Cars just returned from Stages 4 and 5, the 16.45-mile turnaround stages Icicle Brook North and Icicle Brook South. There was a service, after which cars headed out to the final stage of the evening, the infamous 5.76 miles and big jumps of Concord Pond.
-Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jeremy Wimpey report that since Oregon they have made some improvements to their Scion XD, and as a result it is much better handling. The team cracked their exhaust, but don't believe it cost them any time. They lost 20 seconds to Chris Duplessis on the inbound stage, but only 7 seconds on the return trip as the driver gets more comfortable.
-Chris Duplessis and Karl Atkinson have no issues with their Ford Fiesta and that they are going well. Duplessis said, maybe tongue-in-cheek, that he is going to keep pushing no matter how big a lead they build up. "Tell the guys behind that if they want to beat me, they should back off and see if I fall off the road."
-Dillon Van Way and Jake Blattner have no problems with their Ford Fiesta. They are facing stiff competition, and just want to make it to the finish.
-In the Datsun 280Z, Greg Healey and Cindy Krolikowski are doing OK despite their lack of an intercom. They were faster coming out of Icicle Brook, and Healey feels good about that.
-Wyatt Knox and Ole Holter are trying DMack tires for the first time on their Mazdaspeed3 and are really happy with them. When they come up to heat they grip really well, and get a thumbs-up. For a while the team had a problem that when the chassis hit the ground, the fuel supply cut out. They re-wired the fuel pump straight to the battery with a manual switch, and hope that solves the problem.
-Martin Walter and Ferd Trauttmansdorff (Nissan 240SX) find the roads rougher than what they are normally used to. Their stock Nissan rims are not holding up to the abuse; they bent two rims (but didn't get any flats), and the team is just trying to manage their tires and rims.
-The Merkur XR4ti of Tim Chevalier and Alan Moody is also having wheel troubles, once again to the stock rims. They split one wheel right down the middle. The new car is working well, and they are very happy with it.
-The Broken Motorsports Ford Fiesta of William Petrow and Jeremy Neyhart had its skid plate fall down again due to previous damage. But Petrow admits that the new Ford is "Fun as hell!"
-Kristin Przybysz and Meghan Roy, driving a Subaru Impreza, were held up on Icicle Brook North by a slower competitor that was having trouble. It took them a long time to be able to safely pass. On the trip out of they stage they were a full minute faster. They blew their left rear wheel bearing, but they were able to secure a replacement part from Kevin Turner (who drives a similar Impreza) and are continuing on.
-Kevin Turner and Robert Sockalexis, in their Impreza, tore a CV boot on the way in to the turnaround stage. They used a plastic bag and electrical tape to improvise a repair, and were able to get back to service. In service they replaced the axle.
-The VW Golf of Chris Rennie and Joe Vital broke a stub axle, so the team is out of Friday's rally.
-Edward McNelly and Pascal Belperron, also in a VW Golf, had a flat on Icicle Brook North and changed the flat. They borrowed a tire and wheel from the stricken Golf of Chris Rennie, which was fortunate as McNelly and Belperron also had a flat going back out on Icicle Brook South, so they were able to continue.
-Justin Carven and Geoff Clark demonstrated the power of rally karma in the Greasecar VW Rabbit. They had two flats on Icicle Brook North, and they too borrowed a tire and wheel from Chris Rennie. Rennie had borrowed a wheel and tire from Carven last year, so what comes around goes around.
-The SAAB 99 of Luke Sorenson and Seth Strait drove Icicle Brook North very aggressively, and bashed up the suspension. They didn't hurt anything, but they drove a bit easier on Icicle Brook South and lost a bit of time.
-Verona Mei and Keith Morison are getting more confident in their Ford Fiesta. Mei stated that Icicle Brook North was the fastest she had ever driven in a rally car. Having done it on the way in, she was much more comfortable with the speed on Icicle Brook South.
