Hashiriya (Volume 2) - Chapter 20 (This Is The End - Conclusion) added 9/11/10!

[DK]

Chapter 1 - Introduction

My name is Hiroto Matsuda. I am 23 and I live in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Our city's main attraction is the Suzuka Circuit. My father and his best friend own a garage about 2km from it. It's not one of these great tuning garages you hear about on Hot Version, e.g. HKS, Spoon, Amuse Power House, MINE'S etc. Rather, all my father's garage does is basic car repairs. You know, fixing dents, fitting new wheels, panel replacement, all that junk. I'm the accountant for my father's business. It pays well, you know. 100,000 yen per week, or about US$1,150. That allows me to fund my addiction. To what, you say. You probably assume that it's drugs, but no. It's this baby.

The Nissan Skyline GT-R R32. Sure, some think it's slower than a Honda NSX in some opinions (and on some circuits) but it's a much more recognisable car than other Japanese sports cars, such as the RX-7 and the Supra. By the way, I hate Supras. Supra fans and Skyline fans hate each other's preferred cars like North Korea and South Korea hate each other. I just think the Supra is some wannabe supercar without the performance. The Skyline GT-R is unique. It doesn't take any inspiration from Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Chevrolet or Dodge. Why did I mention Dodge and Chevrolet? Ever heard of the Viper or the Corvette? Enough said.

But anyway, back to my other habit. Racing. Every Sunday, I take part in race meetings. Consistent practice has managed to bring down my times significantly. First, I was doing 1'10s when I started. Practice (as well as several modifications such as throwing out the back seat) has brought my time down to the 0'56 - 0'58 range. Here's what I recall of my last session:

- "Come on, I need to go fastest on the time sheets!"
Today was a time trial competition. Cars in my car's category were in the 0'58 - 1'00 time range. The category winner wins 150,000 yen, and the overall winner gets 500,000 yen. Examples of top category competitors were RUFs (tuned Porsches) and other tuned cars, such as MINE'S' famous Skyline GT-R V-Spec II N1. I was one of the last in my category. The fastest time was held by a '02 Honda NSX-R - 0'57.327. But that had already came back to the pits.

- "A Mercedes? Go back to the bank and repossess some houses you jerk!"

I passed the banker at the imaginatively named "Last Corner" on my first lap.

At S curve I passed a Subaru. He put up a fight, though. By my second lap I had passed him. The session was coming to an end, with seven minutes left. My time was somewhere in the 0'57.5 region.

I then out-dragged some tool in an Audi at the start of my third lap.

At the end of that lap I had another Subaru in my sights.

I then out-dragged him at the start of my 4th lap, which saw me record a 0'57.353. Damn it, so close!

At the start of my 5th lap I thought I could spot a car in the distance at the end of the straight.

It took me 2 laps but I caught up to the NSX. My radio link to the pits had broke, though.
NSX driver - "A Skyline? What the 🤬?!"
- "I'm coming to get you!"

At S Curve I was right up the tailpipe of the NSX!
NSX driver - "Damn! He's gonna get me!"

At Dunlop I dived down the inside of the NSX!

Unfortunately I ran out of time...or rather, fuel.
- "Damn...I hope I did well."
I got out of my car. I went up to the prize office. I checked my time. Well, it was really complicated as all the cars had some sort of 10-character code. Thankfully though it wasn't too complicated - it was based on chassis codes, e.g. my car's code was BNR32-A64J1. A man suddenly tapped me on the shoulder.
??? - "Excuse me, are you Hiroto Matsuda?"
- "Yeah...holy 🤬! Ryosuke Sato!"
Ryosuke Sr. - "Yes, Ryosuke Sato senior. My son has the same name."
- "Oh my God. Listen, I know you get this a lot of the time, but I can have an autograph?"
Ryosuke Sr. - "Sure, no problem. And by the way, I don't actually get it a lot...in Japan, anyway. You see, I have a notorious desire for privacy. When you see me in a restaurant, you should leave me alone."
- "So, what do you want with me?"
Ryosuke Sr. - "You have impressed me with your skill. Besides you were the fastest in your category. 0'56.632! I haven't seen times like that from a stock GT-R R32 ever!"
- "Well, it's not stock."
Ryosuke Sr. - "Well, I know that. I didn't see a back seat in there, you know. Hiroto, I want you to join my racing team, Edospeed. Unfortunately, one of our racers had a pretty bad crash on the Special Stage Route 5 in Tokyo. Apparently he was in a time attack against some punk in a Supra..."
- "Supras...I hate them."
Ryosuke Sr. - "Yes, I can feel your animosity. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, long story short, he crashed his car at the first corner. He broke his leg, 10 ribs and his neck. He was lucky to survive."
- "Well consider me the newest member of your team, then!"

 

[Watchman]

Good to see you began this story from scratch on. I loved reading this chapter. I see your writing skills improved a lot compared to your first few chapters you've written before. Now this makes me start writing my own story, but's another topic... Well done! 👍

(I guess you should start another thread. This one looks pretty unorganized. I think a new story needs it's new thread )

 

[Pitracer100]

Good to see you began this story from scratch on. I loved reading this chapter. I see your writing skills improved a lot compared to your first few chapters you've written before. Now this makes me start writing my own story, but's another topic... Well done! 👍

(I guess you should start another thread. This one looks pretty unorganized. I think a new story needs it's new thread )

Yep, nice chapter and your skills have improved but you need a new thread for a new story. Just call it; I don't know "The V.2 Hashiriya."

 

[DK]

Chapter 2 - Memories
I came back to my father's garage.
- "Dad! I'm in a racing team!"
He just stared at me in disbelief.
Mr. Matsuda - "Remember your first race, Hiroto? What were you, 15? You were in that S14 Silvia. What place did you come in?"
- "Third."
Mr. Matsuda - "In my opinion, that's very good for a rookie. And you actually managed to pass a Skyline!"
- "Yeah, but it was a GTS-t Type M."
Mr. Matsuda - "Well, it was a Skyline nonetheless. Do you remember your first win?"
I did. It was on my 16th birthday, August 14th 2001.
--------------------------------------------------
6 years and 11 months ago...
--------------------------------------------------
Announcer - "Gurūpu no doraiba 8 wa, guriddo jō de rain appu shi te itadake masu ka? Will the drivers of group 8 please line up on the grid?"
Mr. Matsuda - "How many races has it been, Hiroto?"
- "Since what?"
Mr. Matsuda - "Your debut!"
- "Uh...5?"
Mr. Matsuda - "Close enough, it's 4."
- "I guess this would be my fifth race, then."
I drove out from the pits and did a warm up lap.

I was told that the race was to have a rolling start. Oh, crap.

Nevertheless, I managed to get right up the tailpipe of the fifth-placed FTO.
FTO driver - "I knew I should've bought that Evo I! It would have creamed this guy!"

I then lined up the fourth-placed Prelude.

I passed him at Turn G.

Coming into the final corner, I went around the outside of another Prelude.

Unfortunately I ran wide and had to rescue the S14 before it became another piece of scrap metal.
Celica driver - "Sayonara, kyuban!" (Goodbye, sucker!)

However, I persisted and I passed him at Turn A.

At Turn F I went around the outside of the leading Eclipse.

- "Come on!"
Eclipse driver - "Chikusho!" (Damn it!)

I had an off-moment on the fourth and last time around the final corner.

- "Yes!"
I had claimed my first victory, and also the prize of 400,000 yen.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Present day...
--------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Matsuda - "Were you daydreaming?"
- "Yes, I was."

 

[Watchman]

Thanks for posting another good chapter, driftking18594. 👍

 

[DK]

Chapter 3 - Goodbye

I parked my car outside my parents' house. There, my sister, Miyu, was sitting on the couch reading what looked like "On The Origin Of Species" by Charles Darwin - I recognised it because it was my old copy of it, complete with side-notes. My brother, Kenji, was searching frantically for the remote. Why? National Geographic was on, and he wanted to watch cartoons. Sure, I watch anime myself, but it's usually car-centred, like Wangan Midnight and Initial D.
? - "Is that you Hiroto?"
- "Yes, mom."
Mrs. Matsuda - "What are you doing here?"
- "I've joined a racing team."
Mrs. Matsuda - "If it's Watanabe Racing, your father will go mad!"
- "No, they're called Edospeed."
My mother dropped the book she was reading. Apparently it was another of my father's crime novels. He's addicted to them.
Mrs. Matsuda - "I heard about them. They don't race in the JGTC, do they?"
- "No, but they do tune cars to JGTC-spec."
Mrs. Matsuda - "I suppose you'll be travelling the world, then."
- "Yeah."
Mrs. Matsuda - "I've always wanted to travel the world, you know. I wanted to see Rome, Paris, London, New York...the list was endless. Well, not really, there were some places I didn't want to visit, such as Pyongyang and Moscow."
- "I suppose that was back in the day when the world teetered on the brink of nuclear annihilation."
Mrs. Matsuda - "I'm so proud of you, son."
I heard the sound of an engine getting louder and then suddenly being turned off. It was my dad's R33 V-Spec. Then the door opened and was closed again.
Mr. Matsuda - "I suppose this is goodbye, then."
- "Don't worry, I'll call home from time to time."
Then my brother entered the kitchen.
Kenji - "Good luck on your adventure!"
- "Who lets this kid watch Pokemon?"
Mr. Matsuda - "Take this."
He handed me a piece of paper.
- "Why?"
Mr. Matsuda - "Well, I'm a big fan of Ryosuke Sato. I want to get his autograph. I already have Takeshi Hunasuke's! "
I left the house and got back to my car. I then checked my phone. 1 missed call. I checked the number and rang it.
Ryosuke - "You missed my call, didn't you?"
- "Yes, I'm sorry."
Ryosuke - "Don't worry about it. There's a Race of the Red Emblem meeting here at Suzuka. The prize is 1.25 million yen."
My mouth dropped.
- "That's..."
Ryosuke - "...around US$15,000. But the dollar isn't as great as it once was. Now more drivers are using the euro. You know, the European single currency."
- "Right. So, when's the race going to start?"
Ryosuke - "In 20 minutes."
- "🤬! Gotta go now! Sayonara!"
I slammed the accelerator pedal as I reached the highway. It was a good thing I lived just 6km from the Suzuka Circuit.

- "Let's see...4km! Come on Godzilla!"

I braked violently as I reached the off-ramp nearest the circuit. I reached it with 10 minutes to spare. I went through security and lined my car up on the grid, with 2 minutes left to the start. I waited patiently for the lights to go out...

P.S. Who put these new chapters in a separate thread?

 

[DK]

Chapter 4 - Battle of the Skylines
- "GO!!!"

My car was more than an average R32. I had worked on it for two years, trying to eliminate those small understeer problems characteristic of Skylines. I had only recently bought a new suspension system, that cost me 400,000 yen. I was yet to adjust it fully and I applied a temporary setting, which would be tested in this race.

C110 driver - "That's no ordinary R32..."
- "Who would bring such a rare car to this race?"
The C110 driver was famous author Kentaro Takahashi, who wrote a book on classic Japanese cars, along with several crime novels (that my father loves). Apparently he brings his 1-of-197 C110 to Race of the Red Emblem meetings sometimes. Well, he can afford the cost of racing, so why shouldn't he try?

Going into turn 2, I became part of a three-way battle for second.
R34 driver - "Damn! How come this 🤬 is so fast?!"

At Gyaku Bank Curve, I went around the outside of the leading R33 in a daring manouevre.
R33 driver - "I take it he is far from over-rated."

One word of warning - don't go flat out at 130R. I was lucky as my front tires weren't ruined yet.

It was now lap 2.
Ryosuke - "Keep going, there's 4 more full laps!"

Nothing much happened during lap 2, so let's fast forward to lap 3.

The R33 was still in my rear-view mirror. I think this was pressuring me to go faster, but then again you can only push so far before something gives way.

The R34 had the R33 in his sights, too, although he wasn't looking back at it.

- "That R33 must be very good. Either that or the R34 driver isn't very good."

I was told that at Spoon Corner on lap 4 he went off, but managed to rescue his car.

R34 driver - "C'mon! One last push!"

Remember when I mentioned "pushing so far before something gives way"? Well, on my last time around Degner curve, that happened. I went off, but luckily not by much. It's a real bummer if you've pushed so hard and you lose it all in a matter of seconds.

R33 driver - "I just need him to slip again..."

Thankfully, I didn't, and I claimed the massive prize of 1.25 million yen. The R33 came in a respectable 2nd.

R33 driver - "I held him back. That's all I could ask for, the fact that an old Skyline can still kick it."

R34 driver - "As if my girlfriend wasn't thinking of dumping me already, I get my ass handed to me by an R33."
As I went to collect my prize, the R33 driver asked me to come over.
R33 driver - "Hey, so you're the guy who held up the start."
- "Don't remind me."
R33 driver - "No worries, man."
- "Are you American?"
R33 driver - " Close, but no cigar. I'm from Vancouver. So you must be the latest addition to the team?"
- "If you're talking about Edospeed, yes, I'm the new guy."
R33 driver - "You're lucky Ryosuke doesn't believe in hazing."
He then put his hand forward, signaling that he wanted to shake hands.
R33 driver - "The name's Harris, James Harris."
- "Hiroto Matsuda. So, any idea of where we're going next?"
James - "They call it the Land of the Free."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Replies and constructive criticism would be much appreciated.
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[SaberFire]

Let me guess, Land of the Free? I can't remember the Red Emblem series locations, but it's one of three tracks, each of them should provide an interesting battle between the Skylines, assuming you don't sneak a bigger turbocharger in somewhere

There's not enough text in between the images, but it's probably just me. I'm such a bookworm

Look forward to the next chapter 👍

 

[DK]

Chapter 5 - Sweet dreams my right foot!​

On the plane to San Francisco, I quickly drifted off to sleep. Well, I'm a very heavy sleeper and I had earplugs, so the sound of crying babies was unnoticeable. My dreams were rudely disrupted, though.
-----------------------------------------------------
THREE YEARS AGO
-----------------------------------------------------
It was the final race of the Silvia Sisters Championship, at Tsukuba. I had won both of the previous races. I was one of "Time Attacker" magazine's "100 To Watch For 2007". My nearest rival was Keiko "Gogo Yubari" Yamamoto. Her crazy driving led to her being nicknamed after Kill Bill character Gogo Yubari, a complete psycho. She was on 12 points. All I had to do was finish 5th if she won, and I would win on the amount of races won. If she finished 2nd, it wouldn't matter where I finished.

It was a rolling start, and I was last. It was my choice, I wanted a challenge. Yamamoto would just end up shredding her tires pushing her car at 200%, and (hopefully, in my opinion - a true example of schadenfreude) redlining too much and having to get her 4th SR20DET. She had become famous (or should that be infamous?) among us semi-pros for that.

Keiko - "Beat it and go back to the old folk's home!"
CSP311 driver - "Bah! Show some respect!"
Keiko was showing her typical lack of respect for classic cars. This is a girl who sold a S30Z inherited from her uncle because it was too old and had "only" 150hp, and bought her S15 with that money.

I also passed the CPS311, but I showed more respect for it than Keiko.
CSP311 driver - "Go on, catch that 🤬!"

At the final hairpin I passed Keiko.
Keiko - "Come on you piece of 🤬!"

I out-dragged the leading S14 zenki Q's.
S14 Q's driver - "Oh no, here come's the S15..."

Just before the last corner, Keiko took 2nd without actually ramming anyone. Big shock there!

But at the last corner, I went off.
Keiko - "Sayonara, sucker!"

I dropped back behind the S14 Q's. I was third, and I needed to win. Well, not really, but extra cash does help when you're hellbent on owning a PS3.

I took back second a third of the way through the lap. Nothing else happened during the lap. It was time for that classic Hiroto Matsuda One Lap Wonder that won me the 250 Class in the Tokyo R246 time attack.

The third and final lap was the signal for me to push it. This victory would mean a clean sweep, something that would make me and my parents very proud.
But then...

I mis-shifted! Instead of going into 4th, I shifted down into 2nd! My SR20DET tapped out to the rising engine heat.
- "NO!!!"
- "Sayonara! Enjoy your walk back to the garage!"

The smoke rose up from under my bonnet. My SR20DET had endured thousands upon thousands of kilometres, of lying idle and then redlining, and even going sideways sometimes. Tears flowed from my eyes as my faithful friend for 6 whole years went to that great scrapyard in the sky.

As my opponents went by, I got out of my car. I heard the blaring of air horns as Keiko Yamamoto took the checkered flag. The marshals could feel my grief. I received a pat on the back, and a man in an English accent said, "Dry your eyes mate, I know it's hard to take but her mind's been made up, there's plenty more fish in the sea..." Her mind? It took me a while to realize he was referring to a song that was a big hit over in his home country. As Keiko went by, I could almost hear her laughing. Her jeering voice and her taunts. I left without claiming whatever winnings I would have and tried to avoid Keiko. Sayonara, watashi no S14. (Goodbye, my S14)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESENT DAY
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I stood up in my seat. The plane rocked as it touched down on American soil. I held my head in my hands. James put his hand on my back in a comforting way.
James - "What's wrong?"
- "Bah...it doesn't matter. It's none of your business."
James - "There goes that stereotype of all Japanese people being polite."
- "Sorry. Uh...where are we?"
James - "San Fran, man!"
- "Uh..."
James - "Dude, I'm talking about San Francisco!"
- "Right. Is there any circuits nearby?"
Ryosuke overheard my question.
Ryosuke - "We're going on a road trip to El Capitan. It's a beautiful place, I think.
- "I thought we were racing?"
Ryosuke - "You haven't heard of the El Capitan Raceway, then. Designed in 2000, construction beginning in that year too, and finished in 2002. Construction consisted of mainly improving road quality. For three months per year, these roads become part of a racing complex which consists of 3 different and distinct circuits. Two are dirt tracks, and one is a road course. Each course shares a part with another. One, Cathedral Rocks Trail II, almost completely overlaps with Cathedral Rocks Trail I. Trail II is just over half as long as Trail I."
- "Uh huh..."
PA system - "Can all passengers please get out of their seats and make their way in an orderly way (she really did emphasize those words) to the exits, thank you."
- "So, about El Capitan..."
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Special thanks to drvac for his work on some of the photos!
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[Smallhorses]

Nice chapter, and a lovely touch with the 'shopped smoke images for the blown engine aspect! 👍

I did delete the more-or-less identical post without these images to avoid confusion.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

This is awesome too:


I had won both of the previous races. I was one of "Time Attacker" magazine's "100 To Watch For 2007

Found it funny for some reason.

 

[DK]

Chapter 6 - The Chief​

El Capitan Raceway. Home to an odd mixture of smells. You have that typical woodland scent, and then, when you come within about half a kilometre of the track, racing oil and burnt rubber hang in the air. To the untrained eye, the track is an eyesore. Something completely useless and is isolated from the big cities of California, namely Los Angeles and San Francisco. You ask someone to name two Californian cities off the top of their heads, and those would be the two answers you get - most of the time, anyway. Sometimes someone may answer Anaheim, Sacramento or San Diego. At least they're being original. The circuit was running a "Run What You Brung" event. Drivers would set up wagers with each other, sometimes escalating to pink slip duels. These pink slip race-offs are much rarer back in Japan. Mainly because some of us bang up our cars so much that they're not worth winning. As I sat on the pit wall, I saw another track casualty. This track had already claimed the nickname of "California's Nurburgring", although I can't see why. It's not even a quarter as long. Yes, it has unsettling bumps. But other than that, there's no way the two tracks are alike.
Random person - "So, what does it feel like to be at California's Nurburgring?"
I swear that if I hear this one more time...
To distract me from my thoughts about how much all these people are pissing me off, James came into the pits in his R33.
James - "So, how's Cali?"
- "Huh?"
James - "*sighs* California. That's what I meant."
- "At least a third of the people who I've talked to or who have talked to me refer to this track as 'California's Nurburgring'."
James - " Not even Disney over-hype that much."
- "I'm breaking out the nunchuks if one more 🤬 over-hypes this track that bad."
James - "So much for Japanese politeness."
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ONE HOUR LATER
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The last 20 minutes felt like hours. Each lap of the second-hand on my watch seemed longer. James gave me some practical advice about this. It was simply, "Don't watch the clock." Well, in the waiting room, all you have to pass the time is an issue of "Time" from 1995, which has been through serious wear and tear. Pages were ripped and some were missing. One person seemed to have cut out all the advertisements, making the page on the other side completely unreadable. I stepped out onto the track. I saw my opponents, and froze on the spot. I ran back over to Ryosuke.
- "Are these my opponents?"
Ryosuke - "Relax, young grasshopper. These aren't professional racers."
Of course. The stereotypical American rich kid. Someone who has everything handed to them on a platter. Someone who likes to think of themselves as "awesome". Some kid, who I would later identify as the driver of a RUF CTR2, engaged in a little bit of trash-talking.
RUF driver - "Your ricer's goin' down! I betcha 5 grand I will take that checkered flag!"
- "Fine, I accept your wager."

I lined up my Skyline on the grid. I scanned through the grid. A TVR (a British sports car with a reputation for poor reliability), an Aston Martin, a RUF (a tuned Porsche), a Mercedes SL65 (who does this kid think he is) and...gulp...a Dodge Viper. I wonder if these rich kids even know what a Nissan Skyline is? Probably, if they've watched movies from The Fast And The Furious series.

SL65 driver - "What the 🤬? My dad bought this car for over $100,000! What the hell is that thing?"
Are you that stupid? A Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 V-Spec II. I believe you got beaten by a Datsun. I can't believe that's actually used as an insult for Nissans.

Vantage driver - "Oh, bloody hell! I got passed by a bloody Datsun!"
Again with the Datsun insults...

Within 30 seconds of the start, I was 2nd. That TVR certainly is weird. I doubt it would pass safety tests with flying colours.

I had my sights set on the leading Porsche - sorry, RUF. But seriously, this is a grudge match. Let's see if this car has something special in store...

I think it was turn 6 when I passed him. He was obviously worried about oversteer.
RUF driver - "Dammit! I 🤬 hate lift-off oversteer!"
That's why it takes a driver of huge skill and bravery to race a RR car perfectly. This driver didn't have what it takes.

He still had an annoying habit of staying in my rear-view mirror.

I guess my new suspension set-up had one unintended design "flaw" - it lets me drift. Well, seeing as my lead was increasing, I had no need to my so careful. I still wanted to keep it out of the wall, though.

- "BANZAI!!!"

RUF driver - "He has to slip up. I know it."
Not a chance. 4WD offers too much stability.

Not even the growing-in-infamy turn 6 could trip me up.

I had one last glance in the mirror. He must be, I don't know, 3 or 4 seconds down. The race was mine.

I took the checkered flag, about 5 seconds ahead of the RUF. A convincing victory, if you ask me. Final score? Nissan 2, Porsche/RUF 0. Well, the GT-R kicking the 911's ass around the proper Nurburgring had to count for something. I went around to the RUF's window on the driver's side, and I said, "So, where's the $5,000?" He tossed a wad of notes at me and muttered, "Here." And then he drove away. Now, how am I going to spend that money?

 

[NotThePrez]

(Chris Rock) BUY SOME RIMS!!!! (/Chris Rock)

Good story so far. Looking forward to the next chapter.

 

[Ya21]

No offense, but your stories are kinda cheesy.

 

[DK]

I can't remember the Red Emblem series locations, but it's one of three tracks, each of them should provide an interesting battle between the Skylines, assuming you don't sneak a bigger turbocharger in somewhere

There's actually 5 different Red Emblem series locations. 1 track is definitely in America (New York). You have to use your imagination for the fictional locations with no clue whatsoever to their location.

Nice chapter, and a lovely touch with the 'shopped smoke images for the blown engine aspect! 👍

I did delete the more-or-less identical post without these images to avoid confusion.

Don't thank me, Smallhorses, all credit for those images goes to drvac. < Here's a free imaginary beer, drvac, if you're reading this.

No offense, but your stories are kinda cheesy.

Could you elaborate on that? I prefer it when people show me where I have went wrong. It's like getting your results after a test, but not knowing which questions you got wrong. Could you please show evidence where my story is cheesy? I accept constructive criticism. To me, saying that I went wrong in one place and not pointing out where doesn't count.

 

[DK]

Chapter 7 - There is no replacement for displacement​

It was a long, uncomfortable drive to the Infineon Raceway, formerly known as Sears Point Raceway. The car bumped around due to the hard suspension. James made jokes over the phone until he ran out of credit, mostly regarding the local police, such as, "Cop car approaching, act like a white guy." I honestly think James should become a comedian. Then again, he said to me, "There's always one heckler, and usually other idiots will join in."
Having finished off a Whopper at a nearby Burger King, I took time to relax and learn the track. Unfortunately nobody could have been bothered to take any pictures of my R32, which is why I can't supply any pictures here. The car spun once as it came around turn 6 (I floored it too soon). I seriously can't believe they didn't name these corners, have they any imagination?
? - "Hey, who's the kid with the Datsun?"
?? - "Charlie, for 🤬 sake, don't get into this rubbish mate."
? - "You're one to talk, Danny, you rammed some little punk in a Civic!"
?? - "Do you honestly think I give a damn about him? You said it yourself, he's a punk."
? - "Honestly if that little bastard sues me..."
?? - "It's a track day, not a race. He can't sue you for loss of earnings."
? - "Screw it, I'm going over to him. My beast can't possibly lose to something restricted to 276...was it 276?..."
?? - "Yeah, the 280 hp figure is from some other power rating, I think it's called PS."
? - "Yeah, 276 hp is nothing. I can kick his arse, no doubt about it."
A man wearing an England soccer jersey approached me.
? - "Is that your car mate?"
- "Yeah, what about it?"
? - "My car can kick your car's arse. Or how would you say that in Japanese?"
James - "What is it? Some Honda?"
? - "Who do you think you are, Ricky Gervais?"
James - "Well, he is really funny, and judging by some of the reactions around here, yeah, I guess I am funny."
? - "Are you from around here?"
James - "Nope, Canada, buddy."
The way James said "buddy" sounded kind of like a Canadian in South Park.
? - "So what do you drive?"
James - "Nissan..."
? - "You mate, drive a piece-of-🤬 Datsun!"
James - "...Skyline GT-R R33 V-Spec. You should really let people finish their sentences."
? - "I won the lottery, I don't give a 🤬 about you."
?? - "Yeah mate, why don't you get lost? Charlie can kick your arses any day of the week! He can even do it after 6 cans of Stella!"
James - "Stella?"
? - "Stella Artois, idiot."
- "Fine, find 3 other racers with cars that can compete with yours, and you have a race."
-----ONE HOUR LATER-----

- "Damn, a rolling start. Oh well, at least that Mercedes looks easy."
Ryosuke - "Did Hiroto tell you what he could win?"
James - "Yeah, they agreed on every driver putting in $1,000."
Ryosuke - "These people should invest their money elsewhere! Seeing as it's getting tighter these days. A friend who lives in New York, he invested $10,000 in Lehman Brothers. Now they're gone."

Mercedes driver - "Dammit, I paid 100 grand for this thing!"

Vantage driver - "Bloody hell, Danny, the bastard passed me!"
Danny - "Charlie, you're turning the bloody air blue!"

I went off at turn 3a. Real imaginative naming, guys.
- "🤬, I'm off!"

I managed to overtake a TVR that predictably locked up under braking. Ever heard of a thing called ABS? The driver certainly didn't.
TVR driver - "Dammit, these goddamn brakes are crap!"

It was just before turn 7 when I passed a Callaway C12, or whatever the hell it is.

The car burst into a drift at the end of the slalom.

By the start of the second and last lap, I had caught up to the leading DB9.
DB9 driver (Danny) - "What the 🤬? He's caught up to me!"

My car beat the Aston Martin to the hill's peak.
DB9 driver - "NO!!!"
- "YES!!!"

DB9 driver - "It's over...it's bloody over!"
I had the race in the bag...

...although here it tried to rip the bottom of the bag. However, I had no worries. The GT-Rs 4WD system was almost a fail-safe (I'm not sure if that's a word) against spins.

I won by about 1.5 seconds. The two Englishmen dejectedly handed over their money to me. Well, one of them threw it in my face. Oh, well. Money is money, and I just made $5,000 of it. So I had a really good day. Then I was handed a leaflet by Ryosuke. He stayed silent while I looked at it and read it. A "Race of the Red Emblem" - in New York.

 

[DK]

Chapter 8 - An Old Foe​

Ah, Colorado. So quiet. So calm. So peaceful. Well, when you're not standing on the top of a mountain, it's peaceful. The car's hard suspension was yet again giving me hell. With James' R33 and Ryosuke's rented Mazda6 in tow, we were starting to think of alternatives to Skyline GT-Rs. With walkie-talkies, we could talk without running up phone bills that would require you to remortgage your house.
- "So, guys, if you could pick a car that wasn't a Skyline, but was still Japanese, what would you go for?"
Ryosuke - "GT-R R35."
James - "Uh, doesn't that count as a Skyline?"
Rysouke - "No, it doesn't have the word 'Skyline' in its name."
I chuckled as I heard this.
James - "Back on topic...a RX-7 FD3S."
Ryosuke - "My son loves them. I can't see why. They're unreliable."
James - "Uh...don't you own one?"
Ryosuke - "Yes, but I don't drive it often. I just bought one to see what the fuss was about."
James - "And, isn't it tuned by RE Amemiya?"
- "Your point being?"
James - "I've had this R33 for 6 years. I'm 27. My first car was a 200SX, a kind of..."
- "Hatchback?"
James - "Yeah, that's the one. I still have it, sitting at home in Vancouver. I've modified it into something that would make the RX-7, NSX and Skyline GT-R crap themselves."
- "You haven't sold it?"
Ryosuke - "I have the same feelings towards my first car too. It was an E30..."
- "Wait...you're 48, right?"
Rysouke - "Correct...oh, you think I'm talking about the E30 M3, don't you? No, it's the E30 Corolla."
- "Corolla?!"
Ryosuke - "It had the 1588cc straight-4 2T-G, an 8-valve double overhead cam, a carburetor, and 124 hp, which is more than the famed 'Hachi-Roku'."
- "What happened to it?"
Ryosuke - "Well, after Toyota cutting my salary from what would be worth around $2 million today to $1.8 million, I quit the team, and Takeshi and I vowed never to drive a Toyota again. I sold it to a car collector from Australia. I made...about 220,000 yen."
- "And then what happened?"
Ryosuke - "I heard he made a large profit when he sold it to a car museum for about AUS$120,000 in Melbourne. I even rang the museum and told them I did own it."
James - "Can I please bring this back to topic? Hiroto, would what you drive? And you CAN'T pick the GT-R R35."
- "Subaru Impreza 22B STi. It's my secret shame."
James - "Why?"
Ryosuke - "Subaru are the automotive arm of Fuji Heavy Industries, who are owned by Toyota."
- "I can't stand Toyotas. They used to be cool. The MR-2, the AE86, the Celica, hell at one stage I even liked Supras. But then Toyota became boring. Their cars were shadows of their ancestors. A brand new Toyota Corolla will not help you impress women. I do like Lexus though. That LF-A concept really impressed me."
Ryosuke - "Well, I never vowed to never drive a Subaru ever again. But Lexus...I count that under Toyota."
James - "Guys, I just saw a sign for a racetrack. Ever heard of the Trial Mountain Circuit? It's 20 miles from here."
- "Why do they call it Trial Mountain?"
James - "Why is every Disney movie absolutely 🤬, and yet Pixar movies are good?"
Ryosuke - "I think the name is about the fact that the people who discovered the mountain probably went through 'trials' in the form of natural obstacles such as weather to get across it."
James - "You still haven't answered my question."
- "Disney movies are mass-produced, like dull Kia family cars, aimed at a certain target audience. Kias are for people who are about as fun as a Taliban Christmas..."
James -
- "...while Disney movies are for little girls who have the IQ of a brick. Who in their right mind would sign up for something that would basically ban them from having a good time when they're in college?"
Ryosuke - "You have a point there. Kias are boring, especially since they're always front wheel drive."
James - "Honestly, who would invent a drivetrain that is so boring and eliminates any chance of getting sideways without using the e-brake and looking like a member of the English working class?"
---TWO HOURS LATER---
I looked at the line-up for my next race. My brain wouldn't let me believe my eyes. This was going to give me the race for my life. Unfortunately, I would notice the name of an old foe in the line-up.

 

[Falcon787B]

Just been reading this fella, ready for my new attempt at writing a decent story for this great game. I'm really impressed! I like the story behind this guy and his humble but lethal R33, great work. Also, how in-depth is your knowledge of Japanese? I used to study it but I've given it up, I remember being fascinated by their culture in particular.

Great work, I love the characterisation, especially of his friend. I await updates with interest

 

[DK]

Chapter 9 - Spectator​

- "Sato-san, I can't race against this person!"
Ryosuke - "Why not?"
- "We have history."
Ryosuke - "Let me guess, you were once friends."
- "No!"
Ryosuke - "No need to shout, I'm right here."
- "Look, if there's any possibility..."
Ryosuke - "Of what?"
- "Of being able to get out of this race..."
Ryosuke - "*sighs* You'll have to realise that not every race is winnable. In Formula GT, no team has ever won every single race in a season. The closest anyone came to that was in 1985, when Toyota screwed up..."
- "There's no need to talk about yourself like that."
Ryosuke - "Can you let me finish? They screwed up. We were disqualified from that race, in America, for running an underweight car. The cars were less than 200g underweight. I can only imagine what could have been..."
- "So, it wasn't your fault?"
Ryosuke - "You couldn't believe the negative media we got the following day. Foreign newspapers had the word "cheats" splashed across the main pages of their sports sections."
- "What are you trying to tell me?"
Ryosuke - "You'll not develop as a driver until you have lost."
- "But I have lost! I lost my first 4 races! And I retired from a Silvia Sisters race, and to this day my S14 sits in a storage unit across the road from the Tsukuba Circuit."
Ryosuke - "That was over two years ago."
I walked back to my car. I turned the key, and the famous RB26DETT roared into life. "Wait!" It was James.
- "What is it?"
James - "Your race is after mine. There's no need for you to switch on the engine."
I got out after switching off the engine. I watched James get into his own car, and I listened to his car's RB26DETT. The car crawled out of the garage slowly, and went off for its warm-up lap.
---------------------------------------

The R33 was lined up precisely on the grid. James was the sort of person who liked everything to be precise. This earned him ridicule with racers in America, but back in Japan it earned him some respect. I don't know why, but I kind of like that feature of his personality too - at least we don't spend hours packing and unpacking when we get to a hotel.
James - "Just coax it in here...perfect."
I seriously don't know how he manages to get it right on the grid, perfectly, every time. Maybe he does it by looking at the other grid positions. He puts the gear into neutral, and revs the hell out of it. I don't know how that engine copes with all of this! Maybe it's because he lets the revs drop down to around 3,000 rpm, and then floors it again, building it up to 8,000 rpm, and then he repeats the cycle.

GO!
James immediately makes it into 5th, passing a Corvette C4 that suffered from wheelspin.
C4 driver - "Goddammit!"

The next victim was a Plymouth Superbird (weird name, right?), who probably wasn't too pleased.
Superbird driver - "I don't 🤬 believe my 🤬 luck today!"
James - "Hmm, $2,000 is looking closer now!"
I should have mentioned he was racing for $2,000. Oh well, better late than never.

The Mustang was next to fall.
James - "3rd after, what, 20 seconds? Put up a fight, dammit!"
It should have been more of a challenge. A Mustang is capable of holding off a R33, according to some video games I've played.

C4 Grand Sport driver - "What the hell? This guy was last half a minute ago!"
James - "Well, hello there!"

C4 Grand Sport driver - "That jackass got me around the outside!"
James - "Adios, amigo!"

Impreza driver - "Ah, endlich ein wuerdiger Gegner!" (Ah, finally a good opponent!)
James - "Ah, David Meyer. I thought I could recognise that Impreza."

James broke loose at turn 6.
James - "Woohoo, drifting is so fun!"
Despite being so neat and tidy, there are some things that can turn James into a little kid again.

James took a glance at the cars behind him.
James - "I can't believe that C4 is stuck behind the S-Bird."
- "S-Bird?"
Ryosuke - "*sighs* James likes to shorten the names of some cars. 'Superbirds' become 'S-Birds'. 'Integra' becomes 'Teggy'."

David - "Verdammt, ich hab' zu spät gebremst!" (Damn it, I've braked too late!)
James - "Well, thanks for opening the door!"

David - "Ich haette die Aufhaengung von Koni kaufen sollen."" (I should have bought that suspension from Koni.)
James - "So what's that David? 3-1 to me?"

David - "Ich habe die bessere Seite!" (I have the better line!)
James - "I guess I'll have to let this one go...ah, screw it, I've got to hold my line!"

Unfortunately he braked too late, but he rescued the car from the wall at turn 11.
David - "Ich weiss, er geht zurueck bis in meine Endrohr eine halbe Runde sein ... so habe ich es so hart wie moeglich druecken muss!" (I know he's going to be back up my tailpipe in half a lap...so I must push it as hard as possible!)
James - "Well, as David might say, damn und blast!"

James - "Well, did you miss me?"
David - "Verdammt, ich hab' ihn zu spaet kommen sehen!"

David - "Der R33 hat zwischen 25 und 40 PS mehr als mein Impreza, also kann ich das Rennen auch nicht gewinnen!" (The R33 has about 25 to 40 horsepower more than my Impreza...I can't win this!)
James - "Auf wiedersehen, mein Freund!" (Goodbye, my friend!)

James then went on a short drift, but the car didn't spin out.

But then he ran wide at turn 3, narrowly avoiding the wall.
James - "I spoke too soon..."

The Corvette was now right up his tailpipe.
Corvette C4 Grand Sport driver - "Damn it, he's probably going to get away from me."

James was pulling himself into a final confrontation with the German.

Then, at turn 6, he got by.
David - "Der bessere Fahrer hat gewonnen... Ich werde die Niederlage wohl hinnehmen muessen, ich bin ja schliesslich kein Massenmoerder namens Adolf." (The better driver won here...I can accept defeat, I'm not a mass-murderer named Adolf.)
James - "You did well, David, but the only place you've ever beaten me at is the Nurburgring."

James - "You're persistent, aren't you?"

Meanwhile, the Corvette made a move on the S-Bir...damn it, James has me saying it now!

Superbird driver - "Damn it...my pops woulda been able to cream these guys..."

David - "Vielleicht wird er noch einen Fehler machen. Aber das waere doch laecherlich: Wir sind schliesslich nicht am Nurburgring." (Maybe, he will slip up. No, that's ridiculous. This circuit isn't the Nurburgring.)

James took one last glance at David's Impreza.

David - "Naja, $1000 sind immernoch ein guter Preis." (Well, $1,000 is still a good prize.)

One moment shot on the camera of an extremely brave and/or stupid person.
James - "Whoo, two grand!"
David - "Er kann gut fahren, das steht ausser Frage. Vielleicht werde ich eines Tages auch so gut sein wie er." (He's good. Maybe I'll be as good as him one day.)
------------------------------------------------
After a friendly chat with David in German, James came back to me.
James - "I came to know him on an exchange programme. He came over to Vancouver to learn English. I would've thought that Germany would've good English courses and stuff like that."
- "What did he say about the Nurburgring?"
James - "He lives in Cologne, which is one of the nearest big cities to Nurburg. We had a race, at the Nurburgring. His experience there was better than my better driving skills. He's around your age. He has a twin sister, her name is Maria. She's also good around the Nurburgring."
Then Ryosuke handed me my helmet.
Ryosuke - "You're up next."

 

[Watchman]

Hello driftking18594,

I just read the whole story and have to say that I like it so far. Nonetheless, I would like to point out some mistakes:

~Edit~ Spotted mistakes corrected

👍

 

[DK]

Chapter 10 - Déjá vu​

My heart is beating hard. It wants to beat out of my chest. Normally I'm not this nervous before a race. But I haven't won against this person for a long time. Plus, they have a much better car. It's a TVR, a British sports coupé renowned for poor braking abilities. But I saw a red mark next to its name. I was informed that the red mark meant that the car was modified.
- "What's the modification on the TVR?"
Marshal - "I think it's...uh...ABS and aftermarket brake pads."
Crap. I'm screwed. There's no way out. I'll be humiliated. There's gotta be a way out. Seppuku? Nah, I don't want Fox News to use me to keep that Japanese stereotype alive for longer. I'm not running from this, I'll never live it down. Maybe...I could actually try? There's still a prize for it. 2nd gets $1,000. That's half of what the winner gets. But it will still get me 3 nights in a nice hotel. 4 stars, maybe? Or 2 nights in a 5 star hotel? With a woman of a supermodel standard giving me massages and I can stuff my face with American cuisine. Or, I could buy the remnants of an Icelandic bank. Or perhaps a used supermini for my grandmother? Her Suzuki is barely pushing out 30hp. Of course, I've been planning on getting a Windows 7 package for my laptop. And my little brother has been begging for a Nintendo Wii. I'm contemplating all of this right now. The pros are starting to outweigh the cons. But they're still significant. I forgot about my car, too. A spoiler? No. Flywheel? No, aftermarket flywheels ruin uphill performance. Racing chip? ECU remap? Maybe an exhaust? I decide against it.

---THE RACE---​

Oh boy. This looks tough. A Shelby Cobra, a Pagani Zonda, a Mercedes SLK65 or something along those lines, a BMW M5 and that TVR Tuscan. I'm crapping myself. Sayonara, 2nd place. 3rd is only worth $500.

They're not running off into the distance. I can win. I CAN WIN! I know I can win this!

1 down, 4 to go!

Then, I pull off an upset - I pass the Pagani! I try to contain my joy. It's not a Zonda F. It's an entry-level (if that were possible) Zonda.

Yes! 3rd! This is going much better than expected!

And with that, my attention shifted to the Tuscan.
Mercedes driver - "Damn it, I thought I had at least 2nd!
- "Come on...one to go."

I really thought I had the race in the bag. This can't go wrong. This won't go wrong. One way or another, I'll pass that Tuscan!

But then...
- "Dammit!"
TVR driver - "Ha ha...he's still a loser."

TVR driver - "I honestly thought this would be a fight..."

By the end of the first lap, I knew I had lost it. My eyes started to well up. Goddammit, Hiroto, pull yourself together! When was the last time you cried? No, don't remind yourself! Don't remind yourself about the Silvia...dammit! You retard! You're actually going to cry!

The drifts were no longer fun. I just watched that TVR run away. There has to be something wrong! There's no way this car was this bad at flat tracks! Of course! The suspension!
Mr. Matsuda - "Hiroto, this set-up was built for Suzuka.
- "But what if I take it to somewhere with steep slopes? Like the Nordschliefe?"
Mr. Matsuda - "Then, I hope you can cope with oversteer."

I couldn't beat myself up. I couldn't blame my father either. I couldn't blame Nissan. In fact, I don't see how I can blame anyone. This car was meant for relatively flat tracks. This isn't one of them.

- "*sighs* I'm gonna get it now..."
TVR driver - "You haven't changed. You're still 🤬."
I'm bracing myself for the taunting.

I take my foot off the throttle. The eyes are welling up again. The taps are being turned on. A slow stream of tears flows down my face. They're quickly dried by the inside of my helmet. I sigh, and I attempt to stop the tears. It's just depressing.

---THE AFTERMATH---​

I'm trying to avoid the driver of the TVR. I know I'm going to get a hard time.
TVR driver - "Well, if it isn't Mr. 2nd Place! What does defeat taste like? Because I don't think I'm tasting it right now."
This is the uber-bitch that is Keiko Yamamoto. Talk about adding insult to injury. She rubs it in my face like a Christian fundamentalist rubbing holes in the theory of evolution in a evolutionist's face.
- "Leave me alone..."
As if this is going to work. She has been suspended many times from school for bullying. I heard one of her victims attempted suicide, and was unsuccessful.
Keiko - " You're pathetic!"
I beat her twice before. I was driving a car with around 40 less horsepower. Well, a S14 has c.210hp, and a S15 has c.250hp. So you can see where I'm getting my facts from. I try to escape, but she follows me with chants of "loser!", with several people joining in.
James - "Who is she?"
Ryosuke - "Keiko Yamamoto. One of the world's top female drivers, known for her wild style. My son has done some research and he found out she has had several rivalries, with one of them involving Hiroto. Another has been against this German girl, Maria 'Die Fraulein' Muller, another top female driver."
James - "And with that, the women drivers joke has died."
Ryosuke - "Don't be so sure, I'm pretty sure that joke's alive and kicking in Saudi Arabia."
James - "Which is hell if you like women and booze."
I held in my hands a cheque for $1,000. There's so much I can do with this. But to bribe about a dozen (and counting) people intent on making my immediate future absolute hell? That's going to require a lot more. I can only keep my head down, and make my way to the exit. My car has already been parked in the competitors' car park - so bumping into Keiko is going to be inevitable. I leave Trial Mountain with lots of money from previous victories, but am I happy? Am I truly happy? No. Not even comfort food in the form of a ridiculously oversized McDonald's meal will lift my spirits. She's levelled the scores. It's 2-2 now. I've won 2, she has won 2. That deadlock is going to break one day. And I'm not so confident about my chances.

 

[Watchman]

Not bad, driftking18594, not bad. 👍

 

[DK]

Chapter 11 - The Big Apple​

After a long road trip (Ryosuke didn't feel like driving through the Bible Belt) we arrived in New York. All that was keeping James and I awake was Red Bull. Ryosuke just stocked up on a single cup of coffee. That being said, we were buzzing...and desperate to use the toilet. So we parked our cars and James and I made a dash for the nearest restaurant.

Our fit-to-burst bladders almost distracted us from one thing.
James - "Oh crap...we forgot to lock our cars!"
So, giggling deliriously, we ran back to our cars.
Ryosuke - "Ha...I guess all of us must answer to nature's call."
He must have some special trick that gives him a certain level of endurance when it comes to holding it in.
James - "Damn it! McDonald's, you are sick bastards!"
12 hours of holding in urine has taken its toll. As well as staying in a cheap motel, a few hundred metres from "the hood".
- "Relax, man, I'm pretty sure there's somewhere else we can go."
That "somewhere else" was a bar.
Drunk - "Did I tell you about my Mustang..."
Drunk 2 - "Jesus Christ, Mustang this, Mustang that...can you shut the 🤬 up?!"
Drunk - "Shelby GT350R, beautiful thing...bought it from some black guy...he kinda looked like Denzel Washington..."
Drunk 2 - "My Challenger can kick its 🤬 ass!"
Drunk - "Yeah, until it goes 'round a corner."
Drunk 2 - "What does that mean?"
Drunk - "Jim, your Challenger has 🤬 brakes."
Drunk 2 - "Did I ever tell you I ran over your dog?"
Drunk - "It's not like you had s...who are the new guys?"
Drunk 2 - "One of them's Asian."
Drunk - "And you like Asians, don't you Jim?"
Drunk 2 - "Hey, Chris, you're one to judge. You married a Russian!"
Bartender - "Haven't seen you two around. Are yiz new in town?"
James - "What?"
Bartender - "Sorry, bud. I'm from Dublin. Name's Damien."
- "I've never been to Dublin. What's it like?"
Bartender - " North of the Liffey is Dublin's gangster's paradise. Well, some places like Finglas. The South is full of what these Yanks call tools. In Ireland we call them bankers."
Even the most depressed drunks start laughing.
James - "Do you race?"
Bartender - "A bit, New York really makes 🤬 of your wallet. You know, to pay the bills. Well, for a 42 inch HD TV."
We almost forget that we desperately need the toilet. Until Damien asks us what we want.
- "Uh...the toilet."
Bartender - "Sorry, paying customers only."
- "What's the cheapest thing we can buy?"
Damien fishes around under the counter until he finds two packets of peanuts.
Bartender - "30 cents each."
I take a crumpled-up $1 bill and leave it on the counter. Both James and I sprint to the men's room.
- "Keep the change."

---Half an Hour Later---​

Ryosuke - "Well, what took you?"
- "The nearest place that was open was a bar about 300 metres from here. And it was paying customers only, so we bought two packets of peanuts."
James - "Oh, I feel so much better!"
Ryosuke - "I found a hotel. It's not like that motel in Illinois."
- "Great, I feel that the Red Bull is starting to wear off. You know, that bartender had a really nice car."
James - "Honestly, I was too relieved to notice."
- "It was almost like mine - except that it has a kind of dark blueish-purple paintjob."

---The Next Day---​

To someone who doesn't understand the mind of a car enthusiast, a racetrack smack bang in the middle of Manhattan. I'm pretty sure some people think other things take priority over motorsports, e.g. normal traffic flow, business, commuters, but I'm damn sure Sex And The 🤬...sorry, City, doesn't. I don't see what's so sexy about female equivalents of rotten milk. The temperatures were soaring, but that's August for you. James was already on his 6th bottle of Coca-Cola. There go his winnings. He should have just bought one large bottle, and then go to a fountain and fill it with water. I explain this to Ryosuke, but he just laughs.
Ryosuke - "Do you know what fountain water contains? Animal urine, homeless person urine, drug addict urine, drunk urine...you're just setting yourself up for hours of vomiting."
- "But, Sato-san, I thought they would filter the water."
Ryosuke - "Good point, some people like to use fountains as dipping pools. But, water does hydrate you better than Coke, both the liquid kind and the kind American businessmen snort."
As a group of American muscle cars approached the pit lane, the drivers in our race - The Race of the Red Emblem - went out for the formation lap, with James arriving just in time, having been denied his 7th bottle of Coca-Cola.

Well, unless something horrible happens, I should at least expect 5th. The other 4 cars are probably going to give me a fight, considering that James is driving one of them.

James - "That C110 should have never bothered coming."
The C110 shouldn't have come. James was right about that, the New York Circuit is a high speed one, designed for Formula GT. This is the only reason this is open. The track designers felt it was a waste of time to spend 3 weeks putting up barriers and grandstands when it was only going to be used for a week. So, they kept it open for a two weeks before the Formula GT race and then a whole month afterwards.

R34 driver - "Damn it, what the hell?!"

By the end of the straight, I had slipped back to last, as the R34 slipstreamed me.

But at the corners...my R32 showed just how much you can do with a toolbox and an aftermarket suspension kit.
R32 driver - "Ah, bleedin' hell. Never mind, it's another R32, he's probably better than me...he actually has a full face helmet! He's serious about this!"
Was that the R32 at the bar?
R34 driver - "Crap, I'm next!"
R32 driver - "Bleedin' hell!"

R34 driver - "Goddammit, it's game over! 🤬!"

The C110, which held up against my GT-R on the corners, was completely screwed on the straights.

I had my sights on James' R33.
James - "Damn...it's 75 degrees Fahrenheit, it's humid as hell...and Hiroto, in his R32 which is great at cornering...is in 2nd! Damn it!"
This is not the calm James we all knew from Trial Mountain. The hot weather plays nasty tricks on him.

I let him escape as he was faster on the straights. I knew I was not close enough yet to ride in his slipstream, but I also knew I would come back on the corners.

Another lap passed, and I was able to take a brief look in my rear view mirror. It was the blue R32, doing well for himself in 3rd place.

Unless I seriously screwed up, 2nd is the worst I can do.
James - "*sighs* I can fight, but what good will it do...Hiroto will rule the corners, I will rule the straights. That R32 has always found a way to win. Trial Mountain was an exception to the rule. Hiroto told me something about it. Trial Mountain was its first defeat. Before that it had won every single one of its 29 races with Hiroto at the wheel. The field was picked by Sato-san. He must have wanted that R32 to do something brilliant for its 30th straight victory. Like the saying...'Nothing worth gaining was ever gained without effort.'"

James - "What the hell, I'm getting lonely at the front."
Ryosuke - "*sighs* Keiko Yamamoto...she abuses her engines. One day it will come back to bite her. I felt disappointed that Hiroto could lose to a person with such disregard for maintaining her car. But he should learn an important lesson from that. A set up that may work for one circuit doesn't work for another. You can't bring a set-up for Monza and expect it to work at Monaco. The race was only for $2,000. You may think that it's not working on your car, adjusting it for each and every circuit, taking it out for test run after test run. But it is, especially if the prize is big enough. That's what attracts the kids into racing. Prizes. You're not going to want to do something that will go unrewarded. The hours will pay off. The feeling of a solid gold trophy for winning the Formula GT Drivers' Championship...or the Constructors'...is certainly worth all those sleepless nights, those broken bones, those arguments with loved ones...you can call us glory hunters...but when you've had a taste of glory, you have to agree, it just can't be beaten."

On the back straight, James stretched his lead, but I caught up once more on the last corner.
James - "You're good, but consider this...would you beat me if we were driving the same cars?"

At the first corner, I though I had done it. 4 laps in, and I had taken the lead. I clenched my fist...

...but with only one hand on the wheel, I didn't have the strength to keep turning against 320 raging Japanese horses, so James had the inside line around Columbus Corner...

...but then I turned it into the inside at the exit!
- "Yes!"
James - "Crap...never mind, he did well...damn, he came from the back of the field!"

All I had to do was just keep the GT-R out of the walls and to stay ahead of James.
James - "There's barely any elevation changes, so he just can't slip up. He's too damn good on flat tracks."

James, however, didn't lie down and accept defeat.
- "Man...he's too good, isn't he? I just can't shake him."

Into Columbus, and he was still on my tail. This is starting to annoy me.

10 seconds of confusion and fighting understeer later, and I was 2nd.
- "What the 🤬?!"
James - "Hiroto, we may be team-mates, but if opportunity knocks, I will take it."
I suppose he has a point.

I think it was West 57th Street corner when I took my lead back.
James - "Oh, well, there's always the straights."
At least he's thinking positive.

James - "My last chance...actually, scratch that, my second last chance."

It was just a matter of keeping him behind me.

James - "Take the checkered flag...I still get $7,500 anyway."

It was an Edospeed 1-2!
Ryosuke - "Hmm...that R32 did well..."

I could see what he was talking about. Out of the corner of my eye, I think I saw the driver pump his fist in the air. Well, I would jump for joy too if I came 3rd behind 2 better cars. It'd be like a stock Nissan Skyline coming 3rd if the two opponents were JGTC cars.

---Aftermath---​

After collecting our cheques, we had a talk with the driver of the R32, who we identified as the bartender from last night.
- "To be honest, Damien, it's around...uh (checks watch)...4pm, so we would have woken up in time for this race anyway. Well, Sato-san - that's our boss - would beg to differ."
Ryosuke - "Yes, because Sato-san has to register you two 3 hours prior to the race starting. You do know I have insomnia, and I am therefore barely able to sleep for 3 hours, and yet wake up from that fresh and ready to go."
Damien - "Eh, lads, next time you're in New York, at least have a pint or two in the pub."
- "Huh?"
Damien - "Jaysus...I mean the bar you used, just for the toilets, last night!"
- "Sorry, I'm just not familiar with that word."
Damien - " You and everyone outside Ireland and Britain."
Ryosuke - "Sorry, but we have to return to the hotel. My rental car is parked there and that's where our luggage is."
So, that concluded our American tour. But, we were to make a final stopover (after a long-as-hell road trip) in Seattle, just to relax...I hope.

 

[Watchman]

Thank you for posting another chapter. It's good. 👍

 

[DK]

Chapter 12 - Brace for Impact​

The last 3 days were so boring that I think it would be a waste of time covering every last detail of it. We slept overnight in motels, ate at truck stops, and never had a single drop of alcohol. James got into a bit of trouble with the owner of one of the motels we stayed in when we spent the night in North Dakota, because he flirted with his daughter. To finally jump backwards onto a nice, soft bed after 12-15 hours of driving felt great.
--------------------------------------------------
- "So, when do we leave for Japan?"
Ryosuke - "Tomorrow."
We suddenly hear the noise of loud, warbling exhausts.
- "That doesn't sound like any stock exhaust to me..."
James - "Sounds more like someone cut off the last 6 inches of an exhaust and replaced it with a coffee tin."
You have to admire his sense of humour.
Ryosuke - "I've entered you boys in one last race before we leave."
Ryosuke handed me a leaflet.
- "'Run what ya brung?'"
Ryosuke - "Believe me Hiroto, their English isn't as terrible as that on the other side."
- "'Want to make serious cash? Want to be the next racing champ? All it requires is a small investment of $600, and you can walk away with that AND $3,000.'"
James - "Sounds like a scam."
Ryosuke - "Believe me, it isn't. There is a street circuit here. It's part of the local "Take Racing Off The Streets" programme."
- "Sounds a bit contradictory."
Ryosuke - "The main straight is Alaskan Way. The circuit has a Class B standard according to the GTA. Class A circuits are licensed to host Formula GT races. Examples would include Monza, Suzuka, and surprisingly a little street circuit in Hong Kong..."
Ryosuke pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket.

Ryosuke - "There we go. However, I heard that it may lose this status in 2011. The GTA are increasing the minimum lap length from 2.75km to 3km, as teams were complaining about how closely packed all the cars would be."
- "Interesting."
Ryosuke - "Class B circuits can hold high-level touring car races, like the JGTC or DTM. Class C would be fit for lower-level touring car races, like the BTCC. Class D would be fit for production cars or bottom-rung touring car races only, while Class R is dirt and snow courses, with some tight, narrow tarmac courses too."
- "That's also interesting."
James - "So, when are the races?"
Ryosuke - "They begin at 6pm and end at 9.30pm."
I'm starting to think that this is gambling. "A $600 investment"? They obviously want to make me gamble. Can the city council sanction this, and expect to get away without any trouble?
-----------------------------------------
The hours passed like minutes. Before we knew it, it was 6pm and we were driving to the track. I was trying to find a radio station that I liked.
(Note: The ~ symbol and italicised writing represents the radio)
~ "And now on Rasta 92.1 is..."
- "No thanks."
I turned the knob.
~ "The liberal media, as always, are having a field day..."
- "Damn, what an ass."
I turned the knob again.
~ "Do you know what it's liked to be stereotyped because you're a feminist?"
- "No, because I'm a man."
You can almost guess what I do next.
~ "And now on Magma 94.2 is Linkin Park with Given Up!"
Hey, this is good...
...but between 1-2 minutes later I accidentally turn the volume way up...just when Chester Bennington was screaming, "Put me out of my 🤬 misery!"
- "ARGH!!! MY EARDRUMS!!!"
James also felt my pain...
James - "Hiroto, you bastard! Why the 🤬 did you turn your radio up so loud!"
...because he had a Bluetooth earpiece in his ear, giving him 140dB of screaming Californian.
Ryosuke just chuckled.
When we got to the registration booth, James gave me a grilling.
James - "My ears are 🤬 ringing!"
- "Sorry, it was an accident!"
I was trying to reach for a cup of Coca-Cola that was in the car's cupholder.
Ryosuke - "I'm glad this didn't happen in New York."
We weren't surprised to see Ryosuke put us in separate races. If we were both in the same race, then although one of us may win $3,000 as well as the $600 we would have originally wagered, the other will lose $600. And it was commonly accepted in the team that I had the better car. It was lighter (I threw out the back seats and substituted many parts with lightweight alternatives) and I had an aftermarket suspension kit. James was going out first. But first, Ryosuke took a laptop out of the trunk of his rental car.
- "What's this about?"
Ryosuke - "This is a lap of the circuit that was filmed last year, by another member of Edospeed."
James - "Who?"
Ryosuke - "Ronnie."
- "Who's Ronnie?"
James - "Ronnie Thompson, Australian. Drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6. Tuned for the touges, although there's not a lot of those in Australia. So, for other races he brings a Evo 4, tuned for circuits with long straights."
- "I think my father's tuned a few of those. He loves Evos, he prefers them to Imprezas. Can't say the same about Tanaka-san."
James - "Huh? Who's he?"
- "My dad's business partner. Me and his daughter, Kazumi, we used to be a couple. I got her into racing. We decided to break it off, we're not the kind of people who like long-term relationships with other people, although cars are a different story. I think she's getting my sister into cars too. My sister used to be begging for a Mazda MX-5 for her 18th, but now she wants a 350Z. Used or new, it doesn't matter."
James - "Ah...I heard that they didn't tune cars?"
- "They do tuning for some customers. Depends on what the customer drives. If it's a Suzuki kei car, forget about it. If it's a GT-R, of course they'll tune it...if the customer wants their car tuned."
Ryosuke - "James, you're racing in 5 minutes. Get your helmet on, get into the car, and go for a warm-up lap."
- "Well, I don't want to...what's the word?"
James - "Jinx?"
- "Yeah, that's it. I don't want to jinx you, so break a leg."
-----------------------------------------

James - "Hmm...this looks winnable."
DB7 driver - "A GT-R R33? Sure, a R35 would have a chance...but a R33? Get outta here!"

James - "They'll run away on the straights...kind of a role reversal from New York against Hiroto."
DB7 driver - "What a cocky guy..."

James - "Damn, the tyres are cold."

By the 2nd corner, though, the DB7 driver wasn't so happy.
DB7 driver - "What the hell?!"

By the hill's summit, James was no longer last.
James - "Ah...my ass..."

James then took 4th at Turn 12.

At the next corner he took 3rd from the Supra.
Supra driver - "The seller said this would beat a Skyline! The idiot!"

Evo driver - "Hmm...that Skyline's catching up. There go my $600, if he's that good."

At Turn 14 James made his move on the Corvette.
Corvette driver - "Dad's gonna be pissed..."

James - "It's only you and me, Evo dude."

Evo driver - "Damn it...he's homing in."
James - "OK asscheeks, brace for impact."

At the top of the hill, he took the lead!
Evo driver - "Adios 6 Benjamin Franklins..."
James - "Adios my lower vertabrae..."

Evo driver - "My girl's gonna burst my eardrums tonight..."

- "I knew he would pull it off."
Ryosuke - "How did you think he was going to do? The boy with the Evo is just that, a boy. He's just finished high school. The driver's entry list had all the entrants' dates of birth, as well as their names and their cars. The driver is a kid. He'll grow into a good driver. I feel that he'll go far."

James - "Ah, victory, it tastes so good."
---------------------------------------
After receiving his cheque from the prize booth, there was a huge grin on James' face.
- "I heard the Evo driver was just a high school graduate."
James - "Yeah, I know. I have a feeling that he'll go far, if he has such an interest - and such skill - at a relatively early age."
---------------------------------------
Ryosuke - "Are you Michael Taylor?"
Michael - "Yeah, why?"
Ryosuke handed Michael $900.
Michael - "What's this for?"
Ryosuke - "I think it would be a shame for you to lose what would most likely be a week and a half's wages."
Michael stood there completely gobsmacked. However, he and Ryosuke weren't the only ones there. There was also the matter of a janitor who was mopping the corridors.
Janitor - "Oh my God, was that a bribe?"
The janitor ran off as fast as his teenage feet could carry him. I can't believe teenagers are that desperate for a job.
Michael - "What was that?"
Ryosuke - "Dammit...don't tell me someone thought I was bribing you!"
Michael - "Well, it does look kinda suspicious."
---------------------------------------
- "That kid..."
I was rudely interrupted by the PA system.
Announcer - "All drivers for race 13, please get in your cars and wait for the warm-up lap in the pit lane."
James - "Break a leg."

 

[DK]

Chapter 13 - A Worthy Opponent​

Breathe in, now breathe out. These are the words I'm repeating to myself. I hear someone knocking on my window. I look up, and I notice that it's James.
James - "A bit of advice, dude...those bumps are murder for your ass."
- "Thanks for the tip."
James - "Relax, man. Your seat's softer than mine. I don't think you'll break your lower vertebrae."
Yeah, I know. But it adds a few kilos to my car's weight. Never mind, it will help when I'm on a bumpy road. It's not meant to be transported from race to race on a trailer.
James - "I have some bad news, though."
- "What?"
James - "Sato-san has been arrested."
- "Don't tell me, he's been mistaken for a fugitive."
James - "No, he's been accused of bribery. Which is probably going to worm its way into some sort of corruption charge."
Bribery? I remember bribery controversies well...Keiko Yamamoto's father has been involved in a few.
----------------------
Cop 1 - "OK, Mr. Sato...I feel a little embarrassed about this..."
Cop 2 - "How about giving us an few autographs?"
Ryosuke - "So you can sell them on eBay?"
Cop 1 - "Yep. Think of it as a quid pro quo or some 🤬."
Ryosuke - "Who should I make it out to?"
Cop 1 - "Uh...1 saying, 'To Mike Sherman'..."
Cop 2 - "And the other saying 'To Jack Bauer'. What, you think I'm serious?! Make it out to 'John Loc-"
Cop 1 - "Stop talking 🤬! My partner's name is Andrew Davis."
Cop 2 - "You're no fun."
Ryosuke - "You gentlemen sure now how to make a quick buck."
Cop 1 - "It's the American Dream, baby."
Ryosuke - "What, making money by underpaying foreign workers?"
Cop 2 - "Damn, you're cynical."
Cop 1 - "And technically you're not a foreign worker."
Ryosuke - "What, because my job isn't joyless? So, how many autographs do you gentlemen need?"
Cop 1 - "We're planning on going to Vegas, baby!"
Ryosuke - "I thought that there would be some monitors here."
Cop 2 - "Relax, man! Wanna smoke?"
Ryosuke - "I gave tobacco up a long time ago."
Cop 2 - "Why, are you chicken? *makes clucking noise*"
Ryosuke - "I lost my brother, Satoshi, to lung cancer in 1990."
Cop 2 - "(sarcastically) Oh, my sympathies."
Cop 1 - "Knock it off, Andrew."
Ryosuke - "So, can we get going with this?"
Cop 2 - "What, you telling us what happened? Sure. To quote Tupac Shakur, I don't give a 🤬."
Ryosuke - "I gave the kid $900, out of my own pocket. He did well, he came 2nd and he's only 17."
Cop 1 - "Why?"
Ryosuke - "I'm sure that after tax, he makes that much in 3 weeks. I don't think it would be fair for him to lose $600, seeing as it would take him so long to scrape the cash together."
Cop 1 - "OK...so it wasn't a bribe?"
Ryosuke - "No. If he had won, he wouldn't need the money I had paid him. If he had not given up a fight to James, and later fell backwards through the field, I wouldn't have paid him."
Cop 1 - "You know...I really don't think this is much of a crime to arrest you for. You're free to go."
Ryosuke - "Well, that was a waste of time."
----------------------------------------------------------------------

- "Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out..."
I needed a calm mind for this. I was going up against some of the best drivers Seattle could throw at me.

- "Damn it, I ran wide!"
OK, I haven't learned the course completely. I guess I have to brake a bit earlier on the next (and last) lap.

- "Well, that's the Corvette out of the way."
Corvette driver - "I can't believe that ricer passed me!"

- "Yes! 4th!"
Aston Martin driver - "Keep two hands on the wheel, dumbass..."

The Aston Martin driver was right, I should keep hands on the wheel...as I scraped my understeering GT-R against the wall.

However, at the next corner, I passed the Aston Martin again.

The next car to fall was the Lotus Esprit.
Esprit driver - "Crap!"

The next opponent was a BMW M3 GTR, which I disposed of easily.
M3 GTR driver - "I don't have the skill to win with this car..."

I didn't notice who was driving the M3.
- "Ha...if I beat the M3 GTR with ease...this is gonna be way easier."

M3 driver - "Hmm...that Skyline...it beat my brother easily. But I'm much more skilled than him."

- "Damn, this is annoying! I thought this would be a piece of cake!"
M3 driver - "You don't recognise me, do you? Maybe it's because I re-sprayed this car."

James - "Damn, if only I knew who the driver was...Ryosuke has the driver list."
- "Hmm...I can beat the M3 under braking...but I can't find a way past here, it's too thin."

I made my move at turn 12.
M3 driver - "Damn und blast...he has the inside line. I'm screwed."

- "Sayonara!"

M3 driver - "You win this round, Hiroto. But this is not my territory."

- "Just try and bring this home, and that's the race over."

M3 driver - "$600 is nothing to me. I've won money elsewhere."

- "Whoo! Banzai!"

- "Hey, the race is over! "
M3 driver - "If I can't lead over the finish line, at least have the courtesy to let me through here...'ladies first' and all that."
---------------------------------------------
James - "Alright, so you'll be here in...how long...20 minutes?! That long?"
Ryosuke ~ "I need to get my rental car, our luggage is in it."
James - "Well, our flight is at 1am...so we should get as much coffee in as possible."
Ryosuke ~ "And end up wetting yourself waiting for the plane to take off?"
James - "I know Hiroto can sleep like a baby on planes."
Ryosuke ~ "I don't understand that saying...does that mean you wake up every hour screaming because you've either wet yourself, or you're very hungry?"
James - "Yeah, talk to you later."
---------------------------------------------
M3 driver - "Was passing me really that hard?"
- "Honestly, Maria, I only managed to beat you under braking."
Maria - "Well, I guess that the idea of women racing drivers isn't a joke."
- "Yeah, my Skyline had its first defeat against a girl."
Maria - "Let me guess...Keiko Yamamoto."
- "How did you know?"
Maria - "Never, ever think that Keiko will not brag about victory on Facebook."
- "She has a Facebook page?"
Maria - "Do you want to know how she got her hands on a TVR?"
- "How?"
Maria - "Well, her uncle lives in Denver. He has a friend who owns a TVR, after hearing about them from Top Gear."
- "You know what I would like to see?"
Maria - "What?"
- "Top Gear vs. Best Motoring."
Maria - "Ha, there was a Top Gear vs. D-Motor special. Top Gear cheated by using their tamed racing driver, The Stig."
- "I've heard of him."
Maria - "He was used as a replacement for this crap driver, his name was James May. He was meant to race against a professional racing driver."
A man approached us. He looked like he was in his early 50s.
Man - "Maria, wir mussen heute gehen." (Maria, we must go now.)
Maria - "Fein. Tschüs, Hiroto." (Fine. See you later, Hiroto.)
I watched them walk off, and then returned to my car. I noticed James was there too, with his car.
James - "We're gonna have to wait here, dude. Sato-san has the luggage."
- "So, what should we do to pass the time?"
James - "Order a pizza...I'm hungry."
- " Sounds like a plan."
We were approached by a young man, probably around 18 years old.
Young man - "Are you guys Edospeed?"
- "The one and only."
Young man - "We have a challenge for you."
I looked over at his car.

Me and James -
Young man - "Yeah, but what does your boss drive?"
- "I'm sure he wouldn't mind teaching you guys to stick to your day jobs with my Skyline."
James - "What, you think Ricer Monthly will pay you handsomely for racing against Ryosuke Sato, a 4-time Formula GT World Champion?"
Young man - "Ryosuke Sato is an old man."
- "Are you referring to his kid? He just got his racing license yesterday, according to Sato-san."
Young man - "We're gonna kick his ass so hard, that he's gonna commit suicide. Isn't that what you guys do when you lose?"
He then laughed like either a crappy Bond villain or Kim Jong-il (although I can't see the difference). After that, there was an awkward silence for about 10 seconds.
Young man - "Ah, 🤬 it. See you around, losers."
He then made an "L" shape with his index finger and his thumb.
Young man - "Losers!"
James - "Screw it, Hiroto, using a comeback is going to be as useless as convincing yourself to drive a Toyota Supra."
- "I hope Sato-san kicks his ass."
James - "Ha...me too."
---------------------------------------------
Feedback would be greatly appreciated. Constructive criticism is absolutely fine by me, as long as you can tell me what I'm doing wrong.
---------------------------------------------

 

[Rykon Zero]

Best driver in Seattle? Obviously haven't raced against David Johnson, and his MR2 of curbstomping.

This is a really good story, I'm looking forward to updates, and I hope you don't mind if I take an idea or two from this? Like the different colored text?

 

[DK]

Chapter 14 - Rental Car Racing​

As soon as Ryosuke arrived, we told him about the challenge from the street punks.
James - "You know the exhaust sounds from earlier?"
Of course, how could we forget?

We suddenly hear the noise of loud, warbling exhausts.
- "That doesn't sound like any stock exhaust to me..."
James - "Sounds more like someone cut off the last 6 inches of an exhaust and replaced it with a coffee tin."

James - "Yeah, I really think that kid's car was one of them."
Ryosuke - "What do those kids have?"
- "I know one of them has a Honda Integra DC2 Type R."
James - "Just give these punks a good ass-kicking with my R33."
Ryosuke - "I don't like overkill techniques. I don't like to use more than what I need."
Ryosuke then walked off, and James left soon after. A few minutes later, he returned with our luggage.
- "Uh...why do you have our luggage?"
Ryosuke - "That 30 kilos or so of luggage acts as ballast. This alters the handling characteristics of the car. I want to experience the Mazda6 as it is."
- "But what would Hertz [Car Rentals] think?"
Ryosuke - "There were some bumpy roads along our road trip. Two trips up that hill at over 150km/h would do as much damage as the whole trip."
James arrived with a Big Mac dripping with ketchup in his right hand.
James - "Did I miss much?"
- "Sato-san's gonna race the punks with the rental car!"
James - "Well, that - the Mazda - is probably worth more than the rest of the field combined."
Ryosuke - "Can you two look after the luggage?"
For a man in his 50s he looked very eager to take on a gang of weed-fueled college dropouts who spend their weekends watching the Fast and the Furious repeatedly.

Just as a side-note, I have to say that Tokyo Drift (Wild Speed X3 over here in Japan) is my secret shame. It had some effect on the local community - kids bought rear-wheel-drives as their first cars instead of front-wheel-drives, usually S13s and S14s.

As I sat down on my suitcase, the smell of James' Big Mac just got too much for my stomach. This is strange. If 10 was the tastiest meal you could ever have, and 1 was the most disgusting, 6 would be a Big Mac.
- "James, can you watch my suitcase for me?"
James - "Sure."

Dammit, where's the nearest fast food restaurant? I spot a KFC just outside the entrance. But my mind is thinking about beef. Bringing a Big Mac into KFC is just going to draw negative attention from the management and I'll probably be thrown out. A hundred metres or so down the road, and I spot a Burger King. Meh, good enough, I would rate a Royale a 7 on the Tasty Scale, so it's tastier than a Big Mac.

Meanwhile...

Ryosuke - "These kids...I can't believe their parents would let them drive such cars...and the music from their cars? Horrible!"
Anything the street punks could have said would be drowned out by a loud techno beat.

Back at Burger King...
Damn, that Coke is cold! I should have asked for less ice, my teeth are really sensitive to cold things. To neutralise that, I take a mouthful of warm, juicy French fries, and my hands are becoming greasier than my face when I was 16. Another bite of the Royale, and I'm full. I grab as much as I can and walk back to the track. I hope I don't turn into one of those super morbidly obese people you see on TV or in a sumo wrestling match.

At the same time, at the track...

CRX driver - *inaudible due to techno music blasting out of the sound system in the trunk/boot at levels which would make you deaf after a few minutes*

Ryosuke - "I can hear that excuse for music from here..."

The Integra driver turned down the sound system just enough for this to be audible:
"That guy's a Formula GT World Champion? Was everyone else driving American muscle?"

"What the 🤬?! Isn't he an old man?! A man who probably wears 🤬 adult diapers!"
Ryosuke - "5 corners and Sato's passed him! Ha, this brings back some good memories."

Up next was the Mitsubishi FTO. I wonder what that stands for.
Ryosuke - "Mitsubishi had one hell of an off-day when they made the FTO. I would have loved to see it as a rival to the Silvia...but sadly it was made to race against the Integra. They're both FF and have similar amounts of horsepower."

BUMP!!!
Ryosuke - "Little punk!"
Yet again, anything the FTO driver could have said was drowned out by techno "music".

The only FR competitor, the RX-7 FC3S, was passed on the hill.
Ryosuke - "I'm not sure he's used to FRs...otherwise he would beat the others...but I'm not so sure how he would do against me. He would probably lose."

Ryosuke then passed an Acura Integra on the straight after the uphill.

The ringleader, the CRX, was passed just before the next corner. The CRX driver screamed so loud it could be heard above the techno music.
CRX driver - "🤬!!!"

The CRX then understeered wildly as its driver tried out-braking Ryosuke. Again, he screamed loudly.
CRX driver - "🤬!!!"
Ryosuke slowed down a bit more than he needed to, to avoid pissing off Hertz.

At the next corner, Ryosuke took the lead back.

Along the back straight, Ryosuke took one last look in the rear-view mirror.
Ryosuke - "Nice try, kids."

He crossed the line just as I returned from Burger King.
James - "Did you have to pay again for admission?"
- "No, I had a ticket in my pocket. Almost dropped my Coke."

After the race...
CRX driver - "Seventy, eighty, ninety, ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine...$3,000. Enjoy your money."
Ryosuke - "Keep it. Sell that CRX, use your refund to buy a good car...and please don't buy a sound system banned in several countries."
CRX driver - "Well...uh...I dunno what to say..."
Integra driver - "Jesus 🤬 Christ, you're giving us our money back?!"
Ryosuke - "I'm rich. $3,000 doesn't mean anything. I'm sorry if I sound like a Lehman Brothers executive, but you need the money more than I do."
Integra driver - "Keep your money, you bastard!"
The CRX driver slapped the Integra driver in the face.
CRX driver - "Show some 🤬 thankfulness, Dave!"
The Integra driver then slapped his team-mate in the face, slapstick style.
Integra driver - "Don't 🤬 slap me you fat 🤬!"
CRX driver - "Uh, I'm the 🤬 boss here Pete you 🤬! I don't think you came 2nd here, did you?"
Integra driver - "That's because I started 5th!"
CRX driver - "And you ended up last...therefore, you're not getting your $600 back!"
This was followed by the Integra driver kicking the CRX driver right in the groin. By then, Ryosuke had returned to the rental car and had put the luggage back in the trunk/boot.
Ryosuke - "Come on, Cathay Pacific won't wait forever."

 

[Rykon Zero]

Heh, beat them all in a rental car. Nice.

Keep up the good work! 👍

 

[Watchman]

Enjoyable chapter. Keep them coming. 👍