Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Race :: Round 16 - Denmark on the Edge!

Click Here for Car Stats & Leader Board

Sebi Orsi slides into the Höksböjen curve, willingly sacrificing his lead position to the two cars who follow. Denmark's Diederik Olsen realized too late his predicament and is now suddenly caught in too high gear and carrying too much speed into the curve. He struggles to hold the car as it skids forward. In a flash, he races past Orsi, who salutes Olsen as the Dane goes by. Olsen cuts left to take the apex of the curve, hoping that the Alfa Romeo Super Sport will live up to its reputation. He barely holds on as the car skids back to the right through debris on the track. He is far too fast! Olsen can feel the car sliding away as he comes to the edge – in a flash, he recognizes the inevitable. There is no escaping a crash now. A snowbank looms to the right. He must hold it onto the track. The long skid begins....

Norway's famed Volcán follows, watching the Dane's car in horror. Yet the Norwegian is in better control. He noses out Orsi for the position. Behind, the Belgian driver, Victor Hugo Stéphane, pulls into the curve in complete harmony with his great American car. The yellow Duesenberg purrs as it moves into position to soon challenge for the lead.

Behind, Monaco's Louis de Montignac skids and slides his way out of Fiskekroken, tearing the spikes and tread off of his tires. The Alfa Romeo Tipo B holds together – it is a desperate ploy, but it works, putting de Montignac back into the hunt. Germany's Godeschalk Hegkman presses ahead too, skidding his way down the start straight, his white single seat Bugatti blending in nicely with the snow and ice. Behind, John Milk takes his Amilcar through the rest of the curve. He glances over to nervously eye the Scottish nationalist, Alastair MacDougall, who presses in. Yet MacDougall has miscalculated. He fumbles his gear change and falls short of the curve, giving the Englishman some needed breathing room.

The French driver shifts down hard completes the chicane. He is surprised to see Vitez Rychly's orange Bugatti pull past to edge out the position, but the Salmson racer is not to be so easily overcome. Behind the pair, the Swiss driver comes forward in hot pursuit, while even further back Sweden's Rutger Hägglund shifts down and takes the Barrböjen chicane. His Alfa Romeo Monza is showing its dominance now as the Swede begins to close the gap on the middle of the pack.

Finally, roaring out of the pits, Portugal's Pedro Gomes slips his clutch and slows the Bugatti, despite an earlier near perfect restart. Tavho Myrsky instead shifts up and rams his foot to the floor, passing the Bugatti with aplomb. The huge Chrysler's engine strains and roars as Myrsky laughs, enjoying the pursuit. While these two cars are in last place, their tires are fresh and the damage is repaired – if they can drive well now, they know that they will end the race in good position.

No comments: