Stage Two Updates...

Hello Everyone!

Sorry it took so long to post this! Steve called me at about 1230am (his time) this morning with updates about how the stage went, but I couldn't post because the internet went out where I am staying.

Right away I could tell that he seemed tired from a long day, which is expected after knowing all they went through today. Steve said that at about kilometer 30 they had issues with their rear wheel. He doesn't know what happened, just all of the sudden they dropped and the rear end of the Hummer was on the ground. Luckily his crew chief had done a quick "just in case" run through with Steve before the race started, and one of the things he briefly touched on was the Hummer's wheels and their inflation system. Steve isn't a professional mechanic, but with a little trial and error he was able to put the wheel back together on his own. He said that because he had never worked with these wheels before and there were so many steps to figure out and go through, it took longer than he would have liked. In the end, the most important thing is that he was able to get the Hummer up and running again, because in the Dakar Rally, simply continuing to finish stages can get you ahead of most other competitors.

Once they were back in the race Hummer 327 made amazing time! Steve strongly believed that if there were no issues in the beginning they would have been able to top ten. Their times were great from our online perspective, but Steve said that they would have been able to do even better if they hadn't spent the whole day trying to pass big trucks. The Hummer ran through the rest of the stage amazing. They had no issues and were very pleased with it's performance. They finished the day around 11pm, grabbed something to eat, took a hot shower, and started on the road books for today's stage.

When I talked to him this morning, he thought that they would be starting today's stage at the end of the pack. However, the ASO has ruled reclassification for both Hummers. Instead of starting in the 47th (#303) and 129th (#327) postions, they will be starting the third stage in the 21st and 23rd position. This is a great advantage for both Hummers. When I had asked Steve how he felt about today's stage, he said he was just worried about how much time they would spend trying to pass people, and how much time that would cost them. I am sure the whole team is estatic to hear this ruling!

The Hummers are going to be playing catch up for the next few days. The important thing to remember about the Dakar is anything can happen! There are still plenty of days of racing to do to make up for lost time!

That is all for now! Talk to you all later today!
Alison