Team Saluki UAE Desert Challenge 2004

[TeamSaluki]

Team Saluki - a group of dedicated privateers based in the Middle East, racing a FIA T2 spec Land Rover 110 Defender, are up for their next challenge, the final round of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies - the UAE Desert Challenge 2004.


The Rally - based in the United Arab Emirates - centred around the infamous Rub Al Khali (otherwise known as the Empty Quarter - made famous by Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian expeditions early last century) is one of the toughest deserts in the world. Towering dunes, mountainous sand walls and fast gravel plains will test the skills and endurance of riders, drivers and vehicles from around the world.


The Vehicle - a purpose built Land Rover Defender with a brand new 4.8 litre V8 engine producing 326 bhp (unfortunately FIA regs have restricted the vehicle to a mere 285 bhp!).



Make: Land Rover Defender

Model: FIA T2 specification 110" hard top

Registration No: Dubai (3) 24780

Weight: 1,882 kgs unladen - 2,337 kgs with Driver, Navigator, 300 Litres of fuel and rally equipment

Engine: Lund Engines 4.8 litre injected V8

Clutch: AP Racing

Diff: Quaife LSD with Quaife 19 spline half shafts

Transmission: LT 85 gearbox (straight cut 5th gear) and R230 transfer case

Suspension: 8 x Reiger / HT Suspension shock absorbers and 4 x HT Suspension progressive springs


The Action - We'll be sending out daily updates from the rally on the status of Team Saluki. These updates will be listed here but you can also follow the action on our website www.teamsaluki.com


Regards

Team Saluki

[Fouad Berjaoui]

Good Luck guys will be there

Fouad

[TeamSaluki]

Thanks for your support!

The official seeded entrants list has been released.

Team Saluki are ranked 16th of 66 competitors.

[DG]

Good Luck Guys ;D
See you soon.

DG

[TeamSaluki]

Day One of the rally and it's time for scrutineering down at the Dubai International Marina Club.

Team Saluki join a long line of vehicles at the alloted time - 15:00 where we don't actually get started until approximately 16:00. The three Volkswagen specials, Mitsibushi, Hummer, Lativian special builds as well as the collection of bikes all add to the delays. Each awaiting their turn to be opened up, checked and signed off ensure they comply with the rules. The specials causing more delays as their front end is basically stripped out to get at the engines for checks.

A representative from the FIA ensures that all the scutineers comply with their regulations. Helmets are checked for valid dates, air restricter inlet capacity, rollcage welded, warning triangle and a multitude of other items. Normally air restrictions couplings are marked with tamper proof spot paint to ensure that they remain untouched throughout the event.



This year, it's even stricter - all the jubilee clips that hold together the air intake on the Saluki vehicle require holes through them so that a security wire can ensure that they're not undone. Team Saluki work on the vehicle along with a store full of drills to make them compliant and it's back to scutineering to get the all clear.



The race car is ready as is the support team but one of the support vehicles had some 'minor' engine problem. A strip down on the 4.6L engine discovered that the distributor shaft had snapped, causing the timing chain to snap with the result of internal damage to the con rods and valves. All is fixed and it's mobile again.

The prologue takes place today (Sunday) after which its a short trip down to Abu Dhabi where tommorow the rally will begin in earnest.

Team Saluki

[TeamSaluki]

Sunday - Prologue




Race meeting took place at 10:00 to advise the teams of all matters related to the race and also of prime importance was safety. The total distance of the race is 2024Km of which special stages make up 1677Km. The race meeting was a strange place - teams supposed to be listening to the briefing but obviously turned up for a chat - the presenters constantly having to remind people to be quite. explanations of the ERTF system (the new safety system) brought out the most stupidest of questions from people who really should know better. No names but it just might have been Colin McRae...

The prologue took place at the Jebel Ali Race Course in Dubai with the competitors setting off in reverse order with one minute intervals all of course in the obligatory 40 deg heat. This was to decide the starting place for day one of the race. The course was a good mixture of gravel track, soft sand and some nasty looking hairpin bends with soft sand on the exit just before the climb. This caught out quite a few vehicles resulting in some minor chaos as one vehicle got stuck in the sand with no traction, other vehicles continued to enter the track even though the marshalls had declared the track closed. The end result was groups of vehicles on the timed track having to park up and wait until the marshalls had cleared the track.

You'll be glad to know that Team Saluki had no such problems and cleared the track successfully in 3 minutes 9 seconds leaving them seeded 33rd place out of fifty vehicles. A nice place to be considering it's always a good feeling to overtake someone in front of you.

At the end of the prologue it was back to the service van where the vehicle was given a thorough check over. Minor items which became evident were that the clutch fluid was low and that the steering was slack and had movement.

Once corrected, checked and satisfied, Team Saluki (Rally car and three support vehicles) headed south towards Abu Dhabi where Leg One of the race starts. If want to hear a good story when they're back online ask them about the Maxima


Regards
Team Saluki

[TeamSaluki]

Team Saluki - Day 1 - Monday 12th October 2004



The formal start took place at Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi. There was drive to the start of Special Stage One and the actual first day of side by side racing.

As soon as the vehicle set off, the support vehicles followed in hot pursuit to meet up at the service area. With the support team waiting an hour, Team Saluki screamed into the service area, a quick check of the clutch fluid, a request for water and they were on their way heading for the next control point.

During the day, one biker had been choppered out of the event prior to the service area and vehicles had rolled. As of this time, no serious injuries had been notified. Team Saluki charged onwards and arrived 10th with a time of 4 hours, 4 minutes and 54 seconds at the Moreeb Hill bivouac where the Special Stage 1 finished. So far a climb of 23 places on the start of the day.

At time of writing the vehicle is currently undergoing servicing and to repair a puncture on the rear right wheel which they ironically received inside the bivouac and not on the track.



Regards
Team Saluki

[TeamSaluki]

Following on from my recent posting...

Final vehicles have came in however the two bikes travelling under the Team Saluki name have still to arrive (as of 11:30PM local time) - the sweep team have been despatched and we await their safe arrival shortly. Their first port of call will be to the medic to check for their expected dehydration.

On a lighter note - after reworking the final results to take account of penalties it seems the Team Saluki rally car have risen up to 8th place.


Tommorow mornings start is at 06:30 for a total of 371.40Km

Cheers
Team Saluki

[TeamSaluki]

Team Saluki - Day 2 - Tuesday 12th October 2004

The day starts early with departures from the Bivouac setting off at a scheduled 06:30 start, the desert however had wanted to delay the start and had provided a blanket of fog which took until 08:30 to allow the race to start. Team Saluki in their overnight increase in standing to eighth place were looking forward to the stage.

Through the first dune section to checkpoint 1, Team Saluki were up to sixth place. The next section to checkpoint 2 involved a more straightline speed where the Saluki lost a couple of places, at checkpoint 3 no stops were required and Team Saluki drove straight through, no water, no fuel, no problems.

The organisers had decided that the days racing would be shortened by one section resulting in a reduction in distance by some 40Km. This gives a total distance covered today of approximately 330Km.

Upon arrival at the final checkpoint, the Team advised that the alternator was not working correctly. It will be changed by the support team upon arrival at the bivouac.

In summary - a long day which saw various competitiors fail to complete inlcuding works machine vehicles whose engines blew up. When asked to quote on the day in summary Tim (Navigator) said - "hot"

We will advise of final positions once all the vehicles have returned to camp.

Regards
Team Saluki

[TeamSaluki]

Mid race update from PC Three on day three of the Desert Challenge. (N22 53.000 E53 24.395).

Last night Team Saluki were provisionally placed at seventh place, in the morning we set off in 11th place. We're still the highest place non-works motor.

The faulty alternator that had been discovered last night was actually a broken fan belt which has been replaced as part of the general service lat night.

As the team passed through PC One they were still in 11th place. The team have just passed through the service point located at PC3 in approximately 8th position and did not stop.

At this stage of the rally, the aim is to keep the momentum up and maintain our advantage.

Regards
Team Saluki

[TeamSaluki]

Team Saluki - Day 3 - Wednesday 13th October 2004

Team update from the Moreeb Hill Bivouac. The final positions were decided quite late last night with Team Saluki being placed 11th when provisionally they were put at seventh.

Team Saluki are currently the highest placed privateer team in the Desert Challenge. The alternator problem turned out to be nothing more than a broken fan belt which of course was replaced as part of the normal servicing.

Today was a chase day with support vehicles stuggling to keep up with the Saluki car to meet it at checkpoints. The Saluki had to cover 308Km in todays section.

The car returned to the support centre, with no problems with both driver and navigator happy with the vehicle and the conditions. Again, we await final confirmation on placings of todays race and they will be advised in due course.

In addition, with the holy month of Ramadan starting on Friday the organisers will be making a decision tonight on what is to happen to Fridays race day. We believe that the Challenge will be shortened to 4 days with the fifth day being a road day back to Dubai.



Regards
Team Saluki

[husain]

keep up the good work guys.
GOOD LUCK. :>

[TeamSaluki]

Thursday 14th October


Well it's been a day of ups and down - and thats not only the route Saluki took.

13:45 - Mark/Tim advise they've got a problem with their transmission - lost rear wheel drive. Just as we head from PC4 into the desert to assist Dave/Bryan and Mark / Tim blast over the ridge. It transpires that Dave/Bryan had pulled Mark/Tim out. The plan was to have a new transfer box fitted at PC4 where we expected Mark/Tim to stop - they had other ideas and went straight through and carried on to PC5. It looks like Dave/Bryan gave Mark/Tim a friendly nudge to get traction in the softsand at PC4. The support crew now head for PC5 in case of problems. They go straight through. They've now covered 80Km on the rally route with front wheel drive only. 11Km from the end, the transmission packs up completely and Mark/Tim decide to take the penalty and get recovered to the camp.

Recovering the Saluki car involved - Streakys 130, Ians Nissan and a lot of rally route tracks. Streaky broke a halfshaft and had to be recovered himself. How do we put it - not exactly the ending to the day that we had wanted.

Dave/Bryan also got recovered - a broken driveshaft causing them problems. The car is currently upon jacks with six people looking underneath.

As soon as I've got more information I'll send it through..including the information on the bikes... Some of the background of going on in camp and during the day can be found on our website www.teamsaluki.com


Thats all for now from N22 58.285 E 53 47.765

Team Saluki

[TeamSaluki]

Update for Friday 15th October :

Well it's Friday - sorry it's a bit late coming to you - but we had to shut up camp and then a long drive back from Liwa to the official closing ceremony in Dubai.

The transfer box that was the source of our problems yesterday was replaced by one of the service team on his own - a superhuman effort by Ard to make sure we were able to complete the road section today.

Even with the time penalties the Team received for the problems yesterday we're still placed Seventh. An amazing achievement for the Team. Even with the penalties we're still 53 minutes ahead of our nearest competitor in a works sponsorer car.

With the overall scoring and ranking from this event, this makes Team Saluki the number 1 team in the Gulf.

Team Saluki were also presented the Spirit of the Leg Award for their approach to racing in the Desert Challenge event.



A hard event and a superb effort by the whole team which shows in the result that we obtained.



We attended the gala dinner last night and due to some confusion over what placings we had they listed us as being eighth in the race and second in the Gulf. We'd like to make it clear that Team Saluki came Seventh in the rally and we're First in the Gulf.

Thank you for your continued support, Now that we're back in general communications I know Mark and Tim will be adding their own comments and feedback on the Team Saluki website so you should check it out, shortly the images will also be added.

Thank you again.

Regards
Team Saluki base camp

[Fouad Berjaoui]

We are really happy for you guys, it's a true story of perseverance and dedication. Sorry to hear about your breakdown at the last 11Km, otherwise we would have seen you in 3rd position.

Fouad