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Stage 10

January 14(Local time), I got the phone call from Jun who was in the liaison of Andes mountains to the town of Salta. He said “I cleared SS with no troubles !” That was reassuring conversation. Today’s stage was same as the motorcycles and the distance of SS extended to 370km suddenly.

After Jun left the camp ground he had the electric trouble in the morning. The killswitch did not fix yet and his car stopped like yesterday. Fortunately Jun was in the liaison and the mechanic car came by and repaired it.

The course of today was the one track and it was the high speed course of the mountain road. The course had only a few variations. Weather was changing like sometime rain sometime fine and there was the big gap of dust amount that cut off Jun’s view was different by places.

Yesterday’s position of SS decide today’s starting order and Jun was started 20 minute later from his team mate. The team ordered to Jun to support the team mate today. Jun’s motivation got lower for that but he changed his mind and started the race. The time gap between the team mate became 5 minute at last. However he could big catch up from behind it was how he is.

Liaison:501km
SS:359km
Total:860km
T2 Autos Result:1st
Overall standings:29th

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Stage 9

January 13(Local time), the first day of the last half, the course was difficult. Deep feshifeshi ground waited for all entrants. Jun’s car was upside down at the beginning of first sand dune. He stopped the car and it turned over 3 times due to soft feshifeshi ground. 3 tires fell off from the wheels and the team mate waited for Jun during he fix the tires. He did not take a time to repair the tires and Jun started to run again at once. Jun thought to follow the team mate but the rearview mirrors gone and he lost them.

Since Jun’s car got upside down, the rear doors couldn’t have been opened and he could not take out the jack. So Jun drove carefully not to flat tire happen. He missed the course and stuck on feshifeshi ground later. Jun could not to bring out the sand ladder to escape the feshifeshi ground and he evacuated the air of the tires then started again. Jun had to blow up the tire later and he needed the air hose for that but the rear doors were closed. He pulled out the hose in some wise and put the air to the tires then ran again.

After the middle of the stage, the engine of Jun’s car did not start. The engine stopped between check point 3 and 60km before to the goal at last. The reason of that trouble was the failure of the killswitch. Jun connected the cables to the battery directly and he succeeded to cross the finish line. The time loss by the electrical trouble was so big.

Jun defended the top of T2 Autos but the time gap between the team mate as 2nd is 15 minute and it is practically nought. Jun said the first turn over was his fault but tomorrow’s course is difficult too and it is going to be the crucial point of the race. Hope he moves on.

Liaison:88km
SS:451km
Total:539km
T2 Autos Result:1st
Overall standings:30th

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