RTG Carrera Iberia The Daily Dispatch - all days - Flipbook - Page 11
7 to 17 October 2019
Day 5
Ubeda - Trujillo (421km)
12 October 2019
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Last of the summer wine
Despite being the biggest appellation in Europe, the
La Mancha region has a relatively small output of
wine thanks to its extreme temperatures and arid
climate. It was this hot and dry region in southern
Spain that would today be our playground and,
even in mid October the temperature on the road
rose to 29°C by mid afternoon.
According to the route book we had a very busy day ahead
of us, three Regularities and a Test to be precise, so an early
start was needed. It was still barely light therefore as the
first cars checked out of the hotel and clattered over the old
cobbled streets of the sprawling medieval citadel.
Tony and Lee Ann Strelzow could have done with
an extra hour in bed however after the day they’d had
yesterday. Famed for countless punctures on a Russian
highway in 2013, this Canadian crew and their Bentley
found that running fast on Spanish roads, puts something
of a strain on the Derby’s differential. When it starts
David and Susan Danglard, 1973 Porsche 911
Anthony and Lee-Ann Strelzow, 1936 Bentley Derby Drophead
complaining, it needs attention; and, as Tony found out
that takes some time.
Even if they did feel a bit tired they, like their fellow
competitors, enjoyed a relatively easy start to the day, with
the first Regularity a mere 53km from the start. La Aliseda
was a lovely woodland section filled with gnarled old cork
oaks and some equally gnarled old cyclists who, until this
morning, had claimed this road as their own.
20km of motorway followed as we approached the
Passage Control in Los Olivos before the third round of the
RtG “run what you brung championship” was played out at
the nearby Kart Active Racing circuit.
This circuit based (and slightly random) format has a long
and distinguished history in endurance rallying and, to the
dismay of some of the other crews, today’s Test could have
been specially designed for a Blue Porsche driven by a man
who knows carting inside out.
Prior to the off the Clerk of the Course, John Spiller,
led the crews on a track walk so as to better familiarise
themselves with the turns and, mid way through it, Anton
Gonnissen wryly noted the fact that this track was almost
definitely not designed for a large Bentley - such as his.
So, it was no surprise then that one of the most clinical
drives came from David and Susan Danglard in their 911
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