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Attilio makes some last minute adjustments to Marabunta |
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Marabunta sends the skittles flying |
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Devil's Mule rears up on Rollercoaster |
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911 on a teeter |
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Devil's Mule struggles through Bumper Cars |
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Marabunta battles 911 in Sumo |
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Preliminary 1 - winner: Desert Pumas (Marabunta)
CHILEANS BUST THEIR CHOPS!
by F. M. Seymour
Was there ever any doubt? The smooth, super-cool lines of the Chileans' Marabunta, with its low centre of gravity and megawatt transmission, looked like a winner from the start. And with a firecracker like Pedro at the wheel, second place was never an option. "I was really worried about Chicago Fire's 911," Pedro told us, "Until I saw it on the track. A big brute, but too stiff and a monster to manoeuvre."
Sadly, Chicago Fire's 911, weighing in at 4000 kg, had a litany of problems before the show. The radiator broke during testing, when Mike went airborne over the humps (the cooling fan shifted and smashed the radiator). This didn't surprise the team, as they were always worried that they couldn't drive it properly - there just wasn't enough time to practise. They had to build the darn thing around their shifts as firemen, often in the workshop alone, which meant that no one ever knew what the last person had done. Still, 911 could hold its head up with pride.
This was not the case for the Brits' Devil's Mule, however. Mediocre by reputation and mediocre by ability, this pile of junk finished last in every game. It downright deserved to be blown into infinity. They should have fitted a bigger hydraulic pump, then it wouldn't have been such a beast to steer at low revs. The team had put in such weak engine mounts, that FMC engineers had to be ready with a load of spares just in case. "We didn't mind coming in last. It was such a buzz to be in the challenge at all," claimed the Have A Go's team captain. Just as well they're good sports!
Nestor and his teammates charmed the pants off everyone with their Desert Puma flamboyance and fantastic engineering. A full strike in Ten Pin set the tone for the show. And that K.O. of 911 in round two of Sumo is one of this year's great sporting moments. Viva Chile! Viva Marabunta!
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