World Grand Prix Championship 13: RP Thread

[Barunia]

"Are you nervous?"
Lauren met Sayono's gaze. The two women sat in Sayono's room, chatting.
"About the race? Not really. Well, not anymore than usual. I mean, 7th place. I can win from there."
Sayono sighed. "Where as I'll be starting at the back. The way I've been racing, that's all I deserve really."
Lauren sat in silence, the fingers of her left hand tapping out a rhythm on the mug of tea she held. Through her head, a monologue was screaming.
"Damn it, Lauren, why'd you have to do that? Change the subject, change the subject! Or should I try to comfort her? Damn it, why is socialising so hard? What do I do? Aaargh!"

Lauren desperately scanned the room, looking for any source of inspiration for another topic. Her eyes fell on Mayari's gift, sitting unopened on the shelf.
"You have a present! Uh, we didn't miss your birthday or something, did we?"
Souzare glanced at it. "No, it was not my birthday. It's a gift from Mayari. After the Nekoni race."
Lauren raised an eyebrow. Alex giving gifts? "Any idea what's in it?"
Sayono blushed a little. "Toudeyaku suggested a cat-ear hairband."
Lauren giggled. "You should have said! If you wanted one, I could have introduced you to my brother back in Barunia. His partner makes them."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You know what? Maybe I should ask him for a pair for myself? Then we could be the cat-eared racing twins."
Sayono laughed. "That would be so cute! But I promised Hakusa I would open the box with her."
"Well, then. Maybe I'll ask him for two pairs. We could match."

Sayono giggled. "Don't tell that to Toudeyaku. She already thinks I'm trying to add you to my harem or something."
Lauren replied, laughing, "Well, according to the news we're already lovers, so a harem makes sense."
Sayono stopped dead. "Oh God." Went Lauren's internal monologue, "You weren't meant to take it so seriously." Out loud she said,
"Relax. It's only some stupid tabloid. One of the dumb women's rags."
"You mean it's true? The story, I mean, or you know, the story is true, but it isn't true…" Sayono dissolved into helpless gesticulation.
Lauren sighed. "Yeah, it was printed, true enough. Hey, don;t worry about it. You should see the rubbish they sprout about me. I have anywhere from one to fifty kids, I was once the getaway driver for a bank robbery, and I married the prince of some far away land. I even think I was found dead in a crack-den once…aw shucks. Look Sayono, who cares what they say about you, none of it matters. The only time it matters is if they say you can't do shit, either cause you're a girl or because you suck. Never, ever let them tell you that."

[Nekoni]

"Fifth, Alex. You've got it all to do tomorrow."

Alex pulled in, looking rather surprised. She couldn't have used the excuse of partying too hard after Nekoni, after all, the Friday session went so well for her. Sopping wet, but the track felt a lot like Nekoni. In fact, a little better than Nekoni. It was a track with more flow, yet had some rather interesting stings in the tail, some actual blind turns that required patient learning of the circuit to truly gauge the best entry points, which would explain why today was a Frontiere 1-2. Them two kept the rest of the pack at arms length, with her two main championship rivals in Nadakei and Lund taking up row two. Getting a good start over those two would be insanely difficult, but if she could do it on the day, this championship could be hers.

That night, she went over the permutations in her head. Neither of her rivals would realistically finish lower than fifth, she reasoned. The best case scenario would be that she would go to Hodori leading the pack by 21 points, which would make the title easier to grasp, but not a dead cert. Likewise, she could find herself having to overcome a 20 point deficit if she were to retire tomorrow and the wrong people were on the podium. The only comfort to this would be that the Frontiere team fancied their chances here, but the final race was in Nadakei's backyard. Fourteen points isn't an unassailable target when you're the favourite to win the final 25. Also, two other drivers, including Victoria on her own team, were in the running as well.

One thing was assured, the championship would by no means be considered done at the end of tomorrow afternoon. Lund was far too determined this weekend to not be able to bring his car home, surely? Lying back in her bed, Alex remembered that over-thinking these things had cost her in the past: her run in Varea's 24hr race nearly four years ago ended with her car in a shrubbery, after focusing too much upon the mathematics of tire and fuel control, that she inconveniently forget to see where the car was going.

As she settled into her cup of tea before getting an early night, she closed her eyes, and visualised the track that she would be chasing down her rivals for forty-five laps. As she kept saying, tomorrow, she could only do her best. And it seemed that only her best would do.

[Audioslavia]

This Lund is Our Lund
Audioslavian's title is on the line in Yttribia as the WGPC championship goes down to the wire

When Alexander Lund won the WGPC Driver's Championship in his very first season, most pundits regarded it as a fluke. Alec had been the benefactor of a strong late-surge by his team and a number of choice retirements at the right time for him to scrape through to the trophy, by the skin of his teeth, on count-back.

So many wrote Alec off that it came as somewhat of a shock when the champion hit the top of the leaderboard after just a handful of races. Alec, as he stated in so many interviews, was the man to beat, and to give him credit he had acted like it.

As we come to the late stage of the WGPC season, however, the form of Lund and McPahan has taken a hit. The car, actually reliable for once, failed to finish a few races and first Nadakei, then the blisteringly fast Alexandra Mayari overtook the champ in the title race. Last week's podium finish has set the season up for a hollywood finale.

In the blue corner is Lund himself, second in the championship, just five points behind the silver arrow of Alexandra Mayari's Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio which has looked so fast as of late. Behind Lund, by eleven points, is Asao Nadakei of Hodori who, like Mayari, has won twice this season compared to Lund's one. Nadakei had some rotton luck at the start of the season, with just three finishes in his first six races, but two wins in a row catapulted him into the fight for the championship and, though recent races have only garnered the Hodori racer fourteen more points, he has to be well placed going into the final two not only due to his good qualifying place for this Sunday, but because he's the favourite to take victory in the final race in his home nation.

Behind Nadakei in the championship race is Barunia's Lauren Ashburton, another driver with more wins than Lund yet somehow occupies a spot behind the Audioslavian. Victoria Gardner, of the rejuvenated SFeG team, is just two behind her, and following her comes a vast swathe of drivers on fifty-something and sixty-something points. Moises Delgado, comfortably the fastest at the start of the season but with a slew of reliability problems, has since left the recently-folded Hansa-Nyrota teams in favour of Aston Tickford. Matt Hingis, McPahan's second driver, hasn't lived up to expectation after his shock opening day win, but remains in the hunt for the championship, while Alex Dmitrianov is another driver with one win and a couple of podiums but a hell of a lot more 'DNF's than is strictly necessary.
Guilhermez, of Aston Tickford, is one of the few top-ten racers without a race win, while the top ten is rounded off by R.L. Cruisin who, along with the talented Crimson LaRoja, has yet to find a way to balance a very quick car with a fragile chassis.

With two races to go, any of the top ten could mathematically win the championship. That number is likely to half after tomorrow's race.

[Hodori Motorsports]

The chat with Ashburton was nice. Her words of encouragement helped put Souzare’s mind at ease, and she managed to sleep well after Ashburton left for her own room.

---

---

After her morning routine of exercises, freshening up, and breakfast, she decided she was going to relax and see what Hakusa was up to before heading to the garage. She briefly forgot about the timezone difference as she opened the messaging client on her phone.

Sou52
Boop
Ha~ku~sa~~
-----
Sleeping I guess
When you see this I have a favour to ask
Bring the poster to Yakumicha
The #27 Yogutz Lantzia one

k.hakusa
What is sleep
Should I add that to the grocery list

Sou52
So Mayari can autograph it
…
How many pots of coffee have you had?

k.hakusa
Lost count after the fourth or fifth

Sou52
I know it’s caffeine rather than blood that runs through your veins
But that much coffee can’t be healthy

k.hakusa
Eh

Sou52
So
Have you given any thought to where to stay for the finale?
I was thinking the Yakumicha Tireipalace

k.hakusa
Talked with An’ue earlier today
Yesterday?
Based off the one we stayed at in Dashoze, Tireipalace seems nice
I really liked the bathhouse there

Sou52
I think all that coffee’s messing with your perception of time

k.hakusa
Pretty sure the Yakumicha hotel has one too

Sou52
Iirc bathhouses are standard Tireipalace features

k.hakusa
Public bathing, so I’m not sure how well the team will react
Gender-segregated baths, but still

Sou52
Using the bathhouse is optional
The rooms still have private showers

k.hakusa
I could drink half my body weight in coffee and still not feel a thing

Sou52
Seriously, I’m worried about you hurting yourself from caffeine overdose

k.hakusa
My everything feels funny

Sou52
You really should lay down

k.hakusa
That sounds like a good idea

Sou52
Talk to you later
I suppose

k.hakusa
See you soon <3
Going to lay down for a bit now
Good luck~

[WGPC]

Sunday's Grand Prix of Yttribia

* Laps: 50
* Conditions: Dry

Pos	Car	Name			Team		OVERALL TIME	TIME GAP
1	1	Alexander Lund		    	1:32:30.580		
2	4	Riku Äijälä		    	+02.107		+02.107	
3	55	Asao Nadakei		    	+16.468		+14.362	
4	74	Alexandra Mayari	    	+23.566		+07.098	
5	24	Victoria Gardner	    	+24.629		+01.062	
6	64	Crimson LaRoja		    	+25.547		+00.918	
7	41	Marcel Tenis		    	+54.167		+28.621	
8	52	Sayono Souzare		    	+1:09.634	+15.467	
9	39	Tyler Brooks		    	+1:12.154	+02.519	
10	70	Moisés Delgado		    	+1:13.459	+01.306	
11	15	Alex Dimitrianov	    	+1:18.799	+05.339	
12	18	Wayne Forrest		    	+1:22.427	+03.628	
13	51	R.L. Cruisin		    	+1:27.676	+05.249	
14	99	Rudolf Ibuna		    	+1:41.156	+13.479	
15	17	Ryan Harris-Jones	    	+1:52.539	+11.383
16	10	Lauren Ashburton	    	RET. Lap 50	
17	29	Esteban Guilhermez	    	+1 Lap
18	16	Matt Hingis		    	+1 Lap		+10.188

DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Pos	#	Name			Team				Pts
1	1	Alexander Lund		McPahan Racing			115 (race wins: 2)
2	74	Alexandra Mayari	Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio	105 (race wins: 2)
3	55	Asao Nadakei		Team Dekijika-Tarogama		 93 (race wins: 2)

4	24	Victoria Gardner	Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio	 84
5	10	Lauren Ashburton	Archer Motorsports		 78
6	70	Moisés Delgado		Hansa-Nyrota / Aston Tickford	 67
7	16	Matt Hingis		McPahan Racing			 61
8	15	Alex Dimitrianov	SinoMotors Racing		 60
9	29	Esteban Guilhermez	Aston Tickford Racing		 58
9	4	Riku Äijälä		Telaris Racing			 58
11	51	R.L. Cruisin		Frontiere Racing		 56
12	11	Enu Noel		Aston Tickford Racing		 48
13	99	Rudolf Ibuna		Team Dekijika-Tarogama		 46
14	64	Crimson LaRoja		Frontiere Racing		 36
15	39	Tyler Brooks		Macllynlleth Clockwork Racing	 30
16	52	Sayono Souzare		Archer Motorsports		 22
17	25	Lovisa Landenberg	Hansa-Nyrota Racing		 21
18	17	Ryan Harris-Jones	Macllynlleth Clockwork Racing	 20
19	41	Marcel Tenis		SinoMotors Racing		 18
20	18	Wayne Forrest		Telaris Racing			 14
21	14	Maxwell Song		SinoMotors Racing		  2

Drivers below the line can no longer win the championship

CONSTRUCTOR'S CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio	189
McPahan Racing			176

Team Dekijika-Tarogama		139
Aston Tickford Racing		113
Archer Motorsports		100
Frontiere Racing		 92
Hansa-Nyrota Racing		 81
SinoMotors Racing		 80
Telaris Racing			 72
Macllynlleth Clockwork Racing	 50

Teams below the line can no longer win the championship

ONE RACE TO GO!

[Hodori Motorsports]

Welcome to Yakumicha Circuit

Yakumicha, Toudekan, Eshigoa, Hodori
Lap Length: 5.257km
Circuit Width: 12 meters - 15 meters
Main Straight/Longest Straight: 750 meters
DRS zones: One
Number of Corners: 22 (10 left, 12 right)
Grand Prix Length: 59 Laps (310.163km)
Start/Finish Line Elevation: 173 meters AMSL
Highest Point: 179 meters AMSL
Lowest Point: 112 meters AMSL
Seating Capacity: Approximately 90,000 on-site
Main Pit Garage: 7m×22m×47 Pits (330 meter pit)

Nestled in a scenic valley in southern Eshigoa, Yakumicha Circuit consists of a 3.257km National Circuit and a 1.962km Junior Circuit, conjoined to form the 5.257km Grand Prix Circuit. With its elevation range of 67 meters, this rollercoaster of a circuit will send drivers through 22 marked corners per lap.

Gravel pits line the National Circuit and the Junior Circuit’s 55R-25R-45R sequence, with the Junior Circuit otherwise lined with coarse asphalt runoff zones.

Given the combination of a technical circuit and Hodori’s tropical heat and humidity, this Grand Prix will test the limits of a driver’s ability to maintain focus and combat the elements and other drivers.

A Lap of the Grand Prix Circuit
Starting from the grid, drivers will first climb six meters from the starting line and pit exit to the crest at the entry of First Corner, before dropping 52 meters through the downhill First, Esses, and WhiteRock Corners. Taking the Shameimaru Chicane, the track will descend another 3 meters to join the Junior Circuit at the exit of 50R.

Climbing over 16 meters from 85R to the peak at the middle of 90R, drivers will then drop 14 meters as they run down the Junior Back Straight to the chicane of 55R, 25R, and 45R. Racing down the Junior Grid Straight at a slight downward grade, the track starts to dive more sharply past the Junior Pit Exit into the Valley Corner, with its middle third — and the lowest point of the circuit — 6 meters below the corner entry.

Climbing out of Valley to 30R, drivers will take the hairpin to rejoin the National circuit at Turn 17. From Turn 17, drivers will climb over 50 meters up the back straight and through the Hairpin, HIEDA, West Chicane, and Final Corners. From Final Corner and the DRS zone, drivers will have returned to the starting elevation as they pass pit entry.

Essentials
Language: Hodoran (統一群島語 ホウドリネ Hōdorine)
Currency: Kerai (K)
Exchange Rate: Approx. 35K = $1 NSD / Approx. $0.0286 NSD = 1K
Time Zone: AOTC +11
Support Session Start Time: 1200 Hodoran Time (0100 AOTC)
WGPC Session Start Time: 1400 Hodoran Time (0300 AOTC)
Yakumicha Annual Average Climate Data:

Average High: 32.7°C
Average Low: 24.2°C
Mean Temperature: 28.4°C
Total Precipitation: 2483mm
Relative Humidity: 80%

Accessing the Circuit
ARRIVING IN HODORI
By air, one will arrive in Hodori through either Kizagama or Tarogama International Airports. By sea, the most likely points of entry will be Tarogama Port in northeast Hodori or the Yemigama or Ezagama Ports in Eshigoa. Once in Hodori, one can take the high-speed Super-Express to Yakumicha (Super-Express 46 from Yemigama) or Jechiru (Super-Express 36 from Tarogama via Kizagama), or by taking connecting flights from either Kizagama or Tarogama to Yakumicha Regional Airport.

PUBLIC TRANSIT
Yakumicha Circuit can be accessed by rail, with a dedicated station built along the Yakumicha-Jechiru section of National Rail Line 514. From Yegitou, one must first travel to Yakumicha or Jechiru by either rail or bus. Shuttle buses also run from Yakumicha to the circuit.

PERSONAL VEHICLE
Regardless of the starting point, the circuit is accessed through National Route 896, connecting Yakumicha and Jechiru, or National Route 890 linking Yakumicha with Yegitou and bypassing the twisting mountain roads of Historic Route 1093.

For those renting a car or importing their own, Hodori drives on the left with all domestic market and the majority of imported vehicles configured for right-hand drive. Left-hand drive imports are permitted, with some rental services having a small number of LHD cars in inventory.

Within urban areas and the winding mountain roads, the speed limit is 40km/h. Outside built-up areas and on most other roads, the speed limit tends to vary from 60km/h to 80km/h. On National Route expressways, the speed limit can be as high as 120km/h in areas.

Entertainment and Accommodations
LODGING
In Yakumicha and Jechiru, there are numerous hotels to stay at for the Grand Prix weekend. In Yegitou, one can find lodging at the inn and bathhouse the town grew around or the various chain hotels that have sprung up recently, but aside from loanwords from the language and on Hodori Transit Authority road signs, English is not used. The larger luxury hotels in Yakumicha and Jechiru — Tireipalace, Smyth Hall, or Forum — tend to have English-speaking staff to accommodate tourists and foreign teams choosing to stay at those locations.

In terms of transit time to the Circuit, lodging in Yakumicha is considered ideal, with Jechiru second.

EVENTS
In addition to the World Grand Prix Championship finale, Yakumicha Circuit will also host a non-championship exhibition race to kick off the Yemigama HPI Formula Touring Championship, known abroad as Formula Hodori. This support race, with qualifying before the WGPC Friday Practice and a 150km sprint Saturday, will feature 18 drivers from the top level of Hodoran open wheel racing.

Aside from the Grand Prix events, the nearby cities and towns will be holding their own festivals and events. If going to smaller towns and villages such as Yegitou for entertainment, one should keep in mind that unlike in places like Yakumicha or Jechiru, signs will be almost entirely in Hodoran and spoken English rare.

[Hodori Motorsports]

Final Battle! Three-Way Fight for the Throne!
Champion to be Crowned at Yakumicha
en.super-option.co.hd/art=514568

With the upcoming Grand Prix of Hodori at the brand-new Yakumicha Circuit, one can feel the excitement build as teams arrive and unpack. And there is no better way to introduce a circuit to the world than by holding the sizzling hot final battle of the pinnacle of motor racing, the World Grand Prix Championship.

At the final round, only three drivers of the eighteen present are in the fight for the ultimate honour to be known as the World Driver’s Champion. Audioslavian Alexander Lund, the McPahan driver aiming to defend his World Driver’s Championship title; Alexandra Mayari, the Nekonian phoenix making a comeback from the start of the season; Asao Nadakei fighting on home turf, the Yemigama HPI Formula Touring veteran seeking the greatest of trophies to add to his collection.

Fight Hard and Win, Nadakei!
With a 22-point deficit to the current points leader Lund, Nadakei must win the Grand Prix, with Mayari finishing off the podium and Lund needing to score eighth or lower to award the Hodoran driver the championship title. If Nadakei is unable to claim the summit of the podium, he will be unable to score the needed points to dethrone Lund.

Though the task before him is certainly imposing, he has the experience to mentally keep his cool, and the driver coolsuit to do so physically as well. Derived from similar systems used in ENSADRINK GT machines, the coolsuit system pumps water through an icebox heat exchanger to lower temperatures within the firesuit to combat the Hodoran climate. As a result of this system, the Hodoran WGPC machines faced a slight disadvantage over the season as less ballast was available for finding the perfect weight distribution. Though the other constructors will use different techniques to keep their drivers cool, it remains to be seen if such systems will be as effective as the bulky coolsuit system.

Rise from the Ashes and Soar, Mayari!
10 points behind Lund, Mayari must score a podium to avoid relying on countback to determine the champion. If Mayari wins, she will need Lund to finish third or worse. Mayari ending second on the podium requires Lund sixth or worse to avoid the question of countback. If she finishes on the bottom step, Lund eighth or lower will prevent a tie. Should Lund fail to score points and Nadakei does not win, Mayari finishing fourth leaves the title to be decided on countback.

After a tumultuous beginning to the season culminating in an incident between then-principal Christian Fatali and lead driver Mayari, Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio has experienced a resurgence with Patrice Minna at the helm. With the start of the season a distant memory, Mayari and SFeG are poised to claim the World Driver’s Championship and the World Constructor’s Championship for Nekoni.

Keep the Lions at Bay, Lund!
Arriving in Yakumicha with the lead in the Driver’s Championship battle, Lund will have the easiest time defending his crown. To retain the title for a second season without needing to rely on the whims of countback, Lund must finish at worst nine points behind Mayari with Nadakei missing the top of the podium. A Mayari win means Lund will need a second place finish. Mayari second and Lund needs fourth or better to clinch the title. Should Lund fall into misfortune and finish without points, Mayari and Nadakei suffering similarly and missing their targets will hand the title to the Audioslavian.

Although the McPahan of this season is certainly less fragile than that of the 12th World Grand Prix Championship, the team is not entirely free of hauntings by the ghost of Linco, with the Apoxian Hingis suffering most with failing to finish half the races started. Even so, with Lund’s strong finishes this year, McPahan may be the ones to take both championship titles when the chequered flag drops in Hodori.

[WGPC]

Friday Practice

* Drivers had 90 minutes to record up to thirty laps
* Fastest lap is recorded
* Conditions: Changeable

Pos	Car	Name	Team	
1	55	Asao Nadakei		    	1:27.348
2	99	Rudolf Ibuna		    	1:27.391
3	70	Moisés Delgado		    	1:27.397
4	64	Crimson LaRoja		    	1:27.477
5	74	Alexandra Mayari	    	1:27.485
6	52	Sayono Souzare		    	1:27.537
7	10	Lauren Ashburton	    	1:27.628
8	41	Marcel Tenis		    	1:27.637
9	16	Matt Hingis		    	1:27.682
10	4	Riku Äijälä		    	1:27.738
11	15	Alex Dimitrianov	    	1:27.798
12	24	Victoria Gardner	    	1:27.803
13	29	Esteban Guilhermez	    	1:27.843
14	18	Wayne Forrest		    	1:27.846
15	39	Tyler Brooks		    	1:27.878
16	1	Alexander Lund		    	1:27.951
17	17	Ryan Harris-Jones	    	1:27.984
18	51	R.L. Cruisin		    	1:28.585

[Vilita and Turori]

Cruisin Just Hoping to Finish

Yakumicha Circuit, Hodori:: It has certainly been an up and down season for R.L. Cruisin and Frontiere Racing. Things seemed to be off to the worst possible start when Cruisin picked up a points and monetary fine for actions taken, and backed it up with a last place finish after retiring early at the home race at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course.

However, the fine perhaps was a motivating moment, and team Frontiere stepped up the pace, peaking at the Glorious Han where Cruisin took home the victory, his first of the season, and capped off a string of fine finishes that left the Vilitan driver just 6 points off the season lead.


It's been all down hill since then. Cruisin has claimed just 5 points in the races since, perhaps the off weeks created by the cancellation of two grands prix caused the team to lose focus. The season clearly hit its bottom point in Nekoni where both Frontiere drivers retired early, the only two retirements of the race.


If Nekoni was the bottom, then surely theres no where to go but upwards in Hodori.

Cruisin has not been fast off the truck at the Yakumicha circuit, posting the worst hot-lap in the opening practice session. But there is still hope for Cruisin as Frontiere teammate Crimson LaRoja has not been horribly off the pace. While a win for Cruisin in the Grand Prix of Hodori would painstakingly assure rival Alexander Lund the title, it would none the less be the momentum needed to cement R.L. Cruisin amongst the elite grand prix drivers in the multiverse when it comes to securing a ride for WGPC 14, despite all the retirements throughout the season. A win in the finale would put Cruisin on two wins for the season, matching the total of each of the top 3 drivers in the individual standings.

Of course, the Vilitan driver will still be able to hang his hat on the Glorious victory in the Glorious Han, but one more retirement to end the season won't leave a good taste in anyones mouth, as Frontiere looks to spoil the party and come home on the podium in Hodori.

[WGPC]

Saturday Qualifying

* Drivers had 90 minutes to complete up to ten flying laps
* Conditions: Dry

Pos	Car	Name		
1	74	Alexandra Mayari	    	1:26.973
2	55	Asao Nadakei		    	1:26.975
3	99	Rudolf Ibuna		    	1:27.018
4	52	Sayono Souzare		    	1:27.132
5	16	Matt Hingis		    	1:27.151
6	51	R.L. Cruisin		    	1:27.218
7	41	Marcel Tenis		    	1:27.237
8	64	Crimson LaRoja		    	1:27.274
9	1	Alexander Lund		    	1:27.289
10	29	Esteban Guilhermez	    	1:27.390
11	70	Moisés Delgado		    	1:27.543
12	24	Victoria Gardner	    	1:27.620
13	15	Alex Dimitrianov	    	1:27.665
14	18	Wayne Forrest		    	1:27.713
15	10	Lauren Ashburton	    	1:27.740
16	17	Ryan Harris-Jones	    	1:27.877
17	4	Riku Äijälä		    	1:27.975
18	39	Tyler Brooks		    	1:28.671

Grid for the final race of the season

[Audioslavia]

Last week had been breathtaking.

Behind championship rival in practice, ahead of her in qualifying, fourth on the grid but with the knowledge that, on the soft tyres for the first fifteen laps, there'd be a real chance to weave through the top three, Alec had entered his car full of confidence, so much so that he was told that, during the parade lap before the race start, he'd waggled the arse of his electric blue McPahan just a little too much to be considered merely warming his tyres.

Red. Red. Red. Red. Red. Out. Go. Tyres had squealed all around him, but Lund had gotten away brilliantly, up to second by the first corner, and then into the lead on turn eleven, outbreaking Crimson LaRoja at the tail of the tracks.

The lead was extended, the pit-stop went as expected and, on the harder tyre for the middle portion of the race, he had coasted round the circuit as quickly and efficiently as he ever had, taking care of the tyres, passing when other drivers made mistakes. The other pilots pitted, he stayed out, eventually taking the lead as Nadakei, race leader for twenty laps, went for a pit-stop that, due to a reason the team wouldn't divulge, took twenty seconds rather than five.

With fifteen laps to go, Alec had gone in again and gone onto a fresh set of soft/medium tyres, with clear instructions to go flat out for the final few laps, not sparing the tyres, the engine, the fuel, nothing. Riku had, somehow, made it up to first ahead of him, but he'd come out ahead of Nadakei and, all importantly, Mayari and hared after the Telaris. He'd caught it with six laps to go, and battled over three laps before, again at the Tail of the Circuit, outbreaking his rival to take the lead. He'd finish just two seconds ahead, having to defend while also overtaking two backmarkers - one a rather embarassed Matt Hingis who was on his second nose-cone and fourth set of tyres after an incident-packed race - but he won, and in winning put himself into a great position to defend his World Drivers Championship.

This weekend wasn't going so smoothly. Friday's practice had become a distant memory, but yesterday had been filled with glaring mistakes. Here, in Hodori, the spiritual home of multiverse motorsport despite that fanciful sign in the WGPC offices in Cathair, with a job to do, just like last week, he'd utterly failed to deliver the goods.

He'd needed to keep ahead of Mayari. He hadn't. Mayari had broken the lap record in qualifying first. He'd needed to keep ahead of Nadakei, the home favourite still in with a chance of leapfrogging him to the championship. He hadn't. Nadakei himself had broken the lap record before Mayari's one-upping of him. Alex was three-tenths adrift. Ahead of him were all those rivals he'd bettered over the past season. Sayono Souzare, lacking in straight-line speed but largely efficient at keeping the car on the track, had qualified fourth. Ibuna, in a car expertly balanced by his Hodori constructor, had gone third. Hingis, his team-mate, in fifth, with the two Frontiere cars sandwiching the SinoMotors of Marcel Tenis just ahead of him.

In truth, he hadn't driven too badly, but he hadn't found the speed where his championship rivals had. He'd had flashbacks to last season the night before. To Xeb Kallasdun, supposedly the favourite for the title, with a lead over everyone else in the championship, lapped on the final go-round by two drivers with an actual shot at the championship. He wondered if, in the same position, he'd try to knock his opponent off the track.

No. Probably not.

Alec scanned the room in the pre-race drivers meeting. He saw only the backs of the heads of Nadakei and Mayari. He hoped that wouldn't be a theme in the coming race.

[Nekoni]

"Welcome to the endgame, ladies and gentlemen. Better throw everything you've got at it." As the Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio team entered the pit garage in Hodori for the first time, the acrid humidity of the room hit them, and hit them hard. "You feel this, everyone? This heat is what Alex and Victoria are going to be friends with this weekend. It's like picking the hottest summer day back home, going into the cupboard underneath the stairs and threading a needle for hours on end."

Patrice glanced at the back row of the team, noting that some of the trainee staff looked on the verge of fainting. Patrice turned on the air conditioning in the room, to the relief of the crew.

"So, remember this. These two are gonna be in that hell, and it's our job to make sure they're doing it for something, yeah? We're ahead, but we haven't won this yet, not until the flag goes down Sunday afternoon."

It was a change to Minna's managerial style: usually this season he had been much more calmer and even willing to crack a joke or two, but this weekend, it seemed that he realised how close they were to glory in both titles, and he was determined that he not going to let it slip from his grasp.

"These are the most important three days in Nekoni's racing history. Let's make it happen!"

Making 'it' happen was always going to be difficult for Alexandra Mayari. Letting the podium slip from her grasp in Yttribia had let Lund take control of the championship. She knew that if Lund got top two, it would be game over, even if she won the race. She also knew that this was Nadakei's stomping ground, and he was always going to be a hot favourite on his home turf. The smart money would be on all three making the podium, and the only combination of the six that would work out for her would be Mayari - Nadakei - Lund...and that meant causing a major upset in Yakumicha's shorching heat.

---

Friday's practice session started terribly. Mayari was used to technical circuits, and she was used to hot conditions, but both at the same time, as well as the humidity provided a whole new challenge. A lap of the track was very much a test of endurance, with the section running through the Junior Circuit containing a multitude of corners, all simple enough on their own, being fixed radius turns, yet combined with the rest of a lap, added to just more entry points to memorise. The end third was simple enough: mainly quick blasts with the occasional turn to mix things up.

"Where am I slow, what do I need to do?"
"Junior Section, Alex. You're losing tons of speed at Valley, it's not as tight as you think."

Ten laps after that, her new confidence in Valley caused her to improve to fifth...and then the rain came. After a lap on the slicks, she knew that she wasn't going to gain any positions this session, and besides, changing to harder tires this late in the session would only allow one, maybe two laps, so there was no real prospect of getting a decent session in the wet. Alex pulled up into the pit garage and exited, looking disappointed in herself.

"I'm so glad that qualifying wasn't today. That was awful," Alex dejectedly sighed.
"You're only .15 off the lead there," one of the mechanics replied.
"That's for one lap. 59 laps, that's what? Eight seconds? That's not good enough."
"Here's something, though. Look." The mechanic tapped on the screen at the sixteenth row. "Lund, third from last, half a second back. What do you think's going through his mind right now?"
"Christ!"

Alex grabbed a much-needed energy drink to refresh herself, and prepared herself for an evening of studying the course.

---

Saturday came, and the qualifying session's weather was ideal. With conditions such as these, if it rains, it rains hard. Fortunately for her and the spectators, there was no chance of anything other than a bone dry session.

"You have ten laps to make both your jobs as easy as they can be tomorrow. And Alex, of all days, you need pole today. P1 in a must-win race is obviously the best seat to be. And you've never polled before, so now would be the best time, wouldn't it?"

Patrice was right. Even on both her race wins, she'd not started in pole before. Second at Nekoni, third at Aels, the top seat had always eluded her.

"Don't let your position yesterday bring you down, you can do this. Your finishing laps were strong."

After the now traditional post meeting shout of "Forza Nekoni!", the team bore down upon 90 minutes of qualifying, the midday sun at its worst. Alex pulled out of the pit-lane, knowing what she had to do. Threading the axis of each corner in the first sector, she got back into the rhythm of the course surprisingly quickly. Within a couple of laps, she had been able to get into the low 1'27s. Sadly, it seemed that one of her rivals had as well...

"Nadakei's on the verge of 1'26. You are gonna have to pull something special out of the bag."
"Lund. Where's Lund?"
"You're beating him. By a lot. You're behind your friend, Souzare."
"OH. Now it's on!"

Mayari thought that if Sayono beat her in qualifying, she'd never hear the end of it. As she entered the pit straight for her next lap, Nadakei further twisted the knife, beating 87 seconds. 'This is it, Alex', she told herself. 'This is crunch time.'

The first half of the track was easy enough, and by following the lines she used before, the times were roughly the same. However, she came to the source of her ire yesterday, the triple-turn of the Junior Circuit. Gaining as much speed from the downhill blast before 55R, she held on as long as she could until she slammed the brake. Maybe just a metre more than usual, but in a sport like this, it could have made all the difference. Taking 55R as closely to the rumble strip as the rules allowed, she was able to takethe next two faster. This worked for her a great deal, as she was able to turn on the taps a lot more into Valley.

She knew how to do Valley now. Like a micro version of the Sling on her beloved NIC, the trick was in getting the car to make the most of the circuit's dramatic dive, and Alex knew exactly where to pull the trigger. Shaving fractions of a second with every turn, Mayari had no problems dealing with 30R. All she had to do was get the car home, not make any foolish mistakes on the chicane or the hairpin, and it was simply done. The news from the pit was music to her ears.

"LAP RECORD, Alex! You've only gone and stolen the lap record from him! Fantastic!"

She couldn't quite break her record again, but the important part was that nobody else could. Where it mattered, she had gottn her first pole position. Alex pulled into the paddock to the cheers of the crew.

"How does your first lap record feel, Alex?" Patrice asked.
"Amazing, but now I have to do something with it. First place at the start tomorrow is good, anything other than first place tomorrow and it's wasted. Keep an eye out on Lund tomorrow. I'm scared he might try something."
"You think he's going to try a shunt?"
"I'm way ahead of him and I'm his rival. I'll try to keep him at arm's length, but if he shows up on my tail, could you get someone to watch him like a hawk? If I'm losing this, it's going to be from my error, not a screwjob."

Back in her trailer, Alex allowed herself a little treat for her first pole in the form of a little aperitif of limoncello before her food, but she naturally held restraint. Tomorrow was going to be the biggest day of her life, and she wasn't going to do it without the best preperation now. After her meal, she looked at a few highlights packages of the season enders of the last couple of seasons, namely Lund's 2nd place at Aer Ancharine last season. Lund's performance last season had very strongly mirrored hers this season - both had terrible starts at the beginning of the season, both came to a particularly notorious head in race four, where both had been bruised, Alec by a bridge, Alex by Fatali's fists. From the incidents, both had steadily placed consistently well, becoming an outside bet for the championship title.

Clearly, for Alex, this year, much like it was for Alec, was a Cinderella story. Tomorrow, she would do anything and everything she could to make it a happy ending.

[The Glorious Han Chinese]

The last race of the season is here, and SinoMotors lounges 7th in the Constructors Championship. It hadn't been a good start, but there was a win and a few podiums to boast of. What else can be done now?

Vincent sat tensely in the pits. The drivers were out on the track in the sunny track. Probably burning in those suits of theirs.
"Damn it, I'm so slow out of the corners!" Alex yelled into the radio, infuriated as the SFeG lapped him once again.
"If they can get this fast, so can you."
The SFeG comeback wasn't expected, and watching the underdog of the first half of the season top both the drivers and constructors championship must be thrilling for the spectators. But not for Vincent. He loathed them, and respected them for being able to do so. But his own team seemed to hit a roadblock that couldn't be overcome.
"Okay, Alex. Just push, push."
Vincent watched the numbers climb, slowly. 1:28.9...1:28.2...1:27.6...Please, climb into the top ten.
Then, a commotion jerked him away from the timesheets. Alex, true to his record, had managed to plant his car into a wall.
"Sorry, braked too late." He quickly radioed.
"You blithering idiot. You're not getting into the points." Vincent was furious. Halfway through the session, and one car had been taken out of contention. At least there was still Marcel. Hopefully he can provide something better after a lacklustre season.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marcel had qualified seventh, and the team was getting ready for the race, when they received a surprise visit. Maxwell Song, former driver, had arrived to watch the last race.
Vincent eyed him warily. "Go on, laugh at me for sacking you. I was wrong, okay."
Maxwell laughed. "Oh no, I already got over it. Just wanted to watch the last race. Maybe, talk in private."
He took Vincent's hand and led him into the office. Max shut the door and looked at Vincent with a twinkle in his eye.
"What is it, Max? I don't like that look.'
"Now, Vincent, you know I think Alex is a terrible driver. And I know you want a good end to the season."
"Get to the point, I have things to do."
Maxwell sat down in a chair, taking his time. "You know, when the drivers get into their cars, no one can really know for sure if it's actually them. You just look at the helmet and say, 'oh it's this one or that one'."
Vincent glared. "Yes, I know."
"Now, we know you don't want Alex in that car. He won't get himself into the points. But I can. I can drag that pitiful piece of scrap into the points. So, how about letting me have a shot?"
"You want to dress up as Alex and drive in the race?" Vincent looked incredulous. It was the most insane thing he's ever heard. "That's against the rules."
"No one needs to know my friend, I just dress in Alex's clothing, and there's voice changers on the market."
"You really think this'll work?" Vincent asked. He really wanted a good result.
"Sure, why not? Worth a shot right?"
"Okay, we'll give it a shot. Just make sure everyone thinks your Alex. And as for him...I'll hide him in my locker or something. If you drag yourself onto the podium...umm...I'll think later."
"Glad to see we've come to a agreement. See you tomorrow, loser." Maxwell opened the door, and walked off, whistling happily.

[Vilita and Turori]

Nothing to Lose for Frontiere Drivers

Yakumicha Circuit, Hodori:: With uncertainty abound and no clarity to date revealed on the future for Frontiere Racing drivers R.L. Cruisin and Crimson LaRoja - or to that matter, the Frontiere Team itself, they will be looking to send a message to any future employers, sponsors and media outlets with a strong finish in Hodori.

After a slow start off the truck, Cruisin and LaRoja have shown some speed in the qualifying session and will start the grid nose to tail in the 3rd and 4th row. It will be R.L. Cruisin rolling off the line 6th followed closer by teammate LaRoja in 8th as the team Frontiere Racing drivers will have the opportunity to work together and navigate their way up to the front of the field.

If they should make it all the way up to the front, however, they are likely to face stiff competition.

Team Dekijika-Tarogama's Asao Nadakei is rolling off from the pole position in a must-win race for the home-race driver as they look to upset the leaderboard and take home the title. Alongside on the grid will be the Nekoni driver Alexandra Mayari, Alexander Lunds closer challenger for the title with a gap of just ten points. The Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio driver will enjoy the view from the front of the grid and as they roll off will be sitting in provisional championship position.

Thats because McPahan's Alexander Lund will be rolling off the grid 9th, just one row behind the duo of drivers from Frontiere Racing. R.L. Cruisin is certainly unlikely to give any slack to an old rival competitor if the McPahan driver should be on his bumper looking for a path through the field. Naturally Cruisin will be looking to keep all drivers behind him, but one at a time, and if he could only keep one driver behind him at the end of the day, Alexander Lund would be a fine one to settle on.

[Hodori Motorsports]

Two hours before qualify, Souzare was in the Team Tengu garage sandwiched between Archer’s and Super Option’s, watching Zakemi’s onboard as the lights went out for the exhibition. Rain showers during the day had washed the rubber off the track, and though the rain had stopped some time ago, there were enough puddles of standing water to declare the track wet. Some of the Formula Hodori teams were starting on intermediates, while others expected more rain soon based on the dark clouds lingering above and gambled with full-wets.

Some wheelspin as the tyres fought for grip on the slippery surface, and the sixteen FH170Ts stormed off into the first corner, a V8 choir to entertain the crowds before the main event of the day.

Into the first corner, Johanson outbraked Zakemi for 15th into First, and picked up another two positions through the Esses before pulling out of Zakemi’s sight out of WhiteRock. By lap five, Zakemi had slipped by Tamine to reclaim next-to-last. Lap eight, the field had spread out and Zakemi gained another position.

As the cars sped down the front straight and downshifted for First Corner, Souzare could hear the various engines’ approach to 550 horses out of 3.4 litres; the high-revving buzz of the Tarogamas, the guttural roars and snarls of the maximum-displacement Dekijikas. The lone pair of BeckTechs were drowned out by the Hodoran powerplants.

A dozen laps complete, a handful of cars were making their pit stop, most of them changing to new sets of intermediates. Contact between Guerrera and Samogi heading into the West Chicane left the Audioslavian beached out of Final Corner. Samogi soon followed suit, stranded adrift in First Corner’s gravel pit.

Past the halfway point at fifteen laps, a distinct dry line had formed. Eighteen laps complete, and the track was declared dry as the clouds had moved on. Vassily Johanson, who had been among those taking a chance with intermediates in an early stop, had worked his way to fourth and was hunting the few remaining puddles in an effort to stay out to the end.

By lap twenty one, everyone still on track had made their stops for slicks. For many, this involved a second stop and cost them the race. As Tashika drove away well and truly in the lead, their only consolation was the Exhibition being a non-championship event, unlike tomorrow’s WGPC finale.

---

---

“Two seven three one. P2. Six laps.” The exhibition had left a rubbered-in line to follow. Drivers making early runs added to it. Six laps left to set the top time; she could afford to experiment a little.
“Ibuna set a two seven three oh. You’re down to P3.”
Navigating Shameimaru, she’d prefer if the voice over the radio went away for a few minutes. Up 85R, over 90R, down the Junior back straight, brake for 55R 25R 45R, back on the power down the--
“Nadakei pole two seven one oh.”
Go away I’m in the zone. She almost wanted to say it. She didn’t. Valley, into 30R, turn 17, up the National back straight with its right-hand kink into the braking zone for the Hairpin. Climbing Hieda to the West Chicane.
“Mayari two seven two.”
Carving a line from the chicane to the Final Corner, carrying as much speed as possible onto the main straight. Across the line, crest, brake for first corner.
“Two seven one three. P2, five laps.”
Fly down the Esses and Whiterock, brake for Shameimaru.
“Ibuna two seven one one.”

Over her final five laps, she couldn’t better her time. Nadakei claimed a 1:26.975 before returning to the garage, only to get bumped off pole by Mayari and two-thousandths of a second.

Returning to the garage, Souzare pulled her helmet off and motioned for a bottle of sports drink. She twisted the lid off then downed half the bottle, the other half splashing over her and soaking her firesuit. Discarding the bottle and retrieving another, she checked the timing screen. Fourth was okay.

---

---

Debrief, shower, sponsor functions in Yakumicha, and she finally got to return to her hotel room around sunset. Hakusa was lounging on the bed wearing the gift from Mayari.
“Fourth doesn’t look too bad,” Hakusa said, not looking up from her laptop. “Ashburton’s down in fifteenth though.”
Souzare shrugged as she made her way to the bed. “I’m sure we’ll both end on the podium tomorrow.”
“Speaking of tomorrow,” Hakusa set her laptop aside to focus on Souzare. “Would you like me to ask Mayari to write a message when she signs the poster?”
“I dunno.” Souzare sat on the bed.
“Maybe something for Harem Queen Sayo-chan?” A smile crept onto her face.
Souzare looked at Hakusa. “I’m too tired to deal with this right now.”
“Relax, I’m joking.” Hakusa pulled Souzare down on top of her. “You know I’m joking, right?”
Souzare had fallen asleep. Hakusa closed her laptop and set it on the floor, before wriggling out from under her sleeping girlfriend.
“Good night, Sayono.”

---

---

The morning of the final race, Souzare felt energised. Early morning showers had washed the built-up rubber away, and though the skies were clear at this hour the air felt uncomfortably muggy. Arriving at the paddock early, she had borrowed Hakusa’s laptop to review yesterday’s pre-qualify Exhibition race with Ashburton and compare notes. She didn’t care for the ultimate winner in the support race; she wanted to review the overtaking zones and racing lines; see how they changed as the track dried.

[Audioslavia]

Ladies and gentlemen, your final CUT-OFF of the thirteenth WGPC season.

[WGPC]

Season Finale

The Grand Prix of Hodori - Sunday's Race

* Conditions: Dry
* Laps: 59
* Dimitrianov's name is in inverted commas for OOC reasons, due to Han's RP. If the WGPC were to get wind of this incident, both drivers would be expelled from this season's championship, as would the SinoMotors team.

Pos	Car	Name	Team	OVERALL TIME	TIME GAP	LAPS DOWN
1	55	Asao Nadakei		    	1:29:02.800		
2	29	Esteban Guilhermez	    	+:07.728	+:07.728	
3	74	Alexandra Mayari	    	+:35.997	+:28.269	
4	99	Rudolf Ibuna		    	+1:01.454	+:25.457	
5	70	Moisés Delgado		    	+1:01.922	+:00.468	
6	24	Victoria Gardner	    	+1:12.783	+:10.861	
7	41	Marcel Tenis		    	+1:24.335	+:11.552	
8	64	Crimson LaRoja		         Ret. Lap 59
9	16	Matt Hingis			+1 Lap
10	18	Wayne Forrest		    	+1 Lap		+:05.205
11	52	Sayono Souzare		    	+1 Lap		+:02.044
12	17	Ryan Harris-Jones	    	+1 Lap		+:01.989
13	51	R.L. Cruisin		    	+1 Lap		+:05.308
14	39	Tyler Brooks		    	+2 Laps

DNF	10	Lauren Ashburton	 Ret. Lap 20
DNF	4	Riku Äijälä		 Ret. Lap 19
DNF	1	Alexander Lund		 Ret. Lap 18
DNF	15	"Alex Dimitrianov"	 Ret. Lap 18

World Driver's Championship: Final Standings
1	74	Alexandra Mayari	Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio	119 WGPC13 World Driver's Champion
2	55	Asao Nadakei		Team Dekijika-Tarogama		118
3	1	Alexander Lund		McPahan Racing			115
4	24	Victoria Gardner	Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio	 90
5	10	Lauren Ashburton	Archer Motorsports		 78
6	29	Esteban Guilhermez	Aston Tickford Racing		 76
7	70	Moisés Delgado		Hansa-Nyrota / Aston Tickford	 75
8	16	Matt Hingis		McPahan Racing			 64
9	15	Alex Dimitrianov	SinoMotors Racing		 60
10	4	Riku Äijälä		Telaris Racing			 58
11	99	Rudolf Ibuna		Team Dekijika-Tarogama		 56
11	51	R.L. Cruisin		Frontiere Racing		 56
13	11	Enu Noel		Aston Tickford Racing		 48
14	64	Crimson LaRoja		Frontiere Racing		 36
15	39	Tyler Brooks		Macllynlleth Clockwork Racing	 30
16	52	Sayono Souzare		Archer Motorsports		 23
17	41	Marcel Tenis		SinoMotors Racing		 22
18	25	Lovisa Landenberg	Hansa-Nyrota Racing		 21
19	17	Ryan Harris-Jones	Macllynlleth Clockwork Racing	 20
20	18	Wayne Forrest		Telaris Racing			 16
21	14	Maxwell Song		SinoMotors Racing		  2

Scuderia Fuoco e Ghiaccio	209 WGPC13 Constructors World Champions
McPahan Racing			179
Team Dekijika-Tarogama		174
Aston Tickford Racing		124
Archer Motorsports		101
Hansa-Nyrota Racing		 96
Frontiere Racing		 92
SinoMotors Racing		 84
Telaris Racing			 74
Macllynlleth Clockwork Racing	 50

Thank you everyone for a very enjoyable season. A new, improved World Grand Prix Championship will be back early in 2016.