Henry, as always you are too modest, your talent behind the wheel shows once
again!
-----Original Message-----
From: Fot <fot-bounces@autox.team.net> On Behalf Of yellow04 via Fot
Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2023 9:13 AM
To: fot@autox.team.net
Subject: [Fot] TR-MG Challenge race at the VARAC Vintage Gran Prix
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, itâ??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 didnâ??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
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