Drifter AR Series

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Team Mazda – 4 x First

Team Mazda / 27.03.2003

It was time to play in Lesotho at the first event of the 2003 Mazda Drifter Adventure Racing series, with two more plus a longer final still to come. All the planning and preparation of the series was rewarded when 21 teams arrived in Lesotho for the first event, the largest field of competitors since one of the Mazda events in Montague, December 2001! With most of these teams having signed up for the whole series, AR in South Africa is off to a fine start.

Team MAZDA arrived in drips and drabs from around the country. The team for this event was John Collins, Michelle Lombardi, Philip Swanepoel, and Evert Meintjes. Support crew included Chris van Rooyen, Tina Schultz, and Rolynne Meintjes. At about 9.00 pm on Thursday, the team was all finally together in our rondavel in Ladybrand.

Friday morning saw the teams meet in Maseru, to collect instructions for the start of the event. Time was plentiful, so Mazda popped in at Nando’s (yes, we found one in Maseru) for last-minute fuelling on chicken pita’s and wraps. Due to rain and resultant river levels and river crossings, the event start and disciplines had to be changed. The first bike leg was scrapped, and part of the bike leg was added to the first hiking leg. A quick pre-start briefing, and 21 teams went charging off from the start for their 60km trek across the mountainous Lesotho landscape.

Changing Plans

Mazda took the lead early on, with John finding the navigation easier than expected. It was a bit of follow-my-leader to the first PC on the hike, and frustrating to arrive at the entrance to the gorge and find no marshal to give further instructions to teams prior to entering the gorge. John knew that Mazda were at the right place, so decided to proceed down the kloof in search of the ropes section and PC2. The 10m mandatory rope came out, saving Michelle from being swept off the edge of a steep waterfall crossing. Focused teamwork kept the team safe, and after some exciting footwork down the gorge and 2hrs later, a marshal was located at PC2. We were instructed to return up the gorge, as weather had forced closure of the ropes section. Teams were re-directed, and essentially the race re-started at this point. Although enjoyable, this section was dark, wet, and extremely dangerous, but fortunately other teams were spared this when the marshal returned up the gorge with Mazda to redirect teams to T2.

Off to T2, the next point on the trek, and again, Mazda made good work of this section, only to be faced with an absent marshal for the second time. Another wait, with 2nd placed team AR Gear joining Mazda at this point, and some 40mins later a marshal arrived with instructions. Another change in plan from the organisers, and teams were re-routed to head back to T5. So, T2 was no transition, just a PC, and off teams went to find their support crews at T5, a welcome end to a long hike. See All Event Posts