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.