Australasian Safari: A flick of a switch ends Tony & Toni's challenge
The V.I.P. Petfoods Pajero was away to a flying start - and then the engine blew
SEPTEMBER 24, 2011. For the third straight time, Tony Quinn’s Australasian Safari challenge has come to an abrupt end on the first full day of competition.
As in previous years, the V.I.P. Petfoods owner was in fine form in the lead-up to the eight-day Western Australia outback marathon. Having been flagged away at the ceremonial start in Perth on Thursday, Tony and his WA navigator, Toni Feaver, drove the 450km transport stage north to Geraldton for the following day's prologue stage that set the starting order for the event proper.
They set the second-fastest time around the 19km course, but were forced to retire 17km from the end of Saturday's 180km first competitive stage when their Mitsubishi Pajero’s engine suffered a massive failure.
Tony explained that his 2011 Safari exit was down to a small component.
“There’s a three-way switch that controls the oil cooler fan, and it’s usually in the ‘down’ position to keep the fan running continuously,” he said. “But somehow – probably over one of the big jumps – the switch flicked up to the centre position, turning off the fan.
Tony Quinn and Toni Feaver are flagged away at the ceremonial start in Perth.
“The first sign of trouble was when the oil warning light came on after 160km. The pressure was down a bit, but it was only 20km to the end of the stage so I pressed on. Then a few minutes later there was a loud bang – a conrod had smashed through the block!
“Without having had a good look at the engine, I’d say that without the cooler fan running the oil probably overheated and thinned out, and a bearing seized or something like that.”
With no possibility of continuing in the event, Tony had the unenviable task of being towed several hundred kilometres to civilisation.
“It was 650km back to the Safari base along outback tracks, on the end of a short rope behind our service truck and with no power steering!” he said.
Although Tony was frustrated at yet another early DNF in the Safari, he was determined to try to break his ‘duck’ in 2012.
“The car was going really well before the engine blew,” he said. “It had a new rear end that made it much better to drive, and we were flying along. It’s a shame that a wee thing like a switch put us out, but we’ll fix that for next year and come back for another go!”