Winter plans.

Now we have got all of our equipment back from Antwerp, we have had chance to make a list of things that need repairing or need replacing. Whilst we all pack and strap everything in the trucks securely and drive our trucks carefully, the container freight is out of our control and the containers can have a very rough journey around the world. Minor damage to wheels on toolboxes or packing boxes is almost unavoidable and we always have to replace some of them every year. The trucks and trailers are also due for their inspection checks so a trip to the workshop is the next thing that we need to do.
Yesterday, I drove to Silverstone to talk with some old Truckie friends and also get some up to date information on Russia. We have been looking at the many various routes that we can take for the first WTCC visit to Russia. There are several ferries that will take us to the port of St Petersburg where we should be able to clear the customs, relatively quickly. The other options of driving overland through Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are also available to us. As these countries are in the European Union  there are no customs checks, but we will still have to clear customs as we go into Russia. Some of the Russian border crossings have a ticket system to help the drivers. When you arrive, park your truck and proceed through the customs when your number is called. Unfortunately, the crossing point at Terehova, near Zilupe, which is on the most direct route, is also a very, very busy border crossing and has no ticket system. Further north, there is another crossing at Grebnava and whilst the distance in kilometres is more, we may be able to cross the border quicker due to less traffic.

There is a very helpful website http://www.vid.gov.lv/default.aspx?tabid=9&id=5784&hl=2# which shows you the waiting times at all of the border crossings from Latvia to Russia
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The WTCC teams will be driving to the Moscow Raceway from Spain, Italy, Germany and other countries. Due to the complexities of border crossings, road tolls for the trucks and also the condition of the roads in some Eastern European countries I think everyones options are quite limited. A "fixer" to help your truck through the customs process and language barriers is a worthwhile consideration. If you search for Latvia/Russia border videos on Youtube, you can see what we MIGHT have to deal with.
AND WHEN THE RACE HAS FINISHED, WE  HAVE TO CROSS THE BORDER AGAIN. I cant wait...hahahaha.
Figures released for 2012 show that around 90 people die every day on Russia’s roads and the figure is showing no sign of reducing in 2013. Accident reports are flooding the news on a daily basis. The driving habits in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are nearly the same so we will have to use all of our skills to avoid any accidents.

Before I leave Silverstone, I take the opportunity to drive past Bamboo Engineering and take a picture of their race trailers outside their workshop.