The duo Hugo Rodrigues/Kaique Bentivoglio lived through movie like moments in the sixth Special of the 2011 Sertões International Rally between Lizarda (TO) and Balsas (MA), on Monday. The competitors were stranded for hours on the trail waiting for rescue by the MEM Motorsport team and, to while away the time, they even took naps on top of the car. In the wee hours of dawn they were taken out of there.
The navigator Kaique told us: We tried to sleep on the car. Hugo slept on the roof; and I on the bonnet. We managed to rest for an hour at most.
The duos problems started after 20 kilometers, when the gear shift loosened. By improvising, they managed to continue. The car began to have electrical problems: it would stall and we couldnt get it to start again. Every time this happened, we had to get down, put a rope on it and have someone pull it to pop the clutch, Kaique added.
An then, 90 kilometers from the end, at about 15:30, the car turned off completely. Thas when the story started, because we got left without a radio, without communication with the team.
Hugo and Kaique said that they used other competitors radios so that their team would know where they were stopped. According to the navigator, they also communicated the problem to the support personnel and the course sweepers. But the teams rescue only arrived at the site after 3:00 am.
It was a real grilling, because we were left all this time in the middle of nowhere without any information, the navigator stated.
The duo was helped by test colleagues and passers-by, who gave them water and food (biscuits). We know that the team would arrive, but didnt know when. So it was agony, but it all worked out in the end. It was a night to forget about, said Kaique, who returned to the Box area at around 9:00, practically over a day after they started out.
Este texto foi escrito por: Andrei Spinassé
Last modified: agosto 18, 2011
