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A Tough Day
Nice Ride
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Listen to the clip above of Don on Rally Radio, he sums Day 2 up pretty well. The audio starts with Don’s account of the fire he was exposed to on Day 1 of the rally. We think we would have run from the flames as well Don. The second part of the audio details Don’s comedy of errors today, except that it wasn’t very funny. First he left the start area without his time card, which he didn’t realize until he was flagged down by another competitor after about 80km. He had to race back to the start to get his card, but it wasn’t that simple. The organizers were not going to give him the start card, much back and forth discussion ensued, … Don said “what does this mean” and the woman organizer told him that he was out – the rally was finished for him. Still Don would not give up … so more discussion … then they phoned the head of the FIM and after much phone conversation he ruled that Don could start. The Dakar organizers argument was that it was too dangerous as the cars were now leaving and also that Don would not make his start time at the special stage. Don told them that it was their member of the organization that had directed him to start and that he was a fast rider and could make it to the special section for his start time. |
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So… off he goes… he gets to the special just in time to start and at this time they hand him two papers. Don only has time to read the first one. Apparently what the 2nd one said was that due to the heavy rains they had to reroute. They verbally told everyone else, but as he was just in time to start they didn’t actually tell him. Don knew something wasn’t right, but couldn’t figure it out…What he was supposed to do was change his road book by 50kms!!! At about 100kms in he did finally get himself straight (heaven knows how) and he finished the stage. However, not before he had to ride through water on his bike and his bike quit!!!! He got to the finish and he and all the Desert Rose Team had to wait in all their dirty, sweaty gear for the support truck to show up. Later in the afternoon, they are all sitting around doing road book and in strides the head of the FIM (apparently he was in Buenos Aires and came out to speak with Don). He spoke very strongly to him about starting without his time card and that this must not happen again…and if so it would be an immediate disqualification. Apparently all the Desert Rose guys were very worried he had come to tell Don he was out of the rally. Don actually rode the course very well today but we think that he was assessed some pretty hefty time penalties over the time card fiasco as he is currently listed in 133rd place but earlier reports had him finishing in the middle of the pack. Hopefully tomorrow is a better race day for Don. However Don is actually quite happy with the penalties, compared with being kicked out of the rally, its not so bad. Don continues to be unimpressed with the food in the Bivouacs. There was no breakfast today so he had to resort to his emergency instant porridge rations that he carries to every rally. For dinner they had lovely Argentinean Pepperoni Sausage which Don simple describes as disgusting. Unfortunately Don’s troubles were minor compared with an unfortunate accident involving one of the cars running off the course and plowing into a group of spectators. One spectator was killed and 4 injured. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims. |
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An Even Tougher Day  An Even Tougher Day Believe it or not the picture to the left (from Reuters News Agency) is not the worst thing that happened to Don in the last 24 hours! Don called in to Natalie from the Bivouac hospital hooked up to an IV for dehydration and anti nausea medication. He got food poisoning last night from the bivouac food – Don says a whole bunch of guys got sick. The food is absolutely disgusting!!! Don has had nothing to eat all day, he has been trying to get water down, but faster than he was drinking it, he was losing it one way or another!. Doctors who remembered Don from last years Dakar were coming up to him and asking him how he was doing, and how was his wife. Natalie told Don he should have said “EL LOCO (crazy!!!) to let me do the Dakar again”.
 Day 1 Parc Ferme Don was up all night with bad stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea. “He said you cannot imagine what it is like to have to vomit in the bivouac toilets!” I say TMI Don! Even so Don left this morning but his Iritrack (tracking system) was not working. He told the organizers who said not to worry it would work. It was clear that it wasn’t working, it would turn on but then kept turning itself off. Don wanted to make it clear that it wasn’t working so at EVERY check point he told the organizers it wasn’t working. He is concerned that not having Iritrack could result in a disqualification from the race so he needed to make sure they understood it wasn’t working.
 Day 1 Enjoying The Crowds Don had 2 big crashes today and says his 690 is well worn in. At around kilometer 20 he had a huge crash and was down for about 1/2 hours (he thinks). Ripped his pants wide open. He didn’t realize how heavy the 690 was to pick up. Then just before the end of the special his front end went out from under him as he was crossing water. Apparently there was a lot of algae in the water and his bike literally slipped out from his hands. We are not sure which crash the photo above is from, but it looks like he had some luck today anyway, a few feet closer and that car would have made short work of the 690! From looking at the picture, its not clear if Don still has his number bib on, is it just covered in mud or did it come off. If Don continued without his number bib that could be another grounds for disqualification.
 Day 1 Riding Off Don has also been at the organization tent fighting his time penalties that have already added up to more than 1 1/2 hours. Don’s final comment was “Just remember I am riding this for a finish not a win”.
The Toughest Day
For those of you who have been trying to track Don on-line it has been a frustrating day, from all reports it has been far worse for Don. Don had another bad night and day with his stomach problems but made it to the start of the special stage this morning. However shortly into the stage Don fell victim to bad gasoline in his tank. This same problem afflicted many riders including favorite Marc Coma. Don persevered for a long time, but this stage has been described by many as one of the toughest they have ever encountered in any rally! The sand was really tough and it was incredibly hot. Don and many other riders were forced to ride in first or second gear as that was the best their engines could do on the foul gasoline. Eventually we had word from Natalie that Don had arrived back at the Bivouac. However it seems that he and most of the other riders listed as withdrawn, had to cut the stage short, in effect disqualifying themselves from competing in the rally. At one point Don and British rider Duncan Tweedy were visited by a Doctor on the course. Apparently Duncan had briefly passed out due to the heat, the temperature was about 45C. The Doctor told them that there were no helicopters available to evacuate them since there were so many people stuck in the Dunes. The Doctor also said “you should not go on – you will die in the dunes, but if you leave the course now, there is always next year”. This evening in the bivouac Don is still really sick with stomach cramping and diarrhea. The only reason he is not throwing up is because he is on anti-nausea medicine. We hope to update this report later on and say that Don gets to ride another day, but that is probably just wishful thinking. Don, while your dream may have been cut short this year, your team and supporters are very proud of you for what you have accomplished. If you don’t get to race again in Dakar 2010, at least this year you will be healthy enough to enjoy Argentina. Thanks for the experience. The three links below provide some insight as to the conditions on stage 3. Watch the videos in order, at the start of the second one you will be amazed at the large number of cars that are stuck in such a small area. “Vini, vidi, vici: they came, they saw, they conquered” Team Rally Raid Canada sponsored by Duncan Motorsports has completed the 2010 Baja 1000 finishing an impressive 5th in their class!! The team did a magnificent job of bringing home the Husaberg FE570 for the manufactures first ever Baja finish. Finishing the event was the team’s top priority and although happy with their fifth place finish they have filed a time protest with the event organizers to see if the almost one hour that our rider Nick Caldwell spent assisting a downed competitor can be readjusted to the overall time for the event. Official timing has the team completing the race in 33.02 hours. The DMS Racing built Husaberg FE570 did an excellent job of dealing with the harsh Mexican environment. Essentially stock other than upgrades available through the Husaberg Performance Parts Catalogue the bike performed flawlessly. “We rode an absolutely stock Husaberg FE390 and FE450 bike during the pre-ride portions and we were so impressed by their handling, performance and reliability”, Don noted. Paul Gallagher had the pleasure of riding off the starting line in Ensenada heading across Baja towards San Felipe and the dreaded woops section. “With great bottom end power, well sorted fuel injection system and excellent suspension the bike is a pleasure to ride during my 30 miles of “woops” he says. “ Marc Ebdrup rode the second leg of the race from Coco’s Corner to San Ignacio. He had to deal with the blinding sun as he rode the very fast last daylight section, and the first part of the night sections. “It was great. The bike is so fast and stable”. Nick Caldwell rode the night section of the course. Compounding the already dusty conditions from the silt beds was the cold damp foggy weather heading into the rider change at checkpoint 8. Having to concentrate 100% to see through the night with light only being supplied by the two eight inch HID headlights on the front of the bikes. “Wow, was that wild or what” somehow summed up the stage so correctly. As team manager Don Hatton saved the best and possibly the hardest section for himself. Taking off at 3am from checkpoint eight Don had nearly zero visibility for the first 100 miles while battling the damp fog, cold temperature, and nearly 60 miles of sand whoops, and worst of all being passed by the 100 mph Trophy Trucks. After all this he had to ride the Aztec Stairs; nearly 11 miles of two foot drops prior to coming into the end of the race at La Paz. He took 9 hours to complete the 250 mile section. Our support team of Kevan Ibbotson, John Yeomans, Bernie Wright and Nathan Sutter logged well over 4000 miles (6500 km) chasing the riders during the pre-ride sections and then during the actual race. The pre ride was a lot of work and driving for the support team. They joked that it is comparable to leaving Duncan BC and driving for 300 KM to Campbell River then have the riders unload and ride the bikes 500 km to Port Hardy, then picking them up and driving back to Duncan. Then the next day, do it all over again. A big thank you and hat’s off to our support team. They Finished!!!!
Update from DirtNewz Nick Paul, Don, Marc and the rest of the team members have completed the grueling Baja 1000, and by the looks of the picture on the left they are all in one piece! Well done guy’s! Last Update before the Baja Starts via Duncan Motorsports Website Don’s update (by phone call): Don was not planning to ride today, but he felt he better get out there for one more ride before the race starts tomorrow. Don has been riding a brand new Husaberg FE450 and is having a great time doing so. Don says that this is a great bike; he has not made a single change as it is bone stock and has now put well over 1000km on it. Team Duncan Motorsports has had to switch their pit support. The team was supposed to get support from the KTM pit crew, but found out today that this is not an official KTM crew and were forced to change to the Baja support team. Before traveling to Mexico the team was advised to use tubes in their tires. They have found now that most teams are running Moose’s. Nicks update (by e-mail): I pre rode yesterday from race mile marker 735, just after the silt beds. Marc and I rode to where my rider change to Don will be at race mile 846. I took a wrong turn early in the game, lost marc, waited around for him for about 20 mins. Rode backwards for about 15 miles to see if he crashed or was lost or where he was. I couldn’t find marc, so I continued along hoping to find him in the way….. No such luck. I rode alone to the end of the section. It was a high speed run. Great ride!!! I should be getting the bike around 8pm or so. It should take me about 8 to 10 hours. Nick On a side note: Nick’s spot is not working so he will be taking Marc’s spot during the bike transfer. Nick is also pre-riding on a Husaberg FE390 and having a great time. He says that the bike is performing great. Update from Don, via Duncan Motorsports Website This is a point form update from a phone conversation with Don November 17, 2010. All is good in Mexico and the riders are very excited for the start of the race tomorrow, November 18, 2010.
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