Pastrana's Notes of Argentina Rally

Just finished rally argentina a few hours ago.  complete disaster as far as results but we were able to put in very respectable times on the second day, which was our goal.  coming into this event I had a few good results (5th was the best) but my stage times were consistently off the pace of the leaders.  When you think of WRC events, most people think of the racing but what most don't understand is how being in one of these events is much better than having diplomatic immunity.  I haven't morally excepted the guidlines yet but the basic gist is that speed limits are to be doubled at the minimum, hitting people is their own fault and making a 3rd lane or using peoples front yards are more than exceptable.  The ceremonial start on friday night was an amazing sight.   over 2 million people came out and lined the streets of cordoba, argentina  We went through a waterfall and were paraded around the streets of the city.  the problem was that people filled the streets so in order to move forward you actually had to bump them out of the way with the car.  I made the mistake of rolling down my window because our rally car doesn' have air condition.  It was like a zombie movie and instantly there were 15 arms reaching in to grab anything they could.  one arm almost got off with my hat but I rolled up the window.  instead of trying to pull his arm out, he pushed it in further and held my had with a death grip!  i sped up to about 15 and the guy still wouldn't let go.  he was dragging beside the car as I punted about 3 more people that refused to get out of the way!  finally he dropped off.  People continued to beat the car as we drove on for miles through the town.  one person shattered the back window with their ring.  I was stopped by a group that was pulling a bloody and limp body out of the road and through a barely rolled down window I asked if they needed help because I had a radio straight to an ambuluance,  the guy dragging the body said "no, thats alright, he's dead... I enjoy carnage but I almost threw up.  He might have been messing with me... but his matter of fact demeanor scared the crap out of me.  Rationally, I guess a dead guy wouldn't need an ambulance but...   So we averaged about 100mph through towns... full drifts through red lights and waved at cops as we passed around blind corners over double yellow lines.  90 year old women were cheering us on and lined the roads ten deep even on the transit sections (roads that aren't shut down or count for time but you have to make under a given limit)  it was so foggy as we started the first stage that we couldn't see ten feet in front of the car.  Our goal this rally was to do good times instead of going for a good finish so I decided to drive wide open... I made it 5 km before I rolled it.  Some locals were quick to roll us back over and push us up the hill onto the course.  We only lost a minute but I broke the front right drive shaft and lost the breaks.. we made it into service a few stages later and the subaru boys fixed it in the 30 minutes allowed for service... on the next stage we over heated the car and then broke the front left wheel under the car... we got a truck back to service by about 11pm and the boys fixed the car and we returned to the rally under super rally rules the next morning at 5am.  I drove the first four stages well and got 3rd, 3rd, 8th and 4th on the stages.  because of how far back i was in the rally I had much slower drivers in front of me and had to pass one or two people per stage.  plus the roads were much rougher than it was for the first couple drivers.  I got a flat for 5km on the first stage of the day and had to pass a guy... all in all, I was very happy with that... unfortunately I hit a rock and broke the car on the next set of stages.  When I was underneath trying to fix it on stage... the spectators decided to write all over my car in perminent marker.  the entire car was tagged by the time my co driver (derek ringer, colin mcrae's world championship winning co driver from 95) and i fixed the car.  We got back to the end by 11pm and the mechanics agian had a non sleeping night, thanks boys...I got up at four to check how my friend cam mcqueen did in the world finals of monster jam... that red neck can drive!  I was pumped on his results but that mood was quickly taken away when I went outside and it was raining like hell.  When we hit the mountains, the rain turned to thick fog and we had to average 70mph on mtn roads including a stop for fuel and 100' visability with fog on tight and twisty mtn roads... good times.  The car in front of me got in a head on collision at 90mph before even making it to the stage!  I broke my transmition in the first stage and limped through the second stage but failed to make the finish.  Thousands of people surrounded the car (i think the only channel they get here is espn and they must show the x-games a lot because all anyone ever said was "Travees! double flip!!!  We couldn't get it fixed and after an two hours under the car, muddy and soked to the bone, we called for a tow truck.  I felt like an animal at a zoo... guys were trying to kiss me and people were pulling me forcefully in every direction for about an hour... then help arived and the real mechanics fixed it in ten minutes!  some locals gave me some home made wine and I took a taxi back to the hotel... o well, we accomplished our goal... but only on four stages.  now we have to find that pace with consistency.  Game on.