The fifth stage took the caravan further north. Between Smara and Assa, the organization of the Morocco Desert Challenge planned a varied stage of 375 km. The participants were offered a mix of sand, gravel, stones and vast plains.
Koen Wauters felt at home and finished 10th and fastest in his class T1.1. “We worked on the set-up a bit last night and I felt that immediately this morning. The car was less nervous and was easy to drive. Today’s stage was not too difficult and very varied. One time it was technical and we could really let loose. The other time it was fast and we could really step on the gas. Very enjoyable. This was a stage for the SSVs and the T1+ cars with the big wheels. You have to throw yourself in there, fight back and stand your ground. But we like doing that, don’t we? I am very satisfied with our performance today. Tom also navigated very well. Everything is fine here. We arrived early and can now rest a bit. The boys will be happy because last night it was late again.”
For the second night in a row, work was done late in the bivouac to solve the fuel pressure problem of Pascal Feryn’s Toyota. At around 4:00 a.m. last night the tools were put down and a short test drive was successfully held. “It is incomprehensible what these men are doing here. Yesterday everyone rolled up their sleeves for Koen. Last night they did that for me. This morning the problem was solved and we could start again. After a long search with other filters and new pipes, the pressure regulator turned out to be the culprit. Apart from a flat tire and a difficult moment during navigation, it went well today. The biggest difficulty was overtaking the other participants. After our problems on Tuesday, we had to start at the very back today and that was quite a challenge to say the least. We also got a flat tire in the last 50 km. But we are in the bivouac. Everything is fine. I am happy.” Pascal Feryn finished 20th overall and 6th in his class on Wednesday. In the standings he is 19th overall and 3rd in the T1.1 class.
Nicola Feryn and David Van Dooren (Toyota Landcruiser) finished 34th on Wednesday and are in 26th place in the standings. “There was a lot of dust today, fesh fesh as they call it in the jargon. There was also a lot of sand, a lot of mountain paths. Alexander made the right choices when navigating. We drove the whole day without a puncture and without experiencing a single technical problem. That is always good when you can complete a stage like this. I am having fun here with the team and have already learned a lot. Together with my brother and dad, that is great.”
Cedric Feryn, Alexander Peeters and Bjorn Burgelman (Mercedes) drove the 6th fastest time and are also 6th in the standings. “It was a very bumpy ride today”, says Bjorn Burgelman, mechanic on board the vintage Mercedes truck. “There was also a lot of trial and a few mountain passes. It quickly became clear to us that it was a day to spare the material and the tires and that is what we did. If you can drive a whole day without having to get out of the cabin, then you know you are doing well.”
Cedric Feryn takes his first seat at the wheel of the truck in Morocco. “He is doing well. Compared to the first stage and now he has made a lot of progress. Our truck is 34 years old. You can't compare that with a modern truck of today. In the beginning Cedric had some trouble with the gears but now he drives around as if he has never done anything else. He picks things up quickly and that is important for his development. We shouldn't look at the results too much. The progress is what counts. In that respect Alexander Peeters is also doing well in navigating. It is great to be in shock with the youth like that. Both juniors are doing well, we are having fun and laughing a lot in the cabin. But when it comes to driving, the focus is there”, concludes Bjorn Burgelman.
Artificial / Automatic translation
Source: Feryn Rally Sport
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