FORD’S 24 Solidarity Hours

The first racing hours elapsed as is usual insuch a long event. Some equipments started driving rapidly, but that was notthe purpose of this trial in which the minimum fuel consumption and the savingof ressources (each equipment had a total right to spend 235 liters diesel fueland 8 tyres) was a top priority not to have problems in getting to the end ofthe race. Sunset came with all its high level of difficulties to try andestablish regularity strategies in speed and consumption to avoid runningrisks. Around midnight, having run a fourth part of the race, we reached thefirst position and kept it firmly until first hours in the morning (over 10consecutive hours). At 11 o’oclock next morning, that is to say after seventeenhours racing, Fundación Apascovi snatched our leadership leaving us in a secondposition. Fundación Codespa was third.

During the next hours, we managed to keep upwithin the five first places, Fundación Codespa was slowly taking the lead. Atlast, Codespa’s sound strategy enabled them to endure the pressure until theyfinished as winners. Some of the rivals arrived to the finishing line withoutany fuel. Five cars ran out of petrol, on account of the great speed displayed.During prize giving, all of us were very happy to have taken part in the raceand to have contributed, in a way, to a just cause in an event in whichcompanionship prevailed. We wish to thank our driving equipment and sponsorsMichel González, Alfonso Pérez, David Prado, Ignacio González, David López,Juan Manuel García, Jorge Silva, Víctor Piccione and Fernando González as wellas the coordinator Jaume Falguera. Their performance was grand, without them wecould never have achieved the third position.

We wish to state that, thanks to that thirdposition, we have been able to invest 14,000€ we won to buy a mammographer forPadre Arrupe Sanitary Center, which was officially open in 2007. Next year,with renewed hope, we will be ready to apply for the first prize.