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Desert Racing Ladies

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  • Description

    Fox Car Report checks out the all-female Rallye Aicha des Gazelles with competitor Amy Lerner

  • Duration 9:22
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Welcome to fox car report of Gary gasoline we talk a lot lately about female drivers in professional racing people like.

Danica Patrick.

In NASCAR for the man in IndyCar of course Ashley force of any NH RA drag racing series all changing our perception of what it means to drive like a woman will matter race comprised only of women.

That took place in the desert.

Africa over the course of more than a week.

Our guest today we -- is about to embark on just such a journey.

In a couple weeks she's heading over to take part in the rally I cheated Digg is elves and Maria go.

Thanks for joining us today yeah this is a very intense off road adventure really.

As much of it is a -- second then you've done it most people have never heard of this here in the United States though.

Brings up to speed on exactly what this -- is all about.

-- -- a state is -- actually and it's twenty seconds running this year.

And it is going to be -- 150 teams comprised of 2 women who am I think twenty plus countries it is a nine day competition.

Your goal is it reached.

Check point eight checkpoint be in the shortest possible distance it's not a speed race it's a kilometer race.

It's a strategy race and to find your way from point a to point B you have no.

Navigation and you have no -- you have no electronics you know chase crew you have old maps from the sixties have come -- may be a ruler.

And that your ability did manage your vehicle and your ability to make decisions about where your drive -- in kind of happy about it.

There's actually the second time you're going to be taken place in the BU one of the few American women.

That if competed in the race -- had to get involved with a first place.

I actually read in 2010 there was an article in the newspaper about Emily Miller.

And -- Fisher who had gone over and they were going over for the second time in 2010.

I just thought wow this is an amazing incredible adventure you know.

It -- brown antique key -- Couple -- -- schools and there just love anything automotive and then to be able to take it in such an intense competition.

And such an amazing location a place he'd ever been I thought it would be an incredible opportunity.

Caught my -- check of my Stanley found that we could make it work in a year later they relax.

Now technically the competition starts in Paris but that's sort of more like yes it's -- a ceremonial start and they do I think you have fifteen different.

Stops you have to make in terms of technical clarifications.

Medical makes you don't have any prohibited equipment make sure your cars -- -- center and then you drive now to rock on competition against.

What part of the country and -- as the justice the southern part in -- out of the edges of the saharan right along the Algerian border now you mentioned not a speed race but also not just cruise and on the highways -- we're not Christiane going to -- -- -- -- -- -- You can he decided to would take a road.

If you decide that the train is really challenging you're not -- up for anything it's gonna take you an hour and a -- to get across -- certain bit strange sometimes it makes sense to take.

The road take it ten kilometer add on tiered near tally but you're there and 25 minutes so you make those certain decisions along the way actually.

Bet my honeymoon traveling to Morocco Al laugh not offer would like and and that's certainly not you know we've we've just been on that one mean I went into it yet to the desert and that it that is the highway.

I think you're not -- -- now offer will go a little bit slower than that got to tell you we didn't have a GPS.

Probably would have been a whole lot of fun and have enough trouble get around downtown New York -- that -- GPS these days I'll just pick up those skills didn't mean.

Those forget how to use a map and I can tell -- the last -- -- -- accomplished -- the network -- go.

-- you're actually required to take and offer driving and a navigation training course before you can take their rally other than that there's really not a lot of barriers to entry so.

Any woman like my sister and I -- didn't have many off from racing expands to setter.

You can go and you can be in the rally I will say that my sister has had a lot of expands.

And outdoors you type stuff and that she studied geology and she knows to look at rock formations and transfer and and what she's looking at the map and that was very beneficial to us and yes she really hone your skills just by being asked if I do think I got an orient tearing Barrett two basket -- that would help you think yours unfortunately and I want it but just.

-- there would be a lot of -- take part has raised about a hundred different.

Teams competing in this this year they -- -- brilliant marketing move announced in September they were trying to cap.

The capacity in a 150 teams and two months later they were false -- for the first time.

I -- history of the -- 300 women 150 teams will be taking off.

The credit card period driving efficiency truck we are actually going to be and a 2012 Jeep Wrangler rubicon an unlimited.

That was built for us by American expedition vehicles.

That is getting on a ship today to go across the ocean to Antwerp where we'll pick it up.

And that taken on and we're really excited about that week after going last year and renting a vehicle knew that when we -- -- I wanna to have the control of knowing.

The vehicle that we're in a little better if their modifications that can improve its suitability of -- to be able to do that -- a ton of research and of course.

-- anti American and offer an icon -- Jeep Wrangler and then realized that there are some things we can do to enhance his performance.

And again after tons -- research came to a EV and realize that they just amazingly good at what they do have not only is -- you know.

Good engineering build quality it's their ability because it's really a driver navigator and a vehicle out there you don't have a crew -- got a have the performance to handle it -- -- face and you gotta have -- their ability.

Those are some serious vehicles AB puts together what are some of the modifications and yours we have a suspension changes at three -- sport suspension which is going to enable us to handle a lot rougher terrain and with the standard -- -- We've got that the eighty bumper on the front with a -- which hopefully we will never -- but if we do is nice to know it's there.

That tire carrier and the back some light -- that larger tired of running 35 inch.

All strains which I think again in the -- clans the traction satirist I think we're really gonna be set up nicely to handle.

Pretty much whenever we come across senators have that was the goal to be able to say.

We need to go from point a to point -- in a straight line and not be limited in our ability to do that by our vehicle.

His point be at the end of every day nice fancy hotel are you guys -- it does and you go back -- say seven out of the nine -- of competition near it could be a black which is a huge.

Tent city and it's actually quite lovely.

There's a big dining tent which is straight to a Moroccan.

-- tapestries you've got -- -- in long sleeved white sheriff's invest in silver serving dishes and hot showers.

Two segments of the competition and what they called marathon race where you leave -- 6 AM.

1 morning and then you're not back until the evening of the day after that and that -- Two days later I guess a 48 hours basically you're out and wherever you find a spot to stop -- set you -- Now when I was in Morocco has a lot of French cars that they air maybe some -- -- -- -- what do you do so -- -- on the card.

Can get -- to -- it's that you actually expected to bring anything any.

They do not provide parts the arm -- -- -- -- -- But you've got to get back to -- been lack.

If you have trouble during the day you try to do -- -- and if you can't there is a safety button that you can press and mechanical help will come to area or have you get a large penalty.

As you do less to do that we ended -- about middle attack we had a little bit -- trouble with our track.

Part way through.

Which again -- decisions it.

They're on track.

They share and run with a Jeep and I think.

A lot of skills that we learns we're going to be able to fight this year and hopefully right in -- -- -- -- -- hard but it just.

At a wide open choice of -- gallon and emulated to do we need to you know that's your spears they're made you think about doing another search offered in evidence tomorrow and one -- the play better about it -- it by president.

Different type of race because it said more for speed.

Race but yes most definitely this -- this type of rally is much more seen in Europe and stuff like that so if all goes well shipping the -- Back and forth.

-- definitely be open presidents.

Very jealous of the event I'm about to go on it's gonna be a lot of fun probably more fun than them but there a lot of -- on my honeymoon in July offering.

And a couple of miles we did have to go offered to get to the little Riyadh.

You know the pretend base -- there rat to desert.

You know when you're dead reckoning you really get lost that there that's -- rocks -- -- rocks in the desert.

Anyway that -- -- you see the big.

-- chipping in for -- and he's our head of Ford have been -- to go this way this is not easy stuff to do you know that's.

Now now and you can you can come across -- times where you have visibility of about -- hundred feet if you're lucky.

And it's strange you know you mentioned and -- at some of the -- tendons -- and we.

And it's really easy to get disoriented.

-- a camel through -- -- -- -- her pursuit children the way it was like these and yet those guys are around the thing I really does ask for directions.

There on the motorcycles Musharraf -- try to give you a little bit -- help yet and hopefully you'll need that.

Best of luck on -- these types that's it for fox carport -- over fox car report dot com for the latest Automotive News reviews.

We'll see you next.

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