Is it safe?

Is marathon rallying safe?

The short answer is no, it isn't. In 2013 Emma Wilkinson was killed on the Peking to Paris when her Chevrolet collided with a local driver. According to locals it was a notoriously dangerous strip of road.

At RPS's workshop they have a very sad looking wreck from last year's Sahara challenge. The car rolled on one of the mountain sections. It was when we saw this that we decided to fit a roll bar to Rhubarb and Custard. Longstanding readers will recall the owner of the Jeep who lost the ends of several fingers when it rolled over in testing.

We have been warned that huge convoys of slow moving trucks are a problem in Russia. Overtaking them is lethal but sitting behind them is unbearable.

The biggest risk is probably from the cars themselves. They are big machines with lots of moving parts. Jamie Turner had a nipple taken off when a gas suspension strut exploded in front of him. He also told the story of the mechanic who didn't wear rubber gloves when working on his car and not only got infected hands from dirty grease but managed to get an infected penis as well!

Finally there are completely random hazards. On one of the road to Mandalay rallies a farmer decided to undertake some illegal mining by the roadside just as a competitor went past. One of the dynamited rocks smashed through a car window and shattered the navigator's jaw. Extensive plastic surgery was required.

So, no - not safe.

1 Chronicles

We are a bit put off at the idea of spending £90k on a car so Richard and I start to look around for cheaper alternatives.

As it happens he owns a Willys Jeep, built in 1944, which we think would be ideal for the rally.  The organisers are not so keen as they want cars with more bling, and to make the rally look like its something more exceptional - 4x4s are not really in the spirit of the thing. 

Richard discovered that a Jeep driven by Phil Surtees and John Bayliss actually won the event in 1997: John Bayliss' Blog of the Rally

Later the organisers tell us they are thinking about a separate 4x4 category.

Richard called Bayliss and discovered that he had spent £50,000 on getting the Jeep ready - so our idea of a cut price ride are wide of the mark. He also tells us that Surtees lost three fingers when trialing the Jeep and the brakes failed.  The Jeep idea is dead.