Race :: Round 55 - A Terrible Turn of Events

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The famed Teide "Volcán" Sorolla shifts up and rams his foot down on the accelerator. For an instant, the car seems to pause, but then the little black Bugatti leaps forward, fishtailing right and left through the bits of wreckage from the previous lap's collision at the exit of the hairpin. Ah, mon Dieu! The right front wheel of the car catches a piece of debris! The "Volcán" cannot hold it!! The front axle twists, the wheel nearly coming off the car! Desperately, Sorolla grips on as the car careens onto the straight, skidding forward. He can see the finish line a scant hundred meters ahead -- but alas, the car grinds to a halt, its axle twisted beyond use. In a moment, the glory that was to be his is snatched away. Aristide La Fontaine puts the hammer down and speeds by, holding to the edge of the track farthest from the source of the black smoke that continues to pour from the pits. Now, with the "Volcán" out, victory is assured to France!! Farther back, the Czech driver, Vitez Rychly, expertly navigates the last challenges of the debris-strewn curve at Paillon, his sights now set on the last hairpin ahead -- Opéra. The Swiss driver, Petrus de Salvion, cruises into the Paillon curve, carefully negotiating the bits and pieces of so many previous accidents and collisions. Ahead is the torn hulk of the Swedish Monza, testimony to a race that has seemed more like a disaster than a proper circuit. Surely, this day will be forever remembered as the most deadly in the history of La Grande Épreuve. Testimony to this is unfolding at Place Masséna, where Sebi Orsi lifts the two French ladies into the cockpit of his Maserati. They smile and wave! With a few words of encouragement, Orsi summons the Italian fans onto the course to push his twisted red racer forward down the track toward the finish line. One way or another, Orsi intends to bring his car across the finish line, even if the rules committee will no doubt officially rule him out of the race. Still, Orsi is clearly enjoying the moment and the adulation of the crowd, "Sebi! Sebi! Sebi!"

Yet now we reflect. In a terrible moment, the Spanish hopes have been dashed. Yet wait, what is this? A hush has settled over the crowd down on the Quai des États-Unis as the Salmson speeds away toward the finish. Those attending the race cannot believe what has happened. A race as close as this should not end with a broken wheel! Incroyable! But such is racing!! The "Volcán" stands up in the cockpit and gazes at the blue Salmson as it pulls away toward the victory ahead. He nods and then salutes Aristide, who briefly glances back -- a returned wave of recognition is made as the reality of the impending triumph settles in. Sensing the nobility of the moment, the crowd surges forward onto the track and surrounds the black Bugatti…. As one, they lift the Spanish driver onto their shoulders and begin to carry him forward toward the finish line, through the smoke and past the fires of the pits. What a day to remember!!