2016 Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles - Team #180 USA

[Team 180 USA]

Team #180 will be competing in the 26th annual Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles this week in Morroco, Africa. I will post updates about the rallye and the progress of our 2014 Toyota Tacoma double cab once the event starts. I posted all of the Tacoma specs below. Please let me know if you have any questions about the truck.

More about the Rally:
This is a female only rallye that is known as a race of strategy, not a race for speed. There are no electronic devices permitted in the vehicles, no cell phones and no outside assistance. For 9 days the girls will drive over 1100 kilometers through the Sahara desert navigating the shortest distance to check point flags using 1950's black and white maps.

Nicole Pitell-Vaughan will be driving in their 2014 Toyota Tacoma double cab and Chrissie Beavis will be navigating.* Nicole is the co-founder and Director of Operations at Total Chaos Fabrication Inc. and races in the MORE and Best in the Desert series.* Chrissie is one of the most respected and decorated female rally racers in the US and currently navigates for #199 Travis Pastrana in the Rally America National Championship series.

Video: Team TOTAL CHAOS / CRC Train for the 2016 Gazelle Rallye
youtube.com/watch?v=8uo96AiJh3Q

Follow the rally live at:
rallyeaichadesgazelles.com/en/Rally/2016

Vehicle Specifications:
2014 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD

Front Suspension:
- TOTAL CHAOS +2” Race Series Long Travel Kit
- TOTAL CHAOS 4340 Axleshafts
- TOTAL CHAOS Secondary Shock Hoops
- TOTAL CHAOS Heavy Duty Spindle Gussets
- TOTAL CHAOS Alignment Cam Tab Gussets
- King-TC LT Specific 2.5” Coilover Shocks
- King-TC LT Specific 2.5” External Bypass Shocks w/ Quick Adjust Knobs

Rear Suspension/Axle:
- DMZ Fab & Race Prep SUA Kit
- Deaver SUA Leafsprings
- King 2.5” x 14” External Bypass Shocks w/ Quick Adjust Knobs
- Custom TOTAL CHAOS Under the Bed Shock Hoops
- TOTAL CHAOS Bolt-on Rear Bumpstop Mounting Kit
- King 2.0” Hydraulic Bumpstops
- 1.50" Synergy wheel spacers

Body/Exterior:
- Glassworks Unlimited Fiberglass Front Fenders
- TOTAL CHAOS Custom Fiberglass Bumper Pods
- Glassworks Unlimited Rear Bedsides
- Paint by Mike Callaway

Wheels/Tires:
- TRD Wheels 16”x8”*
- BFGoodrich KO2 285/75R16

Other Equipment:
- TRD 4.0L Supercharger
- K&N Custom FilterCharger - Custom TOTAL CHAOS Front Bumper/Skidplate
- Warn Winch
- Baja Designs Squadron XL’s on electric actuator
- Baja Designs LED Work Lights, Dust Lights, Dome Lights
- Custom TOTAL CHAOS Rear Bumper
- Synergy Sit, Shower, Shave Kit
- Custom TOTAL CHAOS Aluminum Fresh Water Tank

See more detailed photos of the truck at chaosfab.com/Toyota-Tacoma-4x4

 

[Team 180 USA]

Here is some info about another US team #178 that was just sent to me.

Navigator Sabrina Howells will be returning for her fourth Gazelle Rally. She is a singer/songwriter/actress/comedienne living in Los Angeles. She performs regularly with her band, Henry Henrietta and has been featured in many national and local commercials. Driver Emme Hall reviews cars and trucks with the guys on Roadshow, powered by CNET. She is the driver and trophy winner of her own off-road team, campaigning a 2-seat 1600cc air cooled VW in desert races in California, Nevada, and Mexico. 2016 marks her third Gazelle Rally. Together these two are an unforgettable and unstoppable force as they reunite for the 2016 Rallye Aicha des Gazelles.

Sponsors: Resqme, Sierra LED lights, Maxtrax, Manhattan Country Club, Ambit Pacific Recycling,

We will be filming our adventure for theroadshow.com.
Some words and pics are already up at cnet.com/roadshow/news/the-gazelle-rally-is-the-toughest-off-road-race-youve-never-heard-of-and-were-doing-it/
We are team 178.

 

[Team 180 USA]

Here are a couple photos of our 2014 Tacoma from last years rally.

 

[Team 180 USA]

Emme Hall from team #178 just sent a few photos from today. The Rally starts Wednesday!

 

[McBride]

Wow! Awesome. I'll be watching for updates. Hope you have a blast and kick some %#*!

Your truck is awesome.

 

[Team 180 USA]

Nicole and Chrissie made it to Morocco yesterday. Here's a shot of the truck she posted on Facebook.

Team American Chaos is in Erfoud, Morocco where they passed tech inspections on a stormy day. The CRC/TOTAL CHAOS Toyota Tacoma, aka the “Morocco Taco," is already getting a serious amount of attention.

 

[Team 180 USA]

Here are a bunch of photos from Emme Hall, team 178 in their Land Rover Defender. Some of our Tacoma are in there also. Today is the prologue which determines the starting order of the first stage tomorrow.

 

[Team 180 USA]

The prologue is over and Team Amercian Chaos did great. Here is the info and a few photos from the PR that went out tonight.

March 23rd, 2016 (CORONA, CA) – With the Erg Chebbi dunes in the background and a sandstorm looming overhead, the 26th edition of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles began today with the Prologue near the gateway to the Sahara – Erfoud, Morocco.

The Prologue is a short warm-up loop for teams to practice driving and navigation skills. The day did not count toward the overall score for teams in the 4×4 class, but established the start order for the first day of competition. And for Team #180 American Chaos, Nicole Pitell-Vaughan and Chrissie Beavis, the Prologue meant more than just testing out the truck.

“The fact that we made it to the Prologue despite vehicle transportation hurdles said a lot about our entire team. It wasn’t easy the last few weeks, but things finally clicked. We used today to shake off the cobwebs and get a decent start draw,” stated Pitell-Vaughan.

Today’s Prologue was straightforward with four checkpoints (CPs) in an ideal distance of 45 km with flat, easy terrain. Pitell-Vaughan and Beavis reached every CP, and headed back to the bivouac with ease.

“The Prologue sets the stage and we nailed our checkpoints today. Despite the logistics issues with the CRC/TOTAL CHAOS Toyota Tacoma, its all behind us and now its rally time,” said Pitell-Vaughan. We had a great day! The next eight are really going to challenge us.

For many competitors including the experienced, the day represented their first time together as a team, established team dynamics, and ironed out communication. For teams who performed well, being in the better placed group on Leg 1 will have its advantages but can’t predict an outcome.

“Until after the first day, you really can’t tell how serious the competition is,” said Beavis. “Even the Prologue doesn’t really let you know who you will be running with, and a team’s ranking in past events doesn’t mean anything a year later with different equipment.”

As three-time Gazelle competitor Beavis alluded to, anything can happen in the rally. The competition can change even on the last day of competition and reconfigure top rankings thanks in part to its unique format.

Rally Format

Many rallies are based near the foot of the Merzouga and Erg Chebbi dunes, but the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles stands out in its format – teams of two drive off-road and navigate to set CPs over nine days using a compass, outdated maps, and ruler. No GPS, no cell phones, and no support crews. The goal is not speed rather the shortest distance between CPs.

As teams dig deeper into the competition the next few days, some may become more comfortable and less focused as exhaustion sets in. Scores can be set based on something as simple as how a team decides to drive around a rock or a set of trees. This year’s competition should be no exception, with even the slightest variations and last-minute decisions affecting a score.

Live tracking of teams will begin on the official first day of competition, March 24th, at 6 a.m. local time (11 p.m PST) on the rally website.

 

[Team 180 USA]

It looks like the girls did great in todays stage and they made it bak to the bivouac!

 

[McBride]

Good news. Looks like they did a great job navigating. I'd be curious to know what they use for CAP in the truck.

 

[4xdog]

Good luck! This is a lot of fun to follow. Thanks for the super reports.

 

[Team 180 USA]

The team was still in first place after yesterdays stage. Here is the info and photos from last nights PR. Todays stage, leg 3 is a marathon and they have two days to complete it getting to all 14 checkpoints. The girls will be camping in the dunes tonight.


March 25th, 2016 (CORONA, CA) – There are only eight American teams competing in the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles this year, and three of them began today’s Leg in an impressive top ten of their 4×4 class. Leading the way in first place was Team #180 Nicole Pitell-Vaughan and Chrissie Beavis in their CRC/TOTAL CHAOS 2014 Toyota Tacoma.

Team #180, who came in second in the unscored Prologue on Wednesday, piloted their way to all their checkpoints on Leg 2. The course was 115 km with an estimated time of 9 hours. Terrain varied from rocky sections to flat plains and low walls.

A feature synonymous with the rally, a wide oued (dried out riverbed), greeted teams about halfway through the course. Competitors were cautioned during the morning briefing to take the trail option as opposed to drive straight across levels of difficulty that could pose a threat to even the most capable vehicles.

Beavis and Pitell-Vaughan handled the landscapes today in focused competition mode, fully aware that keeping their momentum up throughout the next six days is key as the rally is really won on the final few Legs.

“The top competitors will all be close at the end,” stated Pitell-Vaughan. “There are great drivers who have done this rally for several years now. Being only my second year, the terrain is still very new. I’m learning as I go. Chrissie has an advantage with navigation and reading the maps since this is her third year.”

Beavis, who as a navigator is a two-time X Games medalist, also happens to be a student pilot. Like navigators in the rally, airplane pilots must also use headings and distances and have a strong sense of mechanics to check for any issues. Her experience and skill in the sky certainly do not hurt the team.

“I actually have suspended my training while we are working on our house, but I hope to resume flying next year,” said Beavis. “I fly small planes around San Diego and have had a few chances to fly in aerobatic planes which is what I want to do eventually. There are definitely a lot of parallels with being a navigator in this rally and a pilot in the air.”

Coming Up

Two words come to mind with the Marathon Legs – grueling and dunes. Teams will head off to their first Marathon Leg tomorrow and camp out under the night sky in groups together. For some, the exhaustion from the long days is counteracted by a break away from the norm of the competition.

“To me, the Marathon Legs are really what the rally is all about,” stated Pitell-Vaughan. “They definitely give you the ability to relax and connect with your time and space on the globe. Taking it all in and checking out the stars is awesome.”

Plus, Pitell-Vaughan, an experienced driver and racer, truly enjoys time behind the wheel during the Marathon and especially the dunes. “I’m really looking forward to driving the dunes tomorrow. I actually love the entire adventure that is the Marathon Leg.”

Beavis has a new perspective heading into the dunes this year, and with Pitell-Vaughan steering the Tacoma, is looking forward to the challenge.

“Nicole is awesome in the dunes,” Beavis said. “After testing out in Glamis, I have a whole new appreciation for the sand. In past years I was downright scared of it; seriously, I’d get anxious just looking at the little dots on the map that mean ‘sand’. But now those dots mean fun.”

Watch Team #180’s performance in their first Marathon Leg together live via the link below:

LIVE TRACKING

starts Saturday 6 a.m. local time (11 p.m PST)

Rankings
Rankings from each Leg are not official until noon local time the next day on the official rally website:
www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com
MEDIA INQUIRES

David Brumbley

media@chaosfab.com

951.737.9682

All Photos: Maïzena

 

[McBride]

Great report. Go #180. I'll be following the tracking.

 

[Team 180 USA]

Here is the recap after the 2 day marathon stage that happened over the weekend.

March 27th, 2016 (CORONA, CA) – The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles has officially hit the midway mark with four competition days down and four to go. With that comes some serious heat in the top ten of the 4×4 class, as pressure mounts for leaders in the rankings and contenders for the top. For Team #180 American Chaos Nicole Pitell-Vaughan and Chrissie Beavis, they began the first of two Marathon Legs on Saturday ahead of the pack in overall score but with little room for error – second place Team #179 Régine Zbinden and Ela Steiner trailed them in an exceptionally close .77 points away.

They Don’t Call It a Marathon Leg for Nothing

The ideal distance for the two-day Leg 3 was 230 km with 14 CPs total and 5 of them in the dunes. For those in the 4×4 class, day one “Dunes Day” brought route options through the famed Erg Chebbi dunes – teams chose from three routes based on their experience and expertise. Route X was the most advanced, surrounded by steep peeks and tricky decision making. Maintaining smart decisions in both navigating and driving here were a must. Pitell-Vaughan and Beavischose X, an obvious choice for teams looking to hold court. Although the team had kept strong momentum so far, it was definitely reachable.

Going into the dunes, Beavis was optimistic. “The Morocco Taco absolutely has enough power to climb the steep slopes of Erg Chebbi, and the peaks make it easy to navigate.”

The truck’s custom suspension, Toyota TRD Supercharger and traction with the BFGoodrich tires gave Pitell-Vaughan confidence going in. Still, competitors try and abide by at least one rule – don’t break your car. It is your third Gazelle.

“Keeping a vehicle together for nine days out here is no easy task,” said Pitell-Vaughan. “The rocks rattle the truck apart – we had rear diff bolts rattle loose last year!, The sand dunes are technical and driving straight is more challenging than you can imagine both mentally and physically.”

Team #180’s lines through the X route were seemingly well-placed in all five CPs as they set a solid pace through the dunes. From there, they continued on to nail all CPs on day one. Day two’s brought tackling the wide Oued Rhéris, rough terrain and difficult features to identify, which brought the team back to the bivouac after dark Sunday evening.

The rally is now beginning to weed out competitors, filtering teams through fatigue, dehydration, exhaustion, and 14 hour days in the vehicle. Competition in the top ten is especially fierce.

With other teams in the top five performing well over the weekend including fourth place American Team #107 Susanah and Jo Hannah Hoehn, Team #180 cannot get too comfortable. Then again, if you know Pitell-Vaughan’s motto, “Life is CHAOS! Get out and live it…..” we can’t imagine this is a team that’ll take it easy.

LIVE TRACKING

6 a.m. local time (10 p.m PST)

Rankings from each Leg are not official until noon local time the next day on the official rally website:
www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com
MEDIA INQUIRES
David Brumbley

media@chaosfab.com

951.737.9682

All Photos: Maïzena

 

[Team 180 USA]

Here is the recap after yesterdays leg 4.

March 28th, 2016 (CORONA, CA) – In the history of the Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles, no American team has ever won the coveted 4×4 class. Although three U.S. teams including Team #180 American Chaos were in the top 5 of the class going into today’s Leg 4, a major shake-up is still possible as gaps begin to close between teams.

After an exhausting Marathon Leg over the weekend, today’s Leg 4 wasn’t the most difficult of days with the biggest challenge being fatigue, heat, and total distance covered – a looped leg of 160 km estimated at 9 hours with 7 checkpoints. If teams wanted a chance of being dead-on, they needed to plot well and drive smart. Team American Chaos did just that.

A Key Player – Strategy

With the Leg taking teams up over a very large muddy hill before they even hit CP1, some teams decided to go around the obstacle rather than take the risk head-on. The “safe” option; however, led them straight into mud. Team American Chaos made the decision to go over the hill and it paid off. Beavis noted that with only 1.91 kilometers separating their team from the leaders, she and Pitell-Vaughan were really strategic during Leg 4.

“Our strategy today was definitely to take some chances to see if we could take back the lead, and we got lucky right away,” said Beavis. “We took a risky bet at CP 1 and it paid off big time. We went over a hill where we watched a lot of other competitors have to turn around. I put some MAXTRAX down, and we got up and over. Everyone else who had to go around then got stuck in the mud. We probably shaved about three kilometers.”

Another influential area of the course was between CP 6 and 7. Team American Chaos decided to take an easier line here to conserve energy, whereas current leaders Team #179 Régine Zbinden and ElaSteiner took the opposite. They drove an exceptionally straight line in their Jeep Wrangler through the difficult dry riverbeds in an attempt to hold onto first place. Ironically, right when Pitell-Vaughan and Beavispulled into CP 7, Team #179 pulled in behind them after having done the harder line. The two teams will likely be jostling for the lead the next few days. Beavis said they had an unofficial penalty for the day of 6.4 kilometers, which would be good news for the team.

Teams in the top must continue to bring their A-game with an excellent pace and navigational accuracy for a chance at first. A tough final three days are ahead.

LIVE TRACKING

6 a.m. local time (10 p.m PST)

Rankings
Rankings from each Leg are not official until noon local time the next day on the official rally website:
www.rallyeaichadesgazelles.com
MEDIA INQUIRES
David Brumbley

media@chaosfab.com

951.737.9682

All Photos: Nicole Dreon/Maïenga