Day 2 - Euphoria to Doldrums in an instant.

The short version is: We are out of the race.

This was the route on Saturday, Day 2

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Saturday was our longest on the road, with a scheduled 11 hours from check-out to check-in at the Hotel Soberano. About 15 minutes before our start time, Paul and Tim climbed into the car and got belted up. Ray and Tom had already left to be ready for us when we arrived at service. Paul started the car, but there was no response to the accelerator pedal. We both got out and determined something had come disconnected between the pedal and the carbs. Tim ran down to the start to check in on time, while a couple of crew guys from another team who had not left the lot yet came to our rescue. They quickly found a linkage that had fallen apart and snapped it back into place. We left the lot only three minutes after our out time, but since we had checked in on time, we did not get any lateness penalties.

It was a two hour transit to the first stage, much of it on four lane expressway. The given average speed to travel the distance was 60 mph, but Chihuahua Express cars get a free pass to exceed the posted limits. Not officially, of course. We caught up to some of the other cars and stayed in the formation. Good thing, too, as we got a Police Escort through the town of Cuauhtemoc, allowing us to travel through a few dozen traffic lights without stopping. We arrived at the first stage and checked in on time. Barely.

Today was Paul's turn to panic. He left his glasses on top of the car when he got in and had to remove his belts and window net and get out again to locate them. We checked in on the correct minute, but a bit later than usual. Paul was still clicking his belts into place as we pulled up to the line to start the stage. By the time we got the countdown he was ready to go.

A typical lunch stand oven.

The day's run consisted of three stages, service in the town of Creel, three more stages, then lunch at Divisadero Barrancas overlooking the Copper Canyon. We ran the first three stages, each about 12 Km in length, without incident, then checked in at the town square in Creel so Ray and Tom could top off fuel and give the car a quick once over. The next three stages were pretty close together, the longest was 17 Km, the shortest, 8.4 Km. Near the end of the final stage we encountered two cars off course, a Studebaker and the Lincoln Zephyr. It appeared both had clipped the turn and spun backwards off the road. The Lincoln returned after lunch, but the Stude was out for the day. We checked in for lunch at Divisadero and went to view the natural beauty of the Copper Canyon.

Lety prepares lunch for us

Instead of dining at the hotel overlooking the canyon, Paul and Tim climbed the stairs lined with souvenir booths for lunch at one of the stands next to the railroad depot. There are several stands run by local women, serving local fare: deep fried poblanos wrapped in a flour tortilla, corn tortillas stuffed with beans and cheese, with several options of meats and vegetables and sauces. The cooking is done on wood-fired stoves made out of 55-gallon drums with a flat plate on top.

There are wild dogs wandering everywhere. Not wild as in mean, just that they don't have homes or owners. They live by begging food or scrounging their own.

Paul walks down the stairs from the
railroad stop, past souvenir stands.

There are many local women and children, members of the Tarahumara tribe, trying to sell baskets and other small items made from local materials. An hour's visit was much too short to this beautiful area of the world.

Back on the road the same way we came, the first three stages were quick with no issues. We stopped in Creel for service one last time, then headed out to finish the final three stages of the day. On the second of those, a brisk run with only a few tight turns, Paul downshifted from 5th gear to 4th for a mild turn, only the shifter slipped into 2nd instead. The engine made a very high pitched whine for a moment, then went flat. It had over-revved, damaging valves and rocker arms. Since it was a long downhill section, we continued to coast until we found a wide spot. to wait for Ray and Tom to pick us up. Ray had kept the trailer attached to the truck for just such a possibility.

End of the event for our team.

We pushed the car onto the trailer and began the three hour journey back to the hotel. Ray already had two passengers in addition to Tom, so Tim rode in the truck, while Paul caught a ride back with another team that had stopped to see if we needed assistance.

So our adventure at the 2013 Chihuahua Express ended. We decided to pack up and leave early Sunday morning. Paul was able to change his flight plan and left for the airport before daylight. Ray and Tim headed out in the truck about 5 a.m. and made it to the border four hours later. We breezed through all the checkpoints and made it to El Paso before 10 a.m. Tim checked into the same hotel where we had stayed before crossing into Mexico to await his Monday flight home.

Day 1 - Getting acquanted

We survived Day 1, the run to Madera and back. The first and last of the 10 stages were 35 Km long (same road up and back). It appears that we are first place in the Historic B Class after the other three (or four?) cars in the class suffered problems. There is one other Porsche that has posted faster stage times, but we think they have picked up some lateness penalties.

Race cars lined up prior to the start of Stage 1.

 As we left Chihuahua on the transit we encountered the first dropout of the day. The Flog-It team's Dodge Dart hit a high curb after the quik-release on the removable steering wheel failed and it came off in the driver's hands. The frame and front suspension were damaged and they were done for the weekend.

We were about 20 minutes early for our check-in time at the first stage so we got out to stretch for a few minutes; it would be the last chance we had before the lunch break. That was where we had our first moment of panic. As Tim was putting on his helmet and HANS, he lost his glasses. It took a few minutes to locate them as they had fallen on the ground, but we were still in the car in plenty of time.

The route book for Chihuahua Express is a bit different in that nearly every turn is given. The instructions are similar to organizer supplied stage notes on U.S. rallies, but the numbering system is the opposite. Turns are graded by a scale of 0 to 4. There are actually a couple of others which are barely curves, "flat" and "full", then a bit of a turn is 0. A 2 is about 45 degrees, a 3 is 90 degrees, and a 4 is any acute turn. In addition, there are the terms "short" and "long" to give an idea of how long the turn lasts. As a result the co-driver is constantly busy calling out turns and crests. On the downside, not every slight turn is included so the driver may be looking at a left bend when the next instruction is a Right 3. As a result, it is necessary to maintain a bit of caution in following the instructions.

The beginning of the first stage.

A couple more cars were out on the first stage. A yellow Porsche 911 hit an embankment, and Taz Harvey's Datsun 510 suffered a failure of the clutch slave cylinder. The Plymouth Barracuda dropped out after a couple of stages with transmission linkage and clutch problems. Another 911, a silver one, was reported to have not finished all of the stages on Friday, but will start Saturday's stages.

Tim passes out Hero Cards in Madera

The next four stages were on twisty roads, though not quite as tight at stage 1, each about 10 Km in length.

We made it to Madera for a 40 minute service and lunch. As soon as we were out of the car we were surrounded by kids begging for "fotos". Tim had foreseen this and had hero cards printed. Over a hundred were passed out in a matter of minutes.

Back on the road the same way we came in, doing the same five stages in reverse direction.

Final prep and our first stage.

There was a pre-qualifying stage today, not mandatory, just outside of Chihuahua today. It was a portion of highway that was used on the original La Carrera Panamericana in the early 1950s. We decided it would be a good way to get used to the route book.

Ray gets Paul situated in the car. Paul gives thumbs up.

Ray got Paul situated with proper safety belt adjustment while Tim squeezed his self into the co-driver's seat. Then it was a parade to the start of the stage. The stage went pretty well, though Paul said he was driving well below his limits. A Mustang caught and passed us near the end.

After returning to the hotel and changing into street clothes again, both Tim and Paul went to the co-driver's meeting. There were a few notes added to the Route Book, mostly emphasizing the places already marked as very dangerous. A quick instruction on Control procedures, and the meeting was over.

Tim poses after the qualifying stage.

With the afternoon fairly open, Paul and Tim took a rental car up to the first stage to get used to the instructions in the Route Book. It is legal here to pre-run the entire rally course and some teams had arrived earlier in the week to do just that, but we did not have time to do all of the three-day route in one afternoon. The first stage is 35 km long and mostly tight turns and switchbacks. Found a few minor issues and overheated the brakes on the rental car.

There was a ceremonial start in downtown Chihuahua, but we missed it. I hope others will post photos.

Ray dealt with a few issues that Paul and Tim had in getting situated in the car. The Porsche is pretty small so ingress and egress is difficult, especially with the full roll cage and door bars. Once Tim is seated, he can't reach over his shoulder to grab the belts, so Ray devised a system to hang the belts forward on a small bungee cord. Likewise, it was impossible to reach the doors to close them once strapped into the car, so Ray added cords that were easily accessed. He also added heavy string attached to the roll cage in order to pull the doors closed once we are belted in.

Dinner was at another excellent restaurant, El Quintal.

We get our start order in the morning and leave for the first day's stages at 8:30 AM.

A Mexican Virgin

Our caravan of race teams just after crossing into Mexico.

Tim has been to 49 states and most Canadian provinces, but had never been to Mexico until this week.

We crossed the border at Santa Teresa, New Mexico, very near to El Paso, in a caravan with about ten other teams at about 8:00 AM. Some, like us, already had their paperwork finished so were able to proceed quickly. Others had to get their Tourist Visas and vehicle permits, but were not held up very long. Then it was the 200+ mile drive to Chihuahua, mostly through desert.

We stopped to get everyone collected at the first toll booth, because the rest rooms there are cleaned regularly. After a short chat, we were on our way again.

It may look like an early '50's Studebaker,
but it is all race car under the skin.

Many of the houses and the places that provide food are little more than shacks. Regular houses are often simple concrete rectangles. Nothing like the multi-story, many room houses you see in much of American suburbia.

We arrived at the Hotel Soberano, headquarters for the Chihuahua Express, at 1:00 PM. Paul arrived about an hour later via air. Several teams had already chosen their service areas in the parking lot and were setting up. Ray found a suitable space and we took the car off the trailer. We went through the registration process, got our Mexican racing licenses, a quick medical check, and took the Porsche through tech. All went pretty smoothly. Since it will be sunny and hot, the pale Minnesotan on the team (Tim) slathered on plenty of SPF-30.

In spare time, Tim reacquainted himself with the rally odometer in the car, a TerraTrip 303. We are having odd issues with the clocks in our cell phones, so will have to rely on the Official time pieces to make sure the clock on the TerraTrip is set properly.

We ended the day with a very fine dinner at La Mansion, one of the better local restaurants, specializing in grilled steak.

If it's Tuesday, this must be El Paso

Ray makes adjustments to the safety harness to fit an
XXL co-driver.

Tim and Ray arrived in El Paso, Texas, on Monday; Tim by air, Ray in his truck hauling the Porsche on a trailer. Dinner was at Rudy's Bar-B-Q located next to our hotel. Very Texas!

First thing today, we drove down to the border crossing at Santa Teresa, NM. This is a lesser used crossing than the one in El Paso, so it would take less time to get us straightened out. What needed straightening mainly was our paperwork for the Porsche.

It is necessary to get a Temporary Vehicle Permit issued by the Mexican Banjercito. Each car must be owned by one person who is bringing it across the border. And each person may bring only one vehicle. Since the truck is in Ray's name, Tim's name was added as an owner on the Porsche registration in Arizona. In addition, there is a refundable fee involved.

In order to apply for a Temporary Vehicle Permit from the Banjercito online you must enter a 17-digit VIN, as has been in use since the early 1980s. But the Porsche is a 1968 model so has an older style, much shorter VIN. In order to process an earlier car you must first enter the VIN from a newer car, then follow up immediately with an email giving the correct information for the car that needs the permit. That is what Ray did. Unfortunately the person doing the paperwork at the other end did not see the follow up email and we received a permit for Ray's 2001 Cadillac. In Tim's name.

It is not easy to cancel this permit once it has been issued. And it must be cancelled before it goes into effect, in our case before 17 Apr 2013. It can be done at a Mexican Consulate, but only at certain Consulates. And it must be done in person. The nearest such Consulate with a Banjercito was in Chicago, a good 8 hours one way from where Tim lives.  So Tim had to move his flight up a day in order to be at the border crossing prior to the 17th. It took a few minutes to locate someone who spoke English, and she did not immediately understand the problem. Eventually we were able to get the permit on the Cadillac cancelled and a new one issued for the Porsche. We also got out tourist Visas filled out and stamped, so we are ready to go tomorrow.

Then it was time to do a little work in the car. Tim had only been in the Porsche briefly in December. Now with suit, helmet and HANS at hand it was time to get properly fitted. The early 911 is a rather small car. Add a full roll cage and other safety gear and there is even less room. Tim is not a small person. It may require some assistance to get the helmet and HANS in place, all of the belts, window net, intercom connection, etc. installed. And once there it is unlikely that Tim will be able to get out for a short break. But he can reach the controls he needs and is ready to give it a go.

We cross the border on Wednesday with about eight other teams, hoping to get any remaining paperwork finished quickly. We met with those other teams at 6 PM to get the details of our convoy to Chihuahua, about 220 miles south of the border. We leave the hotel at 7:30 AM.

As of today there are 58 cars entered. Entry List. I guess we shall see how many will start on Friday morning.

Last minute details

Ray and Tim will hit the road on Monday morning to meet up in El Paso, Texas, on Monday evening. Ray is towing the Porsche, Tim will be flying in from Minnesota. Paul will arrive on Wednesday. We are still getting little updates from the organizers, and swapping phone calls and emails a few times a day to make sure we have not forgotten anything.

Tim has downloaded the Route Book from the official web site and will bind his own copies of the book for daily use. Ray has gone over the car several times, and is making sure there will be no problems to deal with once we get to Chihuahua.

I suspect these reports will be updated daily beginning on Monday.

Team Members: Tim Winker

Tim Winker at the
1996 Saab 900 Talladega Challenge

Tim Winker has an eclectic motor sports background. He began by working and competing in time-speed-distance rallies and autocrosses with the University of Minnesota Sports Car Club. He also worked races at Donnybrooke (now Brainerd International Raceway) as a tech inspector, corner worker, timing and scoring, and did announcing for the professional road races.

His first wheel-to-wheel experience was at the 1977 St. Paul Winter Carnival Cup ice race, where he drove a 1960 SAAB 93F owned by his employer at the time, John Sanford of Old Volks Home. (Tim now owns that same car.) He continued in ice racing and stage rallies with a Datsun 510. He later raced a Mazda GLC on ice, and a Saab 99 in SCCA Improved Touring road races, ProRally, and ice racing.

His experience as a navigator and a writer put him on teams for such nationally known events as One Lap of America, the Alcan 5000, the Downeast 3000 and Targa Newfoundland. Winker was also part of a team that helped Saab to establish several world speed records at Talladega Speedway in 1996 (see photo).

The arrival of the ChumpCar World Series in 2010 got Winker behind the wheel again, aboard a 1992 Saab 900S. With a team of other drivers he races under the banner of Fart-hinder Racing (Swedish for Speed-bump).

Winker helped to establish the Arrowhead Sports Car Club Winter Rally Series in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan over 20 years ago, and puts on at least one event in that series each year. He was the Winter Rally Series champion in 2009 and 2013.

Winker lives near Duluth, Minnesota, on a 30-acre hobby farm where he has several old Saabs.