WGP2 Season III [Roleplay Thread]

[TJUN-ia]

"Ah...of course..."

Lane's situation should of gotten clearer after he sent his 'ultimatum' to UrGa. As it turns out, nothing is clear in the world of motorsports.

UrGa responded with a new tale to tell: it turns out Taras Matviyenko, the car Lane was driving during the test in Trans-Dniesters, actually wanted to be back with his homeland's team. Makes sense and totally understand able in Lane's eyes. However, that didn't mean the socialists didn't want his services anymore. In fact they countered with a deal of their own, on the condition that at the start of the season Taras would be considered the No. 1 driver of the team.

So that's the decision that faced the Forgotten Galarian: either equal driver status with the ponies or No. 2 with the socialists.

Adelphia was offering him an opportunity to duel with one of the great pony talents in one Carmichael Fire.
UrGa was offering any opportunity to learn and develop under the experience of a similar driver in Taras Matviyenko.
Adelphia had a car with a purpose: a message to show the multiverse that hooves CAN build man's machines.
UrGa had a car backed with the money of a post-Soviet Socialist Republic.
Adelphia has a backup driver in case Lane said no.
UrGa may not have the same advantage.

The decision was tough but Lane knew he had to make it.


Phone Buzzes

"Da?"

"It's Mr. Carter. Скажи містеру Гатутіну, що я заїжджаю. Скажи йому, що я скоро його побачимо. Ура. (Tell Mr. Gatutin I'm in. Tell him I'll see him soon. Cheers.)"

[Diarcesia]

Adelphia-VMR Test results

Lap 1
1 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:13.212
2 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:13.519
3 William Archer (AFT)  1:17.533
4 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:17.871

  Lap 2
1 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:17.172
2 William Archer (AFT)  1:18.987
3 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:24.972
4 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:25.075

  Lap 3
1 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:16.451
2 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:18.342
3 William Archer (AFT)  1:22.772
4 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:24.173

  Lap 4
1 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:11.309
2 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:11.567
3 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:16.563
4 William Archer (AFT)  1:18.072

  Lap 5
1 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:14.526
2 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:15.727
3 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:18.316
4 William Archer (AFT)  1:20.527

  Lap 6
1 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:12.505
2 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:14.267
3 William Archer (AFT)  1:21.807
4 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:24.863

  Lap 7
1 William Archer (AFT)  1:12.547
2 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:13.233
3 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:15.051
4 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:17.014

  Lap 8
1 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:09.300
2 William Archer (AFT)  1:13.878
3 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:19.113
4 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:21.089

  Lap 9
1 William Archer (AFT)  1:12.357
2 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:15.975
3 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:26.059
4 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:26.670

  Lap 10
1 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:14.983
2 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:23.008
3 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:24.410
4 William Archer (AFT)  1:25.273

1 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:09.300
 2 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:11.309
 3 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:11.567
 4 William Archer (AFT)  1:12.357
 5 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:12.505
 6 William Archer (AFT)  1:12.547
 7 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:13.212
 8 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:13.233
 9 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:13.519
10 William Archer (AFT)  1:13.878
11 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:14.267
12 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:14.526
13 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:14.983
14 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:15.051
15 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:15.727
16 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:15.975
17 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:16.451
18 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:16.563
19 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:17.014
20 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:17.172
21 William Archer (AFT)  1:17.533
22 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:17.871
23 William Archer (AFT)  1:18.072
24 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:18.316
25 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:18.342
26 William Archer (AFT)  1:18.987
27 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:19.113
28 William Archer (AFT)  1:20.527
29 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:21.089
30 William Archer (AFT)  1:21.807
31 William Archer (AFT)  1:22.772
32 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:23.008
33 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:24.173
34 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:24.410
35 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:24.863
36 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:24.972
37 Edward Baker (TKI)    1:25.075
38 William Archer (AFT)  1:25.273
39 Lane Carter (TJN)     1:26.059
40 Sara Luna (DCS)       1:26.670

Winter looked at the test results. He was having a hard choice choosing his options, because the results were a bit, erm, inconsistent.
Lane Carter seemed like a viable option. He had several first-places and his speed was consistent through out.
Sara Luna also looked like a good competitor. Though her last few laps weren't as good she still seemed like a good driver.
After thinking through it, Winter sent emails to both Lane Carter and Sara Luna. He would offer Lane Carter the second driver seat in Adelphia-VMR, and he would use Sara Luna as a backup in case Carter turned down the offer. Finally, the weight of choosing a second driver was over.

16 Feb 2020

It was late and it was as if Valentine's Day is still not over. The air was crisp and fresh in the Chiyginian hills. Plants grew in clusters along the shoreline. Birds sang and flapped in the evening breeze. Love adorned the air, smelt like flowers and was sweet. There was radiance to the city and the hills were a vibrant scene of green space.

A group of three were hanging out on the beach. They were surrounded by a crowd of locals. Each had their own favorite spot. Some were hanging out on the boardwalk, enjoying the calm waters. A few were hanging around the boardwalk and its surroundings. Nearby was a park with a fountain.

One of the ladies behind the counter took a bite from her lemonade. She seemed to enjoy every bite. The price was right. It was one of the cheapest dates ever. She had been particularly picky about the flavor. She wanted something savory. Not too sweet or spicy. Just right.

Another tourist was enjoying the evening air. It was almost spring. The chill had almost a scent of green. He didn't care for the warming weather. He had been living in the Vannish protectorate of the Svennson Tropical Islands for over a decade. He was thankful for his luck, though he feels he would run out.

A third tourist was walking a little beyond the reach of the waves. He was a little more dialed in age. He was wearing a blue sweater and white pants. It was a lot more colorful here than it was in his hometown of Steamklashing Point. He was soaking up the sounds of the sea birds. The sound of them calling out for their mates was relaxing. He was waiting for his beloved to call him, for he was Tom Bennett.

Then his phone rang.

"Hello?"

Tom's two other friends saw him smile a bit as he took the call.

"Tom?"

"Sara! How are the trials?"

"I felt I was hanging by a thread with those last few laps... I certainly have to work on improving it, but Adelphia-VMR asked me if I want to be one of their potential second drivers."

"Wow! This is amazing!"

"It depends on availability though, they seem to have their eyes on another driver. This is something new, you know, an opportunity to move from Tier Three to Tier Two Events. Of course, I will take it!" Sara was already beaming at this point.

"Goodness, Sara, I'm proud of you! I'm sure Violet and Zac would be, as well!"

"I really miss you, for I would have to stay a little longer, with the logistics of bringing my car back in mind."

[Vilita and Turori]

:: VTM Tropicorp Still Seeking 2nd Driver for WGP2 ::

Tropicorp Engineering Design & Administration Center, Tropicoast, Tropicorp :: Just as the previous season, and the season before that, VTM Tropicorp Engineering principal Gary Cook got a late start in his hunt for drivers for his VTM-Tropicorp team after the company was non-commital about whether it would retain The Krainin Isles Edward Baker, winner of the most recent WGP2 event. Cook was unexpectedly elevated to the role of acting Team Principle for iBen Toralmintii's Race Eelandii Vilita and Turori Motorworks team on the World Grand Prix Championship circuit and had little time to prepare for the WGP2's third campaign.

Of course, at least one decision had already been made for Cook; Cocoabo #23, the Runner-Up in the drivers standings during the inaugural WGP2 season would pilot one of the two VTM-Tropicorp machines. Vilita & Turorian driver Jama'obo Pegasii is not currently being considered due to the drivers personal services contract Vilaye Energy Drink Roast which would need to be prominently displayed on the racing livery though if both driver and team were not committed by the first pre-season test event there were rumors that Pegasii could be found behind the wheel of a VTM Tropicorp machine for the first pre-season test event.

While the most important thing for Fast Cocoabo is continued development with a view to a future elevation ot the World Grand Prix Championship, VTM Tropicorp Engineering has a secondary goal of placing both of its cars on the podium at its home track for the Cocoabo Preservation Grand Prix. In order to do this, they will need a strong performance out of Cocoabo #23 and will need to get their second driver signed, fitted for a seat and on the track as soon as possible. While there are rumors that Vilita & Turorian driver Jama'obo Pegasii could field the second VTM Tropicorp machine for the pre-season test, it is believed that Pegasii is not currently being considered for the season seat due to the drivers personal services contract Vilaye Energy Drink Roast which would need to be prominently displayed on the racing livery.

While VTM Tropicorp have not confirmed discussions with any drivers, it has been rumored that representatives for Jolyn Caulfield and Adriana Kowalski as well as touching base with former driver Edward Baker of the Krainin Isles regarding a potential return to the team. There are also rumors, however, that the team has considered withdrawing from the championship altogether due to the lack of drivers available for competition. Sources close to the team have reported that Principle Gary Cook was taken aback by Drake Stevensons decision to join team Nimbus with some questioning whether it would result in the loss of Stevenson's WGPC ride with Race Eelandii VTGP. Others have suggested it is nonsense, however, and the tag-team duo of Stevenson and Laukkanen driving for Nimbus is in fact nothing short of modern-day competitive spying with the duo expected to learn as much as possible about the Imagination-fueled machines to ensure Tropicorp Racing Aelund and Race Eelandii VTGP maintain their prominence atop the WGPC racing pylon.

[Filindostan]

Yogyakulta International Circuit
Yogyakulta, Filindostan

Various Filindo and international media flocked to the paddock area of the Yogyakulta International Circuit to witness the launch of Badai Angin-IGR's challenger to the WGP2 championship this season - the TT02, named after the late Tyrone Tabuso. Elements of red and white prevalent to the TT01 last season were retained, along with the new base color of Badai Angin Blue, which replaced the VeniLoans blue shade in the car. The loaning and mortgage arm of Grupo Venividicci have agreed to be the title sponsor of the team.

With the majority owner of Badai Angin, Joko Ajartambun, were team principal Bryant Gambal, drivers Rod Gozum and Dom Falepeau, who flew from Togonistan just two days prior to the launch, and several representatives of various sponsors including Elegamment, Falepeau's personal sponsor, which agreed to have their logo in the rear wing of the car. Technical details of the car were presented to the media including the improved engine for this season, and Solymok's improved formula for the tyres improved reliability.

As one of the official tyre suppliers for WGP2, Kristian Szusza of Solymok delivered a speech which announced supply to two other teams aside from Badai Angin-IGR - Togonistan's Kaylan Racing Team, and Savojarna's SVJ Racing, as well as Barnabas Mate's signing with the former to partner their lead driver Isaia Fanene. The first set of questions asked to the media were the decision to offer Barnabas to other teams and getting Rod Gozum. Gambal said that it was Solymok's decision to offer the driver in order to maximize any partnership they will have, just as what they did with Fireline and Tyra Tabuso.

However, Tabuso's WGPC career looks to be over for now, as she, along with Kyoko Fujisaki, were deployed to Hodori to officially launch the team for the Formula Hodori championship. The car that they will use, now powered with Badai Angin engines, is also present at the launch, as well as the two drivers.

Bryant announced to the media that they will target the championship this season, despite struggling at the bottom of the constructors' standings last season with Chiemi Hino and Tyra Tabuso driving. He hopes that the partnership of Falepeau and Gozum bring good results to the team this season. He also reiterated that the Togoni driver will be taking the lead driver role for this season, contrary to reports that either Mate or Gozum will be leading the team in their second WGP2 season.

Below are the 'high-resolution' images of the TT02 and the personalized cars for both Falepeau and Gozum.

[USS Monitor]

Jolyn waved at the men and started introducing themselves, “Hello there! I am Jolyn, and this is Adriana. We are quite interested in racing for you folks, if you have a free slot, of course.”

The engineers and the crewmen from the Monitor were quite surprised by the appearance of the Valentians. When they put out their ad to recruit drivers, they had imagined they were hiring men. Probably grimy white men with facial hair and 19th century bathing habits, though they some of them had also considered the possibility that they might get men of some other race. None of them had considered the possibility that women would apply for the job.

At first one the engineers began to turn them away saying, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but these horseless carriages are dangerous business and this is no place for a lady."

However an officer from the Monitor who was standing nearby disagreed. "Well, those are no ordinary ladies!" he said. He looked up at Valentians admiring their tall stature and beautiful attire. "They're like Amazons! It's bad luck to have a woman on a ship, but I never heard any such thing about driving a horseless carriage. Why don't you give them a chance? We have negroes in our crew. Why not Amazons?"

The men debated for a moment and agreed to let the Valentians take a test drive in the landing craft. One of the engineers showed them the controls, which looked a little funky because they had been designed by 19th century men who weren't familiar with standard WGP cars, but they still followed the same basic idea. There was a steering wheel and a throttle and a brake.

They were testing the landing craft on an unpaved track on the shore of the James River, while the Monitor floated in the river. The landing craft bounced wildly on the unpaved track, but it didn't roll into a ditch this time.

The engineers and officers invited Jolyn and Adrianna to stick around and continue helping with their tests, including the pre-season test for WGP2.

(OOC: Sorry for the slow response to your RP Val.)

[Valentine Z]

The Valentians – Diamond Bay Circuit, Willitya – Interactions and Test Drive with USS Monitor and VTM Tropicorp

The two Valentians approached the men doing their work on the vehicles. The vehicles, as aforementioned, were rather odd, as Jolyn would put it. They looked rather crude. The two women were speaking softly to each other.

Jolyn: Hmm, I am not very sure about this, Adriana. But it seems okay to me.

Adriana: Yeah, but we can always give them a chance! If they are here, then that means that they are more than capable of making racing cars and a good team!

Jolyn: I mean, you got me there, but I am still not very sure. Whatever, let’s take a listen to them!

What they heard next… did not prepare them in any capacity.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but these horseless carriages are dangerous business and this is no place for a lady."

“E-excuse me?” Jolyn would ask, bewildered and slightly uncomfortable. It was a mix of discomfort, tenseness, and the very thought that they feel that women could not handle such a car, “Wait wait… what is your problem with women? Don’t worry, we can handle these cars more tha-“

Adriana would stop Jolyn for a brief moment, whispering onto her, ”I think we should give these guys a break… they are a little old-fashioned.”

“Bunch of old-timers,” Jolyn remarked back quietly and snidely towards Adriana, who the latter simply nodded.

They would see the bunch of men discussing the business on their own. Jolyn crossed her arms, with the face that was simply demanding for an answer or an explanation that these people can come up with. However, after a few more seconds passed, along with “These are no ordinary ladies!”, the two gotten themselves a test drive. One of the engineers showed them the controls and the vehicle, which is as simple as it can get. A steering wheel, a throttle, and a brake. Jolyn would work on her own instincts, while Adriana would work like Clarissa; with express permission, she would attach a few non-invasive sensors onto the vehicle.

“Ahh, don’t worry about this one,” Adriana commented and remarked, “I simply need these for my driving! See, I am a robot after all! I need all the information that I can get!”

The two of them would do their test drive around the course. They were mindful of their lap times, but they also want to make sure that they did not mess up and crash their vehicles badly; after all, this is not their vehicles. It was second-nature for Adriana, all because she got all the sensors on the car. It was like attaching state-of-the-art technology on a 19th Century vehicle, which seems to be exactly what was happening. Jolyn, on the other hand, was able to manage it rather fine, but she found herself having some trouble with the vehicle. She ended up having to use her time powers to slow down time and do some turns, which she feel that she should not be using for the actual race – if she had to use it here for the test drive, chances are good that she wasn’t cut for it.

---

The two Valentian women then moved onto another team for another meeting. They have informed the team from Monitor that they would come back later, citing “We are testing out the other teams too!” One of them would turn out to be none other than VTM Tropicorp. The two women approached a team’s tent to have a few words with them.

“Aren’t those guys from NSSCRA as well?” Adriana asked curiously.

“Indeed they are!” Jolyn replied back to her, “I wonder if I can team up with these guys!”

“Are you still bummed up about that remark the other team gave you?”

“Well… no, uhh, no,” Jolyn replied back, somewhat defensively.

“Come onnnn, Jolyn!” Adriana exclaimed light-heartedly, “It will be fine! I mean, they are just old-fashioned! This is a time for you to prove that a woman can do it just as much as any others!”

“It’s honestly not that, Adriana, don’t worry. It’s… I cannot drive that vehicle properly. I found myself having to “cheat” and using my time powers for some turns. The car doesn’t handle too well for me.”

“Hmm… maybe this one will be much better!”

Jolyn introduced herself, followed by Adriana.

“Hello there, I am Jolyn!”

“And this is Adriana!”

“So err… we would like to give your vehicles a try,” Jolyn started and trailed off, “I was wondering if you would be open for one driver slot? Either me… or Adriana over here?”

“Actually, Jolyn, can I have a second?” Adriana asked, pulling Jolyn to the side.

“Shoot away, Adriana. What’s up?”

“I err… I was wondering if I could sign up to the team at Monitor over there right now? I mean, I want to give here a try too, but my mind is set that I want to be with them.”

“Well, I am absolutely fine with that!” Jolyn encouraged her friend wholeheartedly, “I told you, I am not too good with their vehicles. So… now what, then? I don’t think we have time for big decisions.”

“Why don’t I go to Monitor and sign up, while you do the test drive here?”

“Sounds like a plan. Do you need a pen?”

“… yes, please!” Adriana took the pen from Jolyn gleefully and ran off, while Jolyn would then continue talking to the representatives in Tropicorp.

“So… you might have heard of me? If not, that is fine, I am not doing the “Do you know who I am?” thing, I am not that vain, hehe… anyway, I was just stating myself that I have encountered your team before in NSSCRA 8, and I am not sure if you are all the same people that I have met back then. I feel like I will be right at home with you folks. Mind if I give your vehicle a spin? Adriana will come back soon.”

---

In the meantime, Adriana would have signed her name with Monitor, perhaps more or less sealing the deal with them. She would then head back to Tropicorp; she knew that she would not be racing with them as her team, but she still wanted to do that test drive a try.

1042 words, without BBCodes, excluding header.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Diamond Bay Circuit, Diamond Bay, Willitya
16th of February

As the beginning of the first test of the WGP2 season draws close, the Willityan pit lane hums with activity. Team members move about in their garages, rolling tyres and carrying replacement components.

For Nexus Racing, that image is concealed. Two holographic displays, glowing blue with Imagination, entirely block sight into the Nimban team’s operations. From within, the soft whirr of motors is drowned by voices layered upon voices, footsteps upon footsteps, as the final preparations are made.

Then, gradually, silence.

Minutes pass. The clock above the pit lane slowly ticks down to the beginning of the competition, to the time when the culmination of dozens upon dozens of hours’ and souls’ work will be pushed towards success.

A cheer from inside, beyond the Imagiphotic veil. Then silence once more.

The final moments fall towards beginning.

Three.

Two.

One.

The clock ticks over and, with it, the holograms fade. Away from the garage glides first one car, then another.

And, in them, the world sees the Ultra High Speed Ground Vehicle Four for the first time.

---

---

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

---

WEEK 1
Diamond Bay Circuit, Willitya

---

Conditions:		Dry
Predicted Optimal Time:	00:01:40.197
Session Length:		180 minutes

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

POS #   DRIVER                                  FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER		
 1 85 ▍Baxen Aurora                          	00:01:45.255	00:00:00.000
 2 76 ▍Adriana Kowalski                      	00:01:45.276	00:00:00.021
 3 77 ▍Abdoulaye Goita                       	00:01:45.280	00:00:00.026
 4  3 ▍Olivia Stone                          	00:01:45.281	00:00:00.027
 5 44 ▍Rod Gozum                             	00:01:45.318	00:00:00.064
 6 40 ▍Jolyn Caulfield                       	00:01:45.426	00:00:00.172
 7 11 ▍Lane Carter                           	00:01:45.455	00:00:00.201
 8 49 ▍Mika Neretti                          	00:01:45.651	00:00:00.397
 9 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                       	00:01:45.666	00:00:00.411
10 18 ▍Isaia Fanene                          	00:01:45.692	00:00:00.437
11 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                           	00:01:45.695	00:00:00.440
12 33 ▍Laurencia Lynds                       	00:01:45.695	00:00:00.440
13 21 ▍Taras Matviyenko                      	00:01:45.753	00:00:00.499
14 69 ▍Carmichael Fire                       	00:01:45.988	00:00:00.734
15 75 ▍Roman Arjenko                         	00:01:46.471	00:00:01.216
16 72 ▍Barnabas Mate                         	00:01:47.532	00:00:02.277
17 37 ▍Jama'obo Pegasii                      	00:01:47.944	00:00:02.690
18  7 ▍Lourdina Westgrens                    	00:01:48.112	00:00:02.857
19 81 ▍Drake Stevenson                       	00:01:49.593	00:00:04.338
20 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                          	00:01:50.182	00:00:04.927

[Aboveland]

Lintulahti International Circuit
Lintulahti, Aboveland
February 6th

Edvin glances at them inquisitively before making his way towards the pair, dressed in polo shirts and spring bottoms, his muffled sneaker footsteps audible through the light patter of rain just outside the circuit. A meter from the Nykipiks he slides his rear foot to meet his front, planted, and stares blankly awaiting their introduction. They remain quiet.

"May I help you?" Edvin asks, hesitantly.

Klara is the first to verbalize, stammering at the start. "We're from Nykipiflugpuu Noortekondis," she says, in rather broken English not at all resembling an Abovian accent. As she speaks, Edvin's helpful grin turns to a grimace. "We were here to--"

She stops as Edvin inhales deeply through his teeth, his eyes turning piteous. "I'm very sorry," he begins, pausing out of guilt for interrupting, but hoping for them to fill in the blanks. He exhales heavily. "The WGPO has replaced Nykipiflugpuun Noortekondis with Polestar racing for the forseeable future. The organization allegedly couldn't find a solid enough reason to prioritize your entry over an established one like Polestar's."

The Nykipiks' expressions turn pale. Edvin shrugs. "I'm very sorry, but I can't help you at this time. If the team is promoted by the WGPO again at some point we can discuss our operating partnership of sorts."

As he walks away past the Nykipiks, a flash of lightning cuts through the room, the thunder bellowing through the thick panes of glass looking outwards. The sky has turned darker, the rain more violent.

Iskajarvi, Aboveland
November 17th

They both giggle, relaxing over their contorted legs and submerging themselves in the fluffy duvet. The stems of the feathers poke their bare skin through the outer layer of cloth.

Smiling softly, his gleaming grin airbrushed a pale dawn orange, Janne turns on his side, and rotates his body a bit to align himself parallel with Anders. "I'll miss you," he says.

Anders smiles back, staring into his eyes, and walks towards the kitchen without a word, without so much as a vaguely affirmative hum and a confident, sure stride. Janne, laying on the bedsheets, rests his head firmly on the wall behind, his right arm serving as a support behind his neck, and as he closes his eyes and smiles blissfully the sound of a turning lock echoes from the living room to die on the soft surfaces of his bed. His heart, almost instantly, implodes.

Diamond Bay Circuit
February 17th

Hold at two.

A surge of speed, in blue.

Hold at three, hit it at four.

His neck muscles twitch, throbbing red.

Out then in, hard brake.

Another surge, another whoosh, this time not two, not four, but eight microsecond squeals.

Downshift downshift, lunge, hold, hammer.

His inner ear, once confused, adapts to the serenity of reality. Past turn 11, a cloud of sea foam grazes his visor.

Hard brake, left, right--hold it--power, shove, power, hug the inside, power.

1:45.666 on the helmet HUD. Janne chuckles. He's not one for superstitions. "Nice one," chimes in Antti's familiar voice. He smiles.

As Janne arrives in the paddock, he usntraps himself from his own version of the UHSGV-4, his name between the front wheels, his flag paired cozily with the Nimban banner on the airbox, and climbs out of the car with the same ease he'd climbed in. Antti, dressed in the Nimban staple gunmetal gray and glistening cyan, approaches him with the same warm stride as always.

"Nice job, nulikka," he says, winking and embracing him. His hard back pats knock more air out of his lungs than the hard braking at turn 12. "Thanks," replies Janne, breaking a smile yet just panting for breath. Once the congratulatory hug is over, Antti abandons his homey attitude and thrusts his tablet in Janne's face, huddling to his side and flicking his fingers to bring up the timing board.

"So--new to this whole system still--but here are the times." He taps Janne's name, expanding his timing data to include all timed laps, and taps the quickest one, bringing up a track-map with sector and sub-sector timing indicators. The straights and the entry to turn 8 are purple, the rest of the sectors, save for the final corner, green.

Janne, initially dismissive, but captivated by the map's smooth animations, examines the map. "You're braking late on entry, which is good. Aggressive and fun to watch." Antti says. "But--" he pauses, focusing his brainpower on bringing up a split screen comparison of his and his rivals' fastest laps. The green sectors turn gray, save for a select few apexes, though the purple sectors remain purple. "--on average you're losing two to three tenths because of that. Slow in,"

"Fast out," Janne completes. "I know that."

Antti nods. "Find the car okay? Eight wheels?"

"All eight are still on," Janne confirms. "Not too bad."

Antti grins. "Make sure to tell the team precisely what you need. They're especially concerned about turn-in". Janne nods happily, as his race engineer sets his tablet aside on a nearby glass table, next to a mug and a clipboard--an odd prop in a Nimban garage. Wrapping an arm around the recently come-of-age Abovian, he turns him towards the back of the garage, walks a few steps in that direction and, out of earshot, mumbles, "feeling okay?"

Janne nods automatically then pauses. For a split second, he ponders his heartbeat, his armpits, his temples, and the hairs on the back of his neck, then frowns. Antti, concerned, turns to face him, squatting down a few centimeters to face him from the bottom up, nearly resting his hands on his bent knees. Janne, from his frown, musters a surprised smile. For the first time in months, he finds himself in an oasis, his gut relaxed, not wrenching.

"Yes," he replies, surely. Antti nods encouragingly. "Eight better next time?" he asks, an eager smirk turning into a lip bite.

"Hell yeah," Janne replies. "This track was shit."

His gut tingles with excitement as the last of his words trickle from his mouth.

[Nekoni]

Polestar Racing formally offers Lorcan Greanaya-Matthewson of Eastfield Lodge a placement as Second Driver. Other options may be explored if the offer falls through.

[Auruna]

Viska Pit Garage, Diamond Bay Circuit

The team has a promising start in the pre-season tests. It was a surprise that they are performing well for a new team. Jöna enters the garage after a few hours in the pit wall. The two cars side-by-side in the garage, both have a unique camo-livery just for the test as the final livery is not yet ready. The two race engineers, Erik Halenna and Alexi Petrov, are working with the mechanics to greatly improve the cars.

Jöna looks at the time screen. "They are really good, wow." As he looks at the cars then back at the screen. "Never expected to be high up in the standings."

"Let's build up from here, we will perform great in the upcoming races. We just need to focus." A sudden response from Erik while he is still working with the mechanics. "Some tracks suite us well, I guess this is one of them. But don't expect us to lead the whole grid in the faster circuits."

"You're right." Jöna says, followed by a sigh of relief. "Everything's working in order, and in harmony. Let's keep this up."

Veratuna, Auruna

"They already started... I may be late to get a seat but I think I can get one for sure." Miko says while reading about the pre-season test.

Artur takes a sip from his coffee and tries to help the young Aurun. "Apply for the teams with available seats. I cannot guarantee that you'll get one but it's worth a shot."

"Alright then." Miko responded quickly as he gets his laptop then he sends an email to the teams with available seats, applying for them.

Amazed with what he's seeing, Artur is speechless about Miko's determination to get a seat and race. "Wow oh wow. Anyway, good luck there mate."

[TJUN-ia]

Diamond Bay Circuit
Day After Pre-Season Test

Lane Carter was in a bit of shock...

You can never be sure with Testing. It was a first chance to gauge the competition, but you could never be sure what you see is what your gonna get in Round 1. So at Diamond Bay Circuit, Lane wasn't sure what to expect - if anything at all.

Still, emotion was in the air even for this as Nexus Racing debuted it's new EIGHT-WHEELED CAR! An absolute unit by all accounts that put the famous six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 to shame and made Lane question the sanity of the WGPO to allow that into this series. It also made Lane ponder about what the cars may look like in WGPC if this is allowed in WGP2.

Moving on from the "Octo-car" as one of the UrGa engineers put it, the test itself was just a 2 hour long Free Practice session by design.

But if the results showed anything is that anything possible in WGP2. Lane finished the day in 8th, way higher that expected as a rookie to the series and 2-tenths ahead of his more experienced teammate Taras Matviyenko in 13th. Heck Lane was only 2-tenths himself behind the fastest time, set by the Schkeska-VSK Viska of Baxen Aurora.

Lane was....good? Time will tell if that is fact or fiction, but Lane couldn't wait to try and impress his new Ukrainian friends. The real test will be Round 1: the Race of Nekoni at Circuit Arnaud, a Bahrain-style track where One-Shot Qualifying applies, meaning Lane must follow the advice of on Ru-Paul during his one and only attempt...."Don't fuck it up!"

[Somehow Related to Rarity]

Adelphia-VMR
A few days after private testing

---

Winter Breeze was waiting for an answer from both Carter and Luna. Unfortunately, Carter had signed with UrGa.
"Disappointing, but not surprised. I guess humans value themselves over others." Breeze was a bit salty, but he had to get over it.
Winter, with no more options, sent an email to Sara Luna, offering her 2nd driver status in Adelphia-VMR.

---

---

Carmichael Fire
Nexus Bay Circuit

---

Things were getting all the more tense as time closed on into testing. I would be the only non-human driver for now. I was supposed to drive with Lane Carter, but he signed for UrGa. Well, I guess we'd have to go with Sara Luna then.
I grew more nervous as testing approached. Would I impress the team? Would I impress the world? Would I even impress my country, which was trying to make itself known to the multiverse? I sounded pessimistic, but I wasn't. It was the side effects of not being sure of the future. Nonetheless, I was ready. I hopped into my car just as testing started. It was time to show the world what I was capable of.

---

after testing

---

14th place. That was where I placed. Yeah, Diamond Bay Circuit was a bit stressful, but it was simple for me throughout.
14th place wasn't bad for a first-timer, even more so for a rookie team. But, I felt like I could've done a lot more better. Being 7 tenths behind the leader can be frustrating. You being only 2 TENTHS away from 13th place is a bit annoying. Well, I guess I've to settle for 14th anyway.

[Diarcesia]

Sara Luna
Fillydelphia

I remember seeing the Strayquestrians like no time passed at all. The way their unique styles make me stand out. I felt so plain. The way they looked at me with curiosity, completely suited up on the daylight. I know I had seen my fair share of races, but for the first time in a long while I felt like a newly-hatched chick ahead of the trials. So I tried my best, even though it didn't work out the way I hoped it would. I had too many slow laps, and I made some serious mistakes. And then I find myself at second place overall. It could be luck, but I got noticed, and not only because I'm a biped among quadrupeds. A way is possibly open to hone and showcase my scales, a privilege not many is afforded to. Soon, I would receive an email from Adelphia-VMR. While I wasn't able to participate in the test race, I'm now officially in a WGP2 team.

Phoenician Tires technician
Nexus Bay Circuit

"It's great to have our tires used in a new season", said the other technician with the blond hair to the brunet one, flashing his crisp VMR livery. "You've got to hand it to the Tier Three performances last year. They pulled four championships in the all-Diarcesia races. Who knows, maybe they'll pull even this one around."

Carmichael Fire pulled into the pit stop, the first tire change will be underway. There was a good chance the entire nation of Diarcesia would know about this new development. All the teams there were talking about the move. Some were already preparing for the future. For Phoenicia Tires, this was a welcome international break. They'd have to make the most of it.

"We're giving you the package", said the blonde. He gave the brunet a thumbs up. "Don't worry, we're here to help. Just don't expect the fairy tale ending with how our tires will fare throughout the season. The big names in tire manufacturing know what they are doing."

The blonde technician laughed as the brunet thought he had to keep this under wraps. It was a known fact that he wouldn't be around for long: he would be on the way back to the HQ to provide needed data from the race. This is a great opportunity for advancement in their R&D.

"That's great news", said the brunet. He could see the writing on the wall. One thing was for certain. This was going to be a busy season.

[423 Words]

[Togonistan]

Kaylan Pit Garage
WGP2 Pre-Season Testing, Diamond Bay Circuit

The team was preparing for the test. Pit crew attaching tyres to both of the cars, engineers sat behind their monitors and drivers had just put on their racing suits, ready to hop behind the wheel and take on the Diamond Bay Circuit. Tanielu Felafa handed out the last instructions to his team and made sure everyone knew what they had to do during the test. Isaia Fanene and Barnabas Mate were pulling on their under-helmet balaclavas as Tanielu walked over to them to go over the details on what he expected his drivers to do.

''Isaia, Barnabas,'' he looked at his two drivers, ''this is it. The official pre-season test. Isaia, you know what to do. Slow in, fast out and vice-versa. We want to see how our aero package handles in these tricky bends, so be sure to keep touch with us via radio if you feel something is off. Also, be sure to have a few fast laps around the track as well. We need all the data we can get from this session.''

''Okay, I got it.''

''Barnabas, your job today is to get out there and get used to the car, before anything. I won't stop you from pushing if you feel like it, but really, there is no pressure to do so. No points are on the table today, so just go out there and do your thing. Keep in touch with us via the radio and if there are any issues, don't be hesitant to let us know.''

Tanielu pat his drivers on the back and left them to prepare. Isaia put on his helmet and took a seat in his car.

Just as he was about to hit the track, some buzzing started in the pit garage. The whole team had stopped whatever they were doing and had their eyes suddenly nailed at the pit monitors. Isaia looked up and saw Nexus Racing's 8-wheeler driving around the track. ''What the heck is this?'' he asked and pointed at the screen. He wasn't the only one having such a question, as the whole team seemed particularly interested in the vehicle that looked more like a spaceship than anything else.

''Why do we suddenly have some sort of a fair going on here?'' Tanielu asked with a loud and clear voice to make himself heard over the crew's talking. The garage abruptly went quiet and looked at him.

''Well... look over there,'' Fanene said and pointed at the monitor.

''Yes. This is Nexus's car this year. I know, looks odd to me as well.''

''Is this even allowed by the regulations? I mean, how am I supposed to compete against THIS THING?''

Tanielu walked over to Fanene. ''Remember Evolution's car last year? Exactly. Where did they end up in the standings? Exactly. Don't let yourself be intimidated by these mind games Nexus is playing.'' Tanielu smiled and took his seat behind his screen. ''Okay, let's get this testing started. Everyone ready?''

Fanene got both confused as well as calmed down by his Team Chief's response. Somehow, Tanielu had this straight, no-nonsense behaviour which, at the same time, was oddly calming and encouraging. He had this skill to make people do their job while managing to relieve the pressure everyone had. Isaia had already noticed that the last year, and Tanielu's personality was a real mystery to him to this day. Both he and his teammate started their engines and took off from the pit lane.

---

Meanwhile...

Dom Falepeau was ready to hit the track as well. He did a few last minute stretches in the Badai Angin-IGR pit garage, before reaching for his safety gear. Falepeau took his helmet and looked at it for a moment:

He had changed his helmet design from the last year, replacing the old dark green with a new white, dark red and cyan design, which fit together with his new team colours. Dom also had let the designers put a small tribal pattern on the bottom of the either side, which he thought would be a good way to show off his Togoni heritage. Of course, there was also a small Elegamment logo on the top of his visor, as there can never be enough sponsor display these days. He took a deep breath and put the helmet on, took a seat in his car and, eventually, joined the rest of the drivers on the track.

The new TT02 felt somewhat different from his last year's MRT2 car and took some time to get used to. The track was also rather bendy and felt like a rollercoaster, which, he had to admit, had never been something he enjoyed too much. As the time went on, lap by the lap, he started to get a hang of the new car. He felt more confident going into the corners, his lap times improved. However, to him, the hours passed quicker than he had thought. ''Okay, this is the end of the session. End of the session. Return to the pits at the end of this lap.'' a voice in his ear suddenly told him.

''Copy. Can you tell me my time, just out of curiosity?''

''Fastest lap was 00:01:50.182, that put you 20th out of 20.''

''Copy... sorry about that, I don't feel very confident with the car yet. I hope you guys still managed to gather enough data and feedback from my driving though.''

[USS Monitor]

(OOC: this ICly takes place before the preseason test, sorry for lagging behind a bit)

News travels more slowly in 19th century Virginia, and the news that Jama'obo Pegasii was looking for a team to drive with in WGP2 didn't reach the officers of the USS Monitor until they were already packing for the trip to Diamond Bay. "Have you seen this?" Stodder said to the others, showing them a report from V&T Racer that said Pegasii was looking for a ride. The officers took turns reading it.

"He sounds like a fine fellow, but there is no time to bring him here for a test drive."

"We could wire him a message and ask him to meet us in Diamond Bay."

"Yes, that would be excellent."

They called for an errand boy to run their message down to the telegraph operator and transmit the following to Jama'obo Pegasii:

"Dear Mr. Pegasii,

I have read of your desire to compete in WGP2 and wish to offer you an opportunity with the US Navy's racing team. If you are interested in the job, please meet us at the Diamond Bay Circuit and reply at your earliest convenience to let us know you are coming. If all goes well, it will be possible for you to begin driving with us at the preseason test there.

Your humble and obedient servant,
Lt. John L. Worden"

[Recuecn]

“What, is having twice the wheels supposed to make him go twice as fast?”

Abdoulaye had been the first out of the pits for the test drive so he’d found himself with open track ahead of him and a great opportunity to set a nice time. He was the first driver to record a flying lap: 1:46.329. Nothing spectacular at all, but he’d have the next three hours to work on shaving that down.

Abdoulaye had decided he liked this particular track. The bridge over the bay that gave the circuit its name gave him the heebie-jeebies each time, but it was a thrill, and it was spectacularly beautiful. As Abdoulaye kept driving, he felt confident, but his times were still mostly in the middle of the pack. On the circuit, on the other hand, he was able to continue to time his pit stops to avoid traffic. Every now and then he’d pass someone or vice versa but for the most part everyone was going about the same speed. Focusing on what was happening on the track around him, Abdoulaye wasn’t really aware of other events rapidly stealing the spotlight.

His radio blared to life. “Alright, you’ve burned off that excess fuel. Box this lap for some fresh super-softs and we should be set for a good hot lap.” Abdoulaye did as instructed, and with the new Solymoks on the car, began to go back around the circuit at a careful pace, prepping for the flying lap. Then, as he was crossing the bridge, the voice of his engineer was in his ear again. “You’ve got Stevenson coming up behind you on a hot lap. Give him some space to go through.” Abdoulaye respectfully pulled off the racing line to the inside, but did a double-take as Stevenson turned in front of him. Abdoulaye could have sworn he was seeing double.

He chimed in on his radio. “What, is having twice the wheels supposed to make him go twice as fast?”

“Hahaha. We’ll see, I guess; it hasn’t paid off for him so far.”

Abdoulaye quietly shook his head as the UHSGV-4 disappeared around the corners in front of him. What would Nexus innovation come up with next? Would he be up to the task of outperforming it?

Switching over to the richer fuel mix, Abdoulaye accelerated as he hit the finish straight. The SVJ 2 responded beautifully. If it kept performing this way, Abdoulaye wouldn’t have any excuses for poor performance. One minute, forty-five-and-a-quarter seconds later, he was back at the start line and had recorded the third-best time so far.

---

When the test was over, he climbed out of the car as his new teammates congratulated him.

“Nice stuff!” his engineer said. “No Jeff Shreeves moment for us today!”

“What?” asked Abdoulaye. “I don’t get it.”

“You might need to brush up on your stockcar racing if you want to keep beating Stevenson,” said the engineer. “It’s a NSSCRA meme.”

[Auruna]

Viska Kalnatranne Test Track, Livonsk, Auruna

A few days after the successful pre-season test, with the data they've gathered, the team is now working on improving the car a bit before the next race. News about the team's performance in the tests arrived back home, now Viska has all the attention from Auruns and then they were approached by a few companies to sponsor them.

The team accepts some of them. Time for a revision to the livery.

Three new sponsors can be seen on the new livery: Lalli Computers, Zorten, and LVA Esports.

Schkeska-VSK Viska Racing VL-01A
3 - Olivia Stone


Schkeska-VSK Viska Racing VL-01A
85 - Baxen Aurora


Taitäa Viska, taitä!

[Nekoni]

(Confirmed with EFL through OOC discussion)

Lorcan Greanaya-Matthewson officially signs as Second Driver of Polestar Racing for a one year deal, assigning his chosen number of 73.

[Somehow Related to Rarity]

Adelphia-VMR has signed Sara Luna as the second driver.
(Confirmed with Diarcesia via telegram)

[Savojarna]

Diamond Bay Circuit Pit Lane, around 22:00

“Go to bed, Roman. It’s late”. Juri Sandrajev yawned, damning once more the day that he had agreed to work with a young driver that the SVJ team had described as “really dedicated”. That had at the very least not been an understatement. Roman Arjenko still sat hunched over a bunch of track data, trying to figure out how a bunch of different settings had affected the tyre wear and his speed on various sectors. The technicians were busy running around the car, preparing it for the transfer back home to Yarkovo. “You’re not going to drive this circuit again anyway. We have the software back home. Be a bit calm, please. And for God’s sake let me sleep”, Juri begged. Roman ignored the engineer, studying his lap times and tyre temperatures almost obsessively. “Okay, so when we had the stabilisers on seven, the times were quite a bit better. But I could hardly control the car, there’s a really weird drop-off there - we really need to watch out what we do with this. The tyres hold well though”, he mumbled half to himself and half to the race engineer.

The times unsettled Roman a bit. He knew that him and Abdoulaye had different goals, the Recuecian should just figure out how to drive the car and make it fast while Roman had tested setups and tyre preservation, but somehow he couldn’t quite be happy with losing so much time to his teammate. There was a severe lack of consistency in his times as well, depending a lot on the setup. The tyres fell off a cliff whenever the car was tuned to be aggressive, and the grip at high speeds was surprisingly bad. He knew that the team had chosen Solymok because of their durability, a problem that the SVJ 2 had shown in testing, but he didn’t expect the grip to be so fragile. They would have to use a lot of time at the future races to get things exactly right for the grip to be there, and the tyres able to play out their longevity advantage, but thankfully Roman Arjenko really didn’t mind using a lot of time for something. Suddenly, the screen on which he was comparing times was black.

Juri waved at him. “Roman? Go to fucking bed. Our flight leaves at nine tomorrow”, the Russian shouted, holding the plug of the telemetry station in his hand. “Jesus, Juri. Don’t scare me like that”, Roman groaned before packing up his things and leaving to the trailer. Probably Juri was right, he should sleep a bit. Maybe go for a swim first and calm down a bit before he packed and prepared for sleep. It seemed like a good idea.

---

In the pool of the lower medium class hotel they had opted for, as the team didn’t want to bring all the trailers out here for what was essentially a one-day test, Roman Arjenko was about to finish his evening swim. The well-trained driver was sliding through the water, breathing out deeply as he completed his tenth length of the pool and came up for a turn, when he saw another man enter. The tall man had narrow brown eyes and a dark short haircut, paired with a pale skin that unmistakably identified him as a Sumani. His slim face and physique seemed familiar to Roman. Finally it clicked - Markko Poutiainen, his teammate’s race engineer. Pulling himself up onto the edge of the pool, Roman decided to take the opportunity. “Hey, Markko!”, he shouted, getting the Finn’s attention. He smiled at Roman as he jumped into the pool and swam over to the driver. “How’s it going with the car? You guys got some quick times, didn’t you?”, he said, in his slightly awkward Russian tone.

“Can’t complain too much”, the Finn answered. “We’ve been going with what works, you guys have been trying, right? Abdoulaye needs to figure out the car. Your work from Yarkovo helps a lot, but we’ve discovered a few things”, he explained as he propped himself up on the edge of the pool. Roman listened attentively as Markko started to go into the car details, getting excited about all the technological details Roman asked about. When the two left, it had become almost midnight, but Roman was enthusiastic. He had learned an awful lot, he felt. Time to head to Yarkovo and try it all out ahead of the first race.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

17th of February

The Bullhorn ---------------------------------------------------------------- Sport News

WGPi DUO TOP TEST TIMES AS NEXUS RACING UNVEIL 8-WHEELER
World Grand Prix Correspondent Sol Yanforl

Baxen Aurora and Olivia Stone placed first and fourth for new team Viska yesterday in WGP2 testing yesterday. The pair, widely reputed as the driving force behind the University of the Second City Challenge’s victories in the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships of the World Grand Prix Imagination League, both posted times in the 1:45:2’s in a tight upper field.

After the test, Aurora expressed reserved hope for the season ahead, saying that, “Olivia and I have had confidence in Viska from the beginning of our time with them and they have given us a car that validates it. It will take focus to live up to that potential and we will be challenged throughout but these performances go some way to show that we are prepared for the task.”

Viska, fully ‘Schkeska-VSK Viska Racing’, is an Aurun branch of the aircraft manufacturer VSK, with racing pedigree on the international stage but lacking a presence in WGPO events. The team has adopted a combustion-based powertrain for this season and will be subject to Nimban organisers’ ICCC system to neutralise their on-track emissions, though the new Aurun E-Series may signal a future departure from fossil fuel technologies.

Elsewhere, Nexus Racing’s continuous hints have culminated in the reveal of the UHSGV-4 Competitive Testing Prototype, an eight-wheeled car with cambered, leaning tyres designed solely by In Motion, following the departure of Esmerelian manufacturer Brutus Tyres from the sport. Returning development driver Janne Laukkanen and newcomer Drake Stevenson, honing his talents after a brief appearance in the WGPC, posted the ninth and nineteenth fastest times of the day, continuing a trend of drivers initially finding the Nimban team’s cars difficult to handle.

Diamond Bay Circuit, Diamond Bay, Willitya
16th of February

Rrrrrr…

Olivia grits her teeth and focusses. She swings through Turn 11 and up the hill, the car clinging to the track like a rabid dog to a bone. I mean, it can turn, that’s for sure, she allows herself.

Rrrrrr…

Purging the vibration from her mind, the Nimban directs her energy to her gaze. Up ahead, the braking point – downshift downshift downshift, sharp left, sharper right – and she smirks now, the old instincts returning despite the technology – upshift, the course’s flow coming to her, down into 13, across the apex and out!

“Alright, Olivia, that will be enough for now.”

She breathes. Then she nods, loosing the growing energy and drawing across to the outside of 14. “How were we?”

“Fourth – forty-five point two eight one, three hundredths away from first.”

Olivia’s eyebrows shoot up. Huh. “Okay… Who’s fastest so far?”

“That would be your teammate.”

Laughter echoes in her helmet; Olivia grins. “Oh, sure. It would be with him. Tell him well done from me.”

…

Rrrrrr…

MAELSTROM TAKE THIS –

[Vilita and Turori]

WGP2 Pick 'em - Fantasy Sports Competition

Vilita & Turori Racer have updated the pool of available drivers in the WGP2 Pick'em Fantasy Sports Competition. Eastfield Lodge driver Laurencia Lynds has been added to the list of Tier 2 drivers for which each Pick'em entry is permitted to pick a single driver. Lynds fellow Eastfielder, the newcomer Lorcan Greanaya-Matthewson, has been added as a driver in Tier 3.

Not all drivers have currently been confirmed in a drive, notably Krainin Isles driver Edward Baker. It is most notable that Baker has yet to be signed to a drive as he is the most recent winner on the WGP2 circuit, having taken the checkered flag in the most recently completed WGP2 event to conclude the WGP2 Season Two.

Tier 1 Drivers - Choose One

Dominik Vestergaard

Cocoabo #23

Jama'obo Pegasii

Drake Stevenson

Janne Laukkanen

Lourdina Westgrens

-

Tier 2 Drivers - Choose One

Dom Falepeau

Olivia Stone

Baxen Aurora

Edward Baker

Abdoulaye Goita

Roman Arjenko

Laurencia Lynds

Tier 3 Drivers - Choose Two

William Archer
Lane Carter
Isaia Fanene
Taras Matviyenko
Miko Kaukanna
Jolyn Caulfield
Rod Gozum
Mika Neretti
Sara Luna
Carmichael Fire
Barnabas Mate
Adriana Kowalski

The initial deadline for entries to VTRacer's WGP2 Pick 'em Competition will have to have their team selections finalized prior to the drop of the green flag at the air.NK WGP2 Race of Nekoni.

Fans can submit their entries to the VTRacer WGP2 Pick 'em Competition directly to Vilita and Turori Racer or through the Official VTRacer WGP2 Pick 'em App's entry submission form.

As a reminder of the limitations; Each Pick 'em Team will consist of 4 drivers; 1 from Tier One, 1 from Tier Two and 2 from Tier Three. Entries will earn points based on the performance of their team during the event. Throughout the season a user can swap a driver within a tier for another driver of the same tier at a cost of 1 championship point for the first change in any tier, 2 points for the second change made in a tier and increasing by a point until a maximum of 5 changes in a single Tier.

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

---

WEEK 2
Circuit Arnaud, Nekoni

---

Conditions:		Dry
Predicted Optimal Time:	00:01:43.047
Session Length:		180 minutes

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

POS #   DRIVER                                  FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER		
 1 49 ▍Mika Neretti                          	00:01:48.317	00:00:00.000
 2 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                          	00:01:48.337	00:00:00.020
 3  8 ▍William Archer                        	00:01:48.419	00:00:00.101
 4 72 ▍Barnabas Mate                         	00:01:48.456	00:00:00.139
 5  3 ▍Olivia Stone                          	00:01:48.504	00:00:00.187
 6 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                           	00:01:48.565	00:00:00.248
 7 33 ▍Laurencia Lynds                       	00:01:48.700	00:00:00.383
 8 69 ▍Carmichael Fire                       	00:01:48.728	00:00:00.411
 9 75 ▍Roman Arjenko                         	00:01:48.757	00:00:00.440
10 50 ▍Sara Luna                             	00:01:48.808	00:00:00.491
11 40 ▍Jolyn Caulfield                       	00:01:48.896	00:00:00.579
12 85 ▍Baxen Aurora                          	00:01:49.014	00:00:00.697
13 76 ▍Adriana Kowalski                      	00:01:49.041	00:00:00.724
14 73 ▍Lorcan Greanaya-Matthewson            	00:01:49.113	00:00:00.796
15 37 ▍Jama'obo Pegasii                      	00:01:49.162	00:00:00.845
16 11 ▍Lane Carter                           	00:01:49.169	00:00:00.852
17 21 ▍Taras Matviyenko                      	00:01:49.204	00:00:00.887
18 44 ▍Rod Gozum                             	00:01:49.228	00:00:00.911
19 81 ▍Drake Stevenson                       	00:01:49.233	00:00:00.916
20  7 ▍Lourdina Westgrens                    	00:01:49.496	00:00:01.179
21 18 ▍Isaia Fanene                          	00:01:49.718	00:00:01.401
22 77 ▍Abdoulaye Goita                       	00:01:51.472	00:00:03.155
23 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                       	00:01:52.314	00:00:03.997
24 97 ▍Edward Baker                          	00:01:54.756	00:00:06.439

---

Conditions:		Dry
Predicted Optimal Time:	00:01:43.047
Qualifying Type:	One Shot

POS #   DRIVER                                  FASTEST LAP     GAP TO LEADER		
 1 81 ▍Drake Stevenson                       	00:01:43.116	00:00:00.000
 2  8 ▍William Archer                        	00:01:43.245	00:00:00.129
 3  3 ▍Olivia Stone                          	00:01:43.295	00:00:00.179
 4 73 ▍Lorcan Greanaya-Matthewson            	00:01:43.297	00:00:00.181
 5 77 ▍Abdoulaye Goita                       	00:01:43.313	00:00:00.197
 6 75 ▍Roman Arjenko                         	00:01:43.359	00:00:00.242
 7  7 ▍Lourdina Westgrens                    	00:01:43.500	00:00:00.384
 8 23 ▍Cocoabo #23                           	00:01:43.596	00:00:00.480
 9 69 ▍Carmichael Fire                       	00:01:43.759	00:00:00.643
10 85 ▍Baxen Aurora                          	00:01:43.763	00:00:00.647
11 37 ▍Jama'obo Pegasii                      	00:01:44.187	00:00:01.071
12 17 ▍Janne Laukkanen                       	00:01:45.236	00:00:02.120
13 97 ▍Edward Baker                          	00:01:45.855	00:00:02.739
14 11 ▍Lane Carter                           	00:01:46.281	00:00:03.164
15 18 ▍Isaia Fanene                          	00:01:46.439	00:00:03.323
16 21 ▍Taras Matviyenko                      	00:01:46.575	00:00:03.459
17 33 ▍Laurencia Lynds                       	00:01:48.593	00:00:05.476
18 50 ▍Sara Luna                             	00:01:50.219	00:00:07.103
19 72 ▍Barnabas Mate                         	00:01:51.094	00:00:07.978
20 19 ▍Dom Falepeau                          	00:01:51.721	00:00:08.605
21 76 ▍Adriana Kowalski                      	00:01:52.238	00:00:09.122
22 49 ▍Mika Neretti                          	00:01:58.772	00:00:15.656
23 40 ▍Jolyn Caulfield                       	00:02:03.239	00:00:20.123
24 44 ▍Rod Gozum                             	00:02:04.322	00:00:21.206

[Eastfield Lodge]

SinVal Garage
Diamond Bay Circuit

"Downforce and air flow readings about as expected boss. I think we've got enough to bring her back in and take her off the sensors."

Navarro was standing in the rather empty garage, nursing some coffee. It had been a hectic morning, as the air flow sensors took an age to get attached to the frame of the car. Necessary work though, as they needed to test a variety of front wings with the Tropicorp tires. But come about 1pm, the results were finally done. And with a few hours of running left, the team were keen to get some proper race pace data. Lynds was great with the feedback, thankfully, and she'd already confirmed which wing felt best here, matching the numbers, but she had been taking it a little easy in order to look after the sensor parts.

A few minutes later, the car was in the garage, being prepped for the long runs ahead, and Navarro left the shop floor and went back to the team office. The second car was just sitting back in Lodgertia with no-one to drive it, as all of the drivers they'd approached earlier had ended up with other teams. And many of the others were in the end stages of negotiations for other seats anyway, so there weren't many committed drivers left in the pool. Still, there were a few drivers still looking for spots, and the most prominent on the list was the Krainin driver Edward Baker, someone who had raced in WGP2 last season with VTM and with some success as well, scoring a few podiums and finishing the season with a win. For some reason, VTM chose not to renew that contract, which was a shame. How he'd fallen through the team's net was a bit of a mystery, to be honest, although he probably had expected a much better race seat that one at the worst performing team from last season. But that pedigree could prove very useful, especially with helping Lynds improve.

Going through the folder she had on screen, Alaina noticed some rumours about the test event from Kaylan Racing, and the drivers that took part. One name that hadn't made it as far as the pre-season test was Miko Kaukanna, a relatively unknown driver from Auruna, a nation that had recently joined the WGPO. He seemed to be versatile, more then anything, excelling at both open wheel racing and rallying, so he would be a perfect fit for the team alongside Laurencia. It might not work out - the reason he didn't have a seat yet may be skill-related, but at this point an occupied second car is better than an empty one, and so Navarro drafted a message to both Edward Baker and Miko Kaukanna about joining SinVal as the second driver, although she'd prefer Edward Baker as first choice.