Antarctic trek in a Porsche 356, scheduled to start in early December.
Extreme racer Renee Brinckerhoff will be crossing the Antarctic ice in a 1956 Porsche 356 that she and her Valkyrie Racing team have taken on every continent on the planet in grueling cross-country races and rally events, a 356-mile The start date for the trek has been set. [The ice trek, dubbed the Project 356 World Rally Ice Challenge, is scheduled to begin on December 5, with Brinckerhoff, her vintage Porsche, which has been redesigned for the dangers of the polar regions, and navigator and world record holder in the famous polar expedition Jason de Carteret, will power up for the treacherous drive.
This epic Antarctic drive will be the seventh and final continent Brinckerhoff and her Porsche have driven on, a milestone in endurance racing for any rally car, much less a 65-year-old 356 Sport Coupe. [According to a Valkyrie Racing announcement, "The four-year journey of driving all seven continents in one car is about to be completed." When Valkyrie started Project 356: World Rally Tour in 2017, we didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into. But when you say you're going to do something, you better do it."
The Project 356 World Rally Tour includes a humanitarian component called Valkyrie Gives, which provides education and funding to combat the international crisis of child trafficking. [According to a Valkyrie Racing news release, "The impending 356-mile trek on ice . . marks the conclusion of a nearly 20,000-mile commitment to pursue the ultimate effort by one woman, one car, and one global mission to end child trafficking.
The Porsche 356 has survived the rigors of some of the world's most treacherous roads, but has been rebuilt and reconfigured for solo driving. The front end has also been given the addition of sturdy "crevasse bars" to help traverse the deep cracks encountered on the ice. Solar panels will be installed to take advantage of the 24-hour sunlight that falls during the polar summer.
Redesigned for polar driving by UK-based Extreme Explorer Senior Chassis Design Engineer Keiron Bradley, Porsche spent more than 18 months transforming this little sports car into a purpose-built vehicle ready for the challenges of the rugged frozen ground. transformed it into a purpose-built vehicle ready for the challenges of the rugged frozen ground.
"The team will depart for Chile on November 26 and from there fly to Union Glacier in Antarctica on December 5. Our goal is to drive 356 miles through the interior of Antarctica, a symbolic mileage that will begin toward the South Pole and return to base at approximately the halfway point." This journey is both radical and an understatement.
Valkyrie Racing was originally founded to support Brinckerhoff in her first driving challenge, competing in the La Carrera Americana rally across Mexico. After winning her first class in La Carrera, she was encouraged to compete in similar grueling rally events around the world,
and she did.
The Valkyrie Racing team's main sponsor is PXG, a golf research and development company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information about Valkyrie Racing and Valkyrie Gives, see the team's website.
This article, written by Bob Golfen, originally appeared on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.
