In each of the five Scrappy Races Rally stages, our four teams must convert their vehicles to tackle two different tests. They have a maximum of eight hours in our scrap graveyard to prepare for each pair of tests before heading off to hit the stage course
Turn those wheels into a cat rescuing, tree felling rally racer.
First the teams had to rescue a fluffy toy cat stuck up a tree. Then they had to fell a 25-centimetre-thick tree.
Forest Stage Race Day
The test was run in the order the teams left the build. Maximus started 55 minutes ahead of the other three teams, who were set off at five-minute intervals for safety reasons.
Maximus hit the course knowing that a steady, trouble-free run would probably give them the stage win. Even so, they did seem to be taking their time. It took them several minutes to get their cat rescue chute into position on the back of their van.
It took another agonizing wait before the team finally got their feline flicking arm into position. Operating a long arm on a short lever meant captain Paul almost knocked the Chainsaw Clan's cat out of the tree by accident, an action which would have failed them on the cat rescue test. Maximus finally nudged the cat into the waiting mouth of the chute and kitty in hand, they raced off to the tree felling site.
Once again it was a slow process manoeuvring close enough to their tree to be able to sling the cheese wire round the outside of it. By now the team sensed that time was ticking away and they were running to get the saw sorted out. Dennis finally began driving slowly backwards and forwards, getting the wire to cut into the tree, but it was agonizingly slow. By the time they were halfway through the tree, two of the pursuing teams, the Staffordshire Bulls and the Chainsaw Clan, were on the course.
Hot on their heels
The Bulls were first to the cat rescue challenge, where their diesel-powered vacuum made short work of grabbing the cat. Not far behind them the Clan rumbled up. They too swiftly grabbed the cat with their pincers. And with the Dragons also on the course Maximus' lead looked extremley under threat.
However, the cheese wire held together and finally their tree was felled - right on top of the van! A quick burst of speed from Dennis and the van was free and heading for the finish.
So Maximus had won the forest stage, but who would claim second place? All three teams had managed to retrieve their cats and were gearing up for the second test.
The Bulls fired up their saw and went to work. At 5000 rpm it went through the tree like a knife through butter, and they scorched off to the finish. The Clan's lorry had lumbered into position and with its scissor blades positioned around the tree it was time to test the mettle of their tree feller. With a sickening bang the tree emerged victorious. The scissor pivot point had snapped off, demonstrating that even a relatively slim tree is no pushover. With their machine in pieces the Clan were forced to retire, having failed the stage.
Would the Rally Dragons fare any better? They too suffered from their last-minute dash to finish their build. Despite the best efforts of Dave and Steve they couldn't force enough pressure onto the saw blade to really cut into the tree. The whole structure just wobbled under the strain and then the drive arm from the cam wheel broke off. With their saw making little progress the Dragons too retired from the fray, tails between their legs.
Winners of the Forest Stage - Maximus
Forest Stage results
07:21:01 Maximus
08:09:04 Staffordshire Bulls
09:09:04 Chainsaw Clan
09:09:04 Rally Dragons
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