FALL 2005 - EXODUS-TABLELAND SERIES RD2: VIA BESTIAE Pre Race WEATHER: Temperature: 24 Cs/75 Fs. Wind Factor: 2. Overall: Overcast. At 3 PM, the Via Bestiae GP, the second of this Tour, will kick off and racers will vie for victory on the day that the national leader celebrates his birthday. A truly joyous occassion for all involved. The VBGPPR department tells us, "Held near the city of Grandywine in Western Via Bestiae, the race will take place in what is dubbed 'Wine Country'. It's an area of gentle, rolling hills, that are bordered to the north by a steep rise in elevation." Making a brief visit to the reasonably hidden circuit of Korval for the 4 wheeler leg, the grand prix will return to the countryside in the Turuk Valley. "The rally leg will be held around the confluence of the Dreighton River, a wide, slow-moving river and the Kuangnu River, which quickly descends from the higher elevation in half a dozen spectacular waterfalls. Obstacles, beyond the two rivers of course, will include the infamous Black Rock, a wide spire of obsidian thrust upward out of the ground, and quite out of place in otherwise bucolic valley, will feature several hair-pin turns along the course." 2 Wheeler The wine country of Via Bestiae is proving to be a much less complex and simpler terrain than last week's race in Switzerstan. Three teams run Modeni engines, which has proved to be time and time again the top engine for 2 wheelers. While Rhellis National Racing has proved to be the best at utilising it, until now. After last week's lead out by Justin Sane of Strongbadian Fist Dragon and now Edward of Salaxia International, it seems the other two have caught up. Edward leads McDriver, who turned around a shockingly bad season last year in Ile de France, by around 40 seconds. Kingtown National Racing has put their stamp on this race, occupying third and fourth. For the moment, there is no sign of Oodgtastic Racing and, as every one of the other teams hopes, the low wins will keep them at bay. Top five at the conclusion of the 2x leg: 1. Edward (Salaxia International) 2. Drivey McDriver (Rio Racing) 3. Hans (Kingtown National Racing) 4. Quigiy (Kingtown National Racing) 5. Justin Sane (Strongbadian Fist Dragon) 4 Wheeler A simple mistake caused the end of the race for Heinz of Keetorama. He ran wide on the final corner, heading across some of the bumpy ground. While it was a simple job to get back on track, Heinz realised some 100 metres further down the track he had far more serious damage done to his vehicle. A snapped suspension spelled the end of the race and Heinz pulled back into the pit lane. As the race continues, with an absence of big names at the front, it seems apparent that the low wind, only the second low wind race of the season, has managed to give the "little guys" a go. Flo Knellinger, from the fairly successful last season and only mediocre this season, Island Racing Squad, leads the grand prix going into the Turuk Valley. Baracuda proves his team's defection from Wreno to VME may have paid off, grabbing an early high position. Slayer joins the party in third, with a minute separating her and Knellinger, and only a slim gap separating her from the other Kingtown driver, Ralphmy. Franklin Roosevelt continues his good run for Avolon, settling in in fifth place. Top five at the conclusion of the 4x leg: 1. Flo Knellinger (Island Racing Squad) 2. Baracuda (Snakes Coil Racing) 3. Slayer (MIF-Ardent Antagonists) 4. Ralphmy (Kingtown National Raceworks) 5. Franklin Roosevelt (Knights of Avolon) 0 Wheeler Last weekend, Meadowbank Boy Racers faced horrendous reliability issues. It seems this week the curse has passed onto fellow IdF team, Keetorama. While their champion Nestle is untouched, Golden Circle found out from personal experience, like a number of bad 0 wheeler drivers this season, that hitting the ground is often the undoing of many vehicles. From a first guess, it would seem Circle's power supply cut briefly. This broke the AG circuits and meant GC was quickly heading toward the ground. After a loud crunch, the Keetorama vehicle was crushed and GC was out of the race. At the front, Flo Knellinger continued her winning ways and stayed atop the leader board after the third leg. Great Nathan closed the gap on Knellinger but since they are teammates, it is of little consequence. Could the Island Racing Squad be only the second team to go 1-2 in an FMR GP? Drivey McDriver has resurged over a quick third leg to pull himself back into the final podium position. Mike Jr, who scored LSFR only decent points so far, is now occupying fourth, probably hoping to snatch a second third place. And finally, Ralphmy has slipped back a place to run in fifth with a leg to go. Top five at the conclusion of the 0x leg: 1. Flo Knellinger (Island Racing Squad) 2. Great Nathan (Island Racing Squad) 3. Drivey McDriver (Rio Racing) 4. Mike Jr (Leaf Special Forces Racing) 5. Ralphmy (Kingtown National Raceworks) R Wheeler In another example of bad racing luck, Ralphy, who was doing quite well, came together with the Black Rock, a giant obsidian spike. He was quickly joined by Atilla Snitvanburg, who couldn't find her way through the black smoke produced by the accident and found the Black Rock with equal impact. Well it seems the Island Racing Squad is more than capable of finishing 1-2, albeit only narrowly over a fast finishing Drivey McDriver, last season's Ile de France wooden spooner. Baracuda popped up again, using the hairpins to his advantage and bagged fourth place. In fifth, Princess Shirvine for the MIF-Ardent Antagonists, who had one of their better races this season, also scoring eighteenth place and three points plus Shirvine's forty. St Heliers Sykers did have their best race. Up until now, the team had managed last place overall with a pitiful seventeen points. But in the low wind, the team managed to get two drivers, King Dawndevil (6th) and Spia (19th), in the top twenty, lifting them off the bottom of the table, to be ten points ahead of the Meadowbank Boy Racers, who now occupy last. Top twenty at the conclusion of the Rx leg and the grand prix: 1. Flo Knellinger (Island Racing Squad) - 60 pts 2. Great Nathan (Island Racing Squad) - 55 pts 3. Drivey McDriver (Rio Racing) - 50 pts 4. Baracuda (Snakes Coil Racing) - 45 pts 5. Princess Shirvine (MIF-Ardent Antagonists) - 40 pts 6. King Dawndevil (St Heliers Sykers) - 35 pts 7. Quigiy (Kingtown National Racing) - 30 pts 8. Mike Jr (Leaf Special Forces Racing) - 25 pts 9. Raskunn (Akran Marmadukes) - 20 pts 10. Bazza (Ancient Speed Demons) - 18 pts 11. Sandy Duneby (Ancient Speed Demons) - 15 pts 12. Other Guy (Rio Racing) - 12 pts 13. Adalicio Carillo-Rodriguez (El Equipo de Dulces) - 10 pts 14. Orval Leggans (Cascadian Geoduck Racing) - 8 pts 15. Briggs Jr (Leaf Special Forces Racing) - 6 pts 16. Pooder (Naginii Racing Group) - 5 pts 17. Karlos Wildebeest (Negamegendonites) - 4 pts 18. Arch Rival (MIF-Ardent Antagonists) - 3 pts 19. Spia (St Heliers Sykers) - 2 pts 20. Jos Oxford (Liamist Racing Tech) - 1 pt Post Race So another dominated race is drawn to a close, this time by blue, white and black instead of the green, maroon and silver of Oodgtastic Racing we've come to expect. Its shown in the tables too as, while the three Oodgtastic drivers sit atop the Overall comfortably with a narrowing gap over Pooder and Baracuda, Pooder controls the Tour standings, with the five points today bringing them above Flo Knellinger and Frankie Nit-problem, who is also trailed by another IRS driver in Great Nathan. In teams, and as expected, Overall, Oodgtastic Racing, while not adding on any points today, have still a massive lead that anyone is yet to make a dent in. Even though 115 points toward IRS cause helped shoot them above Swiss Mix and Liamist Racing Tech into third, they still run a distant second. As far as the Tour goes though, IRS are in control, leading the Naginii Racing Group, with Oodgtastic in third, Swiss Mix in fourth and Rio Racing flashing up into fifth, on the back of McDriver's drive today. Next week: Avolon. SPLIT TIMES Car No 2x 4x 0x Rx 1 57.880 118.187 180.295 237.084 2 59.116 118.004 180.549 239.636 3 63.561 121.144 177.736 235.305 4 62.589 125.149 185.035 248.743 5 57.341 120.465 176.769 237.328 6 57.036 118.059 176.339 235.762 7 61.653 120.765 179.136 235.336 8 58.723 115.357 176.207 236.473 9 57.105 115.800 173.752 230.488 10 58.803 119.603 176.950 234.285 11 56.919 119.973 179.241 238.104 12 58.106 117.848 177.405 234.167 13 60.657 119.957 179.819 238.982 14 59.972 120.326 182.954 246.477 15 60.487 117.810 176.840 238.346 16 59.344 122.620 181.754 245.238 17 57.860 115.694 175.317 239.333 18 60.530 120.878 178.464 236.945 19 62.330 124.723 180.469 239.950 20 56.277 116.332 171.879 227.888 21 60.940 118.689 178.960 234.329 22 57.575 119.193 180.125 236.321 23 61.271 DNF 57.461 53.556 24 60.180 119.256 DNF 113.846 25 58.835 116.701 171.730 227.845 26 59.875 121.696 179.730 240.459 27 58.115 114.282 170.778 227.127 28 59.714 117.707 178.099 240.985 29 61.994 119.903 179.994 245.018 30 64.081 123.962 185.341 245.130 31 57.076 115.504 172.637 DNF 32 56.821 119.691 174.494 232.471 33 56.572 117.548 176.146 236.027 34 62.960 126.673 188.076 248.303 35 57.034 117.025 174.165 235.319 36 58.860 117.994 174.134 DNF 37 62.319 119.845 175.078 236.131 38 59.536 119.618 179.018 238.345 39 57.498 114.696 174.919 229.964 40 57.808 119.083 176.161 236.056 41 61.459 119.839 177.122 234.050 42 60.879 120.216 180.834 243.404 43 58.642 117.566 173.218 234.569 44 58.320 117.925 174.683 236.424 45 64.201 128.387 185.634 249.085 46 57.955 116.117 172.641 231.406 47 62.123 122.383 180.889 241.822 48 62.396 118.686 176.272 235.640 49 59.057 116.669 171.971 233.547 50 62.419 118.919 176.875 235.084 51 62.931 125.463 183.834 241.754 52 60.044 117.428 179.555 240.760 53 62.640 122.086 178.940 239.174 54 63.018 122.105 179.156 237.921 55 62.636 121.355 182.760 241.438 56 61.718 123.072 183.624 238.655 57 61.142 117.724 180.736 238.950 58 59.515 118.789 180.012 238.285 59 60.125 120.570 182.886 242.406 60 59.030 115.565 176.055 237.858 61 59.400 118.398 179.515 236.800 62 57.320 116.697 176.734 238.553 63 59.589 116.698 179.031 236.235 64 59.659 119.599 181.316 242.388 65 59.439 120.825 180.542 237.504 66 59.119 116.670 177.768 236.870 67 56.840 116.693 177.748 240.140 68 59.315 118.004 175.057 237.626 69 59.533 123.174 180.453 238.274 70 58.316 120.338 180.662 238.519 71 61.345 120.550 183.491 243.634 72 55.643 116.617 174.869 235.967 73 61.401 121.064 182.284 244.623 74 57.192 120.573 178.147 239.801 75 63.711 124.536 187.333 248.134 76 60.312 120.546 180.464 238.898 77 57.993 117.206 179.227 234.900 78 62.309 120.000 180.632 236.348