MONSOON DELUGE NOT ENOUGH FOR TAIWAN’S ‘RAIN KING’

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 10, 2006

 

PRK Circuit, Kaoshiung, Southern Taiwan -

 

Saturday night. It is 10pm, pitch black under the deluge of a September monsoon. As the wind howls, the tropical rain pours down in sheets, and lightning and thunder crack across the sky. Under a bank of floodlights that fight a losing battle to clear a path through the torrential downpour and foggy humid air, half of the PRK track is covered in dark pools of standing water. The garages have long since closed, and the last of the spectators and drivers having scurried home for a hot shower and dry clothes. Yet, under the howling wind and darkness, a lone man drives on and on, lap after lap, until long after even the safety crew have given up and sought shelter under cover.

 

That lone driver is, of course, Pete Olson.

 

In a display of bravado, and perhaps even reckless and foolhardy dedication [mostly due to the prominent lightning storms over Kaoshiung at the time], and as the only competitor who had not previously driven the PRK Circuit in Southern Taiwan, American racer Pete Olson went for ‘all or nothing’, as usual, under the dangerous monsoon conditions, unable to practice earlier on Saturday afternoon under a sunny sky with the rest of the drivers due to engine problems. When the monsoon passed over the track after dark, the mechanics were still working on Olson’s engine. Leaving the comfort of the PRK’s modern racing facilities for constant repair updates and to confer with mechanics, Taiwan’s ‘Rain King’ simply said ‘Put on the rain tires and tell them to turn on the floodlights’, as the howling wind and rain knocked over tents and even blew grass and other debris from the infield across the track.

 

In typical brash understatement, Olson said “What was I supposed to do? Not practice? I have no fear of the rain, actually I love dancing a car or a kart in the rain, as I do in Zhuhai in Formula Renault, and I knew there was concern over the danger of the lighting, but what are the odds of a lightning strike? You have better chance of winning the lottery. So what is there to fear? That’s in God’s hands. Some day my number will be up, why waste time thinking about it?”

 

However, after Olson’s display of extreme rain driving skills on Saturday night going almost wide open throttle, sideways in the pouring monsoon, drifting through the partially-flooded track at high-speed, at times bouncing off of kerbs and even Armco barriers, Olson’s races yesterday were shades of F1 superstar Kimi Raikkonen’s F1 frustrations –a Champion plagued by mechanical mishaps.

 

After Saturday night’s daring solo practice Olson fought ahead in the first race Sunday, under sunny skies, only to retire when his engine gave up the ghost after only a few laps, due to track debris smashing through his air intake valves. The DNF [Did Not Finish] relegated Olson to last place for the start of the second of the three races of the day. However, the Gods smiled on Olson when Taiwan’s ‘Rain King’ saw the skies cloud over with another deluge just before the second event, giving him another shot at glory. Olson started the second race in last place and blazed through the pack to finish 4th in the pouring rain, to finish just 0.10 seconds behind the 3rd place driver in yet another demonstration of his ‘Rain King’ skills.

 

Little did Olson know that his hard-won position for the final, third race would be ruined by a freak mechanical mishap, as with his first race and his F1 hero Kimi.

 

“Raikkonen never gives up, no matter what happens, and neither will I” said Olson, when asked about the final race.

 

As the last race started, with Olson in the front of the pack thanks to his heroic rain drive, Olson went through the first turn in his typical ‘winner takes all’ style, only to have slight contact with another vehicle. The contact was minor, yet little did the American racer know that his flywheel had been bent [‘warped’] by the impact, ripping the chain off into shards of metal, thus severing the link between the motor and drivetrain. His race was finished, yet the California native remains upbeat about his racing endeavors.

 

“You win, you lose, I’ve dealt with this so much by now that I really can say ‘it’s just racing’.” However, I definitely can say, there were no cheap shots going on like the last races, we were all very competitive but those Kaoshiung pilots were good racers…I am definitely looking forward to my next race in Southern Taiwan.”

 

We wish Olson the best of luck in the final Taiwan races in mid-November, as well as his Formula 2000 Championship in Canada next spring/summer. As Olson says, “It’s flat-out, all-out, all the time, or nothing.”

 

We wish the American racer the best of luck in November.

 

 

XXXX

 

For more information contact:           

Christian Children’s Fund

Media Relations Contact Agent for Pete Olson:

Jennifer Harter                                                                                                                                                                                                               DATA ENTRY $$ - WORK FROM HOME

Communications Associate

Christian Children’s Fund

2821 Emerywood Parkway

Richmond, VA 23294

(804)756-8994

 

Peter Olson

Olson Motorsports, LLC

Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.

Tel: + 886 9 3567 8609

Email: Pete@PeteOlson.com

Website: http://www.peteolson.com/