World Grand Prix Championship season 17 [RP Thread]

by **WGPC** » Sat Jun 22, 2019 3:48 pm

for the Practice and Qualifying at Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course

by **WGPC** » Sat Jun 22, 2019 3:55 pm

Week 16: Practice

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:25.440
Session Length:	75 minutes
Nation:         	VLT
Circuit:        	Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course

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

POS #   DRIVER                              FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER		
 1 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:29.778	00:00:00.000
 2 42 ▍Alex Dimitrianov                 	00:01:29.782	00:00:00.004
 3 47 ▍Erica Okumura                    	00:01:29.822	00:00:00.044
 4 81 ▍Drake Stevenson                  	00:01:29.886	00:00:00.107
 5  3 ▍Darius Castellammare             	00:01:29.996	00:00:00.218
 6 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:30.013	00:00:00.235
 7 27 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:30.089	00:00:00.311
 8 51 ▍RL Cruisin                       	00:01:30.126	00:00:00.348
 9 29 ▍Esteban Guilhermez               	00:01:30.205	00:00:00.427
10 65 ▍Hunter Digri                     	00:01:30.244	00:00:00.466
11 22 ▍Jasmin Kranjska                  	00:01:30.274	00:00:00.495
12 23 ▍Jelena Colac-Strek               	00:01:30.371	00:00:00.593
13 37 ▍Ryan Harris-Jones                	00:01:30.554	00:00:00.776
14 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:30.634	00:00:00.855
15  1 ▍Jessica Franssen                 	00:01:31.365	00:00:01.587
16 49 ▍Benjamin Talison                 	00:01:31.568	00:00:01.790
17 56 ▍Terho Talvela                    	00:01:31.639	00:00:01.861
18 64 ▍Carsten O'Rourke                 	00:01:32.198	00:00:02.420
19 17 ▍Evdaden Carnétier                	00:01:32.738	00:00:02.960
20 63 ▍Dalia Dahl                       	00:01:32.813	00:00:03.035
21 14 ▍Sigur Bjarnason                  	00:01:32.857	00:00:03.079
22 20 ▍Mick Schramm                     	00:01:32.887	00:00:03.109
23  7 ▍Vijay Tripathi                   	00:01:33.112	00:00:03.333
24 52 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:33.335	00:00:03.557
25 41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:33.378	00:00:03.600
26 18 ▍Taylor Blake                     	00:01:34.086	00:00:04.308
27 48 ▍Tyra Tabuso                      	00:01:36.377	00:00:06.599
28 15 ▍Tabita Novax                     	00:01:37.959	00:00:08.181

Week 16: Qualifying

Conditions:      	Cloudy
Lap Record:      	00:01:25.440
Qualifying Type:	Traditional
Nation:         	VLT
Circuit:        	Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course

POS #   DRIVER                              FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER		
 1 41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:25.893	00:00:00.000
 2 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:25.896	00:00:00.003
 3 22 ▍Jasmin Kranjska                  	00:01:25.950	00:00:00.057
 4 81 ▍Drake Stevenson                  	00:01:26.004	00:00:00.110
 5 18 ▍Taylor Blake                     	00:01:26.102	00:00:00.209
 6 17 ▍Evdaden Carnétier                	00:01:26.290	00:00:00.397
 7 37 ▍Ryan Harris-Jones                	00:01:26.307	00:00:00.414
 8 42 ▍Alex Dimitrianov                 	00:01:26.310	00:00:00.417
 9 51 ▍RL Cruisin                       	00:01:26.352	00:00:00.458
10 52 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:26.371	00:00:00.478
11 64 ▍Carsten O'Rourke                 	00:01:26.407	00:00:00.513
12 27 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:26.433	00:00:00.539
13 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:27.022	00:00:01.129
14 29 ▍Esteban Guilhermez               	00:01:27.194	00:00:01.300
15 63 ▍Dalia Dahl                       	00:01:27.221	00:00:01.328
16  1 ▍Jessica Franssen                 	00:01:27.266	00:00:01.372
17 47 ▍Erica Okumura                    	00:01:27.722	00:00:01.829
18 56 ▍Terho Talvela                    	00:01:27.855	00:00:01.962
19 48 ▍Tyra Tabuso                      	00:01:28.220	00:00:02.327
20 23 ▍Jelena Colac-Strek               	00:01:28.433	00:00:02.539
21 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:29.077	00:00:03.184
22 49 ▍Benjamin Talison                 	00:01:29.106	00:00:03.212
23  7 ▍Vijay Tripathi                   	00:01:29.159	00:00:03.266
24 65 ▍Hunter Digri                     	00:01:29.166	00:00:03.272
25 15 ▍Tabita Novax                     	00:01:29.504	00:00:03.610
26  3 ▍Darius Castellammare             	00:01:30.599	00:00:04.705
27 20 ▍Mick Schramm                     	00:01:31.901	00:00:06.008
28 14 ▍Sigur Bjarnason                  	00:01:32.102	00:00:06.209

by **Hapilopper** » Sat Jun 22, 2019 10:03 pm

Drake Stevenson’s Apartment, Hapilopper City
Several days before the Vilitan Grand Prix | 6:02 AM local time

The only light shining in the bedroom of Drake Stevenson’s apartment emanated from one of his three computer screens straight across from his bed, and displayed a shirtless, bearded man alone on a desert island, hoping for some way to get back to safety. The first morning light had yet to make its first appearance in this downtown Hapilopper City apartment, and Drake was still passed out in his bed, a few beer cans strewn around the floor of his bedroom and the computer desk. The peace and quiet of the morning, with nothing louder than the quiet whirr of Drake’s PC and the peaceful white noise of a nearby box fan, was suddenly interrupted by the very loud ringing from his phone.

Barely awake, Drake looked at the phone to see the name “Marty Lewis – Preston Autos” on the caller ID. Something had to be up. Marty just didn’t call at six in the morning, especially knowing that, unless he had to be somewhere, Drake typically didn’t wake up for another three hours. Wondering what the call was about, Drake slowly answered the phone.

“Yello?” Drake drowsily responded.

I don't know what happened. They've
told us nothing. They just said that
they need Drake this weekend.

-Marty Lewis in an interview with
the Hapilopper Television Network,
upon arriving in Vilita.

“Drake, I hope you’re ready, I’m ten minutes from your apartment, we’re going to the airport,” Marty responded frantically. “I got off the phone with the Eelandii reps, and they said they want to see you there TODAY.”

“…Dammit Marty, is this one of your pranks?” Drake struggled to say. “It’s not very funny.”

Drake hung up the phone, thinking that the Preston Autos boss had been pulling another of his practical jokes on him. That changed when Marty knocked, very loudly, on the door of his apartment. He didn’t appreciate being hung up on, especially when this pertained to Drake’s career as a Grand Prix driver.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” Drake said after opening the door. “What’s going on?”

“Well, first off, put some pants on, for Christ’s sakes,” Marty snapped. “Nobody wants to see that. Secondly, you’ve got 15 minutes to get ready. We are going to the airport and we’re going to Vilita. I don’t want to hear any questions. Just get ready to go.”

A few minutes later, after Drake had showered and dressed, the two were on the way to the airport. Marty was silent. Drake was completely unsure about what was going on, and had no idea why he was going back to Vilita, but realized that this was not a practical joke. Marty typically didn’t go this far in his pranks. For almost the entirety of the twenty minute drive, nothing was said, until Drake decided it might be a good idea to break the ice. The tension had been a little greater than usual, and Drake was actually getting a little worried that something had gone horribly wrong and he had to go back to atone for a sin he hadn’t been aware of.

“Did I do something?” Drake said. “Am I in trouble?”

Marty looked at him and smiled.

“Not in the slightest,” he said. “I got a call last night saying they needed you to drive in the Vilitan Grand Prix. Apparently they tried calling you but you were apparently out. What were you doing last night?”

“I…what? WHAT?” Drake shouted. “They want me to WHAT?”

“I said that you’re driving for them in Vilita,” Marty said. “They tried calling you last night. Give Mr. Cook a call, he’s expecting one from you.”

Drake did just that, and after apologizing to Eelandii VTGP’s team boss, got confirmation that yes, he would be driving in the Vilitan Grand Prix, but got no reason as to why he was driving again. Didn’t that three-race trial run end with that fiasco in the Nimbus System? You know, where Drake, so nervous to put on a good show, actually psyched himself out and had a terrible weekend, qualifying and racing near the back of the field before an unforced error took himself out of the race on his 50th lap.

As they got to the terminal, the two found Doug Goodman of the Hapilopper Television Network. Goodman was traveling to Vilita as part of his normal assignment of covering the World Grand Prix Championship, but he hadn’t been briefed about what was going on, and was more than a little surprised to find Drake in the airport terminal waiting on the flight to Vilita.

“I thought you were done,” Goodman said with some surprise.

“I thought I was too,” Drake responded. “Apparently not. I don’t know what’s going on, so I’m sorry to say, but I don’t really have a lot in the way of details. If I can share some info with you later, I’ll gladly fill you in on it.”

“I’d appreciate it,” Goodman said, still unsure of what was going on for once. “You and Eelandii putting one over on us?”

Drake gave Goodman a look. “Doug, I wouldn’t be up at ass thirty just to put one over on you,” he said with some annoyance.

The Eelandii VTGP paddock, Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course
Immediately after qualifying

Something felt different on this day. It was something that had felt wildly different from his three previous races. Maybe it was the fact he hadn’t anticipated competing this weekend. He had planned on visiting an old high school friend – not Gabriela, as he was pretty sure she was thousands of miles away, but rather his old friend Johnny Earnest, who he had known since the age of six. About 35,000 feet in the air between Hapilopper and Vilita, Drake had to cancel out on him, but Johnny was all too happy when he heard the reason.

In fact, it seemed like the pressure was completely off. Drake felt totally at ease, and for the first time since that test in Dritten Asopie, an eternity ago, it seemed, he felt like he could do this. And boy oh boy, did the results show.

Following the free practice session prior to qualifying, Drake found himself an astounding 4th on the time sheets, about a tenth of a second behind the fastest man in the session, iBen Toralmintii. It seemed like he had gained the form everyone had been looking for, and it seemed like he had finally gotten used to these Grand Prix cars.

After the practice session, though, Drake still had a question on his mind. Why was he driving this week? Wasn’t his deal for three races and not for four? Had there been some kind of clerical error in his paperwork? Was there an issue with the team’s main driver? Had Preston Autos thrown the equivalent of a third world country’s GDP towards the Eelandii team? And what of the Hapiloppian government? Maybe they had supplied something. Just as he was about to ask that question, Marty Lewis, standing in the paddock, stopped him.

“Don’t ask,” Marty said. “You don’t need to know.”

As qualifying rolled around, Drake decided to forget that question, climb into his car, and just have some fun, dammit. This was something extra, it was time to make the most of it. And hell, maybe he could make his country proud after all. Rolling out on pit road, Drake decided to hopefully get the session going with a little joke over the team radio feed.

“Friends, do you know the definition of a windjammer?” Drake happily said. “It’s the agonizing screams of a trapped turd!”

That joke was met with silence over the team radio channel, but Drake started chuckling, and it appeared to keep him loose as qualifying got started on the very hilly circuit in Vilita, and just like in practice, everything seemed to go right. The car was perfectly set up, and Drake knew what to do with it. He hit his marks perfectly, every single time. The lap was fast. The car was fast. Drake knew HE was fast. By the time the session ended, the timing sheet confirmed those suspicions. Hapilopper’s Drake Stevenson was 4th on the grid for the Vilitan Grand Prix.

Drake got out of his car, grabbed a copy of the time sheet, walked to the Eelandii VTGP team center, sat down at a table and looked at the time sheet for a long period of time, almost as if that time sheet said anything beyond the fact he was 4th on the grid. To him, it kind of did. It validated the hopes shared by those around him. It validated this whole experiment in the first place.

Marty Lewis and Doug Goodman sat down across the table from him. They had been talking for some time, and both had huge smiles on their faces. Drake looked up from the paper with a smile even bigger than theirs. That childlike enthusiasm Drake had shown before the first test was coming back. All he needed was a good run, and dammit, this was a good run. A couple of people situated near the three could notice Drake revving up internally, and ready to spout out something really loud.

Qualifying Results, Vilitan GP

(Top 4 of 28 shown)

1.) #41 - Jean Mercer-Daly, Nexus Racing
1:25.893
2.) #77 - iBen Toralmintii, Tropicorp Racing Ælund
1:25.896, -0.003
3.) #22 - Jasmin Kranjska, SinVal Motor Racing
1:25.950, -0.057
4.) #81 - Drake Stevenson, Eelandii VTGP
1:26.004, -0.110

“THIS IS WHAT I’VE NEEDED!!!” Drake shouted with that childlike enthusiasm that hadn’t been seen since the first time he stepped foot in the WGPC paddock that day in Val Del Rivoli. “I know how to do this now! I know how to go fast in these cars! Guys, I can do more than score points in these cars.”

Goodman was about to ask his first question. “So what you’re saying is…”

“GUYS, I THINK I COULD WIN IN THIS CAR!!!” Drake shouted, about as giddy as a six-year-old upon opening his birthday presents. Everyone could hear him. He didn’t care.

“You’ve got a real shot,” Goodman said. “Best of luck out there, bro. All of Hapilopper’s pulling for you.”

by **Sorlovia** » Sun Jun 23, 2019 5:01 am

Gregori was in good spirits. His gloomy stupor from a week earlier had long since faded and he found himself filled with a new lease of life. Despite his ongoing string of poor finishes and bad results the young racer had regained his characteristic good mood and witty sense of humour. Perhaps he’d just needed to vent and to take some time to unwind. Bottling it up never did anyone any good. That was what Viktor had told him that night and he could see the truth in his words. Repressed stress turned into bitter toxin and birthed a wide variety of diseases and mental illnesses. It was far better to let it all out in a private space. Elena had always had a knack for calming him down.

He wasn’t ashamed to admit that she calmed him more than anyone else. He’d come storming in full of frustration and she’d sit with him. In that heady moment of doubt, anger, disappointment and all manner of bitterness she would run a hand through his hair and sing softly to him. The melody of the gentle singing or humming instantly dispelled any tempest within him. It was one of her many ways of showing her love. A gentle act of soothing him that also served as a bonding exercise. Elena was a steadying influence on him. Many young racers fell into the glittering allure of the WGPC world with all its glamorous parties, accolades, doting female fans and popularity. But Gregori found the simple pleasure of sitting with Elena far more intoxicating and desirable. The money allowed him to follow his career and the fame served to keep him in the spotlight. But sitting with the woman he loved was the true joy in his life.

“Relax my love,” she cooed softly “this is just a bump on the road. It’s not going to stop you. You and I both know that you’re not going to give up that easily. Racing is in your blood Gregori. It’s a part of you.”

“I can’t argue with that,” he replied with a smile “there’s no way I’m going to miss the next race. As long as I can walk and drive I will be there. I might not take the WGPC Championship this year or the Driver Championship but I’m not going to give up. I’m going to see this season through and then I’m going to come back next season for more.”

“Yes,” she answered with a smile of her own “you will. You’re not a man who gives up. You stuck it out when you were courting me. I’ll admit that I didn’t even give you the time of day for a while. But that didn’t stop you. You kept at it with the little gestures until I was forced to take notice of you and I’m so glad I did.”

“I might never win a WGPC Championship or a Driver Championship. But I will never stop trying. I’ll come back season after season. If only for the thrill of the race and the occasional first place finish in the season.”

The Vilitan Mountain Challenge would be an interesting circuit. It presented a valuable opportunity to test himself and the fact that it had the word challenge in its name only enticed him further. He’d never back away from any circuit but would instead seek to learn from every one. It didn’t matter how difficult it might be or even if he’d never raced on it before. He would listen to the track. He’d study its bends and straights. Focusing on winning was a good thing but not if it meant that you grew blind to the circuit. He would race with all his ability and seek out that first place position. But at the same time he would enjoy the experience of the race savouring every moment on the track. He’d feel the rush of speed and the sharp g-forces on the corners. He’d focus until it was just him.

by **Lisander** » Sun Jun 23, 2019 5:31 am

No news: Camden engine fails
Despite good practice sessions, engine fails again and Camden Drivers start from far behind

As always, at the time of need, the Camden engine fails.

The witch continues to wander around the paddock of Lisander's team. In the session of Free Practice, the fifth time of Darius Castellammare was not enough to make the situation less tense, because in the other box a fault of assembly left Tabita Novax eight seconds behind of the faster one.

The problems, however, were not only on Friday but they entered through Saturday. The engine that had been used, having achieved its best result in the last race in Nimbus, began to show signs of wear in both cars. Both had to be replaced by cold engines, the last to be used until the end of the season. The mechanics spent the night working on the car, but as one would expect on a disorganized team like Camden, it was not enough time, and the car went to the track without being all right.

Tab's performance was a bit less embarrassing, rising from 28th to 25th. There was an improvement after all, only in correcting the problems that undermined the Free Practice of the Falcanian driver. However the effect on Darius's car was catastrophic. The best qualifying time was worse than the best time of the Free Practice. Lisander's driver came in the penultimate row, alongside his teammate in 26th position.

It should be, once again, a weekend to forget in the paddock of the blue pegasus.

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by **Aboveland** » Sun Jun 23, 2019 3:01 pm

Terho feathers the throttle around turn eleven, sawing at his wheel, grinding his teeth, grimacing, festering with frustration. Unnamed, her winglets immobile, skitters across the asphalt as she tumbles away towards turn twelve. Again, the Abovian holds onto his wheel, his knuckles turning raw, as his tyres screech as they break traction. He sets his foot down at thirteen, hoping that the rear will at least squat with the speed to give him enough downforce to exit away towards the start-finish straight, and clocks in his final qualifying time.

His display, fanatically oblivious to his performance, flashes his time excitedly over a backdrop consisting of three red sector dots.

"P18! 00:01:27.855"

"Fuck!" Terho yells, making sure to keep his radio open. His voice cracks during the scream, his anxiety hobbling through his anger.

"Calm down," Edvin says sternly. "You're no-"

"Eighteenth!" he continues, interrupting. "Fucking eighteenth!"

"Terho, li-"

"Eighteenth in this piece of shit!"

On the TV feed, Unnamed swerves violently from the outside of the track to the inside. Her rear breaks traction as she skids sideways across the tarmac, riding the inside kerbs of the first corner. Floundering around for grip, her rear wheels begin to spin wildly, sending out blinding billows of tyre smoke which scatter back towards the outside of the circuit. For a moment, the clouds thicken, then linger as a dose of brown tints them. The raging noise of her rev limited V8 ends abruptly with a bang, and once the cloud dissipates, her stricken body appears, her rear embedded in the outside wall.

Now, it's Edvin who explodes into a profanity fuelled rage.

Terho sulks into the TRÆ garage with his head down, and it's a charging Edvin who confronts him first, pulling him away from the rest of the team who are celebrating iBen's second place in qualifying.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Edvin asks, fuming. Terho, usually strong in the face of adversity, cowers at his friend's reprimand. The guilt settles in almost immediately, plowing through his stomach like a freight train. He coughs nervously, at a loss for words, leaving Edvin to continue speaking.

He's managed to cool down just enough in the small pause between his question and Terho's gulping, and continues on with a calmer, but still noticeably upset, tone.

"You're making yourself look like an ass!" he hisses angrily, making quite the effort to keep his voice down. Terho, his eyes narrow and apologetic, perk up as a mechanic passes by. Edvin, initially confused, plays along until Terho breaks character.

"I- I-," stammers Terho, before sighing helplessly. "That was the singular most idiotic thing I've ever done."

Edvin grinds his teeth and growls through them. "Of course it was!" He knocks Terho's head with his ever-present clipboard, harder than he would have were it a friendly tap. For a moment, he relaxes his finger-pointing. "What was it exactly that you did?"

Terho looks down, shamefully. "I punched the wheel," he mumbles. They both pause, equally dumbfounded at the situation and looking at each other in the eyes.

"Look," Edvin says, pushing to conclude. "You're an asshole, and I hope you know that."

"Yes."

Edvin frowns. He had hoped for a more confrontational answer. "Yes," he confirms wearily. "But you were on one of the best race streaks the series has ever seen," he continues, gesturing with his palms outstretched, as if pleading for a solution.

With that comment, Terho quivers. He's no longer apologetic or self-assured; rather, his dam has broken, and his anxieties begin to rush out. The pressure of the final races of the season, as assured as his championship seemed to be, swells up in his eyes, and Edvin, who initially rolls his eyes at the melodrama, softens up as quickly as he'd spooled his fury into action. He catches himself before apologizing, but continues with an empathetic tone.

"I need you to relax, okay?" Edvin says, smiling begrudgingly. He places a hand on Terho's shoulder, but when it trembles, he moves to hug him. Terho responds with a hug of his own, squeezing Edvin tight and sucking up his leaking pride, turning the embrace away from the public eye.

"After everything that's gone on this season, you can't collapse now," Edvin says. "It's the final stretch, the easiest of them all. There's no way you can't do this."

Terho sniffles. "Double negative?" he asks. Edvin's face turns bemused. Terho giggles.

"Go," Edvin says, waving him away with his clipboard. Terho stands in his place for a moment, in a dark, forgotten corner of the paddock, looking on as Edvin walks back to the team, every one of TRÆ’s worker ants buzzing around before him. Snapping back to reality, he makes his way to his duffel bag, packs his things in, and begins to head out of the track. Before leaving, he stumbles across iBen. Without much in the way of words, Terho smiles happily at him and gives him a congratulatory hug. He crosses his fingers before showing them to him, wishing luck for the race

The fluff of the lavender-scented towel melds to his fingers. He thanks the lady at the counter, who’s obviously but quietly recognized him, and makes his way toward the locker room. He doesn’t dare look back, but he knows the lady’s eyes prey on the back of his neck. His hairs stand on end with the realization, but only briefly.

A frosted glass door, tucked away in a dark-ish hallway hidden from the front desk, swooshes open to reveal the steam-heavy locker rooms. The layout is quite open, with benches and lockers proper leading the way to the open shower heads further back. To one side of the shower square, a thin dividing wall forms a path, separate from the showers, to the sauna room.

Terho picks a bench--they’re all empty, like the bathroom itself; it’s a mystery where everyone has gone, as the atmosphere lingers heavy with the clinically clean smell of fresh shower steam-- and chucks away his duffel bag. He hasn’t bothered with a locker of his own, half because his bag wouldn’t fit, and half because there’s nobody else around to steal his stuff.

He pauses for a moment, looking down at his bag, his hands resting on his hips, in the awkward few seconds one takes before undressing in a public locker room. Maybe it’s only him that does it, he thinks to himself, and maybe just now. He hasn’t been to a sauna in quite an unfortunately long time, at least not for a few months, so he turns the whole preparation phase into a much bigger deal than it needs to be. He’s never, until now, felt awkward about it.

Quickly, he cuts to the chase, setting his neatly folded towel aside and stripping down. He takes off his shirt first, realizing he’d been wearing the team polo, and that that was the reason the lady had recognized him; apparently, he’s still wearing his fireproof underwear, too. He chucks everything into his duffel bag, grabs his towel by the ends, shakes it around to spread it out, and tucks it neatly around his bare waist before making his way down the narrow passage to the sauna. His feet curl with every step, the cold tile under (and beside, as the walls continue the same pattern) him apparently uncharted.

The sauna door, as with many sauna doors, is tinted glass, smoother than the door he’d used earlier. His mind, despite the circumstances, is quite blank, so he reaches out for the handle without much thought and pushes the door open, which satisfyingly separates from its lining magnet. The gust of dry, scathing heat claws at his skin, ruffling even the shortest of his mediocre facial hairs. He smiles instantly. Ah yes, this was what I’d been missing.

He’s as quick to sit down as he’d carried out the rest of the steps leading to the moment, but takes his time to get comfortable. The heavy heat of the room becomes normal without him even realizing it, despite the fact every deep breath through his nose sends a current of warm, woody air through his nose and around his lungs, the path of each of the molecules perfectly clear. Soon, each of the rituals he’d usually perform in the sauna at home comes back to his head, his blank slate now piling on an array of feelings. He closes his eyes, undoes his towel, and runs his hands up his chest and around his jaw, thrusting his fingers through his hair, collecting the shy swells of sweat which had yet to trickle down his temples. He breathes deeply, in then out, and sets his hands aside. The earthy smell of the weathered wood in the chamber--he wonders if its the work of Tiones Lumber--harkens back to Iskajarvi, and with it, a full bank of memories of the past months overwhelms his mind.

Most of the pre-season and the struggles he had gone through then is hazy and unclear, as if it had been a distant nightmare. His imagination quickly scrambles away towards Hodori, in search of a sliver of glory or instant gratification; his redeeming qualifying performance, together with the win, settle the uneasiness that had sprouted from the look back to testing. And he ruptures his dreaming with a quick thought: the last time I won the opening race to a season, I won the championship.

The massive high he recalls from Hodori quickly turns bleaker with the thought of the Liventian race. He frowns as the crunching noise of the carbon fiber returns to him, taking a deep breath, but he’s quick to fend off the intrusive thoughts. For a moment, a pang of guilt rushes up his chest, remembering the crash had been his fault, but it subsides quickly enough.

His body trembles with eager anticipation as he begins to recall the Mytanjar GP, but he’s quickly disappointed in remembering his qualifying performance that weekend, ending a pitiful twenty-seventh in the rain. He’s confused for a moment, seeing as he had remembered the weekend in a much more positive light, and once he remembers the result, a smile forms on his face again. It had been the first of his heroic back-of-the-grid drives, starting penultimate and finishing fourth; coupled with the memory that that had been the weekend he’d named Unnamed as such, he giggles unconsciously.

The next race in Lisander comes and goes quickly, mostly out of a desire to archive the race in a box never to be messed with again. Another lowly qualifying performance had hurt his chances of a good result, and yet, confident in his ability from the previous race, his spirits had remained high. A lackluster seventh, while still having scored points from fifteenth, was enough to dent his hopes a bit.

He breaks his concentration suddenly as he takes a deep breath and struggles to fill himself with air. He doesn’t open his eyes, but runs his hands across his body to feel the sweat. He’s very, very slippery, but shuts his eyes harder to finish off his recap. Just a few more races and we get to the ones I remember. He runs his hands through his scorching hair to channel some fresh air through his scalp.

Quickly, he rushes through Somos and Nekoni to reach Filindostan, but not before pausing to collect the gems from those two races. The one-two in Somos--which, he now realizes, he had forgotten about; he’d celebrated TRÆ’s Nimban one-two finish as if it had been the first) sends a late rush of adrenaline up his spine as he recalls the massive rate of attrition in that race. He skims past Nekoni, having been his most uneventful race, but still cherishes his good performance.

As the thought of Filindostan returns to his head, he stretches himself out in the sauna to really remember that weekend. It comes back to him all at once, quick enough to get him to gasp, before his pride gets him to chortle out loud. He doesn’t dare open his eyes to see if anyone could have heard him, but he’s fairly certain he’s still alone.

He hums in delight with the thought of Filindostan. He remembers clearly now what had been the largest hurdle for him that weekend. It was an unfortunately common theme in his memories, and while he’d tried to gloss over them the occurrence at Yogyakulta was unignorable. It’s one of his most vivid scenes, despite it being the shortest, lasting the whole of five ish seconds. The aero twitching violently, the car swerving around sharply without warning, the milliseconds of airtime that had felt like hours, and the massive bang against the ground. The car had been nearly destroyed in the impact, but of bigger concern was his lower back pain--he rubs the area, letting his fingers slip as they glide over his sweaty spine.

And then, in a sort of action montage, snippets of the race shoot up into his mind like New Year’s fireworks. Overtake after overtake, starting from nine!teenth, and the botched pit stop, and the rusky overtake he’d attempted on Ryker, and then poor Ryker falling back with his retirement and leaving him to take the win… remembering, giddily, from nineteenth.

It’s then that the heat from the sauna begins to trek into unbearable territory, and as he opens his eyes the haze from the steam that had been injected into the chamber (most likely, as he hadn’t sprayed water on any rocks of any sort). Despite feeling pressed against the wood planks of the bench, however, he springs up from his position with a renewed air, a gentler face, and a rushing sense of anticipation. He’d almost finished on the podium from penultimate, and won from nineteeeeeenth! Surely, in the final stretch of the championship battle, he could score at least three points from one place better than he’d won.

In his excitement to rush back to the hotel to sleep for Sunday, he nearly forgets the towel in the sauna. As he pulls the magnetic door towards him, exiting the steam room, the moist air from the shower chamber licks at his sweaty skin. He wastes no time in rushing to the showers, by now quite dry, to rinse himself off (still alone), get dressed, and rush away from the bathouse to his flat.

During his quick, energized stride home, his phone chimes with the announcement of a text from Edvin. “Better?” it reads, sent twenty minutes ago.

Terho replies instantly, tapping delightfully at his screen, his confidence skyrocketing and seemingly eternal.

“More than better,” he says. He adds a semi-colon parentheses wink at the end, for good measure.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 1:52 am

Tropicorp Racing Supply Secure Supplier Performance Title

WGPC17 Supplier Performance Standings
After 10 of 13 Events
[1] - 189 :: Tropicorp Racing Supply
[2] - 110 :: Solymok
[3] - 101 :: Petrovi
[4] - 96 :: Brutus Tyres
[5] - 72 :: Pire Eleven
[6] - 33 :: Cypress
[7] - 32 :: Grafonil
[8] - 27 :: Stellenbosch

Nimban Grand Prix, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus System :: After quickly advancing from 6th starting position on the grid to the race lead, iBen Toralmintii never looked back claiming their second victory of the NSSCRA season and fourth of their career at the Crossbay Circuit to keep the pressure up on Alex Dimitrianov for second place in the World Drivers Championship. While it was a day of celebration for the Turorian veteran it was also a big day for their team, Tropicorp Racing Aelund, their tyre supplier, Tropicorp Racing Supply, and their teammate Terho Talvela.

With their runner-up finish and the point for the fastest lap, Talvela ensured that Toralmintii could not catch them in the Drivers Championship leaving only Alex Dimitrianov within mathematical striking distance. It would, however, take nothing short of a miracle for Dimitrianov to catch Talvela with a miracle being defined as winning every remaining race and fastest lap award while Talvela claims zero additional points. Anything short of perfection in the next Grand Prix for Dimitrianov would result in Talvela being crowned World Grand Prix Drivers Champion.

Similarly, Toralmintii's team Tropicorp Racing Aelund need only a handful of points in Vilita to secure the Constructors Title - or any combination which sees the teams behind them fail to place both drivers on the podium. All of that to suggest that the Vilitan Grand Prix could see a lot of hardware handed out as both the Drivers and Constructors titles hang in the balance at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course.

One piece of hardware that has already been decided however is the WGPC17 Supplier Performance Award which has been secured by Tropicorp Racing Supply after another disappointing showing by Solymok on Race Day and a second max-points race of the season for Tropicorp Racing Supply with the victory for iBen Toralmintii and fastest lap by TRAE and Tropicorp Racing Supply teammate Terho Talvela.

by **Mattijana** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 2:02 pm

The Teammate Battles: Who Gets the Bragging Rights?

MFO SPORT

By Katarina Sava, WGPC Correspondent

With the most uncompetitive season of WGPC in the modern era nearing its end, Terho Talvela can wrap up the driver's championship with 2 races to go, whilst TRAE have over double the points of the cluster of teams representing their nearest rivals.

So given that the battle for top spot between different teams has been uncharacteristically underwhelming, I thought it was worth delving into the teammate battles from across the grid in desperate hope of something tighter.

TRAE

Outqualified: Talvela 3-8 Toralmintii
Outraced: 7-3
Wins: 3-2
Podiums: 3-0
Pole Positions: 0-1
Fastest Laps: 3-0
Points: 152-72

Imagine if the championship had gone according to qualifying form? The likelihood is that it would have been a completely different story as veteran iBen Toralmintii holds an 8-3 advantage over his younger and frankly more successful teammate Terho Talvela. Talvela however holds a 7-3 advantage over the Vilitan during the races and his extra win and 3 podiums mean the Abovian has over double the points.

This may well be Toralmintii's final season in the WGPC and he has certainly had a successful one, but his conversion rate has been the only thing standing between TRAE and even more total domination. On the other hand, Talvela has produced some stunning drives when all looked lost at the back of the grid, taking three wins and proving why he deserves a second World Championship.

VMR

Outqualified: Franssen 7-4 Tripathi
Outraced: 5-5
Wins: 1-0
Podiums: 1-1
Pole Positions: 3-1
Fastest Laps: 0-2
Points: 57-47

The internal VMR battle was expected to be incredibly partisan, with defending champion and candidate for greatest-ever WGPC driver Jess Franssen taking on rookie Vijay Tripathi.

The fact that the Vangazi only has a 10 point advantage over Tripathi is a sign of the Sherpa's excellent debut season, but also that Franssen has never really got going this year after driving a pretty Talvela-esque WGPC16.
Her form picked up as the season went on, and as she recovered from a virus that blighted the first couple of race weekends, but she has won *just* the one race this year and despite still having a chance of finishing as runner up, she has not troubled the championship as many expected.
Tripathi on the other hand will be incredibly satisfied to have run his high-flying teammate close and still has a chance of pipping her come the end of the season.

Nexus Racing

Outqualified: Lane 6-5 Mercer Daly
Outraced: 3-7
Wins: 1-0
Podiums: 1-2
Pole Positions: 0-1
Fastest laps: 0-0
Points: 57-47

Ryker Lane, he of the most abject title defence in WGPC history, managed to salvage what looked like another miserable season with his team's only win of the season so far, one of just three times he has finished ahead of teammate Jean Mercer Daly. Given he's in his comeback season from injuries sustained in his horrific crash at the end of last season, Mercer-Daly has had a pretty decent season, making the podium twice and closing in on a half-century of points. In fact, considering both drivers have had sub-optimal seasons, they will be happy to still be well in the bunfight for second place.

Badai Angin

Outqualified: Dimitrianov 6-5 O'Rourke
Outraced: 7-3
Wins: 1-0
Podiums: 2-1
Pole Positions: 1-0
Fastest Laps: 2-0
Points: 77-27

Alex Dimitrianov's experience has come through in the non-rivalry between he and Audioslavian rookie Carsten O'Rourke. The qualifying battle has been pretty tight, the 31 year-old edging it by one, but he has comprehensively outdone the youngster on Sundays, claiming the team's win in Liventia and 2 of their 3 podiums.
O'Rourke has had a good first season though and looks the part as the future of Audioslavian WGPC racing. Dimitrianov has led both himself and his team to their position as surprise packages in the race for second.

MRT

Outqualified: Bjarnason 5-6 Krupin
Outraced: 5-5
Wins: 1-1
Podiums: 0-0
Pole Positions: 0-0
Fastest Laps: 0-1
Points: 49-37

MRT's drivers shared a Marxist distribution of the points last season and have another fairly close-knit teammate battle on the cards here. Both drivers have a win apiece and there is barely anything to separate their qualifying and race records.

The problem for MRT, like the one that nearly cost them a first constructor's title last season, is that neither driver seems capable of putting together a run of form at the same time as the other. Krupin got the results whilst Bjarnason seemed to be taking an extended pre-season break, with Krupin going off the boil like a saucepan of water in a power cut as soon as Bjarnason looked back in nick.

Whether MRT will retain the same lineup next season is as much of an unknown as their potential points haul during the final few races, but the team have certainly lost some of the consistency they prided themselves on last year.

McPahan

Outqualified: Colac-Strek 7-4 Digri
Outraced: 7-3
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 1-1
Pole Positions: 0-0
Fastest Laps: 0-0
Points: 30-23

Considering their overhaul as a WGPC motorworks team this season and their signing of two rookie drivers, McPahan have had a good season. Mytanar Jelena Colac-Strek has been the marginally better with 7 points and the edge in the qualifying and position battles, but both her and Hunter Digri have a podium to their name to go with their potentially bright futures in the sport.

Eelandii VTGP

Outqualified: Ibuna 5-4 Kardaeri-2-Stevenson
Outraced: 5-3-2
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 1-0
Pole Positions: 1-0
Fastest Laps: 0-0
Points: 40-10-0

The decision to drop returning veteran Jai Kardaeri and bring in Hapilopper rookie Drake Stevenson hasn't turned out to be particularly fruitful, with the new man sharing the same dire qualifying to points conversion rate of his predecessor.
As a result, former MRT driver Rustom Ibuna has had to carry the team, scoring 40 out of the team's 50 points and securing their only podium along the way.

iBen Toralmintii, who has an interesting conflict of interests given he is driving for a different team to the one he owns, will hope the rookie finally has a decent race before the end of the season just to vindicate a fairly left-field signing.

Fireline

Outqualified: Tabuso 8-3 Talison
Outraced: 5-5
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 1-1
Pole Positions: 0-0
Fastest Laps: 0-0
Points: 20-28

Another driver with a shocking quali-race conversion rate is Fireline's Tyra Tabuso. He leads 8-3 in the qualifying battle, but has failed to outrace Benjamin Talison overall and has scored 8 fewer points. Each have nicked a podium over the course of another good season for the mid-grid outfit, who at least win the award for sketchiest logo thanks to some abstract lettering second only to Badai Angin's.

Omni

Outqualified: Schramm 4-7 Harris-Jones
Outraced: 7-3
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 0-1
Pole Positions: 1-0
Fastest Laps: 0-0
Points: 21-19

Omni were a team expected to get up into the higher end of the standings by this point in the season, but have been hampered by their experienced driver in the form of Mick Schramm being out of touch and new signing Ryan Harris-Jones being another driver who has failed to show the race discipline needed to earn consistent points, with the qualifying and race battles being reversed.

Polaris

Outqualified: Souzare 5-6 Okumura
Outraced: 3-7
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 1-0
Pole positions: 1-0
Fastest Laps: 0-0
Points: 17-16

Polaris's teammate battle is the closest on the grid, with Erica Okumura edging the qualifying and race records, but Sayano Souzare making the most of her points-scoring opportunities to lead her fellow veteran by a point. In addition, Souzare had taken the team's only appearance on the podium, giving her another edge when it comes to the real challenge of getting her sponsors on the tele

SinVal

Outqualified: Kranjska 7-4 Dahl
Outraced: 6-4
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 2-0
Pole Positions: 0-0
Fastest Laps: 0-0
Points: 32-0

Had SinVal signed another driver with the ability of Dahlia Dahl, they would be favourites for the wooden spoon in the constructor's championships. The local has scored an impressively bad total of 0 points from the 10 races so far.
Fortunately, Puljankan Jasmin Kranjska has saved the team from acquiring any new cutlery with another excellent season, particularly given the car is so much of a dog that it probably gets its energy from tummy tickles rather than petroleum. She has got herself on the podium on two occasions and has a good chance of another in Vilita after putting herself third on the starting grid.
The worry for SinVal is that Kranjska's performances are surely worthy of a top team next season, whilst the car is very much not.

Camden

Outqualified: Novax 10-1 Castellammare
Outraced: 7-3
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 0-0
Pole Positions: 0-0
Fastest laps: 0-0
Points: 27-1

It wouldn't be a Lisanderian sports outfit without an internal soap opera and Camden have followed in the footsteps of the nation's cricket team in delivering that. The fact that the car's engine has been labelled as the worst on the grid, an impressive feat when MRT are still alive and kicking, has not helped them.
Equally, if not more unhelpful, is the fact that Lisander's star rookie Darius Castellammare has been royally trounced by Falcanian Tabita Novax to the point that Novax is the only driver who's qualifying wins have reached double figures. With the three remaining races unlikely to change anything, the likelihood of Camden renewing their lease from Bitten Heroes seems slim.

Mirrors

Outqualified: Cruisin 6-5 Guilhermez
Outraced: 6-4
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 0-0
Pole Positions: 0-0
Fastest Laps: 1-0
Points: 13-0

Starblaydi outfit Mirrors Racing have been so low-key that many forgot they actually existed and the appointment of two of the grid's finest mid-grid veterans has done little to lift the overall sense of mediocrity.
Perhaps things would have been better if Jai Kardaeri had not stormed out of the team due to Estaban Guilhermez being Krytenian, but given his form and the fact that Guilhermez hasn't earnt a single point all season, it is probably more of a blessing than a curse.

His replacement RL Cruisin has scored all 13 of the team's points, including one for a fastest lap, but the season has been petering out as soon as it got going.

Obey

Outqualified: Blake 6-5 Carnétier
Outraced: 6-4
Wins: 0-0
Podiums: 0-0
Pole Positions: 0-0
Fastest Laps: 0-1
Points: 0-1

If Obey were a Worldvision act, they would be that one country in the corner that no-one likes who sent a dire song and received one point off someone out of pity.
For Obey, that has come in the form of a fastest lap by Evdaden Carnétier early in the season, although in general, it is Taylor Blake who has looked marginally more likely to finish inside the top 10. The Esmerelian team actually have a decent shot of proper points in Vilita with both sides qualifying inside the top 10, so perhaps there is a slightly more positive end to the year in store.

by **Former Citizens of the Nimbus System** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 2:37 pm

Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
16th of June; Post-Race

Coalescence draws back into the pit lane. Unlike the past two weeks, it does not head to its end and the waiting numbered boards; instead, it pulls up just behind the MRT garage, where even now the other cars are beginning to congregate. Ryker disconnects the steering wheel, then levers himself up on the DIADEM, vaulting himself over to stand beside his car.

Not as good a comeback as at Drosopol, in the end… Closing his eyes, he nods to himself. Still okay, though. Still okay.

Ryker gives the DIADEM’s a pat before he steps away from the Chase Cutter, heading back towards his team’s garage – not too far a walk from the pit lane’s end. Hopefully closer after the season’s end, he thinks to himself. Jean and I need to carry that… Keep on going.

Passing under the sky blue signs of the Nexus Racing garage’s entranceway, he raises a hand in greeting to the team personnel. “Sorry I wasn’t performing like I was last time, every-”

“Oh, please.”

Ryker turns his head, a smile appearing on his face as he sees Henriesse and Aldin Lane standing before him, the former with crossed arms and sporting a faux-glare. “That was a brilliant drive. How many places did you make up there?” She strides forward, then pokes him in the chest, fighting back a grin. “Twelve! That’s how many! And in a field –” she jabs again – “harder –” again – “than Cityprix –” once more – “ever was!”

“You’ve made your point, dear.” Aldin Lane chuckles as he walks up to his wife’s side, placing a hand on her arm. “One which I agree with.”

Ryker opens his mouth to respond. Then he thinks better of it; instead, shaking his head, he walks forward to wrap his arms around the both of them.

“Ah… Sorry, am I…”

Having just entered through the door leading to the portal room, Victoria glances across the three, pursing her lips and touching her hands together. Ryker opens his eyes, throwing a warming smile her way. “A bit, maybe. Not in a bad way.”

Henriesse joins him, stepping back from the embrace to put her hands on her hips instead. “Well! You’re a person that we want to see!” She laughs, tilting her head at Victoria’s sudden tenseness. “Don’t worry. We’re happy for ‘ya both.”

“Ryker has mentioned you often. All of it has been good.” Aldin mirrors his son’s expression. He stretches forth a hand. “Aldin Lane.”

Victoria pauses for a moment, mind awhirr. Then she lets out a puff of air, smiling self-deprecatingly and shaking her head. She clasps the hand with her own. “Victoria Light… Good to meet you both!”

As she relinquishes the handshake, her arm falls to her side – to be joined by Ryker, who quietly offers an open palm to her. Victoria takes it gladly.

And yet, as the conversation goes on, it is she that notices him glancing away to the monitors, watching iBen, Terho and Jean atop the podium, a wistfulness and a slight sorrow remaining in his eyes.

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
Evening

“I don’t get how…” Victoria shakes her head, trying to wrap it around the idea. “An entire python? Completely unnoticed?”

“Yeah…” Ryker bites his lip as they traverse the corridor through the team’s accommodation building, his mouth still relishing the taste of mushroom washing over his mouth. “Not exactly a common childhood experience, I know.” He frowns, considering. “Still, I think that might have been what got me into biology for a bit. That huge – well, huge at the time, anyway – that creature towering above the grass… It was terrifying, but just so fascinating and awe-inspiring.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m a big fan.” Victoria moves closer to Ryker’s side, pressing her head into his shoulder. “I like you alive, thanks.”

Ryker laughs, pressing his head to hers. They walk on like that for a few moments, slightly clumsy in their shared gait, until they reach the door to Victoria’s room. There, Ryker steps away. “Well, I suppose that’s goodnight, then…” He looks down, his smile turning a little less vibrant – immediately before Victoria cuts in.

“Actually, would you like to sleep here tonight? Nothing else, just… Thought it might be nice.” Victoria rejoins his waning smile with her own waxing beam.

Ryker stops. Then, slowly, he nods, appreciation crossing his face. “I’d really like that, Victoria. Thanks.” He steps back, pointing down the corridor to his own room. “I should get some stuff together, should I?”

Victoria nods herself, offering a miniature wave that’s more an upward flattening of her hand as he walks away, haste and a touch more energy in his step. Comforting warmth floods her.

Good. That’s really good.

---

When Ryker returns a few minutes later, it’s to a Victoria clad in shorts and a loose-fitting shirt, emerging from her bathroom as she pulls her hair down to fall across her back. She grins. “Well-timed.”

Ryker lets out a small laugh. “Or well-coordinated on your part.” He glances behind her for a moment. “I guess I should go and get changed?”

“Mhm!” Victoria’s eyes suddenly widen. “Oh, and, ah… Please don’t touch anything? Everything’s got its place and –”

Ryker raises a forestalling hand. “I won’t, don’t worry.” He moves to walk past her – and, after a moment’s hesitation, leans in to kiss Victoria’s cheek. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome…” Victoria’s own moment of hesitation passes even as Ryker does, pushing the door open. “I thought, after today, it might be nice – comfortable.” She winces. “Actually, now I think about it, it could be exactly the opposite – if you don’t want to…” She trails off, grimacing.

Ryker hears her through the door, for a moment halting the brief process of unwinding his sash from his shoulder. Imagination… That’s so kind. “I…” A second passes as he truly, honestly devotes all his powers of thought to the question.

The answer remains unchanged.

“I do. I really do.” He smiles, pulling off his shirt and picking up his pajama top to replace it. “It’s considerate of you to ask, though… This whole thing is. Thank you so much, Victoria.”

Victoria chuckles for a moment. “Well, I am looking forward to this too… I said before, Ryker… You’ve helped me so much. If I can keep doing that for you, too, I will.” Victoria smiles. “That’s what being a team’s about, right?”

Those words reach him through the door. In answer, Ryker has nothing more to say; there is completion. And so he does not.

A minute or so later, he opens it again. Victoria sits on the bed’s edge, waiting, blanket pulled back to one side. Sighting him, she swings her legs up, shuffling across the mattress, before waving him over. “Come on, then. Let’s get to sleep.”

Ryker nods happily, leaning down to climb on himself. “Lots to do tomorrow, right?”

Victoria laughs sufficiently brightly and loudly as to actively startle him.

5th of June

“This… Imagination.”

Victoria brings her hand to her forehead, staring at Gertrude’s monitor. The others gathered in the room – Tiffany, Vertilan Nas, Vance Fleetfoot – stare with her, their incredulity matching Gertrude’s glee and smugness. At last Vance speaks up. “Well… I don’t see anything wrong with it. I quite like it, actually.”

Vertilan chuckles. “You’re in aerodynamics. You would say that.” He raises an eyebrow at his partner. “This is what you were giggling over all last week, no?”

Gertrude grins. “Might’ve been.” She looks to the others. “We’re doing well now – heading towards second in both Championships. We’ve got momentum. Now’s the time to be bold.”

“Well, it’s certainly that…” Victoria mutters.

Tiffany speaks. “It would be a little more complicated for me… Not too much, though – the systems could be reworked, quite easily, I think.” She looks to Gertrude. “And there wouldn’t be any new parts to develop, right?”

“Nothing major.” Gertrude’s grin flashes even wider. “Seriously, if we make this work through WGP2, I think we’ve got a far better shot at WGPC 18 than any previous year – 15 included.”

16th of June

“Oh, yeah. Plenty.” She grins at Ryker. “You should see what we’ve got planned.”

“Oh?” Ryker smiles back. “Well, I look forward to that.” He glances about – and then the room goes dark as Victoria, gaze unbroken, reaches over to flick the light-switch above her bedside table. “Ah. Thanks.”

Victoria laughs again. “Don’t mention it.” Her tone softens. “Night, Ryker.”

“Goodnight, Victoria.” Ryker pauses. “Thank you.”

“Mmm.” She shuffles back a little underneath the blanket, moving closer to him, resting her arm up against his.

It feels right.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 5:08 pm

Toralmintii, Cruisin vying to become first local Vilitan Grand Prix Winner

Vilitan Grand Prix, Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, Rockii Coast, Vilita :: Though they are mired deep in the driver's standings with an underperforming race car, Vilitan World Grand Prix iron man R.L. Cruisin remained optimistic about their chances of claiming a first victory of an otherwise unforgettable season in hopes of making amends for close calls during World Grand Prix Championship Season 13 at the same track and becoming the first Vilitan to win an internationstatally contested event at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course.

Cruisin, who was receiving solid betting odds as a championship contender in the pre-season, has had to make due with just a handful of points throughout the campaign though they have vastly outperformed their mirrors teammate Esteban Guilhermez who remains without a point 10 events into the World Grand Prix season.

However, if Cruisin is to overcome the odds and take the checkers in front of the home fans they will likely have to beat another local driver to do it as Turori's iBen Toralmintii was fastest in the Friday practice session and will start the race on the outside pole position as they continued to impressively rack up Top 5 qualifying runs at a record pace. Toralmintii has already been eliminated from contention for the Drivers Championship which will likely be decided on Sunday in Rockii Coast unless Alex Dimitrianov crosses the stripe first, but still is very much in the thick of a battle for second in the final table just 4 points back of the Mattijanan driver.

Toralmintii will roll off the grid just ahead of a car they owned with Hapilopper driver Drake Stevenson making a surprise return behind the wheel of the #81 Race Eelandii! / Twii.tur machine. Stevenson has failed to collect any points in three appearances for the team and was supposed to be out of a seat once the tour returned for the Atlantian Oceania swing. However, former World Grand Prix champion Jai Kardaeri did not appear at the track and instead it was Stevenson arriving late but taking their place on the grid with a career best starting position giving the local team Eelandii VTGP something to cheer for on race day if the local drivers are unable to pull off the victory.

No explanation was given for Kardaeri's absence at the Vilitan Grand Prix after having been widely expected to return to their seat. When asked if the plan was still to have Kardaeri resume driving duties for iBen Toralmintii's Race Eelandii! Vilita and Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks before the end of the season, fill-in Team Principle Gary Cook acknowledged that the #1 driver seat at Eelandii VTGP belongs to Jai Kardaeri and when the Starblaydi former World Grand Prix champion is ready to return behind the wheel, then that is exactly what they will do. Cook then elaborated in order to clarify that there had been no firm decisions made yet as to whether Kardaeri, Stevenson or someone else entirely would be behind the wheel for Eelandii VTGP at the seasons penultimate race in Falcania. Vilitan driver R.L. Cruisin had previously been rumored to be amongst those in consideration for the seat in a straight swap for Kardaeri who would then run the remainder of the season for Mirrors Racing however that deal may have run astray if there was some sort of issue preventing Kardaeri from driving at this time, or, if Kardaeri's biased hatred for Mirrors #2 driver Esteban Guilhermez was too much for the Starblaydi driver to over come, even to attempt to help their home country team with a boost in form.

by **Recuecn** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 5:21 pm

The Goita family was gathered in the living room. Abdoulaye was there, as was his dad, Moussa, and his brother, Malick. His cousin, Issa, was also there, along with his aunt, Issa’s mom, Fanta Diarra. Goita sat cross-legged on the floor, while the rest of the family squeezed onto a dilapidated floral sofa. Only Moussa, the patriarch, had a chair to himself, and he was reclining in an equally-beat-up lazy boy, looking so at ease that no one was quite sure how awake he was.

The room was pretty dark although the sun was in the sky. Out of habit, the blinds were down, and besides a dim bulb hanging from the ceiling, most of the light in the room came from the Vilitan WGPC qualifiers, flickering on an old CRT screen. Moussa had refused to buy a digital television, buying the converter instead, and had refused to ever spend any more money on a system that still worked, if only barely. Abdoulaye, despondent, sat with his chin in his hands, as the cameras zoomed in on Drake Stevenson getting out of his car after locking in a fourth place start with an impressive qualification showing. The room quieted for a moment. Everyone knew what Abdoulaye must be thinking. He had taken a test drive at the same time as Drake, and had he managed to perform better than he had—abysmally—it could have been him driving for the WGPC team now. Everyone had already offered their commiserations—it had been months ago. There was nothing to say now.

Issa felt he had to break the silence somehow. “He knows he’s lucky,” he said, as the cameras zoomed in on Drake’s grinning face. “After his last three races, I’m surprised he’s back to drive a fourth.”

A reminder how lucky the other competitors have been, on second thought, was maybe not the best way to cheer up Abdoulaye. Abdoulaye nodded despondently. “Yeah, lucky.”

Moussa stirred. The family looked over. “There’s no luck,” he said. “I didn’t use to think this way, but watching you drive, Abdoulaye, has taught me that there’s no such thing as luck. You dedicated yourself to your passion and you made such progress. This man has done everything he can to pursue this sport and now he is seeing the rewards of his efforts.”

Abdoulaye was a little cross now. “I’ve worked hard. I’ve flown all over the multiverse looking for a drive. What do I have to show for it?”

His father was unperturbed. “You were offered that test drive, remember? And then, just when your efforts began to show results, you gave up at the slightest sign of adversity. Have you made one phone call since that drive? Talked to a single person about racing? You’ve given up. You can’t expect results if you don’t show up.”

“You’re right,” said Abdoulaye. He wasn’t about to contradict his father. But he’d had enough. He stood and left the room.

In his room, he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. “Why am I so miserable,” he thought. “Is my father right?” The more he thought about it, the stronger became his suspicion that in fact, his father was exactly right, and his sagging spirits came from moping around doing nothing. “But it’s too late in the season,” he thought. He knew he was making excuses for himself at this point. But it was also true. How could he get off his ass when things were so nearly over? What was left for him?

He stood and returned to the family room. No one had acknowledged his departure, and no one said anything as he returned and resumed his spot. “I’m going to start looking for a drive again,” he said. “I think I can get a spot for WGP2.”

by **WGPC** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 5:33 pm

CUTOFF

for the Vilitan Grand Prix at Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course

by **WGPC** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 5:57 pm

Week 16: Race

Conditions:      	Cloudy	
Laps:              	60	
Nation:         	VLT	
Circuit:        	Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course	
Event:	Vilitan Grand Prix	
Safety Car Deployed on Laps:	59, 60
Cars on Grid:	28

Fastest Lap Bonus Point: 41 JMD	90.165

Start          After 15 Laps               After 30 Laps               After 45 Laps			
 1 ▍JMD	 1 ▍STE +0       	 1 ▍STE +0       	 1 ▍STE +0
 2 ▍TII	 2 ▍TII +13.29   	 2 ▍JMD +22.941  	 2 ▍TII +20.54
 3 ▍KRA	 3 ▍CRU +30.247  	 3 ▍CRU +34.222  	 3 ▍JMD +42.915
 4 ▍STE	 4 ▍BLK +32.531  	 4 ▍TII +36.127  	 4 ▍CRU +70.553
 5 ▍BLK	 5 ▍LAN +33.914  	 5 ▍LAN +46.326  	 5 ▍LAN +73.315
 6 ▍CAR	 6 ▍KRA +35.387  	 6 ▍DHL +78.578  	 6 ▍TLS +Laps: 1
 7 ▍RHJ	 7 ▍JMD +39.472  	 7 ▍BLK +79.155  	 7 ▍DHL +Laps: 1
 8 ▍DIM	 8 ▍SZR +47.937  	 8 ▍SZR +80.585  	 8 ▍IBU +Laps: 1
 9 ▍CRU	 9 ▍JCS +61.176  	 9 ▍KRU +Laps: 1 	 9 ▍KRA +Laps: 1
10 ▍SZR	10 ▍DHL +63.033  	10 ▍TLS +Laps: 1 	10 ▍SZR +Laps: 1
11 ▍ORK	11 ▍CAS +63.551  	11 ▍DGR +Laps: 1 	11 ▍DGR +Laps: 1
12 ▍KRU	12 ▍RHJ +67.967  	12 ▍GUI +Laps: 1 	12 ▍JCS +Laps: 1
13 ▍IBU	13 ▍GUI +68.275  	13 ▍KRA +Laps: 1 	13 ▍GUI +Laps: 1
14 ▍GUI	14 ▍IBU +70.861  	14 ▍RHJ +Laps: 1 	14 ▍BLK +Laps: 1
15 ▍DHL	15 ▍BJA +Laps: 1 	15 ▍IBU +Laps: 1 	15 ▍BJA +Laps: 1
16 ▍FRS	16 ▍FRS +Laps: 1 	16 ▍JCS +Laps: 1 	16 ▍CAS +Laps: 1
17 ▍OKU	17 ▍KRU +Laps: 1 	17 ▍BJA +Laps: 1 	17 ▍RHJ +Laps: 1
18 ▍TAL	18 ▍TLS +Laps: 1 	18 ▍CAS +Laps: 1 	18 ▍FRS +Laps: 2
19 ▍TBS	19 ▍DGR +Laps: 1 	19 ▍NVX +Laps: 1 	19 ▍NVX +Laps: 2
20 ▍JCS	20 ▍NVX +Laps: 1 	20 ▍FRS +Laps: 1 	20 ▍TBS +Laps: 2
21 ▍LAN	21 ▍TBS +Laps: 1 	21 ▍TBS +Laps: 1 	21 ▍SCH +Laps: 2
22 ▍TLS	22 ▍OKU +Laps: 1 	22 ▍SCH +Laps: 1 	22 ▍OKU +Laps: 2
23 ▍TRI	23 ▍SCH +Laps: 1 	23 ▍OKU +Laps: 2 	
24 ▍DGR	                                        	                                        	
25 ▍NVX	                                        	                                        	
26 ▍CAS	                                        	                                        	
27 ▍SCH	                                        	                                        	
28 ▍BJA

POS DRV Name                     Team	Time	Pts
  1 77 TII iBen Toralmintii         ▍TRÆ        	01:40:42.605	25
  2 41 JMD Jean Mercer-Daly         ▍Nexus Racing      00:00:20.565	18
  3 81 STE Drake Stevenson          ▍Eelandii VTGP     00:00:21.851	14
  4 51 CRU RL Cruisin               ▍Mirrors        	00:00:23.136	10
  5 94 LAN Ryker Lane               ▍Nexus Racing      00:00:24.421	8
  6 49 TLS Benjamin Talison         ▍Fireline        	00:00:25.707	6
  7 63 DHL Dalia Dahl               ▍SinVal        	Laps Down: 1	4
  8 22 KRA Jasmin Kranjska          ▍SinVal        	Laps Down: 1	3
  9 71 IBU Rustom Ibuna             ▍Eelandii VTGP     Laps Down: 1	2
 10 52 SZR Sayono Souzare           ▍Polaris        	Laps Down: 1	1
 11 14 BJA Sigur Bjarnason          ▍MRT        	Laps Down: 1	
 12 65 DGR Hunter Digri             ▍McPahan        	Laps Down: 1	
 13  3 CAS Darius Castellammare     ▍Camden        	Laps Down: 1	
 14 23 JCS Jelena Colac-Strek       ▍McPahan        	Laps Down: 1	
 15 37 RHJ Ryan Harris-Jones        ▍Omni        	Laps Down: 1	
 16 29 GUI Esteban Guilhermez       ▍Mirrors        	Laps Down: 1	
 17 47 OKU Erica Okumura            ▍Polaris        	Laps Down: 1	
 18 15 NVX Tabita Novax             ▍Camden        	Laps Down: 2	
 19 48 TBS Tyra Tabuso              ▍Fireline        	Laps Down: 2	
 20  1 FRS Jessica Franssen         ▍VMR        	Laps Down: 2	
 21 20 SCH Mick Schramm             ▍Omni        	Laps Down: 2	
DNF 42 DIM Alex Dimitrianov         ▍Badai Angin       Ret. lap 13	
DNF 64 ORK Carsten O'Rourke         ▍Badai Angin       Ret. lap 5	
DNF 17 CAR Evdaden Carnétier        ▍Obey              Ret. lap 2	
DNF 27 KRU Gregori Krupin           ▍MRT               Ret. lap 38	
DNF 18 BLK Taylor Blake             ▍Obey        	Ret. lap 58	
DNF 56 TAL Terho Talvela            ▍TRÆ        	Ret. lap 14	
DNF  7 TRI Vijay Tripathi           ▍VMR        	Ret. lap 9

Pos # DRV Name                      Team                     Pts
 1 56 TAL Terho Talvela             TRÆ                      152
 2 77 TII iBen Toralmintii          TRÆ                      97
 3 42 DIM Alex Dimitrianov          Badai Angin              77
 4 41 JMD Jean Mercer-Daly          Nexus Racing             66
 5 94 LAN Ryker Lane                Nexus Racing             65
 6  1 FRS Jessica Franssen          VMR                      57
 7 14 BJA Sigur Bjarnason           MRT                      49
 8  7 TRI Vijay Tripathi            VMR                      47
 9 71 IBU Rustom Ibuna              Eelandii VTGP            42
10 27 KRU Gregori Krupin            MRT                      37
11 22 KRA Jasmin Kranjska           SinVal                   35
12 49 TLS Benjamin Talison          Fireline                 34
13 23 JCS Jelena Colac-Strek        McPahan                  30
14 64 ORK Carsten O'Rourke          Badai Angin              27
14 15 NVX Tabita Novax              Camden                   27
16 51 CRU RL Cruisin                Mirrors                  23
16 65 DGR Hunter Digri              McPahan                  23
18 20 SCH Mick Schramm              Omni                     21
19 48 TBS Tyra Tabuso               Fireline                 20
20 37 RHJ Ryan Harris-Jones         Omni                     19
21 52 SZR Sayono Souzare            Polaris                  18
22 47 OKU Erica Okumura             Polaris                  16
23 81 STE Drake Stevenson           Eelandii VTGP            14
24 33 KRD Jai Kardaeri                                       10
25 63 DHL Dalia Dahl                SinVal                   4
26  3 CAS Darius Castellammare      Camden                   1
26 17 CAR Evdaden Carnétier         Obey                     1
28 18 BLK Taylor Blake              Obey                     0

Pos NAT Team                       Pts
  1 ABL ▍TRÆ                       249
  2 NIM ▍Nexus Racing              131
  3 VNG ▍VMR                       104
  4 FID ▍Badai Angin               104
  5 MTJ ▍MRT                       86
  6 VLT ▍Eelandii VTGP             66
  7 ETH ▍Fireline                  54
  8 AUD ▍McPahan                   53
  9 WET ▍Omni                      40
 10 EFL ▍SinVal                    39
 11 NEK ▍Polaris                   34
 12 LIS ▍Camden                    28
 13 STB ▍Mirrors                   23
 14 ESM ▍Obey                      1

by **Hapilopper** » Mon Jun 24, 2019 9:12 pm

The paddock, Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, Rockii Coast, Vilita
About 20 or so minutes after the podium ceremony

Drake Stevenson walked out of the back door of the press conference area in the paddock, and looked at his 3rd place trophy for the Vilitan Grand Prix. A huge smile came across his face, and for the second time since crossing the finish line, tears streamed down his face. This trophy, as well as the 14 points that went with it, were his, and nobody could take it from him. He was greeted by Marty Lewis, the head of racing operations of Preston Autos, who met his top driver with a massive hug.

“Nobody’s going to take that from you,” Marty said, with a huge smile on his face.

I'm pretty sure he showed everyone
that he can win in these cars.
If I was the rest of the field,
I'd watch out next year.

-Marty Lewis in an interview
with the Hapilopper Television Network.

“I know,” Drake responded. “I could have won that race.”

“Well, who cares. It’s your fourth open-wheel race ever and you almost won the damn thing. You will win races in these cars. That’s a promise.”

“Yeah.”

The fact was, Drake actually could have won that race. It wasn’t as if he just ran up front most of the way, and it wasn’t as if he ran in a points-scoring position all race. It was more than that. Drake Stevenson led the race. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that he dominated the race, leading the vast majority of the race before something slowed him down as iBen Toralmintii and Jean Mercer-Daly went past by the end of the race. What would have been quite possibly the greatest upset in the history of international motorsport was not to be, but this third place was nothing to take lightly, all things considered.

Especially when you consider the fact Drake wasn’t even supposed to be there. His three races had come and gone with literally nothing to show for it. There had been no points, a whole host of mental lapses and one destroyed racing car. At the end of the day, it seemed a certainty that the end of the Stevenson/Eelandii relationship would be marked with a “mea culpa” written by the Hapiloppian driver for Eelandii team principal Gary Cook.

As the two walked to a car that would take them to the airport, they were met by Hapilopper Television Network’s Doug Goodman, looking to finish his story.

“What happened?” Goodman asked of Stevenson’s late-race fade. “Damn, dude, you could have WON that thing!”

“I let up a bit,” Drake said, thinking back. “I was scared I’d bin it and end up with nothing. That whole thought ran through my head the whole time. I slowed down, and next thing I knew, iBen and Jean had gone past. I tried to get them back, but I didn’t have a chance in hell.”

“Because you’re still getting used to these cars, right?” Goodman asked.

“Yeah,” Drake said. “They’ve run these cars a lot longer than I have. They had the edge. If I wasn’t scared of wrecking, I might have won. Such is life, you know?”

Drake looked at his trophy again, then back at Goodman.

“I guess I could have won, and this thing would be a lot bigger, and a lot more impressive,” he said. “But who knows.”

Goodman walked back to the media room to finish his story, as Drake and Marty walked to a waiting car, which would take him back to the airport. Drake Stevenson’s World Grand Prix Championship run for this season had come to an end, but his career as a Grand Prix driver had just started. The world had learned about Drake Stevenson on this day, and they liked what they had seen. A little bit of refining, and this driver could beat the world.

Drake Stevenson’s apartment, Hapilopper City
The next day

It had been a lengthy flight from Vilita back to Hapilopper City, and during that flight, Drake went into further detail with Marty about what had held him back in the Vilitan Grand Prix. It was fear. It was mental lapses. It was this mental lapse that led to an error in Vangaziland, a mental error that led to a fiasco of a weekend in the Nimbus System, and fear of failure that led to him practically giving up victory in Vilita.

As the two drove back to Drake’s downtown apartment, Marty explained that this, just like anything else, could be fixed by the next time he climbed into an open wheel car.

“See, you have two problems,” he said. “The first thing is, you need more seat time. I’m fairly sure you can get that seat time without much trouble this offseason, and possibly get used to driving these cars without fear of stuffing it into the scenery.”

As for the second problem, that would take some effort.

“The problem is, you’re scared,” he said. “You’ve got a mental block of some sort, and you’ve got to fix that mental block. Thankfully, I know just the person. She might have kept the Hapiloppian National Baseball Team from breaking out in civil war this year.”

Marty dropped Drake off at his apartment, and left him with one brief parting note.

“There’s a lady I want you to speak to. Her name is Shannon Brinkman,” Lewis said. “She’s a sports psychologist in Hapilopper City. Here’s her card. If you’re going to keep running in the Grand Prix circuit, you need to get over whatever demons you have that’s holding you back, and she might be able to help you.”

“Thanks,” Drake said.

“I’m expecting you’ll take those few weeks off now, right?” Marty asked.

STEVENSON TO SEE
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST

-Headline on the front of the
sports section of the HC Herald,
a week after the race

“Yeah. I need to call Johnny and see if we can take care of that outing,” Drake replied. “But I’ll call Shannon up. I need to get over this.”

“Yeah, you lost because you got scared,” Marty said. “She can help you. She helped half the national baseball team before the start of the World Baseball Classic this year, and they made it to the playoffs. You can do this.”

Marty drove off, and Drake walked back to his apartment to contemplate his next move in life. His three races, that somehow became four, with Eelandii VTGP had come to an end for real this time, but this time, it had ended on a very happy note. Rather than ending with no points and a total embarrassment, Drake Stevenson’s first run in the World Grand Prix Championship came agonizingly close to one of the biggest shock victories in the history of international motorsport.

Upon opening his apartment and throwing his bags by the counter separating the kitchen from the living room, Drake put his 3rd place trophy on the cabinet behind his television, next to his HASCAR Challenge Cup trophies and smiled as he looked at it. The trophy didn’t signify a victory. It signified a new beginning.

Drake Stevenson, Hapilopper’s best known driver, was no longer merely a stock car driver. He was a Grand Prix driver, and in a nation where automobile racing is adored by the masses, he was a beacon of hope for the many drivers across Hapilopper. If he could make it, so could they. He didn't know it at the time, but over the course of the next weeks and months, motorsport in Hapilopper, especially open-wheel racing, underwent a renaissance. The sponsors came back. The fans came back. Drivers realized that they, too, could compete for international motorsport glory.

As for Drake, though, one thing is for sure. He will be back.

by **Sorlovia** » Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:47 pm

Gregori’s Hotel Room, Mattijana

Any hope of securing a desirable standing was gone. He had no hope of taking out a ranking finish to the season let alone the WGPC17 Championship and the Driver Championship. That glittering dream continued to elude him and with the end of the season in sight there was nothing else he could do to increase his standing. There were only three more races left. That wasn’t enough to raise his place in the standings. He would instead use the final races as a training opportunity. It would give him a final chance to test himself in the MRT car and on the international racing stage before the end of WGPC for the year.

He intended to return in the next season. But that was a far off reality that he couldn’t afford to look to this early. To begin to plan for WGPC18 before WGPC17 had been laid to rest was foolish. First he had to finish that final race for the season and take part in the post-season debrief with MRT. If they offered him a spot in WGPC18 he would admit his desire to return as a paid racer for them. But at the same time he would give other teams a chance to make him a better contract. It was only fair. It was a matter of who got in first. He’d raced with VMR in WGPC16 and with MRT in WGPC17. It could be any of the teams for WGPC18. But he didn’t like to look too far ahead. After the season had met its official end he would plan his off season training regime, endorsement deals and of course what he would take part in on the domestic gran prix level.

He’d already heard rumours that Sorlovia was planning on presenting a circuit to the WGPO for the next season. Gran Prix was a rapidly growing sport back home with a growing number of fans. It was only a matter of time until a Sorlovian track was submitted for consideration. Despite himself he felt a pang of excitement at the possibility. The chance to take part in an official WGPC race on Sorlovian soil was a dream he’d had for the past two years. The feeling of racing in one’s own country was an almost irresistible one for a racer. A proven Sorlovian racer racing in Sorlovia on a Sorlovian track. That was the dream. But Gregori was not a man who liked to give importance to rumours. The truth would be revealed in time.

“In time Gregori,” he said softly to himself “in time.”

He returned to scrolling through the news story on his smartphone. It seemed that some extensive redevelopments were taking place in Solnichniy. The town of his birth had been a quaint and rather sleepy little harbour town for the entirety of its history. It was a town that seemed to be in a world of its own. The powerful men in Tarchenko seemed to forget about it which the people of Solnichniy took as a blessing. Of course the laws of the State Duma, the Sorlovian capitol and the beating heart of Sorlovian politics, still applied to the town and it had a representative in the capital. But on all other levels the little town had been spared the pressures and worries of Sorlovia as a whole.

But it now seemed that Solnichniy was stepped into the modern era. It seemed that large sections of land on the eastern edge of town had been cleared for redevelopment. The old communist ghettos and dull grey concrete apartment complexes had been completely demolished to make way for new residential subdivisions. The rather depressing central city was being redeveloped into a central park and shopping district in a modern capitalist style. Gregori couldn’t help but smile at that. There was no way to insult the memory of the Perestroyas than by erasing their urban planning.

Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course
Three days earlier

Challenge was an apt description of the Vilitan Mountain course. Its two long straights and one short straight provided only a brief reprieve from the serpentine bends and sharp hairpin bends that made it a track to be reckoned with. Gregori had known that it would be a challenging track from the very beginning and he’d treated it accordingly. Nevertheless the track offered up a chance to test himself and multiple learning opportunities. It was an entirely different beast to the other circuits and was thus equally challenging in its own unique ways. The sharpness of turns three and four had proven to be difficult for him from the get go.

Gregori planted his foot on the accelerator and took off down the straight towards the fifth corner in preparation for the demanding bend into the sixth corner. He was already preparing for the gentler section through the seventh and eighth corners when he came into the bend. With practiced ease he shifted his approach to figuratively lean into the sweeping bend which he used to launch himself out the other end. The eighth corner would allow him to get up a great deal of speed ahead of the ninth corner which would take him through his favourite stretch of the track. He’d clawed his way back up the pack from seventeenth to ninth and he wasn’t about to take it easy.

“Pace yourself Gregori,” came the crackling remark over his earpiece “you’ve got a lot of laps to do yet and the last thing we need is your car burning out. This is a challenging track. Take your time.”

“I’ve got this Viktor,” Gregori replied as a determined grin spread across his face “the serpentine is coming up. I can use that to my advantage.”

The car could handle it. Of course it could. It’d been given a complete overhaul and tune up back at MRT HQ to bring it back up to peak performance. It could handle being pushed hard. He was sure of that. Gran Prix race cars were high performance cars that really were miracles of engineering. There was a reason the sport was so closely followed and why it took months to design a WGPC car. Such a marvel didn’t develop overnight. Even his off season performance car back in Sorlovian was a state-of-the-art high performance WGPC-level car.

Gregori failed to pick up on the warning signs as he entered the twelfth turn on his forty first lap. In his eagerness to take back positions in the pack he’d neglected to pay attention to the warning signs his car was giving him. The blaring red light in the cockpit had come on signalling that his engine was close to overheating but he was too focused on getting past the cars in front of him that he failed to notice it. He swerved around Jessica Franssen to get ahead of her and missed the momentary look of alarm that flashed in her eyes. A look of alarm born from the sight of smoke trailing out from under Gregori’s car.

As he straightened out onto the opening straight Gregori’s car let out a grating whine. Before he had time to erupt flames burst from the direction of his car’s engine and he flew into instinctual reaction mode. The sirens of the emergency vehicles were already wailing as he swerved into the pit and did his best to emergency stop as neatly as he could so as not to block the pit for the other cars. He had no idea whether he’d been responsible for the engine blowout or if his pit crew had missed something. But he mentally kicked himself.

by **Aboveland** » Thu Jun 27, 2019 7:29 pm

Terho lays patiently in his seat, Unnamed’s idling V8 burbling behind him and tickling his back. He stares blankly at the seventeen cars ahead of him, not with contempt, but with hope. His almighty sauna session the day before has effectively cleansed him of his rampant anxiety leading into the VIlitan GP. Surely, he was still somewhat perplexed, and to a lesser, much more repressed extent, disappointed in his performance--going from scoring two straight pole positions to languishing a dismal seven-and-eight-teenth in practice and qualifying, despite the fact his poor run of form was mostly owing to his own car’s electrical gremlins--but his recent run of form, his proven racecraft, and the team he had behind him made quick work of his worries.

Edvin, timidly, comes onto the radio one final time before the race begins, skipping the unusual briefing he’d done the previous race.

“Right, Terho,” he begins, with an analytical and very correct tone, letting slip through a bit of admiration, “this is it. By the end of today’s sixty something laps, there’s a mega chance you, and your team, will be crowned world champion once again.”

His insides turn giddy with the message.

Edvin, however, isn’t finished, and continues with a tone which mocks his own choice of words. “Alas…”--he pauses to wrap his head around the fact that he used that word--”there’s something you need to know.”

Terho winces imperceptibly.

“The boys were able to get your car fixed for the race, having pulled a few hours short of an all nighter to get it set and ready, so there’s no physical damage to your car, at all.” He pauses, waiting for a reply from Terho, who’s too busy processing the implications of the fact to answer.

“This means a couple of things: one, that the setup has been somewhat tweaked to how it tends to be, accounting for the aero computer working properly, of course; the car might feel a little different at first, but the balance is still there.”

Terho nods, then speaks. “Sure,” he says calmly. “I can adapt.”

Edvin gulps, away from his headset. “Yeah…” he begins. “The second thing is that we discovered the aero chips weren’t the failure point in the active system.” He receives a proto-gasp back from the car, then continues. “As it turns out, it seems the humidity…”--he stops to grunt in frustration--”or something got past the computer board module and affected the wiring inside the car proper.”

The silence now is eerie, rather than awkward or expectant. The tension flows easily through the radio, and both Edvin and Terho inadvertently clench their jaws.
“We were able to get in there and mess with a few things,” he continues, “but I can’t promise perfection. Just go out there and try to manage whatever might go wrong.”

Terho, his thumb curling around the OK button, confirms the message. Instantly, the five red lights come on, pair by pair, until before he knows it they’re off, and he’s off; Unnamed roars ahead, whistling away, and charges towards the front of the pack. His launch off the line is extremely quick, and through the first corner he holds his line well enough to reach the braking zone for turn two three places ahead of where he started. Tucking around the inside of turn three, he barely edges out on his next rival, Gregori Kruipin, who seems to have fallen back during the start. In his mirrors, he sees the Sorlovian aiming an occluded glare through his visor. Terho smirks just a little.

By the end of the first lap, Terho lies thirteenth, having climbed up five places, and begins his charge up the pack. So far, the aero seems to have held up fine, clearly activating as planned, according to both his inputs and the system’s own stellar track knowledge. Terho, for the first time in the weekend, drives with an achingly large grin. Unnamed, herself essentially born for the Vilitan racetrack, works like a dream (as does her leading sister car). Edvin, sitting next to Aada and her live telemetry readings, bites his knuckles.

For thirteen laps, the race goes on rather uneventfully, the width of the circuit not giving Terho sufficient elbow room to weave around the pack. Despite his best efforts, he’s stuck twelfth, and the gap to the leader--who he’s been informed is iBen, much to his delight--only widens considerably by the corner.

Terho, entranced, weaves through the tight corner complex of turns three through seven, Unnamed dancing against the Vilitan mountain backdrop in her quasi-natural habitat. Suddenly, Terho’s steering wheel display flashes an alarmingly bright yellow. He’s too consumed by his task at hand to properly look at the screen, and squints as the overwhelming brightness of the display breaks the soft diffused glow cast over the racetrack by the overcast skies, but manages to take a quick enough glance before Edvin spoils the contents of the message.

His tone is purposefully serious and somber, but Terho can just make out the budding joy in Edvin’s voice pushing against his vocal chords like steam in a pressure cooker.

“Dimitrianov out, Dimitrianov out,” he says, almost giggling, restraining himself out of courtesy. “You’re world champion, Terho,” he adds, a little brighter. “Now keep pushing.”

Terho chuckles giddily to himself, unable to contain his excitement. He opens his radio once he’s managed to contain it enough, thanking the team and all those who must be thanked for bringing him to his second world title, but he’s swiftly shut down and told to celebrate later. Biting his lips raw to prevent a war cry of celebration, he presses the OK button as he crosses the start finish line.

As he’d told Edvin to do, he informs him of his current gap and delta ahead.

Terho nods to himself, keeping his foot down across turn one.

The winglets dive, reclining, and nearly occluding themselves from the incoming airflow.

He feels a twitch in his fingers, which runs from his knuckles through his wrists, up his shoulders and down his spine.

The rear loses grip.

The winglets flap violently.

It all happens too quickly.

Unnamed swerves to the right and crashes against the outside wall, scraping down the track towards turn two. Her engine burbles to a stop, her tyres roll still, and her brake ducts smoke in disappointment. Only her winglets, bobbing up and down and flexing in every which way, fill the silent void of shock in Terho’s helmet.

Once the race has finished and the podium is done and dusted, the TRÆ paddock erupts in an incredible, champagne fuelled rave. The victory chants, now ringing out for the sixth time in the season, chant louder and fuller than ever. Some of the mechanics, mostly the Vilitans, have brought in knick knacks to celebrate the occasion: shaving cream, ratchets and confetti explode around the garage in its own self-contained nirvana. First it’s iBen, first time home winner, who’s hailed and raised up onto the shoulders of the team; then it’s Edvin, celebrated as the team’s guide throughout their endeavor, lauded for bringing glory once more to the original WGPC14 Vilita and Turori Motorworks crew; finally, it’s Terho himself, thrust up to the ceiling, his nose brushing against the hanging confetti-dotted stalactites of party foam clinging to the panels, his overalls drenched and drenched again in all types of celebratory fluids, his eardrums pounded by the bellowing, growing chants of his name and his victory.

Once again, he’s world champion, a feat he never thought would repeat itself--especially since the spectacular end to his second championship campaign--and, no less, with (half) the team he’d done it the first time, his rookie season mentor now his third season companion along the same path to success. Once again, Terho and Tropicorp have dominated the WGPC, a feat which will have their legacies thriving in the history books for years to come. Once again, the longed for number one he’d donned two years back would adorn his car. Once again, Terho has done it.

And yet the sight of his tarped car being wheeled away from the paddock and the sharp pain in his right shoulder every time someone latches onto his joints to throw him back up into the air leaves behind its bitter aftertaste.

by **Mattijana** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 12:58 pm

Highpoint Raceway, Falcania

Johan had never been to Falcania in person before, let alone the Highpoint Raceway. He liked the look of the recently reopened circuit with its flowing, but technique-focused layout and good overtaking opportunities. It was the sort of purpose-built circuit that he wished was in Mattijana, not least because it was nice, but because the MRT car and its drivers should go well.

What few other people knew however, was that events here had nearly put an end to MRT's involvement in the sport before it had begun.

It was roughly at the start of WGPC12 when the department of sport had given Johan and his team at Petrovijanka Motorsport the target of getting a team into the WGPC by its 14th season. They were deep into their research by the weekend of the Falcanian Grand Prix, testing out their upgraded engine to see whether it would be up to the standard of a WGPC race. In hindsight, the answer to that was a big 'no', but they didn't know that back then.

The more pleasurable part of Johan's research involved sitting down and closely watching each race weekend to try and work out what was going on. Normally that ended with a few notes on a jotter pad, but the fallout from the fire in the McPahan garage that resulted in the death of Linco McPahan would be far more serious.

For everyone around motorsport, the news came as a shock. For those at the department of sport who wanted the money that was going into the WGPC project spent on something else, it was the perfect excuse to put a stop to Petrovijanka Motorsport's work.

the first Johan knew of this was when a very grumpy-sounding email arrived in his inbox from the bigwig overseeing the project.

To: johanstruna@pm.mj
From: leastefanidi@dos.mj

Dear Johan,

I'm sure you are aware of the recent fire in the McPahan garage at the Falcanian Grand Prix. This yet again highlighted the potential risk of your project and the human, financial and reputational cost of this risk to you and the nation.

As a result, before you proceed with the project, we want assurances and evidence that a similar incident will not occur in any setting owned by a Mattijanan team. Failure to do so may result in funding cuts or termination of the WGPC project on safety grounds.

Good luck,

Lea Stefanidis, Mattijanan Department of Sport.

Clearly the fire, and especially the lack of any official explanation for it, had spooked the authorities. The problem was that the authorities had the overall power over the project's success and Johan was well aware of its sceptics in the Mattijanan government.

From his time following the WGPC, Johan knew that McPahan were a secretive organisation, but one suspected of cutting a lot of corners both on and off track. The fire was probably just a result of one of these cut-corners meaning there was no safety net for when someone made a cock-up, but the allegations of a terrorist attack targeting the McPahan garage were unsettling.If that were the case, Johan could make no personal claim that going into the WGPC was safe.

Of course the simple act of filling a car with highly flammable liquid before igniting said flammable liquid and driving it around a track at up to 200 miles per hour meant that going into the WGPC could never be 100% 'safe', but then the same could be said for crossing the road, or baking a banana loaf. What Johan could do was mitigate the risk and reduce the severity of the consequences, a line that came straight out of a health and safety manual, but was more or less true.

It would mean extra work and a chunky delay, but they had the technology, design and common sense to avoid a catastrophic blaze. They just had to test what they had and make sure their safety in current domestic races was good enough. Impressing those who were already looking for an excuse to stop the project was going to be another matter.

Fast forward two months and the moment of truth had arrived. With the car Petrovijanka Motorsport had developed set to take to the track, it was time for the safety test.

Normally, this would be a pre-season formality, but in these circumstances it was not. The fire at Highpoint meant the Department of Sport would only accept a flawless test result and with a new chassis, you never really new what was going to happen. It involved testing all the fireproof kit worn by the drivers, the crash features and the driver's ability to get out quickly, as well as the flammability of the chassis. It was thorough, stringent but necessary. Still, anything other than a 100% pass could put an end to Mattijana's involvement in the WGPC before it had begun.

The next few weeks left the team in limbo land. They couldn't really make changes to the car or spend any more funds until they got safety clearance, but they had nothing else to do other than wait.

Two weeks later, the report came through by email from Lea Stefanidid. It was long and wordy, but the bottom line was this. They had failed...

by **Former Citizens of the Nimbus System** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 2:23 pm

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
28th of May

Auburn Steel’s hand guides her computer’s mouse as it highlights sections of text for mental parsing, measured, precise and supremely smooth.

From ‘Ellyn Illinoi’ at – ah, yes. Hmm… Auburn’s eyes flick back and forth. “Their proposed solution is more than one model,” she murmurs. “I see…”

Rain would… She frowns. Then she puts her fingers to her keyboard again, flicking open Nexus Racing’s internal discussions programme and typing out a message to the team’s communications head. Then she begins to drum her fingers on her desk.

About four minutes later, by which point she’s tapping out a complex beat in 11/4 time, there is a response. Mmm. As I thought – not egalitarian and the glow itself is non-negotiable, whatever form it might take. The last I certainly agree with. The first… She considers. If the other cars are to be produced in matte and metallic forms, there is little we can do to impact the morality of the situation… Well, the blue of our car is matte anyway and the glow will make the silver elements less important regardless. She types out another message.

Another few minutes pass, heralding another reply. Mmm. The glow is most important. Certainly. In which case…

Opening up the email again, Auburn relaxes her mind, letting it construct the framework for a return message with all of her legalistic finesse. One model is preferred, either with chrome silver or, if that is not possible, not, but one for either is also acceptable. Blue glow, which in current paradigm uses blue acrylic material for light scattering and glow-in-the-dark effect, is sacrosanct.

Excellent. To work.

22nd of June; Post-Qualifying

“This is a pattern, isn’t it?”

Ryker Lane crouches, one hand on his chin, the other at his hip. His face is a considering frown; he shakes the head that bears it, looking back up to his race engineer. “I know I’ve never been the best at qualifying… This isn’t the same, though.”

“Mmm…” Martin, sitting at the seat behind him. He pauses, gathering together all of his thoughts; only once he has done so does he speak, his voice ever calm. “You qualified very well at Drosopol and Lintulahti. That said, I do think you can improve.” He considers. “At home, the issue was fairly obvious and, ultimately, beyond your control. As for elsewhere, you’ve always said that your adaptability is better than your planning, correct?”

Ryker looks up at him. “Right…”

Martin smiles back down at his charge. “I think that may well be part of it, at the very least. In WGPC 15, your instinct allowed you to run well on tracks that you were visiting for the first time. By this point, however, that has given way to precise execution on memory and practice, an area in which you are not so capable.”

“You’re saying that experience has made me a worse qualifier?” Ryker raises an eyebrow, more than a little incredulously.

“Likely so, I’m afraid.” Martin presses his lips together. “Especially since much of that experience comes from last year, when you were not quite…”

For once, he struggles for words.

Ryker mirrors his expression. “Nnngh… Yeah. Yeah, you’re right on that.” He brightens. “Still, in a better place now.”

Martin rejoins his smile with confidence. “You certainly seem far more comfortable in the car than you were last year. Indeed, I would argue that you currently have the most proficiency in overtaking of anyone on the grid.” He closes his eyes. “The two of you have done each other good.”

A dusting of red manifests on Ryker’s cheeks; he gazes wistfully into space. “Yeah.” Then he shakes himself. “Right – so, how do you think we work on my qualifying pace?” He stands, left hand tapping at his thigh, then chuckles with a genuine smile, recalling something. “Not going to be replacing my memories any time soon.”

Martin frowns, puzzled for the moment before he catches the words’ literal meaning. “No; we cannot restart the clock. We’ll need to refine your on-track proficiency, expand your comprehension of each one. The question is how…”

For a few seconds, the two think.

Then Ryker stands fully upright, jabbing his finger up at the air with a victorious grin. “Got it!” He turns to Martin. “Drake Stevenson, the new driver from Hapilopper – he does a track walk before every weekend, notes down everything he can about it.”

His race engineer is nodding before he finishes. “Yes, that could well work… At the very least, it would help.” He lets out a single, rare, soft laugh. “Fortuitous.”

“Hmm?”

Martin smiles. “Unfortunately, Rebecca Darlington has decided to leave WGP2. Timothy, a few others and I have been discussing who to invite to the development programme in her place and Stevenson has come up… And look.” He gestures to a specific place on his screen – the session timings.

Ryker’s eyebrows rise. “Huh. Well, that’s hardly going to go unnoticed.”

“Indeed.”

Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
23rd of June

Ryker Lane stands.

He focusses. The pole does not remain grounded for long; Imagination takes it, draws it upwards. It floats, still, in the air – tranquil, controlled.

And then it spins again. Slowly at first, and then all of a sudden rapidly, not enough to heat against the air or ignite but fast enough to be difficult to pass from hand to hand, to challenge. Ryker relishes it; he stumbles here, fumbles there, his fingers not quite aligning once or twice, but still he pushes on. Every mistake he notes, drawing it in and holding it in his being, that he may learn from it. And so he learns. Energy thrums within him.

Before him, a banner. It is the most recent of them all: a bright day in Aboveland, Victoria, Jean, Edvin and Terho arrayed around him at a small café table whose grate expands outwards from the static camera’s lens, the boundless sky above. The five laugh, sharing experience, hope and strength. As individuals, they are mighty, each with their own strengths and talents. When drawn together, they are not only unstoppable, they are fulfilled.

As the pole slows, as Imagination’s glow fades, as Ryker draws his ritual to a close, he hears a slight rustling. It echoes through the cave.

His eyes widen a touch. Then he smiles, nodding firmly and putting his fist to his chest in solidarity, even as he turns to go.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:30 am

Toralmintii Triumphant in Vilitan Grand Prix

iBen Toralmintii #77 crosses the line to win the Vilitan Grand Prix

Vilitan Grand Prix, Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, Rockii Coast, Vilita :: It was an historic afternoon at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course as Turorian driver iBen Toralmintii became the first local winner of the Vilitan Grand Prix. The triumph for Toralmintii comes just one season after R.L. Cruisin became the first local winner of any local Grand Prix event when the Vilitan won the Turorian Grand Prix at the Eelandii Grand Prix Course. Now, after five seasons of disappointment, a Vilitan has won the Turorian Grand Prix and a Turorian has won the Vilitan Grand Prix. For much of the event it appeared as if it would be a victory for Toralmintii's Race Eelandii Vilita and Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks team as the inexperienced Hapilopper driver Drake Stevenson put in a blistering first half of the event to open up to a 20 second lead. As the race closed to a finish, however, Toralmintii had enough of a gap to pit for soft tires and Stevenson, with blisters on their tires, backed way off the pace to avoid going off course. Within 10 laps the Turorian had caught the Hapilopper driver and there was not a moment of hesitation - with Toralmintii watching the team he had set up at the start of the season on its way to victory lane, only for iBen himself to steal the win from their grasps overpowering Stevenson and driving off into the sunset, taking Mercer-Daly with him though Toralmintii checked out and never looked back once passing the Happilopper driver Stevenson in their final race for the team.

With the win Toralmintii also moved to second in the World Grand Prix Drivers Standings behind teammate Terho Talvela who mathematically clinched the Drivers title with two races to go in the season. It was the earliest any driver had clinched the series title in World Grand Prix Championship history. If Toralmintii is able to hold on to second place in the standings it will be the second time that Talvela and Toralmintii have finished 1-2 in the Drivers standings with the only previous time having come in their only previous season as teammates during World Grand Prix Championship Season 14 for Vilita and Turori Motorsports. Neither driver was able to re-claim their form from Season 14 after the duo separated as teammates after that season until being reunited at Tropicorp Racing Aelund for Season 17.

Toralmintii had all but retired after a disappointing World Grand Prix Championship Season 15 campaign but was asked by friend and former teammate Talvela to return to the cockpit at the end of the World Grand Prix Championship's 16th season as the newly formed Tropicorp Racing Aelund struggled to compete at the highest level. In their first race back Toralmintii finished just outside the podium and the fire was back for the duo who have set the World Grand Prix Championship alight during Season 17.

The two have shown speed in all sessions throughout the season with Toralmintii posting a Top 5 starting position in well more than half of the events and having out qualified Talvela in 8 of 11 events thus far. Come raceday there was still some rust for the Turorian to shake off, however, as Talvela out performed the veteran Toralmintii on race day seven times leaving the Abovian with double the points of Toralmintii in the standings. Never the less, Toralmintii seems to have hit top form in the second half of the season with a pair of victories and while they won't be taking the championship battle down to the final race as they had during World Grand Prix Championship Season 14, adding a pair of victories and potentially finishing runner-up in the drivers standings may be enough fuel to to cause the Turorian to consider one more season of competition.

WGPC17 Supplier Performance Standings
After 11 of 13 Events
[1] - 214 :: Tropicorp Racing Supply
[2] - 116 :: Solymok
[3] - 115 :: Brutus Tyres
[4] - 101 :: Petrovi
[5] - 72 :: Pire Eleven
[6] - 36 :: Grafonil
[7] - 34 :: Cypress
[8] - 27 :: Stellenbosch

The questions may have a less clear answer for Vilitan driver R.L. Cruisin who posted their best finish of a highly disappointing season with a fourth place in their home event in Rockii Coast. Cruisin, winner of the Turorian Grand Prix during World Grand Prix Championship Season 16, has been stuck in a surprisingly under performing Mirrors machine but as had been the story of their career, Cruisin has gotten the most out of the poor equipment collecting 23 points while teammate Esteban Guilhermez has yet to sniff the Top 10 on race day. Cruisin will have just two races left to extend their race winning streak in what will almost certainly be their last two races driving for Mirrors and perhaps at the World Grand Prix level as personal sponsor Vilaye Energy Drink has been investing more and more in Stock Car driver River 'Shark' Suzgar and may not be willing to fund the veteran driver for a top tier ride if they can't be certain of a race victory or competitive championship run.

WGPC17 Supplier Performance Trophy :: While Tropicorp Racing Supply had already secured the top spot in the World Grand Prix Championship 17 Supplier Performance Standings, another victory for the Tropicorp Sifaka tyre further supplanted their place atop the standings. A late season push that included a runner-up finish and fastest lap bonus point in Vilita, however, has put Brutus Tyres right in the thick of the battle for second place as they have now leapfrogged Petrovi who had been on the rise to close within a single point of Filindostan based Solymok Tyres with just two events to go.

Over the previous four races Tropicorp Racing Supply and Brutus Tyres through Tropicorp Racing Aelund and Nexus Racing have been by far the class of the field and having won the previous five Grands Prix and finished 1-2 in three consecutive races. While the opening six events of the World Grand Prix Championship's 17th season were more akin to a wild wild west scenario with five different teams winning the opening six events things quickly turned at the halfway point as it was clear that two teams had continued to improve on their racing cars and found something to set them apart from the rest of the field.

While the battle for second place amongst suppliers seems that it will go down to the wire, there will also be a battle at the foot of the table to avoid being last placed amongst suppliers with Grafonil picking up a much needed four points at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, the first points of the season for the SinVal team's supplier that did not come from a podium finish. It has been an all-or-nothing season for Grafonil and SinVal and they are now positioned primely to avoid a last-place Supplier finish with both Cypress and Stellenbosch behind them with just two events left on the calendar in Falcania and Audioslavia. Stellenbosch are the only supplier without a podium finish thus far on the season with a best finish of fourth place in the fourth race of the season. While it is unlikely that any of the bottom three will catch fifth placed Pire Eleven, the opportunity is there with a podium finish to climb back into striking range as Pire Eleven have accrued just five of their 72 points since the seasons midway point.

by **WGPC** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 4:59 pm

CUTOFF

for the Practice and Qualifying at Highpoint Raceway

by **WGPC** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 5:10 pm

Week 17: Practice

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:24.984
Session Length:	75 minutes
Nation:         	FLC
Circuit:        	Highpoint Raceway

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

POS #   DRIVER                              FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER		
 1 27 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:29.297	00:00:00.000
 2 15 ▍Tabita Novax                     	00:01:29.312	00:00:00.015
 3 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:29.317	00:00:00.020
 4 63 ▍Dalia Dahl                       	00:01:29.395	00:00:00.098
 5 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:29.414	00:00:00.117
 6 56 ▍Terho Talvela                    	00:01:29.415	00:00:00.118
 7 18 ▍Taylor Blake                     	00:01:29.467	00:00:00.170
 8 22 ▍Jasmin Kranjska                  	00:01:29.469	00:00:00.172
 9 51 ▍RL Cruisin                       	00:01:29.509	00:00:00.212
10 49 ▍Benjamin Talison                 	00:01:29.510	00:00:00.213
11 17 ▍Evdaden Carnétier                	00:01:29.591	00:00:00.294
12 33 ▍Jai Kardaeri                     	00:01:29.635	00:00:00.338
13 14 ▍Sigur Bjarnason                  	00:01:29.644	00:00:00.347
14  1 ▍Jessica Franssen                 	00:01:29.663	00:00:00.365
15 47 ▍Erica Okumura                    	00:01:29.724	00:00:00.427
16 23 ▍Jelena Colac-Strek               	00:01:29.938	00:00:00.641
17 64 ▍Carsten O'Rourke                 	00:01:30.051	00:00:00.754
18 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:30.205	00:00:00.908
19 52 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:30.227	00:00:00.930
20 41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:30.236	00:00:00.939
21  7 ▍Vijay Tripathi                   	00:01:30.526	00:00:01.229
22 48 ▍Tyra Tabuso                      	00:01:30.832	00:00:01.535
23  3 ▍Darius Castellammare             	00:01:30.918	00:00:01.621
24 37 ▍Ryan Harris-Jones                	00:01:31.012	00:00:01.715
25 29 ▍Esteban Guilhermez               	00:01:32.136	00:00:02.839
26 42 ▍Alex Dimitrianov                 	00:01:32.530	00:00:03.232
27 65 ▍Hunter Digri                     	00:01:34.507	00:00:05.210
28 20 ▍Mick Schramm                     	00:01:34.667	00:00:05.370

Week 17: Qualifying

Conditions:      	Dry
Lap Record:      	00:01:24.984
Qualifying Type:	Traditional
Nation:         	FLC
Circuit:        	Highpoint Raceway

POS #   DRIVER                              FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER		
 1 71 ▍Rustom Ibuna                     	00:01:24.997	00:00:00.000
 2 23 ▍Jelena Colac-Strek               	00:01:25.022	00:00:00.025
 3 17 ▍Evdaden Carnétier                	00:01:25.075	00:00:00.078
 4  3 ▍Darius Castellammare             	00:01:25.132	00:00:00.135
 5 14 ▍Sigur Bjarnason                  	00:01:25.140	00:00:00.143
 6 56 ▍Terho Talvela                    	00:01:25.185	00:00:00.188
 7  7 ▍Vijay Tripathi                   	00:01:25.350	00:00:00.353
 8 49 ▍Benjamin Talison                 	00:01:25.442	00:00:00.445
 9 94 ▍Ryker Lane                       	00:01:25.455	00:00:00.458
10 27 ▍Gregori Krupin                   	00:01:25.550	00:00:00.553
11  1 ▍Jessica Franssen                 	00:01:25.602	00:00:00.605
12 22 ▍Jasmin Kranjska                  	00:01:25.697	00:00:00.700
13 65 ▍Hunter Digri                     	00:01:25.769	00:00:00.772
14 29 ▍Esteban Guilhermez               	00:01:25.775	00:00:00.778
15 51 ▍RL Cruisin                       	00:01:25.984	00:00:00.987
16 64 ▍Carsten O'Rourke                 	00:01:26.092	00:00:01.095
17 77 ▍iBen Toralmintii                 	00:01:26.436	00:00:01.439
18 48 ▍Tyra Tabuso                      	00:01:26.490	00:00:01.493
19 52 ▍Sayono Souzare                   	00:01:26.759	00:00:01.762
20 33 ▍Jai Kardaeri                     	00:01:26.763	00:00:01.766
21 63 ▍Dalia Dahl                       	00:01:26.879	00:00:01.882
22 18 ▍Taylor Blake                     	00:01:26.920	00:00:01.923
23 42 ▍Alex Dimitrianov                 	00:01:27.545	00:00:02.548
24 37 ▍Ryan Harris-Jones                	00:01:27.835	00:00:02.838
25 20 ▍Mick Schramm                     	00:01:28.088	00:00:03.091
26 47 ▍Erica Okumura                    	00:01:28.255	00:00:03.258
27 41 ▍Jean Mercer-Daly                 	00:01:28.767	00:00:03.770
28 15 ▍Tabita Novax                     	00:01:29.206	00:00:04.209

by **Lisander** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 11:35 pm

Two hours after the qualifiers

"The preseason days here really helped. I'm happy with the result. We both had good times and it's a shame that our car, despite the efforts, ends up being so irregular. We continue to do the best we can, and at least until tomorrow is in the hands of our engineers. However, we can consider that today's result is undeniable proof of the balance that is in the WGPC. No one is so absurdly faster, most cars are in the same second."

Darius liked being polite in those quick interviews between the pits and the paddock. Despite ten years of experience in local racetracks, the nearly thirty-one-year-old man was practically a rookie. It was only his second season at the international level, and he knew he had a lot to do there if he wanted to go back for another year. So it was good to always be neutral and never attack anyone in a more incisive way. The companion of today can be tomorrow's rival and vice versa.

He was ready to answer another question when his watch vibrated on his wrist. It was one of those smartwatches, which the team was testing in partnership with EON. If the tests were successful, then the radio inside the race cars would be a thing of the past. Darius looked at the small screen:

NAUTIKA3_E_CHALLENGE: NEXT RACE IN 15 MIN, KAZ_03. DON'T FORGET TO LOG IN!

"Ladies and gentlemen, this interview ends here. I'll be happy to talk to you more at another moment of this weekend."

Entering the reserved Paddock area, Darius found the area he most wanted. It was his only request to the directors. No fruit, towels, drinks, nothing. Only two packages of DHMO +, the team's official energy drink, and his videogame, an eonbox, loaded with just one game:

LIVE THE EMOTION OF 24TH CONTINENTAL CUP!

Six years after the 23rd edition, the Continental Cup is back, and Frontier Games, in partnership with EON, the official sponsor of Sailing's most famous event, launches an exclusive update to NAUTIKA 3, the franchise's biggest hit!

> New monohulls, modelled after the official regulations of the 24th Continental Cup
> All 11 venues of the Continental Cup over the decades Available Online and Offline
> New custom liveries interface to have your sail in your style
> Improved Online Mode and E-SPORTS CHALLENGE!

WIN THE CUP! Nautika 3 takes you to Newport! The top five e-skippers will go to the Nautika E-SPORTS CONTINENTAL CUP Global Final, which will take place at the Newport Marina, along with the REAL Continental Cup! SAME YACHTS! SAME TEAMS! SAME VENUE! THE FULL EXPERIENCE! Apply now for the Challenge Division * and make your way to the top!

NOTICE: The Challenge Division will have 10 servers, divided among participating countries based on the number of registered players. The top 20 Challenge Division e-skippers will advance to the Elite Division, from which the five finalists, selected in Pro Draft, will emerge. Each of the five Yacht Clubs in the Continental Cup will select one of the e-skippers for the Global Final. To participate in the Challenge Division, you must be 13 years of age or older. Minors will need parental consent to participate in the Elite Division and Global Final. See the Game Forum for more details.

It was a little strange to see, because it was a breach of expectation. Anyone would believe that he would play some car video game, but Darius's eyes glowed with Yachts. He had begun to participate in that e-sports tournament casually, to escape the nervousness and bad results of the WGPC. And he was doing very well, taking third place on the server he was playing in, Lisander 2. A little more and he could make it to the Elite Division. Would he be the first racing driver to also make a career as a Yacht Skipper, even if virtual?

by **Sorlovia** » Sun Jun 30, 2019 2:00 am

Highpoint Raceway
Post-Qualifying

Highpoint had been a mixed bag. He’d come in first in the practice session only to end the qualifying session in tenth place. But that was still an improvement of his results of Vilitan. That didn’t mean he would do well on raceday however. A racer could come in first at both practice and qualifying only to finish in poor standing in the race itself. The WGPC always had its share of uncertainty and chance to keep the racers on edge. Even the most skilled of racers could fall prey to a bout of underperforming on raceday. Sometimes it just came down to the nature of the track and pure bad luck. All the skill in the world didn’t necessarily equal immediate success. The race environment was unpredictable and fluid.

Fortunately for Gregori his car had been repaired in time for the practice run. It had been a case of pulling out the engine and replacing it with a fresh one. The investigations had revealed that a piston had broken loose and ruptured the side of the engine causing a catastrophic engine failure. It looked like he’d pushed the car too hard which coupled with an unforeseen fault in the engine meant that it hadn’t been properly oiled and lubricated during the race. Ultimately the engine had completely lost lubrication resulting in steel rubbing on steel ending with a fiery engine failure. It had been put down to a freak accident and MRT had installed a replacement engine which had been properly oiled and lubricated well in advance of qualifying.

That didn’t stop Gregori from mentally kicking himself. He’d been quietly mad at himself for several days after the Vilitan race. If he hadn’t been so hard on the car the engine mightn’t have failed in so extreme of a way. If he’d just paced himself like Viktor had said he might have spared himself and the car such an unpleasant event. The engineers had reassured him that it hadn’t been entirely his fault. They’d told him that mechanical faults like that just happen sometimes even in the most cared for and carefully maintained cars. They were filled with countless moving parts and intricate pieces of engineering. Sometimes a part just broke.

“Are you okay Gregori?” Viktor said glancing at him across the table “You look like you’re continuing to beat yourself up.”

“If I’d just been gentler on the car,” Gregori replied “I might not have blown the engine. I just got so caught up in trying to take back places in the standings that I was paying attention to the car.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Viktor answered with a smile “what happened has happened. There isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. By the sounds of it the engine blew because of an internal fault and it wasn’t just you pushing the car hard. Sometimes these things happened. Something might have been overlooked before the race or maybe it was just a freak fault.”

“Focus on your results from the practice and qualifying,” Elena added softly “you came in first at the practice. That’s a good result. MRT had fixed up your car and you’re ready for the next race. So you just need to look ahead and prepare.”

“She’s right,” Viktor said with a nod “it’s all been taken care of. Put it out of your mind.”

by **Vilita and Turori** » Mon Jul 01, 2019 5:42 pm

Kardaeri returns to Eelandii VTGP for Final 2 Races

Jai Kardaeri's #33 will have special Purple Rims in Falcania

Grand Prix of Falcania, Highpoint Raceway, Falcania :: Former World Grand Prix Champion Jai Kardaeri is back behind the wheel for iBen Toralmintii's Race Eelandii! Vilita and Turori World Grand Prix Motorworks team as the circuit enters its penultimate race in Falcania. While no official statements have been made regarding the Starblaydi driver's absence, Kardaeri was spotted doing sponsorship appearances for the Onizuma Corporation during their absence from the wheel as well as seemingly spending a large amount of time on twii.tur participating in angry rants against current and former fans and nay-sayers after a slow start to their return to top flight driving.

For Kardaeri's sake, however, they will have to hope the break from behind the wheel and the shorter commute from their home in Starblaydi to the final two events in Falcania and Audioslavia will see a performance boost as they will have big shoes to fill after the unheralded stock car driver from Hapilopper Drake Stevenson gave Eelandii VTGP their best ever drive at the Vilitan Grand Prix at the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, dominating the race nearly start to finish until slipping back to third place behind team owner iBen Toralmintii and Jean Mercer Daly.

It won't just be the departed Hapilopper drivers shoes that Kardaeri will have to fill however as they will also be compared with the relatively inexperienced Filindo driver Rustom Ibuna who has been inconsistent all season but still outperformed Kardaeri head to head when the Starblaydi driver was in the car.

After skipping four events it was expected to be a slow getting back up to speed for the former World Grand Prix Champion but one would hope that the giant twii.tur sponsored vehicle was not pumping live twii streams into the cockpit as Kardaeri could only muster a 20th fastest qualifying lap while teammate Ibuna placed the #71 Eelandii VTGP on pole position.

While Ibuna will be gunning for Eelandii VTGP's first ever victory, Kardaeri will be looking to save face after a difficult return to World Grand Prix competition and to fight their way back into the points over the final two events on the Atlantian Oceania swing.

by **Former Citizens of the Nimbus System** » Mon Jul 01, 2019 5:48 pm

Lintulahti International Circuit, Lintulahti, Nord Maakunta, Aboveland
30th of May

“…and, finally, there’s going to be IDIS.” Victoria smirks a touch as she leans against the back wall of Nexus Racing’s Lintulahti garage, gaze on the Abovian Nexus Racing driver alongside her. “Our doing, that one. We’ve not totally finished it yet but once we’re done, it’ll hopefully let the Imagikinetic convertors push the car down with whatever force it isn’t using to go forwards – i.e. into the corners, i.e. when it needs it most.” Her smirk grows into a grin.

Janne blinks; it takes a few moments for him to speak. “So… What you’re saying is that by the time I’m back, we might have some of the best downforce on the grid.”

“That’s the hope!” Victoria raises a smile. “Though obviously all of the other teams are working on stuff too.” She glances about the room; as ever, it is a hub of activity – there’s Shana arguing with Virgil over electronics minutiae, the two hammering out a new, lighter design for a circuit board in the forge lit by the fires of their debate; there Vance guides Benedi through the rationale for a new front wing element, the more senior engineer clearly turning over arguments and counterarguments as she listens; there Lucia reports to Gertrude, discussing the calculations on drag reduction and improved grip for the next Priority One project, the latter barely holding back manic laughter. “Somehow, though?” Victoria folds her arms, settling back into her lean. “Think we might be ahead of the curve.”

Janne nods, taking it all in. “That’s good…” He smiles tentatively. “Seeing this again…” He shivers. “It’s like the first time Virgil showed me around my Chase Cutter. Everyone working like this, it’s...” He trails off.

Then he flinches a touch, his head snapping to the right – and his form relaxing as Victoria puts a hand on his shoulder. “And you’re a part of it as much as any of us, Janne. You’re going to get back out into WGP2 3 with everything you learned last time out – and you were awesome then – and you’re going to do brilliantly.” She laughs. “You’ll be on top of podiums again in no time, I’m sure!”

After all, she thinks, as Janne’s face takes on a pretty familiar appreciative yet more than a little shy and overmodest expression, we’re doing it now, aren’t we?

World Grand Prix Championship season 17 [RP Thread]

Vilitan Grand Prix victory, Supplier Standings

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