Everything from the exhaust header forwards was destroyed, the hood crumpled and we could not get it free of its latches. A fire had started in the engine bay when the plastic radiator fans were crushed against the super hot exhaust header. We went through several fire extinguishers putting it out. The episode can be seen with all its drama in the in-car video above.


Our race was over. It was our 28th event and only our 3rd DNF but the first major accident with the car. Very depressing. We were able to be towed off the stage by one of the sweep vehicles and Chris Kilby, our crew for the event, brought the trailer out to pick us up.


Plans were started to get us back in the game. We had been intending to make it down to Leon to run in the Rally Mexico WRC event a few weeks later but that was cancelled for us as the funds would go towards the rebuild. Andrew Frick sold us a donor car for many of the needed parts and the rebuild got underway. We found a body shop in Lexington, NC that would swap the front ends for us and repair the right side for a very reasonable price. Kieran and I would do the rest of the work. That turned out to include swapping the transmission for a junkyard replacement since the rally transmission suffered some damage too. The steering rack and exhaust pipe also sustained some damage since the entire engine and transmission was shoved back an inch or two by the impact.


Here are some of the pictures of our progress. The goal was to have it ready in time for Rally New York and use that event as a shakedown for the car.


  

  

We decided to go for a new look!