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<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">The event sounds like a great time! It's fitting that two Cup winners would finish in just about a dead heat...<br></div><div><br></div>
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On Tuesday, June 20, 2023, 9:34:55 AM EDT, yellow04 via Fot <fot@autox.team.net> wrote:
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<div><div dir="ltr">The weather threatened to soak us all day, but other than an occasional <br></div><div dir="ltr">sprinkle that didn't slow anybody down, the rain held off until the last <br></div><div dir="ltr">race of the day. As the Triumphs and MGs made their way to the grid, the <br></div><div dir="ltr">sky started to look a little threatening, but nothing to tip us off to <br></div><div dir="ltr">the unbelievable deluge that was to come. As the grid marshal held up <br></div><div dir="ltr">the one minute to go sign, a little sprinkle appears. The pace car is in <br></div><div dir="ltr">position, the lights come on, and suddenly the rain starts bucketing. It <br></div><div dir="ltr">was a downpour of incredible volume, but nothing stops the grid marshal <br></div><div dir="ltr">from giving the signal, it’s time to go! More than half the cars lined <br></div><div dir="ltr">up either don't go out or follow the pace car back to the pits and never <br></div><div dir="ltr">take the green flag.<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">The competitors are for the most part in open cars, and by turn two on <br></div><div dir="ltr">the pace lap those of us exposed to the elements are completely soaked. <br></div><div dir="ltr">Nobody to my knowledge is on rain tires, and grip is as expected for <br></div><div dir="ltr">conditions, good luck finding any!<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">As the field takes the green flag, the rain continues to pour down. The <br></div><div dir="ltr">TR250 starts on the pole, with Canadian Nick Pratt in his uber-fast <br></div><div dir="ltr">Midget on the outside. Knowing visibility will be key, I stomp the go <br></div><div dir="ltr">pedal when the green drops, and keep my eyes up and on the Midget. Nick <br></div><div dir="ltr">can't put the power down and falls in behind in P2. I can't comment on <br></div><div dir="ltr">anything further back in the field, visibility in the mirrors during the <br></div><div dir="ltr">downpour was negligible!<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">As the field slogs around the Mosport's 2.5 mile track, it is your <br></div><div dir="ltr">typical go as fast as you dare on the straights, get 'er whoa'ed up and <br></div><div dir="ltr">try to find grip around the turns. Great fun... The Midget disappears <br></div><div dir="ltr">into the misty cloud in the rear-view mirror on the straights, only to <br></div><div dir="ltr">reappear on the corners, Nick is doing an amazing job outbreaking me <br></div><div dir="ltr">with tires barely suitable for the dry, but nobody expected these <br></div><div dir="ltr">conditions!<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Talking to others, the rain stopped as abruptly as it started after <br></div><div dir="ltr">about 8 minutes. But it came down so hard and fast that we had rivers <br></div><div dir="ltr">crossing in places nobody expects unless you have inherent track <br></div><div dir="ltr">knowledge. Enter Stefan Wiesen, Elva Courier Coupe driver <br></div><div dir="ltr">extraordinaire, and Mosport expert. Those paying attention are going <br></div><div dir="ltr">"Wait, how can an Elva gets to run in the TR-MG Challenge race???" <br></div><div dir="ltr">Stefan's coupe runs an MGB engine, he asked to join the fun, and <br></div><div dir="ltr">naturally the Race Director says yes!<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">After a couple laps and the rain had moved off the track and I could <br></div><div dir="ltr">actually see more than 50 feet in the mirrors. I see the Midget, <br></div><div dir="ltr">rain-meister Mark Wheatley's TR4 and the Elva. There is not a chance the <br></div><div dir="ltr">track will get anything that resembles decent grip in the remaining <br></div><div dir="ltr">laps, and we continue to contend with the aforementioned river crossings <br></div><div dir="ltr">and a track that, in theory at least, is drying. Stefan is just tearing <br></div><div dir="ltr">it up, having started from the back he has already passed all the <br></div><div dir="ltr">runners and has the caught up with the lead group of cars. He has gotten <br></div><div dir="ltr">around Wheatley's TR4, but I glance in the rear-view mirror to see the <br></div><div dir="ltr">side of Stefan's car, he is spinning. I think to myself oh boy, Stefan <br></div><div dir="ltr">is done. I continue my task, and two corners later Stefan is back! He <br></div><div dir="ltr">has gathered it up and is back in the hunt working on the Midget, he <br></div><div dir="ltr">didn’t even lose his position to Mark!<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">By this point, Nick realizes the Midget does not have the tires to make <br></div><div dir="ltr">a pass for the lead and he backs off a bit. As Stefan working to get <br></div><div dir="ltr">into position to pass Nick, I glance in the rear view to see the Elva <br></div><div dir="ltr">going around a second time! But sure enough, a couple corners later, my <br></div><div dir="ltr">gaze in the rear-view shows Stefan is passing Nick and I realize I'm <br></div><div dir="ltr">going to have to deal with Stefan after all! The next lap Stefan is on <br></div><div dir="ltr">my tail and trying to figure out his move to get around me. He makes two <br></div><div dir="ltr">good attempts to get by in the corners, but just does not have what he <br></div><div dir="ltr">needs to pull it off. As I work my best to hold off Stefan, we get the <br></div><div dir="ltr">one to go sign. I glance in the rear view going up the back straight for <br></div><div dir="ltr">the last time to see Mark has passed the Midget and is motoring past <br></div><div dir="ltr">Stefan who apparently lost a cylinder! It looks like we were heading for <br></div><div dir="ltr">a Triumph One/Two finish! Then, I bobble turn 9 and find myself out of <br></div><div dir="ltr">sorts for the last corner leading to the checkers. Mark is there, got a <br></div><div dir="ltr">much better line through 10, and it was the drag race to the finish. <br></div><div dir="ltr">Mark almost catches me, we finish side by side with a gap of .097 <br></div><div dir="ltr">seconds!<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Epic Triumph finish!<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Nick shared a link to some great pictures of the battle in the rain from <br></div><div dir="ltr">Moss Corner, take a look!<br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/evangcan/sets/72177720309161059" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.flickr.com/photos/evangcan/sets/72177720309161059</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Henry Frye<br></div><div dir="ltr">_______________________________________________<br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="mailto:fot@autox.team.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fot@autox.team.net</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.fot-racing.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.fot-racing.com</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr">Donate: <a href="http://www.team.net/donate.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.team.net/donate.html</a><br></div><div dir="ltr">Archive: <a href="http://autox.team.net/archive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://autox.team.net/archive</a> <a href="http://www.team.net/pipermail/fot" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.team.net/pipermail/fot</a><br></div><div dir="ltr">Unsubscribe/Manage: <a href="http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/kkjjk@aol.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/fot/kkjjk@aol.com</a><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><br></div></div>
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