The Results are In

The final results are in . . . The Bag of Nails finished 2nd in the Historic C class and 6th overall. If they would not have incured the 10 minute penalty when the car spun off the road and later blew its engine they would have easily won Historic C and would have finished 4th overall. Not a bad showing.

Check back next year for a new race and new adventures.

The Long Lonely Road

I apologize for not writing last night but things were kind of hectic and the hotel did not have a business center. Below is the update for the last two days.

After the terrible day from Morelia to Aguascalientes we have made a lot of progress. The heads and valve train were replaced on the Bag of Nails and they are back in commission. After day six they had moved back up to 6th overall and 2nd in Historic C. Going into Nuevo Laredo it is expected that they will finish in a similar position as the 1st place Historic C car has almost a 3 minute advantage on them.

The Gypsy Wind continues to run consistently after the water pump issue and is running around the 20th place mark overall.

The truck and trailer that Jason, Todd and Sheamus were in was broadsided by a race car yesterday. The jerk was driving dangerously in town and would have taken out a group of spectators if he hadn't of hit us first. We heard him lock up his breaks for almost 30 meters before getting hit on a corner. No damage to the trailer and a dented rear fender on the truck.

We were hosted by Vance and our friends at TBZ last night. They graciously let us part the rigs and work on the cars in their shop.

A belated happy anniversary to the Tysacks and a belated happy birthday to Simon's daughter.

Today marked the long, boring journey to Nuevo Laredo, see attached. Imagine 400 miles of bleak terraine on a arrow straight road with few cars. Kind of like driving through west Texas. See attached for the route http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ruta/nvo/8_ZACATECAS_NUEVO_LAREDO.pdf

The cars arrived tonight at the Zocolo with no issues. The Bag of Nails was immediately tagged for inspection. We had to pull of the carburetor and have the pistons checked for displacement to convince the officials that we did not have an illegal car. At the time of this posting the final results are not available yet.

Tomorrow morning we part ways. The consensus from past Carrera participants in our group is that this has been the best event ever. We had a fabulous set of customers this year, top notch support and a new found confidence that we can put the right cars and drivers on the road to win this event.

More pictures and the final results will be posted this weekend.

The Wrecks

Pictures of a few of the wrecks to date. . .

Crash, Bang, Boom

Today was not a good day!

On the first speed stage the Gypsy Wind blew out a water pump seal and was down for the count. Bobby and Fernando backtracked almost 200 km to pick them up and trailer the car to Aguascalientes.

On the 2nd speed stage the Bag of Nails slid off a corner, narrowly missed a tree and slid down a slight embankment. The car was undamaged but they had to wait until the entire speed stage was complete before a School Bus towed them out of the ditch. They missed the 3rd speed stage entirely, ran the 4th from the back of the back and got to the mid-day service. By that time the rocker arm that bothered us in day 2 had completely disinigrated. Rather that destroy the motor Richard decided to trailer the car to Aguascalientes and put in our spare motor. Because they missed 4 speed sections and the final arch they placed 42nd for the day and are pretty much out of the running for a Historic C placing.

The place where we put the Bag of Nails onto the trailer was the exact same location that we loaded Freddy last year. Very depressing.

Both cars are now fixed and will be running tomorrow for the race to Zacatecas. See here for the route: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ruta/nvo/7_AGUASCALIENTES_ZACATECAS.pdf

Other highlights of the day:

1) The racers saw two additional dead horses on the Mil Cumbre route.

2) Jason, Todd and Sheamus saw a pick-up truck leading two cows down the wrong way of the interstate at high speed. One cow couldn´t run fast enough and was being dragged.

3) We once again stayed in a beautiful hotel and town that we saw almost nothing of.

Keep your fingers crossed for good luck on the last two days.

Day 4 - The Horse with No Name

Today the cars raced from Queretaro to Morelia over 4 speed sections, including the dreaded Mil Cumbre mountain. Mil Cumbre is famous the world over for is difficult turns, hostile terrain, a local populous that finds it funny to through boulders and trees into the road during the race to see *big crashes* and several deaths. Last year a car went off the road and barrel rolled over 200 feet down the mountain. The Navigator suffered severe brain trauma and is never expected to recover. The 3rd speed section started with the course car taking off and shortly after the 1st driver leaving. Richard and Simon could hear the cars shifting around the corners and suddenly a huge dump truck with a snow plow on the front end came rolling down the race way around a blind corner. The 1st car avoided a collision and the Federalies move the truck to the side so the race could continue. Later in the section Simon was amazed to find a dead horse in the middle of the road, surprisingly it was not marked in the route book.

The Bag of Nails (Bolsa con Clauos in spanish) struggled with inigition problems all day which hurt his time a little bit. The crack service team has the problem fixed and tomorrow the car should be back on track. Today he finished in 5th place overall and 1st in Historic C. Evidently someone thinks we are cheating as the car was pulled aside at the final arch today for a surprise inspection. We have little doubt that if the car places in the top five or 1st in Historic C at least one driver will protest the results. If that happens they need to pay $1000 to the car owner and then the engine is completely disassembled to ensure that it meets specs. As the owner you end up with $1000, a box full of parts and hopefully your trophey.

The Gypsy Wind is running in 27th place overall and 5th in their class, Unlimited. Doug and Grady recovered nicely yesterday and today from the spinout they had in Day 2.

Tomorrow we race from Morelia to Aguascaliente. The day includes conquring Mil Cumbre a second time, 500 km in transit and several laps around the local race track. You can view the route here: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ruta/nvo/6_MORELIA_AGUASCALIENTES.pdf

Tomorrow I will post a series of pictures from some of the more spectacular crashes to date.

There is a marachie band playing and free drinks so it is time to sign off for today.

Day 3 - Puebla to Queretaro

Today was a very long day. Last night we discovered that a rocker arm was cracked on the Bag of Nails. Five hours later we had the car fixed and ready to run another day. Unfortunatley that was at 3:30 am and we had to leave for the mid-day service stop at 5:30 am.

Jason, Todd and Shaemus left early and took a back route up to Queretaro that avoided Mexico City and the killer bee traffic cops. Bobbie and Fernando had to sweep behind the drivers and were escorted through Mexico City by the local Mustang Club. Unfortuanately the got pinched twice today for a total of $500 US. The first time was in Puebla for supposed making a right hand turn on a red light without coming to a complete stop, that shakedown cost us $300. The second pinch came in Mexico City while they waited for the escort. They were on the correct "truck" road but were in the wrong lane, that one cost the remaining $200.

The racers had a great day overall. The cars are running really well and we hopefully gained some ground on the top racers. The day started with a long transit section into Mexico City. They Federal Police shut down the main highway through the city for the race. Imagine closing a road that carriers hundred of thousands of cars per day . . . There was a speed section right through the heart of downtown and then another long transit to just south of Queretaro to service. The day ended with three more speed sections in the mountains by Queretaro and six laps around the local race track. To view the route click here: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ruta/nvo/4_PUEBLA_QUERETARO.pdf

The Bag of Nails is currently running 5th overall and 1st in their class with over a 1 minute lead. The Gypsy Wind is running 30th overall and 5th in their class.

During service we saw a corovette that crashed yesterday and caught fire. As you can see below there is very little left. The fire was so hot it melted the transmission case, valve covers and completed melted all the fiberglass. The car went off the road during a speed section and punctured their fuel cell. The drivers escaped with minor burns. We supposedly lost 5 more cars yesterday due to crashes and breakdowns.

This is a race of endurance and consistency as much as it is about speed.

Tomorrow we race to Morelia and the famous Mil Cumbre route. This is one of the hairiest sections in the race, sharp curves, steep drop offs and heavy jungle if you go off the road. Check out the race section here: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ruta/nvo/5_QUERETARO_MORELIA.pdf
More pictures can be found here: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/galeria07_preclasificacion.asp
Visit our TBZ friends La Carrera blog at http://funksterwtf.blogspot.com/ for more stories and pictures.

Picture 1 - Burnt Corovette

Picture 2 - Richard and Simon

Picture 3 - Todd and Sheamus

Pictures, Finally!

Guide:

Picture 1 - Gypsy Wind, Pre-Qualification

Picture 2 - Service, Day 1

Picture 3 - Simon Jefferies

Picture 4 - Bag of Nails, Day 1, Section 3

Picture 5 - Oaxaca Fiesta

Picture 6 - Oaxaca Fiesta

Picture 7 - Doug, Grady & Gypsy Wind

Picture 8 - Richard, Simon & Bag of Nails

Stupidity

Today we raced from Tehuacan to Peubla on some of the twistist roads in the race. It was a very long day with the cars leaving at 8 am (the service vechiles left at 6) and getting in at 7 pm. There were seven crashes today with five cars permanently disabled. The low point was a Belgium passing during a transit section on a blind corner. He ran into a civilian car at 175 kph. She is in intensive care and he and his co-pilot are in a Mexican jail where they will stay until at least the end of the race and potentially much, much longer.

Results for the day are not in yet (it is 11 pm here) but we believe the Bag of Nails moved up one position to 3rd place overall.. Richard has proven to be a superior driver and Simon´s navigation is spot on. The Gypsy Wind is maintaining her current position in the top 1/3 of the racers.

The drive today (for drivers and service vechicles) was pure hell. On one 60 km section alone there was over 100 topes (speed bumps on steriods). Not fun and very hard on the vechiles.

Tomorrow the mid-day service vechile (Jason & Todd) leave at 4 am for the long trek up to Quartario, our next stop. The drivers and the other service vechile leaves at 6 am. Racing will finish around 7 pm.

Day 1 - Oaxaca to Tehuachan

We could not have asked for a more exciting start to the race. We began this morning at 8 am by leaving the starting arch in the Oaxaca Zoloco (town center). You can view the route here: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ruta2.asp



Five speed sections on twisty roads left 8 cars crashed or out of service. The Bag of Nails is now in 4th place over all and 13 seconds out of 3rd place and they are leading the Historic C class. The Gypsy Wind is running in 20th place. A couple of major crashes have helped the Bag of Nails move up on the rankings.

After the race the town held a huge fiesta for the racers in their zocolo. There must have been several thousand people that turned out to welcome the drivers and crews.



Tomorrow we race from Tehuachan to Puebla.

Fiesta!!!!

Today was pre-qualification and both cars did very well. The Bag of Nails qualified in 6th place over all and well ahead of any of their Historic C competitors. The Gypsy Wind posted a time that placed them in the top 1/3 of the field.



We capped of the day with a Fiesta thrown by our new friends at the Oaxaca Mustang Club. They brought all the fixings for homemade tacos and lots of cerveza. It was a nice way to cap off our stay in Oaxaca. We are truly grateful for everything that they did for us. Their support turned what normally would have been chaos into a stress free three days.

Sorry for not posting pictures. Having a lot of trouble with internet connections and uploading large picture files is out of the question for now.

Tech Inspections

A quite last day before pre-qualification begins. Richard and Simon passed their safety, health and tech inspections with no issues. They will be running in the Historic C class with other Mustangs, Falcons, Corvettes and similar style cars. This year there are almost 18 cars in this class and it should turn out to be the most competitive class. After tech inspection they took the car out to today's pre-qualification route and ran the car for a couple of hours. Everything is running well and only a few minor adjustments were needed.

Doug and Grady also passed their safety, health and tech inspections. Because the Gypsy Wind has aluminum heads it will be running in the unlimited class with 6 other cars. This class is desiged as a catch all for cars that do not meet the specific specifications for the other classes. They will be running with 6 other cars.

For a detailed explanation of the classes you can go to: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/reglamento/2007/ultimo/(IV.-%20Elegibilidad%20y%20cat.pdf

Pre-qualification is designed to ensure that the cars are in the proper order in decreasing speed for the race. This keeps the race safer by minimizing the amount of passing that takes place during any given speed section. The individual times from today do not count in the overall race total.

In the upcoming days the drivers will leave around 8 am for the starting arch. From that point they will follow the prescribed route through a serious of speed and touring sections. Speed sections are measured for time and the roads are cleared of all traffic. Touring sections are the roads in between speed sections and have regular traffic. The drivers only have a limited amount of time to reach the next speed section. Everyday there is a mid-day break at a predesignated location.

We have two service vehicles this year. Bobby Johnson will be driving the chase vechicle, a F250 truck with an enclosed trailer, and will follow the racers along the entire route. We sweep to ensure that no one gets left out in the jungle with no support in the event of a crash or breakdown. Fernando will be riding with Bobby for navigation.

Jason Eckert will be driving the other support vehicle, a F150 truck with a flatbed trailer, and will drive ahead to the mid-day stop and again to the final destination so that the drivers have full support when they arrive at both locations. Todd Landon and Sheamus will be riding with Jason for mechanical support and navigation.

We postponed the Fiesta with the Oaxaca Mustang Club until tonight due to a 3 hour drivers meeting that took place last night.

The pre-qualification route can be viewed at: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/ruta/nvo/1_PRECALIFICACION.pdf

A link to this years participants can be found at: http://www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx/participantes.asp

The Pony's Have Been Corraled

We arrived in Oaxaca yesterday and were met by our gracious hosts, the Oaxaca Mustang Club. They guided us to the staging area, provided translation to the officials and served as drivers for the errands we had to run. Their fabulos support made the day stress free.

Unfortunately we had a few mechanical problems. The Ford truck blew out the gear box and is currently getting repaired. It should be finished tomorrow.

Richard and Simon hooked up with us and we have begun the minor adjustments that they requested to make the car more driveable.

Today will focus on getting both cars though their tech inspection, allowing both drivers to take the cars out for a test drive and finishing up the race paperwork. Tonight we are having a fiesta in honor of our new Oaxaca friends from the car club. Their families will be bringing food for a feast next to the cars and we will provide the cervesa. Check out their website at http://www.mustangcluboaxaca.com.mx/. Check back tomorrow for pictures of our drivers with their cars and tonights fiesta.

The Big Squeeze

Another day down and $400 lighter in the wallet. Yesterday we made the 450 mile trip from San Luis Potosi to Puebla. During the trip we had to make our obligatory route through Mexico City (there is no other way to get here) and we ran into the usual hassels with a twist.

Traffic and the roads were a nightmare as always. We nearly blew out the front suspension of both trucks when we hit a huge bump in the road at a bridge transition (it looked like a skate boarder half pipe). The trucks and passengers survived without any damage. We then entered the city and managed to get squeezed by the local traffic police 5 times in the course of less than two miles. Total damage, 400 USD. The second to last stop involved a fight between our last protector and the next band of thugs that were trying to hit us up for more cash. Evidently it is illegal to drive in Mexico City on a Monday if your license plate ends with a 5 or 6. You have to love this country.

The day ended entering into Puebla where one of the trailers was clipped by a bus when we were stopped at a traffic light. Minor damage to the fendor was the only result. We kept driving.

Today brings the last leg of the journey down to Oaxaca. A quick 4 hours, hopefully. We are being hosted by the Oaxaca Mustang Club. They have graciously provided a gated compound to park the cars and rigs, logistical support and interference with any locals.

The Start of the Journey

Saturday morning we departed San Antonio, TX to begin the long trek down to Oaxaca, Mexico. We covered almost 1000 miles and reached our destination of San Luis Potosi, Mexico around 10 pm. San Luis Potosi is north of Mexico City about 300 km. Clearing customs and the drive was for the most part uneventful. As usual we get stopped at every state border crossing for an *inspection* which is just a cheap excuse to look at the cars. We are up to nearly 1500 pesos in tolls with one day done.

The highlight of the trip so far was driving by the snake skin vendors. As a refresher you can visit last years blog but in short there is a series of road side stands (about 50) in a short 1 km stretch 150 km before San Luis Potosi that sell snake skins, birds that look like small falcons in wicker baskets and some type of animal in jars of liquid (we think that it may be pickled snake). This year we had the pleasure of driving by at night only to find the stands still open with huge bonfires in front of each stand for lighting. The whole thing was more than a little spooky, we decided against stopping.

We are also out of (for the most part) the *let your cows and mules roam free on the road* country so that is a relief. Nothing like dogging a 1500 pound animal when you are doing 110 km per hour.

Today we leave for the long trek around Mexico City to Pueblo.

21 Days and Counting

In 21 days the crew will leave Minneapolis for the long trek down to Oaxaca, Mexico for the 2007 La Carrera Panamericana race. Unfortunately I will not be able to make the race this year. I am currently in litigation with GM and will be called as a caracter witness sometime during the race.

With that said Todd Landon & his crew will be supporting two of my cousins in the race. The Gypsy Wind will be driven by Doug Allen (Aspen, CO) and co-piloted by Grady Olson (Colorado) and Bag O'Nails will be driven by Richard Tyzack (Wales, England) and co-piloted by Simon Jefferies (Wales, England).

An update on Betsy . . . she regrets missing the race this year but is enjoying her new home in Paris, France.

Check back often beginning November 20th for daily updates and pictures.