DAY 4 ...THE INFAMOUS MIL CUMBRES and another crash

Nov 13 - Day 4 - miles 3900: All well with the car...now for the big one. ........Mil Cumbres. Conrad in the driving seat. The daunting Mil Cumbres - a speed stage that has slippery roads, no edge barriers and often landslide gravel on the road. We are again warned in the drivers meeting that the hill has to be respected especially with the recent rain. We get off to a great start and put in good performances on all the stages by the end its raining and the final stage on Mil Cumbres is brought t o a halt because of a terible accident. The road has suffered landslides and in at least three parts of the 17 km section literally half of the road has slid down the mountain leaving a giant hole. We spot the Clark/Prill 356 at the side of the road with a broken cam shaft. Both the second place Studebaker and the E type crash on the stage with both of them going over the edge. The studebaker is fine - but out. The E type has gone down 60 meters and the driver is hospitalised. The final stage is cancelled and we return home after a long delay due to the incident. On the way back to the hotels Conrad crashes again!! This time with the trailer hitting a tree in the town square.....At the drivers awards we have climbed into 3rd fastest in class for the day, 4th in class and 66th overall. The car is worked on all evening and has its valve clearances adjusted.