Terry Reynolds hopes it will be a case of third time lucky when he takes to the wheel for the thrill-seeking Budapest-Bamako Rally next month.Reynolds has seen his previous two attempts at competing in ultimate rally challenges hit the skids due to political unrest in the some of countries he would have driven through.Following the cancellation of the 2010 London to Cape Town Rally due to terrorism in Niger, Reynolds turned to the Libyan Rally Raid in an effort to quench his adventurous appetite.But, in another twist of fate, he suffered more misfortune when the Libyan civil war broke out just a week before the start of the race.The 54-year-old project manager had been making his way to the ferry terminal in Genoa, Italy, when the Libyan revolution got underway.Disappointed but undeterred, Reynolds signed up for the Budapest-Bamako Rally, also known as The Great African Run, which will see him cross some of the most inhospitable landscapes in the world from the vast emptiness of the Sahara Desert to the wild bush of Western African Plains.The race starts in Budapest on January 14 and finishes in Guinea Bissau 15 days later, with Reynolds having to clock up more than 5,000 miles in a custom-built 3,000cc Mitsubishi race truck.Acting as Reynolds’ navigator will be Paul McCoy, a keen thespian who played Captain Mannering in last year’s production of Dad’s Army at the Daylesford Theatre.“I’m really looking forward to this one and there’s no way it’s going to be cancelled; they run it in every condition you can think of,” said Reynolds, who will be up against around 120 entrants. “I’ll be really pleased to do a rally after the last two years of having them cancelled.”For veteran racer Reynolds, it will not be the first time he has pushed his driving skills to the limit. Back in 2002 he completed the eight-stage London to Athens rally, the same year he placed 12th in the World Cup Rally, which also finished in Greece’s capital city.But for McCoy, a 53 year-old insurance worker, the gruelling event inspired by the legendary Dakar Rally promises to be a baptism of fire.“This is something very different for Paul,” said Reynolds, a Bermuda resident for more than 20 years. “We’ve known each other for years and I was talking to him about it and he said ‘I’d like to go with you on that’. He’s jumped in with both feet and he’s very keen on it.”Reynolds’ modified Mitsubishi has been upgraded especially for desert driving. Should there be any mechanical problems he will have to carry out his own repairs.“It’s totally custom-built and nothing like a standard car,” Reynolds added. “It has twin shock absorbers for each wheel, updated suspension, turbo charger; it’s a very quick car, about 250 brake horsepower.”Aside from the scorching heat, Reynolds and McCoy will also have to contend with the difficult desert tracks and plains where there will be no roads.“I see the worst difficulty being the Sahara Desert and then when we get down to the African Plains we’ll have to go through the bush where there are no roads,” said Reynolds, who got into racing years’ ago driving Formula Four and Formula Four 2000 cars.“We expect to get bogged down and tied up in sand dunes. In fact I’ve had to go out today and buy a satellite phone on eBay because it’s mandatory for the race section which we are doing.”Reynolds will be raising money for the Doctors without Borders charity and any prospective sponsors can reach him on his cell 535 9597 or visit www.bermudarallyteam.com.