As predicted, there was a change of start times this morning. We scheduled to begin the rally day at 8.25. Heading straight to the first track event of the day, Waly Chrobrego track, a race track set in what seems to be the centre of town and on what is called pavement. A cobblestone surface with the circuit having four chicanes and two hairpins. Two rounds to be done in no less than 2mins 45 secs or no more than 8mins 15 secs. Denise did in a comfortable 4mins 42 secs. A nice event.
A hundred kms down the road on now formal and beautiful German country lanes clean and well looked after homes built right next to the road. Really pretty in summer. Solid brick or concrete that has stood the test of time.
German village Main Street
To another track – GroB Dolln. A nice track with just one chicane obstacle. Windy on tarmac surface.
Min time 3mins 15 secs, max time 9mins 45secs. Denise did 5.02 mins.
So far a nice day out and the kms seem to just evaporate.
About halfway through the next 180kms to the Stendal Track while just moseying along a straight strip of tarmac road at 90kms and “BANG” shudder, noise and steering difficulty, keeping Denise on the road, in a straight line. Wow. What was it? That woke us from a mesmerised state. When we came to a stop we got out not knowing what to expect. It was the right rear wheel again. The outer ring on the rim that keeps the Tyre on had sheered around half of the rims circumference. See photo.
Our wheel problem. Went with a bang!!!!
We only had one spare left after the other experience with the metal fatigue on the centre rim.
Easy to get up and go again though after a wheel change as it turned out, but Steve was thinking about the collateral damage to the other moving parts of the rear wheel running gear. Bearings, axels etc.
Then of course the track event on the Stendal airstrip. Yet to be done.
About a km before the track Steve noticed a contractor’s yard, with a nice Porsche parked outside, so he whipped in and asked a chap standing at the door if they had any welding gear. Thinking that if we got the first damaged rim welded it could be used as a spare in the event of another tyre mishap. These guys were only too keen to assist and welded the fatigued rim crack on both sides. Right away. Ok for an emergency. Well done!
It’s amazing what people will do to assist if you’re in strife and just ask nicely.
That done we headed down the road to the Stendal air strip track. We took it easy on the circuit not sluggishly, but, and completed this task to ensure that we complied to the rally rules and regs.
A jet plane at the airstrip track
The last leg of the day was to end up at the VW Autostadt in Wolfsburg. The VW headquarters. What an outfit. Everything here was state of the art, enormous, clean and well presented. No doubt some of you will have seen pics of this place. It’s fantastic. We really only had time to see their museum, a collection of many makes of cars, and including many of their earlier car models.
Denice in the carpark 
A river outside the VW office 
In one of the halls 
Vertical car showroom 
Specimen cars 
A golf with a W12 engine!! 
Kids learning to drive 
Boxed car exhibits 
They have their own beach 
At the VW headquarters
A neat afternoon.
When we parked in the basement Steve checked the condition of the right rear wheel and sensed that it needed work. Off with the wheel and brake drum. I headed away to leave the surgeon to do the work. Not much use standing around watching an expert and pissing him off with comments and thoughts aye?
Our hotel for the night is the Innside Hotel.
A nice pub to put one’s head down for what hopefully is a good night’s rest.
It a 599km run tomorrow so being fresh is important.
gravel travel 
i tell you all l can say is talk about the luck and the safety angels looking after u 2 🦋 thank the lord as they say south down in usa 😂 well done stephen the expertise and driving skill definitely shining through 🚖 little denise will get u to par’ree lv sis
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Interested in what was wrong with axle on the rear.Weird how both wheels failed on the same corner?
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hey guys we’ll close to the finish line now and then on to pa’ree stick with it denise will get you thou there safely
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