WBC Final Race for the 2015 World Championship
Lancaster Pennsylvania
The Rando-mobile
After T1. Seth rockets into the lead with a 100 start speed (boosted successfully).
T2. Can't remember exactly. Don in the lead, Dennis on his right, Seth in third. I've lost 6 cars.
Don set to rocket down the back straight. Mike and Tim each bid zero wear at the start, and are carefully hoarding their wear.
Rob's B-17 bomber pushed past the Jetsons in mid-pack. He has an armaments advantage.
Mike (left) and Tim (right) are unspent on wear. Meanwhile vast expenditures take place up front.
Tim, Chris, Jim, and Doug.
Don leads down the back straight.
Doug, Seth, Kevin, Dennis, and Don.
Chris, Jim, Doug, and Seth.
Seth, Kevin, Dennis, and Don.
Don in the lead and Dennis is beside him. Seth and Jim in close contact. Then Rob & Doug, then Rando Kevin & Doug. Mike and Tim patiently trail.
Dennis in front of Don & Seth. Much wear has been spent at the front. In the back, none.
Three packs. Leaders, mids, and patient chasers.
Same move.
Pic: Jim & Doug. On the track, Dennis is in the lead.
Dennis, Don, Jim, Seth, Doug, Kevin, Rando, Rob, Chris, Mike, Tim. Our 12th qualifier never arrived so we raced with 11 (and started a bit late).
Moving along.
More wear spent on the back of the course in the crap zone. Good thing Chris has his crew chief as a guardian angel.
Past the dark side of the moon. Dennis & Don clear the last corner.
Tim Chris Jim & Doug plotting.
Seth Kevin & Dennis plotting. Don consulting the charts.
Leaders, mids, mids, and chasers (with buku wear).
Lap 1 was a long one! Immense wear was spent by the leaders. I spent 1/3 of my race allocation. The chase pack spent nearly none.
Leaders setting up for the back straight.
OOPS! First casualty. Jim F who had previously damaged his brakes now destroys them and is forced to retire.
Chasers keep getting closer with minimal wear spent.
I think Mike spent 2 and Tim none after one full lap. Wow.
Leaders hurtle toward the complex corner.
Jim's tombstone for this race.
Seth into a commanding lead. But he's nearly out of wear.
Quite a spread from front to back. I see the future. It will contract. No wear in front, 24 wear in back. It will contract.
Seth clears the corner
Moving right along.
Rob snaked me into that corner, which hurt quite a bit in the end.
Seth extends his lead.
Moving along.
My poor tempo allows Chris to pass me. Behind him -- "the chasers"
Moving along. Seth with a nice lead. The chasers are touching me and they have lots more wear. Tim with a hugely better car.
I missed a move. Oops. I was crying that the first chaser, Mike, passed me.
Seth nice lead. Doug, Denis, Don behind him. Gap, then Kevin & Rob. Chris cleared the corner, Mike ready to accel out of the corner. Rando and Tim trail.
Seth in the lead but in contact. In the middle, Mike stalking Chris. At the back, Tim in contact with Rando.
Seth in the lead but being chased hard. Mike has effectively worked past Chris. Tim caught Rando.
Seth powers down the straight. At the back Tim is past Rando (I'm in last, and sad).
Don is ready to blast down the back straight...
But fails his acceleration roll. His car pulls off to the right side of the track, his engine in ruins, his day over. Meanwhile, Mike and Tim have passed Chris and Rando.
Seth into the first part of that tricky combo.
OOPS! Doug crashes with a chance roll in the corner!
Noooooo!!! Debris from Doug's crash causes Dennis to also crash.
At end of move Seth has a bit more breathing space up front (but not much wear left).
I'm last going through the complex corner.Seth with a 5-space lead (for now).
Rob coming out of the corner overstressed his engines -- and they broke. he pulls to the side of the track, done for the day. Kevin is now second.
Only 6 of us still on the track. Kevin makes a run at Seth for the lead. I'm breathing dust.
Kevin grabs lead.
Kevi in the lead but the "chase pack" (Mike and Tim) still have enormous wear. Seth is out. I have 5? Can't remember. Chris with 2?
Kevin still in the lead ... Mike right behind him with about 5 more wear.
Kevin drove responsibly but Mike had the tires to power into the lead. Chris and Tim follow closely. Seth tried to stay in it with a chance but rolled badly to spin.
Tim still has two wear left, but he damaged his brakes. His explanation: "I'm not slowing down the rest of this race, who needs brakes???"
Mike powers forward, extending to a certain victory. Tim and Kevin both finish the chicane corner. Chris tries for something with a last gasp but fails his chance roll to spin. I take a chance along with two wear and make the roll (note the three chips under my car). <Next move, 140 baby>
Picture mid-move as Mike takes the checkered flag and the tourney. Mike puts his nose across the line for the win. Mike Aubuchon -- wonderful race. You had huge patience, and that paid off. It took a lot of courage to run that race.
Some mayhem in the back after Mike won. Kevin went inside, Tim somehow went outside, and I squeezed into the middle at 140 with another successful chance (spending my second red chip in two moves).
Kevin, me and Tim all made our top speed rolls, so we three finished in that order (Kevin Keller second, Randy Needham third, Tim Mossman 4th). Chris and Seth followed to round out the cars limping across the line.
Some trophy pics. I like Mike's smile in the first of three.
Mike really is that much taller than me and Kevin -- not like he was standing on a chair or anything.
Mike, congrats, you ran a wonderful and courageous race. Kevin, after winning last year, well, it's tough to repeat back-to-back. Me, I was up against some fearsome racers and was lucky to finish where I did. Tim, Chris & Seth, you fellows are fast. The 5 who crashed or retired, you are also fast!
See you guys (& gals?) next year?
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