The beginning date has been set for excessive racer Renee Brinkerhoff’s 356-mile trek throughout Antarctic ice driving the 1956 Porsche 356 wherein she and her Valkyrie Racing group have challenged each different continent on Earth in grueling cross-country racing and rally occasions.
Dubbed the Project 356 World Rally Ice Problem, the trek throughout the frozen panorama is scheduled to start December 5 when Brinkerhoff, her classic Porsche that has been re-engineered for the polar hazards, and navigator Jason de Carteret, a famed world-record holder in polar exploration, energy up for the treacherous drive.
Valkyrie Racing’s 1956 Porsche 356
The epic Antarctic drive will mark the seventh and ultimate continent on which Brinkerhoff and her Porsche have traversed, an endurance-racing milestone for any rally automotive, a lot much less a 65-year-old 356 sports activities coupe.
“We’re on the precipice of finishing our four-year journey to race one automotive on all seven continents,” a Valkyrie Racing announcement says. “When Valkyrie got down to do Mission 356: World Rally Tour in 2017, we didn’t fairly know what we had been getting ourselves into. However if you say you’re going to do one thing – you higher go do it.”
The Mission 356 World Rally Tour features a humanitarian element, named Valkyrie Offers, that gives training and funding to fight the worldwide disaster of kid trafficking.
“The upcoming 356-mile ice trek… will mark the conclusion of a close to 20,000-mile dedication to pursue the last word endeavor by one girl, one automotive and one world mission to finish little one trafficking,” in line with a Valkyrie Racing information launch.
Renee Brinkerhoff (middle) along with her daughter and different members of the Valkyrie racing group |
The Porsche 356, which has survived brutal circumstances on among the world’s most-treacherous roads, has been rebuilt and reconfigured for the solo run, with a set of skis changing the entrance wheels and vast tractor treads taking the place of the rear wheels, among the many many adjustments. Additionally added is a stout “crevasse bar” on the entrance finish to assist traverse deep fissures encountered on the ice. Photo voltaic panels might be deployed to benefit from the 24-hour sunshine through the polar summer season.
The Porsche was re-engineered for its polar drive by senior chassis-design engineer Kieron Bradley, a UK-based excessive explorer, who spent greater than 18 months remodeling the diminutive sports activities automotive right into a purpose-built automobile ready for the challenges of the rugged, frozen terrain.
The repurposed Porsche 356 undergoes testing throughout a snowfall
“The group departs for Chile on November twenty sixth and from there we fly into Union Glacier, Antarctica on December fifth,” the announcement says. “Our goal is to drive 356 miles within the inside of the continent, this symbolic mileage will start towards the South Pole after which will return again to base at roughly the half manner level. The journey is excessive – understatement.”
Valkyrie Racing was created by Brinkerhoff initially to assist her preliminary driving problem of competing within the La Carrera Americana rally throughout Mexico, an open-road rally race thought to be one of many world’s most tough aggressive occasions. After profitable her class the primary day out in La Carrera, she was inspired to enter and compete in related excessive rally occasions across the globe.
The Valkyrie Racing group’s predominant sponsor is PXG, {the golfing} analysis and improvement firm primarily based in Scottsdale, Arizona. For extra details about Valkyrie Racing and Valkyrie Offers, go to the team website.
This text, written by Bob Golfen, was initially published on ClassicCars.com, an editorial companion of Motor Authority.
