Race :: Round 15 - Out of Fiskekroken!

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Sebi Orsi maneuvers his red Maserati smoothly down the straight. He is the first to complete the initial lap of the three that compose this year's Isloppet. Immediately behind, Denmark's Diederik Olsen skids out of Fiskekroken, his tires smoking viciously, the studs and tread torn off.

Close by, Norway's famed Volcán smokes his way out of the curve with greater caution and control than the Dane. Both cars are positioned to challenge the Italian for the lead. Sebi Orsi's gambit to gap the field was short lived – now, once again, he will be in the melee as the cars stretch toward Höksböjen.

The closest to challenge Orsi is Denmark's Alfa Romeo Super Sport. However, the car is in desperate condition. Yet still Olsen races on! Ah, no!! It appears he has made a terrible mistake – Olsen is accelerating fast in high gear! As the upcoming curve looms, the Dane's ice racing skills will be put to the test. In his eyes, a flicker of recognition registers of the danger ahead. He glances at his front tires, running nearly bald, and realizing that it will take more than a little luck to survive the upcoming curve....

With greater care, the Belgian, Victor Hugo Stéphane, slides his way through Fiskekroken, with Germany easing in farther back on a conservative line. Both drivers are surprised to see Monaco's Louis de Montignac fly past and press deep into the curve. Likewise, the British Amilcar, with John Milk at the wheel, skids past, overtaking Germany with too much speed. On the ice, there is little they can do to shift down.

Farther back, the Scottish nationalist, Alastair MacDougall lightly slides his way out of the Barrböjen chicane. From behind, vaulting forward to overtake several cars in high gear, France's Aristide La Fontaine takes his great Salmson racer into the chicane. Yet like so many others, he carries too much speed. The only car to carry the Tricoleur in the Isloppet is barely in control!

The French fans gasp as suddenly, a puff of white smoke appears from under the car – pieces fall away as the engine sustains damage from the stresses put upon it by the daring racer. Debris and oil litters the right side of the curve, right at midpoint but the Salmson grinds onward.

Just behind, the Swiss racer hammers into the chicane, his little red and white Bugatti T51 snaking its way forward. Also, in mid-pack despite his pit stop, the Czech racer, Vitez Rychly, accelerates smoothly into the chicane. He takes it with a perfection that evidences his extraordinary driving talent – and perhaps a bit of luck as well. He waves a salute at the French racer, letting him pass by.

Sweden's Shark presses on, still short of the chicane, while Portugal and Finland trail the pack, coming out of their pits. Unlike almost all other cars in the race, their cars are refreshed. Both drivers feel secure now in the knowledge that they can press through the rest of the Isloppet. The great roar of Tavho Myrsky's Chrysler echos through the forests of Laxforsen, heralding the coming advance.

Race :: Round 14 - Germany Blocks Monaco!

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Sebi Orsi smoothly rounds the Fiskekroken curve, confident of his lead. He turns and waves at the many fans lining the inside of the corner, much to the pleasure of the few Italians who have braved the cold to see the race. Most eyes are instead fixed upon the Norwegian and Danish drivers, who are closely behind. The roar of the crowd is deafening as they cheer on these two Scandinavian drivers, known well to those attending for past ice races across the region.

Close by, Belgium cuts into the left lane and takes the entry into the Fiskekroken curve with perfect grace. Germany is stymied by the Belgian's move. Now off his pace to enter the curve, Godeschalk Hegkman faces a sharp decision. He must either fall in behind Belgium or take the right lane. He does not hesitate – closely mirroring Orsi's Trick from moments before, he cuts to the right to block the way for any of the following cars. Together, these two cars now block the narrow roadway through the tall pines. Hegkman waves his fist at the Belgian, Victor Hugo Stéphane, who pays no heed.

Suddenly, the sound of skidding tires fills the air. Monaco flies up from behind, carrying too much speed. Louis de Montignac cuts left to avoid colliding with the German and then slams on his brakes, barely missing the white Bugatti before coming up behind the yellow Duesenberg of Belgium. De Montignac's aggressive driving technique was put to the test, but he survives the challenge by burning his brakes severely.

Both Germany and Monaco will likely shift down now to take Fiskekroken in lower gears – or will one dare a breakaway?

Also, the British Amilcar cruises smoothly out of the Barrböjen chicane. John Milk glances back casually as he accelerates the green racer. Yet he is stunned to see the blue of the Scottish Amilcar slide up from behind. Alastair MacDougall flies up into the chicane, rapidly closing the distance. It looks like it may be a close race into Fiskekroken for these two rivals.

Behind, Vitez Rychly presses ahead out of the track, shifting up into 2nd gear as he struggles to build speed and not be left too far off the pace. Once the leader of the race, he has sacrificed a commanding lead to take a pit stop and now ranks 10th in the pack. Sweden's famous Shark and the French racer pull in close, both will likely to overtake the Czech Bugatti shortly, despite his change of tires.

Portugal and Finland remain behind, both in pit stops as they finish up major work on their cars. The drivers leap into their cockpits and prepare to drive back onto the track. The Portuguese driver, Pedro Gomes, appears poised for a good start.

Race :: Round 13 - Orsi's Wicked Trick!

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His red scarf snapping in the breeze, Italy's Sebi Orsi takes Fiskekroken and forces Norway to the right. The two cars nearly collide – only inches separating them as the Bugatti skids over to avoid the red Maserati. Because of the Italian's dastardly move, the Volcán is blocked and falls short of the curve!

Denmark's Olsen suddenly also finds the way ahead closed off. Despite having shifted up perfectly to overtake, now he must slam on his brakes and struggle to avoid a collision with the Italian! The Alfa Romeo Super Sport's brakes burn out in a cloud of smoke, the inside of his tire rims glowing red hot despite the freezing cold of the race.

The Dane curses as Orsi raise his fist in a salute. It was a wicked and very effective plan – Orsi will now accelerate smoothly away as the other two cars instead must now shift down to take Fiskekroken in lower gear.

In the Barrböjen chicane, Belgium's Victor Hugo Stéphane smokes by on the left, passing the British Amilcar. Germany's white knight, Godeschalk Hegkman, cuts left in the chicane, blocking Monaco's Louis de Montignac who now must cut back to the right to avoid colliding with the white Bugatti.

The Scottish racer, Alastair MacDougall, cruises forward toward Barrböjen, keeping reasonable position as he comes up to the chicane. Farther back, Vitez Rychly accelerates out of the pit onto the track. Behind, Portugal and Finland both skid into their pit stops and leap out to help the mechanics with some major work on the cars.

Racing out of Hårnålskurva, Sweden cuts around the French Salmson, while the Swiss racer accelerates forward, gapping the two cars in higher gear, his Bugatti engine straining to make the most of his lead.

The French racer will now find himself in a challenging and difficult position, his car in lower gears as the other two racers will soon accelerate away from him down the straight. Yet nobody will count out the French racer, who won at the Grand Prix in Nice, having “led the pack from behind” only to pass and take the checkered flag late in the race.

Race :: Round 12 - The Front Field Tightens

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Rescuing himself from a looming disaster, Italy's Sebi Orsi shifts down hard. He expertly slides the little red Maserati forward and somehow skids smoothly out of the Barrböjen curve with only a little bit of tire wear as the result.

Yet Orsi is closely followed by Norway's famed Volcán and Denmark's Diederik Olsen. Both seem to be hounding him closely and unwilling to let go of any perceived advantage to take the lead. They are in the hunt, hoping to press the Italian into a mistake now and surprised that he has managed so well to survive the challenge of this last curve.

The next curve, ahead on the ice, looms wickedly for the three leaders.

Farther back, Britain's John Milk, Belgium's Victor Hugo Stéphane, and Germany's white knight, Godeschalk Hegkman, close on the lead group. Monaco's Louis de Montignac takes Barrböjen with astounding skill, positioning himself perfectly for the chicane.

Along pit row, Vitez Rychly takes a final glance across the track to search for VV. He cannot find her. There is nothing left to do but turn his attention back to his car. Rychly assists the maintenance crew as they work briskly on his orange Bugatti T51A. The mechanics quickly repair the oil pan and swap the front brake shoes. The other crew members swiftly replace the tires, switching to studs and leaving the chains behind. Rychly will soon rejoin the race, hoping to preserve his position with the final group of racers who are only now cutting into the hairpin of Hårnålskurva. He leaps back into the cockpit as the mechanics drop the car off the jacks.

Finland's Tavho Myrsky maneuvers toward his pit area while Portugal's Pedro Gomes cuts left with his Bugatti as he slows the car. Agonizingly, he fumbles his gear selection and falls short of entering the Portuguese pit stop. Pedro curses, his voice carrying across the pits – though few can understand the Portuguese terms he uses, it is clear that it has something to do with cursing a sheep.

The Scottish racer, Alastair MacDougall, presses forward down the straight in his Amilcar C6, hoping to catch the lead group as they cruise onto the ice. He is separated only by a few seconds from the lead pack in Barrböjen, so it is likely that he will soon make his move to close the gap.

Race :: Round 09 - Orsi Too Deep into Barrböjen

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Carrying too much speed, Sebi Orsi skids his Maserati too deeply in the Barrböjen curve. With few good options, he must now shift down hard to hold on and avoid a spin out as the car slides left at the very edge of control. Both Norway's famed Volcán and Denmark's Diederik Olsen slide smoothly into perfect position in the chicane ready to overtake the hapless Italian.

Along pit row, Vitez Rychly pulls in and leaps out of his Bugatti to help speed his mechanics as they jack the car up for repairs. Meanwhile, Pedro Gomes of Portugal slows, apparently intending to take a pit and repair the damage from the previous collision.

Rocketing past, Belgium, Germany and Britain shoot down the straight in a bid to catch the lead group. Monaco's famous strategist, Louis de Montignac, who was the Épreuve winner in Algeria, wisely slipstreams off of the yellow Duesenberg of Belgium. He leaves Petrus de Salvion Bernardus in the dust.

Meanwhile, at the hairpin of Hårnålskurva, Finland's Tavho Myrsky skids through in the big Chrysler Special. The roar of its 8 cylinder engine is deafening. Yet the Finn is closely pursued by the Scot, Alastair MacDougall, in the blue and white Amilcar C6, which pulls in directly behind, inches from the rear exhaust pipe, very nearly in a collision. As usual, the Scot shows a marked aggressive streak – he throws his head back and laughs.

The French driver, Aristide La Fontaine, fumbles his gears and falls short of the hairpin. The big blue Salmson racer complains bitterly as the Frenchman falls back into the melee, trapped among trailing pack. Now, he will race the Swede and the Swiss driver for last place – what a travesty for the winner of the GP Nice to now fall so short at this critical juncture in the lap!

In the pits, Vitez Rychly frantically jacks the little Bugatti up so his mechanic can get to the damaged oil pan. Suddenly, a shiver runs up his spine. Rychly freezes. Still squatting, he looks up and across the track. Amidst the crowd of onlookers standing behind the Swiss pit, for a moment, he sees her.... A flash of disbelief hits him. No, it cannot be. Yet, he is sure. It was her.... VV was there, watching intently, her eyes burning into his heart.

More importantly, he had felt her presence – it was unmistakable. In an instant, his mind flashed back to recall the first time he had met her – how it was when she had walked into the room. A sudden hush had fallen over the others there, such was her overpowering nature. A woman like VV could not hide.

Yet what of this now? Where had she gone? Hadn't she perished in the conflagration at the GP Nice? He questioned himself – perhaps he was wrong. Maybe he had seen a ghost? He had seen the bodies himself. Yet there, in an instant, she had disappeared into the crush of people leaning over the back pit rail cheering as the other racers flew past at high speeds. He stood and looked across the track. She was gone.

No, he must have been mistaken. He looked down at his car. Then, suddenly the wind carried the scent of her perfume, so strong even over the smell of exhaust and car tires. His eyes narrowed and he knew now with certainty – she was alive. The shouts of his mechanic broke his trance. What was going on, he wondered....

Race :: Round 10 - The Volcán Explodes into the Lead!

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Vitez Rychly shifts down and pulls toward his pit as Sebi Orsi flies by. The Italian turns briefly and salutes, his red scarf snapping in the breeze. Less than a second later, the Norwegian Bugatti flashes by in 6th gear, hot on Orsi's tail. Teide Sorolla-Ledaal is intent on pressing for the lead.

The Volcán's explosive nature is suddenly unleashed! He overtakes the Italian in a run toward Barrböjen. Both must now shift down hard to take the chicane. The Norwegian's Bugatti is in perfect condition, giving him an advantage over Orsi's Maserati that could well spell victory – yet it is far too early to talk of such things, with more laps to come!

Farther back, in a suddenly dominating advance, Diederik Olsen, the Danish driver, accelerates his Alfa Romeo Super Sport down the straight past the pits. Clearly, he will soon challenge for the lead position among the top three cars.

Behind, the Belgian and Portuguese drivers skid dangerously out of the hairpin at Hårnålskurva. The curve is crowded – and the British driver kicks in his benzine boost to skid forward and clear the curve, overtaking Monaco by storm. Monaco and Germany take the hairpin carefully.

Aristide La Fontaine, the winner at Nice, cruises beautifully out of the Lekböjen chicane as the Finnish driver, Tavho Myrsky, pulls alongside in the narrow portion of the course as the two cars come off the ice. Farther back, carrying a lot of speed, the Scot flies forward. He zigzags his way across the ice closing rapidly on the French and Finnish cars. A quick tap of his brakes and he keeps a safe distance, avoiding a possible collision.

Farther back, Switzerland and Sweden cut into the Lekböjen chicane, no longer far off the pace. Both could now challenge the French, Finnish and Scottish drivers, as they head toward Hårnålskurva – and surprisingly, it appears that only the Czech driver is willing to take a pit stop.

Race :: Round 09 - Orsi Takes Hårnålskurva!

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In the lead, Vitez Rychly suddenly shifts down despite everyone's expectation that he would shift to 6th gear and storm down the straight to stretch his lead. Could it be that he is taking a pit stop? It must be, no? Or what?

Meanwhile, Sebi Orsi takes the hairpin turn of Hårnålskurva by storm, skidding out onto the straight in a commanding second place position. A puff of white smoke kicks out of the bottom of the Maserati! Orsi has over strained his Maserati's little 4 cylinder engine! Undaunted, he presses on.

Close behind, two other cars now fly into the hairpin, timing the curve perfectly. At the head is Diederik Olsen, the icy Dane. Immediately behind is the other Scandinavian driver, Teide Sorolla-Ledaal – known as the “Volcán”. The two are ready to pursue Orsi down the straightaway toward Barrböjen, the tight and deadly chicane, and neither will give quarter.

Coming out of the Lekböjen chicane, the field is pressing in upon each other, too close for comfort as they line up for the hairpin. They are on the land portion of the circuit now, with Belgium and Portugal in the lead but too fast. They must downshift hard if they are to make the hairpin curve, while Monaco, Britain and Germany are perfectly positioned.

Farther back, still on the ice, Finland, France and Scotland are pressing ahead through Lekböjen. They hope to take Hårnålskurva and close the gap with the middle pack. Certainly, they are contemplating a daring and dangerous risk.

The lanes are narrow and there are too many cars. Surely, someone will come to grief if they press each other like this, challenging for the lead. Yet it seems that all caution has been thrown to the wind. As we say in Sweden, everyone is holding their thumbs, hoping for the best.

Finally, at the tail end, the Swedish driver slides smoothly through Storkurvan, his pace unhurried as he watches those ahead racing one another toward disaster. Will there be a pile up as too many cars crush together into the hairpin at once?

Race :: Round 08 - Orsi Rockets Forward!

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Continuing his dominating drive, Vitez Rychly presses ahead off the ice and hammers through the hairpin turn of Hårnålskurva. With great calculation, he skids out of the hairpin and sets up for a high speed dash down the straightway, shifting up into 6th gear! Yet the little Bugatti's engine cannot take such stress – and complains loudly. Suddenly, a puff of white smoke kicks out of the exhaust pipe! Engine debris scatters from the bottom of the car onto the ice – clearly some damage is done!! Can Rychly hold it together? Yes... he presses on, a metallic sound rippling from the under the hood.

Farther back, the pack follows suit. Most drivers shift up, knowing that they cannot catch the Czech, but hoping to gain some advantage against each other as they head into the narrowest portions of the circuit. As the cars press through the Lekböjen curve, from farther back, Italy's Sebi Orsi suddenly maneuvers his Maserati brilliantly ahead. He dodges right and left, weaving his way through the cars ahead and with a dramatic flick of the lightweight four cylinder car, he takes 2nd place. Surprisingly, he is closely pursued only by the Danish driver in his white and red Alfa Super Sport. Diederik Olsen rockets into the midst of the pack in a daring climb for position.

The others tear into Lekböjen, pressing through the chicane in a tight knot. Few appear to be willing to let up as the narrow track looms just ahead. Best positioned are the big American Duesenberg of Belgium's Victor Hugo Stéphane, and Norway's famous Bugatti racer, Teide Sorolla-Ledaal – known as the “Volcán”. Most shift up to 5th gear as they hope to take the hairpin and shift up like Rychly's Bugatti into high gear.

Behind in Storkurvan, the Scottish driver, Alastair MacDougall, smoothly navigates through the curve, his driving the very picture of precision. Concurrently, the Finnish driver, Tavho Myrsky, chances the inside lane in an attempt to seize the lead of the second group. He picks up some debris from the roadway, damaging the big Chrysler's under body – yet he shrugs it off and presses ahead.

Switzerland comes in behind pressing for some advantage. The French driver, Aristide La Fontaine, hangs back in his great Salmson, avoiding the debris and yet pushing as far forward as possible into the curve. The Salmson's engine purrs as he calmly prepares for the run into Lekböjen.

Finally, Sweden's famed Hajen accelerates into Storkurvan, at the tail end of the pack, confident that many of those ahead will come to grief early in the race as they jockey for position.

Race :: Round 07 - Scotland Rams Denmark!

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At the front of the pack, far in the lead, the flying Czech takes the Lekböjen curve. Vitez Rychly widens his lead with an aggressive trait no doubt learned in the hill climb events in his native country. Yet that lead will soon be undercut by his decision to drive the circuit with tire chains rather than spikes. The chains perform admirably on the ice, but once the Czech Bugatti hits the roadway, Rychly will see his commanding position eroded as the other cars close the gap from behind. Yet still, his decision to start the race on chains is largely responsible for the lead he enjoys now. With luck, he will soon be at the hairpin curve that is Hårnålskurva.

Farther back, the pack screams around Storkurvan, presses together closely at the exit as the cars prepare for the dash down the straight toward Lekböjen. At the tail end of the pack, Denmark's famed ice racer gracefully takes the racing line through the curve.... Yet suddenly, the Scottish driver, Alastair MacDougall, races up from behind and collides with the Dane's Alfa Super Sport. The Scot comes away the worse for it as the Alfa shows greater strength of body. Glancing back, Olsen sees the white teeth of the Scottish driver as he curses, barely controlling the skidding Amilcar, his heavy woolen kilt blowing around in the cockpit. Now, Denmark is slated to accelerate away, while the blue Amilcar must still struggle within Storkurvan for position against the following three drivers, France, Finland and Switzerland, who are closely matched despite the different car types. The French Salmson moans mightly, while the heavy roar of the Finnish Chrysler nearly drowns out the high pitched whine of the Bugatti's refined engineering.

Only Sweden's famed Hajen is not yet into the Höksböjen curve, his Alfa Romeo Monza dragging behind short of Storkurvan. It appears that the Swede is purposefully hanging back to preserve his tires and to keep his car undamaged for the lap. He will undoubtedly see great turmoil on the upcoming narrow road portion of the circuit, as the lead pack presses for advantage in hopes of taking the lead.

Only Rychly will likely be free of the melee that is soon to come. As all know, a single misjudgment in the straight ahead will spell disaster for any car that does not drive with care.