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Racing in Sahara | Connection

A Virginia man competed in the Maroc Challenge desert motorcar rally:

connectionPaul R. Misencik Jr., a South Lakes High School graduate of 1986, competed in the grueling six-day Maroc Challenge, a motorcar rally across some of the most inhospitable, Sahara Desert terrain in Morocco. Reston residents and friends of Paul Jr. followed his progress during the race. The race ended Dec. 9, Paul’s birthday. Paul drove with John Spencer Cheevey of Louisiana in a Range Rover.

The Maroc is an adventure rally across Morocco that pits man and machine against the elements of a North African desert nation, with a high level of timing and scoring precision and enough physical tests to wither the unwary. Split into different categories and classes of vehicle, the event is a week-long, with five days of timed stages that combine some paved sections, dirt and sand tracks, and a substantial amount of entirely unmarked open terrain.

The organizer of the event and man who conceived the Maroc Challenge is Rui Cabaco. One hundred and thirty teams and almost three hundred people charged through Morocco in different types of vehicles, from vintage Renault 4s to more modern Toyota Land Cruisers and from Volvo wagons to Mercedes-Benz 190s. The rules stipulate vehicles must be at least 15 years old. Paul’s friend and co-driver John Cheevey initially wanted to enter an old car, such as a Citroën 2CV in the race. In the end, the team chose the versatile 4×4 Range Rover…[FULL STORY]

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