At 4:30 am on March 28, 2016 Kyle ‘Speedy’ Gregg’s Radical confirmed that it was ready for battle. The fact that it is built as a street-legal machine, the Radical was adequately equipped to execute night duties – headlights pierced the blackness and lit a path so ‘Speedy’ could bring harass the track!
The recce was brief, but enough was done to determine that the machine was armed for confrontation in mere hours.
Race-day, by design – the fact that qualifying and racing would occur on the same day – was scheduled to be a hectic and occasionally a problem-laden experience for the teams. It did not disappoint. Several machines encountered gremlins of a mechanical nature. Ask Peter Rae!
TSR
During TS2 qualifying, I was standing immediately beside Ian Webb and another TSR team member. If you are a fan you would have noticed that TA1 maintained and blared a different note at the Carnival of Speed. It was mentioned prior to race-day in posts on the social network race-track. I heard TA1 from a distance, inhaling and exhaling like an impatient carnivore, as it neared the gentle climb and the unsettling left, before it introduced itself to the start-finish straight.
When TA1′s 4 cylinder, force-fed-inspired choir sang, the AMS-built notes resonated through both the living and the non-living. TA1′s vocal range was expressed vehemently as it thundered along the start-finish straight in extreme pursuit of corner 1. The notes were a luscious blend of mezzo-soprano reinforced by durable baritone. Shameful idolatry grew exponentially! The machine trumpeted its readiness with delicious, powerful, soulful tributes.
Ian Webb
But while the casual fan celebrated, the informed heard a distortion which was thought to be a cause for concern. Ian Webb heard it. The pensive, watch-my-child-compete blank stare was evident. In a low, but certain voice he said “Boost-cut”. He wore no concern so I concluded that all was well.
Doug ‘Hollywood’ Gore with Czech support held no punches -P1- still rocking 1:17s! Summerbell downshifted – P2. ‘Speedy’, seat time still not on his side, grabbed P3 – ideally placed to strike! TS1-TS2 Race 1 was destined to be a winning lotto ticket held by each patron!
Cecil Munroe Gleaner On-Line Writer