Post by Ferdinand on 07/26/12 at 14:29:22
Despite our disappointing finish, we had lots of fun at the Black Bear Rally. Others, like Chris Martin and Alan Ockwell, maybe not so much fun...
We finished all six stages, were 2nd overall. But then our differential blew up during the transit back to the finish. So we're DNF. Bummer
See full story with photos and in-car video of each stage posted in the MCO forum: http://www.mco.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14340
If you just want to see the bit where the diff explodes, watch this last video. It's a long stage. If you don't want to watch the whole thing, start from 13:05 where we come to the Tee-Left onto the smooth, wide, fast road to the finish. The differential really starts howling in pain as the speed builds.
At 13:35 the first tooth snaps off in the differential. Watch the steering wheel as Martin fights the sudden oversteer when the rear end jams up momentarily, before the gears crunch through that loose tooth and grind it to dust.
If the diff had locked up completely, for sure we'd have been very suddenly backwards and flying off the road into the trees. Martin wisely backed off the speed from there to the finish at 15:23.
The differential comes apart and we lose all drive shortly after we leave the finish control and start onto the transit road.
2012 Black Bear Rally - A6 Egan South 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSMGucQJo4k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSMGucQJo4k