A TEAM from the Island is taking part in the CzechWrecks Rally, in August, in aid of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.
Dave Spurgin, son Dan Spurgin, friend Paul Rice and cuddly mascot Big Ted will be driving 1,500 miles from Calais to Prague in memory of Dave’s wife and Dan’s mum, Jackie Spurgin, who lost her battle with cancer last year.
The rally is designed for old bangers that have cost £150 or less — their white Renault Laguna was an MoT failure which they bought for £50.
Both Paul and Dave work at Harwoods Renault, Wootton, and the team members have done lots of work to the car to ensure it is technically sound for the four-day rally, which will see them drive up to around 500 miles per day.
Starting in Calais on August 28, they will drive from the French port to Interlaken in Switzerland on the first day, then from Interlaken through Switzerland to the Italian town of Bormio on the second day.
The third day will be particularly hard on the cars as they will climb over the harsh landscape of Stelvio Pass and continue to Salzberg, in Austria. On August 31, they will drive along the back roads of Bohemia to Prague, dodging potholes as they go.
The rally is not a race but there will be challenges to complete along the way and there are cash prizes to be won for the three top-scoring teams, as well as a number of novelty awards, including the Best Pile Of Rubbish, Longest Team To Hitchhike and Best Bodge.
There are around 80 teams taking part, from the UK and as far afield as New Zealand, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic.
Dave, Dan and Paul’s team has been christened The Sprice Is Right and after they have finished the rally, they hope to drive to the famous Nurburgring racetrack to do a few laps in their old banger, before making their way home.
They are now looking for sponsorship for the rally and have had a number of local companies offer their support so far.
Companies can have their logos on the car for a set amount, while individuals can sign their name on the bonnet for donations of £5 or more.
The car will be on show at the IW Motor Show, at Havenstreet, in July and at other events during the summer, where you can meet the team and hear more about their challenge.
The website is http://thespriceisright.synthasite.com/ and there is a link to the Justgiving site, so you can sponsor the team online.