Old Banger Raises Over £10,000 for Tearfund in Trans-Sahara Charity Race

Nineteen days and 4,000 miles after departing London's Hyde Park on Boxing Day, an old banger 1978 SAAB 99 Turbo bought for only £160 has raised more than £10,000 for Tearfund and Macmillan Cancer Support in a trans-Sahara charity race.

The Turbo's drivers, by the name of Team Sanddodgers, joined 199 other teams attempting to traverse the world's largest desert in clapped-out bangers purchased for less than £200.

Team Sanddodgers, which comprised of Evangelical Alliance Parliamentary Officer Gareth Wallace, Brunel University PhD Student Jon Farley and London Tube Company Metronet employee Peter Laurie, crossed the finish line in Banjul, Gambia, on Saturday 13 January 2007.

The money raised has finally been counted and was announced this week as standing at £13,000, well above their target of £10,000.

The latest event was the fifth annual Plymouth to Banjul Challenge, an on-the-cheap alternative to the prestigious Paris to Dakar Rally.

Looking back, Wallace said: "We met some amazing people on our travels - from the 70-year old mum racing in her son's banger across the desert to the Moroccan policemen who helped us bump start our car in Fez.

"Behind all the wackiness of the race were some amazingly dedicated fundraisers-turned-racers and some amazingly kind and helpful locals. It is a reminder of how much fun can be had doing something good for others!"

During their epic adventure, the team drove for 36-hours non-stop across Europe, dodging jaywalkers, donkeys and other bangers on the roads of Africa as well as negotiating their way through a local mob, corrupt officials and lengthy border checkpoint bureaucracy.

Team Sanddodgers SAAB 99 Turbo successfully negotiated 300 miles off road through the Sahara at speeds of up to 60mph without one single puncture. Gareth managed to crash the car off a sand dune damaging the oil radiator, but this didn't prevent the unstoppable SAAB from towing a broken down Land Rover fire engine over 100kms the next day.

Metronet employee Laurie said: "I know more about camels now than I did before or ever really wanted to. Having ridden on them, drank their milk and even eaten their meat, I can safely say that I never want to see another camel again in my life!"