Day 30 – Riga Latvia through two borders, Lithuania and Mikolajki in Poland

A late start time of 9.25 for a 532kms rally today including two track events.
The usual drudge drives through country roads mainly,  gave a fantastic insight to the real summer features and aspects of these countries. 

Seaside forested holiday areas and inland farming country tree lined lanes. Beautiful farms. 
We don’t know what it’s like in winter but the houses being built with walls two feet thick says it all. 
A couple of PC’s to ensure adherance to following the formal tracks, located as far as possible off the beaten track. 
A nice day but very windy. Makes driving really difficult being thrust across the road lanes at times. 
At one PC we fuelled up and got on our way forgetting to “check in”. “Sacre bleu”! 
Steve asked if I had done the deed some 23kms down the track! No!! No!! 
We returned to the station well in time but the loss of time adds up for the down line check ins. 
More dreary roads to the Nemunas Ring Track. A neat little dirt track which Denise really liked. Sliding around the corners and fishtailing out. Thrilling. 
Then more driving to the last event of the day, 3kms from the hotel. Crossing borders is now a non event. It just happens.

During the last 50odd kms Steve had picked up a noise coming from the rear wheel as we were travelling. A small sound at first clicking away then silent but returning later, louder then again not able to be heard at all. 
Then a rumble which he thought was a a wheel bearing. 
We considered that a look at it at the track a few kms to go and determine what to do. 

At one glance it was easy to see that the entire wheel was about to seperate from where it was fastened to the hub. Outside the wheel nuts, the crack had almost come full circle, with about 10cm of metal fatigue and it would have come away. 
Some following rally car observers told us at the track that they had seen the wheel wobbling but none of them thought to let us know, either by pointing as the passed us or by a pulling us over to tell us what was wrong. 
It would surely have failed if we had not noticed it before the track event. Could have been disastrous.

A quick wheel change and then the  track event so that we could get in on the required time at the MTC in the hotel lobby. 

This is one of the last long days of travel before we get to Paris. 
Only one more of 599kms. 

A tiring day. We get more and more fatigued as this rally progresses. Part of the exercise. Wear you down. It’s not over until it’s over and mistakes and car issues can and do still occur, upsetting the applecart around the placings.