> ...
> No track in the world is harder to know from the***pit-or-lower
> view than CART's Cleveland (airport) track. Try that one in Cart
> World Series - nightmarish. Because, of course, airports are
> completely flat. But at least is it easy to pass; very wide.
I know the feeling...I am starting to use the***pit view (not the nose
view - I need to see if my wheels are damaged) more and more. Cleveland
is indeed a nightmare, and I have to remind myself just how flat and
wide it is. Here's a story I think you'd like, about something
completely unrelated:
I started a Single Race at Homestead, and right at the start moved to
the outside, passing Papis, Jourdain, Fernandez, and Boesel. Heading
into Turn One, I kept my foot (or thumb <g>) in it and stayed to the
outside. I noticed action on the short chute in front of me, along with
the 'exxagerated-pile-of-lumber-crash' sound, and t-boned Andre Ribiero
at 185mph! And he was upside-down! I raced the complete thing (was
racing in Arcade with magically-repairing damage), then watched the
replay for the cause of the flip. Boy, did I have no idea or what?!
Okay, Rahal goes to the inside, forcing Zanardi uncomfortably wide, and
he immediately went into snap-oversteer. Ribiero caught Zanardi's rear
wing with his (Andre's) sidepod (dont ask me how *this* happened),
clipped the wing off, and sent Andre *careening* around in a circle
about 10 feet up. By the way, Zanardi spun to the infield and collected
Moore. After 180 degrees of in-flight spin, Ribiero's Lola was very
much on its side, and landed on the sidepod, then the rollover hoop. He
was still turning (and I could hear his rev-limiter cutting in) when I
hit him. I laughed when I saw the replay of my hit, because while I was
recovering from my damage, I chucked Andre 40 feet into the grandstand
fence! This, needless to say, was the first wreck I had not been the
direct cause of. And this was only my third wreck! The first was at
Cleveland (speak of the Devil) when I sandwiched Tracy against the wall,
after I *thought* I had passed him. The second, I was passing Herta at
Fontana, and he cut down on my right-rear, and sent him into the wall,
and me fishtailing (recovering in a brilliant effort of driving, LOL) at
235mph.
Well, I've told my stories, and I hope y'all get a good laugh out of
them.
-John :|:
