| Subject: HWE 2002 final race resume from the back of the grid... |
Author:
Hod
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Date Posted: 10:30:23 06/05/02 Wed
Thanks again to Chris, and his helpers and marshals, for creating a downhill institution.
OK, some of the details in the followign may be shaky, but here goes:
OK, from memory, until we get the official results, we can add to and correct previous incomplete/provisional guess qualifying and results postings :-) filing in the gaps. Here's my go:
Buttboard final:
I cannot remember much about this as the luge races and adrenaline have wiped large chunks of my memory. Not as eventful as the luge race, but Dave Auld only came 6th bacuse he hit gravel on a too-shaky gunbarrel exit. After Gunbarrel I do't believe there ere any significant changes to the final positions, much to my chagrin. There was much synchronised arm-flailing and wobbling as 5th place Hod copied almost every movement 4th place McBride did rathern than concentrate on passing him. The first three were just wonderful, as usual, Jerry taking the first ever UK home podium on buttboard or luge (still yet to happen).
But first, the StreetLuge final:
A really close race, and great fun for spectators and participants alike. It had something for everybody, and all the hallmarks of a classic. A non-injuring crash, drafting galore, 4 or 5 riders arriving at the two sharpest corners at once, and Dave Rogers practiaclly leadig from start to finish. Well, you can't have everything ;-) and in fact Dave was under pressure throughout.
I got the best view in the house, laying in 5th or 6th most of the way down. I recommend this tactic, which may not be best for winning (though it could get u a podium if you have the experience) as the best show on earth...
At the start, five in a row all the way down, getting identical starts, (except yours truly, weakling arms, abysmally a couple of yards behind). Into the first corner (Gunbarrel) some sorting occured, naturally, the order exiting roughly being Rogers, Eliot, Kahn, Lott, Hodkinson, Auld. Hod then stuffed up a passing manoeuvre on Lott at the end of the flat section coming into Sugar Bowl, overbraking and allowing Auld to pass him on the outside coming through Sugar Bowl.
Ahead in the straight coming down towards the juice box, accelerating fast, the order was Rogers, closely followed by Eliot, Lott, Auld entering the juice box together, and Kahn just behind, with Hod trailing by a few yards.
the crush at the juice box (juice crush?) allowed Kahn and Hod to catch the pack by the bottom end of the course, the somewhat heavier Hodkinson bombing up from behind and drafting Kahn to the left halfway up the penultimate straight, then near the end finding three abreast, something like Auld to the left, Lott in the middle and (slightly trailing, he is a light chappie) Eliot to the right, blocking up most of the road.
What to do? Just a second or so to think (duuuuh.. oops), so just before the last corner, Eliot being the closest bod, Hod drafts Eliot up the right hand (inside) just before and through the last corner. Eliot gives him a good bumping, but he gets through (all those pies, you see), but now (and maybe not anyway tot ell truth, and now we'll never know) unable to catch Lott before the finish line. Hod still wondering if he should have gone left.
Meanwhile, Dave Auld drafted and passed Lott, on the last corner, to end up in 2nd, indeed just a second or so in time behind the inimitable Dave Rogers, and then in line, Lott, Hodkinson, Eliot, all practically head to toe.
Kahn in the meanwhile, had been drafting Hod after being overtaken, and when Hod went right past Eliot, Kahn went left to the outside. Unfortunately, he caught his footpegs (those darn things again) on Eliot's board and went backwards off the outside of the corner. Spectacular, and happily not injured at all... In fact he was jumping with glee as is his general happy habit, and crossed the line a few seconds later picked himself up and trundled across the line kneeling on his luge and grinning like a leprechaun. That boy, no, man, is a great competitor. Somebody please bottle what Jeremy's on and give it to some of our glummer friends and the world may be a happier place ;-).
Finally, taking it for granted that Dave Rogers walks on water, of course, I'd like to applaud Dave Auld's run from 6th to 2nd after a terrible Gunbarrel exit as perhaps the finest performance here.
Definite Results: StreetLuge
1. Dave Rogers
2. Dave Auld
3. Darren Lott
4. Richard Hodkinson
5. Pete Eliot
6. Jeremy Kahn
Definite Results: ButtBoard
1. Darren Lott
2. Dave Rogers
3. Jeremy Gilder (Hooray, a Brit gets a medal!)
4. Chris McBride
5. Richard Hodkinson
6. Dave Auld
streetluge qualifying times.
Dave Rogers 2.33.17
Dave Auld 2.36.93
Jeremy Kahn 2.37.63
Darren Lott 2.39.99
Peter Eliot 2.39.99
Richard Hodkinson (about 2.40)
Jeremy Gilder (about 2.48)
Chris McBride (?)
...
Buttboard qualifying times
Darren Lott 2.43.73
Dave Rogers 2.47.13
Dave Auld 2.48.19
Richard Hodkinson (about 2.56)
Jeremy Gilder (?)
...
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