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Monday, September 26, 2005

Aurora: 26 September, Day 2

The sky was a little hazy last night and this morning, so we did not quite get as much recharge energy as we expected. But we still have plenty of charge for the remaining journey to Adelaide, and are expecting to be in Alice Springs by the end of the day.

We set off at 08:00 doing 100km/h. At 08:30, TIGA overtook us. We overtook them again at 09:30, doing 105km/h.

We arrived at Tennant Creek, 250km from our overnight stop, at about 10:30. We were 5 minutes behind Michigan. Nuna were already gone. TIGA were one minute behind us. The race for second position is very close.

Our youngest member, Todd (13), forgot to get the strategy car lunches our of the boot at Tennant Creek, so we are surviving on Scotch Finger biscuits. But he is doing a good job keeping track of our location along the route, so we will probably keep him.

The leg from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs is about 500km. If it is hot in the car, we may have to stop for a driver change.

TIGA overtook us again at midday. We are cruising at 100km/h. TIGA, who beat us at Suzuka earlier this year, appear to be "borrowing" our strategy, two-hundred metres ahead of us. Very cunning!

At 15:30, TIGA started slowing. We overtook them.

We arrived at the Alice Springs control stop before 16:30. Nuna were long gone. Michigan were still about 6 minutes ahead. TIGA was just behind us. We left the control stop just before 17:00, and camped on the outskirts of Alice.

There are predictions of clear skies tomorrow, but cloud in Adelaide on Wednesday. The battle for second place is going to be interesting.