[Fot] TR-MG Challenge race at the VARAC Vintage Gran Prix

[kkjjk at aol.com]

 The event sounds like a great time!  It's fitting that two Cup winners would finish in just about a dead heat...

    On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, 9:34:55 AM EDT, yellow04 via Fot <fot at autox.team.net> wrote:  
 
 The weather threatened to soak us all day, but other than an occasional 
sprinkle that didn't slow anybody down, the rain held off until the last 
race of the day. As the Triumphs and MGs made their way to the grid, the 
sky started to look a little threatening, but nothing to tip us off to 
the unbelievable deluge that was to come. As the grid marshal held up 
the one minute to go sign, a little sprinkle appears. The pace car is in 
position, the lights come on, and suddenly the rain starts bucketing. It 
was a downpour of incredible volume, but nothing stops the grid marshal 
from giving the signal, it’s time to go! More than half the cars lined 
up either don't go out or follow the pace car back to the pits and never 
take the green flag.

The competitors are for the most part in open cars, and by turn two on 
the pace lap those of us exposed to the elements are completely soaked. 
Nobody to my knowledge is on rain tires, and grip is as expected for 
conditions, good luck finding any!

As the field takes the green flag, the rain continues to pour down. The 
TR250 starts on the pole, with Canadian Nick Pratt in his uber-fast 
Midget on the outside. Knowing visibility will be key, I stomp the go 
pedal when the green drops, and keep my eyes up and on the Midget. Nick 
can't put the power down and falls in behind in P2. I can't comment on 
anything further back in the field, visibility in the mirrors during the 
downpour was negligible!

As the field slogs around the Mosport's 2.5 mile track, it is your 
typical go as fast as you dare on the straights, get 'er whoa'ed up and 
try to find grip around the turns. Great fun... The Midget disappears 
into the misty cloud in the rear-view mirror on the straights, only to 
reappear on the corners, Nick is doing an amazing job outbreaking me 
with tires barely suitable for the dry, but nobody expected these 
conditions!

Talking to others, the rain stopped as abruptly as it started after 
about 8 minutes. But it came down so hard and fast that we had rivers 
crossing in places nobody expects unless you have inherent track 
knowledge. Enter Stefan Wiesen, Elva Courier Coupe driver 
extraordinaire, and Mosport expert. Those paying attention are going 
"Wait, how can an Elva gets to run in the TR-MG Challenge race???" 
Stefan's coupe runs an MGB engine, he asked to join the fun, and 
naturally the Race Director says yes!

After a couple laps and the rain had moved off the track and I could 
actually see more than 50 feet in the mirrors. I see the Midget, 
rain-meister Mark Wheatley's TR4 and the Elva. There is not a chance the 
track will get anything that resembles decent grip in the remaining 
laps, and we continue to contend with the aforementioned river crossings 
and a track that, in theory at least, is drying. Stefan is just tearing 
it up, having started from the back he has already passed all the 
runners and has the caught up with the lead group of cars. He has gotten 
around Wheatley's TR4, but I glance in the rear-view mirror to see the 
side of Stefan's car, he is spinning. I think to myself oh boy, Stefan 
is done. I continue my task, and two corners later Stefan is back! He 
has gathered it up and is back in the hunt working on the Midget, he 
didn’t even lose his position to Mark!

By this point, Nick realizes the Midget does not have the tires to make 
a pass for the lead and he backs off a bit. As Stefan working to get 
into position to pass Nick, I glance in the rear view to see the Elva 
going around a second time! But sure enough, a couple corners later, my 
gaze in the rear-view shows Stefan is passing Nick and I realize I'm 
going to have to deal with Stefan after all! The next lap Stefan is on 
my tail and trying to figure out his move to get around me. He makes two 
good attempts to get by in the corners, but just does not have what he 
needs to pull it off. As I work my best to hold off Stefan, we get the 
one to go sign. I glance in the rear view going up the back straight for 
the last time to see Mark has passed the Midget and is motoring past 
Stefan who apparently lost a cylinder! It looks like we were heading for 
a Triumph One/Two finish! Then, I bobble turn 9 and find myself out of 
sorts for the last corner leading to the checkers. Mark is there, got a 
much better line through 10, and it was the drag race to the finish. 
Mark almost catches me, we finish side by side with a gap of .097 
seconds!

Epic Triumph finish!

Nick shared a link to some great pictures of the battle in the rain from 
Moss Corner, take a look!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/evangcan/sets/72177720309161059

Henry Frye
_______________________________________________
fot at autox.team.net

http://www.fot-racing.com

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