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Page 6 of 6  > ACCESS Nonstop flights between major U.S. cities—including New York, Miami, and Houston—and Buenos Aires start at $700. On the ground, connect to Bariloche on daily flights with LAN (lan.com) from the domestic Jorge Newbery Airport (AEP), a 45-minute tra... For some, the day brings heartache. A giant car transporter is cruising the final route, picking up casualties. A green 1965 Jaguar MK II is already piggybacked on top of a white 1962 Corvette, destined to ride, not drive, back to Buenos Aires. As Ed and Ned slow down for the checkered flag, they pass the car that for 800 miles has been accompanied by its own private trouble-truck and crew. It is dead on its wheels, literally 15 feet from the finish line. In the end, even Ed and Ned’s revised goal of finishing in last place is thwarted; they claim 132nd place among the 135 cars that finish the race. “I think with a little practice and maybe an extra stopwatch or two, we could give the Argentinians a run for their money,” Ned says, hinting at a rematch. “Or at least get in their way a lot less.” The Longfields, staging the best comeback of any of the race’s non-Argentinian teams, capture 127th. Mark is analytical. “We assumed that most of the participants had entered just to drive fast around Patagonia with other vintage cars,” he says. “Our rank reveals this to be incorrect. There were drivers wearing headsets plugged into flashing and blinking dashboard-mounted computers.” Would having one of those gizmos have helped? Maybe, Mark says, “But the computers likely communicated only in robot Spanish.” In their tuxedos at the formal awards dinner later that night, all disappointments have been forgotten and the gringos are glowing like champions. After all, again to paraphrase the immortal Fernando Lamas, “It is better to look good than to finish good.” Comments (0)
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