As mentioned in another entry, the Grand Prix is the biggest and most hectic race in the season. I think I used the term "dreaded" to describe this particular event. This is because of what happened in 2010. This event would go down in history with the members of our race team and the people that were around us during that time. It also brought us closer together.
The trouble started on the Friday as we were towing the car to the pit prior to qualifying. Corey was on the bicycle just beside Duncan. He was on the phone. As Duncan describes it, "I looked over and thought this wasn't going to end well. Then I looked again and he wasn't there!" Corey dodged Duncan's tires and fell onto the side of the rowing basin! Luckily, he didn't end up in the water. Although, it would have been very unbelievably entertaining!
Saturday was when most of the actions happened. During the day, Miro was trying to take a shortcut to the Johnny on the spot by ducking underneath another competitor's trailer. He bent over but smacked his head! For some reason, Duncan made up a rumor that he smacked his head trying to go to the bathroom underneath that ramp...technically correct.
The worst came next. We were all going down the false grid, hearing the Formula 1 cars drive by during their qualifying. I was quite excited to see if I could catch a glimpse of some of the racers when we got into the pits. Our cars were starting to advance as we neared the gate. Qualifying ended and all our racers were ready to drive into the pits. Duncan's car stalled. Jim, Miro, Corey and my father were pushing to bump start the car. Jim was between the front and back wheels on the left side. Duncan managed to get into gear. As the car started, the back wheel snagged Jim's shoe and he fell down between the wheels. The back wheel then drove up his leg and then spun on his hip. I remember jumping off the golf cart and running down the pit lane, yelling Jim's name. He lay on the ground for a little bit, but then he got up on his own. He got back on the golf cart and we drove into the pits. That is when things started to go downhill.
Jim didn't even get up off the golf cart. He was just lying there. I knew something was wrong so I ran up to one of the doctors who was on scene in the pits and asked him for help. Unfortunately, he had to call in and ask if he could step onto the pit lane. During all this time, Duncan was sitting on the track in his car. It was so hot outside. The race finally started. Duncan had managed to do one lap before someone crashed into him. Shortly after, Duncan returned to the pits, quite surprised at what had happened in his absence. Jim's running shoes were shredded and his toes were bleeding. The doctor came down and Jim, the doctor and I whisked off to the track hospital.
Once there, Jim was immediately put onto a bed next to a poor chap who was suffering from dehydration. He was a flagger. When we saw him in the track hospital, he had an IV in each arm and cold compresses all over his body. A few doctors were looking at Jim and I had to leave. We were all very worried about him.
That was not it for the injuries that day. As we packed up the truck to take us home, Miro told us he was going to take his bicycle over the bridge. He is quite an athletic person. He left before we did. A few minutes later, we headed out. We were going up the hill on Ile Notre Dame that leads to the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. That's when we saw Miro. He jumped into the truck with his bicycle and that is when we all noticed his right calf was bleeding. Apparently, he was behind a car going up the hill and the car stopped. He promptly fell over and his bicycle spokes stabbed him in the leg!
The next day was my turn for injury. We arrived at the track early in the morning (around 6 a.m. actually) and unpacked the trailer. Duncan had decided to buy a golf cart the week of the Grand Prix, which he calls the "World's Coolest Golf Cart." A few others and I at the track have very different titles for it. Anyway, the golf cart refused to work on Friday and barely towed Duncan to the track on Saturday. On the Sunday, it seemed to be working well. I decided I should learn how to drive the thing.
Very bad idea.
As I was backing into our spot, underneath the tent, the gas pedal decided to stick. My left foot was hanging off the side. As I was propelled backwards, my foot got stuck between the pole and the pole and, as a result, I tore a few tendons in my foot. It didn't really hurt much at first. Right after this accident, the team (minus Jim) towed Duncan to the race at eight o'clock in the morning. It was in the pits that my foot started to swell. My ankle was so swollen! I decided to go see the paramedics after the race just to make sure I didn't break anything or sprain my ankle.
So in conclusion, our first Grand Prix was a disaster. Corey fell in the basin, Duncan crashed, Miro bashed his head and nearly impaled himself and I stupidly tore the tendons in my foot. Oh, and as for Jim, he had broken a few toes and his foot in two places! The driver was unscathed... it appears the safest place is in the cockpit of the car.
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