World Grand Prix Championship 11 - series complete

[Liventia]

Welcome to the RP thread for the 11th NationStates World Grand Prix Championship. This season, seven constructor teams and three WGPC Organisation works teams are taking part in the championship.

Listed by car number (based on championship standings based on past performance where appropriate), here is the list of teams:

Carvenlo Motor Racing (LEN)
#1 Matthew Portland (LEN)
#2 Jai Kardaeri (STB)
#T Sotil Morua (ASG)

Postbank Synergent Feria (PAC)
#3 Rado Semarche (PAC)
#4 Xabier Overtoon (NTH)
#T Seamus Donaghue (LEN)

RBK-Continental Racing (AST)
#5 Thomas Colson (AST)
#6 Marie Pitkanen (AST)
#T Jie Hui Tan (MAP)

Team Revél-Celstar (KSK)
#7 Jason Evans (KSK)
#8 Edward Masterson (CYG)
#T Andrea McIntyre (KSK)

Yogutz Lantzia (ASG)
#9 Enaut Londoso (ITB)
#10 Marc Rangneri (WDN)
#T Nauja Panigoniak (BAF)

Obeveklig-Farautoo (PIS)
#11 Vitaliy Aaltonen (PIS)
#12 Lukas Forbes (LIC)
#T Johannes Fagerholm (PIS)

Vilita & Turori Motorsports (VIL)
#14 R.L. Cruisin (VIL)
#15 Stang Crax (FLC)
#T Generoso Ramírez (FRF)

WGPC Motorsport Works One
#16 Karl Shumertstak (CYB)
#17 Daniel Freldra (BLO)
#T Gaspard Villemarie (SCM)

WGPC Motorsport Works Two
#18 Ludwig Leviossa (WRK)
#19 Jordan Dalante Saceta (CLT)
#T Alexander Tingis (EFL)

WGPC Motorsport Works Three
#20 iBen Toralmintii (TUR)
#21 Donal O'Connell (ANC)
#T Ryan Milner (BRP)

This season's calendar is as follows:

1. Iturributa Street Circuit (Iturributan Grand Prix)
2. Talbott Autodrome (Grand Prix of Liventia)
3. AutoRingPacitalia (Grande Premio di Pacitalia)
4. Eysturoy Motorbana (Polarian Grand Prix)
5. Circuit Jacques Strappe (Grand Prix du Kelssek)
6. Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course (Vilitan Grand Prix)
7. Hessington Island Course (Hessington Island Grand Prix)
8. Azure Harbour Circuit (Starblaydi Grand Prix)
9. Circuit d'Ad’ihan (Grand Prix d'Ad’ihan)
10. New Athens Autodrome (Grand Prix of Camwood)
11. Moss-Clark Circuit (Babbage Islands Grand Prix)
12. Ballyfeeaknock International Circuit (Aer Ancharine Tynealan Grand Prix)

This season's official testing calendar is as follows:

1. Folenisa Street Circuit (preseason)
2. Silver Coast Autodrome (after GP Pacitalia)
3. Riverston International Circuit (after GP Kelssek)
4. Cheston Park Circuit (after GP Ad’ihan)

This season's rules
There will be one qualifying session per race, during which drivers may run up to 12 timed laps. Drivers must start the race on the tyres with which the fastest lap was set.

Each race event will consist of a practice session, a qualifying session and a race session. Each test event will involve drivers making 20 timed laps in practice format on each circuit.

Each practice session will involve all factory team second drivers and test drivers, as well as all works team drivers, but not lead drivers for factory teams. They will have 120 minutes to set up to 27 timed laps of each circuit (adjusted accordingly per circuit).

A single qualifying session lasting 60 minutes, during which drivers can set up to ten flying laps, will be used to determine race start positions.

Points system: Points will be awarded to the top eight drivers, 25–18–13–10–7–4–2–1. There will be three championships this year: a drivers' championship, a teams' championship (for which the three WGPC works teams are eligible separately), and a constructors' championship (in which the three WGPC works teams will accumulate points for a single entry).

Finishing: All drivers who complete at least 90% of race distance, rounded up to a full lap, will be considered to be a "classified finisher".

Race distance: All race distances are a minimum of 305 km. The number of laps is calculated by 305 km divided by the track distance, rounded up to a full lap.

Fuelling: There is to be no refuelling during races.

Tyre changes: All teams must use at least two sets of tyres in each race in dry conditions, on different tyre compounds.

RP bonus: RP bonus is applied directly to driver attributes. Users with teams will RP for their teams and gain bonus for both active drivers. Users with drivers will RP only for their drivers (but not for the team they sign for) and gain bonus for their driver. If their driver is an active driver they will also gain a small bonus to the team.

Free-agent pool:

• Claudia Jones (BZM) 1-2-2
• Juan Kermit (DAR) 2-1-2
• Pedro Delip-Koki (AXP) 2-2-1
• Keith Winton (RKQ) 3-1-1
• Daisuke Sakabara (RNM) 1-2-2
• Jason Fike (LRI) 2-2-1
• Brandon Ross (CMW) 1-2-2
• Horatio Mario Hernandez (YSP) 1-1-3
• Immanuel Josef Bach (TAE) 1-2-2
• Atena Sierra (FNC) 2-2-1

Estimated schedule, subject to change at short notice or with the addition of more races:
*All dates UTC

November	December	January
3/11 Iturributan GP practice 4/11 Iturributan GP qualifying 5/11 Iturributan GP race 8/11 GP Liventia practice 9/11 GP Liventia qualifying 10/11 GP Liventia race 13/11 GP Pacitalia practice 15/11 GP Pacitalia qualifying 16/11 GP Pacitalia race 17/11 Silver Coast Autodrome test session 20/11 Polarian GP practice 22/11 Polarian GP qualifying 23/11 Polarian GP race 26/11 GP Kelssek practice 27/11 GP Kelssek qualifying 29/11 GP Kelssek race	3/12 Riverston International Circuit test session 6/12 Vilitan GP practice 7/12 Vilitan GP qualifying 8/12 Vilitan GP race 11/12 Hessington Island GP practice 13/12 Hessington Island GP qualifying 14/12 Hessington Island GP race 18/12 Starblaydi GP practice 19/12 Starblaydi GP qualifying 20/12 Starblaydi GP race [Break for Christmas holidays]	5/01 GP Ad’ihan practice 6/01 GP Ad’ihan qualifying 7/01 GP Ad’ihan race 8/01 Cheston Park Circuit test session 10/01 GP Camwood practice 11/01 GP Camwood qualifying 12/01 GP Camwood race 14/01 TBI GP practice 15/01 TBI GP qualifying 17/01 TBI GP race 19/01 Tynealan GP practice 20/01 Tynealan GP qualifying 21/01 Tynealan GP race (end of season)

[Calitma]

"I got will and I got faith. I believe you can will yourself in anything and do anything. Faith is believing in something. Man that's like having a good disease. It's contagious, if you hang around with people who have it their gonna catch it, and its gonna change theirs and yours attitude." Thats the line I always heard from my older Brother John. He was always speaking in philosophical terms whenever I had a problem. He was always there, and he always helped me along the way. Now He is gone, gone forever, because I pushed him into racing me.

You see, my name is Jordan Dalante Saceta. I am the middle child between my brother John and my sister Sophia. All three of us grew up in the poorer districts of town in which are family lived. My father, the breadwinner in the family, works at the steel plant in town. He's worked there for over 25 years. He was always clear against my brother and I racing, never liked the idea. My Mother, she raised all of us from day one. Mix that with taking care of the house and I say she had the toughest job in the country. My sister Sophia managed to marry into money, and now works as a doctor at the Franco General Hospital, she is by far the smartest of the three children, and now that I think about it, was never dropped on her head like me and John. Then there is me and my Brother John, the two troublemakers in the family. Both of us had dropped out of High School. Both of us were never really good at the school thing anyway, but there was one good thing we were good at. Racing.

Street Racing at that. You see, after we both dropped out of school, we discovered be both had an uncanny knack for driving fast. John was always better though, he had more experience than I. He also had more sense in his head. Because of Calitma not having a formal racing league, and our family in need of money, we decided to turn to the one good thing we were good at to make the money. Underground Street Racing. Within 5 years of us beginning, we had come to be known as The Brothers Speed. Throughout the country we were known as the best racers there was. But there was only one question on everybody's mind. Who was the best? Well, everybody's mind except for John's of course. The person who wanted to know the most was of course me. Which led to that night.

After much persuasion on my part, I was finally able to convince John to race me heads up, to finally find out who was the best. Before we raced, we both did last second check-ups on the cars, and everything appeared right. Finally it was time to race, to find out who was the best, to prove myself to the world! The Cloth hit the ground, and we took off. John had the lead on me, but I quickly caught up to him, about 3/4 through the race. I passed him, and never looked back. I had one the race. I was the best. Then I noticed that Johns car hadn't crossed the finish line. I finally looked back to see where he was. His car was in pieces, and a crowd had gathered around to call 911 and assist him. By the time I got to his cars remains, he was gone.

According to his car mechanics, he had low pressure in his right front tire prior to the race, but John chose to race because there wasn't enough time to change the tire. It was all my fault. My brother was gone, and my family hated me for it. I swore I was done with racing forever. Three months later, a man arrived at my front door of my one room shack. He said he had something to give me from John's will. In his possession was a letter which read, its time you show your talents to the world, love your Big Bro. Also attached was a check for the entrance fee for the WGPC. John, gone, still had one last trick up his sleeve to make me race. 2 days later, I was an official free agent driver in the WGPC. Now I sit on my couch waiting, hoping to recieve a call from some team, even for a test driver spot. Now, I was not racing alone out there. I knew, as soon as I stepped into that car, my brother would be there with me.

[Baffin Island]

Nauja Panigoniak checked the mail. All junk, no bites. Then she looked at her chequebook and her frown deepened. I always knew it would come to this. A resume doesn't mean much in this business, and even if they actually look at the video driving at a place like Iqaluit will impress exactly nobody.

She sifted once more through a stack of papers, random clippings, media releases, magazine reviews, pictures. Everything she could find about the seven F1 factory teams. There'll be some works teams, too, and a better chance for a rookie like me to break in. I'll keep my ears open. But factory teams run better equipment with deeper support. Be smart, girl, go for a factory ride first.

The chequebook, as it so often did, forced her hand. To get seen by the decision makers I have to go to them. That's international travel, expensive. I might be able to get to three places if they're close to each other. Yogutz Lantzia and Obeveklig-Farautoo are both based in Rushmore, and both have two openings right now. The rumours say that O-F are already negotiating with one more driver, can't help that.

Unconsciously she ran her fingers through her dark brown hair. It looks better longer, but long hair is hell under a helmet. One more pass through the stack was interrupted by a brochure fluttering out of reach. She retrieved the errant paper, then looked again. The newest Feria car. A really balanced machine. Postbank Synergent Feria have both their main drivers, but I'd love to test that one. Is Pacitalia close to Rushmore?

And slowly her itinerary took shape. Astograth. Polar Islandstates. Then Pacitalia, and if need persisted and money held a side trip to Vilita. Maybe that will be enough to land a ride, or at least get some attention. Word has a way of getting around if I get them to look at me.

And if all else fails there's always dirt-tracking back home.

[Sicoutimont]

Gaspard Villemarie sat back down on the red couch. Sicoutimont's top Grand Prix driver had been waiting around in his agent, Jean-Paul Sarouner's office for what seemed like hours. The time was now 2:34; the appointment was scheduled for 1:45. He had heard Sarouner was a tardy person, but almost 1 hole hour? No one can be that late. Finally, Sarouner breezed through the door.

"Bonjour, my friend!" he stated.
"Hello, JP. If I may ask, what took you so long?" replied Villemarie
"Oh, I do apologize, I had a meeting with another client, you wouldn't know him." said Sarouner.
"OK, so here's the deal: How do I get signed by a big-name team in the circuit?" Gaspard jumped in.
"Patience, mon ami. Time must be taken, you probably won't be signed by a top team; if at all."
If at all. Villemarie's face sank, his words came out depressed:
"What you mean, 'if at all?' I should be signed, there appear to be lots of empty seats available!"
"Yes, but there are also many other free agents, competing for that same seat."
"Well, I'll just need to show the other teams that I'm the best free agent driver!"
"Yes, precisley. However, it won't be easy: these teams are the best in the world, mon ami. We need to start talking to teams already, to secure you a ride. We must be timely, mon ami, we don't have much time. I'll call you tomorrow to discuss a strategy. See you later."

And with that, Sarouner breezed out of the room almost as quickly as he had come in. Less than 5 minutes after they had started, the meeting was over. Sarouner hadn't made a good impression on the Sicoutian driver...

[Asteran]

RBK-Continental Returns To Grand Prix Racing
by Marcus Wellstone for ABC Sport

Kirano- The RBK-Continental Racing Team have announced their return to the World Grand Prix Championship for the second straight season. The team made the announcement at the Kirano Auto Show before unveiling their car and drivers.

"We are privileged to be returning to the championship," said team principal Jason Southwick. "Our first attempt was a good learning experience, and we feel that we have developed an effective design and training programme that will lead us to a better showing this time out."

The drivers selected for the team, Thomas Colson and Marie Pitkanen, both bring excellent racing resumes with them. Colson has won two Asteran GT Championship titles with Arco Racing and Continental Racing, while Pitkanen won the inaugural Asteran GP Championship, claiming five of the eight races on the schedule for Northland Motorsports. The team also confirmed that they were in talks with various test drivers, but did not make any further comment.

"It is a great opportunity to represent not only Continental, but also Asteran on the world stage," said Colson at the press conference. "You always dream of racing against the world's best, and I'm honored to have the opportunity to do that."

"I never thought that I would get the call so quickly," said Pitkanen. "They brought me in after I won the GP title and basically said 'You're on the team.' That blew me away. I just want to do the best I can and represent the team well."

The car, the CR3, was introduced by Sir Jules DeMorgan at the unveiling. "It is a marvel of engineering and the refinements we have made to it based on what we have learned in previous championships have made it a fantastic car. I believe it is a car that will beat the rest of the world.”

Also attending the launch were representatives of the major sponsors, the Royal Bank of Kirano, Fulbright Labs, and Falkirk, the tire supplier. "RBK is proud to continue our sponsorship of this team as it not only represents Continental, but Asteran as a whole. We wish them the best in this new season and hope that it is a successful one," said Rena Lewis, the RBK representative.

"Fulbright has had a long history of sponsoring racing in Asteran, so we are extremely proud to be sponsoring the GP team," said Fulbright Labs representative John Tamlen. "We are looking forward to building our relationship with the team and expanding our brand worldwide."

The Falkirk representative, Phil Sherman, was equally upbeat: "Falkirk has supplied tires to every major championship in Asteran, and we are proud to be supplying tires to the GP team once again."

The first race is at the Iturributa Street Circuit in Iturributa.

[Astograth]

Introducing... the 11th World Grand Prix Championship!

Are you ready for another thrilling season of World Grand Prix racing?! We know you are, because Olibondeka can't keep you busy 24/7 (unless you work for them, in which case stop slacking and go win the World Cup). This time it will be extra special, becuase for the past ten seasons of the World Grand Prix Championship, Astograthian fans have been forced to watch from a distance, travelling to the farthest corners of the globe to see foreign drivers and teams compete in the fastest racing series of them all, having to content themselves with the domestic Formula Astograth... but not anymore!

The dairy giants of Yogutz have paired up with sports car manufacturer and successful Formula Astograth competitor Lantzia to compete as the first Astograthian team in the WGPC. Their début car will be the Lantzia L1 650, a carbon fibre beast painted in the white and red of Rushmore's favourite yoghurt. Extensively tested to be as competitive as any other, the suspension has been designed with a double wishbone arrangement, and the transmission is a seamless shift mechanism with seven forward gears and one reverse. The car's roar is provided by a Lantzia naturally aspirated 90° V8 engine equipped with an all-new kinetic energy recovery system (KERS), while Petromok supplies the team with high performance unleaded fuel and Neaskor provides its Behar tyres. Other sponsors include electronic giants Astek and telecommunications company Dukomm.

Enaut Londoso's subversive helmet

Who dares drive this monster, you ask?! The answer is... less than clear and even less satisfactory at the moment, really. The only confirmed competitor is Enaut Londoso, Formula Astograth drivers' champion with Lantzia; quite frankly a disappointing choice considering his insistence that he is not Astograthian but "Iturributan", continuing to assert the independence of the illegal "Free Republic". Very unfortunate for him to be representing the first Astograthian team in the WGPC.

A far better choice would have been Sotil Morua, also a Formula Astograth drivers' champion, though with the Barrertze team. His various scraps with Lantzia are well-known, but neither side saw fit to put an end to their bickering and unite for the glory of the Grand Duchy, leaving Morua to grovel for a drive at Team Revél-Celstar, Vilita & Turori Motorsports, one of the three WGPC works teams or - shudder - the Polarians of Obeveklig-Farautoo. To not get a racing seat would be quite a let down for him, though at least there are plenty of vacancies for third drivers. And wherever he goes, he will always find support at The Rumiatzi Sentinel! For the time being, Lantzia is on the lookout for convincing foreigners to come in as second and third drivers, but it will take a fair bit to impress us olive-eating, castle-loving all-Astograthians. Applicants will be closely evaluated, interviewed and tested at the demanding Akialden Ducal Autodrome outside the city of Lermendia, site of one of the most traditional races in local motorsport.

Finally, the race calendar is exciting and varied, with a number of classic circuits revisited and new ones yet to be tried out... except for the very first, which just so happens to be Enaut Londoso's home race. That's right, the extremely unsafe Iturributan street circuit has illegaly applied and been accepted by the Organisation, discarding the much better bids from the classic Astograthian tracks of Lermendia and Gorpegi, leaving local fans having to cross over into that wretched northern province to see a race. That Iturributa is inexplicably part of the Formula Astograth calendar is enfuriating enough; to have it validated and promoted by an international organisation is a blatant attack on Astograthian sovereignty. We hope it gets sorted out by next season, but for now it's on. At least we can expect a win for Lantzia there, what with Enaut Londoso as the most winningest driver in the Grand Prix's history.

[Warkus]

"You've got to get out there and communicate" said Hariuoyn Von Sarno, the former teammate of Ludwig Leviossa in the World Grand Prix 10 Challenge Feeder Series. "Yeah, man. You ain't gonna get a ride if you just sit there, talk to some teams!" said Vliad Mos, another familiar face from the same series. Leviossa was incredibly worried about being selected for a team. Many other free-agents were looking to race, and there'd be 19 drivers without a contract. Despite finishing 5th at the feeder series, Leviossa had no idea whether he'd be picked up or not.

The voices kept ringing in his head. He only finished 5th in the feeder series. 5th. Surely no one would want a feeder-level driver who finished 5th? They'd only want the best. Despite that, no other free-agent had experience in the feeder-series, so maybe Leviossa would be a good choice? Who knows, who cares. Former-teammates had offered to vouch for him if he were to contact teams or be offered a contract. The signing period had just begun, however, so he could do little to attract interest to himself by contacting teams.

His agent said that he'd try to contact as many teams as he could, looking for the best contract possible. He had experience, so he was a likely signing. Leviossa doubted that, though. He was very cynical and tended to figure that teams would want an inexperienced driver, to see if he was a hidden gem. It's not like Leviossa was old though, he was pretty young for a driver.

His worry wasn't getting a bad contract or anything, though. It was just getting one in the first place. He loved open-wheel racing, it was incredible, nothing felt quite like it. Of course, he dabbled in touring championships and dirt racing, but he didn't take to it. There was nothing, nothing at all, that was as exhilarating as those cars. The speed, the raw-power, the vomit-inducing moments when he first tried it out.

He just sat there, waiting for some news, waiting for a team. Waiting for a car. He heard his phone ringing in the background, who cares? It's probably nothing important. Oh, look, it was his agent. Probably telling him some story about how he failed to get any meetings with teams for now, about how he'd eventually get one, and about how he just had to be more patient. No, it was nothing like that.

"You've got yourself a couple meetings in the upcoming days, clear your schedule, and stop being so goddamn hard on yourself."

...Yes. Yes. He didn't even care who it was from, or what the teams were considering for him. He felt amazing, it was if he was already in the car, already racing. Nothing else mattered at that point, he would have a chance at racing in the 11th World Grand Prix Championship. His turn at the wheel had arrived. It was his turn to begin his career, his legend.

It was his turn to make history

[Mapletish]

The Maplish Driver, Fact-File

Name; Jie Hui Tan
Gender ; Female ♀
Age; 20
Nationality; Mapletian
Teams Driven For: Home United GP [2010-2011]
Local Race Circuit Titles Won: 6
Overall Driver Championship Titles Won: 0

Coming on board to the 11th World Grand Prix Championship, Mapletish is now on the verge of its median debut to the World Grand Prix Championships. Despite having a Grand Prix Championship back in Mapletish with a number of world class race tracks, drivers and teams, the Mapletish Sports Federation (MSF) has decided against sending a team over to the World Grand Prix Championships. However Maplish fans wouldn't have to be angry of this situation as the MSF has agreed to send a free agent driver to the championships instead of a track to the Championships.

Many would have expected 3 time Overall Driver Championship driver Gottlieb Gero to take this chance to compete for the Championships itself, however Jie Hui Tan, a relative newcomer to the Grand Prix came into the selection instead and what shapes are out to be different from other drivers is the fact that she is one of the most exciting prospects of the Mapletish GPC. At 20 years old, she was the youngest women driver to race in the Mapletish GPC and the youngest women driver to win a race circuit title. She made her debut in the GP scene at the age of only 19 years and 8 months as she drove for Home United GP for her first two seasons in the Mapletish GPC.

She is one of the most noticeable drivers on the pit as she is the only driver to sport a purple car, and the only driver with a purple overall and helmet to complete the purple edition of the driver. The Punder M300, a carbon fibre princess of the track painted with the abbreviations HUGP in white to identify it to be a Home United car. Made to Jie Hui's preference which featured complex handling mechanism and although the car is heavier than most cars of her counterparts, it was "the finest machine driven by her" as she commented to the press after her sixth race circuit title. Fitted with the Medac developed V8 engine equipped with heat reduction system and energy recovery system to increase its reliability on the track.

When asked by the press whether she would be able to adapt to her new environment in another team, she phrased out her concerns, "It will certainly be difficult for me the adapt into another team especially the pressure of the race and high demands of all the teams in the race. I think it would be quite difficult for me to find a team which will accept my free-tuning of cars and believe in my driving philosophy of *Handling to Win*. However I would count my steps as I progress and not think too far or too much into the future as to me it is unforeseeable and anything can happen. I would just focus on fine tuning my skills and get noticed by the teams and that is that."

[Eastfield Lodge]

Driver Factfile:

Name: Alexander Tingis
Age: 38
International Career: No championships; Twice runner-up in the Nationstates Grand Prix (III and IV); participated in the Whittoria racing championship prior to NSGP.
Domestic Career: 8 titles

Tingis was sitting with his agent, a situation not many people, including himself, thought he'd find himself in again, not after what happened in NSGP IV, losing out to Gary Cook for the second time in as many seasons, and the accident at the Port Lodgertia street circuit, where he nearly lost his life. He thought that was it, announcing his retirement at the end of the season, but he just couldn't get away from the racing scene, still getting involved at local races one way or another. So much so that when his agent contacted him about the new WGPC season, Tingis had to stop himself agreeing to it immediately. But after speaking to many people about it, he agreed to sign up as a free agent, as there wasn't a local team ready for this at the time.

A couple of weeks later, and back to the present. Alex was with his agent, and former mechanic, John Gandens, discussing what to do about Tingis' current free agent status. So far, they'd gone as far as "Be proactive and make contact wit the teams themselves.", but not much beyond that, including who to talk to. John was keen on him talking only to the teams that could offer a racing seat, but Tingis didn't mind who he signed for, as long as he signed for someone.

John: "But that means you might not get to drive at all. I thought getting you to race again was what this was all about."

Tingis: "It is, but I know I'm getting old and can't keep coming back to racing. I'm staying on the domestic circuit anyways, but I'm keen to find out whether there is still a place for me internationally, or whether I'm not good enough for this anymore. Which is why I don't mind getting a place as a test driver. I can still influence things from the background, help out the drivers if need be. I'm still involved in racing, just not as much as I initially hoped for."

John: "Whatever you say. But I'm still going to hold out for a racing seat for you, no matter what you say."

Tingis: "Do that, but at least get me a place if racing fails."

[Licentiapacisterra]

Licentian Rally Car Championship (LRCC) Factfile – Lukas Forbes

Name – Lukas Alexander Forbes Jr.
Age – 27
Birthplace – Hessington Island, St Bartholomew’s Parish, Licentiapacisterra
Qualifications – 7 seasons of participation in LRCC, 6 LRCC title, 2 seasons of participation in LGPC (Licentian Grand Prix Championships), 2 LGPC titles

Lukas Forbes didn’t love racing. He lived racing. One of the most talented racers in the history of the Licentian islands, it was only a matter of time before he headed to the big boys of the World Grand Prix Championships. And why not ?? From the age of 14, he had raced in the annual Hessington Island Rally Race, and graduated to full LRCC participation when he was 18, the youngest ever man to do so. While he didn’t win the title in his first year, he has won a title in every season of every championship he has competed in since. Here was a man who deserved to join the big time.

He was a patient man. So, as you would expect, he waited until he was sure he was ready. Exactly six months ago today, he had spoken to his agent, and father, Lukas Forbes Sr., and told him that he was ready to head to the WGPC. His father agreed, and immediately sent a letter to WGPC HQ to say that Lukas would join the free agent pool for the Championships’ 11th season.

Rumours had already flown around. The Polarian team, Obeveklig-Farautoo, had expressed an interest, or at least that’s what had been leaked to the media, whether it was true or not. Lukas had never been a particularly bright kid on anything apart from the track, so he looked up Polar Islandstates on the internet. The only thing he could gather was that it was cold up there. Bloody freezing, as Lukas put it when speaking to his father. He wasn’t particularly bothered by cold weather, but he wasn’t thrilled when he found out. He’d keep the option open, but he wouldn’t be adverse to moving somewhere else.

Preferably warm.

[Warkus]

Artist's depiction of Ludwig Leviossa.

FACTFILE: Ludwig Leviossa

Name: Ludwig Leviossa
Age: 23
Nationality: Warku
Career: 5th place in the 10th WGPC Feeder Series, 4 Domestic Titles

After last season's results in the WGPC Feeder Series, Ludwig Leviossa is looking to get a ride in the big-bad World Grand Prix Championships. Finishing 5th in what was arguably an uncompetitive car, it should be obvious by now that Leviossa might have what it takes. Not only this, but the sole reason he didn't ride in last season was because his team was denied the chance to participate, being taken to the feeder series because of their lack of cash and history. (Which proved to be fatal to Duorno Vio F1, ending up bankrupt.)

Many suspect that Leviossa will be one of the free-agents to be offered a racing seat, with rumours already flying around about talks with Team Revél-Celstar, Obeveklig-Farutoo and Vilita & Turori Motosports. Of course, these may prove to be nothing more than rumours and myths. With the unpredictable nature of the WGPC, Leviossa may not even be offered any seat at all. With these teams being the best in the world, Leviossa is already making his way out to impress them, scheduling a few track meets at the Warkus Cenedlaethol Cylchdaith.

According to the press, Ludwig had already made his decision to enter the WGPC a long time ago. He had obtained special permission to practice with the old Duorno Vio F1 car and spent some time filling in for drivers in domestic competitions. Every armchair racer in Warkus has waited to see him drive with the big-boys, waited to see him obtain true glory. It was only a matter of time before he would attract interest. Or would he? There were plenty of other competent drivers looking for a spot.

Only time could tell.

[Liventia]

Reports: WGPC to run free agent test session

Folenisa, LIVENTIA— The World Grand Prix Championship Organisation is to organise a test session for free-agent drivers ahead of formal negotiations, reports say.

The test session is expected to be held at the Folenisa Street Circuit, pending approval from the local council.

WGPCO chief Simon Allswell said all 29 drivers officially registered with the WGPC Organisation currently without race seats would each be provided with a pit crew and a WGPC Motorsport works car for the test.

"Drivers will each do up to 20 timed laps," Allswell said. "They will be ranked by fastest lap as well as combined time, and we're hopeful that the drivers who prove their worth will gain an advantage in negotiations with teams for open race and test driver seats."

(OOC: This will be scorinated in approximately 24 hours' time.)

[Vilita]

VTF1 Invites 10 Drivers to Trial at Mountain Challenge Course

Vilita & Turori Motorsports has invited 10 Free Agent Drivers to a 1-Day Trial session at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course where team officials will looks to decide who will occupy the two remaining slots in the Vilita & Turori Motorsports Roster for the upcoming 11th World Grand Prix Championships.

Initial reports had indicated that Vilita & Turori Motorsports were heavily favoring the signing of Falcania's Stang Crax as their second race driver in order to take the chance to tape into the resources of the Nation of Falcania and the potential of a lucrative sponsorship deal with Falcania's Jay Industries. Changing tides in Falcania, however, have seen Jay Industries separate themselves into an almost commercial state of their own, putting doubts on the possibility of Jay Industries backing a team with Crax as the driver.

Another surprising report linked Eastfield Lodge's Alexander Tingis with the seat. While Tingis' rival Gary Cook is not expected to be in the picture for the World Grand Prix Championships season, it is still a surprise to see Tingis' name linked with a potential move to a team based in Vilita due to the fierce motorsport rivalry between the two nations.

Both Crax and Tingis were included in the invitation to the private testing session at the Mountain Challenge Course that will be led by track specialist iBen Toralmintii, who, himself, will be auditioning for a seat alongside R.L. Cruisin, Vilita & Turori Motorsports first choice driver at the wish of primary sponsor Vilaye energy drinks. Cruisin is a talented but youthful driver who will certainly have an opportunity to learn throughout the season.

In addition to the drivers from Eastfield Lodge and Falcania, 7 other invitations were sent out for the special trial session at the Mountain Challenge Course. Ludwig Leviossa, an aerodynamically challenged driver whose head is larger than his body, was impressive during the World Grand Prix Challenge feeder series, finishing a respectable 5th despite driving inferior equipment, and proving that the unconfirming body shape issue could be overcome. The driver from Warkus would get a chance to impress, if they decided to show up, at the Mountain Challenge Course.

The other invitations were sent to Sotil Morua of Astograth, Lukas Forbes of Licentiasperra, Seamus Donaghue of Liventia, Johannes Fagerholm of the Polar Islandstates, Jordan Dalante Saceta of Calitma and Donal O'Connell of Ancharmunn.

The Vilita & Turori Motorsports staff will have to think hard about the types of drivers they want on their roster. Favorites Crax and Leviossa, as well as Astograth's Sotil Morua, all have similar driving styles to VTF1's R.L. Cruisin which will make setting up the car easier as the drivers will be able to share information more directly. However, there will be little to no room for improvement or alternate ideas of the likes that could be provided by iBen Toralmintii, Seamus Donaghue or Lukas Forbes who share a driving style radically different than that of Cruisin. The uncertainty could be a leg up for Tingis, who has a similar passion and Style to Cruisin with a little more experience and patience.

The trial at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course will last for one day only, with a meet & greet over breakfast in the morning followed by two warmup sessions before lunch. Drivers will have the opportunity to suggest changes to the cars, which will all be provided by Vilita & Turori Motorsports, after each session.

The drivers will then break for a working lunch where they will have an open forum to discuss the track and the vehicles, and how to improve their speeds prior to the time trial session that will begin following lunch.

There will be a final 3 hour session following the time trials. Prior to the final session, the drivers will be polled to see if they would like the final session to be a simple practice session, or treated as a race. The drivers will be warned prior to the final session that, should they choose to compete, they will be responsible for all damages to the Vehicle resulting from accidents or off-course excursions. Vilita & Turori Motorsports will be responsible for any mechanical issues that should arise.

The Trial will occur the day after the official drivers test session at the Folenisa Street Circuit. Invitations may be retracted, or extended to additional drivers based on performance at the session.

Vilitan Mountain Challenge Grand Prix Course
Acceleration: 8
Cornering: 2
Track Length: 3.14 Miles
Track Record: N/A

The Grand Prix modification of the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course is a new addition to the facility in the picturesque region of Vilitan right overlooking the waters of Atlantian Oceania. Acceleration and Mechanical Power will be the name of the game on much of the course, but the addition of the Grand Prix boot to the infield will give those with the ability to make maneuvers in tight spaces a chance to shine.

[Cyborg Holland]

Shumerstak wins in formidable style, Volatile Shumerstak wins in imperious form, Shumerstak 'to be the best'. The headlines said it all, Karl Shumerstak was a very talented driver, treating the car as it were part of him, and extended part of his body.

Karl Edwin Shumerstak was born in the small country town of Liedel, 250 miles outside of New Amzterdam. His mother, a shop owner, and her father, a farmer, we're often absent from Karl's adolescent life, and he was often drawn into trouble. He was once arrested for shoplifting when he was 16, and warned by the police for joyriding in his fathers sports car. He first got into a car, legally, at 15, and showed a natural aptitude for it instantly. He was spotted by the Cyborg Holland Touring Car team Anzdal Incorporated and draw into their three-man team. His two team mates were two somewhat legends of the domestic circuit, Varn de Leëd & Mikael Olson, and they educated him well in the art of keeping his temper and controlling the road. A fine balance between anger and composure.

That's certainly what Shumerstak intended to do in all races, but sometimes, especially when the opposition tried to wind him up, he could lose his temper and strike out. He was disqualified from three out of the 15 in the season in his debut, and banned for the first two races of the season for deliberately knocking an opposition car off the track. However, over the last two seasons, he has controlled his temper and has becomes more controlled, and that has only excelled his driving ability. He came second in the third season, and won the fourth, and is currently second in the standings with four races to go, but they include his two best tracks, which he is unbeaten on, Eindhoven GPC & Brullik de Seer GPC. He will look to take his new learned skills and display them on the world stage.

[Warkus]

"You've got a test session tomorrow, and possibly one the day after." said Hans Wulf, Leviossa's agent. "What...You're telling me now?" replied Ludwig Leviossa. "Yeah, it's the first time I've got news from an official source. Also, the people in Vilita think you might have a disproportionate head." This was getting more odd by the second. "Just...explain." said Leviossa, calmly. "Alright, the WGPC is organising a free-agents test session tomorrow, everyone is to attend. It'll give you a great chance to impress teams." explained Wulf. "What about the other one? What do you mean by 'possibly'?" questioned Leviossa, he really wished his agent would explain things quicker. "Well, about that...The Vilita & Turori Motorsports team have invited you to a special test at the Mountain Challenge Course." said Wulf. "Alright, but you haven't explained what you meant by 'possibly'." Leviossa said, rather quickly. "Let me finish, they may invite more drivers or retract your invitation depending on the first test session. Which means, you're going to have to do your best in that." explained Wulf.

"Your car and pit crew will be provided for both events, so don't worry. Get a feel for everything and then do your best." said Wulf. Leviossa needed to get a good result in the test session, otherwise he might be left out in the dust. It was all fine and dandy having a lot of rumours flying about, but failing in a proper event could sever all chances to join a team for the entire season. Leviossa decided to study the track online, but other than that, there was little he could do for preparation. I guess it would be all about that day. All he had to do was drive, though.

And he was at least half-decent at that.

[Falcania]

"Hello?"

"Hey kiddo."

"Marquis? What time is it, back home?"

"Like, 4am? Don't worry, I get off-peak minutes on my talk-until-you-get-brain-damage tariff."

"How you doing?"

"Never mind how I'm doing, Stang. How's driving a Vilitan car?"

"It's OK, I guess. I get the feeling VTF1 is getting cold feet since that Jay deal went under."

"You leave that to me. They want sponsorship? They'll find it."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Guess who I had dinner with last night."

"Oh? Dinner for one?"

"You're a real joker, kiddo. I had dinner with Ilizbit Goldmund and Tarra Teller."

"No way. Of Goldmund-Teller Energy Solutions?"

"The largest energy provider in Falcania? No, the other fogging Goldmund-Teller."

"They offered you a contract?"

"They offered me a job. I'm not just your mentor, I'm a consultant for Goldmund-Teller Fuel & Transport Laboratories. Tell me, kiddo - who supplies VTF1 with their petrol?"

"You could arrange that?"

"I could certainly give them a preferential deal... if they'll continue to put a young Falcanian driver at the top of their favourites list."

"You'd do that for me?"

"I sure would, kiddo. So come on! How was the trial?"

"Yesterday I had the warm-ups. They went pretty well, I guess. I'm not used to these low-men cars, they're too cramped. But the engines are OK."

"They used to corner pretty well. I remember the olden days, they could sometimes beat me around the bends. Sometimes."

"I'm getting them to tune the wings. These people, they don't grok downforce like we do."

"No, I found that. Bet you the braking is like a dream."

"Oh, you're not kidding. I kinda wish you were here, I bet you'd be able to learn so much. So much."

"Well, depending on how this goes, you might be seeing me. Careful around the boot. Just pretend you're racing through Spike City again, with Morningstar hot on your tailpipe. And don't crash the fogger, y'hear?"

"Got it. See you around, Julian."

"You too, Stang."

[Baffin Island]

Nauja opened the impressive-looking packet and read the cover letter intently. The next sound was a jubilant whoop without words.

"What was that all about?"

Nauja rushed into the kitchen, both hands full. "Mom, it's from the World Grand Prix group. They invited me to an open test! In Liventia. On a street circuit. They provide the crew and the car and all I need to do is be there!" In response to Qamaniq's extended hand Nauja thrust the letter forward to her mother and waited.

The older woman read carefully, then looked up and smiled. "Little seagull, this is your chance to fly."

"Oh, Mom!" Yet as they embraced tears of joy turned to weeping, then sobs.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything. I want to go, I want to do this, I made my plans, I know I can drive. But I can't mess this up, I can't!"

"You won't mess up. You go, you race on their streets. With no police looking for you like home."

"I don't do that any more, Mom."

"You don't get caught any more. And don't need to do it so much."

"Yeah."

"Dear daughter, you learned to race on the street. Now rich men want to see you race in other lands. The door is open, fly through . . ."

[Liventia]

Preseason Driver Test — Folenisa Street Circuit, Folenisa, Liventia

Drivers had 75 minutes to set 20 timed laps of the circuit. Drivers had to do a minimum of three timed laps each time they went out, with no maximum (i.e. a driver could do three laps, come back in, then go out again after 25 minutes for the remaining 17 laps). Refuelling was not allowed.

This means that drivers could, in theory, make changes to the car's setup, gearing etc during the session, as long as they finished the session with all 20 laps clocked.

Ranked by total time (20 laps)

1	Ludwig Leviossa		0:34:38.480
2	Pedro Delip-Koki	0:34:42.550
3	Marc Rangneri		0:34:49.482
4	Johannes Fagerholm	0:34:49.847
5	iBen Toralmintii	0:35:02.166
6	Jordan Dalante Saceta	0:35:07.857
7	Ryan Milner		0:35:09.334
8	Jason Fike		0:35:11.623
9	Edward Masterson	0:35:11.770
10	Gaspard Villemarie	0:35:12.158
11	Immanuel Josef Bach	0:35:16.696
12	Karl Shumertstak	0:35:21.156
13	Daniel Freldra		0:35:24.088
14	Atena Sierra		0:35:24.653
15	Claudia Jones		0:35:25.173
16	Brandon Ross		0:35:26.373
17	Nauja Panigoniak	0:35:27.636
18	Daisuke Sakabara	0:35:27.703
19	Stang Crax		0:35:28.067
20	Seamus Donaghue		0:35:30.073
21	Alexander Tingis	0:35:31.713
22	Sotil Morua		0:35:32.037
23	Jie Hui Tan		0:35:34.460
24	Keith Winton		0:35:40.546
25	Generoso Ramírez	0:35:40.923
26	Horatio Mario Hernandez	0:35:47.230
27	Donal O'Connell		0:35:54.425
28	Lukas Forbes		0:35:55.230
29	Juan Kermit		0:36:01.918

Ranked by fastest flying lap

1	Generoso Ramírez	1:40.751
2	Pedro Delip-Koki	1:40.771
3	Stang Crax		1:40.773
4	Jason Fike		1:40.802
5	Immanuel Josef Bach	1:40.845
6	Ludwig Leviossa		1:40.847
7	Edward Masterson	1:40.868
8	Daniel Freldra		1:40.891
9	iBen Toralmintii	1:40.905
10	Atena Sierra		1:40.922
11	Seamus Donaghue		1:40.933
12	Jordan Dalante Saceta	1:40.960
13	Alexander Tingis	1:41.035
14	Lukas Forbes		1:41.155
15	Brandon Ross		1:41.190
16	Karl Shumertstak	1:41.220
17	Johannes Fagerholm	1:41.249
18	Juan Kermit		1:41.253
19	Horatio Mario Hernandez	1:41.353
20	Ryan Milner		1:41.383
21	Marc Rangneri		1:41.718
22	Jie Hui Tan		1:41.930
23	Gaspard Villemarie	1:42.055
24	Donal O'Connell		1:42.218
25	Daisuke Sakabara	1:42.352
26	Sotil Morua		1:42.617
27	Nauja Panigoniak	1:42.917
28	Claudia Jones		1:43.940
29	Keith Winton		1:44.446

[Baffin Island]

Nauja Panigoniak pulled into pit road at the end of her day. One look at the board told the story--unofficially 17th place overall, third from last for one-lap time. And there it goes. She rolled to a stop, bit her lip to keep from breaking down, and pulled off her helmet.

One man gasped. "Damn, you're pretty."

The pit crew exploded into guffaws at that, and it wasn't clear whether Nauja or her instant admirer blushed hotter. As she unfastened the legions of buckles and straps a gloved hand was thrust into the cockpit. "Good job out there, kid."

She replied softly, with just a tiny edge. "Don't sugar-coat it for me. Mid-pack at best, that's not gonna help much." She accepted the hand and scrambled out of the car.

"Let me break it down for you. Better yet, we all know a place in town. Great grilled anything, hard beverages optional. Here's the deal: You tell us where in the heck Baffin Island is, and we explain how you really made your case today. Deal?"

"Might as well, gotta eat . . . thanks. And you've got my attention."

---

Two hours later Nauja felt a lot better about life. Well-fed, good company, still clear-headed. And they all knew more about Baffin Island.

"So, Reggie, almighty crew chief, tell it straight. How on earth did this run do me any good?"

"Straight up, lady, just like you asked. You're what, 21? 22?"

"Nineteen. I turn 20 in a couple of weeks."

"And you're coming out of nowhere, with damn little real road course experience, never racing outside your home country. Hell, you've never even had a real team or pit crew backing you."

"Well, my guys are pretty good."

"Bull. They may be good men, but they're amateurs. You've never worked with a seasoned team before. We can all tell from the way you dealt with us."

Nauja started to stammer an apology. Reggie held up his hand. "Don't. You're going to apologize, and there's no need. Reality check. You're a teenager with no international experience and not much domestic talent pushing you. Do you know how impressed someone is with you to get you invited here?

"Uh, I never . . ."

"Let me finish, please." He smiled, to put her back at ease. "Your lap times. You clocked two sets of ten laps. The first ten, every lap got faster, lap after lap. Every time."

"I was getting the hang of the car."

"You were listening better, too. So we brought you in, changed some things, and you went out for ten more. By the second lap you were already faster than your first ten and kept improving. Your fastest lap was your last. Want my take on that?"

"Okay."

Tom interjected. "You drove a lot of junk at home, didn't you." Nauja nodded. "Thought so. You know how to take care of a car."

"And you were consistent out there," Reggie continued, "more than anyone on the track. Against guys many years senior, guys with more money, guys with names and real equipment at home, you drove well enough. A dozen domestic teams would sign you cold on today alone."

"Really?"

"Really, girl. You've got bigger balls than most of the field, just thinking you can do this." Nauja turned red as they all shared a laugh. "I don't think you'll get a race seat with a factory team. Not this season. But if you wind up number three on a factory team, I won't even be surprised. You've got the tools of a damn fine test driver, you're young, and hell, you learned enough in one afternoon I know you're teachable."

He paused, then finished. "Now, can I shut up and drink? Here's to Nauja--we were there at the beginning!"

[Calitma]

"Drivers can't stand to be reminded of what can happen to 'em in a race car. They don't go to hospitals. They don't go to funerals. If you get a driver to a funeral before he's actually dead, you've made history." This is why my brother and I would never attend funerals. Not for fellow drivers, not for friends, not even for family. We would say our own personal good-byes to them, but never go to there funerals. This is why, with my brothers funeral, I decided not to attend. I did what I did best. I drove. I drove harder than I've ever driven in my life. It was was my first ever WGPC event ever in fact. It may have only been a test event, but it was a chance to prove myself in front of the teams of the WGPC. Overall for the first time in the car, I felt I did pretty well. I was 12th in the flying lap department which is not as good as I hoped to have done, but for overall time I was sixth. For a man who has never driven a car this advanced, I'd say that was pretty good.

This will hopefully help me in an attempt to get a seat at a team during the season. Sadly the phone has yet to ring, except for the bill company calling to get their payment out of me. It seems now my best chance could be with my test tomorrow at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course. The Vilita & Turori Motorsports team has an single opening on there race team. They had chosen a select 10 racers to test tomorrow for a shot at the final race seat with one of the best teams in the WGPC. Though I do wish I could go to a race team in the region of Rushmore. This would also depend on the Yogutz Lantzia of Astograth or Obeveklig-Farautoo of Polar Islandstates having interest in signing me. Hopefully they will, but if they don't, then another opportunity will hopefully pop up. If not, then I'll have to make them believe. But I can guarantee this you will never see any driver in the entire world drive as hard as I will drive this season. You will never see someone push there team as hard as I will push them this season. This I can promise, and I know my brother will be with me through it all.

[Farfadillis]

Generoso had always been an introverted person. He didn't have much friends and often cared more about arriving safe at the end of a race than kill himself trying to win it. He knew some chance would eventuall show up, there was no reason to risk much for any race that wasn't worth it. Always analytic, this often caused him to lose, mainly because he never risked getting to maximum speed, and concentrated on cornering well, which he did like noone else. He had ended up almost last, but this didn't mean he was almost the worst, the ranking of fastes flying lap clearly showed what he was capable of if he was "inspired". Because, that was all about it, when he felt inspired, he'd speed up and corner like the professional he was. Ever since he started racing, he was one of the worst in all Farfadillis, he almost always ended up last. However, he was once invited to the famous "Carrerrhe S'coltá", a race to spot the best farf drivers around. Generoso was ready to speed up a bit. Even if he never let fate decide anything, it was still his dream. So he sped up, he eventually finished over all drivers by a huge difference. It had been humillating. The most incredible part had been that he had been invited accidentally. It didn't matter, he had won the right to compete for the farf national race. A not really important race internationally, but a real achievement to any farf driver, should he win it. He won it, too. Not humillating drivers, but the one who was first had an accident due to speeding too much and lost. Generoso once again "walked" through the line with some visible advantage. He had some future ahead, but, what would it have for him?

[Vilita]

VTF1 Watches Closely as Leviossa Shines in Folenisa

Warku youngster Ludwig Leviossa all but assured himself a seat with at least some team for the upcoming 11th Season of the World Grand Prix Championships after an outstanding performance at the drivers open test session at the Folenisa Street Course in Folenisa, Liventia.

Pedro Delip-Koki of Alexop was equally as impressive as Leviossa, but drew the ire of most scouts late in the session, throwing a tantrum after getting out of the car and seeing that Generoso Ramírez had turned a lap that bested Delip-Koki's fastest time. The scouts that were lined up to get a word quickly dispersed realizing that sponsors would likely shy away from the driver who also is known to struggle at finishing races.

For Leviossa, the top-heavy driver from Northern Calania, not far from the Vilitan shores, a ride with the Vilita & Turori Motorsports Team might be the ideal fit. The flagship grand prix team in Warkus, Duorno Vio F1, recently went bankrupt after struggling with finances despite a decent showing - mostly the doing of the driving skills of Leviossa, in the feeder division during World Grand Prix Championships season 10.

Scouts from Vilita & Turori Motorsports were not the only ones in Folenisa, however, and it is widely believed that Team Revél-Celstar and Obeveklig-Farutoo were also looking to snag the drivers signature.

Leviossa may however still opt to wait for a seat in a Works team, given the chance not only to be the star driver in a duo but also prove that there is just as much driving skill influencing his results as car.

Vilita & Turori's iBen Toralmintii performed strongly and would be favored to make a strong showing at his home track at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course despite the new and someone unfamiliar layout of the grand prix circuit.

Another top VTF1 Target, Stang Crax, struggled over the course of the session, going off course twice seriously damaging the Falcanian drivers overall time. However, when Crax was able to stay on course, the laps were quick, with the third fastest lap of the day just 2 hundreths of a second off the top time.

At the other end of the table, Vilita & Turori Motorsports is unlikely to further pursue Charmunny driver Donal O'Connell. O'Connell was not only one of the slowest drivers over all, nearly a minute and a half slower than the time put up by Leviossa, but O'Connell struggled even to get a fast lap to be anything more than questionable slow, a full second and a half slower than the time from Farfadillis' Generoso Ramírez.

One Vilita & Turori Motorsports Representative quipped to a colleague "If Ramírez happens to show up uninvited at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course tomorrow, give him O'Connell's car!"

The Results that VTF1 Cared about:

1	Ludwig Leviossa		0:34:38.480 ***
2	Pedro Delip-Koki	0:34:42.550
3	Marc Rangneri		0:34:49.482
4	Johannes Fagerholm	0:34:49.847 ***
5	iBen Toralmintii	0:35:02.166 ***
6	Jordan Dalante Saceta	0:35:07.857 ***
19	Stang Crax		0:35:28.067 ***
20	Seamus Donaghue		0:35:30.073 ***
21	Alexander Tingis	0:35:31.713 ***
22	Sotil Morua		0:35:32.037 ***
27	Donal O'Connell		0:35:54.425 ***
28	Lukas Forbes		0:35:55.230 ***

######### FAST LAP #########
1	Generoso Ramírez	1:40.751
2	Pedro Delip-Koki	1:40.771
3	Stang Crax		1:40.773 ***
4	Jason Fike		1:40.802
5	Immanuel Josef Bach	1:40.845
6	Ludwig Leviossa		1:40.847 ***
9	iBen Toralmintii	1:40.905 ***
11	Seamus Donaghue		1:40.933 ***
12	Jordan Dalante Saceta	1:40.960 ***
13	Alexander Tingis	1:41.035 ***
14	Lukas Forbes		1:41.155 ***
17	Johannes Fagerholm	1:41.249 ***
24	Donal O'Connell		1:42.218 ***
26	Sotil Morua		1:42.617 ***

On course speed may not be the only thing that the Vilita & Turori Motorsports representatives will be looking at, however. Cold hard cash could play a factor as VTF1 looks to ensure it has the funding to compete at the highest level throughout the season. Though they have some support from Vilitan-based Vilaye energy drink, Vilita & Turori Motorsports have also donated a portion of the car to the Cocoabo Preservation Society and still searching for a second paying sponsor to cover the rest of the bills.

It is believed that Stang Crax has been working a deal with Falcanian energy company Goldmund-Teller, but the initial negotiations broke down when Crax's representatives mentioned that Goldmund-Teller wanted to barter with Petrol opposed to cash, a commodoti not in high demand for the team as the majority of the fuel needed throughout the season will be provided by the World Grand Prix Championships.

As a reminder to the drivers before tomorrows final trial for the VTF1 Seats, the layout of the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course has changed with the addition of the grand prix circuit, and the details are below:

Vilitan Mountain Challenge Grand Prix Course
Acceleration: 8
Cornering: 2
Track Length: 3.14 Miles
Track Record: N/A

The Grand Prix modification of the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course is a new addition to the facility in the picturesque region of Vilitan right overlooking the waters of Atlantian Oceania. Acceleration and Mechanical Power will be the name of the game on much of the course, but the addition of the Grand Prix boot to the infield will give those with the ability to make maneuvers in tight spaces a chance to shine.

[Warkus]

"You did pretty good out there, kid. You've got a lot of eyes on you now." Said Wulf. "After finishing 1st by total time, and 6th by fastest flying lap, you've almost guaranteed yourself a spot with some team." Wulf continued, "Your job isn't done yet, though. You better get ready for the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course tomorrow. Doing good there will probably put yourself in a great position for the Vilitan seat, or any others you might be interested in." Nice. Leviossa's made a great impression on the factory teams for the 11th World Grand Prix Championship, thanks to his results. Despite that, he still needs to do well in the Vilitan event if he wants to guarantee himself a good seat. Not only that, but a poor performance in Vilita might even ruin his chances!

Leviossa wasn't worried, though. He'd already shown both the teams and himself that he could perform, all he'd have to do was impress them again. Not a big deal, he knew what he was doing. It only took a few laps for him to get in the zone at the previous practice, and after coming out of the meet, he could go full throttle at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Grand Prix Course tomorrow. Just like last time, he was going to study the track. It was a quick circuit, one he was confident he could perform well at. Cornering was hardly an issue, with the exception of the boot coming out of the end of corner 8. That'd give him a chance to overtake if he fell behind. All in all, he was far less nervous than he was before and is looking as arrogant as ever.

One thing that had been bothering him, though, was the teams. Which one? It was looking increasingly likely that he'd receive an offer from at least one team, but what about if he received two? This was the first time he was worrying about teams, he cared nothing about them before. All he wanted was a seat with his name on it, but now it looks like he might get a few. He had done almost no research into the teams and had little idea over which would suit him best. I suppose Wulf should handle most of that for him, but it is Leviossa's decision in the end. I guess that if he gets more than one offer, he'll have to start being more picky. It's only a matter of time before it begins, so choices will have to be made quickly, and players & teams alike will both have to play things as smart as they can.

[Mapletish]

The car pulled into the pit lane as the test session ends after 20 laps. Jie Hui unstrapped the buckles set in place and took a deep breathe as she carried herself out of the car. She straighten her back and removed her helmet as she let the wind gush through her hair. She looked up at the big screens at the end of the pit lane, a 23rd position finish for total time.

Jie Hui's personal trainer, Karina Shannen walked towards her and got her a towel to wipe sweat off her face, as Shannen gave Jie Hui a pat on the back.

"You know what girl, once you know that if you done your best, you ought not be disappointed in your performance. Look at the screen at the end of the pit lane, what's the time difference between you and the winner of the test session, less than a minute isn't it? Well that's not much of a large difference, just continue to get you pace right on and train harder. Remember to stay positive and improve both your strengths and weaknesses. I'm going to make you a winner in your own right again, I promise,' as Shannen commented on her thoughts to Jie Hui.

Jie Hui acknowledged Shannen's advice with a smile as she replied, " Thanks Shannen, now I am more than pumped up for the next session on the track. However for now, I will focus on practice."

Shannen threw a water bottle over to Jie Hui and laughed, " I like your spirit there Jie Hui and the best thing right now is to get yourself pumped up once more. I've got the driving simulator and race car ready and car modifications are up to you here to decide here. Get the modifications that you think suit your style alright?'

Jie Hui nodded and gasped, " Yeah okay." She got her hair straighten out and went to the office to thank the crew members for their help and the crew manager. The crew manager went up personally, shook her hand and gave her a word of advice, " You know what? You can make it big out there, but in most circumstances, those big and successful teams out there are selfish and once your performance go down, you are out, that is what realism is all about. However don't be discourage if you don't get a spot in any of those teams out there, the work teams are not bad either, remember this phrase, go by what your heart takes you. As such, take every opportunity for yourself and nobody not even those big fat drivers can get the first place ripped from you."

Jie Hui thanked the crew manager for his valuable piece of advice and kept his advice in her head as she went off for a quick shower and change of clothes as she thought about the crew manager's advice that he had given her. Together with Shannen after her shower and change of clothes, they went off for a bite.

[Falcania]

"Julius!"

"Stang? Sky, kiddo, it's like, 3am, what's the matter?"

"Haven't you seen these results?"

"You got lost on a street circuit, kid. You've got to have focus here! Third fastest lap, aren't they going to be proud of that?"

"You kidding? My main competition here in Vilita is this Warku kid who, oh yeah, he got the overall fastest trial time!"

"Not the fastest lap, though. Look, Stang, baby, if they wanted a slow, steady, dependable driver, they wouldn't have shortlisted a Falcanian car thief, would they? Style, viewers, that's what they really care about, and you have bags of it."

"We wouldn't even BE in this mess if you hadn't tried to bribe them with damned petrol."

"Look, how was I meant to know they have their supplies sewn up? Look, they want cash, they've got cash. We'll make a couple of departments redundant."

"... you'd do that? For me?"

"Sure, kiddo, and the millions of petrolheads worldwide who are watching these races and seeing a Goldmund-Teller logo on the car in front? You know, before you plough it into the barriers. Leave it to me. I'll get my people to talk to his lawyers. Just you concentrate on the racing line, y'hear?"