3/27/99 - Division 15

Double Drum

Participants

Other Events

Victory Conditions

Goal Points
Figure-8 Lap
5
Oval Lap
3
Mobility Kill
2
Total Kill
+2

Victory
20

Description

The participants were each assigned a gate, and began stationary.

Flash and Bad News accelerated quickly and began their first lap. Fireball moved to intercept, while The Griffon laid a trail of spikes from its gate to the central wall. The Fireball fired at Flash and initially missed, but was able to pull behind and melt off some armor with a set of linked light flamethrowers. Meanwhile, Bad News was the first to feel the pain of the path of spikes, followed shortly by Flash.

(Yoshimitsu, left reacts to his uninspiring fire, while MearaWorks, right, reacts to the trail of melted plastic and shredded tires behind Flash)

Fireball headed for the other drum to work on a lap. Flash suffered the spikes and went on to pass Bad News on the far end of the near drum. Both attempted to avoid The Griffon, who had declared a Large Bore Projectile weapon front. Flash, however, headed for the center, near completion of a figure-eight lap. This was opportunity knocking for The Griffon, who fired its Anti-Tank Gun at Flash, but missed. Bad News avoided the dangerous central area, and headed for a side passage to complete its oval lap.

Unfortunately, the two flamethrower hits caught up with Flash shortly before completing its lap, and its abused rear caught fire. The fire caused a short in the electrical systems, igniting a fuel pump, and in moments, Flash was nothing but a pile of smoking rubble. (4 Points for Fireball)

Bad News continued around to complete its first oval lap (3 Points), while Fireball headed around the far drum to work on a lap of its own. The Griffon meandered through the center of the track, leaving a spiked signature behind. Fireball and Bad News met on the far end of the far drum, heading in opposite directions. Fireball reversed course to attempt to fall in behind Bad News and engage, but the News was too fast and left Fireball behind, heading for the near drum to work on a second lap. The Griffon meanwhile dropped some spikes near the wreckage of Flash, blocking off that part of the drum entirely.

The Griffon was in a position to intercept Fireball after its change of course, and much carnage ensued. The Griffon rammed Fireball, firing its Anti-Tank Gun in the process, but despite it all was unable to penetrate Fireball's armor. Fireball returned the favor, giving The Griffon a dousing with its Light Flamethrower. Both vehicles aborted their current laps to head back into the near drum, Fireball attempting to intercept Bad News, and The Griffon clogging the side corridor with more spikes.

Bad News was able to slip by once again, through the remaining clear side corridor, and Fireball gave chase. The Griffon headed for that corridor with spikedroppers primed. Bad News completed his second lap (6 Points), and headed around the drum into the spike and debris field pictured above. The News slipped around the spikes, braving the debris at an incredible 162.5 miles per hour. Unfortunately, he was not able to dodge the spikes entirely without heading too far into the debris. Having passed through The Griffon's spike fields twice, Bad News's tires were already in pretty sad shape, and three of them blew out simultaneously. Unable to to compensate for a disaster of this magnitude at such a great speed, the driver could only hang on for dear life as his vehicle turned sideways and began rolling. The flames began spurting out of the engine compartment shortly thereafter.

Fireball narrowly dodged the flying wreckage and continued around the drum. The Griffon simply watched, awestruck, as Bad News smashed into the arena wall, slowed by the roll to a measly 142.5 mph. That was still enough to demolish the wall, and Bad News's poor abused chassis shattered at the impact as well. The majority of the debris scythed into the crowd, but a fair bit was left to further clutter the arena. (4 Points for The Griffon)

  

Fireball rounded the far drum and was facing the same debris field that lead to Bad News's demise as The Griffon clogged the final corridor with spikes. Fireball choose its path carefully, and headed into the debris. After a brief flirtation with control, Fireball began skidding and fishtailing wildly, and the smouldering wreckage was the end for another set of tires. Fireball promptly grounded out and skidded into the opposite wall. (2 Points for Flash) The driver immediately surrendered to The Griffon, who was just pulling around the corner.

Awards

So the final points were tallied as The Griffon 20 (by default), Bad News 6, Fireball 4, and Flash 2. Unfortunately, the post-game examination revealed some illegal modifications to The Griffon's armor and tires, and he was quietly hustled away from the Winner's Circle. That left first place to Bad News (posthumous), second to Fireball, and third to Flash (posthumous). We understand that Fireball's driver still hasn't recovered from the triple dose of champagne.

One last view of the finish

And the corridor of death between the drums


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Last Modified on April 11, 1999.

Aaron Mulder