From Yakima to Peking to Paris

By Christina McCarthy

What would you do for a magnum of Mumm champagne?

In 1907, the champagne was the prize offered for an absurd, nearly impossible journey, when the editors of French newspaper Le Matin issued a challenge to the entire world: “Is there anyone who will undertake to travel this summer from Paris to Peking by automobile?”

At the time, cars had been around just 20 years or so. Manufacturers were still working out the glitches, and overall, vehicles were unreliable and temperamental. While many believed the crazy contraptions would never replace horses, there were those who believed that man and the mechanical beast would change the world.

Eleven men driving five cars rose to the occasion. The route was reversed to avoid torrential monsoon rains, and began in Peking (also known as Beijing), China, in May 1907. The course would take the contestants over mountain ranges and two major deserts. Camels hauled fuel, and often, roads were nonexistent.

Sixty-one days later, four of the five cars finished the race, providing ample evidence that indeed, when paired with an automobile, man could overcome substantial obstacles.

Though there have been other transcontinental expeditions, it wasn’t until 2005 that the original route was closely retraced, using rebuilt, original vintage cars. The drivers this time had the advantages of maps, GPS systems and other modern amenities, but the use of vintage cars, rutted and nonexistent roads, and typical uncooperative weather made the journey a difficult one. In a 2007 repeat event, 106 cars finished the nearly 9,000-mile route.

This year’s Peking to Paris Motor Challenge began Sept. 10 and ended Oct. 16. It followed a similar route as the original rally, covering 11 countries, including an eight-day stretch in the Gobi Desert. To help even the field, participants were classified according to the age of the cars, from “Pioneer” — pre-1921 vehicles — to “Organization Vehicles,” the classification given to modern-day Land Rovers, Ford Rangers and the like. Of the 165 teams entered, 11 came from the United States — including two teams from the Yakima Valley. Two other Valley residents have partnered with participants from foreign countries.

Team 33 Leslie Roy and Rand Elliot

For the past 2 1/2 years, Leslie Roy, president of Roy Farms, and Rand Elliott, a Yakima County commissioner, prepared for the adventure of a lifetime. Initially, Roy planned on being the third man on a local team led by Doug MacKennon. But when race officials eliminated the third-man option, Roy began talking about the race to Elliott, and soon the two had formed a team of their own.

The first challenge for Team 33 was finding a car. Using the Internet, they searched for a classy convertible and found one in Tyler, Texas. Though the car had been rebuilt, the owner knew it wouldn’t make the drive from Texas to Washington, so the 1935 Ford Phaeton was shipped to Yakima. Turned out it was a good thing that Roy, having worked on tractors all his life, was engine-savvy.

“We drove it off the trailer, about 100 yards, and it just quit,” he laughs. “So we had to start from scratch.”

The car was taken down to the bare bones, and aside from having the engine rebuilt professionally, Elliott and Roy — with some help from Bill Ross and Tony Neisz — did the work themselves.

It took two years for the car to be completely rebuilt and race-ready, featuring a flathead V8 and safety roll bar. They added a few other amenities, but purposefully left it pretty basic.

“Less to repair,” quips Elliott.

In spite of their work, a chipped gear in the transmission of the Ford turned up on day five of the event, and after several attempted repairs, No. 33 was retired from the lineup. Elliott and Roy, however, were not down for long. A guide led them to a “car bazaar,” featuring thousands of used autos. The two managed to find and purchase a 1991 Subaru Legacy, quickly numbering it “33B.” Within a few days, the “guys in the Subaru” — as they came to be called — had reunited with the rest of the participants.

Danny Day, who owns Sunfair Marketing, was intrigued the first time he heard about the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, but that intrigue quickly turned into a desire to participate. When he told his longtime friend and motorcycling buddy Bill Shields about it, Day found a partner who was up for the challenge. They dubbed their endeavor “Bill and Danny’s Great Adventure,” and since then, the two men and their families endured a whirlwind of preparation.

Shields, who owns Rainier Plastics, located a 1939 Dodge Business Coupe in a friend’s Selah pasture and bought it. Then, with the help of locals Bob Strode and Mitch Dehnhoff, the yearlong transformation began.

The car was dismantled and the chassis reinforced. Steering and brakes were upgraded, and the engine was replaced with a Chrysler block housing and custom-made internals. As a result, the car has double the original horsepower while still remaining faithful to the rules and spirit of the event.

Luxury upgrades were made as well, including bucket seats, a refrigerator/freezer, a sound/video system and new insulation and upholstery. The car was also equipped with two GPS systems and a rally computer. The beautiful light cream enamel paint done by The Trick Shop in Yakima made the old Dodge look as if it just rolled off the assembly line.

Shields was the driver, and Day took on the task of navigating.

“In this race, the driving is the easy part,” explained Day prior to the race. “There are pages of maps and GPS coordinates (that) must be continually updated to remain in compliance (and locatable) with race officials.”

Shields and Day wanted to tie their efforts to a worthwhile cause, and they chose Yakima’s Pegasus Project, a program providing therapeutic riding and equine-assisted activities to those with special needs and disabilities. Both men are excited that 100 percent of the donations that friends and strangers have been making will benefit children and adults with special needs.

Two more of the more than 100 entrants also hail from Yakima. Doug MacKennon raced with an international partner in a 1939 Chevrolet Speedster, and Jim Kabrick drove 1939 Dodge D11 Deluxe with another international driver. All four cars from the Yakima Valley raced in the “Vintageant” classification, featuring cars originally produced between 1922 and 1941.

Past vs. Present

Though there are still many trials and tribulations to the endurance contest, many of the dangers inherent to the original journey have been overcome. In spite of specifications required of participant cars, allowable modifications mean greater comfort and safety, particularly things like roll bars, seat belts and climate control systems.

Navigation has come a long way, too. In the original rally, days-long portions of the route snaked through desolate desert and mountainous regions. To stay on course, drivers had to attempt to follow telegraph cables. And at some country borders, government officials were unwelcoming, forcing detours into further uncharted areas.

Today, along with GPS and highly detailed maps, a satellite system (Skytag) can just about pinpoint a car’s position at any time, and many of the cars have computers on board as well. The Endurance Rally Association, the group responsible for organizing the event, has managed to eliminate most of the government red tape, and just before the race began, eliminated a 12^th country, Kurgystan, due to civil unrest and the possibility of dangers there.

Fueling and dealing with mechanical issues are much different as well. Tanker trucks of fuel have replaced camels, and though just about all the drivers and navigators are well-versed in repairing their vehicles, support and parts from local mechanics are also allowed, meaning professional help for the participants, and new bragging rights for the local mechanics.

By the Oct. 16 conclusion of the race, all of the participants had collected trunkloads of memories … some of them no doubt similar to those of their predecessors. Roy and Elliott of Team 33 completed the route in the Subaru, 33B. Day and Shields, Team 70, finished 15^th in their class division and 23^rd overall, earning them a bronze medal.

But more valuable to these four than finishing or placing are the experiences they’ve had along the way. In spite of a few glitches with passports and border crossings, blowing gaskets and losing bearings, these lucky guys went on a grand adventure, one where people help one another in a spirit of friendship and camaraderie. For the foursome — as well as most every other participant — the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge was a true journey of a lifetime.