Syd Stelvio, Peking to Paris 25 - Day 2 –Datong to Hohhot – 275km
The conditions were sunny but blustery as the rally left the tower blocks and skyscrapers of Datong this morning, for a slightly shorter day in the saddle. Anyone who had forgotten to draw the blinds overnight may have thought there was an electrical storm happening outside, with the frequency of flashes from the traffic cameras that adorn every gantry in this city.
The rally passed into Inner Mongolia today, driving between the ancient monuments that lined the border at the crossing point, the Hanzi information boards explaining that they were the remains of a lesser-known Wall of China, dating to the Ming Dynasty.
Further down the road, there were two regularities to look forward to, that would occur in quick succession, but first there was a 153 km transit run that made its way through towns and villages, where the citizens who were going about their business gathered and stared at the strange cavalcade disturbing their Sunday morning. For the occupants of Maihutu, it was market day, and the centre was a buzz of pedestrians and Tuk-Tuks, but everything stopped as the rally came through, as people waved and pointed camera phones at the strangers that were rumbling through their sleepy town.
A time control punctuated the mornings transit, and the road after this was a potholed mess, clogged with the coal trucks that move perpetually along the roads in this part of China. Patience was the name of the game here, with not much to be gained from wild overtaking, keeping an eye on the potholes was a more pressing issue, with some elaborate evasive action required at times.
The regularity that followed this was on a better surface, and the one after that featured a little bit of gravel to have a play on. Neither were too taxing; the trickiest task was ensuring a tricky slot in a village on the link between the two wasn’t missed. It was arrowed, but even this wasn’t enough for some of the crews, much to the amusement of the locals who had gathered to spectate.
There were spectators of another kind along the route as well, one’s wearing badges and carrying speed guns, who were very keen to meet some of the competitors. In fact, they flagged down a small convoy of rally cars, including car 24, 26 and 66, and then invited car 75 to join the roadside party as well, I’m told it was a ticket only affair, cheap at twice the price.
A machine that wasn’t going quite so quickly was the Lancia Fulvia of James Hall-Smith and Ed Talbot, who’s alternator had decided China wasn’t really for them. They received a tow from Steve Osborne and Robert Smith, the 1600 Escort doing a marvellous job of pulling them into the time control at Horinger, where, after some mechanical magic from the Sweeps, they were able to leave again under their own power.
As the day drew on the city of Hohhot appeared in the distance, the tops of Lego brick skyscrapers poking up above the horizon. A brand-new highway was the path into the metropolis, with transport infrastructure that has roads built above roads, and with a typically Chinese attitude towards lane discipline and rights of way, it can easily catch out a navigational lapse in concentration.
A tremendous test awaited those who successfully navigated the city streets, a blast around a Horse Racing come Speedway track, offering the perfect opportunity to release any accumulated stress. The sandy surface and high-speed rotation provided great entertainment, for the drivers and spectators alike and, as we have come to experience in China, the local public couldn’t get enough of the spectacle. The Ford Escort that had doubled as a tow truck earlier in the day was quickest around the oval, with driver Steve Osborne registering a time of 1:49. Fourth overall, and the fastest vintage machine was Jorge Perez Companc, and with a time of 1:58 in the Chevy Master Coupe was the final driver to break the two-minute barrier. Everyone will have the opportunity for another stab at it tomorrow though, as the day will begin with another play on the sandy oval.
The Argentinian’s superb time around the test in the number 20 Chevy didn’t only give them the accolade for fastest pre-war machine, but also helped propel them up the leaderboard, from ninth to first, jumping ahead of the Sutton and Lawson Chevy by 13 seconds, unlucky for them. It is of course only cars in the pre-war categories that are eligible for the overall win on this rally, so whilst in first Jorge and Cristobel weren’t quite at the top of the total leaderboard, as just one second ahead of them are French pair Francois and Cecile Abrial in a BMW 320, but with three tests and a regularity on day three, who knows how the leaderboard might look by the time the cars arrive in Ordos tomorrow evening.
Syd
