US Grand Prix: Watkins Glen (Summary)

Triumph and Tragedy in the Pouring Rain

Amid terrible driving conditions, a grid full of racers vied for the US Grand Prix at the venerable Watkins Glen. Due to the extremely wet conditions, it was decided to run the simpler Nascar track, including the Charlie Chicane but omitting the Boot. Five teams filled out the starting grid: Scotia Motorworks (SMW), Initorque Motorworks (IMW), Princess' Pink Ponies (PPP), Team Poderoso Sporin (TPS), and Team Campbell Towing (TCT). Team Sidious was unable to show up due to a family crisis for the team owner and Serbian Speedworks were still having problems with the Travel Visas for their Serbian drivers, so they ended up not making the race either. The rain came down in sheets, but the race must go on...

From the very start, the race promised to be a seesaw battle, featuring many passes, the frequent use of brakes and of the KERS system as well as slipstreaming. The race also proved that wet roads lead to accidents, with body and suspension damage shedding parts all over the track and 4 cars (Hernando MacGregor of TPS, Princess Fire of PPP, Alice Gibbons of IMW, and Robert Bruce of SMW) succumbing to debris or collisions caused by the wet conditions and poor visibility. In the end, cleanup crews had to clean up more than a score of significant debris deposits around the track from collisions and car damage - the rain made it almost as much demolition derby as F1 race.

Injury and Death on the Race Track

The most tragic of the accidents was the terrible collision between "Steady Eddie" from TCT and Robert Bruce of SMW - the two cars slammed together, and a wheel-on-wheel hookup launched Bruce's car into the air, with the air catching it and flipping it over, to smash down tho the ground. Emergency crews raced to the scene and did their best to get Robert out and to the helipad to be airlifted to New York City's medical facilities, but Robert later succumbed to his injuries, the first F1 casualty (and hopefully the last) of the 2009 season. All of the members of the close-knit Formula One Racing community send their condolences to his widow, Nicole Bruce (nee Kiddman).

The horrible accident claiming Robert Bruce wasn't the only injurious outcome - TPS driver Hernando MacGregor suffered a broken arm and a concussion from a retirement caused by a particularly large chunk of debris from another car. MacGregor is expected to make a full recovery, perhaps as soon as the next race or the one after. MacGregor's team-mate MacDougall held on to score 3 points for TPS for placing 6th.

Despite the shakeup of the horrible accident, Scotia Motorworks' William Wallace showed his metal by placing 4th to claim a decent point score for SMW.

Top Finishers

The podiums went to the newcomer Princess' Pink Ponies' driver Princess Sun (1st), and the equally new Team Campbell Towing's very fast cars driven by Edward Steady (2nd) and Steve Buscemi (3rd). Initorque Motoworks Walter Bolton salvaged 4 points for a 5th place finish.

The race had at least three spinouts in the rain and the mechanics were busy in the pits - only one fast pit, but a regular stream of cars in for repairs. The Back Straight and the Short Straight proved fairly fast, as did the Front Straight when cars were not bound for the pits.

Overall Standings

At the end of the race, Team Campbell Towing is the team to beat, recording a sizable lead int he Constructor's Championship (14 pts) and taking two good positions for its drivers (8 and 6 points). Princess' Pink Ponies logged an impressive victory to start their career (10 pts Constructors, 10 points Driver's for Princess Sun). Behind these two teams, SMW (despite losing Bruce) have 5 Constructor points (and 5 Driver points for Wallace). IMW's Walter Boulton has 4 points in the Driver's and IMW has the same 4 in the Constructors. Team Poderoso Sporin finishes out the points, with Guadalupe MacDougall getting their 3 points (both Driver's and Constructors).

To Montreal and Circuit Jacques Villeneuve

The next race up on the schedule is the Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal, after the funeral ceremony for Robert Bruce. Scotia Motoworks backup driver Robert Roy MacGregor is ready to step in, albeit sadly, to the big shoes of Robert Bruce. Montreal should be another tight race, with lots of short straights and tight corners.

KERS and the enhanced downforce aerodynamics package featured prominently at Watkins Glen and are expected to play a significant role in the brake-burning Montreal Circuit Jacques Villeneuve.

See you in Montreal, race fans!