FALL 2005 - TOUR DE ILE DE FRANCE RD3: KINGTOWN Pre Race Kingtown is a relatively new FMR nation, racing in only five of last year's ten races in Ile de France and, of course, this season's two. It’s a very cold morning in the mountains of Kingtown this morning and racers can expect around 15° C (59 Fs), bringing the Menzies shod, Naginii Racing Group to the forefront of the race. The wind is rated a 6, giving a small hand to the handful of aluminium and steel teams and holding back the carbons, of which there are a large number. But overall, the mountains are clear of cloud and racers should be able to see their paths clearly. The race today kicks off at 10 AM and will see drivers tackle some of the highest altitudes for the season. It will initially begin in High Manccher, situated in the middle of the high plateau that supports Kingtown. The course is devilishly sharp and between the five tunnels that racers will head down under and heading along the rivers that wind along, forming large lakes, drivers will need to keep their wits about them, as the thin air may prove hazardous. Racers will complete the 2 wheeler leg and find their way to the Kingtown National Highland Raceway, which rings the plateau. Drivers will need to be especially careful to avoid driving right off the edge. Snaking above and below ground, drivers will also need to negotiate three trickily spaced jumps that may result in some serious injuries if taken wrong. Racers will drop their 4 wheelers for their 0 wheelers and spiral up the tallest mountain in Kingtown, head across a bridge to an opposite peak and spiral back down. This section is known as the Kingtown High Ridge Mountain Range and racers will need to watch the bridge section, as it is only wide enough for one (although, racers will be able to fly up and over, leapfrog style, drivers who are slowly them down). Upon reaching another plateau, racers will hop their R wheelers, head back up a tunnel to emerge in the sunlight of High Manccher, where the race began. 2 Wheeler Three weeks running and the Rhellisean racers have controlled the first leg with those extremely well designed Modeni engines. Sleepy Justice leads racers over to the second leg transition, with a good eighty second lead. Following him is Oodgtastic Racing’s, who are having a blinder so far this season, Frankie Nit-problem with a slim lead over Baracuda of Snakes Coil Racing. Misamoto Kanapono completes an Oodges-Cobra sandwich, following with just under a five second lead. Dahlyo, Akran Marmadukes, rounds out the top five and in only their second race, Team Muhji of Krakatou has managed to get Martina Salvidor up into sixth place. Unfortunately, its not always fun and games. FMR is often cruel to its participants. In this case, all its cruelty was focussed on the Ancient Speed Demons of Ancient Burtorr. Both Bazza and Ibn the Big were hammered by the same freak accident. Bazza had fallen back a number of places in the opening stint to be almost level with Ibn. Bazza must have hit a patch of low pressure air or something because he seemed to pass out at the proverbial wheel. His 2 wheeler slammed into the wall of the tunnel underneath the High Manccher CBD and sprayed carbon shards everywhere. As Ibn the Big suffered the same fate (many think the light, dry air in Kingtown was not what the drivers were used to as the air in Ancient Burtorr is quite heavy), he headed straight down the tunnel, caught a glancing blow on the carcass of Bazza’s vehicle and ripped his tyres to shreds on the carbon. This brought the ASD DNF record to eight, the highest of any FMR team, and there’s one for every 3.375 races competed in (and remember, some of those races are the same ones but with different teams). Top ten at the conclusion of the 2x leg: 1. Sleepy Justice (Rhellis National Racing) 2. Frankie Nit-problem (Oodgtastic Racing) 3. Barracuda (Snakes Coil Racing) 4. Misamoto Kanapono (Oodgtastic Racing) 5. Dahlyo (Akran Marmadukes) 6. Martina Salvidor (Team Muhji) 7. Arch Rival (MIF-Ardent Antagonists) 8. Louis Brogard (Via Bestiae Road Warriors) 9. Karlos Wildebeast (Negamegendonites) 10. Briggs Jr (Leaf Special Forces Racing) 4 Wheeler Running on a fairly strong setup, Frankie Nit-problem, of Oodgtastic Racing, has, once again for his team, taken a strong lead, going into the middle of the day and the halfway mark of the race. Once more, Sleepy Justice has failed to defend an early given handed to him each week on a platter by his engine. He’s currently sitting in eighth place. Arthur, who finished a respectable fourth last week in Meadowbank, of the Knights of Avolon, currently follows Nit-problem in second, hoping to follow up his fifteen pointer from last week with a podium today. Louis Brogard runs a close third for a rapidly improving Via Bestiae Road Warriors who seem to be going from strength to strength. In forth runs Salaxia International’s Pete with fifth occupied by SCR’s Baracuda. From second to fifth is separated by an amazingly small forty-three seconds and any of these drivers could easily snatch victory from here with some 600 or so kilometres to cover. Top ten at the conclusion of the 4x leg: 1. Frankie Nit-problem (Oodgtastic Racing) 2. Arthur (Knights of Avolon) 3. Louis Brogard (Via Bestiae Road Warriors) 4. Pete (Salaxia International) 5. Barracuda (Snakes Coil Racing) 6. Dahlyo (Akran Marmadukes) 7. Charlotte White (Swiss Mix) 8. Sleepy Justice (Rhellis National Racing) 9. Justin Sane (Strongbadian Fist Dragons) 10. Arch Rival (MIF-Ardent Antagonists) 0 Wheeler I don’t think anyone expected Dahlyo of Akran Marmadukes, formerly known as Orynd Regional, to take the lead next. This includes the driver herself who seemed to be quite excited at the prospect of winning a race, squeaking high pitched squeals over the radio. With nearly a minute and a half lead, it seemed unlikely that Snakes Coil Racing third driver, Baracuda, could close the gap in time. Third ran Louis Brogard, who seems quietly confident. We have probably not seen the last of him and he may well have a trick up his proverbial sleeve. A resilient Frankie Nit-problem has slid back to fourth, but again he may have something with a slight edge given by his LandVac engine. Fifth is occupied by a recovering Sleepy Justice of Rhellis National Racing who is nearly three minutes behind Nit-problem. In DNFs, the Wreno engine of King Dawndevil has finally given in. Struggling at the back for a good portion of the race, Dawndevil tried pushing his engine but it just seems to be one of those off engines Wreno have. It finally gave out while crossing the Peak-to-Peak Bridge that crosses a huge chasm, creating a rather difficult obstacle for racers to try to avoid. Most heed the yellow flags and slowly rise up and over Dawndevil’s ex-0 wheeler. Top ten at the conclusion of the 0x leg: 1. Dahlyo (Akran Marmadukes) 2. Barracuda (Snakes Coil Racing) 3. Louis Brogard (Via Bestiae Road Warriors) 4. Frankie Nit-problem (Oodgtastic Racing) 5. Sleepy Justice (Rhellis National Racing) 6. Milo (Naginii Racing Group) 7. Kurt Fluke (Rhellis National Racing) 8. Pete (Salaxia International) 9. Pooder (Naginii Racing Group) 10. Arch Rival (MIF-Ardent Antagonists) R Wheeler The final leg of the Kingtown GP was almost vertical in that it was run in a very steep tunnel. Meadowbank Boy Racer, Hans Furenheimer, failed to handle this steep gradient by not applying the necessary brake power to prevent him from rolling backwards. Inevitably he slid backwards, out of control, until the rear end of his car found a large boulder partially blocking the tunnel. His car was half its original length but, after an initial scare, Furenheimer was deemed ok. He was, though, out of the race. In the dimly lit tunnel, the only sign that Louis Brogard was making a move was a slightly louder engine noise. He timed his run perfectly, using his far superior Donha engine to put himself in the lead and he took the chequered flag from third. Following just over a minute behind was SCR’s Baracuda, putting his teams first points on the board. Frankie Nit-problem rounded out a very good race with a solid, and well deserved, third place. This final leg was also the leg of ghosts from legs past. Martina Salvidor, sixth after the 2 wheeler leg and then not seen until now, managed to snatch a fourth placing with a massive lead over Naginii Racing Group, who didn’t perform up to many expectations today, driver, Pooder. Top ten at the conclusion of  the Rx leg and the grand prix: 1. Louis Brogard (Via Bestiae Road Warriors) – 30 points 2. Barracuda (Snakes Coil Racing) – 25 points 3. Frankie Nit-problem (Oodgtastic Racing) – 20 points 4. Martina Salvidor (Team Muhji) – 15 points 5. Pooder (Naginii Racing Group) – 10 points 6. Kurt Fluke (Rhellis National Racing) – 7 points 7. Dahlyo (Akran Marmadukes) – 5 points 8. Pete (Salaxia International) – 3 points 9. Charlotte White (Swiss Mix) – 2 points 10. Arch Rival (MIF-Ardent Antagonists) – 1 point Post Race Next week we head to the fine lands of Rhellis, homeland of Sleepy Justice and former great, Nordla Anasad, for our fourth grand prix of the season. Before we sign off, let’s check the Championships. Well the Tour and Overall Championships are the same for the time being, so let’s have a look at the drivers. In front, Frankie Nit-problem, which is no surprise, given his performances of late. He’s trailed by the three race winners who are all on thirty points and only separated by total race time, which, respectively, are Kik Marmington (Liamist Racing tech), Aleja Zaragoza (El Equipo de Dulces) and Louis Brogard (Via Bestiae Road Warriors). Fourth and fifth are held by twenty five point scorers Baracuda (Snakes Coil Racing) and Jos Oxford (Liamist Racing Tech). To teams now and Liamist Racing Tech, on sixty five points, has a reduced lead over Oodgtastic Racing who sits pretty on sixty one. El Equipo de Dulces holds third with thirty-six points, followed by Via Bestiae Road Warriors on thirty-one and Swiss Mix on twenty-seven in fifth. It’s still wide open with only half the tour and a sixth of the season complete, anyone can still really take it from here. SPLIT TIMES Car No 2x 4x 0x Rx 1 59.496 117.833 179.283 236.710 2 60.424 118.382 174.862 235.729 3 59.197 117.401 176.501 233.967 4 61.471 122.910 178.597 237.528 5 58.781 122.117 179.431 238.853 6 62.946 126.138 186.304 247.130 7 57.297 117.184 176.575 235.437 8 61.972 124.892 183.805 245.487 9 62.150 120.489 183.921 241.720 10 DNF 11 DNF 12 58.813 122.985 182.446 241.951 13 59.705 120.235 180.882 242.573 14 55.142 116.554 174.788 236.255 15 59.716 118.136 175.262 234.058 16 63.226 126.995 186.659 245.958 17 64.676 127.807 191.249 253.692 18 59.985 123.844 183.816 DNF 19 61.884 122.914 186.518 245.881 20 60.496 121.758 182.458 243.294 21 61.923 125.397 186.905 245.056 22 64.336 122.816 186.818 243.348 23 61.879 126.009 183.595 239.859 24 60.277 118.367 180.394 237.585 25 63.028 122.670 179.937 242.372 26 58.996 121.986 181.726 243.586 27 63.913 125.851 182.702 242.179 28 64.305 123.036 184.584 249.178 29 60.180 123.076 185.697 248.202 30 63.862 125.541 184.174 245.999 31 58.906 120.252 178.843 241.879 32 65.438 123.897 180.332 245.111 33 61.084 124.204 185.795 248.055 34 58.032 118.894 179.477 238.828 35 57.703 117.191 179.280 240.441 36 61.057 120.225 180.477 238.731 37 63.076 121.845 185.233 248.676 38 60.171 123.259 180.701 242.154 39 56.549 115.848 173.537 231.632 40 61.674 121.023 179.164 237.815 41 60.053 122.636 181.866 239.567 42 56.907 115.979 172.171 234.637 43 62.806 120.773 182.573 245.581 44 59.491 120.311 177.451 241.289 45 62.189 124.730 181.900 243.560 46 62.841 126.801 DNF 47 58.421 116.541 177.297 237.289 48 61.244 121.385 184.378 242.608 49 60.993 119.475 182.353 240.335 50 57.862 119.596 177.802 239.562 51 60.218 118.992 178.851 241.215 52 56.480 113.593 174.746 231.919 53 58.798 121.832 178.863 239.281 54 56.626 118.339 180.821 242.447 55 57.521 115.586 174.083 230.622 56 63.834 124.515 188.341 245.628 57 59.574 123.367 185.028 245.245 58 61.312 123.052 181.855 244.219 59 58.550 115.131 179.135 243.287 60 58.643 118.547 179.840 240.173 61 63.121 125.565 187.781 247.303 62 59.832 116.482 178.241 234.801 63 59.967 121.029 179.117 237.655 64 59.071 121.725 179.356 237.390 65 61.918 119.751 180.978 243.415 66 59.695 119.600 178.403 237.058 67 59.646 116.632 178.586 241.226 68 61.111 119.452 183.199 246.350 69 59.380 119.733 178.577 241.749 70 58.576 115.800 175.813 234.719 71 60.665 118.716 178.085 240.393 72 58.528 120.762 183.203 246.680 73 60.250 119.440 182.355 239.018 74 62.339 121.062 178.753 235.981 75 57.226 119.291 177.675 232.363