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After a brief intermission to clean any remaining debris off the
track, we're ready for a complete restart.
This time I make an awesome start! My best start of the weekend. |
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I'm still starting from 6th.
When the flagman waves the green flag, Paul Maire in #37 again heads to the right and immediately pulls by Hiroki Currie's #54. |
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I manage to pass Hiroki as well!
Did you see that? I actually passed someone!. Paul is going up the right side, and I'm on the left, as we split past Hiroki's #54. |
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I'm keeping pace right up with Paul's #37 as we both gain on Gord Mckay's #15. | ||
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And just like that, we both split past Gord. | ||
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Check this out.
I passed two cars and am now up to 4th!!! |
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Braking into the hairpin, I'm still 4th!
I'm approaching the turn a little too tight to the inside. I really should be positioned quite a bit further out to the right, more behind Paul. But, because I've been passing up the left on the run leading to the hairpin, I'd need to swing out to the right to get back in line now. Swerving about at this point is really not a good idea when everyone else is crowding up behind me, so I hold steady on my line. |
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Nuts!
Lionel McKernan, who started 10th, comes roaring past me around the outside in his Green #55. Lionel is flying, and I'm hoping he'll slide wide. Maybe I can still get him back on the exit. |
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But no. Neat and tidy, Lionel uses all the track to smoothly drift his #55
right out to the snowbank on the exit.
I slot in behind him and am now in 5th. |
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Heading into the left/right chicane on the back straight, I'm still
in 5th. That was my best start yet this weekend.
Okay, so I'm really only up one spot from my 6th place starting position. But it's much more satisfying than being passed by several cars. Furthermore, did you notice the other significant milestone that we just passed? This is the first time, out of six starts so far, that no one has hit me in the first corner, no one spun out in front of me forcing me to take evasive action and lose positions as a result, and I haven't been involved in any contact whatsoever! How novel. |
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Look at this!
I'm crossing the finish line to complete the first lap, and I'm still in 5th! I'm good! |
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| I'm confused now. I just don't get it. Why did
this start work out so well, compared to the other times when I've been
swarmed going into the first corner?
Maybe I just screwed up the other times. It doesn't seem to be the car's fault now. My car kept pace right with Paul Maire's #37 in the drag race to the first corner. Lionel's #55 got ahead of me only because I approached the hairpin from the wrong angle and he was in a position to take advantage of that. Maybe it's been all my own fault that I've been finishing so poorly. What have I been doing wrong?
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