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...
These are the voyages of the starship 'Newtrix'. Its multi-year mission: to compete in any rally within striking distance of Dubai, and to acquire shiny trophies. To boldly go wherever this quest may take us, as long as we can be home in time for tea.
