The third stage of the Dakar Rally started well for Tim and Tom Coronel, until Tim felt something strange with the steering of the Century CR7. A loose steering rack marked the start of a day filled with problems, with a 45th position in the classification as a result.
“I’m really glad we made it because the car just wasn’t doing what we wanted today”, explains a relieved Tim at the finish. “I felt something was loose and immediately told Tom: that must be the steering rack. It was really difficult to reach and tighten it, which took quite some time. We had to remove the skid plate, which is secured with ten large bolts. We didn’t put them all back in because it took too much time.”
Due to the repairs in the desert the boys encountered quite some time loss, which caused them to slip back in the field: ‘The whole track was destroyed, with really deep ruts from the trucks”, Tom explains. “Everything was wrecked, which was a big disappointment. We pushed through with renewed determination, until the gearbox started acting up and later the differential too. So, we decided to just bring the car home.”
Although Tim loved the scenery during the stage from Bisha to Al Henakiyah, he didn’t enjoy his day behind the wheel of the Century: “I appreciated the landscape. Very fast trails and lots of rocks, for at least 200 kilometers. But it was basically a big pounding zone, everything got shaken loose. It was one giant bumpy ride. And on the longer sections, we couldn’t go full throttle because we wanted to save the car. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy it at all.”
Marathon stage
After the problems in the third stage, the next challenge is already waiting for Tim and Tom: “Tomorrow and Thursday will be the marathon stage,” Tom continues. “That’s going to be a really important one. The team still has a lot of work on the car tonight. The gearbox has to come out, so they’re in for a very short night. We need to be ready tomorrow because it’s going to be a long route spread over two days.”
The marathon stage runs from Al Henakiyah to Hail via the marathon bivouac in Al Ula. No mechanics are allowed in the bivouac, so Tim and Tom will need to prepare the car themselves for the second part of the stage.
Coronel Dakar Team is supported by: LKQ, MPM, Toolspecial, Optimal, ERU, Roordink Bedrijfswagens, Efulfilment.eu, Mascot Workwear, 4Brands, BS Forklifts, JBL, Keukenwarenhuis, DHG, Serengeti, Hella, Brondool, Chassis Parts, FEBO, MyFMS, Frits Dijk, Apple King, SuperB, P1, Copernica
