Day 2 Malacca to Kuantan

The Car and the Rally:

Gerry Cowan

First things first: results for the first day put us in 7th place for post-war cars. Not bad, but we've been put in a classification with a group of cars with much larger engine displacement. Not really fair, but our petition to put us with the cars with smaller engines was denied, so we're going to have to run with the bigger cars whether we like it or not. It will be difficult for us to stay with these bigger cars, but we need to make fewer mistakes in order to compete effectively.  
Today was a another good one. There were two speed tests -- one on a circuit and a second on a dirt track through a palm plantation. The latter one was déjà vu for us. Three years ago when we were in this part of the world, we ran this exact tract and we got stuck in mud and had to be towed out......costing us maximum penalty points. Today the tract was much drier and we were quick through the 7.5 km stage. Results will be posted later tonight, but we were pleased with our sessions.

Interesting people:

In three or four of our last rallies we have competed against Gerry Crown. Gerry is 86 years old; an Aussie driving a big V-8 British Leyland and he is consistently the fastest driver. He has won the Peking to Paris Rally several times and is a fabulous driver.....and a fabulous person. He announced earlier in the week that he will retire at 90 after he has driven two more Peking to Paris Rallies.....an inspiration to anyone who enjoys motorsports.

The Scenery:

Today's route took us through agricultural countryside. The route book continued to remind us to be careful to avoid farm animals. We had to slow or stop several times to avoid small herds of lambs, goats and some small milk cows.

The Locals continue to cheer us on as our cars go through their small villages. The children are especially thrilled to see our old cars. Their favorite is, of course, the 1907 La Tour. This car, with its wooden spoked wheels like a covered wagon, is a beast. It is enormous in size and brings smiles to everyone who sees it.

As I mentioned earlier, my grandson Asher and I had a small bet on the Super Bowl. His team lost, but he promptly sent me a photo of himself offering me the two dollars that I won. A genuine gentleman paying his debt promptly. As you might have concluded, I'm very proud of him........Thanks Asher.

Boom Boom, these belong to you