Congrats and great write up! My plan is to join you there next year.
Chuck
> On Jun 20, 2023, at 9:22 AM, yellow04 via Fot <fot@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, 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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