Refined simulation
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1 deck playing cards
3 dice, one distinct (e.g. two white, one red)
Tally sheet 

Shuffle 6 times
Deal to 5 stacks, 
Display stacks, photograph high res
Stack and place face down

Gold left, Silver right.

Repeat for Tally stepped by 1 (tally as silver track is run), stopping when 13 racers promoted to Finals:

  Repeat for each stack, working from Gold to Silver:
    Throw dice
    If distinct die is: 
      1 or 2 - exclude 2nd card  
      3 or 4 - exclude 3rd card 
      5 or 6 - exclude 4th card
    Display top four cards excluding the one represented by the distinct die on next stack
    If like dice are: 
      1 and 1: highest card finishes 3rd
      2 and 2: two highest cards tie for 1st if they are the same sequence (other is 3rd)
      3 and 3: two lowest cards tie for 2nd if they are the same sequence
      6 and 6: lowest card finishes 1st
    Dispose cards:
      Speed, ranked by Bridge precedence, then adjusted according to "like dice" randomization above: 
          Sequence: Aces fastest, 2's slowest; 
          Within equal sequence, Suits: Spaces > (faster than) Hearts > Diamonds > Clubs.        
      Cards move:
        Tally's 1 through 20 (Preliminary Racing): 
          1st: bottom of stack to left,
          2nd: bottom of this stack,
          3rd: bottom of stack to right.
        Tally's 21, ... (Finalist Selection):
          1st: bottom of stack to left,
          2nd: bottom of this stack,
          3rd: bottom of this stack.
      If Cars tie, they are treated the same, e.g. both promote if tie for first, both stay on track if tie for 2nd.

  If Tally is an even multiple of 5, display stacks and photograph high res.