RtG Ypres-Istanbul Daily Dispatch - complete - web - Flipbook - Page 29
Tony Rowe and Mark Delling, 1939 Ford DeLuxe V8 91A Coupe
John and Nicole Whitelock, 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280 SL
Cooling off, the Fiat of Enrico Paggi and Federica Mascetti passing the
overheating Mercedes of Daniel and Barbara Wiedemann
The day’s only Regularity, the Transalpina also know as “The
Devil’s Path”, took us up and over the Parâng Mountains in
Southern Carpathia. At the Time Control in the Cabana Oasa
Fred Gallagher and Loren Price oversaw the distribution of
various pancakes and coffee. As the rally climbed to 1,670m
the cloud was getting lower and, coinciding with the start of
the main event, it began to rain heavily.
The Time Control section pushed the cars and crews
to the limit, around Lake Vidra. There were four controls
within a 25km gravel loop, requiring an average speed
to be maintained over an unforgiving and unpredictable
surface of sand, rock and broken cobbles. The weather
added to the drama, with puddles almost big enough
to swallow a Porsche. Certainly, Steve and Jenny Verrall
hadn’t seen anything as deep since the road to Amboseli
on the Southern Cross Safari, way back in February 2020.
There were dramas away from the road surface too. Bertie
and Charlotte van Houtte’s 911 suffered a small electrical
fire and then lost a headlight, which the sweeps retrieved
to be reformed and refitted during the evening. Neither
incident detained this crew for long and they finished the day
without further problems. Daniel and Barbara Wiedemann’s
Mercedes showed signs of overheating, so the crew pulled
over to make some precautionary checks. Thankfully, like the
Porsche, they finished the day as per the schedule. Phil and
Laurette Macwhirter’s game little 2CV needed some attention
to its steering after the rigours of the morning. With echoes
of the 007 logo blazoned on the side, Charlie Neale and Andy
Inskip found that the mechanism was shaken, not stirred.
With just a little spannering the car was back on the blacktop.
All roads led to lunch which was served in the Pensiunea
Bucura restaurant at the Time Control in Călimănești,
a popular and busy tourist town. Dr John Llewelyn was
curbside to guide the cars into their reserved parking area
for this well-earned break. After another few short sections
of gravel and rural roads it was an easy motorway stretch
to the day’s Test at the Academia Titi Aur.
Another storm dumped its load just before we got
underway but, after what crews had been through today,
two laps of a damp, but perfect tarmac track came as light
relief. 30km on from the final Time Control lay the Marriot
Hotel in Bucharest, our base for the next two nights. After
an excellent dinner, everyone agreed it was a fine place for
our second rest day tommorrow.
www.rallytheglobe.com
Text & photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Michael and Marcus Eatough, 1965 Mercedes-Benz 230 S Fintail
Design: K-Design
Day 13: Sibiu to Bucharest, 26 June 2022