Casablanca Challenge rally report - 914/6 in action !
Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 12:55 pm
Sarah and I got back from the Casablance Challenge last week. The rally started early on 7th November near Maindstone and ran for 9 competitive days ending in Marrakesh in Morocco on 15th November.
The official action shorts can be seen on this link. We were car 30.
http://www.amazingphotostore.co.uk/gera ... 25d0f498d9
The full daily rally report can bee seen on this link for the full event run through from day 1 to day 9
http://www.endurorally.com/casablanca2009/reports.html
You will see from the official photos that we had some problems with our drive shafts. After the first days tests we had knackered several of our CVs so we fitted the spares we had with us and ordered some from Germany to replace the rest. Specifically I think it was a closed road dry tarmac stage in Belgium with about 10 standing starts that finished off the CVs. A known weak point on the 914. They survived for another couple of days but were banging like mad and eventually failed completely during day 5 on a hill climb stage. To add to the embarrassment we were running first on the road because we had been fastest car the previous day so we had to wait at the side of the road whilst everyone else sailed past before getting a very long slow tow back to Parc Ferme. Being towed at the end of a 6 ft rope for 3 hours in the dark certainly focuses the mind. We had to take out the next day to go and collect the spares personally from Casablanca because Moroccan Customs would not release them, and then fit them before catching back up with the rally at the next hotel for day 7. Day 6 (my Birthday!) was a very long day indeed !!
With missing a full day on the rally we were obviously nowhere in the overall standing, but we obviously had a point to prove when we came back and won all the special stages on the remaining days of the rally. In recognition of our efforts and the determination to get going again the organisers gave us the 'Against All the Odds' trophy which was a very nice touch and much appreciated.
Apart from the CV problem the car performed brilliantly and was a joy to drive on tarmac, gravel or dirt. The pace of the car (not normally seen in rallying) surprised everyone and it had a lot of admirers. I think there might be a lot of other drivers scanning the classifieds for a 914/6 when they got home !!
It was a great rally and a great experience and certainly the toughest rally Sarah and I have yet completed over some demanding terrain.
Andrew
The official action shorts can be seen on this link. We were car 30.
http://www.amazingphotostore.co.uk/gera ... 25d0f498d9
The full daily rally report can bee seen on this link for the full event run through from day 1 to day 9
http://www.endurorally.com/casablanca2009/reports.html
You will see from the official photos that we had some problems with our drive shafts. After the first days tests we had knackered several of our CVs so we fitted the spares we had with us and ordered some from Germany to replace the rest. Specifically I think it was a closed road dry tarmac stage in Belgium with about 10 standing starts that finished off the CVs. A known weak point on the 914. They survived for another couple of days but were banging like mad and eventually failed completely during day 5 on a hill climb stage. To add to the embarrassment we were running first on the road because we had been fastest car the previous day so we had to wait at the side of the road whilst everyone else sailed past before getting a very long slow tow back to Parc Ferme. Being towed at the end of a 6 ft rope for 3 hours in the dark certainly focuses the mind. We had to take out the next day to go and collect the spares personally from Casablanca because Moroccan Customs would not release them, and then fit them before catching back up with the rally at the next hotel for day 7. Day 6 (my Birthday!) was a very long day indeed !!
With missing a full day on the rally we were obviously nowhere in the overall standing, but we obviously had a point to prove when we came back and won all the special stages on the remaining days of the rally. In recognition of our efforts and the determination to get going again the organisers gave us the 'Against All the Odds' trophy which was a very nice touch and much appreciated.
Apart from the CV problem the car performed brilliantly and was a joy to drive on tarmac, gravel or dirt. The pace of the car (not normally seen in rallying) surprised everyone and it had a lot of admirers. I think there might be a lot of other drivers scanning the classifieds for a 914/6 when they got home !!
It was a great rally and a great experience and certainly the toughest rally Sarah and I have yet completed over some demanding terrain.
Andrew
.