Murun to Telmen Lake

Day eight of the Peking to Paris proved a real challenge for the remaining teams. Now embedded in the wilderness of Mongolia, with sandy and gravel tracks for the entire duration of the day, the teams all emerged from the challenges in better shape than the previously arduous days.

The needle-match at the front of the two Categories proved to be as competitive as ever, with the Time Trial of the day seeing the Citroen DS seeking revenge for yesterday’s drive by Gerry Crown in the Leyland P76, snatching back 20 seconds out of Gerry’s lead which is now less than two minutes. The two Russians in the Moskvitch are an impressive 10th, but they have Mercedes-Benzes, Jaguars, Mustangs, Porsches behind them…

In the Vintageants, second placed Bruce and Ben Washington poured on the coal to stoke up enough grunt to stay second and hard on the heels of the leading Chevrolet of Phil Garratt, but third placed Bill Cleyndert and Mark van Hees in the Ford Model A raceabout set the best performance on the Time Trial, covering the ground in 17 minutes 08 seconds, no less than 19 seconds quicker than the Chevy.

Lars Rolner’s Bentley remains in fourth spot, Robert and Mark Wilkinson are fifth in the big 6½ litre Bentley, with Mike Reeves and Michelle Jana Chan in the Ford V8 sixth, having broken another rear axle tie-rod today, just after they had managed to weld up the first.

The wonder of Mongolia is that there is still a wilderness on earth so vast that cars like ours can drive day after day after day through such stunningly beautiful, breath-taking scenery. 'Today has been a truly great driving day,' was the summing up of Bentley driver Mark Wilkinson.

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