The nightmare scenario
Oct 23, 2016
6 points. That’s all the advantage that Team RS1/Legistics had left.
With the #17 Porsche Cayman dried out, cleaned up and ready to go after a serious soaking in Virginia, the team headed to the world-class Formula One Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on September 16th. Anxious to shake off their disappointing finish in the previous race, all hands were on deck, running through every possibility and checking out every nut, bolt and component on the car. With the stakes so high and the season now so short, parts of the car that usually last six races were being replaced every race. The pressure was well and truly on.
Driver Nick Galante headed out for the warm-up lap, poised to start the race from the 18th position. Halfway around the track, he placed an urgent call to the team: The car was stuck in 2nd gear! With only 45 seconds until the start of the actual race, the team scrambled to find a solution. With sinking hearts, they realized that nothing could be done from inside the car. Nick was forced to pit, missing the start of the race. This was a nightmare scenario, as the team watched their hard-won season points dissolving with every passing second.
The expert crew quickly found the problem: the brand new shift cable had popped off the transmission. The team slammed it back on, and Nick hurtled back into the fray. But bad luck was riding with the team. On the same stretch of track, the cable broke again – and this time the #17 was stuck in neutral! As the other cars raced by, Nick was forced to the side of the track. A tow truck had to deliver the car back to the team’s hauler where the shift cables were changed. Nick gamely reentered the race, many laps down, to complete his minimum drive time. Co-driver Spencer Pumpelly took over, giving it everything he had in a desperate bid to finish the race and salvage any points they could. It was a rough ride for the team, which finished 22nd, but they stayed strong and united through the difficulties and disappointments. Down in the standings – and with only one race left – Team RS1/Legistics turned their sights to Atlanta.
Don’t miss the exciting finale to an amazing and action-packed season! Read on.