Halfway across the world – Peking to Paris competitors conquer Kazakhstan’s brutal desert and reach Caspian Sea
Halfway point after 3 weeks, 7,350 kms on day 20 of 37
Argentine team of Jorge and Cristobal Perez Companc extend overall lead, Harold Goddijn (NL) and Corinne Vigreux (FR) retake Classic Class lead as Scowcroft and Gilmour (GB) plummet from second to fifth overall after major engine problems
Car 1, the LaFrance goes long way round, Fiat 500 on flatbed to Aktau, Solo entrant just makes flight to Baku, US team catch up with stories to tell
The 2025 Peking to Paris Motor Challenge has hit its halfway mark after 20 grueling days and 7,350 kilometers of rugged terrain, with 52 intrepid crews emerging from Kazakhstan’s unforgiving desert to cross the Caspian Sea by ferry and air to Azerbaijan.
Surviving the harshest leg of the world’s toughest vintage endurance rally, competitors endured searing 48°C heat, choking dust storms, torrential rain, and mechanical carnage across three perilous days in the remote Kazakh steppe and Aral Karakum desert. With no civilization in sight, navigation errors, treacherous terrain, and sleep-deprived campouts tested both spirit and steel.
Leaders Hold Firm – Others Falter
Argentine duo Jorge and Cristobal Perez Companc, driving a 1939 Chevrolet Master Coupe, have maintained their composure and extended their overall lead with a flawless performance through Kazakhstan’s punishing Special Time Control (STC) sections.
Meanwhile, British team Brian Scowcroft and Mark Gilmour saw disaster strike as engine trouble in their 1936 Fangio Roadster dropped them from 2nd to 5th overall. A suspected piston failure has them scrambling for a replacement engine in Baku.
In the Classic Class, Dutch-French pair Harold Goddijn and Corinne Vigreux reclaimed the lead in their Porsche 911, edging out Australians John Henderson and Lui MacLennan in a Volvo 144. Brits Brian Palmer and David Bell are back in podium contention, while German team Gerd Bühler and Laurenz Feierabend dropped to fourth after receiving 2.5 minutes in penalties during the treacherous final Kazakh test.
Read the full article here: https://www.prewarcar.com/halfway-across-the-world-peking-to-paris-competitors-conquer-kazakhstan-s-brutal-desert-and-reach-caspian-sea