WEATHER REPORT: Almost perfect weather tomorrow for the race on the streets of New New Orleans in Surique. Temperatures will reach a pleasant 25 Cs (77 Fs) with only a few clouds in the sky. PERFECT SETUP: DBC with an aggressive driver WORST SETUP: SAT with a defensive driver Not many teams, if any, run a DBC setup vehicle, but with DAC so popular, big bonuses could be going to about half the field. Just as many teams run SAT vehicles and look to be in some serious trouble tomorrow. With the end of the season approaching rapidly, one only has to look to The Tableland FMR League to see how close it could potentially be. Two drivers and three teams are tied for first in their respective categories with only a single grand prix to run. Of course, the Ille de France championship could be practically decided with this race. RACE REPORT 1: With the results of the Rhellis GP, Kik Marmington overtook Fluffy as leader of the drivers championship. Fluffy had held that lead since Naginii and looks determined to take it back. After finishing in 42nd last week, Fluffy has put pedal to the metal and floored it flawlessly into first place. Not to be outdone and not wanting to give up the championship lead so easily for teammate Kik Marmington, Heinz Spedston has also driven very hard to stay bouyant in second place. Another championship challenger, but for the teams, the Ardent Antagonists' Princess Shirvine is in third place, looking to make her team's lead more secure. Fourth is Airborne, from Airborne's Aerial Racing, a driver we have seen little of since the Mosmania GP and is followed closely by Nestle, a driver who was very close to the top of the championship. She looks to add the Surique GP win to her trophy from Naginii. And the race looks to be shaping up as a points bonaza for top teams and drivers. Fortunately, at this early stage of the grand prix, no driver has had to pull out of the race, with many vehicles still looking like they may last the race distance, including the most unreliable teams of the Burtech Racing Team and the Flying Mosmaniacs. The homecrowd is in a joyous yet cautious mood with Cecile of the Screech of Surique managing to hold onto eleventh place. In the worst possible setup car, Cecile may not last with the top speeds of vehicles that handle the conditions better but the crowd appears to be fairly optimistic. Teammate Rodney is in 19th place and will probably only drop further back down the field. Top ten at the quarter-way mark of the Surique GP: 1. Fluffy (Naginii Racing Group) 2. Heinz Spedston (LSE Technologies) 3. Princess Shirvine (Ardent Antagonists) 4. Airborne (Airborne's Aerial Racing) 5. Nestle (Keetorama) 6. Ralphmy (Kingtown National Raceworks) 7. Dervin Striker (Rhellis National Racing) 8. Quiet Quinella (Sport Francais de Moteur) 9. Slayer (Midnight Shadow) 10. Bolock (Ardent Antagonists) By car number, positions 11 through 48: 30, 9, 15, 4, 11, 39, 21, 29, 44, 12, 48, 22, 14, 18, 28, 33, 25, 2, 52, 19, 35, 26, 31, 50, 38, 6, 8, 43, 17, 16, 20, 5, 36, 10, 32, 1, 49 and last 37. RACE REPORT 2: Another superb drive by the relentlessly focussed Fluffy has seen the Fanatical Marmaduke not only maintain his lead but increased it three and a half times over. The streets of New New Orleans appear to be made for the small race car-like vehicle of the Naginii Racing Group as Fluffy just ploughs ahead with his flawless driving style and untamed ambition to become the best. Meanwhile, Fluffy's adversaries squabble amongst themselves. Heinz Spedston spun out, but managed to remain in the race (with so many spin-outs this season, many are calling for improved traction control next year), and in his place is Pimpy McBling from the Meadowbank Boy Racers. MBR disappeared mid-season after a particularly hot opening couple of grands prix but appear to be making a resurgence late in the season. McBling is in line for his first points today if he manages to stay in the top ten. Third is Spedston's teammate, and winner of last week's Rhellis GP, Kik Marmington. It would seem that the French Marmaduke is very keen on keeping her lead in the drivers championship and won't let Fluffy have it back so easily. She's going to have to work hard for it though. Milo of the Naginii FMR team and Heinz of Keetorama are both now out of the GP after suffering the same fate. Given the nature of the street course in Surique, quite a number of half a metre thick plate diamond walls have been erected to protect native buildings from debris and poor Marmaduke driving. Normally it is a savior but today it is a curse with the sunny weather. Coming down into turn 2, the sun caught the plate diamond wall and was refracted onto the exit of the turn. Both Milo and Heinz came through, one after the other, and were momentarily blinded by the shining light. The repercussions of this weren't significant until the came to the next corner that was shadowed by a particularly tall Surique building. With the glare that had blinded them, both Heinz and Milo were unable to judge the corner properly and crashed into the opposite plate diamond wall, causing their front wings to bend at 45 degrees to normal. They tried to head around the circuit to the pits but as soon as they tried to take off, both drivers ploughed into another wall, unable to control their vehicles. They decided to call it a day and retired. Top ten at the half way mark of the Surique GP: 1. Fluffy (Naginii Racing Group) 2. Pimpy McBling (Meadowbank Boy Racers) 3. Kik Marmington (LSE Technologies) 4. Charlemagne (Team Wilkenstan) 5. Silent Jim (Sport Francais de Moteur) 6. Slayer (Midnight Shadow) 7. Nestle (Keetorama) 8. Ralphmy (Kingtown National Raceworks) 9. Quiet Quinella (Sport Francais de Moteur) 10. Fish Goti (Tastee Badger Treets Racing) By car number, positions 11 through 46: 42, 25, 28, 22, 2, 12, 18, 7, 47, 19, 3, 20, 41, 1, 25, 44, 21, 48, 29, 6, 5, 38, 35, 8, 50, 30, 37, 52, 10, 31,43, 33, 49, 36, 17 and last 16. OUT: 32, 14 [glare] RACE REPORT 3: Another sixty-odd kilometres down and the top three remain the same, with Fluffy extending his lead ever so slightly over McBling, with Marmington in third. If things remain as they are, it will be very difficult for anyone to take the drivers title from Fluffy. Charlemagne has remained steady in fourth in what could easily be his best performance of the season so far. Fifth was occupied by Silent Jim but he has recorded a DNF and in his place Nestle from Keetorama has moved up, searching for more elusive points in her quest to get as close as possible to the top of the championship. Sixth is Slayer, looking to add some points to the Midnight Shadow kitty that has been missing in action since the Liamopolis GP. Antoinette from the Flying Mosmaniacs seems to have definitely gotten over the problems that let her down in rounds 5 & 6 and currently is seventh. Another sector and another DNFer. This time Silent Jim went out. Not heeding what had happened to Milo and Heinz, Jim went through the blinding light spot (or BLS as commentators have abbreviated it) after corner 2 and blinded himself. But his problem wasn't the next turn, he made it through that easily after having been through there so many times under pressure. His problem came when the glarey spots on his eyes covered up the car in front of him. Not realising, Jim floored it right into the back of the vehicle, Charlemagne's Team Wilkenstan racer, in front and crumpled the entire front of his car. He didn't know that Team Wilkenstan store their Tungsten ballast in the rear of the car to outweigh the heavy modifications they make to the LandVac engine. As a result, Charlemagne suffered a bump and Silent Jim lost the front half of his car. Bad luck really. Top ten at the three quarter way mark of the Surique GP: 1. Fluffy (Naginii Racing Group) 2. Pimpy McBling (Meadowbank Boy Racers) 3. Kik Marmington (LSE Technologies) 4. Charlemagne (Team Wilkenstan) 5. Nestle (Keetorama) 6. Slayer (Midnight Shadow) 7. Antoinette (Flying Mosmaniacs) 8. Pon Proteus (Liam & Co Racing) 9. Nordla Anasad (Tastee Badger Treets Racing) 10. Quiet Quinella (Sport Francais de Moteur) By car number, positions 11 through 45: 18, 20, 3, 22, 52, 2, 5, 37, 10, 7, 47, 44, 21, 6, 11, 51, 28, 42, 49, 50, 35, 19, 16, 31, 25, 17, 48, 41, 43, 8, 38, 30, 29, 33 and last 36. OUT: 32, 14, 39 [glare] RACE REPORT 4: It doesn't happen often. In fact, it has only happened twice in eight races but Fluffy has managed to accomplish it today. On the streets of New New Orleans, Surique, Fluffy managed to win the grand prix by leading start to finish. One would have to look back to the Liamopolis GP to see the last time this was achieved. Arch Rival won it there with a pretty big lead and so has Fluffy. This win gives Fluffy back the lead in the drivers championship by increased margin. In second, was Nestle from Keetorama who climbed three spots to make it to the penultimate position and is now third in the drivers championship overall and makes him the first driver to grab a place on each podium in one season in Ille de France. Third in the race, now second overall, last week's champion in Rhellis, Kik Marmington picked up the fifteen points. Fourth, and for the best finish they've had this season, is Antoinette from the Flying Mosmaniacs, propelling them off the bottom of the team standings. Fifth was the mighty Brother Ulrik who had overcome many doubters that thought the BRT vehicle would not last here today, based on rumours that they are actually using a Wreno engine. Sixth was Pimpy McBling who suffered some poor driving and understeer and ending up dropping four places in the last sector. Seventh was the other steeliest of competitors, next to Silent Jim that is, was Quiet Quinella of the Sport de Francais de Moteur. Eighth was Nordla Anasad, trying to recapture the lead in the drivers and teams that is quickly fading beyond the reach of Tastee Badger Treets Racing. Top ten at the conclusion of the Surique GP: 1. Fluffy (Naginii Racing Group) - 30 points 2. Nestle (Keetorama) - 20 points 3. Kik Marmington (LSE Technologies) - 15 points 4. Antoinette (Flying Mosmaniacs) - 12 points 5. Brother Ulrik (Burtech Racing Team) - 9 points 6. Pimpy McBling (Meadowbank Boy Racers) - 7 points 7. Quiet Quinella (Sport Francais de Moteur) - 5 points 8. Nordla Anasad (Tastee Badger Treets Racing) - 3 points 9. Charlemagne (Team Wilkenstan) - 2 points 10. Troy Champion (Liam & Co Racing) - 1 point By car number, positions 11 through 45: 6, 37, 52, 47, 44, 34, 7, 3, 1, 5, 42, 17, 25, 31, 11, 51, 28, 20, 10, 22, 35, 30, 49, 21, 48, 19, 36, 43, 50, 38, 41, 16, 29, 8 and last 33. OUT: 32, 14, 39 [glare] This race leaves Fluffy atop the drivers standings with 65 points and only a handful of potential rivals that have a serious chance of dethroning him. Kik Marmington is second on 52 points, 13 behind, and Nestle of Keetorama falls third with 50. Teams and the Ardent Antagonists have been knocked off top spot, finally, by of course, the Naginii Racing Group, as represented by Fluffy. Second is LSE Technologies with 61 points and third is the Ardent Antagonists, amongst others, with 58. Well that wraps up round 8 of Ille de France FMR, leaving only the race in Rio City, Mississippi Rio and the final grand prix of the season in Paris. Things look like they could shape up to be very interesting for the championships and we hope to see you there.