Monday 14th May
With the next race being in Idaho, the drivers had plenty of time to wait and prepare before the bus was going to leave.
Pig-Pen decided to join Morag, Charlie Brown, and Linus at a restaurant in Colorado Springs where they had been discussing the previous week.
"Is Roy turning up this week?" Charlie Brown asked, resting his head against his arm.
"He said he would be contacting us." Morag replied. "Though he didn't say how."
"Maybe he's busy." Linus shrugged, as he sipped from a mug of hot chocolate.
"I think his hotel might be in a different part of town." Pig-Pen suggested.
"Mmhm" Morag hummed as she slumped in her chair, just before a dull ringtone emanated from her direction.
"Hello? Yes, Roy, we are at the restaurant. Yeah I'll put you on speaker." She pushed a button on her phone. "Did you find anything?
"Yes. We looked into Verticalis Holdings, we found out that the company is registered in the name of…" Roy began.
"Hold it." Morag interrupted. "If you have sensitive information, give it in person. If whoever's in charge can keep the press on a leash, they can bug a phone call. Tell us next time we meet."
"Ok then. See you in Idaho." And Roy hung up.
"Well that was disappointing." Pig-Pen complained.
"We have to be patient with these things." Morag clarified. "We haven't yet clued you in on everything, but ever since your accident, the governing body has been acting really shifty. So we really can't afford to take any chances."
"I see." Pig Pen replied. "Do you plan on keeping the other drivers in the loop?"
"If they want to speak to me about it, they can, nothing's stopping them." Morag answered.
"Ok."
"You looking forward to the next race?" Linus asked Charlie Brown.
"Kind of, I want to catch up to the frontrunners. I feel like I'm a bit behind."
"You're telling me!" Morag gawked, as Linus looked down at his thumbs.
"Why don't I get you all some juice and stop worrying for the day?" Pig Pen suggested.
"Good idea." Morag replied.
"Thanks, Pig Pen." Linus added.
The four of them drank and ate and chatted, as friends do, until late in the day.
Thursday 17th May
As with the previous race, the long distance between venues meant that the party bus left at 7am, the racing drivers getting some extra shuteye as the bus trundled along America's highways. The others, consisting of Lucy, Franklin and Patty Swanson in the Honda team's Civic, Joe Agate in the Team Sky Volkswagen Touareg, Morag, Harold Angel, and Violette in the Isdera team's Mercedes, Frieda, Linus, and Pierre in the Opel Astra, and Five, Cormac, José Peterson and Violet in the Team Cherokee Jeep, all left around half an hour later. The journey lasted 11 hours, and they arrived in Pocatello late in the day.
The track, a street circuit, is coincidentally a similar size and shape to the Monza circuit in Italy (I'm not kidding). It starts with a sweeping fast right hander, followed by a chicane (passing under a bridge), before two 90-ish degree right handers, before a long straight followed by a fast left hander, and two right turns to finish. A number of drivers, including, but not limited to, Schroeder, Morag, Charlie Brown, and Linus studied the layout of the track after exiting their chosen mode of transport, before they went off to their hotels.
The teams and the press took the next several days to lug all of the cars and tools and other things to Pocatello, but everything was in place for Monday night.
Tuesday 22nd May
Roy arrived in Pocatello with nothing but his clothes, his shoes, and his notepad, which contained all the information he needed. He kept it close to hand always, especially since his was supposed to give Morag the details of what he was about to say the previous week. The paddock he walked through was pretty makeshift, but the townspeople didn't complain. The hubbub was a new thing to them, and the noise wasn't going to bother them for too long. Roy made it to the Isdera motorhome, where Morag was waiting impatiently outside.
"Took you long enough." She quipped as they made eye contact.
"You were the one who held off on me saying it." Roy retorted.
"I know. We should go inside."
"Okay." Roy replied, following Morag inside the motorhome. She led him to the team's break room, where they both sat down at a table.
"So, what did you find?" Morag asked.
"Well, as I was going to say, the person who owns the shell company is a lady who goes by the name of Mandy Wilcox." Roy explained. "Does that mean anything to you?"
"It does actually. You see, I've done a little bit of digging myself, trying to get some background info on the people who run the sport, and what they do etc." Morag replied.
"So what does this Mandy person do?"
"She runs the finances and commercial aspects of the AAMF (All-American Motorsport Federation)" it makes sense that she runs the shell company too. I'll draw up a dossier or something in time for the next meeting so I can get everyone up to speed." She continued.
"See you then." Roy responded. "I have to hold up my end of the deal now and find a story."
"Good luck." Morag replied, as Roy departed from the motorhome. Roy went off in search of another story. Thibault still had that ultimatum, so Roy decided to seek out any drama elsewhere. He walked up and down the paddock, listening out for any rumours, but there was nothing that wasn't already public knowledge. Out of ideas, Roy went to the Renault motorhome and looked for Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown was sitting at a table in the foyer, playing Solitaire to keep himself busy.
Roy sat down next to him.
"Oh, hi Roy." Charlie Brown looked up from his cards. "What brings you here?"
"I'm stuck for a story. Nobody's really got anything newsworthy to say."
"You want me to help?" Charlie Brown asked.
"Sure." Roy replied. "What should we talk about?"
"Have you considered asking about the track? From what me and Schroeder saw, the track is very fast and the walls are close."
"So you're saying the track's not safe." Roy surmised.
"Potentially." Charlie Brown replied. "I heard they were putting these fancy SAFER barriers on the fast corners like Indy has, but I don't want to be the one to test how effective they are."
"Ok. I'll see what I can do with that. Thank you."
"No problem. Also, any news on the meeting front?" Charlie Brown asked.
"I gave Morag the name. She'll mention it at the next meeting." Roy confirmed.
"Alright. See you soon." Charlie Brown replied as Roy got up to leave. Roy gathered a few more opinions regarding the track, taking detailed notes, before he returned to his hotel at the end of the day. He left his notepad on a table for Frank to read, before taking a nap.
Thursday 24th May
Like the previous races, 5 drivers were picked to participate in the pre-race press conference. These were: José Peterson, Harold Angel, Charlie Brown, Violet Gray, and Peppermint Patty.
I: José, it's been a while since you finished in the points. Do you think the car has what it takes to finish well here?
José: Honestly, We should be doing better. I want to say we'll be in the points this weekend, but we will have to wait and see.
I: Harold Angel, you must be hoping for the same, no? You and Morag have been hanging around the midfield for the past four races.
Harold Angel: Of course. Our car is competitive, and hopefully our run of bad luck will end here.
I: Charlie Brown, you've consistently finished in the points so far. What are your hopes for this race?
Charlie Brown: I hope to close in on the championship lead, preferably with a win, but I'll have to qualify well first.
Peppermint Patty: You've already scored 3 poles this season. Show some confidence. (she looks at him indignantly)
I: Ok, Moving on. Violet, you and Shermy have shown occasional bursts of pace. How do you plan to improve your consistency?
Violet: Our driving styles are very different. Which is why I'm good on some tracks and he's good on others. I think this track will suit me better.
I: Peppermint Patty, you've found yourself in a decent position in the championship fight. Do you think you can win here?
Peppermint Patty: Sure I can. The car's good, I'm at the top of my game, as long as I don't hit the wall, everything will be fine.
I: Thank you.
Saturday 26th May
Morning broke in Pocatello, and for the first time, the hubbub was replaced by the roars of engines, as the drivers did a practice session. The track was very tight, with walls lining every corner, should anyone stray off the track. A lot of them ventured slowly as they tried to locate and avoid any unexpected bumps. A couple of hours after that was over, it was time for qualifying.
Pierre was the first to go out, setting a time of 1:28.724, before Violet beat it with a 1:28.670. Thibault then went even faster, setting a time of 1:28.541 before losing control after the chicane and crashing into the wall head on at around 60 mph. Thibault got out of the car unhurt, but the car had to be retrieved by the marshals before qualifying could continue.
Joe Agate was next to go out, setting a 1:29.932, before Violette Honfleur went fastest with a 1:27.932. Sally Brown then set a 1:29.220, putting her just ahead of Joe Agate. Frieda was pushing hard, in a manner that everyone could tell, but her efforts proved to be a waste, as she set a 1:29.004.
Rerun then set a 1:27.675, before Eudora promptly beat that with a 1:27.388. Peppermint Patty then beat everyone with a 1:26.920, before her teammate Lucy set a time of 1:28.930. Pig Pen snuck ahead of Peppermint Patty with a 1:26.855, which Morag then beat with a 1:26.671. Patty Swanson then set a time of 1:27.357, before José Peterson surprised everyone with a time of 1:26.417 that topped the time sheets.
Marcie set a slower time than that, as she set a 1:27.021, before Harold Angel set a time of 1:26.890, close to his teammate Morag, and just behind Pig Pen. Five set a time of 1:28.208, putting him towards the back of the field, and Charlie Brown set a time of 1:27.029, unable to find the speed that had already given him 3 pole positions. Cormac apparently did have that speed though, as he set a time of 1:25.689, well faster than his teammate José. Schroeder split the two Daihatsu drivers up with a 1:26.348, before Linus squeaked ahead of Cormac, taking pole position with a 1:25.635. Franklin and Shermy were the last to go out, setting a 1:27.223 and a 1:27.971 respectively.
At the end of qualifying, the grid order was as follows…
1st Linus Van Pelt [Vittoria] 1:25.635 2nd Cormac O'Connor [Daihatsu] 1:25.689
3rd Schroeder E. Schroeder [Bonn] 1:26.348 4th José Peterson [Daihatsu] 1:26.417
5th Morag McMurdo [Isdera] 1:26.671 6th Pig Pen [Armstrong] 1:26.855
7th Harold Angel [Isdera] 1:26.890 8th Patricia Reichardt [Honda] 1:26.920
9th Marcie Johnson [Cherokee] 1:27.021 10th Charlie Brown [Renault] 1:27.029
11th Franklin Armstrong [Armstrong] 1:27.223 12th Patricia Swanson [ACE] 1:27.357
13th Eudora Elm [Polestar] 1:27.388 14th Rerun Van Pelt [Renault] 1:27.675
15th Violette Honfleur [ACE] 1:27.932 16th Shermy Plepler [Zontec] 1:27.971
17th 555 95472 [Cherokee] 1:28.208 18th Thibault Rhodes [Sky] 1:28.541
19th Violet Gray [Zontec] 1:28.670 20th Pierre Fermier [Vittoria] 1:28.724
21st Lucy Van Pelt [Honda] 1:28.930 22nd Frieda Rich [Bonn] 1:29.004
23rd Sally Brown [Polestar] 1:29.220 24th Joe Agate [Sky] 1:29.932
After qualifying had finished, the top three drivers were interviewed in the pressroom.
I: Linus, you've been regularly scoring highly up until now, but this is your first pole position. How do you feel right now?
Linus: I feel pretty good. I' hoping I can convert this into a first win, although I expect a number of people will make it challenging for me.
I: Cormac, the Daihatsu's have been languishing at the back most of the season. Is there a reason for your sudden uptick in speed?
Cormac: I don't know. I think the track suits our car well, like in the first race in Delaware. I don't know enough about the cars to tell you in detail, sorry.
I: Schroeder, you won from 4th last time out, do you think you can do the same here?
Schroeder: sure I can. I only have two cars to pass, so it shouldn't be too hard.
I: Thank you.
Championship Leader Pig Pen was also interviewed down in the paddock.
I: So, you're starting in 6th place today. Do you think you'll be able to hold on to your championship lead again?
Pig Pen: I hope so, though there's a lot of fast racers ahead of me. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
I: Thank you.
As the day turned to night, the drivers went back to their hotels and slept, ready for the race ahead.
Sunday 27th May
Linus sat in his car on pole position as the sun peeked out of the clouds. The race was starting much later today, around 3pm, so as not to clash with the Indy 500, which lots of people would tune in to watch. Nevertheless, Linus mentally steeled himself whilst he waited for the announcer to begin proceedings.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!" The announcer spoke. Linus did so, as did everyone else. The pace car then led everyone around for the formation lap.
"Once the pace car disappears, the drivers will have 30 laps to fight it out for the win. Will Linus take his first win? Or will someone else take the top step? As the pace car pulls into the pits, the Idaho Spindycar Supertour Open is Go!"
Linus got a good start, with everyone else calmly filing behind. Schroeder leapfrogged Cormac, getting past at the chicane. The cars continued on up until the next turn, where Cormac, trying to get his lead back, went up the inside of Schroeder, who didn't give him enough room, and the two collided, sending Schroeder spinning into the wall at a backwards angle, coming to a rest parallel to the wall, which thankfully left enough room for other cars to pass by safely.
Schroeder's car bore the brunt of the damage, and Schroeder got out of the car dazed and shaken, clambering over the barrier whilst the marshals threw out a yellow flag so they could crane the car off the track. Cormac limped to the pits with a broken front wing and suspension damage, pulling into the pits and retiring the car. The yellows remained for another two laps before racing got underway again.
Linus led into the first corner on lap 4, with José and Morag following behind him, whilst at the back, Frieda got past both Lucy and Pierre. Charlie Brown overtook Marcie coming out of the last corner on lap 7. On lap 9, Frieda made up another place, as she got past Violet on the straight before the penultimate corner.
A lap later, Harold Angel passed Pig Pen into the first corner, a move that took a few onlookers by surprise, before on lap 13, Rerun passed Eudora to go into 11th place, and Five slipped behind Thibault and Frieda. Shermy would suffer the same two laps later, whilst at the front, Morag made a pass on José coming out of the chicane. Pig Pen, however was stuck behind Harold Angel, who was losing time compared to the front three, but defending capably against the car behind him. Thibault made a pass on Violette on lap 19, whilst Morag was slowly beginning to close up on Linus at the front. Lucy retired from the race on lap 23 with an engine failure, pulling off into an escape road where the car could be retrieved easily.
Pig Pen's tyres were starting to wear out towards the end of the race, and with 3 laps to go, he was passed by both Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty as he compromised his exit coming out of the last corner in order to keep his car from skidding.
Meanwhile, Morag was still putting the pressure on Linus, lap after lap, and with 2 laps remaining, they were virtually nose to tail. She continued to push the limit, trying to force Linus into a mistake, and on the final corner of the last lap, she succeeded. Linus locked up going into the last corner, which allowed Morag and José through.
"And Morag wins in Idaho! José Peterson is 2nd, and Linus Van Pelt is 3rd! Harold Angel finishes in 4th, with Peppermint Patty 5th, Charlie Brown in 6th, Pig Pen 7th, Marcie 8th, Franklin 9th, and Patty Swanson rounding out the top ten. Rerun finished 11th, with Eudora 12th, Thibault in 13th, Violette 14th, Frieda 15th, Shermy 16th, Five 17th, Violet 18th, Pierre 19th, Sally 20th, and Joe Agate in 21st.
In the championship, the standings are as follows…
1st Pig Pen [Armstrong] 78pts 2nd Morag McMurdo [Isdera] 73pts
3rd Patricia Reichardt [Honda] 69pts 4th Marcie Johnson [Cherokee] 69pts
5th Linus Van Pelt [Vittoria] 69pts 6th Schroeder E. Schroeder [Bonn] 68pts
7th Charlie Brown [Renault] 64pts 8th Frieda Rich [Bonn] 59pts
9thRerun Van Pelt [Renault] 56pts 10th Eudora Elm [Polestar] 40pts
11th Sally Brown [Polestar] 36pts 12th José Peterson [Daihatsu] 34pts
13th Pierre Fermier [Vittoria] 33pts 14th Franklin Armstrong [Armstrong] 32pts
15th Lucy Van Pelt [Honda] 29pts 16th Harold Angel [Isdera] 24pts
17th Patty Swanson [ACE] 21pts 18th Violette Honfleur [ACE] 15pts
19th Joe Agate [Sky] 14pts 20th Violet Gray [Zontec] 10pts
21st Shermy Plepler [Zontec] 8pts 22nd Cormac O'Connor [Daihatsu] 5pts
23rd 555 95472 [Cherokee] 2pts 24th Thibault Rhodes [Sky] 1pt 25th Mimi Sonatelli [Armstrong] 0pts
Morag parked her car on victory road and got out to rapturous applause from bystanders, who were finally allowed on the track, now that the race was over. Morag received congratulations for her team, before heading up to the podium. In the waiting room, José and Linus congratulated her on her hard but fair racing, and Morag exchanged similar compliments in return, before the three of them walked out onto the podium.
The three of them stood and waited whilst the UK national anthem played and the British, Mexican and American flags unfurled. The German anthem played after the UK one finished. After that the three drivers celebrated with their trophies and drank their milk, before heading off to the pressroom, where the interviewers had some questions.
I: Morag, after struggling for the past few races, an impressive drive today has put you back within reasonable distance of the championship lead again. How relieved are you to be competitive again?
Morag: It feels great to be on the top step. I was getting frustrated before, but I'll still be working hard to improve for the next race.
I: José, your best result this season, and after a similarly long wait too. Do you see yourself continuing with this run of form?
José: I hope so. We were able to get a good qualifying here, so maybe we will have that again next race.
I: Linus, you spent almost the entire race in the lead. Do you regret being pressured into a mistake at the final turn?
Linus: I do, kind of. My championship prospects would be much better if I won, but 3rd place is still a good result and I shouldn't beat myself up about it. Like Morag, I too will be fighting hard next time around.
I: Thank you.
Down in the paddock, Championship leader Pig Pen was also interviewed.
I: Pig Pen, are you happy with 7th today? You seemed to have trouble with the tyres.
Pig Pen: Well, I've increased my championship lead, so I can't say it was a bad weekend, but yeah, I did struggle with the tyres a bit. A lot of people are closing up on me, so I'd better be quick in Nevada.
I: Thank you.
That evening, the stewards announced that Cormac would be getting a 5 place grid penalty for causing his and Schroeder's accident, which soured his mood, as he and the other drivers went to their hotel and did their best to sleep for the night.
