Mr. Toad’s Wild Freight Train Ride
Mr. Toad’s Wild Freight Train Ride
Mid-Ohio Race Report from Uncle Sam Racing
Practice: 14th out of 22 (1:29.296)
Qualification #1: 18 out of 24 (1.29:07)
Qualification #2: 16 out of 24 (1.28:877)
Race 1 -- When the Lights Go Out – Mr. Toad Comes Out To Drive
Line up 16th on the inside line behind Glenn Petersen. When the lights go out, Glenn does not get rolling right away. This boxes me in, as I am almost on his bumper and Paul Wood is starting to take the escape route on my right. Nothing to do but pray he gets moving, which he does. However, this leaves us all hanging back from the other 13 cars ahead.
By the hairpin, I am hanging on to 17th. But I am about to be out-flanked (1 car on each side) by Paul Wood’s Aus Team Racing partners (Daniel and Robert) who, ever so much, want to join up with Paul. Willie Watt and myself are the only things separating them. By the end of The Speed Trap, Daniel and Robert have reeled in their tether to Paul, and pass me by as we enter into The Madness. I am now 18th (due to Glenn going off course at the turn at the end of The Speed Trap – dropping from 11th).
Going through The Madness is where I make my only mistake of the race. Up ahead, Paul taps Will Marquez in the rear left, spinning Will sideways. But with another assist from Paul, a tap to the front left, Will is now headed in the right direction. Will now receives a little more help, a tap in the rear bumper from Daniel, and now is able to get a needed goose of speed. As Daniel tries not to spin after the contact, his teammate, Robert, slips by.
Now for the mistake ... I am the 1 car keeping Daniel from his team (who is running side-by-side just in front of me). As I exit The Madness, I try a little too hard on the entrance to the turn heading into Thunder Valley (partially because I wasn’t sure that Eric wasn’t going to fly back onto the track after his lawn mowing chores). Daniel attempts to avoid contact with me, but gets a major assist from John that sends both Daniel and myself off course, Daniel into the hay bales. I will soon join him, but only after almost rolling over onto the roof. As I slide on the driver’s side into the hay bales, I engage the feline-stabilizer (installed this week especially for this course) bringing my mount over to land on its feet. John has stopped to make sure everyone is okay. I’m facing the wrong direction and have to wait for most of the field to pass before getting pointed in the right direction. Manage to rejoin in 22nd (after having just regained my starting 16th position).
Lap 2: Lots of work ahead, still early in the race. Luis Lynce is just ahead and John is not that far behind me. I’m gaining slightly on Luis.
Lap 3: 21st (due to Yves retirement). Up ahead, Willie takes an off course excursion due to The Madness. Luis and I just miss him as he rejoins the course.
Lap 4: 20th and still trying to close in enough on Luis to find a chance to advance my position (he had gained some breathing room after our near miss with Willie). I am really gaining ground through The Carousel.
Lap 5: The pressure may be getting to Luis, he is beginning to make minor miscues in the turns. I almost think of making a pass on his inside left as we enter The Madness. But then, I remember the name of this portion of the track, and back off. Meanwhile up ahead, Paul (in 10th) takes a roll into the hay bales heading into Thunder Valley. Luis goes slightly off course as he comes up quick on Paul and loses it as he over-corrects re-entering the track. All the while Paul is having more problems and leaves the track just before The Carousel. This allows me to slip by both of them. But it also allowed Will Marquez to reach my back bumper after his pit stop. I am now running 17th.
Lap 6: 10th – only due to the fact that the pits are full. Daniel is ahead and Will is pressing me hard. I opt to let Will by in Thunder Valley as I will be pitting and don’t want us to tangle as I peel off. I follow Daniel into the pits and I opt for 2 new rear tires.
Lap 7: Daniel gets out first and I have to wait up a bit as Eric (who must have had long stop) pulls out just in front of me. I join the course in 18th. I’m working on Eric, Sel and Daniel ahead, but am not make much progress. Sel misjudges his braking for the turn heading into Thunder Valley and ends up munching hay. I am now back in 17th. Meanwhile Eric and Daniel re-enter the pits.
Lap 8: 14th after passing Luis in the pits. Looking ahead, not a car within sight.
Lap 9: Lucky 13th as I pass John in the pits. Which is where I will find myself at the finish.
Race 2 -- Casey Jones, You'd Better Watch Your Speed
Starting 13th on the outside, lined up behind William Yunck’s Volvo. Get off to a half way decent start, but Claudio passes on the inside. While Robert, who started on my inside, gets off to a slower start. Entering Turn 1, I try to pull by on the outside of Robert. Sel (who appears to be suffering from Internet lag) tries to thread the needle between us. We all trade a little paint, but survive intact.
Glenn pulls along the outside of me on the approach to the hairpin. Up ahead, chaos brews. Rafael is punted by Rhys, sending Rafael into Michel and Yuri. All three are off course with Michel taking a wild tumble (his turn for Mr. Toad’s ride). I hug the inside to avoid the chaos, which allows Eric to pass on the outside. I follow through in 10th.
Lap 2: Trying to keep the boys ahead from pulling too far away while protecting myself from Robert (I need to stay way from those ATR guys!). Further ahead, Claudio and William tangle, sending William into the hay bales. Glenn taps Claudio as he tries to gather it back in. This sends Claudio off to the inside. I’m now, almost, on Glenn’s bumper. But he pulls ahead on the front straight.
Lap 3: Position 8 and I still have Robert behind me (though now I have a little more of a cushion). Glenn overcooks the bend leading up to The Carousel and goes off course, gifting me 7th.
Lap 4: Eric has pulled further away and Robert just won’t go away.
Lap 5: 5th as I pass Will and Kevin in the pits. Gaining somewhat on Eric, but Robert is doing the same on me. Eric imitates Glenn’s mistake on lap 3, allowing me to sneak by. Unfortunately, Robert is not so lucky and clips Eric’s nose as Eric pirouettes back across the track. I head for the pits in 4th.
Lap 6: Re-enter the race in 12th. Will, Kevin and Claudio are well ahead of me.
Lap 7: Gaining some ground as I pass Claudio, Sel, Luis, William and Rafael in the pits. Now up to 7th. William, Yuri and Rafael are forming a fast moving freight train behind me.
Lap 8: 6th as I pass Rhys in the pits. Losing ground on Will and Kevin ahead, while the freight train is drawing nearer. Yuri tries to help me out by trying to de-couple the train by trying an inside move on William in the turn leading to The Madness. That just leaves Yuri as the caboose.
Lap 9: 5th (as Will retires after a tangle with Kevin). All hope is fading as William (a.k.a. Casey Jones) pulls the train up to my bumper. Approaching the hairpin, I decide not to mess with the impending train wreck (morning headline: Fast Moving Train Rear Ends Slow Moving Car) and pull off to the outside to let them by and allow them to battle it out without my getting in the way. Yuri, the caboose, wasn’t as hooked up as I had thought, and we swap a little paint in the hairpin. Catastrophe avoided, dropping me back to 8th. Had my moment of glory running in 5th with this wild bunch.
Lap 10: Still 8th but in a good spot to watch the freight train ahead trying to breakup (which now has a new caboose, Rafael).
Bringing it all home in 8th just ahead of Michel, who had soldiered on after his first lap excitement.
Finished the 2 events 9th overall.
