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BomberBy: Timothy Doll
Best "close call" would have to be about ten years
ago. I was running a 200cc stock kart (twin 100cc
reed engines) at Portland International. Great ride,
~120 mph top speed. I had a decent lead late in
a one hour race, when I came up to lap my buddy
"Bomber", who was running 100cc Open, for about
the fourth or fifth time (no, I don't know how he got
the nickname Bomber, but it sure seemed to fit).
Bomber was having a bad day, really slow, and I
had maybe a 30 mph closing speed. He was
running towards the middle of the track, so I figured
I'd pass on the right, which would leave me set up for
turn seven (a fast kink to the left), which was rapidly
approaching. But then Bomber started drifting to the
right, so I quickly changed plans to pass on the left.
Then, just when I was REALLY committed to passing
on the left, Bomber threw his hand in the air and pulled
over to the left to be set up for the pit entrance which
was on the left just past turn seven (I found out later his
engine had just quit). EXPLETIVE DELETED!
My only option, other than nailing Bomber, was to go
even further to the left, and I made it by with my
left side tires in the grass, but now I'm in deep trouble
for the turn - so far to the left that I can't even begin turning
until I'm past the apex. I tried, but it was hopeless -
I went flying off the outside of turn seven, still doing
about 100 mph, and started spinning through the grass,
getting major air on some of the bumps. As I came
around on one of the spins, I happened to see Bomber,
driving down the pit entrance, staring back at me with
a look of complete horror readily visible through his visor.
Turn eight is back to the right, and I ended up sliding
right onto the track between eight and nine, pointed
more or less the right direction and still going a pretty
good clip. I got off the brakes, back on the gas, and
drove around turn nine, not loosing more that a second
or two through the whole episode, and on to a rather
memorable victory.
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