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Press
Releases
East Anglian Daily Times, 7 February 1997. 'Rally Trooper goes on
show' |
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Dowload word file
The battered but successful Isuzu Trooper which flew the flag for
Suffolk in the Dakar Rally is today on show at Mayfields in Ipswich,
still bearing the dust and scars of its adventure.
Campaigned by privateer Ipswich driver Dick Partridge and Shotley-based
motor engineer Keith Parker, the Trooper soldiered right through the
gruelling rally to finish in 76th place.
A finish is quite an achievement in a rally as tough as this, but
the Trooper team also lost no time points.
Mr Partridge said they thoroughly enjoyed the rally, despite rolling
the Trooper which ended up on its roof with a smashed windscreen.
“We were told we could carry on if we wore motorcyclist’s
goggles, but then they decided that wasn’t good enough and we’d
need a net across where the windscreen should be,” said Mr Partridge.
“So we made a net and put that up and that was OK for a stage
or two, then they decided it wasn’t strong enough, which was
true, so we bought a bed – we were going to use the wire frame
for a windscreen. The bloke who sold it to us wanted £100 but we
gave him £50. “He must have thought it was Christmas! In the
end we didn’t use it because the Nissan team gave us the sheet
of Perspex which is what’s on the car now.”
He was full of praise for Keith’s engineering skills which kept
them on track. His cleverest big of bodgery was to make us suspension
bushes out of the Kayland mudflaps.
The 1989 Trooper was originally bought as an accident damaged vehicle
which Dick and Keith repaired and strengthened for the rally. They
doubled up on suspension all round, built in the roll-over cage and
welded extra strength into the chassis before the trip. Ipswich firm
Sheldrake & Wells supplied an uprated radiator, which worked brilliantly,
and the dynamic duo enlisted the help of speedway tuner Mark Baldwin
to breathe gently on the head.
Dick is now considering entering the Dubai Desert rally later in the
year, but he said he would want something a bit quicker than the Trooper.
The Trooper is on show for the next ten days at Mayfields garage,
462 Bramford Road, Ipswich. Mayfields were co-sponsors of the Dakar
entry by Dick Partridge and Keith Parker. |
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İDakarrally
2002
