NSSCRA 9- Everything Thread (IC)

[Saint Kanye]

Oquevocêquiser, Jebslund
The Libertação 250

While Guillermo Archer spent much of his day fighting against the two TJUN-ian racers, there was another fierce battle going on, between Jeremiah Brooke and Stacie Houston. The difference was this one was more of a friendly competition, whereas the Fleftic appeared to be actively trying to wreck Alfonso Mercado and/or Michael Stefan.

It was clear that Brooke was enjoying his time up front, a much needed change from the string of mid-pack finishes that he had in the weeks prior. Houston, on the other hand, wanted to rebound from the wreck that she suffered in the previous race. Whenever one of them passed the other, he or she gave a little wave. It even extended to their teammates. Skip Stiller, at one point, did the "I'm watching you" gesture upon overtaking Houston, while Brooke swore he saw Jenna Logan blow him a (helmeted) kiss. In the end, they both got good results, Houston in third and Brooke in fifth, with Frank Bronson weaving between them on the last lap.

Thea Alvarez, Brooke's teammate, was disappointed, however. Late in the race, she was also in the top ten, working together with her friends and fellow female competitors Taylor Henderson, Hana Bhe, and Wilma von Cärinthen. However, she lost the draft and spent some time stuck behind Archer and Stefan, dropping her all the way down to twenty-third in the end. Hendo, Hana and WVC finished eighth, ninth and eleventh, respectively.

"Argh!" she shouted, throwing her helmet onto the couch at the Glorious Free Republic Motorsports garage area. "Do those guys really have to ruin the race for drivers other than themselves?"

Stiller, who finished right behind Alvarez, agreed. "Tell me about it."

"Some of us are actually trying to win, you know. Let them fight off the track and away from us. Wait, actually, don't. Can't we all just get along?"

The young female racer took out her phone and started reading and replying to Twii.tur posts. Despite appearing angry earlier, Stiller heard her laugh a bit, which made him question why. Alvarez showed him what was on the screen: a drawing made by one of her fans in which a man in a chicken suit was being attacked by a group of people, many of them girls, in rainbow firesuits.

Stiller asked, "Is that supposed to be Chet? And are those.....?" Chet Byrd, Hapiloppian team consultant, was on hot water after making comments offensive to the female drivers of the series.

"Yeah. Check out the caption. Fear not, my queen, Alvarez Army's got your back. Hashtag WeStandWithAllGirlRacers. You think it's kinda harsh though?"

"Nah, he's obviously protected by his chicken suit, he'll be fine."

---

JEREMIAH BROOKE ✓

@Jeremiah_B

Feels good to be back out front, right @StacieHouston27? I'll get you next time I swear.

#Lib250 :
#NSSCRA

JEREMIAH BROOKE ✓

@Jeremiah_B

@CHolmes81 Sorry to hear about you losing your seat. Show them that you'll come back even stronger next season. I believe in you bro.

#RiseUp :
#NSSCRA

SKIP STILLER ✓

@SkipStill3r

@IsfruinJR So you're in charge of the Jags now huh? Maybe if you throw a better party next season than your predecessor I'll attend. Even if I'm retired then.

Sent from my Pencurve Apex IV

#BungleFever :
#NSSCRA

SKIP STILLER ✓

@SkipStill3r

Hey @QK98 what's the best place for dumplings for when we go to Guilin? The food, I mean. Female drivers are NOT dumplings. Congrats on winning by the way.

Sent from my Pencurve Apex IV

#NSSCRA

THEA ALVAREZ ✓

@Luna_Althea

41 got three reg. season wins last season. 44 got it this season. Hope 46 gets it next season haha


#NSSCRA :
#WishfulThinking

THEA ALVAREZ ✓

@Luna_Althea

@THendo73 @HanBheZero @queertrucker1998 Sorry I lost you three earlier, woulda been great if we were all out front. Imagine what that guy's reaction (you know who) would have been.


#NSSCRA :
#Lib250

[TJUN-ia]

As the shocking news of Daniel Marx's departure is still making the rounds, Jaguar Racing decided to introduce the new boss to the NSSCRA. Harpa Gylfisdóttir agreed to do a Q+A with questions selected at random. Here are the results.

---

Q: Who are you exactly? I've never seen you before in NSSCRA?
A: Well then, introductory question it is! My name is Harpa Gylfisdóttir, I'm 27 and I come from a small NAU Zone town called Nýttheimili. You may have heard of my brother, goalkeeper Harold Gylfisson. I started out in TJUN-ia-MRO 5 years ago, back when it was known as the Aintree Jag-Base Racing Club. My last position before this was as a Supervisor on the Board of Directors.

Q: As the new Team Manager, you're now the go-to person for two of TJUN-ia's finest drivers. What changes do you think you'll make to the processes Marx was doing?
A: I mean, not much really. We'll still do the blogs and we'll still have twii.tur and we'll still have those TJUN-ian values. Just because there is a change in the guard doesn't mean JR will back down if a message needs to be sent.

Q: Before Marx's departure, he gave Micheal Stefan permission to sign a sponsorship deal with New Northwesteros' Apocalypse Pest Control. Why did you decide to keep it?
A: Well, despite what Marx did, he had a point: we need spare money for when this team goes independent from MRO control next season. I know some people back home will hate the idea of an exterminator sponsoring the #00 but at the end of the day, money is money. Also, have you seen the APC paint scheme? That is absolutely ASTOUNDING if I say so myself. Elbert Linde has done a great job with that and you'll see what I mean in Wreckeria.

Q: Many people attribute the downfall of Marx to the aftermath of the Jungle Fever Afterparty and his attempted-defence of Chet Byrd after comments he made while under the influence. What is your stance on the issue and what will happen to Jungle Fever now that you own it?
A: Ok, here we go. First of all, what Chet Byrd said is not OK - even if he was under the influence he shouldn't say those things about our fellow competitors. Second, I know Marx had his reasons for sending that package - he was trying to send a message to Ms McAllister that he wouldn't rest until the injustice was resolved. But that doesn't mean you can send the item associated with the controversial statement to a team with a female driver! That was stupid to the nth degree and it would appear it was that blindness to the situation that ended his tenure. When I get to Penn I'm going to get a bouquet of flowers, walk over to the Team Blue Center and give them to Taylor Henderson. You know what, I might even hug her because if anyone deserves one after this entire shitstorm then it's her! No one should be disadvantaged in NSSCRA just because of their race or gender, END OF!

As for Jungle Fever, Marx had good intentions only for the whims of alcoholism to bring it all down in a barrel of thunder. Mark my words, we will have a 2nd party. Just without the alcohol, that's all. If you want booze then you can go somewhere else in Peninsula. We can cross that bridge when we get to it.

Q: Will there be any other personnel changes now that you're in charge?
A: No. No one else is leaving, not Micheal, not Alfonso, not anyone. Just because I'm the new leader doesn't mean we need to "do a Hampton Island Racing" and just fire everyone to clean the slate. We don't need to do that and we won't do that because the actions of one person.

Q: Did Marx leave you anything before he left?
A: Just a letter but I haven't opened it yet. And besides, it probably contains classified information so I won't tell another soul what's in there.

Q: Last question. During the last race, one of the main stories was the duel between Guillermo Archer and Alfonso Mercado. Any thoughts on how to deal with drivers like Gil?
A: Honestly, Gil Archer can just fuck off for all I care. He fuels himself on being nothing but a bastard to people, especially my colleagues. While I don't understand why he hates Jaguar Racing or our drivers, what I do understand is that if he tries that same shit again I'll have no choice but to speak to Ms Gatutina because that is the only thing I can think of that doesn't involve me KICKING HIS ASS STRAIGHT TO HELHEIM!

---

That was all she wrote. Hope you enjoyed and we hope you now know who Harpa Gylfisdóttir is. Ísfrúin is here, whether you like it or not.

[Cassadaigua]

The Next Race,
by Stacie Houston, Driver #27 Five Star Mobile Blaze

Good afternoon, race fans! It’s another exciting raceday in the world of NSSCRA, and I am set to go in the Penn 500 from Appalachian Nation. There are a few things that I need to talk about, so I will get started with them. I have been asked to comment by many fans and media alike on my thoughts of the whole situation with Chet Byrd, Taylor Henderson, and Chris Holmes, stemming from the party in TJUN-ia. Let me start by saying that I might have picked the best time possible to get involved in a wreck, otherwise I would have gone to that shitshow. I wanted to go out of respect for the TJUN-ia drivers. Micheal Stefan and Alfonso Mercado are good guys and hard working drivers, and their fans are great. Since I was involved in a wreck, I didn’t feel as though it was appropriate for me to go to a party while me crew worked on a fixing a damaged race car, so I instead took it easier and had a very relaxed time with Jeremiah Brooke. He proved to be absolutely correct when he talked about what it could do. I was concerned about the chances for free alcohol to be abused, but I was hoping my peers in the NSSCRA community would be responsible about it. When Chet Byrd referred to female drivers as his little dumplings, I was honestly able to just brush it off. The man was drunk, and while he has done some questionable things in the past, I was not really going to worry about it, because he is nothing to me. He doesn’t race, and I don’t work with him. However, I absolutely support Taylor Henderson, because she has to work with the man on a closer level. His comments to her were demeaning, and he deserved the backlash he got.

Things got worse, with Daniel Marx Jr making Taylor Henderson dumplings. Now, it’s a different level, and we’re moving to flat out disrespect. In the short time I have known Taylor, I know that she is a passionate driver and responds well to criticism, so on the track, this is not going to bother her. Off the track, she has every right to lash out at Chet Byrd, or Daniel Marx, Jr. The latter was let go from his post from Jaguar Racing. Another person fired was Chris Holmes, due to his drunken actions at the party. Meghan Sharpe told me that when he undressed, she took it as her cue to leave, and I applaud her for doing that. Jenna stayed on, but she did remember much about that incident, which I am also not surprised about. Holmes has lost his ride to Drake Stevenson, so we’ll see how he does. I thought Drake was going to the 8 car, so I have to wonder know if that plan has changed and if Holmes will be back next year, or if there is another potential opening for people. Perhaps Hapilopper sources will fill it with someone local.

Back to racing, the Five Star Mobile Blaze was fast in the Libertação 250 from Jebslund, and we picked up a third place finish. It was great to run at the front again, and I had a lot of fun being back up there, and racing with people I enjoy competing against the most. We had some moments at the very front, but it wasn’t our day to win. Kai Qiang did that, and it was pretty remarkable since everyone in the garage area knew that he was not feeling well for the race. Things will continue to be fun going forward, and I expect to do well in the Penn 500. Everything about our preparations have been good, and we want to get to the Pencurve in top form so we are ready once the Chase begins.

[Vilita and Turori]

Race #20 Leaderboard

1 [190] :: @ceeptrainer2

2 [166] :: @ole_yutzie

3 [164] :: @FujiKYK22

4 [163] :: @Lovely_Lhamu

5 [154] :: @jaqeplanst

Race #21 Leaderboard

1 [201] :: @PinkHKluvs2718

2 [187] :: @Lovely_Lhamu

3 [176] :: @MeghanWolcottOfficial

4 [174] :: @Filly_Gurl27

5 [170] :: @ole_yutzie

Season Standings

1 [3383] :: @Filly_Gurl27

2 [3141] :: @SurfinSummer

3 [3077] :: @PinkHKluvs2718

4 [3062] :: @eelcat827

5 [3060] :: @Ametza014

6 [2974] :: @MeghanWolcottOfficial

7 [2934] :: @FujiKYK22

8 [2928] :: @jaqeplanst

9 [2884] :: @easternrac

10 [2874] :: @Pogoaib92

11 [2811] :: @BodillePHD

After missing the first six rounds of the season before signing up late for the Vilita & Turori Racer NSSCRA Pick 'em Competition, one user from Tropicorp has quickly made a name for themselves and over the previous five rounds has established themselves as @Filly_Gurl27's main competition for the NSSCRA Pick 'em Title. While @ceeptrainer2 is still sitting back in the 26th position in the overall standings, they have moved into second place overall in terms of number of individual top performances over the course of the season, second only to the regular season points leader @Filly_Gurl27.

While @Filly_Gurl27 has certainly been the dominant force in the competition from the outset, @ceeptrainer2 has accomplished something that no other competitor, even @Filly_Gurl27 has yet accomplished and that is to put up the Top Performance in two consecutive rounds of the VTRacer NSSCRA Pick 'Em Challenge. Of course, it was no surprise to see the employee of Cocoabo Park's Cocoabo Enrichment and Enhancement Project (CEEP) on top of the leaderboard following the Tropicorp 500 where Cocoabo #28 went to victory lane and three Team Tropicorp drivers finished inside the Top 10. It was perhaps a little more impressive, however, when @ceeptrainer2 followed that up with the Top Performance in the following event, the TJUN 600 in the Jungle. @ceeptrainer2 became the first user to secure two consecutive victories and had matches @Filly_Gurl27's impressive feat of posting the top score in three out of five races in succession.

Barring a catastrophic fall from grace such as Stacie Houston deciding the skip the remainder of the regular season, it appears that @Filly_Gurl27 is on cruise control in the regular season standings, having re-established a lead of over 240 points ahead of celebrite participant @SurfinSummer. @Filly_Gurl27 also leads the way with 5 Top Performances while @Ceeptrainer2 moved into second place with three. @ceeptrainer2 would only have sole possession of second place for a single event however as their top performance in the TJUN-ia Pick 'em round was followed up by another top Cassadaiguan picker, @PinkHKluvs2718, who responded by making sure no one forgot the threat they posed after collecting their third Top Performance of the season and first since Round 7. @PinkHKluvs2718 picked up a cool bonus from Five Star Mobile for the victory and at 3rd place in the regular season standings, 306 points behind fellow Dagan participant @Filly_Gurl27, @PinkHKluvs2718 is one of the few remaining in the competition that could reasonably say there is still a chance they could steal the regular season title away from @Filly_Gurl27.

1. @PinkHKluvs2718
2. @Filly_Gurl27
3. @Pogoaib92
4. @Filly_Gurl27
5. @eelcat827
6. @Filly_Gurl27
7. @PinkHKluvs2718
8. @Lovely_Lhamu
9. @Ametza014
10. @King_Of_The_Mountain
11. @FujiKYK22
12. @Lovely_Lhamu
13. @I_Need_Healing
14. @ole_yutzie
15. @Filly_Gurl27
16. @ceeptrainer2
17. @rubbers
18. @Filly_Gurl27
19. @ceeptrainer2
20. @ceeptrainer2
21. @PinkHKluvs2718

On the track it was a big week in TJUN-ia for Vilita and Turori Motorsports as the Dart Group had a major presence in anticipation of their new Dart Hybrid transportation solutions being sold in the TJUN-ia market for the new model year. River 'Shark' Suzgar ran a special metallic chrome paint scheme with the Dart Group logos adorning the vehicle in a change from the schedule that was originally announced at the beginning of the season, with displaced races expected to shift slightly in part due to the reduction of one event from the Season schedule in Ceroat.

Suzgar's #14 Hybrid Dart was on track in TJUN-ia

While the #14 Hybrid Dart wasn't a top performer on the day, the other two Vilita and Turori Motorsports entries piloted by Centur Tiones and Yraaga Gilli'i were in contention throughout the entire event. Gilli'i started on pole position and despite being inside the Top 16 in the point standings at the moment, is on the outside looking in with regards to the NSSCRA Chase Playoffs as there are no longer any spots available inside the Top 16 for a driver who does not have a race victory. Gilli'is only victory so far this season came in the Tundra Falls Exhibition which does not afford with it passage through to the Championship 16.

The same could not be said for the team at Oquevocêquiser in Jebslund where none of Vilita and Turori Motorsports three drivers were able to place inside the Top 10. One driver who did, however, for the third consecutive week was former Vilita and Turori development driver Rockii Ezis who brought the #48 CoCoCo Rocket home with a 10th place finish. Ezis's strong performances have given hope to the struggling Rocket Motorsports outfit but there are debates as to whether the teams performances are improving as a result of or in spite of the additional funding from CoCoCo. It could be a major transition year for Rocket Motorsports with drivers Bryan Harrison and Rockii Ezis both believed to be in contention for the Team Cassadaigua seat being vacated by Meghan Sharpe who is retiring at the end of NSSCRA Season 9. Ezis's recent on track performances are sure to have caught the eye of teams throughout the NSSCRA - not just Team Cassadaigua however with Ezis backed by the multinational logistics and holdings company CoCoCo, it is likely that the sponsor would rather expand their own influence on a team like Rocket Motorsports by sponsoring additional cars from that shop as opposed to allowing their driver to move to an already funded team that would result in CoCoCo not being featured prominently on a car such as Sharpe's #4 which is already fully funded by Spacebook. There is some discussion regarding the possibility that Cocoa-bo could be interested in establishing a partnership with the team. Cocoa-bo is a minority holding of the CoCoCo.

With the NSSCRA Regular Season having expanded to its longest ever schedule, the so-called silly season has already begun despite having not even reached the playoffs yet. There are more dominoes up in the air then ever before and the impact of any change could ripple across the entire sport. While Vilita and Turori Motorsports driver Rockii Ezis was one of the first to break the mold and drive for a team based outside their home nation, it seems this NSSCRA Silly Season could firmly shatter that paradigm. Another driver hoping not to be caught on the outside is the driver who replaced Ezis in the Vilita and Turori Motorsports development seat, Lotara Novorali. The Turorian driver who has made a name for themselves on the Vilitan Weekly Racing Series circuit has made a handful of starts in the NSSCRA and could still be interested in competing full time for Rookie of the Year during NSSCRA Season 10. However, Novorali's personal sponsor Arcticala Inlet is only committed to events within Atlantian Oceania while Vilita and Turori Motorsports have grown frustrated with her lack of on track results and are reportedly considering replacing Novorali with Vilaye Energy Drink backed World Grand Prix driver Jama'obo Pegasii who also competed for the team during the latter portion of NSSCRA Season 6.

Novorali was expected to make an impression at the Toys '4' All 500 but was involved in an incident early in the race. With the circuit coming up on four of the next six events in Atlantian Oceania, there is little time for Novorali to turn her season around. With the backing of the Arcticala Electrical Company the Turorian driver has been granted a race-by-race extension to Apply for the Open Charter in Wreckeria as well as the Subsequent event in Bolgano. It is believed that no more extensions will be granted to the weekly racing expert who, if she is allowed entry to either one or both of the two upcoming races in Atlantian Oceania, will have to post a Top 20 finish or find herself searching for a new ride for NSSCRA Season 10.

[Hapilopper]

Andrew’s Pub, Hapilopper City
Some time between the races in Jebslund and the Appalachian Nation
With very little to do one particular evening, Drake Stevenson called up teammates Frank Bronson and Taylor Henderson to see if they wanted to get some drinks at Andrew’s, a popular hangout of Team Blue personnel in the north side of Hapilopper City, not far from the Team Blue shop. The atmosphere at Andrew’s was always typically laid back, unless when one of the local sports teams, HASCAR or the NSSCRA was playing on the big-screen television in the pub – in which case it was typically standing-room only and loud as all get out. The regulars at the bar knew to not take up too much of the Team Blue drivers’ time, because they were just there to have a drink or five and just unwind with the stresses of their job.

When the three got together, there were several topics of discussion that just couldn’t be avoided. Chris Holmes was not there. He had not been invited. A few days before, he had been told by phone that he was being replaced for the remainder of the season by Drake Stevenson. There had been a variety of reasons for it, but the three Team Blue drivers wondered if the matter could have been handled better. Sure, Holmes had been underperforming badly in the car for a variety of reasons. He had been 26th in points before being let go, and very rarely all season had he contended for victory. But he was informed over the phone by team boss Amanda McAlister. The least that she could have done was tell him face-to-face why he was being sent down to HASCAR for the rest of the season.

“That was a pretty shitty situation,” Frank said.

“Sure was,” Drake said. “I honestly haven’t seen Chris since we got home from Jebslund and I’m worried about him.”

Chris was so pissed off about what happened that he threatened to walk out on Team Blue entirely, and for all the team knew, he might have. Rumors started to spread that Holmes and Chet Byrd were preparing to leave Team Blue entirely and take employment for Hawking Motors, which would reportedly be fielding two cars in NSSCRA X next season, with the help of an expanded support program from Preston Autos.

“Do you suppose that the team was looking for a reason to get rid of Chris?” Taylor asked. “I mean, Drake, they were trying to get rid of me to put you in my car.”

“I know, and I wouldn’t have done it,” Drake said. “I guess they might have been. I mean, things haven’t been all right with him lately.”

That wasn’t inaccurate. Team staffers had viewed Chris as more of a liability than an asset with some of the things that had happened this season. He hadn’t been running up front. He had pulled off some things that got Team Blue press for the wrong reasons. There had been the meltdown. There had been the pranks. And then, the incident at the Jungle Fever Party might have been the last straw.

Chris Holmes stripped down naked in response to Liangmei Li’s dancing, which offended more than a few people. Chris wasn’t trying to come on to anybody – he was mocking the way Liangmei was dancing. But it was a step too far, and it was a step too far for Team Blue, especially with Drake Stevenson on the payroll just doing consultant’s work.

“I love Chris,” Drake said. “I really do. I think he’s going to still be one of the top drivers in the multiverse yet. But holy shit, he needs to grow up. There’s no reason he should be out there doing half the shit he does. And stripping butt-ass naked? I mean, wow.”

“I thought it was funny,” Taylor responded. “I see where you’re coming from, though.”

“I wonder if HapiCorp complained,” Drake said. “You see, Hendo, we’re not just race car drivers. We represent our sponsors. And there is a bank that sponsors us. A big bank. And they’ve got a pretty staid image. One that I don’t think they’d want associated with a guy baring it all in front of his fellow drivers.”

Taylor and Frank chuckled, but Drake wasn’t entirely joking. HapiCorp Bank had been associated with an image of old money, old millionaires in three-piece suits enjoying three-martini lunches and worrying about how people’s accounts would impact their profit margins. When they got into sponsoring Team Blue, it was actually somewhat of a surprise. Nobody thought any of Team Blue’s drivers as the three-martini lunch type. In fact, some wondered if HapiCorp knew what they were getting into by sponsoring Team Blue. If they didn’t know then, they probably knew now.

There was rumors that the bank had ordered both Chris and Chet to undergo some sort of sensitivity training if they were going to be representatives of their company. While HapiCorp refused to comment on those rumors, a couple of text messages from Chris to Drake appeared to confirm those rumors.

There were other topics of discussion. Abdoulaye Goita, a driver from Recuecn and the winner of the World Grand Prix 2 Championship, would driving for Glorious Free Republic Motorsports at the Pencurve 500 in Saint Kanye. Drake had known Goita for a bit of time, dating back to the time the two competed for a seat with Eelandii VTGP in a test session. Drake was enormously happy to see him succeed in the WGP2 championship, and was even happier to see he would be competing in the NSSCRA.

“I bet he’s gonna enjoy the hell out of it,” Drake said, a bit of excitement in his voice. “I hope he realizes how much more fun this brand of racing is than those grand prix cars.”

“Well, in fairness to him, he at least had a good car to run with,” Frank said. “What was it you drove… a shitbox?”

“Easy now,” Drake replied. “But I bet he’ll be a force to be reckoned with out there. Abdou’s a great driver and he’ll be one to watch.”

The three were looking ahead to the race in the Appalachian Nation, at a 2.5 mile triangular-shaped oval in Short Pond, not far from the Appalachian Nation’s border with Ethane. The three drivers had looked at the track layout during the meeting on Monday, and was pretty certain the track would require some technical driving, much more so than other tracks of this size. For starters, the three drivers expected the need to shift into the first and third corner. The team expected they’d have to use stronger-than-normal brakes to get from around an estimated 215 mph down to make the first corner, and they expected a certain line would be the quick way around the track.

But they’d know for sure when Drake led the team on a track walk when they got there.

[Valentine Z]

The Valentians – Libertação 250, Oquevocêquiser, Jebslund

Segment 0: Clarissa: 18 // Valentina: 03 // Gwen: 21
Segment 1: Clarissa: 19 // Valentina: 11 // Gwen: 34
Segment 2: Clarissa: 40 // Valentina: 05 // Gwen: 17
Segment 3: Clarissa: 06 // Valentina: 04 // Gwen: 36
Segment 4: Clarissa: 09 // Valentina: 16 // Gwen: 03
Segment 5: Clarissa: 29 // Valentina: 07 // Gwen: 04
Segment 6: Clarissa: 26 // Valentina: 02 // Gwen: 27

It would be an afternoon at Jebslund, but not before heading back to Sherpa Empire for some... Important business.

"Are you sure about this?" Valentina asked, "I mean, we could just go back to my home in Valentine Z, no? My stuff are there, and my magic should be stronger there."

"That's true," Angeline replied back whilst piloting the dropship, "But this is the shorter route out of the two. I think we will have more time to spend here."

"Err, hmm... What else would be we doing here other than for my magic?"

"Hehe, we will see!" Jenny said with a wink, with Valentina lying down back on her giant bed, still having a small effect from the drunken haze. Clarissa and Gwen are still friends as ever, since the latter understood that they had to run as a form of emergency, and it was reasonable on why she was left behind.

"That was one hell of a night, I'll say!" Gwen remarked, "But all things considered, we didn't get into anything controversial."

The Valentian dropship landed onto Sherpa Empire once again, with a mission. Valentina practiced her magic here and was able to expand upon her shrinking spell that she desperately needs in order for her to drive around, as well as to make sure that she does not destroy anything else around her by accident. That, in turn, went uneventfully, with Valentina being able to hold her shrinking human size for 16 hours.

Of course, there is a bigger priority than this. Valentina is important, that is for sure. However, there was something else that they specifically went to Sherpa for.

"Lhotse Love?" Valentina asked, not exactly understanding the Valentians' love for the franchise's food. The sight of Jared, Clarissa, Gwen, and Jenny each holding a bagful of Lhotse Love food was something to behold and to laugh along with them. They then dropped everything they carried on a table, arranging them neatly and regulating the temperature and conditions of the food.

"We made a deal with them back in NSSCRA 8, and they have been supporters of me and VZ ever since!" Clarissa explained with elation in her voice, "You're missing out if you don't try it out!"

"Ahh, them... Not really my taste, hehe."

"I thought you like fast food,' Gwen asked, hinting about that one time where she found Valentina was eating a bunch of hot dogs.

"Yeah, that's for sure, but... Huh, I have never tried their stuff, actually..." she trailed off, after realising back again that Lhotse has been open in Valentine Z for perhaps a few decades, ever since NSSCRA 8.

[Tropicorp]

Throughout twii.tur debate has been raging ever since Cocoabo #28 took the checkered flag in the Tropicorp 500 for their second career NSSCRA victory, once again reigniting the conversation regarding whether or not Cocoabo should be able to compete on Stock Car Motor Racing's biggest stage. Team Tropicorp's Cocoabo drivers have now visited victory lane a total of four times. While they may not be the most consistent drivers on the circuit, the fact that both Cocoabo drivers have not only won, but proven those victories were not a fluke with a second victor confirming that the victories were talent based and not solely due to luck. This includes Cocoabo #28 having now won races across two consecutive seasons. While debates were expected regarding whether the improving results of the Cocoabo drivers i more due to the successful development at the Cocoabo Enrichment and Enhancement Project (CEEP) facilities at Cocoabo Park, or due to the heavy investment by Tropicorp Engineering in the Team Tropicorp NSSCRA program, some of the accusations from other NSSCRA drivers have caused a rift on the circuit between drivers and fans who are supportive of Team Tropicorp and its Cocoabo drivers, and those who would like nothing more than to discredit and disregard them.

The most vocal voice from within the drivers corps has been IRACT driver Liangmei Li of the Sherpa Empire who has recently been quoted within the media making comments suggesting that the NSSCRA does not enforce the rules on Team Tropicorp or its Cocoabo drivers the same way that it does for other Teams and drivers on the NSSCRA circuit. Li has even gone as far as to suggest that Team Tropicorp were bribing NSSCRA officials to allow some of Tropicorp's experimental engineering technologies past the inspection station.

"This isn't the World Grand Prix circuit where you can just show up with however many wheels you want on the car and power them by whatever type of engine you want - there are rules that need to be followed to ensure fairness" was a quote from a Li supporter when asked about it at the recently completed event in TJUN-ia.

Of course, if Team Tropicorp were gaining significant advantages from whatever Engineering experiments they are running through their Team Tropicorp program, they would likely be sitting better than 13th, 26th and 27th in the overall point standings. Team Tropicorp has yet to comment officially on the allegations from Li but the Sherpa driver herself did address the controversy prior to qualifying at the Jungle Circuit, releasing a short and not-at-all convincing apology to Cocoabo #28 and Team Tropicorp for the comments made the week prior. It is likely that the negative press from the comments did not reflect kindly on some of Li's sponsors.

With the NSSCRA 9 Regular Season winding down, Team Tropicorp are now closer than ever to their first ever appearance in the NSSCRA Championship Playoff round. Cocoabo #28 currently maintains a 31 point advantage over the 17th placed driver Meghan Sharpe of Cassadaigua and will have to stay inside the Top 16 in the point standings to ensure qualifying for the Playoff rounds. At this point in the season it is almost certain that all of Team Tropicorp's resources will be piled onto the efforts of Cocoabo #28 with the Cocoabo #78 entry as well as that of Anavella Ariiki likely being used to try different setup combinations to aid the effort of Cocoabo #28 more than to improve their own race day performances.

With the announcement that the annual open charter qualifying session at the Pencurve Electronics 500 will not be taking place this season, Team Tropicorp are also believed to be re-considering the schedule of Simulator developer Euroli Islander. Team Tropicorp are already believed to be sending at least two cars to the Rumble in The Rice fields event in the Sherpa Empire later the season which could be driven by Euroli Islander, Jixaka Motorai or even Tropicorp Engineering World Grand Prix drivers Cocoabo #23 and Nephara's Kitty Armbruster. Both Team Tropicorp and Vilita and Turori Motorsports are believed to be moving to a full fleet of Hybrid Dart chassis for NSSCRA Season 10 and will have an excess of Standard Dart chassis. Team Tropicorp have already agreed a deal to sell some excess Dart chassis to Jaguar Racing for NSSCRA Season 10 but will also be taking some of the cars to compete in the Rumble in the Rice Fields event - potentially even to be left behind after the race or sold off to local racing clubs in the Sherpa Empire to minimize the costs of return shipping.

[Saint Kanye]

NSSCRA: CAN NO ONE STOP QIANG?
Defending champ takes third win of season in Jebslund

by Kelsey Ratzenberger

OQUEVOCÊQUISER - Four months ago Kai Qiang, the reigning Nationstates Stock Car Racing Association titleholder, took victory in the Islas Aaland 400. A month later, he won the Badai Angin 500 in Filindostan. It seemed Qiang wasn't satisfied with winning on a cookie cutter oval and a short track, so he went out and tried to win the Libertação 250 in Jebslund, a superspeedway race. And he succeeded in that endeavor.

Qiang, driver of the #44 Khamdo Electronics TMW, outlasted several other prominent names in the series. Second place went to leading Rookie of the Year candidate Valentina Aye of Valentine Z, in the #15 Eveline; third was points leader and polesitter Stacie Houston in the #27 Team Cassadaigua Blaze sponsored by Five Star Mobile; fourth and fifth were two drivers who were also high up in the standings, Hapiloppian Frank Bronson in the #8 HapiCorp Preston for Team Blue and Kanyean Jeremiah Brooke in the #18 Hyde Medical Group throwback Chadwick for Glorious Free Republic Motorsports.

Sixth was Sherpalander Liangmei Li, who started on the outside of Houston, in the #89 Xianglian Sportswear TMW; seventh was TJUN-ian Michael Stefan in a #00 Jaguar Racing vehicle bearing the logos of new sponsor Apocalypse Pest Control; eighth was Bronson's teammate Taylor Henderson in the #73 HapiCorp ride; ninth was Filindostani Hana Bhe in the #0 Descension Badai Angin for BA Tim; and completing the top ten was Rockii Ezis driving the #48 CoCoCo Rocket for Newmanistan's Rocket Motorsports.

Brooke told the Kibitzer, "I'm really happy, well obviously happier with a win, but I'll take this result, coming after weeks of finishing mid-pack, this is a good end to that. Great car, great crew, great battle with the bigs up front, especially Stacie, and congrats to Qiang on a great win." He joked, "So that's a short track, long track, medium track for him [Qiang], looks like we gotta watch out for the 44 at a road course next."

The other two GFR drivers finished way behind the lead pack, with Thea Alvarez in the #46 Multiversal Automotive Coatings car in twenty-third and Skip Stiller in the #3 Skip Stiller School of Racing vehicle a place behind her. Said the latter, "We just kinda got shuffled out of position at the end there, no thanks in part to some drivers who thought they'd fool around, knock each other around and hold the rest of us up." Stiller was likely referring to Stefan, his teammate Alfonso Mercado (#64), or Fleftic bet Guillermo Archer (#96); the three appeared to be engaged in an automotive shoving match for much of the race.

Back in Kardashia, GFR have announced the primary sponsor for Recuecian WGP2 champion Abdoulaye Goita's one-off ride in the regular season finale, the Pencurve Electronics 500 in Jalton, St. Kanye. Rich Discount Stores, based in the city of Bompton, is a longtime contingency sponsor for GFR and various other teams, but it will be their first time being a primary sponsor. "We're excited to see how he [Goita] would adjust from open-wheelers to stock cars, and of course proud to have him be the one to carry our logo in the Pencurve", said Rich CEO Brad Newby.

The series' next stop is Appalachia for the Penn 500 at the triangle-shaped Penn Motorsports Park, where the locals are expecting to field at least one of their part-timers. "First of five races left in the regular season, gotta make it count", said Alvarez. "I may be locked into the Chase, but moving up a bunch of spots in the point standings definitely won't hurt." All NSSCRA qualifying sessions and races will be broadcast live on SKYNET (Saint KanYe NETwork) Sports Channel 12, and online at nsscra.skynet.stk.

---

OFFICIAL STANDINGS - Race 21 of 36 (Oquevocêquiser)

1. #44 Kai Qiang (SHW)
2. #15 Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (VEZ) (Top rookie)
3. #27 Stacie Houston (Polesitter)
4. #8 Frank Bronson (HAP)
5. #18 Jeremiah Brooke (STK) (Top Kanyean driver)
22. #64 Alfonso Mercado (TJU) (Top unchartered driver)
23. #46 Thea Alvarez (STK)
24. #3 Skip Stiller (STK)
29. #30 Lexi Patterson (JEB) (Top hometown driver)
40. #59 Ashley Matthews (NEW) (Open charter user 1)
45. #69 Sofia Kerman (JEB) (Open charter user 2)

DRIVER POINTS

► 1. #27 Stacie Houston (CDG) - 750 (2W)
► 2. #18 Jeremiah Brooke (STK) - 739 (1W)
▲ 3. #44 Kai Qiang (SHW) - 729 (3W)
▼ 4. #2 Centur Tiones (VNT) - 725 (1W)
▲ 5. #14 River Suzgar (VNT) - 718 (2W)
▼ 7. #3 Skip Stiller (STK) - 705 (1W)
▼ 11. #46 Thea Alvarez (STK) - 679 (1W)

BATTLE FOR ROTY

► 1. #15 Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (VEZ) - 695 (1W)
► 2. #96 Guillermo Archer (AFT) - 669 (1W)
► 3. #73 Taylor Henderson (HAP) - 639
► 4. #00 Michael Stefan (TJU) - 545
► 5. #98 Wilma von Cärinthen (AFT) - 404

NEXT RACE

Penn 500 @ Penn Motorsports Park, Short Pond, Appalachia

PAINTJOB SCHEDULE

#3: QED Car Rentals
#18: Hyde Medical Group
#46: Multiversal Automotive Coatings

[Newmanistan]

Race: Penn 500 presented by Scofield Jewlers, Short Pond, Penn, Appalachian Nation
Lap Record: 44.100 sec.
Minimum Time to Avoid DNF: 47.800 sec.

Qualifying Results:

1 #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)                                 44.411
 2 #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)                             44.435
 3 #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)                                44.491
 4 #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                   44.493
 5 #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)                         44.520
 6 #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia) *Q*                             44.524
 7 #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                                44.580
 8 #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island) *Q*                        44.640
 9 #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                           44.660
10 #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)                                   44.685
11 #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)                                 44.710
12 #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros) *Q*                       44.720
13 #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                        44.721
14 #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)                             44.744
15 #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                      44.751
16 #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                              44.752
17 #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)                              44.770
18 #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                                 44.828
19 #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                                 44.848
20 #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)                           44.864
21 #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                               44.864
22 #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)                 44.867
23 #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                          44.890
24 #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)                  44.902
25 #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)                  45.028
26 #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros) *Q*                         45.110
27 #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)                                 45.139
28 #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                               45.196
29 #71- Brett Pickles (Appalachian Nation)                        45.399
30 #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                               45.410
31 #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)                             45.500
32 #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)             45.525
33 #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                        45.568
34 #34- Matthew Conrad (Hampton Island)                           45.607
35 #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)                         45.648
36 #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation) *Q*                     45.686
37 #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                                  45.691
38 #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                          45.701
39 #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)                                 45.725
40 #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                               45.797
41 #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft) *Q*                          45.850
42 #54- Scott Hawking (Wreckeria) *Q*                             45.909
43 #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                             46.084
44 #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)                          46.135
45 #83- Noriyasu Nagai (Filindostan) *Q*                          46.190
46 #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale)    46.350
47 #25- Kev Schorebrook (Vangaziland) *Q*                         46.667
48 #1- Vanda Rosa Cordeiro Kerman (Jebslund) *Q*                  46.706
49 #09- Daniel Cretton (Bolgano) *Q*                              46.742
50 #99- Jelan Ozoemena (Banija)                                   46.834
51 #35- Melissa Nilis (Bolgano) *Q*                               46.847
52 #75- Floyd Hackerbee (Vangaziland) *Q*                         46.940
53 #32- Waltteri Lehto (The Albali Republic) *Q*                  46.963
54 #04- Félix-Antoine Constantineau (Terre Septentrionale) *Q*    47.023
55 #26- Roger Bipacks (Bolgano) *Q*                               47.047
56 #55- Rosalie Presseault-Espinoza (Terre Septentrionale) *Q*    47.048
57 #24- Kevin Daniels (Newmanistan) *Q*                           47.149
58 #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                     47.156
59 #50- Ellie Lindskog (Vangaziland) *Q*                          47.162
60 #53- Teija Kuusela (The Albali Republic) *Q*                   47.180

Segment 1:

1 #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                          44.424
 2 #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)                             44.434
 3 #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)                           44.455
 4 #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)                                 44.499
 5 #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)                          44.499
 6 #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)                                   44.505
 7 #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                                 44.509
 8 #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)                  44.509
 9 #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)                             44.527
10 #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)                                44.563
11 #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)                         44.588
12 #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                   44.630
13 #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)                                 44.634
14 #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia) *Q*                             44.669
15 #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                               44.678
16 #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                                  44.702
17 #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)                             44.720
18 #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                                 44.729
19 #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)                              44.730
20 #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                             44.731
21 #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                        44.750
22 #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)                         44.818
23 #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros) *Q*                       44.875
24 #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                               44.877
25 #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)                                 44.916
26 #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                              44.957
27 #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island) *Q*                        44.982
28 #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                               44.993
29 #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)                                 44.997
30 #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)                  45.137
31 #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                      45.156
32 #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                               45.308
33 #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)                 45.336
34 #34- Matthew Conrad (Hampton Island)                           45.365
35 #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft) *Q*                          45.381
36 #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                           45.409
37 #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                     45.423
38 #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation) *Q*                     45.545
39 #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                          45.546
40 #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)             45.676
41 #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros) *Q*                         45.852
42 #71- Brett Pickles (Appalachian Nation)                        45.970
43 #99- Jelan Ozoemena (Banija)                                   46.241
44 #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                                46.508
45 #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                        47.401
46 #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale)    47.506

Segment 2:

1 #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)                             44.419
 2 #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                             44.469
 3 #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)                 44.472
 4 #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                        44.483
 5 #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)                             44.485
 6 #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia) *Q*                             44.490
 7 #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)                         44.539
 8 #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)                              44.561
 9 #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)                           44.578
10 #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                                 44.585
11 #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)                  44.620
12 #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)                             44.634
13 #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)                                 44.661
14 #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)                         44.709
15 #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)                  44.714
16 #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                               44.765
17 #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)                                44.770
18 #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                                 44.780
19 #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)                                 44.783
20 #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                   44.785
21 #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)                          44.858
22 #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island) *Q*                        44.905
23 #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                     44.928
24 #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                           44.928
25 #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)                                 44.940
26 #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)                                 44.958
27 #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                          44.963
28 #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                               44.995
29 #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                          45.078
30 #34- Matthew Conrad (Hampton Island)                           45.086
31 #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros) *Q*                         45.089
32 #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)                                   45.104
33 #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                               45.221
34 #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                                  45.247
35 #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft) *Q*                          45.407
36 #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros) *Q*                       45.432
37 #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                               45.451
38 #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                        45.690
39 #71- Brett Pickles (Appalachian Nation)                        45.886
40 #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)             45.953
41 #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                      46.384
42 #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation) *Q*                     46.430
43 #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                                46.512
44 #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                              46.798
45 #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale)    46.800
46 #99- Jelan Ozoemena (Banija)                                   46.982

Segment 3:

1 #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)                             44.410
 2 #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)                                 44.448
 3 #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                   44.489
 4 #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                     44.509
 5 #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)                 44.520
 6 #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                               44.554
 7 #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                        44.565
 8 #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                          44.588
 9 #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)                         44.603
10 #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island) *Q*                        44.643
11 #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                                  44.664
12 #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                               44.733
13 #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                           44.739
14 #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)                                 44.749
15 #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)                  44.769
16 #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)                          44.800
17 #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)                  44.819
18 #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia) *Q*                             44.827
19 #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                                44.860
20 #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                             44.885
21 #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)                                   44.892
22 #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)                              44.901
23 #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                          44.946
24 #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                                 44.978
25 #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)                                44.984
26 #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                                 45.022
27 #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)                           45.076
28 #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft) *Q*                          45.137
29 #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)                                 45.138
30 #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros) *Q*                       45.203
31 #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)             45.242
32 #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)                             45.277
33 #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros) *Q*                         45.356
34 #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)                             45.376
35 #71- Brett Pickles (Appalachian Nation)                        45.474
36 #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)                         45.621
37 #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                               45.641
38 #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                               45.656
39 #34- Matthew Conrad (Hampton Island)                           45.705
40 #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                              45.860
41 #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                        45.970
42 #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation) *Q*                     46.064
43 #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                      46.113
44 #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)                                 46.266
45 #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale)    46.462
46 #99- Jelan Ozoemena (Banija)                                   47.893 DNF

Segment 4:

1 #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)                             44.447
 2 #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)                           44.449
 3 #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)                                 44.452
 4 #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)                             44.461
 5 #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)                                 44.525
 6 #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)                         44.569
 7 #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)                              44.571
 8 #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                           44.651
 9 #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                          44.653
10 #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)                 44.666
11 #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)                             44.668
12 #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                   44.700
13 #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft) *Q*                          44.721
14 #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros) *Q*                       44.723
15 #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                     44.749
16 #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                                44.751
17 #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                               44.768
18 #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)                                44.784
19 #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                               44.790
20 #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                               44.834
21 #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                                  44.894
22 #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                                 44.921
23 #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                              44.979
24 #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                        45.056
25 #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)                          45.110
26 #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                          45.178
27 #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)                                   45.230
28 #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                      45.387
29 #34- Matthew Conrad (Hampton Island)                           45.408
30 #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island) *Q*                        45.429
31 #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                               45.463
32 #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)                  45.516
33 #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                             45.560
34 #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)                                 45.612
35 #71- Brett Pickles (Appalachian Nation)                        45.621
36 #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)                  45.660
37 #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)             45.717
38 #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros) *Q*                         45.782
39 #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia) *Q*                             45.829
40 #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                        45.896
41 #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation) *Q*                     46.029
42 #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)                                 46.035
43 #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                                 46.205
44 #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale)    46.259
45 #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)                         46.634

Segment 5:

1 #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                          44.414
 2 #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)                  44.452
 3 #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)                              44.476
 4 #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia) *Q*                             44.481
 5 #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)                                44.492
 6 #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)                                 44.539
 7 #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)                                   44.556
 8 #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)                  44.581
 9 #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                               44.598
10 #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)                 44.618
11 #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)                             44.619
12 #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)                         44.620
13 #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                               44.624
14 #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                                 44.634
15 #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island) *Q*                        44.661
16 #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                              44.670
17 #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                                44.685
18 #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                                 44.749
19 #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)                                 44.793
20 #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)                                 44.829
21 #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)                         44.837
22 #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft) *Q*                          44.863
23 #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                        44.871
24 #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)                                 44.889
25 #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                           44.960
26 #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                               44.996
27 #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)                           45.026
28 #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                          45.035
29 #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros) *Q*                         45.083
30 #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                     45.104
31 #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                                  45.106
32 #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)                          45.212
33 #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                        45.260
34 #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                      45.327
35 #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)                             45.335
36 #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                             45.573
37 #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)             45.590
38 #71- Brett Pickles (Appalachian Nation)                        45.610
39 #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                   45.622
40 #34- Matthew Conrad (Hampton Island)                           45.747
41 #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)                             45.818
42 #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros) *Q*                       45.937
43 #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                               46.040
44 #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation) *Q*                     46.194
45 #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale)    46.931

Final Results (Average Segments 1-5):

+-----+-------------------------------------------------------------+--------+
| Pos |                           Driver                            |  Avg.  |
+-----+-------------------------------------------------------------+--------+
|   1 | #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)                          | 44.509 | WINNER
|   2 | #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)                      | 44.618 |
|   3 | #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)                              | 44.619 |
|   4 | #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                       | 44.631 |
|   5 | #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)                           | 44.648 |
|   6 | #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)                              | 44.714 |
|   7 | #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)                        | 44.717 |
|   8 | #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)                             | 44.719 |
|   9 | #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)              | 44.722 |
|  10 | #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                     | 44.745 |
|  11 | #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                              | 44.769 |
|  12 | #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                            | 44.786 |
|  13 | #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)               | 44.802 |
|  14 | #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                | 44.845 |
|  15 | #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)                                | 44.857 |
|  16 | #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)                          | 44.858 |
|  17 | #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia)                              | 44.859 |
|  18 | #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)                       | 44.896 |
|  19 | #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                               | 44.923 |
|  20 | #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island)                         | 44.924 |
|  21 | #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                        | 44.937 |
|  22 | #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                  | 44.943 |
|  23 | #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)               | 44.953 |
|  24 | #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)                          | 44.959 |
|  25 | #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)                              | 45.023 |
|  26 | #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                          | 45.044 |
|  27 | #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                              | 45.053 |
|  28 | #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                            | 45.074 |
|  29 | #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft)                           | 45.102 |
|  30 | #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                       | 45.134 |
|  31 | #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                            | 45.163 |
|  32 | #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                            | 45.174 |
|  33 | #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros)                        | 45.234 |
|  34 | #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)                      | 45.290 |
|  35 | #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)                              | 45.375 |
|  36 | #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros)                          | 45.432 |
|  37 | #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                           | 45.453 |
|  38 | #34- Matthew Conrad (Hampton Island)                        | 45.462 |
|  39 | #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                             | 45.463 |
|  40 | #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)          | 45.636 |
|  41 | #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                   | 45.673 |
|  42 | #71- Brett Pickles (Appalachian Nation)                     | 45.712 |
|  43 | #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                     | 46.043 |
|  44 | #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation)                      | 46.052 |
|  45 | #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale) | 46.792 |
|  46 | #99- Jelan Ozoemena (Banija)                                | DNF    |
+-----+-------------------------------------------------------------+--------+

Point Standings (After 22 Races):

+-----+-------------------------------------------------------------+--------+
|     |                                                             |        |
+-----+-------------------------------------------------------------+--------+
| Pos | Driver                                                      | Points |
| 1   | #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)**                         | 792    |
| 2   | #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)**                        | 789    |
| 3   | #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)***                       | 760    |
| 4   | #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)*                      | 754    |
| 5   | #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)*                             | 754    |
| 6   | #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)**             | 752    |
| 7   | #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)*                             | 746    |
| 8   | #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)*                       | 725    |
| 9   | #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)*             | 722    |
| 10  | #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)*              | 719    |
| 11  | #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)*                            | 718    |
| 12  | #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)*                               | 700    |
| 13  | #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                     | 694    |
| 14  | #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)*                         | 692    |
| 15  | #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)*                     | 692    |
| 16  | #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                          | 660    |
| 17  | #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)*                     | 649    |
| 18  | #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                             | 645    |
| 19  | #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                              | 620    |
| 20  | #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                  | 603    |
| 21  | #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)*                             | 595    |
| 22  | #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                              | 578    |
| 23  | #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                               | 573    |
| 24  | #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)*                             | 565    |
| 25  | #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                   | 550    |
| 26  | #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                            | 542    |
| 27  | #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                | 532    |
| 28  | #81- Chris Holmes (Hapilopper)                              | 497    |
| 29  | #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                            | 450    |
| 30  | #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                       | 447    |
| 31  | #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                            | 414    |
| 32  | #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                       | 349    |
| 33  | #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft)                           | 284    |
| 34  | #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                            | 276    |
| 35  | #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island)                         | 256    |
| 36  | #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                        | 220    |
| 37  | #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)          | 209    |
| 38  | #09- Daniel Cretton (Bolgano)                               | 194    |
| 39  | #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros)                          | 193    |
| 40  | #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia)                              | 187    |
| 41  | #99- Jelan Ozoemena (Banija)                                | 179    |
| 42  | #53- Teija Kuusela (The Albali Republic)                    | 154    |
| 43  | #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros)                        | 147    |
| 44  | #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale) | 143    |
| 45  | #54- Scott Hawking (Wreckeria)                              | 139    |
| 46  | #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                     | 135    |
| 47  | #1- Vanda Rosa Cordeiro Kerman (Jebslund)                   | 126    |
| 48  | #38- Elio Aaron (Esmerel)                                   | 85     |
| 49  | #24- Kevin Daniels (Newmanistan)                            | 81     |
| 50  | #83- Noriyasu Nagai (Filindostan)                           | 56     |
| 51  | #42- Euroli Islander (Tropicorp)                            | 55     |
| 52  | #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                           | 51     |
| 53  | #83- Fiona Sunarya (Filindostan)                            | 50     |
| 54  | #25- Kev Schorebrook (Vangaziland)                          | 47     |
| 55  | #19- Sage Caldwell (Saint Kanye)                            | 41     |
| 56  | #01- Cristensen Kalsters (Islas Aaland)                     | 31     |
| 57  | #17- Tyler Abbott (Cassadaigua)                             | 31     |
| 58  | #79- Dinggu Wang (The Sherpa Empire)                        | 29     |
| 59  | #49- Lotara Novorali (Vilita and Turori)                    | 27     |
| 60  | #20- Pyotr Lavrentiev (Saint Kanye)                         | 24     |
| 61  | #45- Ben Carpenter (Esmerel)                                | 23     |
| 62  | #20- David Rockingham (Esmerel)                             | 22     |
| 63  | #32- Waltteri Lehto (The Albali Republic)                   | 17     |
| 64  | #63- Jamie Isabella Eirian (Valentine Z)                    | 16     |
| 65  | #16- Tucker Capps (Xanneria)                                | 15     |
| 66  | #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation)                      | 11     |
| 67  | #40- Ongmu Yeti (The Sherpa Empire)                         | 10     |
| 68  | #04- Félix-Antoine Constantineau (Terre Septentrionale)     | 10     |
| 69  | #34- Matthew Conrad (Hampton Island)                        | 9      |
| 70  | #59- Ashley Matthews (Newmanistan)                          | 7      |
| 71  | #75- Floyd Hackerbee (Vangaziland)                          | 5      |
| 72  | #71- Brett Pickles (Appalachian Nation)                     | 5      |
| 73  | #26- Roger Bipacks (Bolgano)                                | 3      |
| 74  | #69- Hauptfeldwebel Sofia Kerman (Jebslund)                 | 2      |
+-----+-------------------------------------------------------------+--------+

Next Race: Race 23 (May 16/17)- Halstead Raceway, Halstead, Wreckeria (Short Track)

[TJUN-ia]

Whether you like it or not, the reign of Ísfrúin has begun at Jaguar Racing. Harpa Gylfisdóttir (@IsfruinJR), daughter of Gylfi, sister of Harold, is now the head of TJUN-ia's stock car racing team and she wants to lay down her influence on this enterprise. You may have seen the Q+A that I, Derrick Carlisle - Social Media Manager, did with her on Friday. If you haven't yet then please click here. It'll tell you a lot about who she is and what she thinks of the situation that led her to JR.

Race 22 of NSCCRA Season 9 takes us to a place that is in the nightmares of "Wolverines" and the dreams of "Buckeyes": the Appalachian Nation! I'm not exactly sure what "Wolverine" or "Buckeye" is referring to here, but I'm told that people in either U1 or U2 will understand. Anyway, we're here in Short Pond for the Penn 500 presented by Scofield Jewlers on a triangular track that might also be familiar to viewers in U1 or U2. Geez. We're really pandering to the home universes today, aren't we?

Let's start with Alfonso Mercado (@AM64) shall we. Saturday was clearly his day as he, by some miracle, put the #64 car into 6th for the race. Not a bad start to a new era, I say. He maintained good running and, for the first half of the race, seemed to be not far away from Gil Archer. Mercado fell back from Gil later on but it would be the TJUN-ian who won this day, running in 4th at one point in a 17th place finish while Gil sat behind in 24th. Heck, Mercado could have been higher. He was the last to cross the line in a 4-wide photo finish between him, Kai Qiang and both Cocoabo (who both had excellent races today). Not a bad day at all for the non-charter Alfonso.

Gil Archer also had the misfortune of finishing behind Micheal Stefan (@00Stefan), but he didn't really care for this rivalry with the UrGa driver. He was more focused on putting up good results, especially with his new sponsorship agreement with Apocalypse Pest Control. He actually ran the new APC paint job in Jebslund but I missed it entirely due to all the drama surrounding Daniel Marx. Apologies to Elbert Linde, if he even reads this. But don't worry, I'll show it off at the end as Stefan will run it at the next race.

Starting in 37th, the main focus for Michael was to try and get as high as possible. His day was, finally, a return to typical Michael Stefan: a rollercoaster. Highest of 11th, lowest of 34th. That doesn't mean he finished badly, however, as he rallied late on to finish in 19th. A spot in the Chase might be too high for Stefan at this point, but I'm sure he'll be glad of his performances so far.

It was Jeremiah Brooke who took this race with rival Stacie Houston down in 5th. This means Houston still leads the standings, but only by 3 points to Brooke. The podium was rounded out by Clarissa Alanis Star and Frank Bronson. Only 1 DNF the whole race with the 2 open-charters, local Brett Pickles (nice name) and Hampton Island's Matthew Conrad, performing well in 42nd and 38th respectively.

Next up is the race in Wreckeria, which will be on the short (only .4 mile long) Halsted Raceway. If Wilkesboro (which is not that far from here) told us anything, is that drama and chaos will occur. I will now leave you with the #00 APC car that will be used in Halstead and, by GOD, is it beautiful!



Standings Watch: Stefan - 23rd (573pts), Mercado - 40th (187pts)

---

Harpa was sitting in her office, reading the new blog that Derrick Carlisle had just posted onto the team website. It was...actually better than she was expecting. Derrick was quite reclusive when it came to day-to-day operations, but he can actually summarise the world of NSSCRA quite effectively. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

The letter that her predecessor, the disgraced Daniel Marx, had left for her was still on her desk. She hadn't touched it since she did that Q+A. She was slightly afraid of what was inside. But she knew that at some point it would have to be opened and read, and now seems like a good time. She didn't have any meetings or anything else to worry about, so it would be just her and the written words of Marx for the next few minutes.

Carefully, she began to open the envelope and she took out a white paper. With as much gusto as she could master, she unfolded the paper and began to read what was written. It was typed out, the final message by a doomed man to whoever would be his replacement.

To whoever this may concern,

If you are reading this then you must be my replacement as Team Manager of Jaguar Racing. Congratulations on being selected! I know you must be excited to lead TJUN-ian motorsports into the future and I look forward to seeing how you get on.

You know why I'm leaving, the international media can't stop talking about it. I won't bare you with the details but let's just say I fucked up big time and I need to leave for the sanctity of TJUN-ia. I won't defend myself in this letter and I don't expect you to share my views on what happened.

In terms of Jaguar Racing, it couldn't be in a better place! The Dart deal is in the books for next season and the new deal with Apocalypse Pest Control will give the #64 a new lick of paint for a few races for the sake of saving money. Jumping out of the control of the MRO will mean more independence for you and your team to do whatever it wants, but it also takes away the stream of income that is being pumped into this team. You need to ensure that this team stays afloat, no matter the consequences.

Micheal Stefan and Alfonso Mercado now answer to you and you alone. I had always planned to keep them for next season and I'm sure you will do the same too. If you want a 3rd car you could look back home and see who's available or you could take a non-TJUN-ian. I know there are some Turorians that have some experience with the machinery you'll be inheriting from Dart, but that's up to you. It's your team now, not mine.

The two drivers you currently have are some of the most committed men I've ever seen. Stefan can get the job done most of the time and Mercado should have a charter by now, in my opinion. They will do well under you're watching, but it's up to you to ensure their full potentials are realised. You need them to be good racers but you also need them to be good friends off the track. We don't need pitlane drama, not now.

But there is something I must tell you before I leave you with this team. I've not told anyone else this and you will now carry this secret until developments take its course. I saw something at Jungle Fever that I hadn't seen for a long time and I want to share it with you. At Jungle Fever I observed the conversation between Stefan and Tyler Linde, Elbert's son, about the deal with APC. But I also saw Mercado, starring at his teammate like he was...better than normal. It may seem like nothing, but I believe I saw the young guy falling for his teammate. He looked almost struck by him, even though they had worked together for many months now without any signs of this interest. He saw me and instead of just shrugging it off he looked shocked, embarrassed, that I had witnessed something that must have kept in the closet for some time.

So then, if the 18 y.o. is falling for his teammate, who is 2 years senior, then that will definitely be an interesting development. The butterflies may not happen again but if they do then Mercado may want to talk to you about it. How you deal with it is up to you, but it's important that this team carries on as normal no matter if its drivers are in cahoots on the emotional level. We don't need this getting out to the press - they will eat it alive and might make Mercado distracted from driving, or worse. I know about it, Mercado must surely know that he did something in Peninsula but Stefan knows nothing. If they are to be together then let them be, but let the truth come out naturally.

I hope you enjoy this job. I'll be watching from afar, wondering where it all went wrong.

Kind Regards,

Daniel Marx

"Wow", Harpa thought. "Now that is a secret." How long this had been going on she didn't know, but what she did know is that if, when, #64 confessed, it might be 'do or die' for this partnership.

"Let's see what happens, Marx. Let's see..."

---

HARPA GYLFISDÓTTIR ✓

@IsfruinJR

@00Stefan @AM64 Good race, boys! More of the same in Wreckeria please


#NSSCRA : #JaguarRacing : #JungleFever

MICHEAL STEFAN ✓

 
@00Stefan

- - @IsfruinJR

Will definitely try. These small ovals are perfect for chaos!


#NSSCRA : #JaguarRacing : #JungleFever

ALFONSO MERCADO ✓

@AM64

- - @IsfruinJR

Wreckeria, eh? Let's see if it's just as good as Hapilopper...off track, not on the track of course


#NSSCRA : #JaguarRacing : #JungleFever

[Saint Kanye]

Penn Motorsports Park, Short Pond, Appalachia
The Penn 500

Twenty-five laps remain before the checkered flag was to fly on the tricky triangular track, and the three Glorious Free Republic Motorsports drivers are locked into a battle for sixth place. Skip Stiller, Jeremiah Brooke and Thea Alvarez were all friends, but that didn't make their battle any less intense. At one point, Alvarez was blocking Brooke's path, only for Stiller to overtake them both. Brooke then rode Alvarez's air and followed the path to Stiller, but the veteran wasn't budging. However, as they were approaching lapped traffic, it was Brooke who was quicker to find an opening. Alvarez soon caught up to Stiller who was left behind. The two of them kept fighting, both to advance and keep the other from also doing so.

Nineteen laps remain. Brooke was now sixth, but got up to fifth as he forced Sherpa driver Liangmei Li onto the high side, leaving the driver of the #89 to get caught in the battle between the other two Yeezies. With sixteen to go, there was Stacie Houston. "I'll get you this time", said Brooke. It was a tough battle whenever these two fought for position on track. Contact wasn't out of the question, but not to the point that someone would get wrecked in the process. By the time Brooke freed himself from the clutches of the #27, only eleven laps were left.

Next up: Wilma von Cärinthen. Here was another driver that Brooke was on good terms with, but that didn't get in the way of their battle. This was Yeezies vs. Fleftics: Stock Car Edition Part Two, the first part being when Alvarez defeated Guillermo Archer, and in Abanhfleft at that. Brooke swapped paint and the third place spot with WVC, eventually making it two-nil for St. Kanye by giving the #98 a tap on the rear bumper to loosen it up.

Five laps to go. Brooke now had only the #7 of Clarissa Alanis Star and the #8 of Frank Bronson exchanging the lead ahead of him. He wasn't satisfied with third, however. Brooke waited for the chance to make a move, to make some Yeezie magic happen. He got that chance with two to go, moving his #18 to the outside, past both the Valentian robot and the Hapiloppian veteran and successfully holding them off until the end. Star and Bronson filled the other two podium spots, but it took a while to determine that it was the former who would take second place, being ahead of the latter by just 0.001 second.

"Yeah! Win number two of the season, baby!" shouted the race winner to his crew on the radio. Only three other drivers have multiple victories. Houston also has two, and so does the Shark, River Suzgar. Defending champion Kai Qiang, meanwhile, has three. The other two Kanyeans held on for top ten finishes. Stiller put his #3 in sixth while Alvarez took eighth in the #46.

Back in St. Kanye, preparations have already begun for the Pencurve Electronics 500 which will be in a month. Pyotr Lavrentiev, GFR's second R&D driver, was selected to drive the pace car, while Harvey Shelton, head coach of the Kanyean Air Force Academy Warhawks basketball team which recently won the NSCAA championship, will give drivers the command to start their engines. GFR has invited Recuecian WGP2 champ Abdoulaye Goita to go to St. Kanye and familiarize himself with stock cars (and the country) before his one-off appearance at the Pencurve, and are eagerly awaiting his reply.

[New Northwesteros]

Here are the contents of a voicemail left by Apocalypse Pest Control boss Elbert Linde on the phone of TJUN-ian Michael Stefan hours after the Penn 500.

"Mike, Elbert Linde here. I read your team's blog, they said your new car looks good. Thank you, and of course it does. You get what you pay for with the designer I hired. I spent thousands of Dragons to make sure my brand is represented well, and you get to keep your signature orange. Here's what you're gonna do in Wreckeria. You're gonna flaunt that car everywhere, and make sure Scott Hawking sees it. Show him what he's missing out on. Coulda been him in the Apocalypse car at his home race, but he f--ked up too many times. I trust you not to do the same, Mike."

---

Paul Nystrom had a big grin on his face as he climbed out of his red #21 car. During driver introductions, he received boos from some members of the crowd, possibly due to his long-standing beef with Jeff Shreeves of the home team. Nystrom never got to bully Shreeves on track, but only because he stayed well ahead of him all race long, finishing thirtieth while his nemesis was forty-third, between the other two Appalachians.

He shouted back to the crowd at the end of the event: "What do you say now, huh? That punk may have brought his little friends, but what came out of it? Nothing! You're all...." Teammate Liuyong Xu had to drag Nystrom away before the crowd could know what they all were. Regarding the race, Xu was an unremarkable thirty-sixth. The driver of the #9 had a highlight moment, though, as he expertly dodged Jelan Ozoemena's disabled car to avoid joining him as the only DNFs for the day.

Tyler Linde, son of Elbert, drove his Apocalypse car to the same position as his number, thirty-third. He ran better than his result showed, though, qualifying twelfth and getting to as high as that position late in the race. But he hit the wall due to a shove from another driver, causing him to pit for repairs and fall behind. While walking to his hauler, Linde met Stefan and the other TJUN-ian Alfonso Mercado, and wanting to keep up his friendly image, gave them both fist bumps.

[Hampton Island]

(Setting: Track CEO and Assistant Converse)

Assistant: Are you sure you want to go with Matthew Conrad after that clunker?

CEO: Yes, he’s never been at that track before. It was good experience.

Assistant: Most people weren’t impressed. After all, Lexi was better. Even Freddie was.

CEO: We will ride out Matthew Conrad. He’s the rightful person for the job, and if he stinks it up then I cannot be blamed for going back to the modeling agency for another Lexi.

Assistant: Lexi’s been dropping. Do you think she would come back?

CEO: She doesn’t have the choice. She wouldn’t, but she doesn’t have the choice anyway. I’m not bringing her back.

Assistant: What do we need to do to get better?

CEO: Talk about it more.

Assistant: No, seriously.

CEO: We are on the right path. We were better in Appalachia.. I thought Cosgrove had a great race weekend. We can get there.

Assistant: Pit crews coming together, maybe.

CEO: I hope so. We made the right decision despite what some people say. I think that was pretty obvious in the last one.


And now, Presenting the Starlight Suites Driver Knockout Bracket

People are asked to decide which driver they feel has been the best in the series, using their entire body of work, that has raced at least the two seasons.

First Vote:
(1) Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire) vs (16) Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)
(8) Eva Kerman (Jebslund) vs (9) Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)

Second Vote:
(5) Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori) vs (12) Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)
(4) Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye) vs (13) Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)

Third Vote:
(6) Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye) vs (11) Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)
(3) River Suzgar (Vilita and Turori) vs (14) Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)

Fourth Vote:
(7) Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye) vs (10) Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)
(2) Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua) vs (15) Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)

[Recuecn]

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Wreckeria. Local time is 4:26, and air control tells me it's a beautiful afternoon. We're going to be touching down soon, so I've turned the 'fasten seat-belts' sign back on. If you have a connecting flight, we'll get you that info once we've landed."

Abdoulaye looked out the window at Halstead, which the plane was rapidly approaching. He certainly hadn't expected to be on a plane again this soon. After a week in Savojarna saying his goodbyes, finalizing everything with the team, and tying up any loose ends, he'd planned on spending a while at his dad's home in Reçueçn City, catching up with his family, unwinding, and just catching his breath. Particularly the last week of the WGP2, he'd really noticed the stress getting to him. Plus, flying all around the multiverse a couple times each week had been getting old, it would be nice to take a break from that. And yet here he was.

Abdoulaye hadn't even made it home from the airport yet on his way back from Savojarna when he'd seen the missed call from GFR Motorsports. In fact, they'd called him about a week earlier, but he hadn't noticed until he'd gotten back to Reçueçn and swapped out the sim cards in his phone. It had probably been better for his sanity that way—most likely had he answered the call when it was made, only two days after his championship, he would've been too exhausted to really consider racing again right away. Plus he was still technically under contract with SVJ Racing. But after the week of partying and goodbyes was over, his mind was a bit clearer and he was ready to look ahead, even if the mixed feelings continued.

Well, 'mixed feelings'. He'd won the damn WGP2. You couldn't really feel bad about that, and he could still feel the self-confidence boost, weeks later. That was something that might never wear off. It was his new self-confidence that had led him to call back the unknown number that had called him from a country he'd never been to, to find that he was being offered another drive, and this time without him having to even ask for it. Well of course he would take it! Every WGP and NSSCRA driver had a sort of morbid curiosity about the other series, an itch to try out the other option and get a glimpse of the path not taken.

For Abdoulaye, it felt only fitting that he would find himself caught up in the NSSCRA somehow, and so soon; he'd never really had the time to discuss it with Drake Stevenson to see if the other driver felt the same way, but Abdoulaye always saw him as his counterfoil of sorts. Abdoulaye had been a total rookie when Stevenson was a driver with years of HASCAR experience, but both had tried to break into the WGPC at the same time. It was a mid-season test drive, hardly the time one would expect a WGPC team to be giving unknown drivers a chance behind the wheel, but it had happened for not one, but both of them... and there their paths diverged. Abdoulaye had failed miserably and lost all chance at a WGPC drive, going back home to sulk and fall into what he now realized had been a bout of depression. Stevenson had done great, won himself a WGPC seat, and done great things for his team. Then, somehow, they found themselves together again in the WGP2 and once more the story of 'identical setting, opposing results' repeated itself: Goita won his first race and carried on strong until his eventual championship win, while Stevenson struggled to perform at all (maybe due to Nexus Racing's new eight-wheeled car in which his teammate also struggled). Stevenson gave up on his dream of being a WGPC champion and slunk back to NSSCRA, while Abdoulaye had now been invited back for what felt like a victory lap. Once more they would be on the same racetrack, in the same place physically and yet in such different places in life.

All that, of course, was an old story to Abdoulaye and to anyone who had been following both the WGP and NSSCRA. But now Abdoulaye was excited to experience stock car racing for himself and see what the other half of his counterpart's racing career resembled. If he was being perfectly honest with himself, he had no idea what to expect: little idea of what the sport's culture would be like, how the whole thing worked, how the cars handled, what it felt like to drive in the NSSCRA. All the more reason, then, to find out for himself. And now here he was. His father had certainly been sad to him jet off again without even spending a single weekend at home, and Abdoulaye regretted it too, but told himself it was for the best. For one thing, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he couldn't turn down. And besides, last time he'd been at home alone with his dad, unemployed, he'd wound up in a funk... hopefully being a championship winner with a solid hope for a future career would keep his spirits up and preclude that happening again, but at the same time he didn't want to find out otherwise. So here he was—he hated planes, but he was on the plane again, and would be several more times by the end of the month. As part of the deal with GFR Motorsport he would be following them around to the different NSSCRA events to watch and learn and prepare himself for his eventual race with them on their home turf.

Wreckeria was not the Yeezies' home turf. It was the home turf of Scott Hawking, the son of the owner of Hawking Motors, a local Wreckerian dealership. Scott was also the only driver for the Hawking Motors NSSCRA team, but he didn't have a charter anymore so it was hard to say who the Wreckerians would be cheering for if he couldn't get a charter again for this race or at least qualify in. Probably Team Blue since the Wreckerians had such a connection with the Hapiloppians, but who was to say? Abdoulaye didn't know any of this, he was still too busy trying to do his research on the Yeezies and GFR Motorsports and how NSSCRA worked. Once he'd figured all of that out he could learn up on the sports history and rivalries. He felt like he ought to know as a driver himself, but in Reçueçn the WGP never even made the news and stock car racing was even more distant from the national consciousness. So Abdoulaye didn't have much exposure to any of it. Except Kai Qiang. Everyone new Kai Qiang.

The plane landed and Abdoulaye made his way through the sea of people into the airport and toward the crowd waiting outside security to meet their friends and relatives coming from outside of Atlantian Oceania. Abdoulaye scanned the crowd and quickly found what he was looking for: a sign that said "A. GOITA" in big block letters. The man holding the sign was wearing a GFR Motorsports jacket, which was another promising clue.

Goita walked up to the the man and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Abdoulaye."

"Of course," said the GFR employee, taking the offered handshake. "It would be a sad day if I couldn't recognize a WGP champion."

"I appreciate the flattery," laughed Abdoulaye, "but I think you've forgotten a 'two' in there somewhere."

The two laughed and made small talk as they made their way to the waiting rental car that GFR Motorsports had hired for while they were in Wreckeria. Abdoulaye skipped the baggage claim; he carried everything he needed with him in a single backpack, an old habit his father had practically forced upon him. I hope all the Kanyeans are this friendly, he thought as his new acquaintance continued to chat, this will go pretty well. Abdoulaye hadn't thought until that moment about just how badly this could go if there was a personality clash or something else went wrong—in the deal he'd made with the GFR team he'd committed to following them around to each and every NSSCRA event leading up to the Pencurve Electronics 500, which would be at least a couple weeks. And due to the nature of the offer, he'd had to accept before he could do his research on the team, unlike when he'd made his commitment to SVJ Racing. Back then he'd had time to think it out. But that had turned out well and he was sure this would as well. Already from what he knew of the GFR Motorsports team they had a lot to be proud of, and their work ethic impressed him; all three of their full-time drivers had won races and were in solid competition for the chase—only Alvarez's 11th place in the standings stopped them from all being in the top ten at the moment. But he had a lot more to learn if he was to know anything about the team besides just where they were in the standings.

His education started bright and early the next morning. He was brought down to the GFR Motorsports garage at the Halstead Raceway while the drivers were practicing and preparing and given a crash course about what made the team tick: their MO, their philosophy, their history. There would be time to teach him how to actually drive the car later.

The main thing that stuck with Abdoulaye from that morning, despite all the new facts he was supposed to remember, was just how over-the-top the name of the team was. Glorious Free Republics? he thought to himself, before realizing that 'Republic' was meant to be singular and he'd been confusing them with the Free Republics, plural, not-so-glorious. Do I even know which country I'll be racing for? he asked himself. The answer was yes: the one with all the glory, apparently. That made him smile.

Of course, compared to a WGP (or especially a WGP2) team, there was less advertising for the team itself. Here in NSSCRA, it seemed that every square inch had to be covered in sponsorship logos, even if it mean they were so small you couldn't tell who had paid for them. Even the side of the jack that would be used during the pit stops had little stickers on it. Abdoulaye thought that was all a bit ridiculous at first, but realized that that was just how things worked here, and was assured during his information session that he'd be getting a sponsor of his own yet.

"Once the sponsorship is finalized we'll get a paintjob," ('livery,' thought Abdoulaye) "ready for you. We're just waiting on a couple last-minute signatures for that actually, it's mostly finalized but we can't unveil it just quite yet," the team member who'd been assigned to bring him up to speed informed him.

"That sounds awesome," said Abdoulaye.

"I'm glad you're excited! One thing you'll probably have to do to keep the sponsor happy is start a twii.tur account so they can get that extra little bit of brand visibility and of course it'll help you stay in touch with the fans better, too."

"I've already got a twitter account," said Abdoulaye. "I don't use it that much, but I can—"

"No, not twitter. Twii.tur. It works pretty much just about the same but it's really big with NSSCRA fans and a lot of drivers use it as their main way of communicating with the sport at large so it's really highly recommended you get an account too. We'll help you set one up."

"Alright then, sounds good."

The info session was wrapping up and right then in walked Skip Stiller, Jeremiah Brooke, and Thea Alvarez, who'd just finished whatever they'd been doing to get ready for qualification.

"Well this is great," said Abdoulaye's erstwhile tutor, you haven't met the other drivers yet, have you?"

"No," said Abdoulaye, "but I'm delighted to! It's great to finally meet you guys!" He shook hands with each of them in turn: the shy Thea, Jeremiah, who pulled out his phone again right away presumably to twiit something about the occasion, and Skip, the man himself. "I heard you were cheering for Stone in the WGP2, Skip," teased Abdoulaye. "She was my main rival... I hope that something's changed or we might not be able to get along." Abdoulaye wasn't normally quite so outgoing or bold as to tease a new acquaintance on first meeting them, particularly one who was essentially his boss, but he'd gotten the impression that the Yeezies were a friendly group and a little light teasing would be well-received. For his part, he was looking forward to getting to know them and hopefully learning some of their skills before the race at the end of the month. It was going to be an exciting couple of weeks, that was for sure.

---

ABDOULAYE GOITA ✓

@GTAVII

Excited to be w/ @SkipStill3r, @Luna_Althea, @Jeremiah_B, @SageTheRacer, & the #GFRMotorsports crew! #NSSCRA look out!


#Gr8estXoverInHistory

---

"Hey Abdoulaye you need to choose a profile pic."

"Yeah, I'll get there."

[Abanhfleft]

"Are you sure that you've won your war against Jaguar Racing, Mr. Archer?"

"Now, ma'am, apologies for my language, but just what kind of a stupid question is that?" Guillermo Archer asked his team principal Olga Gatutina.

"Look at this," Gatutina said, handing over a piece of paper to Archer. "This is a transcript of an interview with Jaguar Racing's new manager. Look at the thing at the bottom. She's talking about you. She says that if you pull the same shit you pulled in Brazilistan this time around she's going to kick your ass! Now, read that and tell me after that you think you've still won the war, Mr. Archer."

Gil read the transcript of the interview with Jaguar Racing's new head Harpa Gylfisdottir. He nodded and said "Mm-hmm", and then he handed the transcript back to Gatutina and said, "Yes, ma'am, I still like to believe I've won the war."

"What? How? How can you even say that right here, right at this moment, right now?" Gatutina demanded.

"I'm finally doing what I came here for," Archer replied. "I'm finally bringing out the darker side of the people in this sport."

"Why? Why would you want to do that?"

"Honest answer, ma'am?" Gil asked back. "I've seen this competition a few times last year. Not really much of a controversy happening here back then. Except for the whole Kohan thing of course, but that's another story. But aside from him, everyone's been all buddy-buddy, 'howdy neighbor' around here. This sport needs an asshole, ma'am, and I've taken it upon myself to be that asshole. And now that an asshole is within their ranks, everyone else in NSSCRA is finally letting out their inner assholes as well. Believe me, ma'am, when I say that this is going to be glorious."

The fight between Gil Archer and Jaguar Racing continued on to the Penn 500 in the Appalachian Nation. Qualifying in Short Pond wasn't the best for Gil; he was only able to take his machine to 31st place. What's worse, Alfonso Mercado, the TJUN-ian driver who was really taking the fight to Gil on the track, had made it to 6th place, fastest of all the must-qualify drivers. It grated on Gil's nerves, he had to admit, even if only to himself. At least he was still faster than the other JR driver in Michael Stefan. But Gil was able to get over it quickly. As long as he beat both the fuckers in the race itself, everything would be fine.

It would turn out to be something easier said than done. The battle at Jebslund and the appointment of a new seemingly more ruthless team manager seemed to have awakened more than just the inner asshole in both JR drivers. It appeared that both Mercado and Stefan were now treating the "war" between them and Gil as an actual war. At the beginning of the race, Gil was still having fun from the fact that he finally got the on-track battles that he had been craving for even at the start of the season. The rest of UrGa were not happy that it was deja vu all over again, down to Wilma von Cärinthen getting into the lead of the race at the same time that Archer was throwing his elbows out at the Jaguar Racing cars. But now there was one big difference: Mercado and Stefan were now double-teaming Gil.

"Jesus! Fuck!" Gil cried out as the 64 and 00 cars squeezed him between themselves. There was literally no room for him to wiggle out of the situation or give a shove of his own to either JR driver.

"Get out of there, man!" James Santiago called out to him. "The Jags are trying to squeeze you like a damn pimple!"

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed!" Gil shouted back sarcastically.

Gil could honestly say that this was a strange situation he now found himself in. Even back in ARTS, Gil had been quite the asshole on the track and had been part of numerous shoving battles, but never once in his career had he ever been double-teamed before. Well, that was probably the consequence of going after a whole team and not just one of its drivers. But if he was being perfectly honest though, none of Jaguar's drivers really pissed Gil off. All of that lay squarely on Daniel Marx and his stupid-ass armbands. But since there was no way that he would be able to get a fist square into Marx's face (at least without getting himself kicked out of NSSCRA) Gil had to settle for going after the whole of Jaguar Racing. And now it finally looked like it was about to bite him in the ass.

But not today, Gil told himself. He let himself get bashed by the two Jags for a few laps, and then, when he felt that the time was right, he suddenly tapped the brakes, enough to let the 64 and 00 fly past him and smash into each other. "Take that, idiots!" Gil cried out with a laugh as he breezed by the two dazed and surprised drivers.

But his happiness wouldn't make it to the end of the race. After Gil's little trick, both Mercado and Stefan now seemed a little reluctant to double-team the 96 as much as they had done at the start of the race. The battle was now once again mostly between Gil and Mercado, with Stefan joining in whenever he was within range of either car. And when he was able to get away from the Jags, Gil was doing his best to help push Wilma to the front of the pack. She was having a hell of a race; the race of her life even. But unlike Gil, Wilma didn't have teammates she could rely on for even a simple draft. Wilma was leading the race once again, but yet again she was in danger of getting caught by the likes of River Suzgar and Stacie Houston, literal veterans of the series. And now that motherfucker Alfonso Mercado was catching up to the lead pack as well, despite Gil's best efforts. And now Gil started to get nervous. He could not, would not let Jaguar Racing collect a race win in NSSCRA. If they did that, all of his work would have been for naught.

Gil gunned the throttle of his car and smashed into the back of Mercado's vehicle. "Hello boys, I'm back," Gil muttered.

Mercado moved to dodge Gil's next move, and in the process he took himself out of the chase for the lead. That was one objective completed. The next one: teach Alfonso Mercado who the boss was. "Who's your daddy, Alfonso? Who's your daddy!" Gil shouted inside his helmet.

Then suddenly, Mercado hit the brakes just enough to drop away from Gil, and then he hit Gil's rear and took him right out of his groove. "What the fuck! Good God!" Gil shouted.

Mercado drew himself level alongside Gil, forcing Archer to break away from Wilma and the rest of the leaders. Mercado pushed himself into Gil's left side, but instead of driving away after making contact, Mercado basically clung on to Gil's Emperor. Gil looked to his side, and although he wasn't really sure if he actually saw it or if it was just his imagination, he thought he saw a look of steely determination in the TJUN-ian's eyes. If looks could kill, Gil believed he might have crashed right then and there.

And then Gil heard and saw a new frequency, a tinny scratching noise that he'd only ever heard a few times before. It was the sound of rubber up against metal. "Oh, crap," he muttered at the same time as his left rear tyre exploded. "Fuck!" Gil cried out even as Mercado drove away from the scene of the crime, job done. "FUCK!"

---

The mood inside the UrGa tent after the Penn 500 was quiet and somber. None of the drivers and staff looked like they wanted to look each other in the eye. The tension was palpable, almost a physical being in and of itself. The only sound that could be heard in the tent was the breathing of the personnel inside.

In the end, it was UrGa's team principal Olga Gatutina who would break the silence. "Are you happy now, Mr. Archer?" she asked. "Are you happy with the results of this race?"

Gil didn't answer immediately. Instead he seemed intent on listening to the sound of his fingernails tapping on the table. Judging by his face, he didn't seem to even want to reply to Gatutina's question.

"You know what? Shut your mouth!" Wilma von Cärinthen said suddenly. "I'll tell you what's up. I'll tell everyone what's up. No, I'm not fucking happy with the results. This is the second race in a row where I was running in front, had a really great chance of winning the race, but my teammates let me down! Leo, no offense to you, but right now, you're off the pace of the rest of the top teams. But no, I'm talking about you, Gil. I gave you the slingshot back in Ylora. The very least I'm expecting of you for the past two races has been to just give me a goddamn good draft! Two races I've bee so close to finally getting my first victory here, man! TWO RACES! And what do I see you doing while I'm trying to fend off the fucking best of the best of NSSCRA? You crashing back and forth with those fucking Jaguar Racing guys! And for what? A fucking armband!? You're willing to throw away two races and possibly more just because of an armband!?"

Now Gil looked like he was ready to speak. But now Wilma was not having any of it. "You know what? Forget it! I don't wanna hear it!" she said. "You go ahead and crash the Jaguar Racing guys or yourself if you want. I'm staying out of it. I don't care. I don't care anymore. You go and do what you want. I'm going to go do what I want, which is to win a goddamn NSSCRA race. I don't want any part of your little feud or war with JR or whatever. And don't expect me to give you another draft anymore!" Having laid out her ultimatum, von Cärinthen stormed out of the tent. Her crew chief was just as shocked as the rest of the people inside the tent, but he was able to recover quickly and follow her out of the tent. "Wilma, wait!" he called out as he walked out as well.

All eyes now turned on Archer. He was now back to staring at his fingernails on the tabletop. Nobody else now knew what to say after Cärinthen's outburst. Finally Gatutina collected herself and told Gil, "You heard what your teammate said, Mr. Archer. Your war with Jaguar Racing is a war between them and you only. UrGa Motorsports Division will not support you in your vendetta against the team from TJUN-ia. However, we will still expect you to continue racing for us in the foreseeable future." Ultimatum given, Gatutina then took this as her cue to leave as well.

This left the rest of the team still in the tent on an even more awkward footing than they had started with. The crew chief of Leonidas Baxter was the first one to leave after Gatutina, and he did so without even saying a word. Leo himself at least had something to say to Gil before he left as well. "Look man, I'm sorry things have gone this far. But right now I'm with Wilma. This is not our war to fight; it's yours. Now, I'm gonna see if I can still get a charter for Wreckeria," Leo Baxter continued. "If you want to make a fool of yourself for a third straight time there, that's your choice. But we won't let you drag the rest of us down." Leo then followed his crew chief out of the tent.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," James Santiago finally said after a few moments after everyone else had gone, "but I think everyone else has been right this time. This fight with Jaguar Racing has really consumed you, man. I know this is the thing you love about racing, but I think it's possible for you to just scale it back a little. Now I'm not telling you to stop battling these bastards, just that you don't do it for the whole race," he quickly added when Gil shot him a dirty look for the earlier comments. "Maybe once every fifty laps, every hundred ones on the short tracks. And you drop the fight once the team calls you to give Wilma or Leo a draft. Come on, man. This is still a team effort whether you like it or not. But it's not Manalastas-Archer, it's UrGa, which means you're not calling the shots here anymore. You can't force anyone to fight for you or alongside you. I'm sorry man, but right now that's just the way it is." And with a final pat of the shoulder, James left the tent as well, leaving Gil alone with only his thoughts for company.

WILLIAM JESSPER ARCHER ✓

@WilliamArcher8Official

@GTAVII in Wreckeria and Saint Kanye for NSSCRA!? What the heck is happening here?


#NSSCRA : #HalsteadRace : #WGP2xNSSCRA

GUILLERMO RODOLFO ARCHER ✓

@ItsGilArcher69

1st @HapiDrake81 then @GTAVII & soon @WilliamArcher8Official possibly also joining in? It's the invasion of the open wheelers!


#NSSCRA : #HalsteadRace : #WGP2xNSSCRA : #SillySeasonJustGotSillier

[Newmanistan]

(OOC Lead In: For those that are also participating in the International Basketball Championships, you know that I have been recapping past history of the tournament recently. I was so interested in a RP theme I did eleven RL years ago, I think I am going to bring back a similar resurgence. Probably will be mostly in World Cup 85 once I get it rolling, but we’ll do some work with it here as well.)

Newmanistanian teams had arrived in Wreckeria hoping for better success then they had experience recently. Rockii Ezis had been showing some signs of momentum, but for Bryan Harrison and Kevin Daniels, there was not much different.

“Good morning sir,” tire changer Jason Strome for the #24 Rocket for Kevin Daniels, “How can I help you?”

The man was not recognizable to Strome, but he appeared to have the proper credentials to either be a media member or someone affiliated with one of the race teams in the garage. Storme’s duties for the moment were taken care of, and he was just trying to enjoy a bit of fresh air.

“What is this, loser’s row?” the man said. The audacity of the comment annoyed Strome, but he tried not to make a big deal of it. At least, he would not do so, quite yet. The man continued, “I walk down the line of haulers and everything and there’s nothing but junk teams between Stacemiah. Losers who either don’t qualify or fill in the positions in the 30's on race day. I guess someone needs to fill in those positons.”

Strome was pissed off now but was holding back his anger, “Look, if you don’t have anything good to say, just go elsewhere, okay? We try just as hard as everyone else out there, the results aren’t there but we’re here and in the show. I am proud of that.”

The man could only chuckle, “I am sure it is an honor to work for a team that is not going to do anything on race day. Must be very motivating to go out there in every race and work on a car that you know has no hope during the race. What is your role for this team, anyway?”

Strome replied that he was the tire changer, and the man could only grin, “That puts you a bit ahead of the two clowns next to you, Cosgrove and McCurty, who just replaced their entire pit crews recently. Maybe they should do the same thing with you and get the team to finish in the upper 20's instead of the lower 30's which your fans have become so used too. After all, the organizing body is run out of your country, and this is the best you can be doing on race day?”

Strome was angered more, but able to control himself from doing more, “Kevin Cosgrove and James McCurty are not clowns. They are hard working race car drivers just like Kevin Daniels. I feel for the members of their pit crews that were replaced, but that is a reality of the sport sometimes. If I were to lose my job, then I would have to accept that, but right now I am only concerned with making us a better race team. So, whoever you are, just go find someone else to bother, okay? Where you are from, anyway?”

The man smiled, “My name is Evgeni, and I am from Dover City, Newmanistan. I will let you be, but you know I can make you a lot of money. More money then you will ever have on this race team. But the good thing about it, is that you can make this money while still being a part of the race team, and no one will know how you will make it.” Strome was about to tell him to bugger off, but Evgeni continued, “Little things. Everyone knows this team will not perform on race day, but you can make money as if you won. Don’t tell me that is not appealing.”

Strome should have said no, but listened more to what the man was talking about.

[Wrecker]

(NOTE: The following story has been borrowed, in its entirety, from Wednesday’s Halsted Picayune, the leading newspaper in Halsted, the capital of Wreckeria. The Picayune has a special edition coming out this Friday previewing the entire NSSCRA race weekend, and will be available across the area for just two simoleons.)

THE WARNER HALL 400 A CHANCE TO PROVE SOMETHING
By Mike Travers, the Halsted Picayune

HALSTED – On the east side of the city of Halsted, Wreckeria’s capital, sits the Halsted Raceway, a 4/10th of a mile short track, a place that not long ago was a large outpost for the True Wreckerians, a right-wing group that fought for control of this nation with the Party of Pride for so many years. If one looks past turn one from the main grandstands on the front straight, they can see bunkers, hangars and missile sites on the other side of the road.

The facilities are a grim reminder of the 54 years of fighting between the True Wreckerians and the Party of Pride, a civil war that cost the lives of millions of Wreckerians and soured many in both Atlantian Oceania and across the multiverse on the Wreckerian concept. Several terrorist attacks in neighboring Hapilopper in the 1980s did little to help matters, either.

So when NSSCRA officials in Newmanistan announced that Wreckeria, and specifically Halsted Raceway, would host a round of the NSSCRA IX Championship, more than a few observers took the news with concern.

“We still associate Wreckeria with the violence that happened over so many years,” said Bob Taylor, a now-retired reporter who covered the HASCAR Challenge Cup for the Hapilopper City Herald. “Back in the 80s, a lot of us lived in fear of what was going to come next, and taking a look at some of the facilities across the street from the track still give us a lot of heartburn.”

Scott Hawking, an independent driver from Halsted who won late model stock car championships at the track, acknowledged the challenges that Wreckeria will face this weekend.

“This place brings back a lot of bad memories,” Hawking said. “All you’d have to do was look up at the sky and see missiles flying up from this area. Or you’d see formations of bombers flying overhead. I had a couple of friends in school when I was a kid, we’d go to football games together, we’d go to the local dirt track on the other side of town…”

Hawking’s voice trailed off. He looked towards turn one, where the outpost is visible.

“One day I went to school and they weren’t there,” Hawking said, emotion obvious in his voice. “The teacher told us they were killed in a True Wreckerian bomb strike. All of us lost friends, or family, or both. None of us were safe.”

Even those in Hapilopper knew someone affected by the Wreckerian Civil War. Drake Stevenson, ex-Grand Prix driver now driving for Team Blue, hesitated a bit when asked about his grandfather, Drake Stevenson I.

“I never got to meet him,” Stevenson said. “They took him away.”

Drake Stevenson I was the starting striker for the Wreckerian National Team that was slated to attempt to qualify for World Cup 30 over a half-century ago. Two weeks before the team was scheduled to compete in its first qualifying match, however, Wreckerian President John Adler was shot in an assassination attempt near a facility he owned. Adler, a race car driver himself, was shot in the shoulder by an unknown assailant. Days later, Stevenson the first was abducted by a group reportedly pledging allegiance to the True Wreckerians.

The abduction, as well as the killing of two players on the squad, took the life out of the Wreckerian National Team. Stevenson the younger was visibly emotional as he recalled those days.

“I would have loved to have known my grandpa,” he said. “Grandma always told me how awesome he was. He would have loved seeing what we do these days, and I think he would have loved this.”

Stevenson said he has, by his own admission, dreaded coming to Halsted for this weekend’s race for that reason.

“I’ve only been in Wreckeria a handful of times,” he said. “A good friend of mine worked for the national team during the last World Cup so I came over to watch their team. Aside from that, never been here, and never been on this part of town. But we heard about it so much on the news. Every day on the news and in school, there was always something about a bombing somewhere in Wreckeria, or a battle that ravaged a town. They say they’ve called a truce, but I’ll believe it when I see it.”

A truce was called a year and a half ago between the TW and the PoP, and that truce has continued, in spite of some difficulties. Arnold Martin, the President of Wreckeria, was named the leader of the Reformed Republic, having been seen as a Solomon-like figure who could judge a matter about as fairly and as impartially as could be. Martin will be in attendance for this weekend’s race.

“This is the highest-profile event we have had since the end of the fighting,” Martin said. “We have worked for months, behind the scenes, to ensure that this event will be a success. The eyes of the multiverse will be on us, and while a lot of people have less than positive feelings about us right now, I hope this race will change their perceptions about us.”

Martin also joked that he hoped the only fighting happening this weekend will take place on the race track or on pit road after the race, a nod to some of the track’s infamous post-race altercations.

“Remember that time Scott Hawking punched that one guy after a race a couple of years ago?” Martin said, laughing. “If that’s the extent of our issues this weekend, then race weekend will be a massive success. We want to show the multiverse that Wreckeria has made strides since the war ended.”

To ensure that no incidents will take place, extra security will be at the track and around the venue, to ensure that spectators, participants and other individuals will be on their best behavior and not bring in any contraband. The security is said to be the tightest security offered at a Wreckerian sporting event in history.

The 400-lap race, sponsored by Warner Hall Pizza, will be aired across the multiverse by a bevy of local broadcasters and in Wreckeria by Wreckerian TV. The Warner Hall 400 will start Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. local time.

[Hapilopper]

Halsted Raceway, Halsted, Wreckeria
The first part of race weekend
Drake Stevenson sat near the end of the main grandstands overlooking the front straight. He was looking towards turn one and past the circuit. On a typical race day in Halsted, that area in turn one would be filled with trailers and vans belonging to the local race teams competing on a normal Saturday night. However, the area was packed with equipment belonging to NSSCRA teams. The Team Blue Center lit up very spectacularly, and Drake could look down and see fans taking pictures of the front side of the facility.

But beyond that, sat a grim reminder of what had happened to his family so many years ago. Why his family emigrated to Hapilopper over 50 years ago. Drake could only sit and stare at the outpost, which had now been converted into office space for the Wreckerian government. He looked back behind the grandstands to see a couple of hangars. He swore he could still see planes that had belonged to the True Wreckerians. The same group that abducted his grandfather he never knew.

Those bastards, Drake thought to himself.

Drake then looked down towards the track. Qualifying would be that night for the NSSCRA race the next day, the Warner Hall 400. The qualifying would accompany a full night of racing, including late model stock cars, modifieds, sportsman cars and bomber stocks. With the NSSCRA on hand, the track had offered a higher payday for the local boys, so the night’s racing attracted a higher car count than usual. The bomber stocks – entry-level strictly-stock cars – were practicing on the track.

About 35 cars – and a wide variety of cars – were out there practicing. The cars looked worlds apart from the top-of-the-line NSSCRA cars. As he watched the cars tooling around the short oval, Drake lost himself just watching the cars. Many of the cars carried the slogan “PEACE THROUGH SPORT” on the rear end of the cars, a reminder of Wreckeria’s way to get past those 54 violent years that tore their nation apart. He realized that many of the Wreckerians were just as tired of the violence as everyone else was. They didn’t really care about what side anyone was on. They just wanted to go racing and have fun.

After practice ended, Drake went down to where the local guys were stationed, behind the main grandstands on the turn four side. He wanted to meet some of the drivers that compete here on a weekly basis. There, he found out that many of them were both giddy at the prospect of having met one of their favorite drivers and were just ready to get the violence past them.

“We’re all here to race,” one driver told Drake. “We’re not here to see what side was better. Matter of fact, I don’t really give a shit anymore.”

The drivers expressed a hope that the NSSCRA race weekend would help the multiverse see Wreckeria as a much better place than just a place fraught with violence. They wanted to be seen as a fun-loving group of people just like the Hapiloppians. They wanted to be seen positively for the first time in generations.

While all that was going on, Chris Holmes and Chet Byrd were fanning the flames of a rumor that had started a week before. Both men were in Halsted, but as observers, not as participants. The two, along with a representative from Preston Autos, were speaking to Scott Hawking in a suite overlooking the front straight. Preston Autos had reportedly pledged a large amount of support to Hawking Motors for the next NSSCRA season, and Chet had told Hawking in the past that he was willing to help him out any way he could. By the time the late model stocks were about to start their 30-car, 150-lap, $15,000-to-win race, a NSSCRA beat reporter posted on twii.tur that an announcement was imminent that would put Chet in charge of the Hawking Motors team, which would be a two-car team featuring Scott Hawking and Chris Holmes as drivers. Sponsorship would reportedly come from Warner Hall Pizza, who was sponsoring the Sunday NSSCRA race.

It had been an interesting week for Team Blue following the race in the Appalachian Nation. Frank Bronson had proved he could still do something spectacular out there on the race track, and his third place finish started fueling rumors that he would be coming back for NSSCRA X after all. Frank had led a ton of laps in the race, and stayed in contention all race long.

Following the race, Frank held a sit-down meeting with Amanda McAlister, and the two talked about Frank possibly coming back for one more season. Frank was receptive to the idea, but he had to run it by his wife first.

“You see, she’s wanted me to come home,” Frank said. “I can’t just say yes to this first. Let me talk to her first.”

And predictably, Frank’s wife didn’t take it all that well. She had asked him to get off the road, or at least, just compete in Hapilopper, where practically anywhere was a short flight back home. Her answer to him was “no,” he shouldn’t go out there for one more season. But that wasn’t the end of the discussion. That week, when having beers at Andrew’s Pub with Drake and Taylor Henderson, he had decided that he would probably feel miserable if he left the NSSCRA after this season, so whether or not his wife agreed to it, he was going to compete in NSSCRA X.

The three drivers realized that this event was going to be wildly different from the race in Appalachia. Drivers were going to use the bumper. Someone was going to get turned. Everyone was probably going to be pissed off at everyone at one point or another in the race. The race was going to be remarkably physical. Frank, Taylor and Drake reveled in the thought. This was an opportunity to show the world that Team Blue wasn’t just going to lay down. They were going to fight and they were going to win, one way or another.

[Valentine Z]

The Valentians – Penn 500 presented by Scofield Jewlers, Short Pond, Penn, Appalachian Nation (Speedway)

Segment 0: Clarissa: 35 // Valentina: 24 // Gwen: 05
Segment 1: Clarissa: 11 // Valentina: 30 // Gwen: 22
Segment 2: Clarissa: 14 // Valentina: 11 // Gwen: 07
Segment 3: Clarissa: 09 // Valentina: 15 // Gwen: 36
Segment 4: Clarissa: 06 // Valentina: 36 // Gwen: 45
Segment 5: Clarissa: 12 // Valentina: 08 // Gwen: 21
Segment 6: Clarissa: 02 // Valentina: 23 // Gwen: 34

The Valentians started to see a pattern develop in the way they finish the race. Previously in Jebslund, Valentina would be the one finishing 2nd while the other two would be faltering to 20th-30th positions. And now, at Penn 500, Clarissa would be the one taking the podium finish of 2nd, while Valentina and Gwen would finish 23rd and 34th respectively. Gwen was especially vocal about the way she is starting to lose out once again.

The three of them went to a nearby shopping mall after the race to have a small conversation, with some pictures taken here and there. Clarissa was certainly very joyous with the victory that she got today, even if she was supposed to get that sweet 1st place and a second first placement. She placed second, for the third time, so to speak.

“So… we have to talk about our performances,” Gwen started with a tensed-up sigh, “Not exactly good ones for me, if you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I know what you mean, Gwen!” Clarissa replied with a small and sheepish smile on her face, “Maybe you are just running down on luck lately. Or was it still due to that hangover?”

“Not really for this time. I don’t want to do the whole blame game, but there seemed to be a… incident today, if I remember correctly?”

“Ohhh, that!” Valentina responded, “It’s between TJUN-ia and Banija, is it?”

“Ahh, no,” Gwen said, looking at her phone for the specifics, “I think it was with Abanhfleft. There was tension between the two teams, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. Apparently, there was a crash today. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad of a crash with DNFs, but it was still bad enough to impact a lot of performance. Needless to say, I got caught up in it, along with Gwen here.”

“Do you think this costed our performance for today?” Gwen asked, a little wearingly, “This is certainly not too good for me. I really need to get better placements, you know?”

“Archer certainly rubs me the wrong way, if I am to be honest,” Clarissa chimed in, recalling the exchange of words both outside and on Twii.tur, “You know the most recent tweet he said about me, right?”

“Nah, don’t sweat it,” Gwen added, “Everyone’s a little racist- err… machineist, now and then. It’s awful, but hey, there are a lot of people who support you!”

“Yeah, that’s true! Thanks, Gwen! Oh, and Valentina?”

“Hmm, yes?”

“Can you beat Archer for me for this race? ROTY and all.”

Valentina let out a small wink as the three women laughed it off, all the while trying their best to ignore the attention they have been getting all this time, not because of their conversation, but because of their heights.

“Thank goodness we have this new policy to make ourselves small,” Gwen commented, “Goodness knows me being 10 feet tall will even cause more of a scene.”

---

The Valentians – Charlene’s Escapade… Sort of.

Standing around at 231 cm with her new body, Charlene would take one last look into the mirror. She certainly looked a little younger than her normal looks, though not that young, so to speak. People would mostly mistake her for a 18-20 years old, someone who is fresh out of film school, or a news journalist intern.

“Hehe, the wonders of Valentian Science!” she said to herself as she took her equipment – a camera, some microphones, and a few lenses, and made her way out from the Valentian dropship to explore the wondrous world of Penn. She would get the typical looks of “Wow, what a tall woman!” from the locals, but given the NSSCRA season, perhaps they know and are aware of the differences of people from all over the world, or all over the multiverse. Charlene made her way around the outside of the track, basically places that she has access to as a journalist from a foreign country.

“Head Diplomat Charlene Jeannie Natalia...” the poor NSSCRA staff mumbled her name, “Ma’am, err… is this your name?”

Charlene checked it quickly and there it was – Head Diplomat Charlene Jeannie Natalia Adeline Marceline “Wanbyeoghan Hyeobsang-Ga” Celestie Christine Irelle Dva. Arianna Rees Edith Novena Annie Ciara W. I. Bethany Myong Suh-Hyung. A South Korean from Valentine Z, but with her new body, it would be a little… difficult to make that distinction. The fingerprint would still be the same, as mandated by the process of making Synthetic Bodies. The appearances change, but deep down, that’s still Charlene.

“그게 나야! 감사! / That’s me! Thanks!” Charlene confirmed happily as she adjusted her equipment and made her way to the tents and lounges of the racers. This was more or less a typical process for her – verify her identity, go in, and look at any of the racers who would like to appear in the Valentian media. She passed by a few of the lounges and garages, a few of which were already empty. The Valentians, particularly Jared and Jenny, were still around, checking on their inventory and vehicles to be sent back to the dropship.

“Hey, Charlene!” Jenny waved, along with the rest of the Valentians who were still in the garage, “How goes you?”

“Ahh, nothing much! Just err… nosing around, hehe. Where are the drivers?”

“Ohh, them? They went to the nearby shopping mall,” Germaine commented, tending to Marcus who was seen with a mangled left hand that Germaine was snapping back onto place.

“Oh dear God, what happened to you?” Charlene asked curiously.

Marcus let out a small light-hearted chuckle whilst looking at his hand, “A tire dropped on it!”

“It was too tired, haha!” Jenny remarked, with Germaine rolling her eyes a little, “Come on, Germaine, you know you love it!”

In the meantime, Jared would be heard talking to a few other Valentian folks, “… The axle’s a bit loose. I think we might need to change those next race.”

“Do you think it was due to the incident today?” a Valentian crew commented, “Valentina was kinda in a tight spot today.”

“Perhaps so. I heard it was due to the personal feud between those two teams.”

“Hmm, very interesting,” Charlene commented, quickly zipping out of the Valentian garage to look around the other teams, perhaps those places that the journalists and reports are allowed. She was certainly not the one to step out of her bounds for something as important as this.

Now Gil looked like he was ready to speak. But now Wilma was not having any of it. "You know what? Forget it! I don't wanna hear it!" she said. "You go ahead and crash the Jaguar Racing guys or yourself if you want. I'm staying out of it. I don't care. I don't care anymore. You go and do what you want. I'm going to go do what I want, which is to win a goddamn NSSCRA race. I don't want any part of your little feud or war with JR or whatever. And don't expect me to give you another draft anymore!" Having laid out her ultimatum, von Cärinthen stormed out of the tent. Her crew chief was just as shocked as the rest of the people inside the tent, but he was able to recover quickly and follow her out of the tent. "Wilma, wait!" he called out as he walked out as well.

All eyes now turned on Archer. He was now back to staring at his fingernails on the tabletop. Nobody else now knew what to say after Cärinthen's outburst. Finally Gatutina collected herself and told Gil, "You heard what your teammate said, Mr. Archer. Your war with Jaguar Racing is a war between them and you only. UrGa Motorsports Division will not support you in your vendetta against the team from TJUN-ia. However, we will still expect you to continue racing for us in the foreseeable future." Ultimatum given, Gatutina then took this as her cue to leave as well.

This left the rest of the team still in the tent on an even more awkward footing than they had started with. The crew chief of Leonidas Baxter was the first one to leave after Gatutina, and he did so without even saying a word. Leo himself at least had something to say to Gil before he left as well. "Look man, I'm sorry things have gone this far. But right now I'm with Wilma. This is not our war to fight; it's yours. Now, I'm gonna see if I can still get a charter for Wreckeria," Leo Baxter continued. "If you want to make a fool of yourself for a third straight time there, that's your choice. But we won't let you drag the rest of us down." Leo then followed his crew chief out of the tent.

In the distance, she could hear a rant and some shouts from a particular tent, along with a woman that stormed out. Charlene later identified her to be Wilma von Cärinthen, a racer from Abanhfleft.

“Oh, no…” Charlene trailed off, as she realised that she might be stepping into the whirlwind of madness that is still in progress. And especially in a heated moment, reporters and journalists are always the one to get a crapton of flak, especially given their rather persuasive nature. Charlene, on the other hand, decided to take this slowly, positively identifying herself and reassuring the people around her that she is not running a gossip mill or a clickbait news website, and simply wanted information on what is happening… even with a possible dismissal of this being none of her business.

[The Sherpa Empire]

Beihua's regular reporter that did their pre-race interviews was out sick, probably because she had interviewed Kai Qiang at the Libertação 250 and caught the same thing as him and Tsering. Rather than flying out a replacement from their headquarters in Suzhou, they recruited one of the journalism students from Yulha Sherpa College that had been traveling with Qiang to document the NSSCRA season.

A few other people had caught it too. Qiang (who was now past the worst of his illness) and Rinzi were both spending more time than usual in the garage working on their own cars, covering for crew members who needed a sick day. Even Tashi -- who did not know much about cars except being able to rattle off specs in a sales pitch -- spent part of her time in Short Pond hanging around the garage, passing people the tools they needed or just chatting with Rinzi while he worked. "You know, Rinzi, if we were just hot for each other and it was nothing more than that, you would ask me to leave you alone so I don't distract you from your work," Tashi said.

"Of course it is more than that," said Rinzi. "You are the love of my life."

"So why are we not married?"

"Because we have not gotten married yet. Do you think we should?"

"Yes. This is not a very romantic way to propose, you know."

"That is because I was not planning to propose today," said Rinzi. "But you are the love of my life. If you want to get married we will get married."

---

---

The Penn 500 was a messy race with Gil Archer and the TJUN-ians shoving each other around wrecklessly. The Sherpalanders did their best to stay clear of the drama. Li and Rinzi managed to stay out of trouble, and both of them cruised into top 10 finishes. Qiang was running well early on, but the side of his car got scraped up when Mercado pushed Archer into his path. The damage wasn't all that severe, but the dent in the side was not good for the car's aerodynamics.

And then Qiang got stuck behind the cocoabos, who were helping each other out by blocking him and/or sticking together so they could chirp at each other. They probably knew they were blocking him, but that didn't mean they weren't also chirping at each other sharing all the latest cocoabo gossip. He imagined cocoabo gossip was something like: "Did you see those three pushing each other with their cars? Why are the humans so mad at each other?" "I don't know. I'm just doing what they want so they'll share their food." Qiang didn't find his way past the birds. He finished the race hot on Cocoabo #28's tail, but still behind both cocoabos.

Despite the much more wreckless driving by Gil Archer and the TJUN-ians, Liangmei Li still used her post-race interviews to resume agitating against the cocoabos. "Did you see that rolling roadblock the cocoabos made? I'm lucky I wasn't stuck behind that."

Qiang, who was stuck behind the cocoabos denied that they'd done anything wrong. "That's just strategy," Qiang said when asked about the cocoabos blocking him. "If you want to see bad driving look at Archer and Mercado. Racing is dangerous enough without playing bumper cars."

[Vilita and Turori]

Race #22 Leaderboard

1 [199] :: @PinkHKluvs2718

2 [185] :: @melvin_tha_gr8

3 [167] :: @ole_yutzie

3 [167] :: @King_Of_The_Mountain

5 [163] :: @Ametza014

Season Standings

1 [3522] :: @Filly_Gurl27

2 [3299] :: @SurfinSummer

3 [3276] :: @PinkHKluvs2718

4 [3223] :: @Ametza014

5 [3203] :: @eelcat827

Vilita and Turori Racer's NSSCRA Pick 'em competition had lasted 19 rounds before having its first back-to-back winner when @ceeptrainer2 took the honors of top score for two consecutive events starting with the Tropicorp 500. It was the first accomplishment of note by any participant thus far that made it seem possible that there could still be an overall season champion from somewhere outside of Cassadaigua. While the 'Dagan participants had already accounted for a third of the individual round victories to that point in the season, they had not accomplished what @ceeptrainer2 did and put up the top score in two consecutive rounds.

That would all change following the Penn 500 presented by Scofield Jewlers in the Appalacian Nation when Cassadaigua based @PinkHKluvs2718 picked up right where @ceeptrainer2 left off and secured her second consecutive top performance score. While still nearly 250 points behind @FillyGurl27 for the Regular Season points lead, @PinkHKluvs2718 had more than secured her place in the V&T Racer NSSCRA Pick 'em Playoff Challenge and with her fourth top performance of the season had pulled within 1 spot of @Fully_Gurl27 for the top seed going into the final round. Together the two Cassadaigua based users had now accounted for 9 of the 21 round victories and might soon occupy the top two spots in the overall point standings as well. With her back to back victories, @PinkHKluvs2718 also re-established Cassadaiguan dominance in the win column after @ceeptrainer2 had briefly bypassed @PinkHKluvs2718 for second place with their three top score performances thus far.

While the Appalachian round ultimately served to re-affirm Dagan dominance in the VT Racer NSSCRA Pick 'em competition, it very nearly provided a new source of competition as @melvin_tha_gr8 posted the second best score of the round. Melvin posted a score 18 points ahead of their nearest competition but were undone by the gigantic 199 put on the board by @PinkHKluvs2718.

@melvin_tha_gr8 was attempting to become the first Yeezie participant to top the charts and fight for a spot in the playoff showdown bolstered by Jeremiah Brooke's 2nd victory of the season. Additionally four of @melvin_tha_gr8's five rostered drivers finished inside the Top 11 including a strong performance by Abanhfleft's #98 Wilma von Carinthen.

With 12 individual event winners in the first 22 races of the season, just four spots are currently available through the regular season standings for the NSSCRA Pick 'em Playoff Showdown and four events remain on the NSSCRA Regular Season calendar. This could be a problem for the two highest placed competitors from Saint Kanye, @FreeKohan420LOL and @melvin_tha_fr8 who currently sit 16th and 18th in the overall standings and would not advance to the Pick 'em Playoffs if the season ended today.

1. @PinkHKluvs2718
2. @Filly_Gurl27
3. @Pogoaib92
4. @Filly_Gurl27
5. @eelcat827
6. @Filly_Gurl27
7. @PinkHKluvs2718
8. @Lovely_Lhamu
9. @Ametza014
10. @King_Of_The_Mountain
11. @FujiKYK22
12. @Lovely_Lhamu
13. @I_Need_Healing
14. @ole_yutzie
15. @Filly_Gurl27
16. @ceeptrainer2
17. @rubbers
18. @Filly_Gurl27
19. @ceeptrainer2
20. @ceeptrainer2
21. @PinkHKluvs2718
22. @PinkHKluvs2718

Lotara Novorali will look to Bolgano to make amends for her Lonngeylin Disaster

Vilita and Turori Motorsports drivers struggled again in the Appalachian Nation with Yraaga Gilli'i the only of the teams three drivers to post a Top 10 finish - coming home in 10th position. For Gilli'i at this point however points are not particularly relevant. The driver of the #41 Tropicorp Racing Supply Dart is solidly inside the Top 16 in the point standings with just four races to go in the Regular Season as the highest placed driver in the standings without a victory. However, with three drivers outside the Top 16 in the standings having already gotten the winners stickers next to their names, there is for the first time in NSSCRA history no room in the playoff field for a driver who does not have a points paying victory on the season. Gilli'i has already missed out on three races for which they were the defending champion from NSSCRA Season 8 but will now have their sights set on the Short Track race in Wreckeria as an opportunity to secure their place in the Chase field.

One driver who will not be in Wreckeria is Vilita and Turori development driver Lotara Novorali. While the Arcticala Electrical Company were willing to foot half the bill for the driver to run in both the Wreckeria and Bolgano events, the team agreed to focus its efforts on preparing the car for the race in Bolgano. While the race in Wreckeria would have been a better fit to Novorali's driving expertise, the team preferred to see how Novorali's development has progressed on the larger Marele Tropical Speedway in order to make a better assessment as to whether to retain the Turorian driver into the future.

At the top end of the NSSCRA Regular Season standings it was starting to look like yet another two-driver battle between Stacie Houston and Jeremiah Brooke though a gaggle of five different drivers await within 40 points of the leaders should they suffer any DNF's over the final four races of the regular season. Among them are a pair of Vilita and Turori Motorsports drivers, with Centur Tiones and River "Shark" Suzgar II having switched their battle rhythm's from trying to secure a playoff spot to trying to win the Regular Season title. Tiones currently sits 4th in the Point Standings 38 points behind Houston after a pair of disappointing finishes and will likely need Top 5 finishes in the remaining four events to have a fighting chance to dethrone the regular season experts atop the table.

[Newmanistan]

Race: Warner Hall 400, Halstead Raceway, Halstead, Wreckeria (Short Track)
Lap Record: 14.935 sec.

Qualifying Results:

1 #15- Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (Valentine Z)                  15.159
 2 #64- Alfonso Mercado (TJUN-ia) *Q*                             15.169
 3 #73- Taylor Henderson (Hapilopper)                             15.179
 4 #28- Cocoabo #28 (Tropicorp)                                   15.184
 5 #2- Centur Tiones (Vilita and Turori)                          15.214
 6 #48- Rockii Ezis (Newmanistan)                                 15.214
 7 #44- Kai Qiang (The Sherpa Empire)                             15.216
 8 #18- Jeremiah Brooke (Saint Kanye)                             15.242
 9 #27- Stacie Houston (Cassadaigua)                              15.243
10 #80- Leonidas Baxter (Abanhfleft)                              15.280
11 #31- Gwen Tracer Allison (Valentine Z)                         15.295
12 #12- Roman Gwinnett (Xanneria)                                 15.321
13 #96- Guillermo Archer (Abanhfleft)                             15.337
14 #10- Eddie Walters Jr (Xanneria)                               15.356
15 #14- River "Shark" Suzgar (Vilita and Turori)                  15.358
16 #81- Drake Stevenson (Hapilopper)                              15.360
17 #30- Lexi Patterson (Jebslund)                                 15.361
18 #7- Clarissa Alanis Star (Valentine Z)                         15.381
19 #23- James McCurty (Hampton Island) *Q*                        15.385
20 #21- Paul Nystrom (New Northwesteros)                          15.421
21 #4- Meghan Sharpe (Cassadaigua)                                15.422
22 #11- Jenna Logan (Cassadaigua)                                 15.432
23 #33- Tyler Linde (New Northwesteros) *Q*                       15.455
24 #41- Yraaga Gilli'i (Vilita and Turori)                        15.491
25 #22- Kevin Cosgrove (Hampton Island)                           15.494
26 #89- Liangmei Li (The Sherpa Empire)                           15.507
27 #8- Frank Bronson (Hapilopper)                                 15.557
28 #13- Brigadegeneral Eva Kerman (Jebslund)                      15.563
29 #54- Scott Hawking (Wreckeria)                                 15.637
30 #46- Thea Alvarez (Saint Kanye)                                15.652
31 #00- Michael Stefan (TJUN-ia)                                  15.665
32 #9- Liuyong Xu (New Northwesteros) *Q*                         15.726
33 #3- Skip Stiller (Saint Kanye)                                 15.752
34 #0- Hana Bhe (Filindostan)                                     15.788
35 #78- Cocoabo #78 (Tropicorp)                                   15.788
36 #24- Kevin Daniels (Newmanistan) *Q*                           15.795
37 #52- Jeff Shreeves (Appalachian Nation)                        16.114
38 #06- Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal (The Sherpa Empire)                 16.122
39 #66- Hengxing Tian (The Northern Chinese Republic)             16.137
40 #98- Wilma von Cärinthen (Abanhfleft)                          16.159
41 #26- Roger Bipacks (Bolgano) *Q*                               16.292
42 #1- Vanda Rosa Cordeiro Kerman (Jebslund) *Q*                  16.294
43 #57- Gordon Orton (Appalachian Nation) *Q*                     16.443
44 #50- Ellie Lindskog (Vangaziland) *Q*                          16.592
45 #09- Daniel Cretton (Bolgano) *Q*                              16.598
46 #55- Rosalie Presseault-Espinoza (Terre Septentrionale) *Q*    16.602
47 #99- Jelan Ozoemena (Banija)                                   16.612
48 #25- Kev Schorebrook (Vangaziland) *Q*                         16.642
49 #5- Bryan Harrison (Newmanistan)                               16.652
50 #04- Félix-Antoine Constantineau (Terre Septentrionale) *Q*    16.721
51 #83- Noriyasu Nagai (Filindostan) *Q*                          16.744
52 #75- Floyd Hackerbee (Vangaziland) *Q*                         16.774
53 #35- Melissa Nilis (Bolgano) *Q*                               16.784
54 #77- Katarzyna Owczarzak-Kostrzewska (Terre Septentrionale)    16.806
55 #88- Anavella Ariiki (Tropicorp)                               16.844
56 #32- Waltteri Lehto (The Albali Republic) *Q*                  16.866
57 #53- Teija Kuusela (The Albali Republic) *Q*                   16.869
58 #6- Alex Knight (Hampton Island)                               17.214

[TJUN-ia]

This blog was written by Derrick Carlisle, Jaguar Racing's Social Media Manager

Not too far long ago, the site we stand on today was an outpost. From this outpost, the True Wreckerians fought the Party of Pride in a bloody civil war for over 50 years. Lives were lost both in the land of the Wrecker and in neighbouring Hapilopper and many today in both nations still bear the scars of this difficult time in AO history. Lost relatives, PTSD, you name it. A year and a half ago, the two sides finally called a truce. The Republic was Reformed and this site became office space for the new government, but a racetrack was built here too. It's on this racetrack, the Halsted Raceway, that we find ourselves this weekend. For the first time since the end of the civil war, the eyes of the multiverse will be on Wreckeria as it welcomes NSSCRA to the Warner Hall 400.

The Wreckerian Government has put in place tons of measures to ensure that this weekend goes off without a hitch: security for this event was described by the local paper (the Halsted Picayune) as "the tightest security offered at a Wreckerian sporting event in history" and drivers for the local races carry the message of "PEACE THROUGH SPORT" on their cars. Even still, the drama goes on. Chet Byrd and Chris Holmes, the Hapiloppans who have seemingly been cast aside by Team Blue, are both in Halsted this weekend as rumours fly of a potential move by both men to the local Hawking Motors team. No matter if this is true or not, it appears as though the paths of both Hapilopper and Wreckeria remain as tight-knit as ever.

As for Jaguar Racing, another war has been put on hold for this weekend (even if the other participant doesn't like it). After back-to-back races of duels between our two drivers and UrGa's Gil Archer, Harpa Gylfisdóttir (@IsruinJR) has told the team to "not do anything stupid" for this weekend as the short nature of Halsted means that this race will be a bumper car race anyway. "No need to make things worse". The team will wear black armbands this weekend in memory of the fallen of the civil war that plagued this land. We will also have the "PEACE THROUGH SPORT" slogan on the back of both cars.

Let's start with Michael Stefan (@00Stefan) for a change. After all, he's in the Apocalypse Pest Control paint scheme for this race. A short track means a tight qualifying and it showed tonight. Stefan was only half a second off the pole time, but that only meant 31st for the race. He'll have Scott Hawking himself directly ahead of him, as the Wreckerian was given an open-charter slot for his home race. It would appear that a duel between the former APC-sponsored driver and his replacement may be on the cards for tomorrow. No hard feelings to Hawking at all, but some resentment may be in the man who was ditched by Stefan's current sponsor.

Sponsor-less Alfonso Mercado (@AM64) was calm: he didn't have to worry about the duel with Gil for this weekend. Now he could focus on his driving and getting the best out of the team-built car. And, by God, did he do just that. He was on a qualifying steak after all and he didn't want to let that up anytime soon. His junior stock-car pedigree showed tonight as he set the timing screens alight. His final time was 15.169 seconds, 2 tenths faster than the nearest non-charter driver and enough for a front-row start tomorrow. It will be his and JR's first appearance on the front row, lining up alongside the pole-sitter Valentina Freya Yadana Aye (she beat Mercado by a hundredth of a second). The JR garage was shocked at this and understandably happy.

Some in the team are starting to wonder if Elbert Linde sponsored the wrong JR car. The only thing I will say about this is this: there are supposed to be four horsemen of the apocalypse, not two...

[Saint Kanye]

Glorious Free Republic Motorsports garage area, Halstead Raceway, Halstead, Wreckeria
The morning of qualifying for the Warner Hall 400

The GFR trio were sitting around a table, eating a pizza that was given to them by the race sponsor, making some small talk with each other and looking forward to a good qualifying session later in the day.

"So, about Starlight's new contest.... it looks to me like it's still a popularity contest, except we're all judged on ability as well. I like it", said Skip Stiller. Hampton Islander hotel chain Starlight Suites asked NSSCRA fans last season who they thought was the prettiest among the female drivers in the series, but their poll this season simply asked about the "best" driver and included males alongside the females.

"It sounds all good and fair to me, yeah", chimed in Thea Alvarez, who was the top pick in Starlight's previous poll. "Tough matchup for me in the first round though, look. Frank Bronson. I bet he's got all of Hapilopper rooting for him, he's having a breakout season."

"Well, I got YG", spoke Jeremiah Brooke, referring to Vilita and Turori's Yraaga Gilli'i. "Dude was first to win thrice in the regular season, which I think will impress the voters and make them look past his struggles this season."

"You're way more popular, though", Stiller told him. "No offense to YG, but I've never seen him engage with fans the way you do. All those Jeremaniacs could prove to be the difference in your matchup. I guess I gotta start engaging with my Skippers more as well if I'm hoping to beat Rinzi and his Mayhem-bringing ways." Sherpa driver Rinzi Aogar Zakhilwal, of course, is the face of Mayhem men's care products, which have enjoyed popularity in many NSSCRA participant countries thanks to an unforgettable advertising campaign.

"Hey, maybe I can get all those Stacie Houston supporters to vote for me too. We ain't facing off yet anyway", said Brooke, referring to his close driver friend from Cassadaigua. He took one look at Alvarez's stuffed cocoabo toy and said "Thea could use Cocoabo #46 to her advantage, since none of the birds are in the poll. Get their fans on her side." "Oh yeah, why aren't the Cocoabo drivers in there anyway? You can't tell me Hampton Island doesn't like animals competing with humans, remember they have a bear play basketball for them", spoke Alvarez.

The trio's planning session was interrupted by the arrival of a GFR employee. "Drivers, there's someone I want you to meet", said the employee, who according to his badge goes by the name Connor. "I'm just gonna need a few moments of your time. If you could follow me to the lobby, please."

Waiting for Stiller, Brooke and Alvarez was Abdoulaye Goita, the Recuecian driver who'd recently been crowned WGP2 champion. "Well this is great," said Connor, who was the one who picked Goita up at the airport a day earlier. "You haven't met the other drivers yet, have you?"

"No," said Goita, "but I'm delighted to! It's great to finally meet you guys!" He shook hands with each of them in turn: the shy Alvarez; Brooke, who pulled out his phone again to twii about the occasion; and Stiller, the man himself. "I heard you were cheering for Stone in the WGP2, Skip," teased Abdoulaye. "She was my main rival... I hope that something's changed or we might not be able to get along." Stiller replied "Hey, come on, I only rooted for Olivia because she drove the #3, like me, same deal with Jeremiah supporting his fellow #18, that Fanene dude. Now since you'll be my teammate for one race, I'll be cheering for you as well next season."

"Hey, wanna have a go at the simulator? It's got Jalton loaded in it, so you can have a feel for the track before the team actually puts you in a stock car", Brooke asked Goita, pointing to what looks like a booth with a driver seat, steering wheel, sticks, pedals and a large computer screen which is currently showing a driver's eye view of St. Kanye's Jalton Superspeedway. "It's fine, we've all practiced enough and are just waiting for quals", Alvarez added, "and maybe you should watch the quals too."

Connor the GFR employee then returned from the bathroom and told Goita, "The sponsorship deal with Rich Discount Stores has been finalized. We're gonna unveil your paintjob in the coming days." The WGP2 champ looked confused. "Paintjob", said Brooke. "I think you open-wheel people call it a livery?" "Yes, that", responded Connor. "You'll be flying to St. Kanye for the unveiling. But don't worry, you're not gonna get crammed into an airliner with hundreds of others. We at GFR have private jets, and you've just earned the right to be in one, champ." Stiller, Brooke, Alvarez and even Connor repeated that last word.

[New Northwesteros]

Here is a passage taken from Apocalypse Pest Control boss Elbert Linde's email response to Jaguar Racing social media manager Derrick Carlisle's blog post titled "Did Elbert Linde Sponsor The Wrong Car?"

"The decision to sponsor Michael Stefan rather than his teammate Alfonso Mercado was not a mistake. While it's true that Mercado has been doing well in recent races and even outperforming his teammate, Stefan has the advantage of having a charter. In fact, I specifically sought out chartered but unsponsored drivers to replace Scott Hawking, whose performances week in and week out were not to my liking. And Stefan is the best of the bunch. His charter means at least one guaranteed Apocalypse-sponsored car in the field, and a decent finish that I could never achieve with Hawking. Also, remember that my dear son Tyler Linde, whom I also sponsor, does not have a charter. If I had put my brand on Mercado's car, and he and Tyler both fail to qualify, that's a race weekend I have paid for with nothing to show for it. No offense to them both. Let me repeat that I am noticing Mercado's improvements, as well as Tyler's, every week."

Elbert has continued to push Stefan to display his Apocalypse car and the posters as much as he can (Tyler would be running his Chadwick Dealers paintjob instead). Some might see this move as the elder Linde being petty toward Hawking, but he thinks it's justified and feels he wasted money on the Wreckerian who "seems to be fond of living up to the first five letters of his home country". (No OOC hate for the user of Wreckeria and Hapilopper.)