On the next service we was all waiting for the team to get back, however as the previous cars went past to their service areas it became obvious that something wasn't right. 5 mins had passed since car 65 had gone by. Brosis were 67. Ken's face said it all. He was disappointed beyond comprehension. He retreated back inside the van waiting for a call of help from the intercom. I tried to comfort him saying maybe they have stalled and need a push start. Still nothing. The minutes were passing and even my enthusaism had waned to submission. They were out. The car has broke down or worse they have come off the course.

Zack calls out 'They are here' 

George confirms it and its battle stations. Everyone jumps up knowing whatever has gone wrong it needs to be sorted. 

The team next to us had already retired from the race at this point. This had open up the entrance to our service area and knowing this we directed the car in to the side of the service bay. 

'Whats happened' questions Ken.

'We overheated' replies Simon 'We are leaking water'

'I checked us in' Hayley told us, a calm as mustard she had checked the car into the stage end, but the time taken to get the water filled back up and limp back to service had eaten again into the 25 service time. Ken had discovered the problem. A pipe had come off the water pump. but to get it back on the front of the mini had to be taken apart. I continued to mop up more oil, George filled the fuel back up and Zack was doing the honours with the tea and toast again.

With the short time avalable the grill, radiator and associated parts had to come off. The water drained from the system. The pump removed and pipework disconnected. Eventually he got to the problem joint. A quick check for damage and the pipe was refitted. Then in reverse all the parts were put back together. Hayley once again reminding us of the time, with Ken remind hayley that if this isn't fixed no one was going anywhere. As a newcomer I thought any minute now everyone is going to loose it under the pressure, but now we all held it together and they were off with another bump start.

Sadly this was the end of the race for us all. By the time they had reached the checkin point for the next stage the pipe had come off and the engine had over heated again. They had to retire, the stage was 15 miles long.

A phone call to Ken explained they were out and needed recovering before the next stage or we had to got the long way round out of there. This couldn't happen it would take 1 and 1/4 hours to drive out the long way.

We packed up the service centre in record time and set off after them. This was an experience for me. We travelled in the service van to the next stage. All 4 miles of it in rough terrain, through the forest section, over bumps and hills. I thought Ken thought he was in a rally car (he used to rally cars himself) as we bounced along the track. The odd call to Zack in the back 'What was that' as something fell off the shelf. 

Eventually we got to the start of stage 7, there was lots of spectators around the mini and Simon and Hayley had been chatting to them.

Comments like 'You were showing the big boys up there' didn't really console the team.

Tow rope attached we dragged them off and back down the route we had just come. To add to the excitement the route had been closed for traffic as the road we was on was now a part of the next stage. A marshall took pity and let us through saying the road should have been closed but it genuinely wasn't. We carried on for another few hundred yards where we found a small place to fix the hosepipe again only this time Ken did a better and more permanent job. The silicon pipes are really slippy he explained.

Once repaired Simon shot off, consoling himself on the fact that he could have a play back down the track and out of the Ranges, back to rally HQ. The starter motor still broken.