12 June 2025
Peking to Paris Week Four
Five countries down, six to go.
The past week of the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge has taken the rally through Baku, Qakh, Tbilisi and Erzurum with Istanbul being the next stop on Sunday.
Kazakhstan bought plenty of dust, heat, and complex roads! JT and Nick found themselves crawling across sun-baked, crater-ridden tracks at a stately 20-30 kph. The surface was covered with ‘fech-fech’ - not sand, but a very fine powder, caused by the erosion of clay-limestone terrain, and it is found in most deserts. ‘It hides potholes, chokes engines, and turns every breath into a wheeze’ – JT and Nick.
Mechanically, JT’s Bentley behaved like a ‘stubborn but loyal steed’. It suffered a puncture and a temperamental battery which was easily fixable, all was going too well. Not long after, a rogue connection had become loose, and dust working its way to the terminals. JT and Nick performed emergency surgery in the open bonnet, and they were soon driving off again.
Thunder rumbled overhead and rain poured down as they reached Qakh on day 24 of the Peking to Paris rally - a storm was brewing in the mountains. Baku welcomed the rally cars in style, hosting them in the F1 Pit Lane and throwing a celebration for the competitors. The evening featured entertainment and a lively crowd of locals, all enjoying the cars. From there, the rally crossed Baku and deeper into Azerbaijan, following a route that showcased the countries scenery, on roads that one minute a flat, sun-scorched desert stretch, and the next involved narrow bends with steep slopes.
Leaving behind Azerbaijan’s awful weather, they entered sunny Georgia - the fourth country on the rally, though only a brief stop with one night spent. Shortly after crossing the border, the rally continued with a Hillclimb regularity, a steep and demanding incline leading to the mountain town of Sighnaghi. After a brief journey through Georgia’s stunning wilderness, the city of Tbilisi was in sight. At the Lilo Arena Rally Cross circuit, two timed tests took place - if the earlier hill climb hadn’t scratched the itch for speed, a pair of fast-paced laps around this track certainly did.
The following day brought another border crossing, this time into Erzurum, Türkiye. After weeks of punishing tarmac and rough dirt tracks, the smooth, well-maintained roads were welcomed. With just ten days remaining until the finish, the rally has entered its final stretch, and the trip meter has surpassed 10,000 kilometres since departing China.
Thanks to Hero-Era, Jonathan Turner and Nick for keeping us updated from 2,000 miles away and Ian Skelton and Will Broadhead for capturing imagery.
