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The Cobb Cruisers and Team Lock Stock waiting on some hard ground ahead of the poorly Team Red Star. |
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Whilst work continues on Team Red Star, another group comes charging past: The New Forrest Stalions (right), The Wacky Racers (left). |
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The Wacky Racers pass through... |
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... followed closely by The Dolly Dealers. |
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Opps. The Boy Racers need a little help to get under way again. |
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After getting under way again, three groups arrive at The Big Dune, where fresh bread and Coca Cola can be bought from a shed. We gather together possibly the largest single collection of Ladas ever seen in the Sahara. |
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Left to right: Team Lock Stock, Team Teknology Mir, Team Nikki Lada, Team Red Star, The Dolly Dealers, The Wacky Racers, Team Heavey, and The Boy Racers - hold on... that's not a nuva Niva but a Nova! |
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With the arrival of The Barnes Stormers group, we learn that Team Tony Hadley have been left stranded in the desert with a holed fuel tank. A rescue party is formed and heads back out. The rest of us decide this will do as a camp for the night and start to play! Team Heavey atop the big dune, The Boy Racers now coming down. |
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The view from the top. The Duneside Shopping Mall, where you can buy bread, Coca Cola, and used car parts! The Dolly Dealers are offered a replacement shock absorber for €1000 !!!! |
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Whoever towed a ruddy caravan out this far??? Now there's an idea for another class for next year... |
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Team Red Star conquers the dune. |
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As well as being the only vehicle equiped with a bar, The Cobb Cruiser also provides the most shade from the desert sun. |
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The donkey (before he consumed a complete packet of 20 Lucky Strike cigarettes from the front seat of Team Noweiser's Granada). Whilst the English patted and fed this little fellow, a bunch of locals arriving in a Desert Taxi bullied him, slapping him and trying make him take them for a ride. Just goes to show... |
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Time for some Extreme Housework! Team Unknown risk life and limb! Greg smartens up his T-Shirt, and Oz starts the thankless task of hoovering up all that sand. |
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Meanwhile, Dangerous Weasel Tony takes on the dune... and loses. At this stage, Chris still finds it funny. |
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Sand Ladders in place... |
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... but still more digging required. |
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Dune Racing: Julian and Neil pitch the Lada Riva bonnet against Oz and the ironing board. |
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Damn! The shutter opened just fractions of a second too late! Oz was looking good just before this shot! |
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Still no sign of Team Tony Hadley, as the sun sets on the Sahara |
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Eventually, Team Tony Hadley get towed into camp behind the Wacky Racers. Following a bit of desert improvisation to get around the holed fuel tank issue (Nigel, Cobb Cruisers had rigged up a jerry-can on the dashboard), they had subsequently struck a large rock and holed the sump. This is a little known Latvian technique for attending to the underside of cars - thanks to Team Jurmala. |
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Karl (Boy Racers) attends to the wounds. By the time the evening is out, the sump and the fuel tank are cured (using metal putty) and the Rover even gets a new sump guard! Better than new! |
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Another Team Tortoise dinner party: Clockwise from the back: Oz and Greg (Team Unknown), Chris, Dave & Tony (Danger Weasels), James Cheadle (photographer who's going to make us all famous - at least to readers of Top Gear Magazine), and of course, Hugh Tortoise himself - unusual for him to get a place sit on his own bench seat. |
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Dollys, Wackys and Stallions. |
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Left to right: Mike & Chris (Team Lock Stock), Neil and Mark (Team Nikki Lada), and Don (Team Honey Buzzard). |
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The front end of The Six Pistons Merc, and Fran Bourne's Tercel. Not too sure who that is that Emer (Six Pistons) is talking to. |
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In the crescent of the dune, Team Wheelnutz, Team Heavey, Team Red Star and The Cobb Cruisers set up their own camp. |
© www.plymouth-dakar.co.uk 'Drew
Heavey 2003
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No unauthorised copying permitted.