World Grand Prix Championship season 17 [RP Thread]

[WGPC]

CUTOFF

for mid-season testing at Yarkovo International Circuit

[WGPC]

Week 7: Mid-Season Test 1

Conditions:      	Cloudy
Lap Record:      	00:01:15.856
Session Length:	180 minutes
Nation:         	SVJ
Circuit:        	Yarkovo International Circuit

Drivers have 180 minutes to complete as many laps of the track as they like.

POS #   DRIVER                                  FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER   				
 1 18 ▍Taylor Blake                     	00:01:20.066	00:00:00.000		
 2 42 ▍Alex Dimitrianov                 	00:01:20.072	00:00:00.006		
 3 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:20.079	00:00:00.012		
 4 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:20.089	00:00:00.023		
 5 29 ▍Esteban Guilhermez               	00:01:20.110	00:00:00.044		
 6 64 ▍Carsten O'Rourke                 	00:01:20.117	00:00:00.051		
 7 20 ▍Mick Schramm                     	00:01:20.133	00:00:00.067		
 8 48 ▍Tyra Tabuso                      	00:01:20.158	00:00:00.092		
 9 23 ▍Jelena Colac-Strek               	00:01:20.159	00:00:00.093				
10 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:20.165	00:00:00.099		
11 14 ▍Sigur Bjarnason                  	00:01:20.178	00:00:00.112		
12  7 ▍Vijay Tripathi                   	00:01:20.216	00:00:00.150		
13 37 ▍Ryan Harris-Jones                	00:01:20.256	00:00:00.190		
14 52 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:20.263	00:00:00.197		
15 17 ▍Evdaden Carnétier                	00:01:20.279	00:00:00.213		
16 65 ▍Hunter Digri                     	00:01:20.283	00:00:00.216		
17 49 ▍Benjamin Talison                 	00:01:20.311	00:00:00.244		
18 33 ▍Jai Kardaeri                     	00:01:20.321	00:00:00.255		
19 22 ▍Jasmin Kranjska                  	00:01:20.344	00:00:00.278		
20 51 ▍RL Cruisin                       	00:01:20.347	00:00:00.280		
21  3 ▍Darius Castellammare             	00:01:20.465	00:00:00.399		
22  1 ▍Jessica Franssen                 	00:01:20.544	00:00:00.478		
23 56 ▍Terho Talvela                    	00:01:20.612	00:00:00.546		
24 15 ▍Tabita Novax                     	00:01:20.649	00:00:00.583		
25 47 ▍Erica Okumura                    	00:01:20.679	00:00:00.613		
26 63 ▍Dalia Dahl                       	00:01:20.969	00:00:00.903		
27 27 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:21.255	00:00:01.189		
DNS41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	No time recorded

[Joushiki Nante Iranai]

Less than two weeks remains until Joushiki Nante Iranai's Somos City Circuit debuts in the WGPC. Until a few years ago, motor racing was not popular in JNI, but that changed when Somos started hosting a yearly street race. The WGPC event occurs two months before the 5th anniversary of the street race, and is using the same layout as the original did back in 2014. Since the first race, motor sport has become immensely popular, despite the current lack of international presence of JNI in motor sport, which led the race to become a biannual event, taking place in January and July.

There are many young drivers aiming for the WGPC, and on the Thursday of the event, some of them - to be precise, exactly 28 of them - will each meet a WGPC racer in person at the racetrack. The young drivers will be encouraged to ask questions about a broad range of topics concerning racing to help them progress. The event will finish with a hot lap, where each young driver will take to the circuit to complete a lap, assisted by the WGPC driver they met earlier on radio.

Excitement is building for the JNI GP, both in Somos and throughout the country. A week on Wednesday, the roads will close, and setup will begin.

[Sorlovia]

One week earlier

The realization only fully hit Gregori as he stepped down from the podium with champagne running in streams down the front of his racesuit. First place! He’d actually taken out first place! His dream and singular focus had finally come to pass! He’d dreamt of a first place finish since the very first moment he’d set foot on the WGPC stage as a raw rookie racing with VMR. It had eluded him in WGPC16 and had been the glittering prize hanging in front of him in the first few races in WGPC17. But at long last he’d succeeded in taking out that coveted spot. A rush a elation and euphoria shot through him mixed with a heady excitement. Despite knowing the reality he still couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it. It was a feeling like that of a labourer finally earning enough money to start a better life. Even though he had what he’d strived so hard for it took a few moments for the fullness of the realization to sink in.

Terho’s outstretched hand and familiar accent roused Gregori from his thoughts. He blinked to focus himself before smiling at his long-time rival. Neither of them had ever spoken to the other making this first meeting somewhat awkward. He could sense the uncertainty and hesitation in Terho and that in turn put him slightly on edge. Of course he knew who Terho was. Even if they’d never been formally introduced. He’d followed the Abovian racers’ career and performance in WGPC16 closely watching for anything he could learn to improve his own performance. Studying his foremost rival to learn his techniques in order to learn how to beat him.

“Thank you Terho,” Gregori said shaking his hand “I’ll admit that I don’t quite believe it yet even though I know full well I passed the finish line first in the final lap and have just been standing at the top of the podium. When you’ve been working for something so hard for so long it takes a while to fully sink it. Do you know what I mean? I’m Gregori Krupin, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Gregori paused for a few moments to gather his thoughts. This meeting had been coming for a very long time and the reality of it was somewhat awkward. If he was honest with himself he had held onto slight feelings of bitterness against Terho for the way that he always managed to prevent him from passing. But in truth it was more of a frustration with himself or not being able to best that foremost challenge. The target he’d set for himself. But he’d never hated the man. Terho was simply a worthy challenge and a suitable rival. That one racer he was the most determined to beat in a race.

“Yes,” Gregori said thoughtfully “I would like to start afresh. But I want to reassure you that I don’t hate you in any way. You are a worthy challenge out on the track and I enjoy testing myself against your sheer skill. We all need to test ourselves against something or someone. It must us better racers no?”

Gregori spoke English with a thick Russian accent. There was no helping that. English was not his first language and as a Slav he would always speak with a strong accent. His accent was more far more pronounced due to the fact that he’d been born in Sorlovia, unlike Sorlovians born aboard among native English speakers, and had grown up speaking exclusively Russian. Some nationalities and even ethnicities spoke with distinct accents when they spoke English. Sorlovians were one of those.

[Mattijana]

Kopylov InternazionRing Announces WGP18 Plans

MFO SPORT


A schematic of the circuit, expected to be used in next season's WGPC application from the Mattijanan Department of Sport

The Kopylov InternazionRing, Mattijana's WGPC submission since the 15th season of the series, has announced extenisive redevelopment plans in a bid to regain its place on the calendar as a full Grand Prix.

The circuit, demoted to a test circuit for WGPC 17, had the changes planned before the announcement was made, but has moved the work forward in order to have them prepared for next season.

The main change to the track layout is the introduction of a chicane to break up the main straight, with the three new corners becoming the last before the finish line. The Sava section has also received a revamp with turns 11 and 12 becoming tighter and turn 13 becoming much longer after concerns over the safety of its short, fast predecessor.

Off track, the pit building has received a comprehensive makeover with the upstairs now containing largely glass walls allowing excellent views over the start/finish strait, as well as the Holesbirjke and Ezelhochlas sections that are visible behind the paddock. The balcony that hosted the post-race party after last season's race is also to be expanded, meaning the pit-lane equipment for teams will now be suspended from its underside, rather than attached to the frames found at most circuits.

Circuit manager Izara Keunssberg said that the circuit will "immediately press ahead" with the construction work in order to be ready for the next season, where she hopes the circuit will be viewed as "one of the best in the multiverse". She has however come in for some criticism from fans who claim that the Kopylov layout should not be changed regardless of its international standing and that the new chicane will further limit overtaking opportunities around what is already a fairly technical track.

As much as the circuit is an integral part of Mattijanan sporting history however, it will cease to be so if it doesn't keep up with the financial demands of top-level racing, something the circuit has found challenging before its inclusion in the WGPC.

Should it have its Grand Prix weekend reinstated next year, the cost of the redevelopment will be justified and accounted for by the revenue from such an event. If it fails to do so, the circuit may find itself relying on government support, something that is limited even in Mattijana, a country with one of the biggest Department of Sport budgets internationally.

Whether those responsible for the WGPC 18 schedule take notice remains to be seen, but if the work goes to plan, it will look very impressive indeed.

[Esmerel]

Carlisle Classics Vehicle Dealership, Midwood, Enera, Esmerel
Sunday, April 21, 2019, 02:00 PM (UTC-4)

Today was the day. If Jean was going to catch up to his brother, it was going to be with a show. In order for Jean to play the part, he was going to need a special prop he was already looking for anyways. A classic sports car.

Thanks to Esmerel's mild fanaticism with motorsports, many of the most popular (and not as popular) cars no longer manufactured in most locations throughout the Verse were revived in the Esmerelian auto industry- or, in some cases, never retired at all. Therefore, it was the perfect place to pick up powerful classic sports cars with heaps of potency. One such place was the venerable and massive Carlisle Classics, in Midwood, one of the most beautiful cities in all of Esmerel.

Jean was approached by the salesman out at the time. "Hello, sir. What vehicle might you be looking for today?" he said. Not wishing to attract attention, Jean had donned a black denim jacket and jeans to seem like any other car enthusiast. "I'm not really sure in that regard," Jean said. "I was hoping you might be able to help."

The salesman had a short laugh. "Don't worry too much, we can do that," he said. "You know your budget?"

Jean laughed back. "One car, but any price."

"Good, I like your attitude," said the salesman. "And what kind of car? We've got a lot of them."

"Top end. Anywhere from 1980 to 2000."

"That'll do it, buddy. Come around back. I'll show you what we've got."
_______________________________________________________________________

just a bit later

"Here we are. The prime lot. Full of cars of all types, all of which are popular, but if you need something top end we can definitely limit our search. Here's a good one. A 1988 Pegassi Torero." The salesman motions to a slim, yellow car. "The thing's got a V12, and plenty of options for the needy customer."

Jean felt good that the salesman knew what he was talking about. He wasn't entirely interested in the looks, though. "I think I'll pass." Jean then noticed an orange, slightly better looking car in the opposite corner. "What about that one?"

"Oh, that one?" the salesman noticed. "The 1993 Progen GP1! A great pick. If you're looking for a performance classic, this one takes the cake every single time. First car that ever went faster than 400 km/h. It's still a V12 too."

Jean was impressed with the statistics. But he wasn't interested in pounding the competition into the ground. Given the number of cars here, surely there was one which looked good and didn't force a state of redundancy on every other car present. "Maybe I'll pick this one up another day," said Jean, "but I'd love to drive a car that's a bit of an underdog. Got any of those?"

"An underdog, hmm? You're a challenge kind of guy. No matter, I think there's one over here you'll just love." The two walked over to another yellow car. "How about this one?"

"What's this model? I've never seen anything like it," Jean said.

"The 1997 Ocelot Ardent. Sunroof. Six speed transmission. Top speed just 340 km/h, and acceleration 0-100 in 3.6. Only a V8 engine, but nothing wrong with that."

"Alright, then," Jean interrupted. "I'm liking it so far. And, admittedly, it looks a little bit like a LEGO car. That does it. I'll take the Ardent."

"Good hunting, then, sir. Just sign these quick papers and the keys are yours."

That was step one done. Now, to take this new toy and use it as something more.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Yarkovo International Circuit, Yarkovo, Savojarna
Sunday, April 21, 2019

Maximillian Rykinsvik was not a man of worry. Most of the time, he'd keep it relatively cool. But when his partner didn't show up to an important thing, it got serious.

The rest of the grid was taking fast laps around the circuit. His partner's teammate was doing well, and so were the numbers on Lucifer, who was indeed there. It was just the problem that the all-important man, Jean Mercer-Daly, had failed to even arrive at the circuit.

Maximillian could only sit in the corner and wonder. Where the everloving hell is he?
_______________________________________________________________________________

Quill Lake Suburb, Blacktrail, Juniper, Esterlon
Sunday, April 21, 2019, 08:00 PM (UTC-4)

That "everloving hell" was a suburb in Blacktrail, easily Esterlon's city furthest from the actual everloving hell present in the nation. Despite the political merger of 2017, the nation had still overall stuck to its "economy first" policies and forgotten about the rest. While things like the street race Jean was about to enter were semi-legal in Esmerel, the legislation hadn't yet gotten through the Esterlonian council, which was why so many more races happened here. It was the thrill of doing something against the system, while knowing they'd do almost nothing about it as long as the racers cleaned up after themselves.

Jean and the Ardent wheeled up to the starting area. Here's hoping they're accepting last-minute entries, Jean thought. I might just join in anyways, though.

A slightly ragged-clothed man came up to Jean's window. "Hey, buddy," he said. "Late entries are more expensive, just so you know. You still in?"

Jean was indeed in. "Like hell I'm not. I'll pay whatever needs to be paid. It's more than worth it."

"Alrighty, then. Hand over fifteen hundred and you can join. The winner's getting ten K, so it's definitely worth it if you can do that."

Jean was carrying physical currency for this express issue. Fifteen hundred was easily affordable. The Ardent costed seventy K. "Alright, then, I guess this is it. I'm a bit new to this, so go easy on me, OK?" Jean laughed on the inside.

"Heh. Don't worry, we'll take extra good care of you," said the man. Jean could tell he was being sarcastic. There would be no easy goings. "Not. This is a big race tonight, and everyone else will be gunning for the prize as much as you are," he said. "Especially with tonight's special guest. Speaking of which, he's approaching now."

Jean looked to the left as a bright set of lights highlighted a black car approaching from the left. Because of this light, Jean got a glimpse of the man driving the car.

He hadn't changed his looks at all.

It's him.

The car, driven by Evyn, pulled into the front of the group of cars by the starting line. He got preferential treatment, while Jean had to start in last. Was Jean going to win? He didn't really have to. But it would be great. And, more practice should Lucifer fail to pull its weight again.

A brightly dressed woman carried a green flag in her hands. She raided in in front of the cars, who all revved their loud engines. Then, she stepped to the side of the road. The flag was raised higher. Jean revved his engine in anticipation.

The flag dropped. Evyn led them all into the denser section of Quill Lake, while Jean was stuck at the back in the first corner. It didn't last forever, though. He didn't know how many cars were in the race, but he had already passed 2 by the second corner.

Another problem was the lack of course knowledge. It was clearly marked, but he'd have to perform a track analysis as he drove it at full speed. Then, some things came together. It was like back in the old days, driving in the EGTC. The streets roared with the sound of the cars on it. And, suddenly, Jean began to floor it down them without worry.

A few minutes passed, and Jean had made it up several places. The group hadn't made it back to the starting line, so there wasn't yet an indication of how long the course was. Then, the track took a left turn, up to the hills surrounding Blacktrail. A bit of a climb, eh? Time to show these novices what it was really like.

Jean's pace kept skyrocketing. A few of the cars took notice of the fast, yellow car destroying the competition. They tried and failed to stop it. Soon enough, Evyn was within eyesight. Soon after that, right ahead of Jean.

Evyn had probably expected to win the race, without resistance. He defended his position thoroughly as the group came back down the hills. Jean tried several times to pass. Evyn blocked all of them. Then came a very wide turn with a high cliff edge below. Evyn swung left, then right, and suddenly Jean was leading. But Evyn had intended it. He tapped Jean's right rear, and gave him the PIT maneuver. Jean did everything he could to avoid smashing through the rail and falling down forty meters. And gravity would fail to lay its hands on Jean today. The spin turned into an outside drift. And Jean held onto control of the car. He was still just behind Evyn.

"Oh, hell yes. Kansei dorifto, baby!"

Jean got back on the gas. The end of the hill section was in sight. There were a few more corners ahead, but nothing too hard to manage. But Jean noticed the flag girl who started the race standing at the line with a checkered flag. It was now or never.

Evyn's PIT maneuver seemed to tire him of blocking. He still made attempts, but seemed to be in shock that the PIT hadn't sent Jean off the cliff. A roundabout was the final three corners of the race. Jean passed Evyn on the outside, giving him a smirk through the window as he passed. Jean pulled away to the finish line, and proceeded to take it all. The win was his. He did a donut in front of the waiting crowd (after stopping, of course) and witnessed Evyn setp out of his car in anger. Jean did the same, but in confidence. "How about that, huh? No one's ever really gone, are they, Evyn?"

Evyn, of course, was distressed. "Jean!" he shouted. All of a sudden, he charged forward and knocked Jean to the asphalt. "...I- It's you. The fuck are you doing here?" he asked.

Jean had the wind knocked out of him, but still maintained his cool. "Take a guess, Evyn," he said, taking a breath. "I finally found you."

[Sorlovia]

Petrovijanka, Mattijana

Gregori’s first place finish at Nacionalni Autodrom Rebecna proved to be irresistible to the media. He soon found himself hunted down for interviews by media outlets from both Mattijana and Sorlovia. The race had been broadcast across both countries with the cameras zooming in one the sight of his car crossing the finish line in first place on the final lap. That image was then repeated and splashing across the internet sending his fans into hysterics and jubilant explosions of joy. Gregori had long been wary of the media because of their tendency to harass people and twist their words to suit their own agenda. But he knew he’d have to give at least one interview in order to keep them off his back. He’d have to toss them a bone.

INTERVIEWER: This is Alexei Vasiliev with Channel 12 News. I’m here with Sorlovia’s favourite son and star Gran Prix racer Gregori Krupin. Gregori has just take out first place at the latest race in Season 17 of the World Gran Prix Championships at Nacionalni Autodrom Rebecna. Gregori, tell us how it feels to finally achieve the goal that eluded you last season.

GREGORI: Well Alexei, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t utterly thrilled. Every racer dreams of taking out first place but so few ever do. It’s an extremely coveted result that takes huge amounts of skill and intense practice to achieve. The result at Nacionalni Autodrom Rebecna really feels like a validation of my career as a racer.

ALEXEI: Would you so that it’s a high point in your career?

GREGORI: Oh most definitely! I am incredibly pleased with the result. It really feels like a payoff for all the hours I’ve spent on the test tracks and the late evenings studying my race statistics. It felt so good to come in first. Any other racer in the same position would tell you the same thing. We all dream of taking out first. I’m ecstatic and I believe I have the right to be.

ALEXEI: You definitely do! Can you tell us how it felt to finally beat Terho Talvela? He’s been a long-time rival of yours since the very beginnings of your career.

GREGORI: Terho is an incredibly skilled racer. I have a lot of respect for him both as a racer and as a man. He always presents a worthy and uncompromising challenge out on the track. At the end of the day that’s what I enjoy. A skilled rival and a worthy challenge to test myself against. Every racer has a rival. I won’t lie though. It did feel good to finally pass Terho. He hasn’t given me the slightest inch in the races and certainly doesn’t make it easy for anyone. But I’d expect nothing less of him and will always return the favour. That’s what makes finally beating him all the more satisfying.

ALEXEI: Is there any truth to the rumours that you have a feud with Terho? Some WGPC enthusiasts have stated that you have a vendetta against him.

GREGORI: Those rumours are harmful to Terho and I. This is the World Gran Prix Championships. Not high school. Terho and I share a sporting rivalry. Nothing more than that. I do not hate him in any way. He is simply a worthy rival to test myself against due to his immense skill and impressive race record. I want to put these rumours to rest. I do not now nor have I ever had any ill feelings towards Terho.

ALEXEI: Thank you for clearing that up for us Gregori. Do you have any plans to celebrate? I know a result like that has been a long time coming.

GREGORI: Haha you can beat I’ll be celebrating. I’ve already had a private function with my pit crew but I will do something else in the next day or two as well. I wouldn’t have been able to take out first place without the tireless support of my pit crew. They are an absolute bunch of superstars! They keep my car in peak condition.

ALEXEI: Thank you for your time Gregori. I wish you the best of luck in the upcoming race. We’ll all be cheering you on and hoping for another first place finish. Reporting live for Channel 12 News, I’m Alexei Vasiliev.

Gregori was quietly when the reporter left. Dealing with the constant hounding of the media was the most unpleasant part of being a WGPC racer and indeed any celebrity. The media were tireless and almost without morals or respect in some ways. They hounded you and hunted you down robbing you of any privacy all in the pursuit of a juicy story. Fortunately for Gregori he’d been provided with an MRT bodyguard to support him as an MRT paid racer. His bodyguard dealt with the media and very carefully watched for any threat. All Gregori had to do was nod to Samson and he’d deal with any reporters or media personalities who were bothering him. The burly Mattijanan blocked them from getting to him and in no uncertain terms told them to go away.

After a brisk walk across a city block Gregori slid into a corner booth at the back of a coffeehouse not far from his apartment. He’d taken quite a liking to coffeehouses since leaving Sorlovia for the WGPC and quietly questioned why they hadn’t come to Sorlovia. It was a fairly simple store platform that would be easy to transfer to the Sorlovian consumer market. Gregori shrugged and turned his attention to the steaming cup of coffee that had been placed in front of him. There were more important things to worry about.

[The Sherpa Empire]

Tripathi wanted to fly Yuan Qiang out to Yarkovo so she could be there with him for the mid-season test, but she didn't have a passport. He had been watching race videos when she called, but he paused the video so he could give her his full attention. "It's going to take a while to get one," Qiang said. She sounded upset. "I don't have a driver's license because I never learned to drive, I don't have a tax ID because I've never had a job, and my birth certificate got lost somewhere along the way in Guangdong. I need my brother as a witness to verify my identity so I can get an ID, but he's out of the country."

"You can't have someone else confirm your identity?" Tripathi asked.

"No," Qiang said in despair. "It has to be a close relative, and I don't have any other family. By the time I see my brother again, it will be after his daughter is born and he'll want me to babysit. I don't know if he'll help me get a passport..."

"Tell him to hire a nanny," said Tripathi. "There has to be someone else that can help you."

"It has to be my brother or Xing Bao." Her tone changed from despair to fear as she finished the sentence, "And I can't ask Xing Bao. Now that he's out of jail again, I sometimes worry that he's going to come to Guilin and come looking for me..."

"He is the man you divorced?" Tripathi asked. He was still learning the story of her background.

"Yes. My brother and his friends had to come to Guangdong and rescue me from his house. Ugh...when I think about it I feel so ungrateful for complaining about my brother. He was away racing, and he flew back to the Sherpa Empire just to help me. And the money he gave me when we got back to Guilin... I've never even seen so much money..."

"Money is not such a big deal when you have enough," said Tripathi. "I would spend a lot of money to make you happy because I can afford to. I will enjoy your smile more than I enjoy some numbers on my bank statement."

Qiang giggled and Tripathi was glad he'd managed to cheer her up some. "It is the same thing with your brother," he went on. "He has enough money for himself, and he will sleep better knowing you are safe instead of having a few extra rupees. You shouldn't worry about him so much. He can take care of himself, and he is not going to stop caring for you just because you live your own life."

"He doesn't take care of himself, though," said Qiang, her tone turning sad again. "It's like he's got some kind of deathwish..."

Tripathi laughed. "I think you have to have a bit of a deathwish to be a race driver," he said. "They make it as safe as they can, but you are still pushing the envelope."

"It's not just that," said Qiang. "I mean, even when he's not racing, he just doesn't take care of himself, like he doesn't eat right and his girlfriend gives me the creeps."

"Ah, yeah, his girlfriend is a little strange," Tripathi agreed.

"You don't know the half of it!" said Qiang. "She's more than just a little strange."

Tripathi laughed. "Okay, note to self: don't try to steal Kai Qiang's girlfriend. She's not as pretty as you anyway."

They went on chatting for a while, and Tripathi lost track of the time. When he looked at the clock it was 2AM and he wondered how it had gotten so late.

Luckily he had a couple of days to catch up on sleep and he didn't embarrass himself at the mid-season test. He just wished she could have been there with him... After the testing session, he and Amarnath had a nice dinner at a restaurant near the track. They talked about the season, about VMR, about racing and life in general. It was a good dinner and a good conversation, but it would have been so much nicer if he could have shared it with Yuan Qiang instead of grizzled old Geli Amarnath.

[Vangaziland]

Vannish sporting rules were not as strict as some other nations may have been. This was because of Vangaziland's idea of freedom. Vannish freedom wasn't predicated on supporting big business first. Therefore, no rules existed to say an athlete could not also compete in an amateur event. This was true even if it put them at risk. This may put the business and it's money in danger. Every Vannish athlete was a person with free will. That is more important than the company's risk of loss.

This was true for Jessica Franssen, who had received a call from her former protégé Jang Xiaopeng. Since Xiaopeng didn't have a seat, he was putting together a new video series. If he couldn't garner attention on TV and in the grandstands, he could go back to his roots.

Jang cut his teeth in the underground street racing scene. High speeds on Central Vangaziland's provincial highways, along with a relaxed attitude on speed enforcement led to almost legitimized street racing. As Jang and his team "went legit", they utilized local enforcement to close highways and patrol routes.

This was the case early in the space between the mid-season practice and the next race. Jess flew to Imperial Hills, VNG for the late night shoot. "Just give them a show, Jess", Xiaopeng told her.

"I got you Xiao", she replied with a wink. Right after that, she hopped into her limited model of VM Ghost. Before she took off, her golden brown eyes looked down at the nameplate of "Vangaziland Edition" car. It read "1 of 1". Around it was various company fanfare. Just below it was a familiar signature. Hers. She was given the chance to purchase the first car off the assembly because of her involvement in marketing it.

With a mastery that might not be seen by the sudden movement, Jess took the idling sportscar to a specific RPM and dropped the clutch while almost simultaneously turning the wheel. This made the car spin in a controlled way. The engine howled, purple of the most garish shade reflecting flakes in the sun, as the signature red stripe bisected the rear of the car horizontally.

It spun in a flash of hazy circles until Jess fought into the spin and smoked the tires. Her strong hands twisted the wheel to turn into the drift. A flick of the wheel gathered the tail and sent four wheels of Vannish nationalism screaming into the night ahead. Cameras were lined up all along the route. The Wrexish producer would likely fashion cut scenes to follow from takeoff through the melodious set of gear shifts.

The surprise was yet to come. The road gently angled towards the right to merge onto a straight. It was a wide enough angle to gradually build speed. Ahead were lights of another car approaching from an identical ramp on the other side. It was Jang Xiaopeng and his Alpine Edition VM Ghost. Both roads met and opened up to form a wide throughway straightaway.

Xiaopeng's car was the lightest shade of gray, with a hint of blue. It was the company's vision of alpine color, along with hints of yellow and red trim which symbolized wildflowers. Two Vannish V-10s screamed at each other as both cars raced down the closed highway. Jessica was ahead by the slightest fraction, as she'd taken the approach faster.

The first turn was ahead. Both cars had plenty of room to slip across the wide, windy road. The headlights cut through the darkness, ambient light glowing from the amber street lights above. Trees between each light cast dark shadows of jagged tiger stripes along the road.

Both cars came to their first braking point. A long S was coming up and then a switchback. It's angle would still be sharper than the gentle winding the course took after the first stretch. Both cars would have to figure out who would fall behind somewhere in the middle of the large S. Jess fought harder, not wanting to give in. She had the space and knew Jang wasn't likely to catch up.

The cars tapped brakes and needled the throttle through the twist before braking harder in earnest for the switchback. Ahead was a more narrow road. Xiaopeng finally gave in, red brake lights illuminating in submission. Jess fought ahead right to the last moment of the braking point before bringing things under control. The Vangaziland Edition had more reinforced brakes and suspension than the Alpine Edition. It helped her get closer to the limit than Jang.

Both cars coasted into the apex and powered out and around the horsehoe. Now they sped down another straight. The finish line wouldn't be far now. Xiaopeng tried desperately to catch up. Jessica and her car matched him, shift for shift. Distance went by in a matter of seconds.

There was not a moment of silence throughout the entire affair. There was only the shouting of the exhausts and the pounding of two motors. It felt as if it were over before it started, but it was still completely satisfying.

A talented crew of editors would use the multitude of cameras set up along the route to stretch the drive into a dramatic race. The distance went by fast, but there was a decent push between both cars. The top speed had approached 190 mph before the S-turn's arrival cut that short.

Both cars would slowly decrease speed after the finish line, until cruising into the next service area a few miles down the road. Dozens of insiders and a few invited fans had gathered here on this stretch of closed road.

"That'll get the blood pumping", Jess shouted to an onlooker filming her slowly drive past.

[Eastfield Lodge]

SinVal garage
Circuit Grandeville, Lisander

"0 points. Nil. Nada. Rien. The square root of jack. Please, humour me, how do you think this season is going?"

Navarro recoiled, holding the mobile away from her face for a second to regain her composure, before replying, "Yes, things haven't gone well. I'll admit that."

The SinVal team principal was sitting in her office, and had been dreading this call all week. It was a direct line to an extraordinary meeting of SinVal's Motorsports board, and they were beginning to lose their cool. "Haven't gone well? That is bullshit and you know it. Your team has been noncompetitive right throughout this season so far, and going by the results in Savojarna, it isn't going to get much better."

That did sting somewhat. Yes, there were some weekends which were complete busts - the opening race in Hodori saw the team well off the pace throughout the weekend, and finishing at the bottom end of the top 20. But there were some positives too - tainted by poor luck. Talbott saw Kranjska smash qualifying to put herself on the second row of the grid, whilst Dahl struggled to string together a competitive laptime before a puncture ended her session. Dahl's race was a bust as well, but Kranjska actually competed throughout, being in a comfortable podium place three quarters of the way into the race before a collision by absent-minded back-marker Castellammare ended both their races - most pundits thought she was desperately unlucky to have that stolen from her. The Mytanar Grand Prix was unfortunate, as both SinVal cars suffered engine issues in qualifying which put them outside the top 20, but it was almost redemption on race day, as both Kranjska and Dahl fought back up the grid, several overtakes between them leaving the pair finishing 12th and 13th, albeit a minute outside the points - had they qualified higher, then who knows?

"I really don't think we've been noncompetitive. Yes, we're not challenging the leaders just yet, but have you seen the Constructors' table? No team is really standing out at the top, and we've been desperately unlucky in my opinion. We could easily be in the top ten teams if Castellammare had actually obeyed the blue flags and used his mirrors. And as for the Savojarna test, you should know that we weren't testing qualifying setups, like, at all. We were looking purely at race pace, and obviously trying out new parts and all. Yes, Dahl's basically at the bottom, but we couldn't get her car working for whatever reason. I still believe we can be competitive, and there are still ten races left in which to prove that."

Alaina's rant down the phone was met with stonewalled silence, which seemed to drag on - they were obviously talking amongst themselves. About 10 minutes later, she got a reply. "Alright then, we'll have it your way." And that was that. A click, and silence reigned once more. Alaina collapsed, head in hands on the table, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Sure, they'd been unlucky so far this season, but they needed results, and they needed them fast.

[WGPC]

CUTOFF

for Practice and Qualifying at Circuit Grandeville

[WGPC]

Week 8: Practice

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:29.443
Session Length:	75 minutes
Nation:         	LIS
Circuit:        	Circuit Grandeville

Drivers have 75 minutes to complete as many laps of the track as they like.

POS #   DRIVER                              FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER				
 1 42 ▍Alex Dimitrianov                 	00:01:33.937	00:00:00.000		
 2 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:33.956	00:00:00.019		
 3 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:33.964	00:00:00.027		
 4 17 ▍Evdaden Carnétier                	00:01:33.970	00:00:00.034		
 5 15 ▍Tabita Novax                     	00:01:33.973	00:00:00.036		
 6 52 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:33.983	00:00:00.046		
 7 56 ▍Terho Talvela                    	00:01:33.996	00:00:00.060		
 8 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:34.008	00:00:00.071		
 9  3 ▍Darius Castellammare             	00:01:34.011	00:00:00.075		
10 41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:34.026	00:00:00.089		
11 22 ▍Jasmin Kranjska                  	00:01:34.055	00:00:00.118		
12 48 ▍Tyra Tabuso                      	00:01:34.086	00:00:00.149		
13 64 ▍Carsten O'Rourke                 	00:01:34.122	00:00:00.185		
14 20 ▍Mick Schramm                     	00:01:34.149	00:00:00.213		
15 14 ▍Sigur Bjarnason                  	00:01:34.196	00:00:00.259		
16  1 ▍Jessica Franssen                 	00:01:34.199	00:00:00.263		
17 49 ▍Benjamin Talison                 	00:01:34.209	00:00:00.272		
18 27 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:34.223	00:00:00.286		
19 29 ▍Esteban Guilhermez               	00:01:34.254	00:00:00.317		
20 65 ▍Hunter Digri                     	00:01:34.271	00:00:00.334		
21 23 ▍Jelena Colac-Strek               	00:01:34.299	00:00:00.363		
22  7 ▍Vijay Tripathi                   	00:01:34.347	00:00:00.410		
23 37 ▍Ryan Harris-Jones                	00:01:34.405	00:00:00.468		
24 18 ▍Taylor Blake                     	00:01:34.488	00:00:00.551		
25 51 ▍RL Cruisin                       	00:01:34.543	00:00:00.606		
26 33 ▍Jai Kardaeri                     	00:01:34.622	00:00:00.685		
27 47 ▍Erica Okumura                    	00:01:34.885	00:00:00.948		
28 63 ▍Dalia Dahl                       	00:01:34.894	00:00:00.957

Week 8: Qualifying

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:29.443
Qualifying Type:	Traditional
Nation:         	LIS
Circuit:        	Circuit Grandeville

POS #   DRIVER                              FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER				
 1 41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:29.450	00:00:00.000		
 2 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:29.478	00:00:00.028		
 3 22 ▍Jasmin Kranjska                  	00:01:29.479	00:00:00.029		
 4 29 ▍Esteban Guilhermez               	00:01:29.480	00:00:00.030		
 5 18 ▍Taylor Blake                     	00:01:29.486	00:00:00.036		
 6  1 ▍Jessica Franssen                 	00:01:29.524	00:00:00.073		
 7 15 ▍Tabita Novax                     	00:01:29.525	00:00:00.074		
 8 42 ▍Alex Dimitrianov                 	00:01:29.527	00:00:00.076		
 9 23 ▍Jelena Colac-Strek               	00:01:29.543	00:00:00.093		
10 51 ▍RL Cruisin                       	00:01:29.546	00:00:00.095		
11  3 ▍Darius Castellammare             	00:01:29.548	00:00:00.097		
12 47 ▍Erica Okumura                    	00:01:29.549	00:00:00.098		
13 27 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:29.555	00:00:00.105		
14 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:29.564	00:00:00.114		
15 64 ▍Carsten O'Rourke                 	00:01:29.580	00:00:00.129		
16 33 ▍Jai Kardaeri                     	00:01:29.591	00:00:00.141		
17 20 ▍Mick Schramm                     	00:01:29.613	00:00:00.162		
18 52 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:29.620	00:00:00.170		
19 37 ▍Ryan Harris-Jones                	00:01:29.686	00:00:00.236		
20 65 ▍Hunter Digri                     	00:01:29.701	00:00:00.251		
21 56 ▍Terho Talvela                    	00:01:29.847	00:00:00.397		
22  7 ▍Vijay Tripathi                   	00:01:29.874	00:00:00.423		
23 48 ▍Tyra Tabuso                      	00:01:29.880	00:00:00.430		
24 49 ▍Benjamin Talison                 	00:01:30.011	00:00:00.560		
25 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:30.052	00:00:00.602		
26 63 ▍Dalia Dahl                       	00:01:30.189	00:00:00.739		
27 14 ▍Sigur Bjarnason                  	00:01:30.438	00:00:00.987		
28 17 ▍Evdaden Carnétier                	00:01:30.503	00:00:01.053

[Esmerel]

3308 Witherspoon Drive, Rochester, Concord, Esmerel
Monday, April 22, 2019

The events of the previous weekend had been revolutionary to Jean. Eleven years of waiting led up to one of the greatest moments of his entire life. Despite his already great appreciation for motorsport, racing on the streets of a city suburb made him appreciate its incredible diversity.

What Evyn had been doing there, though, still wasn't entirely clear. Sure, he had a history of street racing in Esterlon, but if he left for San Andreas afterwards, why come back? To show off? Did he get bored of LS? Or maybe he found some success and wanted to share the wealth. Whatever it was, Jean had no opportunity to find out. After Evyn had tackled him to the ground in anger, he made a run for it without much of a conversation.

Now that he had been found, though, he was more easily trackable. If Jean just hid his identity again and asked those street racers racing with Evyn about where he could have gone, it would be easy. Hell, it might even be fun.

Suddenly, Jean's arm vibrated. Someone was calling. "Hello?" Jean said.

"Oh, thank Odin," said the person on the other end. It was Max. "Where in the Verse were you on Sunday?"

Jean remembered he had missed the practice at Yarkovo. "Ah, damn," he aid. "Remember how I was searching for Evyn? Well I found him, but the only opportunity was on Sunday evening. So I decided to do that instead. Sorry if I scared you half to death, Max."

Max sighed on the other end. "Well, that sounds about right," he said. "But no more skipping sessions. Anyways, the guys at Nexus want you back at the shop in three hours. There'll be a VTOL transport waiting for you in Midwood to speed things up. Get there and get over here."

Jean understood. "Alright. I'll see you then." The call ended. Jean got up to pack up a few things, then suddenly his arm vibrated again. Another call.

Jean picked up again. "Hello?"

It was Evyn's voice on the other side. "This is a prerecorded message, so replying won't work." There was a brief pause. "Don't ask how I found the number. Heh. I should be asking you how you found mine. Now, what you did yesterday was admittedly impressive, I'll give you that much. I shouldn't be surprised, I guess. Heard you made it to some professional racing. Got away from the insane Wreckfests. That's pretty nice. But you don't know real racing." Another pause. "I heard there was something you missed in your professional thing, just to come and find me. How sweet. I won't organize anything on the weekends anymore, just for you. With that said... Next Tuesday. April 30th, 5:00 PM. Huntington, Esterlon. Bring that yellow car. Be there or the trail goes cold." The message ends there.

Evyn had issued a challenge. And while Jean was going back to what he was supposed to be doing, he wasn't turning down the side offer.

[Savojarna]

SavojarSports.sj - inside reports from all Savojarna
WGPC Power Ranking pre-Lisander

The World Grand Prix Extravaganza is in full swing, and as in every year, fractions of seconds separate winners from losers. With the first three races and another mid-season test passed, we may get a rough idea on who is on top and who needs to step up their game - but nothing is decided yet as the WGPC goes into its next run in Lisander. As the Yarkovo Test Session passed, WGPC enthusiasm in Savojarna is great, and MRT reigns supreme in the country even though their reign on the road may be in jeopardy. Without further ado, let's see who to look at in Grandeville!

1. Badai Angin Tim Motorsport (+5 spots)
Drivers: Alex Dimitrianov, Carsten O'Rourke
Motto: "What is this Mytanija you keep talking about?"

The champions of practice, qualifying and livery prove to be pretty damn fast as well - as long as you're not in Mytanija, at least. Dimitrianov in particular seems to have found his form early in this season, absolutely dominating the sessions in Liventia and winning the race start to finish. Audioslavian Carsten O'Rourke topped the trainings multiple times, but so far completely failed to actually follow up once it counted. Badai Angin will hope that he finally manages to get successful in the race as well.

2. Tropicorp Racing Ælund (-1)
Drivers: Terho Talvela, iBen Toralmintii
Motto: "iBen enjoys racing so much he'd rather do it for a little longer"

TRAE's flagship Terho Talvela still leads the driver's championship despite a crash in Liventia, but the Abovian's points can only carry the team so far. Legendary driver and team principal iBen Toralmintii yet has to win a point despite regularly showing promising runs in training and qualifying. But in the race, the veteran completely failed to deliver so far, leaving TRAE with a considerable disadvantage in the constructor's championship.

3. Mattijana Racing Team (+1)
Drivers: Sigur Bjarnason, Gregori Krupin
Motto: "MRT: Where you'll drive amazing for one season"

Luck has left MRT's lead driver Sigur Bjarnason in a spectacular fashion: Following a highly promising testing period, the Savojar had disappointed in Hodori, where the MRT was barely able to contend on the long high-speed parts of the track. A collision with Omni's RHJ in Liventia and a DNF in Mytanija, two of the relatively few tracks that should fit the technical Savojar driver, followed. But thankfully for Mattijana, their team has a magic power of boosting their new signings to amazing results. Sorlovian Gregori Krupin celebrated his first victory in Mytanija and already is close to matching his point total of last year - and carried MRT to second place almost on his own.

4. Nexus Racing (+4)
Drivers: Ryker Lane, Jean Mercer-Daly
Motto: "Consistency, even when it means Ryker is consistenly not winning"

It looked like the Nimban team would enter a proper crisis in the beginning of the season, with the iconic driver duo being unable to place the Chase Cutter among the top spots. Thankfully for Nexus, their trademark consistency prevented them from falling into irrelevance as they recorded points in every game. But aside from JMD's third place in Hodori, the top of the field was far gone for most of the first races, until Ryker Lane was leading for most of the Mytanijan Grand Prix. However, in a spectacular triumph of stale WGPC memes, Ryker fell to seventh place in the end, still hunting for his victory.

5. Fireline Independent Racing Association (+5)
Drivers: Benjamin Talison, Tyra Tabuso
Motto: "Tabuso improves, Talison scores"

Before the season, we singled out Tyra Tabuso as the carrier of hope for Fireline. Indeed, she started out promising and steadily improved as the season went on, getting closer to the top in every race. And then, following a DNF in Mytanija, it was the so far rather underwhelming Benjamin Talison who striked and came in third. In the tightly packed WGPC field, this means sixth place and a clear upwards trend.

6. iBen Toralmintii's Race Eelandii Vilita & Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks (-1)
Drivers: Jai Kardaeri, Rustom Ibuna
Motto: "Enter with a bang, exit with a meh"

Rustom Ibuna, the unsung hero of MRT's WGPC 16 constructor title, entered the stage with a bang as he came second in Hodori and probably kicked off some serious celebration in the house of iBen Toralmintii, with his own team and the team he runs being first and second in the standings. Ibuna followed with a fourth place, defending iTREVTWGPM's second position. But a thoroughly underwhelming performance in the third round and a complete no-show of Jai Kardaeri in the first three races means that they continue to struggle.

7. WGPC Motorworks: McPahan (+7)
Drivers: Jelena Colac-Strek, Hunter Digri
Motto: "WGPC Motorworks presents: Jelena Colac-Strek, Hunter Digri and Hunter Digri's slow twin!"

Seemingly uncompetitive and unlucky at the beginning of the year, Colac-Strek and Digri were largely confined to the back end of the field both on the road and in predictions. The latter already showed signs of strength in Liventia, but was shot off the road by Terho Talvela; and something about the crash seems to have kicked up his fighting spirit by multiple gears. Digri's second place in Mytanija gave him his first podium, and highly increased the pressure on his teammate as Hunter Digri proves the McPahan is actually capable of holding the field's pace.

8. Omni Racing (-5)
Drivers: Mick Schramm, Ryan Harris-Jones
Motto: "We win a lot of places, but we're also great at losing them again"

Luck has not been on Omni's side so far, with their Liventian driver Ryan Harris-Jones colliding with Bjarnason in his home race and Schramm losing the fruits of a great fight in Mytanija, coming only 15th. However, the West-East-Timorean team shows an incredible fighting spirit, often gaining many places despite bad qualifyings or mistakes during the race. If only they wouldn't lose them again during the race so often, they may actually be among the top teams.

9. Camden Automobile Racing (+2)
Drivers: Darius Castellammare, Tabita Novax
Motto: "How long can we ride the Novax Wave?"

Tabita Novax's fifth place in Hodori seemed to have kicked off something for Camden as the Lisanderian team started to attract attention, but it quickly took a hit in Liventia, where the team struggled hard to compete with the field. Nevertheless, the Falcanian managed to strike back in Mytanija, while her teammate Darius Castellammare still fails to get any points. In his home race, the young Lisander pilot finally seems to manage to catch up to Novax, who managed to place in the lower top 10 in qualifying yet again.

10. Vannish Motors Racing (-3)
Drivers: Jessica Franssen, Vijay Tripathi
Motto: "Make it rain!"

The champion Jess Franssen started her season weakened by an illness that struck her in preparation, but this seems no longer like an excuse after she raced to the pole in the rain in Mytanija. The glory lasted for no longer than six laps, after which she was already out of the race and would remain on three points. The pole-position in the rain may give VMR hope, as do the lower top 10 finishes of Vijay Tripathi, but on dry road the champion has not been able to live up to the expectations at all.

11. Polaris Racing Team (-2)
Drivers: Erica Okumura, Sayono Souzare
Motto: "Fighting Sigur Bjarnason was more fun last year"

Erica Okumura and Sigur Bjarnason fought some spectacular duels last season, and the two continue their rivalry in this year. However, as the Savojar fell down the rankings, the same is true for Okumura. The Nekoni driver has two points, the same as her MRT rival, with Souzare standing at three. Polaris better find the way back to the top fast, or this will not be a fun season for the team's fans and new sponsors.

12. Brutus Tyres Obey Sport Grand Prix (0)
Drivers: Taylor Blake, Evdaden Carnétier
Motto: "Winning! The testing sessions, but still Winning!"

Obey and their rookie driver Evdaden Carnétier surprised us when they recorded the fastest time back in Esmerel in the first test. However, they didn't manage to transform their great form into a successful beginning of the season as their only point so far comes from Carnétier getting a fastest lap. In Yarkovo, they managed to follow up with yet another best time in testing, but it will remain to be seen if it translates into results on the road. At least the qualifying is promising: Blake will start from fifth place, aiming for Obey's first top 10.

13. SinVal Motor Racing (0)
Drivers: Jasmina Kranjska, Dalia Dahl
Motto: "We got the wrong Mattijanan"

SinVal's duo of young, promising women attracted loads of attention among the fans, being celebrated online as rolemodels for female drivers especially in Savojarna, where the rallye scene is regularly debating its merits in gender equality. But the car's lacklustre performance and the bad luck of the duo led to some quick disappointment among SinVal's fans. However, Kranjska's recent improvement brings hope back to the team: Starting from third place in Lisander, she will try to score the first points for SinVal.

14. Mirrors-HMC Racing (-12)
Drivers: R. L. Cruisin, Esteban Guilhermez
Motto: "Failing when it matters"

The dark horse before the season, Mirrors-HMC completely crashed and burned from the moment the season's competitive events began. Hodori's qualifying was a sign as the team ended up 15th and 24th on a difficult track. But things did not get better for the race, or the Liventian part of the championship. At least Cruisin managed to get close to the points with an eleventh place in Mytanija, and the car seems to be fast if these early testing sessions are anything to go by.

OOC 1: Credit where credit is due - formatting for team names is copy-pasted from the OP. I didn't know the colours of the teams by heart.

OOC 2: This is not necessarily reflecting any OOC opinion (or particularly serious IC), please don't flame me if I wasn't too appreciative of your team. Well, keep the flame to IC, that is.

[Filindostan]

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NATIONAL | BUSINESS | PROVINCIAL | INTERNATIONAL | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS PORTAL

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MOTORSPORTS: WGPC 17
'All Set: Yogyakulta ready to host WGPC race

YOGYAKULTA - Preparations are underway for Yogyakulta to host Round 7 of the WGPC Season 17.

The circuit, which played host to the first and second round of the WGP3: Filindostan series, have been closed for the track owners to prepare for the upcoming event in a few weeks time. Stands will be cleaned and refurbished for better experience from the fans coming to the track at raceday. The Yogyakulta International Airport will also be a busy one, with it being opened just a few months ago.

The WGP3 field will then make a tour around Filindostan, Gergary, and Aji No Moto, before returning to Yogyakulta for the final round of that championship. But a recent change in the qualifying format for the WGPC race may push back the start times of the WGP3 race, which organizers have been looking at for any change of plans.

Meanwhile, the WGPC paddock are in Lisander, for the fourth round of the championship. Filindostan's Badai Angin currently lead the constructors' championship, and Mattijanan driver Alex Dimitrianov had a good test session at Savojarna, before setting the eighth fastest time in qualifying, with rivals Terho Talvela, Gregori Krupin, and Rustom Ibuna starting behind him. The Filindostani driver though from Eelandii VTGP will need an almost miracle to score points in this round, having to start 25th of 28th drivers for the event.

As always, FSNA Berita Filindo will bring you the latest news from the WGPC at your fingertips.

Written by FSNA Staff.

[Mattijana]

Circuit Grandeville, Grandeville, Lisander

Jasmin Kranjska had gone under the radar so far this season. She had signed for SinVal with the knowledge that in the WGPC, teams that had a rubbish season tended to learn from it next year. At SinVal, it seemed the learning was still going on.

She had nearly broken her run of scoreless results over the last two races. The solid, but fruitless 12th place finish in Mytanija had been preceded by a Liventian Grand Prix in which she had been running solidly along in third before being, as she would see it, taken out by backmarker Darius Castellmare.

Jasmina had been furious after the race, using her post-race interview with Eastfielder and Mattijanan media to strongly criticise Castellmare's driving. Having raged about the reason for blue flags and having a moan at the stewards for not punishing him more harshly, she had retired to the SinVal motorhome to vent her frustrations with everyone else.

That 'everyone else' consisted of her personal team, along with anyone from SinVal that would actually listen of course. Jasmin tended to bring her three-in-one mentor, advisor and coach Marina Torbjerg with her to each race. Marina was a former rally driver from the discipline's heartland of the North-East who had made the move to open wheel midway through her fairly illustrious career in domestic Mattijanan racing. She was a no-nonsense character - the sort of person who would tell you what she thought without much of a filter between mind and mouth. She was the sort of character that the young Puljankan needed to mould her into a mature racing driver, fulfilling the talent that she really posessed.

On this occasion, Marina had gone in hard. What she saw in front of her was a driver who was getting bogged down in the dissapointment and injustice top level racing could dish out. These things certainly happened, but you made your own luck to a certain extent.

Marina had taken Jasmina back to basics. She wanted to smooth out the youngster's driving style, reducing the number of mistakes she made on qualifying runs and giving her consistent pace and a clear head during the race. "If you are fighting your car" she had said, "you cannot fight the opposition."

Hours in the simulator and a usefully-placed mid-season test seemed to have had an effect. Jasmina drove well on raceday in Mytanija, hindered only by her woeful qualifying session. Now in Lisander, she had done what she had failed to do earlier, sticking her car on the second row.

Jasmina had proved she had what it took to land herself on the podium during her time at Kismo last season, even in machinery that you would politely refer to as sub-optimal and frankly refer to as a dog. She just needed to avoid all the drama of Liventia and drive a steady race if she was to bring hom her and the team's first points of the season.

[Nekoni]

Erica couldn't forget her morning...extra-curricular training at that airfield. She wanted to give Alex a good hard slap in the mouth for it. She had a recurring nightmare the last three days now. She's in the airplane, she's thrown out of it, she twists and turns the cube as the instructor barks height reminders at her. Ten thousand feet...nine thousand...her brow furrows harder and harder as the cube just won't solve. Her panic doesn't slow down the descent though, as the man strapped to her yells at six thousand, five thousand. She completes a side of the Rubik's Cube finally, and she realises the extent of Alex's mean streak: the bastard switched the stickers on the cube. She never had a hope of solving it, because it was impossible to solve. She realises that she's falling with no way of stopping it. The sweat sets in as she closes her eyes and hopes the instructor loses the game of chicken with the rapidly-advancing floor...and then she wakes up.

In real life, the instructor managed to pull the cord at 800 feet, opening their parachute and safely descending to earth, although Erica would take a minute longer to stop screaming. When she realised that she didn't smack at terminal velocity into the grass, she screamed for a different reason. "MAYARIIIIIIIII! I'm gonna fuggin' twat you!"

---

As the WGPC rolled into Lisander again, Erica still hadn't forgiven Alex for her simulated near-death experience, although Alex calmed her a little by telling her that nobody in the garage knew of her little excursion and nobody was going to mock her for screaming like a child with a skinned knee. However, she didn't really explain what the point of it was, either. Her explanation of "coping with mental/physical challenge under extreme pressure" didn't quite stack up, especially when Erica followed it up with the understandable retort of "Then why did you make it impossible to solve!?" Alex couldn't think of a good enough answer to that one without sounding like a bit of a sadist.

The practice session seemed to be affected by the ill temper of Erica, as she flopped badly, ending the session second from bottom, almost a whole second off the pace. Clearly, something needed to be done here.

That night, Erica was relaxing in the shower of her trailer, getting ready for an evening of R&R masquerading as course study, when she heard a knock at the door. In a hurry, she leapt out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her body and opened the door to find nobody there. Weird, she thought, as she scanned the night around her trailer, attempting to make out some modicum of a shadow in the dark-blue. She did this for a few moments, fruitlessly, just enough to see that someone had put a package at her steps. She reached down, grabbed it, and went back inside, closing the door behind her.

She placed the package on the table and opened it, and saw underneath the paper wrapping a familiar sight. Alexandra's handwriting.

"To Eri,

I'm sorry I accidentally nearly killed you in an attempt to make a point about something. I don't know what I was thinking, and I figure that the team works a lot better when we don't want to punch each other in the throats. I hope this'll sweeten the deal. Good luck tomorrow, yeah?

Allie xx"

Erica laughed at Alexandra's attempt at humility. She was good at writing a rousing speech, but this kind of emotion she clearly didn't know how to do without it seeming fake. However, the box of chocolates that the note was tied to? That was Erica's catnip, and her eyes lit up at the sight of them. She went over to the window, slid it open and let out a quiet "Thank you!" out into the night air. She then retired to laying on the bed, with the welcome chocolate box in one hand, her laptop in the other, as she began spending her night watching hot laps of the Grandeville circuit, safe in the knowledge that she probably wasn't going to have to kill her boss tomorrow morning.

[Vangaziland]

Circuit Grandville is one of the most simple, yet beautiful tracks on the schedule. There are many raceways which bring pizazz. The North Emeros Street Circuit is promoted by Vangalizand as if it were El Vegos in a can. A few other tracks feature fancy turns, tunnels or bridges. This weekend's stately locale was designed for a simple purpose. The moment it was built for was fast approaching. The WGPC featured racing of the highest order. Locals fans would likely still buzz from the excitement of their drivers competing for a title, right down to last season's final race.

Season 17 brought new challenges. Vannish Motors Racing was no exception. A poor result in the last race squandered a start in pole position. Jessica remained upbeat after her error caused her to retire. It was clear that she was not giving up, after Jess showed up for qualifying.

"Our car still isn't quite on pace", Jess said, "But that's okay. We've qualified well again this week. The #1 car's crew just has to manage a solid race." Her words weren't criticism of Esportivan principal Simon Marton. She spent time in the manager's room while working with 'VMR WGP2'. She also didn't mean to point at her pit crew, even if it came off as such. Most importantly, she didn't want to speak on her teammate's engineers. "We'll get there."

Jess ran well among the pack during the session of traditional qualifying. The time was good enough to start her just outside of the top 5. It's a result Jessica can make space up from. "We saw certain cars move from way back in the field during the last race", Jess said as her post qualifying interview continued. "There's a ton of room to do well outside of the top 3."

Chip Maydress of the sports talk show had an interesting take on Jessica's current streak. "I can't help but wonder if the loss of Jessica's trademark number hasn't jinxed her luck. Maybe the great Margaret is having trouble finding her signal.

His co-host, Deter J. Piff disagreed. "Anybody who says that Vannish Motors Racing's success was just tied to Margaret isn't looking at the full picture. Jessica simply is not performing the way she did while earning her stripes. The season's first stretch is over. Vannish Motors has a long way ahead of them."

Maydress cut in. "There's still plenty of time though. It's not a negative on the squad from South Stead. That's just the way the season has progressed. I still think Jess should have kept the number that got her this far. Who knows what kind of lucky talisman something as simple as a number may have been?"

Piff found space and charged in with a counterpoint. "Who said anything was wrong with the number 1? The last time I checked, only drivers who win get to drive #1. All she's dealing with is a championship hangover. It's always magnified in gridiron, but it happens everywhere."

The two co-hosts were opposite of each other. "Chip" was naturally fair-skinned, but somehow always had a tan. Curly blonde hair rose tall above an almost elven, angular face. "Deter J." is known for his passion for sports and his receding hairline. His black-brown skin completes his yin-yang contrast to Chip. The dynamic between the two hosts and their genuine chemistry was a formula for good TV.

As the moon rose and fell, Jessica found herself awakening to another race day. All the media, fans and rivals would be watching. Her colleagues were set to force her to run harder than ever. A poor result stalled her chance to catch up to the top of the pack. Jess has the chance to either fade away into hype or cement her legacy.

The road starts here at Circuit Grandeville.

[Audioslavia]

CUTOFF

for the Grand Prix EON de Lisander at Circuit Grandeville

[WGPC]

Week 8: Race

Conditions:      	Dry	
Laps:              	56	
Nation:         	LIS	
Circuit:        	Circuit Grandeville	
Event:	Grand Prix EON de Lisander	
Safety Car Deployed on Laps:		
Cars on Grid:	28

Fastest Lap Bonus Point: 51 CRU	93.933

Start          After 14 Laps               After 28 Laps               After 42 Laps			
 1 ▍JMD	 1 ▍DIM +0       	 1 ▍KRA +0       	 1 ▍TRI +0
 2 ▍TII	 2 ▍CAS +9.273   	 2 ▍JCS +7.021   	 2 ▍BLK +8.568
 3 ▍KRA	 3 ▍BLK +16.882  	 3 ▍BLK +8.328   	 3 ▍OKU +10.795
 4 ▍GUI	 4 ▍DGR +18.539  	 4 ▍OKU +17.36   	 4 ▍JCS +11.425
 5 ▍BLK	 5 ▍GUI +18.877  	 5 ▍TRI +17.875  	 5 ▍NVX +17.579
 6 ▍FRS	 6 ▍KRA +24.125  	 6 ▍ORK +19.5    	 6 ▍DIM +21.994
 7 ▍NVX	 7 ▍JCS +24.552  	 7 ▍CRU +20.374  	 7 ▍CRU +23.007
 8 ▍DIM	 8 ▍FRS +25.695  	 8 ▍CAS +23.599  	 8 ▍JMD +26.712
 9 ▍JCS	 9 ▍NVX +26.382  	 9 ▍LAN +28.911  	 9 ▍FRS +35.476
10 ▍CRU	10 ▍ORK +27.476  	10 ▍DIM +30.2    	10 ▍KRA +42.171
11 ▍CAS	11 ▍TRI +29.119  	11 ▍KRD +46.487  	11 ▍LAN +43.954
12 ▍OKU	12 ▍KRD +32.387  	12 ▍NVX +50.803  	12 ▍CAS +44.07
13 ▍KRU	13 ▍TII +33.71   	13 ▍TII +53.869  	13 ▍DGR +48.261
14 ▍LAN	14 ▍SCH +35.132  	14 ▍TAL +54.221  	14 ▍TII +49.677
15 ▍ORK	15 ▍OKU +35.906  	15 ▍TBS +56.59   	15 ▍KRD +56.942
16 ▍KRD	16 ▍LAN +38.222  	16 ▍FRS +60.695  	16 ▍ORK +57.408
17 ▍SCH	17 ▍JMD +42.659  	17 ▍DGR +71.816  	17 ▍SCH +58.308
18 ▍SZR	18 ▍CRU +43.316  	18 ▍GUI +74.772  	18 ▍TBS +60.784
19 ▍RHJ	19 ▍TAL +52.163  	19 ▍TLS +75.06   	19 ▍TAL +65.387
20 ▍DGR	20 ▍TLS +57.014  	20 ▍JMD +76.347  	20 ▍GUI +85.062
21 ▍TAL	21 ▍SZR +62.8    	21 ▍SCH +80.95   	21 ▍CAR +Laps: 1
22 ▍TRI	22 ▍IBU +82.638  	22 ▍SZR +Laps: 1 	22 ▍IBU +Laps: 1
23 ▍TBS	23 ▍TBS +89.04   	23 ▍KRU +Laps: 1 	23 ▍TLS +Laps: 1
24 ▍TLS	24 ▍KRU +Laps: 1 	24 ▍BJA +Laps: 1 	24 ▍DHL +Laps: 1
25 ▍IBU	25 ▍BJA +Laps: 1 	25 ▍DHL +Laps: 1 	25 ▍SZR +Laps: 1
26 ▍DHL	26 ▍DHL +Laps: 1 	26 ▍IBU +Laps: 1 	26 ▍BJA +Laps: 1
27 ▍BJA	27 ▍CAR +Laps: 1 	27 ▍CAR +Laps: 1 	27 ▍KRU +Laps: 1
28 ▍CAR

POS DRV Name                     Team	Time	Pts
  1  1 FRS Jessica Franssen         ▍VMR        	01:35:07.563	25
  2  7 TRI Vijay Tripathi           ▍VMR        	00:00:06.036	18
  3 23 JCS Jelena Colac-Strek       ▍McPahan        	00:00:08.227	14
  4 15 NVX Tabita Novax             ▍Camden        	00:00:17.045	10
  5 51 CRU RL Cruisin               ▍Mirrors        	00:00:17.731	8
  6 42 DIM Alex Dimitrianov         ▍Badai Angin	00:00:27.579	6
  7 56 TAL Terho Talvela            ▍TRÆ        	00:00:32.428	4
  8 41 JMD Jean Mercer-Daly         ▍Nexus Racing	00:00:40.419	3
  9 47 OKU Erica Okumura            ▍Polaris        	00:00:41.603	2
 10 94 LAN Ryker Lane               ▍Nexus Racing	00:00:45.515	1
 11 22 KRA Jasmin Kranjska          ▍SinVal        	00:00:49.360	
 12 18 BLK Taylor Blake             ▍Obey        	00:00:50.432	
 13 77 TII iBen Toralmintii         ▍TRÆ        	00:00:52.207	
 14  3 CAS Darius Castellammare     ▍Camden        	00:00:55.864	
 15 48 TBS Tyra Tabuso              ▍Fireline        	00:01:02.855	
 16 33 KRD Jai Kardaeri             ▍Eelandii VTGP	00:01:08.673	
 17 65 DGR Hunter Digri             ▍McPahan        	00:01:16.075	
 18 29 GUI Esteban Guilhermez       ▍Mirrors        	00:01:26.364	
 19 64 ORK Carsten O'Rourke         ▍Badai Angin	00:01:36.033	
 20 17 CAR Evdaden Carnétier        ▍Obey        	00:01:38.953	
 21 20 SCH Mick Schramm             ▍Omni        	Laps Down: 1	
 22 27 KRU Gregori Krupin           ▍MRT        	Laps Down: 1	
 23 49 TLS Benjamin Talison         ▍Fireline        	Laps Down: 1	
 24 63 DHL Dalia Dahl               ▍SinVal        	Laps Down: 1	
 25 71 IBU Rustom Ibuna             ▍Eelandii VTGP	Laps Down: 1	
 26 14 BJA Sigur Bjarnason          ▍MRT        	Laps Down: 1	
 27 52 SZR Sayono Souzare           ▍Polaris        	Laps Down: 1	
DNF 37 RHJ Ryan Harris-Jones        ▍Omni        	Ret. lap 12

Pos # DRV Name                      Team                     Pts
 1 56 TAL Terho Talvela             TRÆ                      39
 2 42 DIM Alex Dimitrianov          Badai Angin              36
 3 27 KRU Gregori Krupin            MRT                      34
 4  1 FRS Jessica Franssen          VMR                      28
 4 71 IBU Rustom Ibuna              Eelandii VTGP            28
 6 41 JMD Jean Mercer-Daly          Nexus Racing             25
 7  7 TRI Vijay Tripathi            VMR                      24
 7 15 NVX Tabita Novax              Camden                   24
 7 49 TLS Benjamin Talison          Fireline                 24
10 23 JCS Jelena Colac-Strek        McPahan                  20
11 37 RHJ Ryan Harris-Jones         Omni                     19
12 65 DGR Hunter Digri              McPahan                  18
13 64 ORK Carsten O'Rourke          Badai Angin              17
14 51 CRU RL Cruisin                Mirrors                  9
15 94 LAN Ryker Lane                Nexus Racing             8
16 47 OKU Erica Okumura             Polaris                  4
16 48 TBS Tyra Tabuso               Fireline                 4
18 52 SZR Sayono Souzare            Polaris                  3
19 14 BJA Sigur Bjarnason           MRT                      2
20 20 SCH Mick Schramm              Omni                     1
20 17 CAR Evdaden Carnétier         Obey                     1
22 77 TII iBen Toralmintii          TRÆ                      0
22 33 KRD Jai Kardaeri              Eelandii VTGP            0
22  3 CAS Darius Castellammare      Camden                   0
22 18 BLK Taylor Blake              Obey                     0
22 22 KRA Jasmin Kranjska           SinVal                   0
22 63 DHL Dalia Dahl                SinVal                   0
22 29 GUI Esteban Guilhermez        Mirrors                  0

Pos NAT Team                       Pts
  1 FID ▍Badai Angin               53
  2 VNG ▍VMR                       52
  3 ABL ▍TRÆ                       39
  4 AUD ▍McPahan                   38
  5 MTJ ▍MRT                       36
  6 NIM ▍Nexus Racing              33
  7 VLT ▍Eelandii VTGP             28
  8 ETH ▍Fireline                  28
  9 LIS ▍Camden                    24
 10 WET ▍Omni                      20
 11 STB ▍Mirrors                   9
 12 NEK ▍Polaris                   7
 13 ESM ▍Obey                      1
 14 EFL ▍SinVal                    0

[Lisander]

WGPC

STILL NOT GETTING POINTS, DARIUS CASTELLAMMARE IS BOOED IN GRANDEVILLE

The astral hell of Darius Castellammare continues. After a few laps in second place at WGPC Grand Prix EON de Lisander, the local driver saw his chances of finally scoring his first points falling into pieces. With a disastrous refuelling strategy, his car became extremely heavy and was being passed by all the cars in the race, ending up in a shameful fourteenth place. His teammate, Falcanian driver Tab Novax, was once again the salvation of the Camden team, finishing in fourth place and scoring ten points. Novax has taken the team in her back once more, as far as we can tell.

After the end of the race, on the way to the paddock, Darius heard booing from some people passing the finish line towards the podium, which this time was formed by the two drivers of Vannish Motors, Jessica Franssen and Vijay Tripathi in first and second places, respectively. In third place, Jelena Colac-Strek of McPahan.

In a message on the meep this evening, Castellammare congratulated his team-mate for another excellent result, however, he did not answer to comments about his underperforming result. It is to be expected that he is frustrated. Would not it be better for Camden if he were replaced by Meliné Agrakian, who is officially the number one driver of the Lisanderian company, and who is doing a good job at the Lisander GT?

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[Sorlovia]

Circuit Grandeville
Raceday

“Stay sharp Gregori,” the familiar voice buzzed through in his earpiece “Ryker Lane is hot on your tail and it looks like he’s going to make a move.”

Gregori glanced behind him to see that his race chief’s warning was correct. Ryker Lane was indeed very close behind him and his aggressive manoeuvres suggested that he was about to attempt to get by him. Losing ground so early in the race would not help his cause. If you fell too far back too early it became very difficult to make up the lost ground. Cars got further ahead and time wore on making it a losing battle. But the WGPC was a fickle mistress and the tracks were unforgiving arenas. Ryker was a skilled young racer and it appeared the changing circumstances at Grandeville were favouring him. Gregori did his best to shake him off but Ryker, who was just as hungry for a win, seized a brief advantage from a slight mishandling on Gregori’s part to shoot past him in a burst of speed.

With a frown, filled with a mixture of begrudging respect and frustration, Gregori watched Ryker as he shot ahead of him passing several other cars in the process. Gregori could already feel the way the race was going. He could feel himself slipping back through the pack despite his best attempts at keeping ahead and his firm foot on the accelerator. Grandeville would not be his race. His chances at taking out a podium finish were rapidly fading but he was determined to push himself. He mightn’t get a win but he wasn’t about to slack off either. Judging by the way things were going this would be Jessica Franssen’s turn in in the spotlight. He’d already spotted the sleek form of her VMR car in the familiar colours as it streaked through the race passing car after car.

If he was to be honest with himself Jessica was just as much of a rival as Terho. They were two very skilled racers and the ones he counted as his greatest challenge on the track. All the other racers were a challenge of course but Terho and Jessica’s sheer skill and proven record make them the ones most central in his crosshairs. His fans were likely already speculating about the possibly of an unforeseen Franssen-Krupin rivalry to accompany the long-standing Talvela-Krupin one. A race was just like a hunt. The racers were the prey but Terho and Jessica were particularly dangerous animals. The other racers were like the wild stags but those two were the prized stags whose fleetness and jagged antlers made them a serious threat. The roar of their engines was not unlike the roars of the wild stags in rutting season. Terho and Jessica would prove invaluable targets to test himself against.

By lap thirty three Gregori knew that he wouldn’t win the race. However, he could use it as a training session and a valuable opportunity to test himself against the full WGPC17 stable of racers. A win was out of reach but there was still a lot he could learn. He pressed down on the accelerator firmly to shoot ahead of Sigur and Rustom. Both had been close on his tail for the past few laps and both of them looked to be making moves on him. They were looking for a challenge and he was more than willing to oblige. He’d make the final stages of the race interesting for Sigur.

[Vangaziland]

Franssen Wins Second Consecutive Race At Circuit Grandeville

Vannish Motors fans haven't forgotten Jessica's WGPC 16 performance at Grandeville, Lisander. Franssen earned pole position and won a tight battle with Terho Talvela and Jasmin Kranjska. Her form has been in question after a slow pre-season that included stalled team development and a nasty illness.

"The strategy timeline we've discussed has shown itself true. We talked about a slow first few races. After pole position at the last track we spoke about reliability. That came to fruition." Marton had a calm tone. The Esportivan had been under immense pressure to bring success back to the indigo & red. The noisy parade of bright machines were continuing their cooldown laps in the backdrop.

Jeers rained down as certain cars crossed the line. Many said the reason was frustration with local talent. A second Vannish victory on the hometown circuit also had to tweak the mood of the locals at least slightly. "Today is the first time our team ran at full strength", Marton continued. "It won't be easy to stay on this pace. All we have to do is keep up what we've done so far."

Vijay Tripathi had almost as much to prove as Jessica. The Sherpa hoped to make an immediate impact on the sport.
"Vijay is driving just as we expected. He's consistent in his effort and has serious skill for this sort of thing. Victory is ahead for him."

Jessica's season 17 race at Grandeville wouldn't start from the pole. As soon as she'd first learned her time clocked in at 6th, Jess was confident she could make up time. The race was never in the bag for her. The #1 car had to falter before it could climb. Her stance on team strategy had come under fire by the international media. This current Grand Prix EON de Lisander might help establish the fact that VMR executives do have a strong analytics team. Jessica's ability to forecast patterns in the field over a season has been integral to her success.

Jess is in the position of defending her title. In a world of hunters and prey, it would be easy to see Jessica as a juicy target. Her trophies range across racing disciplines and even into management. A wolf might see such a large 'creature' as a potential meal. Sometimes meals can have claws. If a wolf is the most aggressive hunter in the forest, Vannish Motors Racing is the lioness that escaped from the zoo. Stags run in circles. Lions form a pride and take over territory.

The V8 engine, forged by a company that talks of their vehicles' sound before styling, does not bay like a lusty stag. Vannish Motors engines roar. Vijay Tripathi is the newest member of that pride. What was once a far lead above a "struggling" Vannish Motors is now a razor thin advantage for even the best teams. WGPC 17 is shaping up as one of the most competitive seasons in recent history.. Jess spoke of this after the race. It appeared any team had the chance to win.

"I'm not extra confident over today's win. It might easily be the only win we get this season. All I want to do is earn as many points as I can for the team." Jessica also spoke on her teammate. "I'm glad to see Vijay move into the top 10. With the way these seasons go, he can easily be the one running for the cup as time winds down. So all I'm trying to do is earn as many points as I can for the team. That's all every week is about."

Jessica's golden-brown hair waved in the wind. It had been a long race. A slow start saw her fall into the midpack. After falling off the early pace, a poor pit strategy saw the #1 car as far back as 16th. An extra stop was needed because a particular tire compound wasn't performing adequately.

After that was sorted, Jess had a car set to reach the conclusion.

"Okay Jessica", Simon Marton said over the net in a heavy accent. "We are going to need you to push push, push... Let's make ground."

Jess knew she needed a push sometimes. Besides all of the calculations, this was something Marton was good at with Jess. She laughed and replied, "Roger that." She had covertly acknowledged that his words were code remindng her about this set's durability, relative to race length.

It was around this time that Jessica managed some of the best driving in her career. Circuit Grandeville was a true formula circuit. One could folow the layout of the track and hear exactly how a crowd of open wheel racers would sound along its path. One of the most eerily loud and aggressive howls was that of the Vannish Motors chassis.

Jessica mentioned that her favorite part of the course was the slight curve in front of the back grandstand. The finish line is always a great view, but the sight of cars screaming around the turn couldn't be matched. Fresh tires and a car balanced with strong acceleration and decent handling helped Jess pull several passes here. She did this through an aggressive entry, the car's characteristics and an eye for the track's line.

Often the pass itself wouldn't happen until the course straightened out. Any success always came as a result of navigating the apex and setting up a good exit.

Jess clinched her feat of back to back wins in Grandeville with a stellar push from the bottom of the top 10. One by one Jessica took each opponent down. The machine yelled and the exhaust snorted as the fiesty brunette both fought and caressed the wheel. It was almost art, if not pure dance the way Franssen found her rhtyhm.

It culminated in a running of the bulls. Two cars, indigo red & black. Raucous engines shouted back and forth at each other, matching the other shift for shift. "There are no team orders", Simon Marton called over the headsets. "Fight for it." Jess simply had too much pace. The time which heped her catch up from the mid-pack was just slightly faster. Jess made her pass in front of the second grandstand. She set the move up as they entered the sandpit. It helped her get slightly faster into the more rounded next turn. After that the course opened up in front of the audience. It was here that Jess finally had the angle and speed to pass. The #1 darted in front of the #7 as the track curved towards the next set of blue & white curbing.

Vijay had a great race of his own, holding the lead for much of the late race.

Jess was all smiles on the podium, spraying her teammate with the WGPC's bubbly of the week. It was a release after a tough start. "There's still a long season ahead", Jess said after the celebration. "The Eon de Lisander did great things for our team points. Working towards a driver's championship is even tougher. This is shaping up to be a hard fought season."

The fair brunette laughed and turned towards the cameras. "At least the fans are getting their money's worth."

"Winning the same race two seasons in a row will only add to the legend of Jessica Franssen", said 'Last Minute' co-host Chip Maydress.

[Lisander]

TEAM UNDER INTERVENTION

Due to unexpected results, Parent Company Camden Automobile is taking control over WGPC Racing Division.

Intervention Guidelines

Tiago Camden-Mott is currently removed from the team. His shares in earned team profits, as well as proportional payback for his investments, will be deposited in his personal account in a timely manner. Camden-Mott should not take part in any Camden WGPC team event, activity or process.

Lisander Autosports Board President, Andrea Lanza; Camden Automobile Chief of Technology, Vitor Ailleret and Camden Automobile Management Director Carolina Lesseps, will take full control of the team as the appointed Board of Interventors. They're the final words when it comes to dismissals or removals from the team.

Camden Automobile will analyze units after each racing event (testing, training or race). Recollected Data will be used to improve the performance of all units.

Except Only for Tab Novax, Contacts with press are strictly prohibited until further notice. Failure to comply with this guideline can lead to fines, removal of WGPC staff or dismissal of Camden Automobile.

Meline Agrakian and Juliano Lemos will be added to the team as extra-WGPC test drivers. They will test the units of Tab Novax and Darius Castellammare, respectively.

Darius Castellammare should report immediately to the medical department for physical evaluation and new 3D model capture. Car modifications are imminent and should be in effect as soon as possible.

New policies may and should amend these guidelines as necessary.

Best regards to everyone,

Augustus Camden III
President, Camden Automobile

[Vilita and Turori]

Field Catches up to Declining Tropicorp

Grand Prix EON de Lisander, Circuit Grandeville, Grandeville, Lisander :: Tropicorp Racing Supply retained the lead in the WGPC17 Supplier Performance Standings following the Grand Prix EON de Lisander despite their worst showing of the season thus far as many of Tropicorp Racing Supply's top drivers failed to score points in Lisander while Pire Eleven swept the podium places in a race that will be deeply disappointing for Lisander based Tyre manufacturer Stellenbosch who were beaten at their own course by the surprising Pire Eleven engineers and the 'i' type tyre they brought with them to Circuit Grandeville.

For Tropicorp Racing Supply their lead atop the Supplier Standings has been reduced to just 6 points after a hot start to the season followed by a steady decline. It was the second consecutive event where no Tropicorp Racing Supply driver finished on the podium although R.L. Cruisin in the #51 Mirrors machine did manage to claim a bonus point for setting fast lap; the first time all season that any Tropicorp Racing Supply driver had set fast lap and the first time all season that any of the Starblaydi based Mirrors Racing drivers had scored points either in the overall standings or as the highest finisher for Tropicorp Racing Supply to contribute points towards the seasons end surlier Performance Standings.

WGPC17 Supplier Performance Standings
After 4 of 13 Events
[1] - 62 :: Tropicorp Racing Supply
[2] - 56 :: Solymok
[3] - 55 :: Pire Eleven
[4] - 34 :: Petrovi
[5] - 27 :: Brutus Tyres
[6] - 24 :: Stellenbosch
[7] - 7 :: Cypress
[8] - 0 :: Grafonil

Despite holding on to their lead in the standings, Tropicorp Racing Supply have been in a steady decline since the opening round of the season in Hodori when Terho Talvela took the checkered flag for both Tropicorp Racing Supply and Tropicorp Racing Aelund. The Grand Prix EON de Lisander was the first event where Tropicorp Racing Supply failed to place in the Top 5 and engineers for the quasi-governmental agency will certainly be burning the midnight oil to attempt to stop the slide and get their tyres back to the elite level required to compete at the World Grand Prix level before they lose their lead in the standings completely. Tropicorp Racing Supply will reportedly be sending additional representatives to the next event which will controversially be held in at the Somos City Circuit in Joushiki Nante Iranai. Many teams did not desire to go to such a new track where they were wholly unfamiliar with the logistics required while other teams saw the new layout as a challenge to keep things fresh during the season.

Now, one fourth of the way through the World Grand Prix Championship campaign teams will be looking at the race in Joushiki Nante Iranai as a potentially leveling ground serving as a litmus test to determine how good their cars really are for the remainder of the season. Particular eyes will be on two teams, SinVal and Mirrors. While R.L. Cruisin was able to apply some of the experience that is inherent in being the series all time leader in races competed and escaped Lisander with points for the first time all season, it has generally been a struggle for the Starblaydi backed Mirrors team as Cruisin's points in Lisander were the first of the season not only for Cruisin but for Miorros and any Starblayida driver as well. Questions have begun to surround the future of the Mirrors team but no rumors would be substantiated by any of the teams or parties involved. There is a chance, however, that if the Mirrors team do fold they would take Starblaydi driver Jai Kardaeri with them freeing up a seat for Cruisin at Eelandii VTGP.

Until then, however, even those drivers like iBen Toralmintii, Jai Kardaeri and the Mirrors team who have struggled to score any points can still look behind them and see at least one team, the SinVal Motorsports team from Eastfield Lodge who still await their first top 10 finish of the season.