Race :: Round 11 - Brakes and Tight Cornering

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In a cloud of white smoke and to the sound of grinding gearboxes, Belgium downshifts hard to hold on in the hairpin, while behind, Italy's Sebi Orsi cuts over in hopes of passing, but now must slam on the brakes to fall in behind. Orsi's move left, however, cuts in front of Sweden's famous Rutger Hägglund, who now must also slam on his brakes -- so hard he comes to a complete stop in the center of the hairpin curve!! For the Shark, it is the only way to avoid a certain collision with the Italian driver, yet Orsi does not seem to notice, his red scarf snapping in the breeze behind him as he pilots his Maserati ahead with certain vengeance.

In a flash, Norway's Magane Omalie and Finland's famed ice racer, Tavho Myrsky, speed ahead overtaking the other cars around the outside of the curve to vault back into the lead! From farther back, Louis de Montignac of Monaco shifts down hard and cuts to the inside lane, brushing past the Italy in a move which clearly takes the Italian by surprise. The Monegasque flicks up his hand in a quick wave at the Italian as he goes by in a cloud of smoke, his front left wheel nearly nicking the rear tire of Finland's Myrsky up ahead, so closely is the fight within the curve now.

France and Germany hug the outside lane in hopes of making it through the curve at Hôtel Negresco intact, with the French driver glancing over his shoulder -- no doubt remembering his sudden position is alike to the horrific collision at Staouéli, which took him out of the race, Germany close on his heels. Yet Germany's pilot, Godeschalk Hegkman, is also looking back as his nemesis, the Czech driver Vitez Rychly, roars up from behind in the curve! Britain slides past Rychly in the middle lane, seemingly at ease as he enters the curve.

At the rear, another pair of the Bugattis, this time driven by the Spanish and Swiss drivers, eases forward, holding up short of the curve for safety. Cutting around to the inside, the Swiss driver, Petrus de Bernardus, also elects to steer clear of the mess ahead.

Race :: Round 10 - Crowding into Negresco

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The rush into the curve at Hôtel Negresco reaches a fevered pitch as Norway and Finland ease around the outside lane. A traffic jam results behind, with Belgium taking a daring move to speed to the front, his tires skidding, Italy close behind. In the melee, Monaco slams into the back end of Sweden's famed Shark, while Germany and France fall in behind. Farther back, four cars elect to slow down and avoid the mess, including the Czech, British, Spanish and Swiss drivers. Over the din of the engines, the voice of VV is heard screaming in Czech, "Jít! Jít!!"

Race :: Round 09 - Entering the First Hairpin

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Both Norway and Finland shift down with sudden force, skidding into the curve at Hôtel Negresco, with Norway's Megane Omalie still in the lead but Tavho Myrsky perfectly positioned to take the curve and, if he times it properly, to cleanly accelerate out onto the Promenade des Anglais, in the other direction toward Hôtel Ruhl. A second pack of racers are in a tight battle for 3rd place at the intersection of Rue de Rivoli. At the lead there, cheered by throngs of well-wishers from Nice, is France's Aristide la Fontaine who is advancing ahead of Germany's Teutonic pilot, Godeschalk Hegkman. Germany will have to give way as the three cars, including Sweden’s famed shark, Rutger Hägglund, are poised to assault the curve together. Farther back, another tight grouping of cars is fighting for position, with Monaco in the lead. On a second floor balcony of the Negresco, the Czech driver's fiancée, VV, is leaning over the railing and screaming down the track toward Vitez's car, yet the Czech's Bugatti is struggling in the midst of the pack in a tight battle with Italy’s Sebi Orsi for position. She might have fallen from the balcony if not for a dark stranger who steps forward from inside and grabs ahold of her shoulders. Belgium's pilot, Victor Hugo Stéphane, in his bright yellow Bugatti T35B, slipstreams from behind advances three positions in a daring move, threading the needle past Monaco's pilot, Orsi follows closely, also slipstreaming off the Czech to barely edge past. Finally, the Spanish driver, Teide Sorolla, falls back to 11th place as he downshifts to prepare for the heavy traffic entering the curve. At the tail end, the Swiss driver has fallen back further but even so may be the best positioned of all.

Race :: Round 08 - Finland Advances!

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Norway's Omalie continues ahead, but miscalculates the entry into the curve at Hôtel Negresco, while Finland finally makes a daring breakaway to pull up alongside to 2nd place -- an amazing start, from the worst position 12th off pole, to challenging the 1st place car for the lead before the first curve! Both cars now are vying against each other to get into the hairpin curve on a good footing. Behind, the field suddenly opens up, Germany's Godeschalk Hegkman pressing forward along with France and Britain advancing as the pack races past the intersection at Rue Meyerbeer. Monaco advances too, but a cloud of white smoke follows him as he over-revs his engine, burning the piston rings. The Spanish driver, Teide Sorolla, explodes out of the backfield, demonstrating why he has earned the nickname, "Volcán". Italy holds position while Switzerland falls back to bring up the rear. Listeners might note that the trailing four cars were among the leaders going into the last curve of the Grand Prix d'Algiers at Staouéli. If memory serves, Monaco's Louis de Montignac followed the British tailpipes for virtually the entire race – I can only wonder if de Montignac is hoping for another British crash to again improve his finish. And now the Italian, Sebi Orsi has fallen from 9th to 11th place, where he started in Algeria. Possibly, he likes it back there, although I cannot imagine he is too thrilled to once again being stalked by the Spanish car. Possibly Sebi's crash has sapped his daring, as he appears to be shying away from the crowded field ahead. But can the new Spanish driver hope to repeat the previous spectacular finish? Today in Nice, we will learn if these drivers were merely lucky in their Algerian finishes or whether truly they are contenders. Rychly, second place in Algeria, has moved from fifth to third, showing that his previous race was no fluke. Ahead, no the balcony of the Hôtel Negresco, the beautiful VV is screaming and jumping up and down.... Ahhhh, bien sur…. Where were we? Oh, yes… the race!

Race :: Round 07 - Traffic at Rue de Congrès

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Norway's Omalie continues onward in the lead, despite fumbling her gears. She slams it into 5th Gear as the car blazes past the intersection with Rue Meyerbeer. Sweden presses ahead and takes 2nd Place resoundingly fending off the challenge from Belgium, who is forced to fall back, only to drop four more places to other cars that now form a tight knot at the intersection with Rue de Congrès. The Czech car hangs onto 3rd Place while Finland and France both draft off of other cars to pass. Farther back, the Swiss driver, Petrus de Salvion Bernardus, continues his advance -- relentless as he presses past a suddenly slowed Monaco and Britain. Behind, back by the intersection with Rue Halévy, the race’s only Maserati, driven by Sebi Orsi, and the Spanish driver, Teide Sorolla, both hang back, seemingly preparing for some sort of breakthrough once the traffic clears. Despite so many cars now jockeying for position, not a single driver has contacted another in what is proving to be a very clean race.

Race :: Round 06 - Norway in a Breakaway!

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Norway's Megane Omalie shifts up and leaves the field in a cloud of black smoke, now completely unchallenged for the lead position, rocketing ahead past Rue de Congrès on the southern side of the Promenade des Anglais. Behind, Sweden and Belgium continue in a tight race for 2nd place with Sweden slowly increasing the gap. Godeschalk Hegkman in his white Bugatti T51 makes a daring pass of Vitez Rychly, the Czech driver, who is also in a T51A. Rychly turns and shakes his fist at the German driver, who seems too intent upon the track ahead to notice. Immediately behind, a knot of cars forms in the across the Promenade from the Hôtel Ruhl, as Finland's Tavho Myrsky tries desperately to break through, cutting right to pass France and nearly making it by Monaco. England daringly pulls up short and is forced to cut across to the outside lane, somehow barely missing a collision with the cars ahead. At the back of the field, the Swiss driver, Petrus de Salvion Bernardus, makes it past Italy, while Spain's Teide Sorolla continues to bide his time at the back, staying close to the pack but not yet making a move to advance. It is clear that Finland will now attempt a breakaway, but will the track be clear enough to truly pull ahead?

Race :: Round 05 - A Crowded Field

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At the front, Norway's Megane Omalie fumbles the gears and cannot accelerate yet away, but no matter as the car continues to press ahead at the lead of the pack. Behind, Belgium makes a move to the outside and challenges Sweden's famed Shark for 2nd place. Vitez Rychly of Czechoslovakia makes a dash forward to pass Monaco and take 4th position while the remainder of the pack crowds up together as they slam through the gears to gain speed. The drivers are already preparing a breakaway once they shift into 3rd and 4th Gear, but for now, they remain cautious and clear of one another through this, the most critical phase of the start. Black smoke and exhaust fumes fill the air, reducing visibility despite the breeze coming in off of the Mediterranean. At the back, Spain’s Teide Sorolla, known as the "Volcán", appears to be biding his time for now, shifting to the far left lane instead of racing straight on to keep a close gap with the cars ahead. It appears he is staying clear of the tight field ahead for now.

Race :: Round 04 - Black Smoke & Deafening Roar

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At the front, Norway's Megane Omalie now shifts up in a mad dash to be the first to the hairpin, further gapping the field to translate a perfect start into a stunning early lead. The rest of the cars dash forward, the circuit and racers nearly obscured now in black smoke from the fires of the engines as they battle onto the broad beachside avenue that is the Promenade des Anglais. None stall -- and the starting grid is now crowded in this, the most dangerous moment of the race. All makes are now in a desperate dash for early advantage, Bugatti, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and, at the back, a highly modified Chrysler Special in the hands of Finland's daring driver, Tavho Myrsky. Myrsky, who was faster running to his car, is now shifting into 2nd Gear and he sprints forward and dodges to the left to pass behind the others even as they pull out onto the course. Ahead is a clear lane, but will it remain so in the desperate mêlée to come? Will the famed ice racer show Nice the daring and cold nerve that made him one of the best racers in the Scandinavian winter?