lars

Day 23
Today was a transport day without any tests. We drove 480 km on smaller roads through scenic landscapes. It is amazing how much Russia has changed since we were here in 2013. The roads are much better, the driving behaviour has changed, especially amongst the truck drivers.
The most notable development is to see how the cities are changing, as many houses and buildings have been restored and many new buildings can be seen on the skyline of the larger cities. We also passed the Volga river.
We are now in Nizhni Novgorod, the Volga River is running through the city. It is a modern city, very beautiful and worthwhile a visit.

Day 22

After returning from the garage last night, I had to re-adjust the clutch, there is hardly any tolerance left. I am afraid we will have to replace the clutch in St. Petersburg.
Left Ufa at 08.46. With a drive of 620 km, two special tests and a racetrack we had a long day ahead. The weather is good, 36 degrees Celsius, and we are really enjoying the air inlet in the roof!
The driving we see in Russia is good and not comparable to 2013.
Today we only saw one accident, a tank truck tilted, diesel oil was pouring out on the road and the traffic just passed on through the oil, quite slippery.
The Kazan ring is a nice race track with tight bends and elevation. It was great fun on the off-road tyres!
We arrived at the hotel at 17.00, had a quick check on the car, no loose bolts or parts were found. It was then time for a cold beer!

 

Day 20

Was at Porsche Ufa at 10 in order to make a clutch adjustment, repair the horn, which is an important feature when driving here. Further to clean the car and get rid of some of the dust and finally check bolts and nuts.
When we got the skid plate removed, I discovered large cracks in the forward gearbox/engine mount.
We got same dismounted and welded – there were only 20 mm material left – to keep things together. The clutch is causing some problems, might have to be replaced in the coming days.
Took out the engine fan in order to clean the generator, and that was badly needed, it was full of dust.
After 8 hours efforts we finished all works. Porsche Ufa was very helpful and the mechanics were really good.

Day 20

We started out on a test race track, which was great fun, especially on the off-road tyres. We then had a nice drive through the Ural Mountains up to Ufa where we will have a “rest” day. Ufa is the capital of Bashkortostan. The city is 500 years old and you can see that it has been a rich city for centuries, many nice old houses and buildings.
Today the major industry is oil related.

Day 19

Great driving day, distance 600 km including three time trials and a tiny “race” track. It’s great to do 140 km/h on gravel and dirt roads, just perfect conditions for the car.
Every day we check the car for loose bolts and nuts and today the clutch needed an adjustment, new to me, but easily done.
The Nokian tyres are just perfect for these conditions.
Today our charity reached DKK 263,700, our goal is DKK 350,000, so we need your support!

Day 17

The special tests were cancelled due to heavy rainfalls, we made 500+ km on great roads. For the first time we all arrived early at the last camp of the rally in Balkashino, Kazakhstan. It looked like a marketplace and the locals had made great effort in welcoming us. We ended up having the best evening of the event! Great food, good conversations, singing and dancing around the bonfire!

There are no issues with the car, only the daily check has been done.

Day 16

Yesterday we drove 620 km and today 580 km, meaning 10 hours in the car per day. What we have seen in Kazakhstan is green fields, but no sign of agriculture. There were some large plants with huge funnels exhausting a heavy yellow-grey smoke. Probably some kind of ore plants.
Roads are good, you can see that investments are made in infrastructure. We arrived in Nur-Sultan, former Astana, yesterday at 5 pm. It is a very modern city with construction going on everywhere. It is the Dubai of this region.
We had three special stages today. All were great fun, again a lot of mud. It sticks to the car and gets as hard as concrete.
Met a few car enthusiasts who are running a blog. Together we went to get rid of the dirt, it took an hour’s steam cleaning to get the mud to dissolve. Great guys are very enthusiastic about cars.

Day 15
After busy days in Novosibirsk, we started out this morning at 08.16, heading for the border to Kazakhstan. The crossing was smooth with no waiting time at all.
For lunch we stopped at German Village, it was raining cats and dogs. Felt sorry for the people in the village who did a great job to welcome us, but it all just drowned in water.
Soon after leaving, we had a time trial, 16 km of mud track. The Nokian Tyres were just perfect, 0’ed the test. It was great fun, just like being a child again.
Apart from that, it was a long day driving the 630 km on bumpy roads.

Day 12/13

Finished the work on the car at Porsche. The problem was only a loose rocker arm! While being in the work shop, every bolt and nut was checked, a few were replaced.
Air filter changed, rubber in the shock absorber mounts replaced. It is a relief not having the squeaking noise of metal to metal any longer.

At 2 pm we left Novosibirsk for Novokuznetsk – a five hours drive on roads in poor conditions.
It was really great to rejoin the rally again. The rocker arm problem resulted in our team slipping from a position as number 4 to number 49. Things can change fast. Most important though: We are back and enjoying the challenges and the good company of the fellow competitors.
The P2P is for sure the hardest rally you will find. The roads and tracks driven are beyond imagination. „Driving the Impossible“ is for sure a right slogan.
Have a look at the photos – these are showing the “faces” of P2P!

Day 11

We arrived in Novosibirsk at 8 am after a 14 hour drive from the Mongolian-Russian border. It was a smooth and pleasant ride.
We immediately started to shovel the dirt and dust of Mongolia out of the car. Engine was cleaned in order for our mechanic Brian Løkke to start working on it upon his arrival, which was at 4 pm. At 5.30 the car was running again. Fortunately it was only a loose rocker arm on the cylinder 5 exhaust side. That was the reason for the backfiring.
Today we will drive back to Novokuznetsk to catch up with the rally tomorrow morning.