Page 21: Clean Slate
Location: Dream Alliance Headquarters, Nurburg, Germany
Time: 6 pm, a month later
Finally... I can breathe. I'm free. My new life can finally start smoothly. Of course my career won't be smooth-sailing with races getting tougher, but you get the idea.
I'm ready to face new challenges, without the past haunting me anymore. I've finally let that go.
A month has passed after our showdown. My injury wasn't that bad, hence recovery was quick. I also returned to my team as well, fulfilling my promise to them.
My next stint would be snow rallying, eh? Chamonix is a nice ski resort, and my late father brought me there only once and he saved up so much for it.
But first... I gotta thank someone. It's not going to be a simple thank you. Hence, with the help of Nina, I managed to locate Dream Alliance's headquarters in Germany. Interestingly, it's situated just a few hundred meters away from the Nurburgring complex.
So that means that they can hone their skills at the Nurburgring at will. Much like I do in Le Mans. The Nordschleife loop, I admit, is a much better training ground.
There...
Yep. This is my token of appreciation. I had it fixed. It would be totally silly for someone with a right conscience, but I think they deserve this, particularly Rob who helped me change my life. I've spent the entire month thinking about it.
Oh... there he is, with his director.
Rob: "What's going on? We're not a gift depository."
Louis: "I know it's downright silly, but you deserve this. I want to start off with a clean slate once again, and this is how I do it. I want to forget the past, like what you said before.
I do hope you can take care of this. That car deserves a better driver, I can't leave it hanging around in the classifieds."
Hiroyuki: "All right. Since you insist, we'll take it. We don't want to sound too arrogant if we decline it. A gift is a gift. It's meant to be given and received."
Louis: "Thank you, sir."
Rob: "Okay. I worked my arse all throughout this, anyway."
Louis: "That's right. Which is why you deserve it. For me, a simple thank you isn't enough."
I then give the key fob to him. Rob briefly looks at it, then closes his fist.
Rob: "Thank you. Let's move on. What will be your next race?"
Louis: "My team will engage in snow rallying in the coming weeks."
Rob: "Hehehehehe..."
Huh? What's he snickering about?
Rob: "We're going to cross paths again."
Rob shows me a Celica Rally Car. Which means, I'm going to clash with them once again, which is exciting.
I only showed a smile as a reaction.
Louis: "Heh. I'm always up with more excitement. Looking forward to our race."
Rob: "Me too. A race season must always be fun. I'd walk away if it's all geek."
Don't worry, Rob. I'll make you sweat like what happened in FIA WEC and Le Mans. I'm sure of it.
************************************************************
Location: Chamonix, France
Time: 11 am, a week later
Whew... I'm glad Dream Alliance took the gift. That car is better off with having drivers like them.
Back to business, then. My team is back on focus. Toru as well.
Stephan: "For our class we've participated on, we're restricted to 350 horsepower. But we're free on the torque figure, hence that's what we've worked on."
Louis: "To be honest though, I haven't raced on a snow-covered track. I'll see to it that I'll conquer it."
Stephan: "That's what I want to hear. I guess we are back on track. Next time, please no crazy stunts? You've worried us too much with your absence."
Louis: "Okay then. I'll stick with you guys. Besides, this team makes me feel I have a new family."
However, I hear footsteps coming. When I look back, it's a very familiar face.
Sebastien Loeb.
Loeb: "Finally, we've met."
Toru: "Seriously, you two look like twins."
Loeb: "Hehehehe... agree! I'm always eager to meet Louis Montagny."
Louis: "Pleasure to meet you."
I reached out my hand. As we shake hands, it's genuine... having a positive feel to it. Loeb is indeed a driver of a different caliber, but he's very accommodating.
Loeb: "Looking forward to race you soon. I must say, your Subaru is a tough contender. See you at the championship."
Toru: "Wait a minute..."
Then we hear someone calling out for him.
Loeb: "Oh sorry I must go. I have something to do at the moment. We'll talk some other day."
That was brief. But hey, I don't feel that much intimidated, at least for now. But something's off...
...his voice left a trail. He could mean something serious.
Stephan: "The car is ready for practice, Louis! You can set off now."
Without much stalling, I suit up and put my helmet on. Here goes.
Redview in Canada also experiences snow, but most of its roads aren't covered in snow, just slippery like a typical wet surface.
In short, I haven't gone all out in a snow-covered surface.
But the Impreza's 4WD gives me confidence already. And the turbo kicks in instantaneously. No lag at all. Rally cars are meant to be like that, am I right?"
Hey, it isn't that bad at all. In fact, I'm starting to enjoy driving on snow. No wonder 4WDs are a strong sell in North America.
Maybe it's time to take a break from circuit racing and racing cars, and let the sliding frenzy begin.
The haunting is over. I've finally moved on. My mind, heart, and body are ready for the challenges ahead!
In the midst of joyride, however, I hear another loud car coming. Its cries are fast approaching. What is it?
It's fast!
And then it lined up on my side. It's a Citroen C4, souped-up for rallying too.
Let's play for a bit. Playing all alone can get awkward sometimes. Whoever you are, show me what you got.
End of Page 21
Yuki's in deep 🤬.
