This time, an outline of the Sahara Challenge, set as the second warm-up rally before Peking to Paris.
Here is the report!
This second warm-up event runs 4,000 km, setting off from Spain, crossing through Morocco, and returning to Spain again.
Entering this event is a mandatory requirement the organisers set for anyone entering the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge 2023.
Dates and route
Starting from Málaga, Spain, on 19 September 2022 (local Monday), crossing Morocco, covering 4,000 km, and finishing back in Málaga, Spain, on 30 September (local Friday) — twelve days.
About the event
This is an FIA-recognised rally. The FIA — the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile — is the governing body for four-wheel motorsport held around the world. It runs the Formula One and World Rally Championships and issues competition rules and licences to a global standard. This rally requires an international Class C licence.
The eligible cars
Cars are required to have been built between 1920 and 1975, and this rally was set by the organisers for people like us aiming at the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, to test us on similar roads, temperatures and punishing routes ahead of the real thing.
Entering Peking to Paris also requires having entered a past event of this kind in the same model. My challenge car, the 1929 Buick, has that history — it has finished a previous event.
With my poor language ability, translating this properly and catching every nuance is difficult, so I am posting what the organisers sent as it is — but in any case, it makes clear this is meant to be a punishing challenge.
About the competition
This runs on the same lines as the England Summer Trial, the last warm-up — but this route, while on public roads, is a punishing one that includes desert, just as Peking to Paris does.
For what the competition is actually like, see what we lived through ourselves:
Every part of the route and the conditions is expected to be punishing. Inside that punishing challenge, how precisely you can control your timing and still finish is what the competition demands — the time-attack element is measured to a tenth of a second, under very strict rules.
Using a phone or any communication device is banned and costs a penalty, so live streaming while actually driving will be difficult — but I am working out every way I can to let everyone experience this challenge alongside me as much as possible.
What the event costs
The entry fee alone is £17,700 (roughly ¥2,600,000 at today’s rate). My own share, split with the driver, is ¥1,300,000.
What I planned five years ago has become a serious problem now, entering from abroad with the yen this weak.
On top of that: roughly ¥750,000 for shipping the car to and from Spain from England, petrol and insurance; and about ¥450,000 for my own travel, lodging and incidentals from Japan.
Towards a challenge staked on a life
My life so far has been one small challenge after another, stacked up. This particular challenge has cost me a great deal too. But I believe what I gain from it will be even greater, and I go forward on that belief.
A challenge nobody has ever done —the moment you start thinking about what happens if you fail, you are alreadymovingtowards failure.
So instead,I have decided to worry about success!That is what I have decided to think.
If it succeeds I can give back this way, and that way — I have a clear purpose in driving this, so I will keep going without losing.
