Three uni students in an Erin Berlose in the middle of nowhere. Everything’s been going very well so far, perhaps a little too well…

After the previous leg bored them to no end, the boys were keen to make this one better.
“What are we thinking, ‘90s House Party’ or ‘Good Weather Shizzle’?” asked Seb.
“Did you actually call that playlist ‘Good Weather Shizzle’?” queried James, slowly working his way through one of his chicken, bacon, sweetcorn and mayo sandwiches he’d made earlier.
“Yeah, just my naming scheme” replied Seb. “Let’s whack that on”, and in moments Undercover Martyn by Two Door Cinema Club was playing out of the slightly worn sound system.

Martin kept a keen eye out on the road ahead. They’d already had two near misses involving large boulders today, and he was not in the mood for another. “Hold tight boys, hang on, there’s a rough bit coming up” he announced, taking a firmer hold of the wheel and dropping a gear.
The whole car jolted and rattled suddenly as they went over a series of potholes that appeared more to be crevices than missing chunks of the road.
“Woh!” shouted James, his beloved sandwich flying out of his hand and promptly splaying itself over the back seat.

“Dude!” he cried, “my sandwich is ruined!”
Seb turned around having regained his composure, and promplty burst out laughing. "
Tú herramienta absoluta" he said in a thick accent, “Hold on next time!”
“No” - James returned fire - “Make it a bit clearer when you intend to drive over a fucking canyon next time, please” he said sternly, as Martin tried to hide his smile.
“Sorry darling, won’t happen again!” he said sarcastically. Though truth be told, his mind was running a little wild as he began to consider every possible thing that could have broken or could be about to break thanks to those potholes. It was something he did quite often.

.

“Uh oh, someone’s in trouble!” said Martin, determining that the liquid covering the road ahead was some sort of red coloured transmission fluid. He carefully drove around it.
“Looks like the Raziel van” said Martin, spotting a large green commercial vehicle by the side of the road and the team of said vehicle stood around it looking rather disheartened.

Seb rolled down the window. “I’ve got the perfect track for this” he said snarkily.
James knew exactly what he was on about. “Oh Seb, you’re evil” he said, suddenly feeling a lot less upset about his lost sandwich. He helped him out by turning the volume up. Seb skipped to the exact moment that he wanted, and pressed play.
As they drove by, the soulful and trained words of Elton John’s Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word blared out, as all three of the boys turned to pull sarcastic sad faces at the stranded team.

It could not have been more of a dick move. They didn’t care though, and Martin quickly floored the gas and they sped off.

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178

#Team Cunning Stunts: Day 1 Legs 5-7

S: Stephanie
L: Lawrence
A: Alex

Start of Leg 5
A: Alright, lets get going then.
S: Hon, you mapped out the route
L: Yep, there’s many obstacles here so take it slow
S: Will do.
A: Guys, it’s us next. Make sure that we have a bit of a break to fill the cooling back up, its getting even warmer now…

End of Leg 5
A: Yeah, that was some nice driving sis.
S: Of course Alex, Im a stunt driver. I should be otherwise I would get fired.
L: Not very fast, but we are in one piece. The car is a tad muddy, we should give it a bit of a clean
S: Sure thing. Alex, drink more water, make sure the alcohol is out of your system. You’re driving next.
A: Alright…

Start of Leg 6
S: Everything ready?
A: Yep, everything fine…probably…
L: Alright lets go!
A: Right then!
-Car Stalls-
L: Alex, when did you get your license again?
A: I just got my license two months ago, why?
L: Christ help us…

End of Leg 6
A: Look on the bright side, we made it out alive.
L: Just about made it out alive.
S: Thats fine, you didnt do too bad, and since the road wasnt too bumpy you managed to do some perfectly driving.
A: Anyways, Ill go and inspect the car in case I broke something…

Start of Leg 7
S: Looks like it’s getting colder again.
A: Thats perfect, now we can run the car on full power without much risk of overheating.
L: Alright then, I guess I’ll be going pedal to the metal then.
A: No not really, I still havent figured out whats wrong with the suspension yet, so maybe turn it down a little from 11
L: Alright then, Alex, you navigate again. Lets not get lost this time.
A: Sure thing boss…
End of Leg 7
S: Heck yeah!
L: Nice navigating Alex.
A: Nice driving Boss, we managed to keep up with the Grasshopper guys!
S: Hey do you see that? What happened to it?
L: That Team Cignale…oooh that does not look very good.
A: It’s leaking fluid everywhere…might be an oil leak?
S: If it’s just an oil leak then it wouldnt be on a tow truck now would it.
A: I guess…

Car Condition Legs 5-7
Alex
So for the previous 3 legs, the car’s been holding up fine. The weather seems to be in our favour at the moment with it being cool and all, but I certainly dont want any rain. The car may be based off a rally car, but its not got AWD, so it’ll slip and silde around. The bouncing issue seems to have been slightly improved. The car seems to be bouncing less, but it’s still there, so clearly the issue is with the springs themselves, not the suspension arms. An inspection of the underside also reveals some damage to the undertray, but its not that big of an issue.

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179

Day 1 Leg 8 Data

Mount Townsend Fire Lookout to Deer Pass via FR3210A and FR3200

Returning down the spur road and returning to wide, maintained FR3200, the road turns long and gradually sloping upward. Deer Pass has a small parking area, but sparse vegetation makes for easy maneuveing, allowing for good posing of vehicles for photos.

The skies have turned very dark, and a light rain begins to fall. Road grip is affected lightly.

Length 32; Avg Grade 4; Max Grade 18 (Downhill from the fire lookout)

@cpufreak101
LAE High (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Road fatigue is beginning to set in

@Madrias
LAE High (fast); MRL -1; Notes: Valve body leak has gotten worse. The interior is starting to smell of burning trans fluid.

@Fayeding_Spray
LAE Medium (fast); MRL +0; Notes: Engine has developed a lifter tick, though oil level seems good.

@HighOctaneLove
LAE High (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Road fatigue is starting to set in.

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

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

@szafirowy01
LAE Medium (slow); MRL +2; Notes: Road fatigue is starting to set in.

@Mikonp7
LAE Medium (slow); MRL -1; Notes: Road fatigue is starting to set in.

@JohnWaldock
LAE Low (fast); MRL -1; Notes: Ewww… dog farts!

@DoctorNarfy
LAE Medium (fast); MRL -1; Notes: Cabin starting to smell of coolant. Quick mechanical check shows nothing out of the ordinary.

@BobLoblaw
LAE High (slow); MRL +1; Notes: None.

@stm316
LAE High (fast); MRL -1; Notes: Road fatigue is starting to set in.

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

@Leonardo9613
LAE - High (slow); MRL +1; Notes: None.

@Darkshine5
LAE - Medium (fast); MRL -1; Notes; Road fatigue is starting to set in.

@Rk38
LAE Low (slow); MRL -2; Notes: As the rain started to fall, team turned on the wipers. They started working very erratically right off the bat. After about 10 strokes, they failed entirely, getting stuck in the upright position. Team had to slow down for safety reasons.

@EnryGT5
LAE Medium (slow); MRL +1; Notes: None

@titleguy1 / @ramthecowy
LAE Low (slow); MRL -2; Notes: Van inexplicably shut down for about 10 minutes. Diagnosis was inconclusive.

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