22nd October 2008 - Meet the Team

So let me introduce to you
The act you've known for all these years....

Top left: Cesar Marquez, engineer with Al Thika Packaging, who’ll be driving the VW service truck each day and assisting Maurice to keep our wheels rolling by working all hours. Claims to be looking forward to the experience (which means he has no idea what he’s let himself in for).

Bottom left: Maurecio (Maurice) De La Vega, mechanic with Carwise garage, who has been working on the race car for the past 9 months. Well, not the whole 9 months obviously – it just seems that way. That's probably why he looks so miserable.

Top right: Charles ‘Gip’ Kemp, who is taking time off from his day job supplying equipment to the oil industry. Comes from Idaho, lives in Sri Lanka, and works for a UAE/Oman based company. Gip has promised to wear clothes ‘most of the time’ to avoid frightening the local population, and will be driving his blue FJ Cruiser. Claims to know one end of a spanner from the other, and may be forced to prove it.

Bottom right: Ian Cooper, a director of Cracknell, the world’s largest landscape architects, will be the main contact point for the team. Ian plans to enhance the bivouac with some hard landscaping in natural stone, carefully selected low-maintenance planting and possibly a small water feature. (Since this photo was taken, Ian’s hairdresser has unfortunately exhausted all local supplies of Grecian 2000.)

20th October 2008

Thursday we decided to take Cesar – our driver/mechanic – out to show him some of the strategic locations for the Desert Challenge, based on previous years’ routes. Having never visited Liwa, it’s important that he can find the bivouac and service points each day! We covered 840km in 10 hours, and logged some useful tracks on my GPS, which he will have in the service truck. Traffic delays on the way down there have made us consider spending the Sunday night in a hotel in Abu Dhabi – it’s either that or a very early start from Dubai.

The race car is back. Carwise have found the problem with the air compressor – the tube which connects to the pressure gauge in the cockpit keeps breaking, so we’ll manage without the gauge. The seat frame has been lowered, to give me a bit more headroom clearance from the rollcage, and a footrest has been fitted. The castor correction on the front axle has also been reduced. Originally there was no compensation for the lifted suspension, and keeping is straight required constant steering corrections, which was very tiring. After we fitted the castor correction bushes, it was fine on the road but it needed too much steering effort off-road. So now we’ve compromised somewhere in between. The HANS (head and neck restraint) devices have arrived, so we also need to try these for the first time.

Friday afternoon was spend shopping for various odd and sods which we need, like a strobe torch (which I know we’ll never use, but must have) and zip-ties and gaffer tape – the two most important things any rally team needs. At the end of the rally, you can always tell the pro teams from the amateurs – the amateurs have their cars held together with grey gaffer tape, whereas the works cars are held together with colour-coordinated gaffer tape. Maybe I should re-spray the car grey…

Another off-road test on Saturday morning allowed us to get stuck (again) and self-recover using our new MaxTrax – 16 minutes this time instead of 34 minutes, so that’s over 50% improvement! Maybe I should try not getting stuck at all… The steering was fine, but the seat position wasn’t, so Saturday afternoon was spent repositioning the seat – not easy, as there is so little clearance to adjust it relative to the rollcage and the bulkhead. Finally, after drilling some new holes in the seat frame, I’m happy with it. HANS is designed to prevent whiplash injuries by preventing your head from being jerked forward in the event of an accident. Great idea, but they are hugely inconvenient, expensive, and don’t seem to provide sufficient restraint to make them effective. But it’s an FIA requirement, so I might as well stop whingeing.

Team T-shirts are arriving today, I’m awaiting the quote for the stickers, and yesterday night I borrowed Gip’s FJ (with tow hitch) and drove over to Sharjah to pick up a trailer which Sanjay (another ME4x4 mate) has kindly lent us for the duration. Gip will take that down on Sunday, loaded with stuff needed at the bivouac. Dave Aldis has lent me another GPS, so Ian Cooper will have one in his car as well. Begging and borrowing is working OK – we haven’t had to resort to stealing (yet).

5 days to go. Mabbsy’s FJ still isn’t registered, and Glen seized his gearbox in his V8 Patrol first time out at the weekend. Maybe we’re not doing so badly after all…….

13th October 2008

Friday I put the new Continental Wealth Management logos on the truck – a nerve-racking affair as I have only one set and one chance to get it right. Saturday we were out again in the race car, complete with our fireproof underwear and race suits, to have another crack at doing a rally stage. Dave Aldis and Natalie kindly agreed to be our ‘sweep team’ for the event and by 0830hrs we were on the stage. Once again, we needed to cover the 166km in 3 hours to meet limit time, and we very nearly made it. If I hadn’t manage to perch it on top of a dune about 15km from the finish and spent 34 minutes digging it out, we’d have been home with 17 minutes to spare – but as it was we were 17 minutes over, which would have meant a 2 hour penalty. And trust me, I’m getting too old to be doing that much digging. Oh, and when we’d finished one of the tyres was shot, and the compressor had stopped working. Deep joy.

So Sunday I went out with the idea of buying a winch, which together with a sand anchor (which Dave offered to lend me) would enable us to self-recover. But a winch is not without disadvantages. There’s at least an extra 50 kg dragging the front suspension down, plus the weight of the sand anchor, plus the worry that the current it draws can flatten the battery or worse, damage the alternator – a worry that can only be removed by fitting a 2nd battery. More weight, more cost. So I discussed the matter with Chris Cargill over at Icon and he suggested that I try his MaxTrax sand ladders. Having seen and used various types I was skeptical – most are too heavy or too difficult to use, or just plain useless in deep sand. But the video was pretty convincing, they were a whole lot cheaper and lighter than a winch, so I bought a set. If we’re lucky, they’ll do the job when we need them. If we’re really lucky, we won’t need them. Now I need to mount them such that they are quick and easy to deploy – add that to the ‘to-do’ list.

Lists are proliferating. Lists of jobs for Carwise to do (yes, it’s back in the shop again), lists of lubes and fluids (maybe someone like Total will sponsor these?), lists of parts to get from Nissan (maybe on consignment?), lists of stuff to go down to the bivouac the day of the prologue (26th), lists of stuff to go on the service truck, more stickers to get made, t-shirts to get printed, and lists of miscellaneous odds and sods we need to buy from here and there. So many lists, so little time.

The rally has finally taken over our lives. Each year, both Tim and I have been involved in the UAEDC, but for the first time we’re both competing. Increasing amounts of ‘work-time’ are being devoted to sorting out our respective rally vehicles, while the business is fighting back with equally urgent demands on our time. With only 12 days to go before the prologue, the heat is on.

October 8 2008

The UAE Desert Challenge prologue starts in 18 days time, and there are still so many jobs to do and things to buy.

HANS (head and neck restraint systems) are mandatory this year, and they are a lot cheaper in USA than elsewhere. Fortunately, my business partner Tim Ansell is co-driving for Dave Mabbs (Team FJ) and they are bringing in a load of gear from the States and have kindly offered to include our HANS in their consignment – currently winging its way across the Atlantic.

The fire extinguishers are being tested and re-certified. New logos for Continental Wealth Management are ready to be applied. I’ve modified a 2-gallon water cooler to provide a drinking water supply to us while we’re racing, and the lid is big enough that we can dump a bag of ice in there each day. The weather is cooling down, but it’s still in the mid-30s so we’ll be drinking plenty! Sheila is busy sewing on new Velcro strips to anchor the seat squabs, bless her. And we’ve bought two new awnings - one for the service crew to use at each day’s service point, and another to stay at the bivouac.

At least we are further ahead than some of our fellow competitors. Dave Mabbs’ recently acquired FJ is still not ready – so many things have had to be changed to meet FIA regulations (rather than the SCORE regs under which it previously raced in USA) and also to suit the conditions of the Desert Challenge. And Glen’s new V8-powered Patrol is still not ready

Apparently the major works teams will not be participating in this year’s Challenge, but nevertheless 40+ cars and 80+ bikes have registered to compete. There’s plenty of local interest including Fadi Melky, Team FJ, Team Saluki, and Glen Reid, so all the old rivalries are set be re-ignited!

September 2008

Now the team for the Desert Challenge is starting to come together. One of my engineers at Al Thika, Cesar Marquez, has agreed to join our support crew as the truck driver, Carwise’s mechanic Maurice is with us, and I’ve hijacked the company’s VW Transporter for the duration. Gip Kemp, an American friend of ours and long-time off-roading buddy, is going to help set up our camp and provide an additional ‘safety net’ while we’re racing. Finally, neighbour and long-time friend Ian Cooper has agreed to help alongside Gip. We have a team!

The rollcage mods are finished and we were itching to have another practice in the race car, so we decided to run a stage of last year’s Challenge under something close to race conditions. We’d have had 3 hours to complete the 160km stage, but most important was for Sheila to practice using the Terratrip (high-tech odometer) and the road book. She’d be using the ERTF GPS for the rally, but you can’t get hold of one of those in advance, so we’d use our trusty Garmin 278. And with Gip bringing up the rear in his FJ Cruiser, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, plenty, actually. Large parts of the route were virgin sand – completely unlike what we could expect in the event proper, when the leading vehicles would for sure give us a hand by leaving some tracks – hopefully in the right direction. And yes, we made a few navigational errors, which I compounded by getting stuck once in soft sand and having a completely unnecessary puncture. All in all we had a thorough workout, digging ourselves out and then jacking up the car to change a wheel – good practice for the event. Had we avoided these stoppages, we’d have been pretty much on target for a finish within the 3 hour limit time. And that’s important – go over limit time by a minute and you get a 2-hour penalty, which will put a big dent in your chances. Overall we felt pretty pleased with the result.

One of the things I decided during the trip would be useful was a digital compass. the rally road-book provides compass headings on each tulip diagram, and often it's a whole lot easier just to follow that heading. With help from a friend in USA I was able to source one, and have fitted that on a bracket. The two spare tyres are secured with heavy duty ratchet straps which are cumbersome to handle. Now the straps are permanently secured at one end, making them much easier to deal with. The mandatory high level brake light had disintegrated, so that has also been replaced by a more robust unit.

Things are gradually being ticked off the 'to-do' list.

August 2008

New fuel lines are fitted, along with various other minor improvements, and I have the Patrol back this weekend for a shake-down. The roll cage modifications are all agreed, we just have to find the right material (38mm OD seamless carbon-steel tube). I’ve decided to install a 5 gallon air tank in the back to give me a reserve of compressed air, I have the pressure switch and installation parts – just need to buy the tank. This weekend we’re planning to take it out for a blat to see how the cooling stands up.

And we’ve finally settled on a team name – we are NewTrix Racing. I’ve been known as ‘Ian the Dog’ since forever – so now I’m an Old Dog, and these are definitely New Tricks.

Who let the dogs out?

July 2008

By the time our Patrol was back on the road, summer had well and truly arrived. But I needed to test it properly, and that meant heading down to Liwa with friends from ME4x4, our local off-road club. Mike, Ruba, Alan and I headed south for a weekend’s shakedown in the deep desert. It was a tough weekend in 45°c temperatures, and the engine was running slightly hot – but it ran sweet as a nut. I was able to test different tyre pressures on our block-tread Dunlops and was agreeably surprised to find how well they performed at low pressure. I found I could out-climb Mike’s powerhouse V8 Land Cruiser!

A few days after my return, I planned to take the car over to Ivan’s garage for a preliminary unofficial scrutineering check. I knew the roll cage no longer met the 2008 standards, and I needed his advice on how it could be modified. However, long before I got that far, an overwhelming smell of petrol pervaded the cockpit and I had to stop and investigate. The rear end was literally awash with petrol! One of the reinforced fuel lines had split, and fuel was pouring out under 30psi pressure from the fuel pump. Miraculously, it had survived Liwa without a problem, but failed after sitting in my driveway for a week.

After Carwise had replaced all the fuel lines and fitted two heavy duty fans on the radiator, I took it over to Ivan. He didn’t know the answer about the roll cage but promised to confer with the FIA and let me know. He also pointed out a couple of other minor issues which needed attention, but nothing major.

The next weekend we erected our new shed, destined to be the repository for all rally-related stuff – axles, wheels and tyres currently cluttering up the garage. Previously owned by Mark Powell, we sweated extensively to install it on a concrete base. With the floor painted, it just needs some electrics and a gateway in the front wall to give access to the garage.

June 2008

We were joined in Dubai by my step-daughter Luisa and her husband Darren Kirby, on holiday from their home in Spain where they were in the throes of establishing a wealth management brokerage. They both had a great time sightseeing and we took them out in the desert for a day to give them an idea about what we do. When they saw the race car languishing in the garage, Darren asked how much it would cost to sponsor us. After discussing with his partners, we ended up with a new sponsor for the driver’s side of the car – Continental Wealth Management! Their contribution would help plug the gap in our finances caused by the engine blow-out.

March 2008

Our first race had been run on fairly firm ground, a result of the winter rains. Two months later, the 1000 Dunes would be tougher. It’s the longest rally of the local series, with 10 stages spread over two days, plus the prologue, and the sand was very soft.

The prologue went OK, we were in 11th place just behind Fadi Melky in his Range Rover. Soon after the start, I noticed that the engine temperature had risen alarmingly and I backed off the throttle to cool the engine. We were struggling in the soft sand. At the end of SS2 I reduced the tyre pressures, but it was not enough, we were still running hot. Halfway through SS4 the engine note changed, and I thought we’d holed the exhaust. Shortly after, the engine packed up completely and as I got out I could see the tell-tale trail of oil on the sand behind us. Our race was well and truly over, and eventually our impromptu ‘service crew’ turned up and towed the vehicle out to the road, to await recovery back to Dubai.

The failure was about as bad as it could be. A piston had made a bid for freedom through the cylinder wall, and the crank was bent by 20°. The block could be repaired, but the crank would need replacing and the cost of a new short engine was going to be prohibitive. So in the end we bought a used engine from a fellow rally driver, Glen Reid, who was in the process of building a new rally car. The engine had been looked after and was in good condition, but nevertheless Carwise rebuilt it completely with new bearings, rings and valves. There’s no point in taking short-cuts when you’re doing a heart-transplant.

The needle on the spend-o-meter was rising inexorably...

February 2008

Buying a race car is the easy bit. Once you’ve got it, the reality of having a high-maintenance mistress bites hard – in the wallet. Stuff wears out a whole lot faster when you’re pushing it to the limit, and there are always improvements to be made. Just the mandatory clothing and helmets will set you back around Dh20k. So unless you have very deep pockets, you need to find sponsors to help foot the bill. After our first race we had some live race photos, as well as a couple of trophies to show for it, and I hastily put together a prospectus and sent it off to all our suppliers – more in hope than expectation.

I’m one of the partners in Al Thika Packaging. Our business is the distribution and servicing of packaging equipment and associated equipment. To my great surprise, two of our suppliers came up trumps. Robopac from Italy supply the stretch-wrap machines we sell for pallet wrapping, and they were quick to make a contribution. Soon after, Meijer Special Equipment from the Netherlands came to the party. They make forklift attachments, including their unique RollerForks for handling unpalletised loads, and agreed to sponsor one side of the car. We thought that would give us enough cash to pay for the rest of the season and the entry costs for the UAE Desert Challenge. Little did we know how optimistic this was to prove!