Race :: Round 48 - Orsi Takes the Flag!

His red scarf snapping in the icy wind, Italy's Sebi Orsi cruises smoothly through the checkered flag for fourth place, then cuts hard to the left as he slows his Maserati. Beside the track, a group of Swedish ladies cheer him on feverishly, realizing that he intends to stop his car beside them to commence his celebrations in true Italian style.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese driver, Pedro Gomes, artfully takes the final curve at Fiskekroken. With this, he leaves the Frenchman, Aristide La Fontaine, behind and falling short of a real challenge for position. It appears now that the Portuguese driver is nearly assured of a fifth place finish – his daring move overshooting the chicane in a skid has paid off great dividends. Once overtaken, the Frenchman has few chances to catch him before the flag. Aristide may have to settle for sixth place.

The Britisher, John Milk, drives his Amilcar deep in the chicane as the car darts through the narrow tree-lined lanes. He is carrying too much speed and so, reluctantly, he reaches for the gear lever. There is no other way than to shift down hard now, which will eliminate any chance he may have had to challenge for the next position up among finishers. His finish is now nearly certainly seventh place.

Back on the ice, the Finn, Tavho Myrsky, restarts his big Chrysler and spins the tires on the ice. His is a race against time now to get Rychly back to the pit area where the medical team awaits.

Race :: Round 47 - Portugal Conquers France!

As Sebi Orsi slows his Maserati and prepares to take the checkered flag and stop. He will have taken an honored fourth position in a very difficult and challenging race. Godeschalk Hegkman, who has already taken in 3rd place, skids through the curve beyond the finish and spins out, narrowly avoiding the Belgian and Swiss cars. He comes to a stop at the edge of the snowbank at trackside. The German's white Bugatti may be facing in the wrong direction, but he has done it!! A podium showing for the German – and soon he is swamped with well-wishers.

Meanwhile, in a dangerous development, the Frenchman, Aristide La Fontaine, shifts down hard to 2nd gear and steers left in an effort to cut the Portuguese driver off and force him through the debris inside the narrow chicane. In response, the Portuguese ace, Pedro Gomes, instead cuts to the right – he shifts down only into 3rd gear. Driving recklessly through the debris, he takes damage to his underbody from the pieces of metal that litter the track, but still skids around the blue Salmson racer to take the lead. The race to Fiskekroken is on and the Portuguese driver is now better positioned – can Aristide even catch him? It will take luck and hard driving now....

At the pit lanes, the trespassing German Mercedes SSLK cuts hard to the left – he is trying to collide with the British driver! But John Milk cuts left hard also! Somehow, the two cars glance off each other – with heavy damage to both! That should have been a near certain collision! The Germans lose control! While nimble Amilcar speeds off northward toward the chicane, the heavy SSLK spins off the track and into the trees. Catching a tree on the right front tire, the car flips and rolls!! After three terrible crashes, it comes to a stop against a large tree, smoke and steam rising from the engine compartment. Clearly, nobody could have survived such a horrific crash!

Back on the ice, the Finn, Tavho Myrsky, lifts Vitez Rychly into his car. The stewards issue a judgment – when the great white Chrysler comes to the pit lane, the Finn will be flagged to a stop and credited with having completed the whole race, placing last amongst the remaining drivers on the circuit. The medical teams are already mobilizing to care for Rychly.

The Finn has demonstrated a willingness to risk his life despite gunfire and brave a stop aside the burning wreck of the orange Bugatti to save another driver – such sportsmanship will no doubt earn him front page coverage in the Laxforsen Dagbladet. He could finish the race at this point, if only in 1st gear, but it is more important to attend to the Czech driver's wounds – and so the race stewards have ruled. For the Finn, the race ends at the pit lanes.

Race :: Round 46 - Germany Takes Third!

Crossing the finish line with Teutonic flair, Germany's Godeschalk Hegkman takes third place – a sorely needed podium showing for the white knight. In his joy, Hegkman forgets to shift down to 2nd gear, setting up a possible spinout at the next curve, yet the German is far from interested in such minor issues! He stands up in the cockpit and raises both arms to the sky! The crowd erupts into cheers seeing the audacity of the German!! Many more spill onto the track to surround the yellow racer.

Coming out of Fiskekroken onto the final straight, Sebi Orsi cannot seem to accelerate the little Italian Maserati. It fishtails on the ice, the rear tires spinning. There was no hope of challenging Germany for the final podium spot in any case, so it cannot matter. Orsi's gaze shifts to the crowd ahead at the finish line, where he spies several beautiful Swedish ladies waving cheerfully.

France and Portugal narrowly miss the oncoming German Mercedes SSLK driven by the German shooters. Both blast forward and by on the right side in 5th gear. The German takes a single shot with his pistol but misses widely. Both racers cut through the narrow tree-lined lane and take on the chicane at great speed. Aristide is in the lead, he reaches for his gear handle, preparing to shift down hard to avoid a spinout. It looks like it will be a tight race into the final curve after all! The race for fifth place is heating up and it could go either way!

Meanwhile, Britain's John Milk storms out of the hairpin and is shocked to see the big SSLK racing toward him. There is no chance now for the British driver to challenge the two cars ahead, so he is now certain of a seventh place showing, so long as he holds it together on the track. His shock turns to fear as the driver pulls out a gun and takes aim at the hapless Brit.

Back on the ice, Tavho Myrsky leaps from the cockpit of his big Chrysler and pulls the downed Czech driver, Vitez Rychly, toward his car. Stopping on the track may not have resulted in anything but a last place showing for the Finn, but it certainly deserves great recognition. The gunfire has subsided, yet the crackling flames lick the side of his white car. The Czech driver is sorely in need of medical attention and Myrsky's rescue now ensures that.

At the front of the race, the victorious Belgian brings his car to a stop – his eyes set upon the flaming wreck in the distance. There will be no victory lap. He leaps from the cockpit of the big yellow Duesenberg and lifts his goggles for a better look. The flames are angry and deep orange, black smoke towering in the air. What accident is this? Then the crowd overwhelms him and lifts him onto their shoulders, carrying him!

Race :: Round 45 - France Overhauls Portugal

The Belgian, Victor Hugo Stéphane, is victorious and now shifts down to begin his victory lap. Suddenly, Norway's Teide Sorolla-Ledaal flashes past, out of control and running too fast to manage the curve just after the finish line! He spins off into the snow, wedging the car into a snow bank. The Volcán is done for the day. A cloud of steam erupts from the Bugatti's radiator as he stands up and waves jauntily to the crowd, which continues cheering him on. Yet more and more, the crowd recognizes the Belgian's victory. Many rush onto the track and wave their hats in a salute.

Vying for third place, Godeschalk Hegkman speeds out onto the final straight toward the finish line. He ducks down behind the windshield, leaning forward to get every inch out of the car's performance. As the curve looms ahead, a quick glance behind assures him that Italy's Sebi Orsi remains too far back to challenge for the last podium spot. He smiles and eases off – it has been a perfect race.

Coming out of the Hårnålskurva hairpin, Pedro Gomes shifts up to run the straight. Yet he cannot possibly hold off the Frenchman, Aristide La Fontaine, whose blue Salmson roars by in higher gear. Britain's John Milk takes into the hairpin conservatively, but is well-positioned for the challenge ahead. It is possible to catch the French and Portuguese cars up and the green Amilcar is in reasonable condition. The race for fourth place could well be decided here on this final straight as these last three cars, head toward the narrow forested chicane ahead.

Finally, Tavho Myrsky brings his great white Chrysler to a halt beside the downed Czech driver, Vitez Rychly. He reaches out and pulls the Czech's body around, preparing to lift him into the cockpit. No other car on the track (except perhaps the French Salmson) could take the Czech on board, but the Chrysler is a huge race car – a real American ice beast. The flames from Rychly's Bugatti singe the back tire of the Finn's car, but despite the heat and the risk of the gunfire – which has died down for the moment – Myrsky proves himself to be as daring as noble in his rescue.

Back on the straight up ahead, the big German Mercedes SSLK skids onto the track from around the corner of pit area. Heading south against the traffic, the driver grins as he realizes he is heading directly toward the Frenchman's Salmson racer – he guns the engine and shifts up to 3rd gear. Helvete! The two are on a collision course!! Is the German driver a veteran of the Great War? In the back of the Mercedes, the second German pulls himself into the car's rear seat. He fires another round from his Mauser pistol into the air.

Race :: Round 44 - Belgium Takes the Flag!

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Shifting down to ease his car into the next corner, the Belgian driver, Victor Hugo Stéphane, smoothly glides across the finish line, waving jauntily to the crowd. Close behind, Norway's famed driver, Teide Sorolla-Ledaal, also known as the the Volcán, accelerates in a final bid to catch the Norwegian. He cannot do it. Just seconds behind, he crosses the finishing line, to take a second place flag. Still, the crowd erupts into cheering, “ Volcán, Volcán, Volcán!!! Despite being at the front, the yellow Duesenberg of the Belgian receives polite applause but otherwise goes almost unnoticed as the fans seemingly favor their Scandinavian neighbor.

Skidding deep into Fiskekroken, Godeschalk Hegkman maneuvers his white Bugatti forward toward what looks to be a dominant third place finish. Italy's Sebi Orsi shifts down and takes the beginning of the Fiskekroken curve with care, surrendering to an inevitable conclusion that he will place fourth in the race. Even with his low speed and gear, Orsi's red Maserati still takes a hard hit from the debris that litters the track just at the entry point of the curve. The Maserati soldiers on.

Racing into the Hårnålskurva hairpin, Pedro Gomes from Portugal gracefully rounds the corner in a tight skid. Directly behind, the Frenchman, Aristide La Fontaine, brakes late and takes the curve with incredible speed. His great blue Salmson racer nearly clips the little red and green Bugatti of the Portuguese team.

Bring up the rear, the British Amilcar cruises out of Lekböjen. Meanwhile, Vitez Rychly, shot gravely, passes out, perhaps for the final time. Alarms are sounded as the medical teams run to the report of an accident on the ice. Nearby, the body of the German shooter lays still on the snow. The Finnish driver, Tavho Myrsky, shifts down further and cruises up slowly to the scene of the flaming wreck. He enters the smoke as the big Chrysler skids on the ice.

Out of the woods, bursting into the gap behind the pit area, a big Mercedes SSLK speeds forward. It skids and turns south. The driver's face is cloaked by a pair of goggles – a second man clings precariously to the back of the car, one leg in the back seat and one leg dangling outside the car. He points a Mauser pistol into the air and fires off two shots to clear the crowds ahead of the car.

Race :: Round 43 - Belgium Dashes Forward

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Victor Hugo Stéphane flies out of the final curve and shifts up, spinning the tires of the great yellow Duesenberg as he strains toward the finish line. Behind, in a last bid to catch the Belgian, Teide Sorolla-Ledaal presses around the curve in 3rd gear. His Bugatti skids through the curve. The Belgian has a dominating lead and it will be impossible for the Volcán to close the gap.

Meanwhile, coming out of the chicane, Hegkman suddenly accelerates away from Italy's Sebi Orsi and enters the final curve. The German's driving is precise and highly technical, while the Italian's car seems propelled forward only with the force of emotion. The Italian's attempt to force the German into difficulty has backfired and now the Teutonic knight has capitalized on the error. There is almost no way the Maserati can challenge the white Bugatti for third place at the finish.

Back at Lekböjen, Vitez Rychly, shot gravely, fades in and out of consciousness. Somehow, he pulls himself forward with one last heave toward the edge of the track just as the Portuguese driver cuts past the burning wreck of the orange Bugatti. The car misses Rychly's legs by inches as Gomes glances down and realizes his mistake – to have taken this side of the wreck was reckless.

To the right side of the wreck, the German gunman struggles up and lifts his pistol. He is bleeding, himself somehow shot from behind. He aims at Rychly as the Portuguese Bugatti speeds past, between the two. Suddenly, he hears a great roar from his left – there, bearing down on him is Aristide La Fountain in his the French blue Salmson. The huge racer cuts to the right, and slams into the German's arm, knocking the gun out of the shooter's hand. Another shot rings out from the wood line and the German gunman falls backward into the snowbank at the edge of the track, this time shot fatally.

Coming out of Storkurvan, the British driver, John Milk, accelerates forward, steering directly across the edge of the flames, nearly clipping the wreck of the Czech's Bugatti. His Amilcar races directly into the heat of the fire.

Farther back, the Finnish driver suddenly downshifts inexplicably. The momentum of the big Chrysler carries him forward at speed but it is clear that he will soon fall off the pace further as the tires skid slower. What is he up to? Perhaps he is slowing to ensure he can make it through the mess ahead.

Race :: Round 42 - Belgium Advances

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Victor Hugo Stéphane shifts down hard to avoid skidding out of the final curve, showing his Belgian conservatism. The great yellow Duesenberg slides smoothly around, setting up a beautiful finish. Meanwhile, Teide Sorolla-Ledaal, in his Bugatti, struggles into the curve. The Volcán shifts down and prepares for a daring dash to catch the Belgian at the finish. It could work – but only with good luck and explosive driving. The true nature of the Volcán is about to put to test.

His red scarf snapping against the wind, Italy's Sebi Orsi glances back. The German's white Bugatti is closing fast. Unexpectedly, Orsi slams on his brakes. He skids the Maserati short within the chicane, forcing the German nearly into disaster. Hegkman dodges to the right and drive his white Bugatti through the debris that fills the track, barely holding the car in the chicane as the balding tires nearly skid out. He slams on the brakes to avoid spinning out. The Italian's move has burned the last of Hegkman's brakes – but it has also cost Orsi dearly. Both cars are now set for a final dash for third place, the German barely edging out Orsi for the run to the final curve.

At Lekböjen, beside the burning wreck of his Bugatti, Vitez Rychly struggles to pull himself off the track. He turns his head and sees the German gunman step to the edge of the track. The man raises his gun and fires. The bullet impacts the snow bank inches from Rychly's skull. The German smiles as Rychly makes a last desperate attempt to pull himself up the snowbank. He has nowhere to go. Another shot rings out – another bullet into the snowbank. From this distance, how can he miss? He must be toying with the downed Czech, as if enjoying it. In extreme pain, Rychly passes out just as one final shot is fired.

Meanwhile, coming toward the burning wreck, Aristide La Fontaine maneuvers his Salmson racer smoothly into the Lekböjen curve, cutting to the right edge of the track. Instantly, he spots a man standing beside the edge of the track – a gun raised in his hand, pointing across the track at something – or someone.... Momentarily, Aristide lifts his foot from the gas pedal, but then realizes there is no slowing down or stopping – he will have to drive past the shooter. Suddenly, to Aristide's surprise, the man crumples forward, as if shot from behind. His body falls across the snowbank at the edge of the track. What is all this?

Behind, Pedro Gomes skids out of Storkurvan and flashes past the French Salmson to take the position. He shifts up, hoping to gap the field now and take a confident lead – yet suddenly, a mess of fire and debris looms ahead – should he go left or right? He has but an instant to decide.... Farther back, the Britisher glides out of Storkurvan with the Finnish driver comfortably falling back. The cars are racing forward into what appears to be a gunfight.