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I completely botched the obstacle race - missed two turns and had to back up, and then the transfer case jumped into neutral just to add insult.
Tied for 3rd in the hour-long Baja out of a field of 6.. but I'm happiest that I got the hole-shot on everyone else, and was leading the field by a bunch for a lap.
Blew a corner badly about 1/2 way through the first lap, and wound up out in the scrub grass (at least on all 4 tires.. it was a long straight shot up hill with a slight jog to the left that then turned into a dropping hard right in silt) and got back on course before the guy in 2nd could catch up to me, but I let him gain enough ground that I got passed a little while later.
I had to pull off after the first lap - still with a big lead on everyone else. The ground wire on the Taurus fan pulled apart and the radiator was singing at 250F.
Got that fixed, went back out, and a few laps later the air cleaner stud broke off (d'oh) and had to pit again. I grabbed a shorter filter and used what was left of the stud.
Willy Cunningham came up from Lander to watch. I don't have ANY photos - I have video that I'm still working on, but Michelle and Joleigh stayed home, so no good still photos.
Now to patch up the one broken shock mount and get ready for this Saturday night.
Oh, to make things interesting, the trailer blew TWO tires this trip.. one just outside Powell, and the other on my way home, late at night, in the dark rain, in Livingston, MT - after the driver's head light failed and I was stopping anyhow.
Willy Cunningham made the trip up from Lander to watch and took the only photos.
Willy: Had a great time watching Tom flog his junk through the Sage Brush, silt,sand and rocks.
Willy: The holeshot was a sight to behold, off the line like a scalded cat...
FELT GOOD, too. :D
Willy:
Tom will not be allowed to touch the wiring on the new rig
If the fan ground hadn't come apart... I had a good lead going. Drat.
Willy:
Nice to catch up with Tom, Robert and Leona, good folks and well worth the 7 hour round trip.
Is that all? 8-10 hours round trip for me. 300 miles or so. With a 15gal fuel tank in a Travelette, that's 2 or 3 fuel stops. :D
I *think* I managed 8.5 mpg on a few legs, driving ~63mph and trying to hold 10" of vacuum.
Photos thanks to Willy:
Thanks for the pictures, Willy, and thanks for coming - and for the entry money. :D
I have all of the DV footage off the camcorders, but no editing yet, and I haven't pulled the Hi8 in-car footage off the tape.