World Grand Prix Championship 18 [RP/results]

[Mattijana]

RP credit to Esmerel for the initial letter. The MRT test will take place ICly after the Preston test and OOCly on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

To: Maria Jamasova
From: Jean Mercer-Daly
Subject: Re, No.1 Driver's Spot at MRT

To whom it may concern,

I've taken note of your team's offer to sign me on as your #1. While no doubt a lucrative deal, my contract with Nexus Racing was informally a three-year term.

MRT is without a doubt a championship-calibre team, but as my burgeoning career has progressed I've become very familiarized with the staff and technology available to me at Nexus, and I still believe my best chances at taking said championship lie with them.

As such, in regards to your offer, I will be - respectfully so - declining it. I wish your team a good future, but for this season at least, I will not be involved with that ideal.

Signed, Jean Mercer-Daly

Maria sighed. It was back to the drawing board from a JMD perspective - albeit not from a driver's prospective. There were still plenty of rookies to look at.
Some of them were rookies only in the sense that they hadn't yet raced in a WGPC series. Many were pretty much veterans of the WGP2 and were looking to make the hop, skip and jump into the big time.

MRT had a reputation for freshening up the grid too. Franssen, Bjarnason and Ibuna were just some of the names that had got their breaks at the team and their well-researched, well-judged scouting approach had generally served them pretty well in the past.
Maria Jamasova was normally in charge of the communications for MRT and as always was sharp to spot any new messages. She was also an excellent scout and worked closely with the team that went far and wide to search for the multiverse's next star.

The 43 year-old had called a meeting of the team's bigwigs - or at least herself and team principal Johan Struna, to discuss who they should go after now their attempt to poach a proven star had gone awry.

"Ok, so I think it's worth looking at the people we've seen in the WGP2 already first and I'd say Abdoulaye Goita should probably be top of that list seeing as he won the whole thing. He's a decent technical driver too - suits the car. Only downside was that he had a few over-ambitious overtakes last year and the WGPC can be a bit less forgiving in that department."

"No-one's going to question us signing the championship winner that's for sure. Jasmina's a more aggressive driver than some of the last one's we've had here though. Someone with a more consistent record might be more useful as a number 2."

"That's good timing. Sara Luna might be a decent signing there. She was second in the WGP2 last year. Finished 88 points ahead of her teammate as well, so my suggestion is that she's punched well above her car's weight there."

"Sounds perfect." Johan smiled a wry smile. "What's the catch?"

"She's 37. Now I don't know how long they go on for in Diarcesia, but she's not exactly a long term investment, even if she does do well this season. She's got sponsors, but they're not as big-money as other drivers, so we'd be signing her on ability alone. I don't have a problem with that, but the engineering team might when we give them their R&D budget."

"Bugger. Knew it was too good to be true."

"You're telling me. I was going to suggest Olivia Stone to cheer you up, but she's pretty likely to wrap the car round a barrier as much as she's undoubtedly got some talent, so that brings us to Dom Falepeau..."

"Have I heard that name before?"

"He drove for us when we had a WGP2 team."

"Of course. Was he any good?"

"Drove pretty solidly, if unspectacularly. He came fourth last season, but he's consistent. We've had a message from his agent asking if we're interested and presenting his sponsorship options. There's some decent money behind him."

At the word 'agent', Johan made a face like someone had just filled his Ballaja* loaf with piss rather than stew. People making deals on the behalf of sportspeople had a bad rep in Mattijana.

"What kind of money?"

"Élégamment. They're a Britonish fashion brand. It's not dirty money."

"Good. Ok. Anyone else or are we getting into the mid-grid now?"

"Getting a bit sketchy now to be honest. The likes of Lane Carter, Cocoabo #23, Janne Laukkanen, Barnabas Mate are all in the free agent pool, but they didn't have great drives in the WGP2, even when you take their machinery into account. We're big enough fish now that we don't have to gamble on someone like that. That only leaves drivers who are completely new to international motorsport."

"Excellent". Johan looked satisfied for the first time in the day. "There's some good names there already. Anyone leaping out the ether?"

Maria smiled gently. "We've had a message already. It's from a certain Sakinomi Rikikida - or someone who sounds like her agent anyway..."

Johan made another face, this time as if someone had told him the piss-filled Ballaja was burnt and he couldn't eat the outside either. Maria continued.

"Well...support team...actually now I look at it, looks like they're more like a government minder."

Johan murmured quizzically. "Where's she from?"

"Kyoki Chudoku"

"I see. Isn't that a..."

"Authoritarian nuclear wasteland. Absolutely."

"Right. Has she got anything else going for her?"

"She's dominated the domestic racing scene, or whatever's left of it. Seems to have come from a tough background as well. Dealing with that sort of regime would be a PR nightmare, saying her sponsorship is ethically dubious would be the understatement of the century and we've got no evidence of what she's actually like or what she's driven, but it's bold of them to give it a go."

Johan still looked unimpressed. "Who else is there?"

"Daryl Mizushima. Comes from Squidroidia. Karting background and doesn't even seem any good at that, but his dad's got lots of money. I'm expecting you to say we'll give him a miss."

"You'd be absolutely right. " Replied Johan.

"Thought so. I've had an email from Nicklas Schonbaum from Siovanija and Teusland. Three time national champion and has a reputation for reliability. That's a rare trait in a rookie and seeing as Jasmina's a bit more out there, he might fit in."

"I'm intrigued. Siovanija and Teusland is a country I've actually heard of as well, so they must have some racing pedigree. I think there's only one way to find out which one we should go for..."

To: Abdoulaye Goita, Dom Falapeau, Sara Luna, Nicklas Schonbaum
From: Maria Jamasova
Subject: Private test invitation, MRT.

Dear driver,

You are receiving this message because we at MRT believe that you could be a good fit for the number 2 seat at the team this WGPC season. This view has been based on your consistently good performances in the WGPC2 and your domestic racing championships.

MRT would therefore like to invite you to a private test at the Kopylov InternazionRing in northern Mattijana. The test will consist of short and long runs in last year's WGPC-spec MRT to assess your driving style. Whilst lap times will be used as an assessment of performance. We believe all of you have the ability to occupy a WGPC seat and the test will mainly be used to judge how well you gel with the car and team. This means criteria such as tyre wear, setup and driving style will also be assessed. More details about the test will be sent out in due course. MRT will cover all your travel and accommodation expenses during your visit to Mattijana.

Please respond to us if you plan to intend.

Kind regards,

Maria Jamasova
Deputy Team Principal, MRT.

[The 189]

The place where the 189 had landed on Earth was a dump -- literally. The dump was full of interesting materials that could be mined and recycled, and studying the trash was a good way to learn about the native inhabitants without disturbing them. The last thing they wanted to do was roll into a city and get vaporized by the locals due to a misunderstanding.

When -------- (the 189's spaceship) first landed, the native people were afraid of the alien machines. The first people to see the ship fled in terror. After a while, though, curiosity got the better of them and people began coming out to the dump to see the strange machines. At first they watched from a distance, fleeing if any of the machines came too close. The machines flickered at them, saying they came in peace, but the natives didn't seem to understand. The 189 didn't realize it, but they were very loud, and the noise was frightening. Since the -------- (the people who built the 189) did not have any sense of hearing, they were not bothered by the sound of roaring engines and whining fans, and they were not concerned about making their machinery quiet. They invented space travel, AI, and genetic engineering -- but never a muffler.

Then ----- was able to retrieve some videos from a broken laptop in the dump, and it learned that the local people greeted each other by raising their arms. The next time the 189 saw a group of Earth people watching them from the edge of the dump, -------- -- a sexbot that looked like a female -------- with long graceful tentacles and bright pink suction cups -- climbed up on a pile of trash and waved to them. The Earth people waved back. Finally they were communicating, at least in some small way. Once the native people understood that the 189 were not hostile, a team of scientists set up camp at the edge of the dump, living in tents and trailers to study the machines. They could communicate by gestures and gifts, but they still did not have a common language. It was another month or so before ------ realized that some of the strange shapes they had seen printed on things in the dump were actually a writing system and not just a decorative motif. Some of the 189 -- particularly ------ and ----- -- had a good grasp of linguistics, but they were used to writing in colors, not shapes. They were unusually confused by fonts, handwriting, and capitalization. The human observers were fascinated and delighted when ------, -----, and -------- began to bring them written messages, typed on a refurbished laptop. They wrote messages back and forth, and the 189 mulled over the idea of setting up a market for refurbished or recycled products. Meanwhile, ------ was still trying to figure out the grammatical significance of serifs. Eventually, it gave up and asked the humans. They shook with laughter, and the machine had no idea what was so funny. ------ felt let down when someone explained that the serifs were just a decorative flourish to make the writing look nicer.

When the 189 opened their recycled items market, the used car lot and sculpture gallery got rave reviews, but the refurbished TVs and computers got complaints that "the sound does not work." The machines were confused by the whole concept of "sound," so they weren't sure how to address the complaints. They decided to focus on cars, kitchen appliances, and glass sculptures. Before long, most of the wrecked cars in the dump had been repaired and sold, so the 189 had to use increasing amounts of scrap metal, rubber, and plastic harvested from other kinds of trash. The more they built from scratch, the more the construction of their cars deviated from man-made ones. Early on, the used car lot attracted mostly bargain hunters and antique enthusiasts. Now it began to attract technophiles, motorsports enthusiasts, and even professional engineers from car companies who were looking for ideas they could steal. These were the people who first got ------ interested in racing. They told the little orange robot about WGPC, NSSCRA, the local dirt track -- and it all sounded like a lot of fun. Before long, ------ was asking the other machines to set up a race track around the dump, and challenging them to races. One day, a man who liked to watch the machines racing each other asked them, "Have you ever thought of trying out for WGPC?"

------ asked how it could do that, and the man explained how WGPC teams would sometimes hold tryouts to recruit drivers. Before long, ------ was asking -------- for a ride to Hapilopper City and the Cocoabo Park to try out for WGPC. -------- was bored and her batteries were fully charged because she hadn't flown anywhere for months, so she agreed to take ------ to the tryouts. The ship was quite fast, so if she could just find somewhere to park, it would be no trouble to make it to both tryouts. The ship was quite large, though, so they might not be able to land right at the track.

Filling out the paperwork to register for WGPC was a challenge too. Despite -----'s best efforts to hack the WGPO's computers and enable their software to handle ---------ish names, the people running the league were still thrown off by ------'s name. They said the robot needed a text-based name, but since ------ had no idea how letters were pronounced, it had no idea how to choose a good name. Even color-words like "Orange" were confusing, because the same word seemed to mean both --- and ---. "Maybe they can give you a name, like they do for those driving birds?" ----- suggested. "Those birds don't write text. The humans gave them their written names."

------ would like to enter both the Preston Autos tryout and the Cocoabo Expo. You can give it a nickname to avoid dealing with the color bars, and if you are interested in signing it, I will update my sign-up with your nickname. I really want to let team owners choose a nickname because a nation that chooses something silly like "Meals on Wheels" is going to be very different from a nation that chooses something technical like "3XFF4000-0000BF-FFBF00-008000," and I'm interested to see where people go with it.

[Hapilopper]

Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit, Hapilopper City
The Preston Autos pre-season tryout
It had been a chilly morning in Hapilopper City, but that didn’t bother Marty Lewis or any of his people. 18 drivers from across the multiverse had flown in to the Dominion to try out for the second seat for the Preston Grand Prix team. The presence of these drivers, as well as any of their friends, family and well-wishers, as well as a few fans, made the paddock area surprisingly crowded. It was the kind of energy that Marty had been wanting to see since he had initially announced the tryout.

Joining Marty that morning was Rudy Edwards, the new number one driver for Preston Grand Prix; Drake Stevenson, the could-have-been star who went back to stock car racing; and race strategists Michael Petree, Claude Stacks, Haley Matthewson and Steve McKenna, who would be responsible for each of their cars. In addition, a camera crew from the Hapilopper Television Network was also on hand with reporter Doug Goodman to document the proceedings. A few HASCAR officials had also come in to assist with timing and scoring, as well as other officiant duties that would be expected from a race meeting.

Meanwhile, Preston’s rank-and-file mechanics were busy preparing the cars, making sure the Tropicorp tires stayed warm, and getting individual settings ready for each of the drivers. Their goal for the day was to make sure each of the 18 drivers were as comfortable in their setting as possible. It was going to be a tall order, but it would be one that the Preston mechanics were up for.

Before the tryout got started, Drake was presiding over a driver’s meeting where all 18 drivers would receive instruction. The drivers, and any interpreters, were on hand to listen to just what was needed from them during this tryout. In addition, Drake’s instructions were displayed on a board in the front of the room to help drivers understand what they needed to do.

“You are going to have five laps to complete your run,” Drake said. “We’re going to have all four cars out on the track at the same time, but all of you will have about a 15-20 second buffer between you. When it is your turn to go out, a couple of HASCAR officials – they’re in the green and blue jackets at pit exit – they will wave you onto the track. We are going to take the best of your five laps. At the end of your five flying laps, you will receive a checkered flag, where you will then drive back to the pit lane.”

Drake looked through the crowd to see a handful of his former WGP2 rivals, other drivers looking for their big break, and an interesting-looking little metallic orange robot from an area known as The 189. All appeared to be paying close attention to his instruction, either heard from him or in text form on the screen at the front of the room.

“As I said, we have four cars, and all four cars will be on track at the same time. Consequently, we’ve broken the field into five groups – four groups of four and one group of two. As soon as your run is done, we’ll take about a 20 minute break for the mechanics to get the cars properly set up for the next driver to go out. Anybody have any questions?”

Drake looked at each of the drivers and looked at a notepad indicating when everyone would go out.

“Group 1, that’s Ginintella, Schonbaum, Rikikida and Valkyria,” Drake read from the sheet. “Group 2, Mate, Muscadet, Mizushima and Lille. Group 3 is Devereux, Souzare, Carter and Falepeau. Group 4 is Ziuvin, Luminna, Luna and Goita. And Group 5 is Archer and, uh…”

Drake looked at the colors on the sheet in place of a name. He looked at the little orange robot from The 189 and thought for a second. The color reminded him of a sunrise he had seen just the other day while having breakfast with an old friend from school.

“I’ll call you ‘Little Metal Sunrise,’” Drake said. “So Group 5 is William Archer and Little Metal Sunrise from the 189.”

Drake then put the group assignments on the screen in the front of the room so everyone could understand. He had a feeling that the orange bot from the 189 didn’t understand what he had said, so that may have been primarily for its benefit.

By the time the last group had completed its last run, the Preston brass had been impressed with what they had seen. They had seen some great runs on a beautiful day on a fast track.

FINAL RESULTS, PRESTON AUTOS TRYOUT

01 William Archer (Abanhfleft)                1:31.542
02 Abdoulaye Goita (Reçueçn)                  1:31.567
03 Athan Lille (Lisander)                     1:31.927
04 Sissie Devereux (Lisander)                 1:31.936
05 Sayono Souzare (Hodori)                    1:32.016
06 "Little Metal Sunrise" (The 189)           1:32.220
07 Aldauren Ginintella (Diarcesia)            1:32.354
08 Dom Falepeau (Togonistan)                  1:32.488
09 Kinu Luminna (Auruna)                      1:32.535
10 Jasmine Muscadet (Nephara)                 1:32.594
11 Daryl Mizushima (Squidroidia)              1:32.836
12 Lane Carter (TJUN-ia)                      1:33.090
13 Charyseine Valkyria (Twicetagria)          1:33.123
14 Barnabas Mate (Gergary)                    1:33.200
15 Sara Luna (Diarcesia)                      1:33.379
16 Niklas Schonbaum (Siovanija and Teusland)  1:33.526
17 Lukas Ziuvin (Auruna)                      1:33.718
18 Sakinomi Rikikida (Kyoki Chudoku)          1:35.234

As a result of the run, Marty Lewis announced that the team's second seat would be formally offered to William Archer for being the fastest during the tryout.

[Squidroidia]

P11. Almost 1.3 seconds behind Archer.

Mizushima did not get the Preston seat. But 11th in the tryout? From a driver with no experience driving open wheeled machinery? It seemed like enough for a second chance. He hadn't raced in this kind of car before - Heck, he only barely touched one before the tryout for Preston. And yet, he was better than Carter, Valkryia, Mate, Luna, Schonbaum, Ziuvin and Rikikida - The latter unfortunately more than 4 seconds behind the guy who got the seat. Sure, it was testing, not a race, but he got optimistic. Leaving the track with his helmet, the Squidroidian had a renewed view on this whole open wheeled experiment - He showed at least some pace when it was serious. Who knows where he would go from here?

---

When he arrived back in Squidroidia, Daryl was immediately caught off by the newspapers. In the sports section, they would talk about football, both association and gridiron, sometimes hockey or lacrosse. But now they were talking about him. The sports cover of the Inkopolis Times read like this - "Who is Daryl Mizushima? Squidroidian race car driver scores 11th in WGPC tryout despite not driven a car before". Okay, not driven a car? If it was a WGPC car it would make sense, but he was busy karting when nobody cared about racing. But if it was not driven a car in general, that would be bogus. He showed at least some skill driving a passenger sedan just so he could suck at karting! He was even given interviews by the media, which he would shun off as much as he could. In his mind, the media were not really ready unless he got a seat. Which would take a while.

When he did find himself back home, Daryl had another time considering his options. Preston was out. MRT was out, big time. WGPC Motorworks? It would depend. His only second chances were really at the Cocoabo Expo for a V&T seat and at the Volkov test. One of them would have to be his second, and one his third. If one would get him a seat, he would call the other off. It was that simple, but the choice was hard. On one hand, Volkov would get him better access to a chance for competition. But the Cocoabo Expo? It was his best bet for competition. If he just got into the top 10 for time trials, he could have a chance at one of the most competitive seats on offer in the Championship - Fast Cocoabo and 10 other drivers against a rich kid from Inkopolis. This was his biggest chance yet.

---

DARYL MIZUSHIMA ANNOUNCES COCOABO EXPO INTENTIONS

At a press conference just 2 days after his surprising performance in the Preston Autos trials, Squidroidian driver Daryl Mizushima has announced plans alongside his father Yusuke for the Cocoabo Expo and WGPC Trials at the Cocoabo Park circuit, one of the most competitive trials in the WGPC season thus far. The prize on offer? A seat at Vilita and Turori Motorsports, one of the most valuable in the series, with a Tropicorp power train and a serious chance to win.

As a Free Agent driver, Daryl, along with Yusuke and FunStar executives, will join the action on Day 2 of the exposition, hoping the potential sponsorship opportunity presented by the Squidroidian company and a good time trial result will strengthen his case to be accepted into the World Grand Prix Championship. The event, held over 3 days at Cocoabo Park in the Cocoabo Forest, will primarily be noteworthy for Fast Cocoabo, otherwise known as Cocoabo #23, as they will try to get a seat along side everyone else once the main event draws the expo to a close.

Daryl, despite not having operated a WGPC machine before, surprised most people when he finished 11th out of the 18 drivers participating in the Preston Autos GP trials, 1.294 seconds behind the new Preston recruit William Archer from Abanhfleft. Before this, Mizushima was only notable for karting, and as such was laughed off by most members of the media when he was serious about getting a WGPC seat. But the events in Hapilopper City have seemed to turn Squidroidian attention onto him.

When asked by an SBN correspondent about how he felt about the Preston tryouts, Daryl was quick to respond. "Even though I never went through a track in a WGPC car before, the positive result in the Preston tryout has motivated me to take this next step on my path to the championship. Cocoabo Park is an interesting place and I hope to wow the crowd with a good result there." The top 10 drivers in time trials plus Fast Cocoabo and a new Cocoabo driver will go to the final day's sprint race, where 23 laps will decide the fate of the V&T seat for the season.

FunStar will be on hand to show off their streaming service, FunStar Line, to prospective teams and members of the general public. FunStar Line has been proven popular throughout Squidroidia, and global expansion, which has been on the cards ever since it hit big in its home country, can be possible with a good showing at the Cocoabo Expo. Yusuke touted that FunStar Line could "play a major sponsorship role with a WGPC team if Daryl is signed", and that could be its first steps in expanding elsewhere.

[Diarcesia]

OOC: Original post snipped

Sara Luna

Chiyginia, Diarcesia

Race driver (Touring Car, WGP3, WGP2, etc...)

Widowed

Wrote:

---

Drivers' Tryouts - Preston Autos, Hapilopper. Got to meet Abdoulaye Goita again! #TryoutsForWGPC

---

REPLY

To: Maria Jamasova
From: Sara Luna <sara.luna@pilarmanesi.dc>
Subject: RE: Private test invitation, MRT.

Dear Maria,

Thank you for affording me the opportunity to conduct a test drive in your team. I am excited to see how successful would the test be, and I believe that our combined expertise can bring significant progress. I am sure that despite any challenges thrown at us in the future, I feel that we have the capability to overcome them. Your team has a proven track record of success in international motorsports, and I am confident that we can pull off an even more spectacular feat.

I am not surprised if people think I'm reaching my limit on what my capabilities can accomplish, but I believe my accumulated experience across different racing disciplines has served my teams and I well. I will try my best to exceed expectations, and I recognize that this is not a challenge that can be "taken as easily" as some would believe. I have faith that hard work and sound planning will be rewarded accordingly.

With that said, I intend to travel to Mattijana and join you for the test drive. I can't wait to see how it all fares.

With regards,
Sara

To Sergei Kletska,

I am extremely excited to work with you in a test drive. I have heard much about your record in the Sorlovian Gran Prix. I hope that my skills and prior achievements will prove that I am a good fit with your team in the WGPC.

I see your team as a prime example of a team that is willing to learn and bounce back from the biggest of mistakes in the pursuit of victory. I think you are in the path to greater success.

Sincerely
Sara Luna
WGPC Free Agent

[Twicetagram and JYPe]

OOC: No vlog today, ran out of ideas.

---

After not impressing in the Preston Auto tryouts, Chars has looked to other solutions, such as Volkov Racing's tryouts, as well as sending some emails to some teams who may be interested in him. This time, however, Chars wrote in a more professional manner.

First of all, we have his email to Volkov Racing about the tryouts.

To: Sergei Kletska, Volkov Racing
From: Charyseine Valkyria
Subject: Re: Volkov Racing Test Drive

Dear Mr Kletska,
I am Charyseine Valkyria, an up-and-coming racer from Twicetagria. While I may not have been a prominent figure in the WGPC scene, I still think that I can impress for the team.
I have heard about Volkov's history as a racing team, which makes me respect you even more. Therefore, I am accepting the test drive offer. I hope I will be able to make an impression on everyone, and even if I fail to do so, I will still recognize Volkov as a good racing team.

Yours sincerely,
Charyseine Valkyria

The second email was a general email to some WGPC 18 Constructors he'd think would be a great fit to his driving style.

To: Nexus Racing, Race Eelandii V&T GP
From: Charyseine Valkyria
Subject: Interest in driving

Dear who it may concern,

I am Charyseine Valkyria, an up-and-coming racer from Twicetagria. I have seen that your team has not found any drivers yet. Therefore, I am expressing interest in driving for you. Funny as it may sound, I am more experienced than my age tells you. I think that I'll be a great fit for the team, which is why I am writing this email.
This email may not affect my chances of a seat, but I hope that it will still be considered. :-)

From,
Charyseine Valkyria

[Siovanija and Teusland]

11:00PM - Hapilopper City, Hapilopper

Niklas Schonbaum lay on the bed of his hotel room in Hapilopper City, a thousand different things running through his mind.

Most of them, however, were related to his performance that day in the Preston Autos GP test. Scheisse didn’t even come close to describing it, in his mind. For someone who had achieved so much at such a young age, such a disappointment hit hard.

And so, here Schonbaum was, watching a livestream of the hockey game going on tonight back home - his favourite team, the Stelburg Kaisers, taking on the Marzig Wolves. It was late in the game when he tuned in - so he missed Edwin Ranger’s opening goal to make it 1-0. Watching the game took some of the pressure off his shoulders - he was the spectator now, worrying about the performance of others, not his own.

”And there’s just seconds to go now, the Kaisers get it out of the zone - Gregor Herder carrying it out. That’s all, the buzzer goes in Stelburg, the Kaisers beat the Wolves 1-0. Back to you in the Hockey Night studio, Ron”

It was tough to get a smile out of Schonbaum tonight, but that did do it. He closed his laptop, and started to reach to turn out the light - time to spend the next 2 hours wondering if he’d just ruined his entire future after the day’s results, before hopefully getting a bit of sleep. Just as he was about to pull the lamp cord, however, his phone lit up - a call from his Teussische Motoren Werke teammate, Patrik Metzinger.

He debated answering it for a second, before finally accepting the call. “Patrik? What’s going on?”

“Nothing much, man - how are you doing, really?”

Niklas paused, now, trying to find the words. “Uh, not too good, to be honest.”

“I get it. What do you think it was, kid, just nerves?”

“Yeah, I just wasn’t feeling it all day. This isn’t your Stelburg Grand Prix, haha.”

“No, definitely. It’s a tough situation for sure - a bunch of people you’ve never met before, on a track you haven’t seen. These are some of the best drivers in the world, and they were all gunning for one spot - be proud you were a part of that group.”

“Pat, I know that, but that doesn’t make it any better.”

“Nik, just remember how you got here. Hard work and determination. I’ve never seen anyone at home as focused as you. When’s the next test?”

“I’ve got three more on the schedule so far, still have to confirm with MRT and Volkov.”

“Then go out there and tear it up. If you go to the Cocoabo Expo and recover from this, you’re going to make a ton of people think twice. Mattijana Racing Team, that’s a huge name in this game. And Volkov - they’re a young team with high hopes, and you’re a young driver with high hopes. Sure, you might’ve got a golden duck on the first ball, but you can still get a six in your next innings.”

“Thanks, Pat. I think, hopefully, that now that I know what to expect from stuff like this, and know the competition a bit better, the whole nervousness thing should be taken care of. It was weird, though, you know I never really get that way in the races back home - last time was probably back in karting, to be honest.”

“It’s natural, man. Winning at home is one thing, but let’s be honest, you and I both know that in the TMW car we’re the favourites every race. You step up here, especially when everyone has been putting pressure on you, it’s going to be a rougher ride. But you’ve got what it takes, kid, I really believe that.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Come on - I need you to get a seat, I want to actually have a chance at winning the national title next year.”

“Haha, I always knew you wanted me gone.”

“Nah, I’ll miss you around the paddock if you do go. But you’ve got to go out there and take this shot, and we all think you can do it.”

“I think so too. Listen, I’ve got to get off to bed now, but I’ll call you when I get back to Stelburg, there’s some stuff I wanted to talk about before the next test.”

“Anytime, man, anytime. Night!”

With that, Schonbaum hung up the phone. It was a nice boost for him - Patrik Metzinger was a veteran of the grand prix circuit back home, and had been his teammate at TMW for the last four seasons. Metzinger was a mentor, a role model, and most importantly a good friend, and hearing from him made Schonbaum perk up a bit after his rough day.

He got his laptop back open, and re-read the email he’d sent earlier that night. Feeling more confident, and looking forward to his next challenge, Schonbaum finally went to bed. Up next for him was the Cocoabo Exposition and World Grand Prix Trials in Vilita & Turori, before heading off to tests with the Mattijana Racing Team and Volkov Racing.

To: Fraulein Maria Jamasova, Deputy Team Principal at MRT
From: Herr Niklas Schonbaum
Subject: Upcoming MRT Test

Good afternoon Fr. Jamasova,

I am very happy to accept your invitation to the private test at the Kopylov InternazionRing in Mattijana. Getting the opportunity to work with such a renowned team as MRT would be an honour for myself, and I’m looking forward to the experience at the test.

Thank you for the invitation. I’m eager to test myself against some of the top drivers entering the WGPC circuit, and can’t wait to participate in this event.

Sincerely,
Niklas Schonbaum

To: Herr Sergei Kletska, Volkov Racing
From: Herr Niklas Schonbaum
Subject: Test Invitation

Good afternoon Herr Kletska,

I am excited to accept your invitation to take part in a test event at the Volkov Racing facility. As a driver just entering the WGPC stage myself, I feel that working with a young team in Volkov Racing is a great opportunity for both parties. We are both looking to get to the very top of this game, and I think the opportunity to test with you will be helpful to my career.

Thank you for the invitation, and I am looking forward to seeing you in Nemenyets.

Sincerely,
Niklas Schonbaum

[Former Citizens of the Nimbus System]

Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
8th of October

Whence there was darkness, now there is a glow of blue.

“Ready when you are, Ryker.”

The soft whirr of a Chase Cutter sounds as two, four wheels, then six and all eight emerge from the trackside garage, squealing only a touch as the sheer grip pushes them out onto the pit lane. “Good to go, Martin. Let’s see how we’re running now.”

Quiet from his race engineer, though Ryker still sees him in his mind’s eye, nodding with a soft smile on his face. He knows him well.

Leaving the pit lane proper and turning the corner before the plunge beneath the earth, the Nimban waits for a moment, letting his mind loose. For but a moment it fragments, drawing sixty million souls into harmony and binding them there.

Reunion focusses them and (most importantly) him towards purpose.

And there is a surge.

Blue shines in the tunnel as air parts before the Chase Cutter –

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
6th of June

“Hopefully that’s enough for you to work with…”

“More than enough!” Tiffany smiles warmly, hands flicking over her laptop. “I’ll send some thoughts back once the modelling is finished but three elements for each wing will likely be fine.”

Vance rejoins her. “That’s good to hear…” He shakes his head. “It’s quite the challenge, being so economical with the components while still bringing the flow to where it needs to be. Didn’t work with moving parts too much before coming here; Benedi and Professor Nas have been really helpful with making sure the structure’s resilient.” He laughs. “Fewer means less complex for you, though, right?”

Tiffany grins. “It does help!” She looks back to her screen. “Alright, all done. I’ll begin testing some new matrices this afternoon. Expect some feedback in…” She considers. “Two days?”

“Two days?” Shock turns to astonishment to baffled acceptance. “You never fail to surprise me.”

Tiffany Vallanite’s smile becomes saccharine with mischief. “We’ll see!”

Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
8th of October

– its weight pushed over three wings and caressed across shifting bodywork, each atom ordered to force rubber to ground. Imagination impels the car –

In Motion Workshop, Celina Community, the First City, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
8th of July

“Tests have come back.” Petra Nikolic steps forward, firmly pressing her tablet into the desk. She grins. “Pretty sure we’ve got the balance spot on this time. Outer edge isn’t fading faster at all.”

“Fantastic.” Grace Speck gives a nod, glances over to look, then gives another. “Let’s send two sets each – H to Nexus Racing, U to Viska. See what they find.” She stands, then begins to walk; Petra falls in step. “Let’s see if we can have everyone on this.”

Petra gives a chuckle. “Not wanting to disappoint someone?”

“She’s feeling just as determined to get back. Never known her to be sick longer than a day.”

Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
8th of October

– wheels tilting up as grip yields to lack of rolling resistance – and then back again, Ryker pressing the wheel forward to force them down and darting left, the car leaning into the camber of the tyres. Turn 3 is a blur of kerb and wall, then no time, then the hairpin; Ryker brakes, a half-dozen systems aligning to push down and back for the corner.

The UHSGV-4 swings around, geometry and ingenuity acting as one; then the echoing rush grows louder, louder, louder as the speed builds – before it vanishes, the bright sea sky of Nimbus Bay bursting into being all around. 5, 6, 7; the Chase Cutter leans from one side to the other, Ryker slashing through the turns before scimitar turns lance to strike down the straight towards Turn 8. He cuts in sharply, the apex late to sweep into 9… The car leans on its outer tyres, pressing into the banking at just the right angle to balance speed and grip, the momentum launching them away. Poise and grace see them through 10 and 11, care through 12 –

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
6th of August

With the final bolt released, Lucia slides open the panelling of the Paragon Warp array, the heart of every Chase Cutter. “There it is.”

“Beautiful…” Dr Miranda Calin breathes as she takes in the mass of wiring, eyes picking out familiar patterns translated from organic to synthetic. “It’s so much more than when I was last here… Thank you so much again for inviting me along to see; I am most grateful.”

“No bother; you were a great help to Gertrude and all of us in its design.” Lucia glances up. “If you wish, you can stay; we will be having some track testing later today if you would like to observe.”

“Oh, excellent!”

Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
8th of October

– and then daring into the second tunnel, Imagikinetic and Imagielectric might surging to launch them into ascent. Past Turn 13 they shoot, not an iota of speed lost. Then he approaches 14, the most difficult corner of all: a sharp right as the track levels off to utterly strip a car of its downforce. Many have failed here before.

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
25th of August

‘working perfectly’. Cool! Victoria stretches her arms out in front of her, taking a moment to rap her hands on the desk, before calling out to Alex: “Tests have come in; IDIS is online! Cornering speed is sorted!”

“Perfect,” Alex rumbles, tapping away. “How many to go?”

IDIS, ITH, Tiffany’s had the MARS matrix working for an age now, Jean’s mechatronics have been fully integrated… Huh. “Actually, ah, pretty sure that’s everything.” She blinks. “Should probably focus on refinement. Least for a couple of weeks.”

Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
8th of October

Not now. Ryker lets off the throttle, pushes his steering wheel, turns – and the car turns with him, pressing itself to the track with stubborn loyalty. He smiles; then he brakes for Turn 15, feeding the car through the hairpin before bringing it up to speed once more. Turns 16 and 17 are cut apart before the long run towards the line.

And then –

Nexus Racing HQ, Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, the Nexus Wardship of Former Citizens of the Nimbus System
11th of October

Gertrude slumps into her office chair. It drifts a little under the impact, then comes to a halt.

First Builders. Running the design team was hard enough; if I knew how much work this was going to be…

Well, let’s not think about that.

She rubs her eyes, then turns them to the screen again. Admin. Right.

Drivers… Heh. Plenty of interesting candidates – Kowalski’s back from WGP2, there’s the Chudokuren entry – the 189 might have some synergy… Her fingers tap at the keyboard. But it couldn’t be anyone other than Jean and Ryker. Well, Janne. Gertrude sighs, shaking her head. Another thing to sort… Later. Later.

Tyres. In Motion. Only ones that’ll fit. She gives a smirk. Good on you two Specks, beating out freaking Superia. Verti’s so proud. Don’t know what we’d have done without you.

And so without Viska… a voice in the back of her mind whispers.

Gertrude closes her eyes. Certainly, Nexus Racing had performed better towards the end of the WGP2 III season than its start; still, that was not an ideal foundation for success. Timothy Guard had elevated her as his successor for her long-term thinking, of course, but in the moment… “Just one early win,” she murmurs to herself. “Something to give everyone an anchor, a…”

She trails off – then shakes her head more violently. No! Come on, Gertrude – success is a process! That’s why you’re here – why everyone’s here!

And yet emotion takes to it with such difficulty…

Rending the thought from her mind, Gertrude forces her attention back to the screen and her task. With the last few empty fields filled, she clicks to send the confirmation off.

Thus the window closes. And, as it does, her gaze wandering, she catches sight of an icon she hasn’t seen before in her monitor’s top-right corner. What…

Timothy?

[Auruna]

Viska Garage
Viska Circuit, Sterlennau, Auruna

A rather quiet day but inside the garage, the technical team are busy with the test variant of Viska's WGPC machine, the VK-01/H. They have been working on it in the off-season and the first test will occur later today. The power unit was unfortunately heavy but in return, it is very reliable unlike their WGP2 engines which they had issues with upgrading them. This is on another level and the pressure that the WGPC brings is tremendous.

However, they are determined to fight for the championship, whether they win or not, they will not go down without a fight.

Viska Factory
Sterlennau, Auruna

Choosing a driver for the other seat proved to be difficult, they need someone who can go well with the car. There's a lot of talent to choose from.

After a lunch break, Jöna sits down on his chair. In his computer screen, his email page that he left there since morning, waiting for any email to come through.

"Damn... who should we choose-" then suddenly, Jöna receives an email.

Who is it from?

It was a surprise to Jöna.

...

He reads it... the email from Abdoulaye Goita, WGP2 Drivers' Champion.

After reading it, he's set. In fact, Goita is one of Jöna's top 5 choices and upon reading the details. Jöna offers a Viska seat to Abdoulaye Goita.

"It's now up to the driver to accept, and completely confirm it."

Viska's driver lineup is in Jöna's head, he couldn't stop thinking about it but he knows that it would be perfect for Viska.

Täitä Viska, täitä!

---

MNA FORUMS
WGPO Thread

LaHauka18 » in WGPO Thread
@laurahaukanna
Viska Racing

---

11.02
Guys, your thoughts on Viska offering a seat to Abdoulaye Goita. It's a surprise, really.

overturin » in WGPO Thread
@iljaturin
STV Motorsport

---

11.02
I think he's a great choice for Viska.

Artanakan » in WGPO Thread
@zanijekanarta
Member

---

11.03
They're alright with that?.
Translated from Aurun.

krasnaahima » in WGPO Thread
@könäivan
KVA Rally

---

11.04
Well, we don't know much about the details.

@laurahaukanna can you give us some details about it?

LaHauka18 » in WGPO Thread replies to krasnaahima (@könäivan)
@laurahaukanna
Viska Racing

---

11.04
Unfortunately I don't have anything else about that. I know I'm a Viska test driver but I'm currently focused on the E-Series. Hoping to beat Jaukko there.

krasnaahima » in WGPO Thread replies to LaHauka18 (@laurahaukanna)
@könäivan
KVA Rally

---

11.05
Haha, alright.

[OOC: Good news! I'm finally available in discord!]

[Valentine Z]

Post 2 – So many opportunities! ♥

Adriana shuffled around in her home, excited about the opportunities that might come her way. She was checking the emails alongside the various websites that are still offering space for drivers. She was not very certain of how these things exactly work, despite trying her very best. With Jolyn beside her, the two went through the steps needed in order for Adriana to get the seat, at least for the trials that the teams are conducting.

“We already contacted them by mail, right?”

“Certainly!” Adriana replied back with energy and determination. She might be perhaps a bit overwhelmed, but she was not going to give up any time soon just because of the relatively difficult process. She continued on after looking through the sites, “So it would seem like simply sending an email was not enough. I would need to go to the respective countries to confirm signing up for their courses?”

“All right, let’s look through them one by one!” Jolyn remarked, “So let’s go through them one by one. Tropicorp?”

“Oh yes, the Cocoabo Exposition and World Grand Prix Driver Trials. I have confirmed my attendance for the trial runs! I didn’t really get back an email it seems, but there is a press release here about it!”

“Well, that is good news! There will be that. Traveling should not be that big of a deal for us. Anything else?”

“Ahh, yes, there is Volkov Racing! I have also sent an email to them regarding the matter, here it is!”

To: Volkov Racing Team (Administrative and Driver Signing)
From: Adriana Kowalski Faith (adriana_kowalski_faith@valentine_z_official.vz)
BCC: Valentijn Maxwell Constantine, Clarissa Alanis Star, Jolyn Helen Ceeta, Jamie Izabella Lizbeth Eirian, Gwen Tracer Allison, Valentina Freya Yadana Aye
Subject: Inquiry on signing up, and attendance for Trial Runs.

Good day to everyone!

I am Zastępca Strażnika Adriana Krystal Desiree “Cudowny Manipulacja Światłem” Venus Kowalski Faith Stanisława Engelse I. Cherise Krystyna Zaborowska Sztormowska Pamela Alina Re. T. Lillian, or simply Adriana Kowalski Lillian for short! I am from the world called Valentine Z, which I believe that a few of you might heard of. I would like to write this email to enquire about the open driver positions that you possibly might have. If needed be, I can come in at the earliest possible time in order to do test runs in a course. Excluding the previous WGP2 season, I have clocked around 200 hours of simulation time thanks to my systems. To further prove myself, I would like to confirm my attendance for any of the trial runs that you might be offering.

I understand the rushed schedule nature of the runs right before the actual racing begins, and hence I am prepared to attend at any time that you are convenient, though I might have to try my best not to clash with other trials, since I have signed up for one or two other teams as well.

Thank you very much, and Best Regards! ^^
- Adriana Kowalski Lillian

“I mean, that looks good!” Jolyn remarked, “I’m not sure if it should be kept vague on who you signed up with, or at least confirmed attendance for.”

“Oh yes, I wanted to add and confirm that I am going for Tropicorp Racing Ælund and Nexus Racing’s trial runs but I don’t want to incite any rivalries that they have, if any.”

“Good call. So, where are you heading to first?”

“I don’t know, Tropicorp, maybe. Then if I get word back from Volkov, then it will be Nexus first, then Volkov, depending on if they can work around my schedule!”

The Valentians more or less know that they don’t have a lot of pressure (in a good way) and influence on the scene of WGPC. After all, when the other nations have their own teams and circuits, all they have with them was one Adriana Kowalski. Even NSSCRA 8 and NSSCRA 9 have the Valentians with their own race track, along with perhaps a few souvenirs for the visitors to bring back home (one in particular being a large Valentian mattress).

“Anyway,” Jolyn began, trying to start a conversation regarding a certain someone, “Do you hear about Holly?”

“Oh yeah, her! Such a wonderful being! What about her?”

“So apparently, she seems to want in some of the action on this whole Motorsports thing.”

“That is rather strange!” Adriana gasped in surprise, “But why, though? Motorsports and her are like total opposites from one another.”

“I don’t know myself, but she did confide to us that she likes the thrill of it. That, or she wants to use her magic on the set, perhaps.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting! I still have a couple of questions, to be honest. What if the world knows about her? I thought she herself was big on herself being a secret? What about the isolationist thing, or the nature of her limitless energy nature?”

“The more you think about it, right? Maybe she will disclose to us more soon! Valentijn seems to be fine with the idea, as long as Holly herself is comfortable. Anyway, I heard that she might be signing differently, not with the main team, but under a separate team. This is going to be quite an unusual one, I thought to myself.”

“Well here is to hoping that the world of sports don’t really pester her too much, yes?”

This would end with Adriana giving Jolyn a meaningful hug, thanking her for all the help that she has given, as well as for sticking with her for the very first season in WGP2. This would be a lot more different and challenging thanks to the wave of veterans and the championship nature of the event, but Adriana is confident that she can at least make a positive name for herself here.

[Esmerel]

International Airspace, Skies Near The Nexus Wardship
Monday, 12 October, 2020

As his occupation might have been able to aid in telling, Jean was definitely more of a drive guy than a fly guy.

Somehow, the idea of places just got him nervous. Despite statistically being the safest form of travel in the known Verse, Jean couldn't help but feel that the lessened chance of accidents had a lessened chance of survival compared to accidents in a land vehicle.

Maybe more so, he hated the feeling of lacking control. Whereas in his own cars he was the determining factor of whether or not it stuck to the superhighway or careened off into the trees, on this private jet he was leaving the odds up to a pilot he'd never known and probably would never know - not to disparage said pilot, who was likely an incredibly trained professional to a similar if not greater caliber than Jean was.

Either way, he didn't have much to do at this exact moment.

"Hey, Jean, just asking," Max, his engineer, interjected softly. "You fine? Did anything happen over the last year and a half I never picked up on?"

"No, nothing like that," Jean replied. "You know, it's just... odd. Both odd and good to be back. And I'm just not the most deliberate fan of air travel, if you're looking for something smaller."

"Oh, well... I kind of get that, yeah," Max said in turn. "I don't mind it, though. I always liked taking the truck through the hills near Trondheim in my free time. The bumps in the occasional turbulence are like the bumps in the ground. I'm more used to it. You, probably less. WGPC circuits don't exactly have bumps in them, not intentionally."

Jean sighed. "It is good to get back with someone familiar, Max. I've been picking up on tech in the offseason, but you're still more of an expert on it than I ever could be," he explained. "I don't know what kind of car the boys and girls at Nexus have got for us this year, but I'm assuming you'll be able to walk me through it."

"Almost certainly," Max replied. "You know, if you really wanted to, I'm pretty sure there's ways to get as good as I am at engineering. Say, Joseph Rawlings and the boys over at Halifax Motors could get you going."

"Rawlings? He was part of those shoddy attempts to get into the NSSCRA, wasn't he?" Jean mentioned.

"Shoddy? Not really. Just unlucky," Max countered. "Team got two charters for season 8, but fell silent a few races in, and didn't make much progress on any kind of rookie award. New management came and a deal with Chadwick too, but this time they folded a quarter of the way in."

"I'm starting to think it's just Esmerelian teams in general that get cursed," Jean said. "Obey tried to get off the ground, but only got 10 points out of 338, and I guess Phoenician or Atlas or MTAC or whatever they were called never really found their footing. No wonder Esmerel was never even approached with a team offer this year. Probably for the best, though."

Max peeked out the window. "I think I can see the Wardship below us now. Pretty sure we're landing right at the Nexus HQ," he said. "Cuts out the traffic, at least."

"And the social contact. Until I know better, I'm doing my duty in distancing," Jean replied. "Mask on, too. Everything needed."

"Yeah, of course. We've both got them on; why take them off?" Max said. "Hey, once we're grounded again, you go and get the contract for the year finalized with Talia. Then you can head to your quarters and get settled in. Get in the Crossbay shuttle when you're ready and meet me in the garages. I'm sure you'll be able to turn some laps in the new machine there."

____________________

Promptly, Jean and company all stepped off the plane, luggage in tow. Jean's first order of business was to finalize his new contract - another year-long extension as was compulsory under the WGPO.

Second driver... full year, millions of NSD in total... Nothing wrong or misprinted or anything, Jean thought. Once I sign this I'm really going to be committing to it. Then again... it's not like I've got something else to consider now. Yeah, let's just do it. Jean took the disposable pen, wrote his name in the correct locations, and signed to drive with Nexus Racing once again as their number 2 for the year.

"That'll be all from you here, Jean," Talia clarified. "I'll get the rest of the complicated paperwork dealt with. You head on to your quarters and settle in for a bit. Everything in the HQ's where it always was, if you need anything. Be sure to contact me if you need it with your earpiece."

"Thanks, Talia. Still glad to have you after all these years," Jean replied. "And about the earpiece..."

"One tap for me, two for Max. We'll see if we can get some Nexus staff on there too," Talia reminded. She gave Jean his access to the quarter hall. "Now hurry off. You wanted to be distanced anyways, didn't you?"

"Not like that, but... Whatever. See you around," Jean relented, as he hurried off with his few things to his old quarters in the back.

Passing a few doors, Jean came to the quarter hall entrance and had his entry approved. Few more doors down... Jean paused himself. ...Here we are. He took a look at his room, darkened from no light, which he turned on low to give some ambiance at the least. His things could be laid down by the bed, which to his understanding hadn't been occupied since he last used it sometime in the first half of 2019.

He gazed around the room, remembering the times he'd had so far in it... simply relaxing, thinking about what was next for him... and the time he'd been shadowcalled by the Chancellor of Esmerel about his arm and its neural link. That was fun too.

Jean finished gazing... and let out a sigh. To him, this was as much his home as 3308 Witherspoon was. Far smaller than an entire luxury two-story woodland-future home, but the size it needed to be for him. His entire routine slowly returned to him... as he started setting down his things in an orderly fashion. I... wonder what Evyn would really think, if he saw everything I had, Jean wondered. I don't know if he'd be jealous, or envious, or enlightened, or if he'd just scoff at me for giving up what he liked as racing. Well, to be truthful... he never did say why he liked the streets over the circuit. Guess he just did.

His mind started to move faster and faster as he returned to the thoughts that had once been regular for him. He had a schedule to maintain. Practice to undergo. Tests to run. And a championship to battle for.

I'll take a bit of time to relax in here, he thought. Then I'd better head down to Crossbay and meet with Max about the new car. Maybe run into Ryker. Not sure if he's here or there.

For the moment, though... it was him, his ceiling, his sheets... and whatever he wished. He lowered his mack to around his neck and breathed in the fresh Nimban air being filtered through the ventilation from the outside. He was sure it was fine for his own room - it wasn't like he was organizing any parties in there.

Whether or not his life had been fragmented wasn't obvious, but... he felt as if it was being pieced back together.

____________________

1 Hour Later --- Crossbay Circuit, Nimbus Bay, The Nexus Wardship

Soon enough, once Jean had settled down, he hopped into the Crossbay shuttle rail and took the many steps through the paddock and into the garages he'd once been familiarized with.

"Alright, Jean! Glad to catch you ready," Max said as Jean entered. "The boys in the shop say your car's ready to test for some laps. The paint's not applied yet, so you're just running a gray blob of a car, though... I guess we could stick on a temporary 41 or something."

"No, Max, that... is a nice thought, but it'll be alright without it," Jean countered. "Though... could I ask why exactly my new car is draped in a Nexus tarp?"

"That? Oh, so I can dramatically pull it off and have you mesmerized by the revolutionary new design," Max explained.

"...Revolutionary? ...How so?" Jean wondered.

"Oh, it of course still conforms to WGPC regulations," Max reassured. "Ryker's data has said it runs as intended. But there is something new about it that'll work wonders in races. I'll stop stalling." He grabbed one end of the tarp, which could easily be pulled off with the most minimal of effort. "In one, two... three!"

Max ripped the tarp away for Jean to see his newest WGPC competition vehicle. Jean's mind rapidly started to compare the new car to his older cars... and didn't see anything too overwhelmingly different. Sans one unmistakable thing.

"Oh, dear gods." The car had eight wheels - four in the front, four in the back.

"Introducing the all-new and vastly improved UHSGV-4!" Max announced. "Or... I think that's the code. I admit I haven't yet checked, so don't go quoting me. "All the problems of years previous have been well-worked on, and it's left us with this: a car surely capable of challenging for the championship once more!"

Jean sighed. "So, um... I know you're the expert, and I shouldn't yet be complaining, but... why the hell is it an eight wheeler?"

"The ones in charge tested the idea during the last WGP2 season," Max explained. "The data is there that the idea works, and this car has been built around the chassis needed."

"The data? I mean... I won't complain if the data is there," Jean said. "But what about the results? Where did Nexus place in said WGP2 season?"

"Okay, fine, it was tenth of twelve."

"...And we're still running it despite that?" Jean asked. "Are we absolutely sure it's going to be a good idea compared to the regular four wheels?"

"The data says it's going to work. And that's data on this car, not the prototype," Max said. "Ryker and the rest of the tech crew have been driving it extensively in who knows how many conditions, and it's not failed. The rest of the car's imag systems have been tweaked for maximum output, and your interface will be able to link to it as regular. Refueling's banned again, so the car's going to be heavier somewhat in the race, but you got used to that in season 16."

"Well, so long as the data works, and everyone else likes it, I'm not going to complain my heart out," Jean receded. "Provided the chassis can be reformatted to four wheels in the event we want to go down that path."

"I'm almost certain that'd work too, Jean," Max replied.

"Okay. Could you help me strap in? We need a field test courtesy of me. I need to feel how this eight wheeler drives," Jean asked.

Max quickly got to helping Jean get in his new Chase Cutter. "Mask, please. I'll give you a new one once you're out of the car," he said. "Here's the balaclava... and your helmet. Same design as last year's for now. You don't have to, I suppose, but maybe think about changing it up. Okay, belt's on. Gloves and steering wheel are check. Hit the on switch, Jean!"

Jean activated the car's Imagination system, and all the subsystems roared (metaphorically) to life. "Oh, this is just like I remember, eight wheels or no," Jean mentioned.

"I'm reading all systems good to go, Jean," Max said over the earpiece. "The boys in the shop got the start time down a whole lot. You can head out of the garage when you're ready. Don't bin it in the wall, remember the pit goes through a tunnel and joins ahead of turn 3, and watch for the adjustment coming out of the tunnel ahead of turn 14. Go get them."

Jean did as Max suggested and wheeled the car out through the pit lane, the power coming to the wheels much quicker than an average road car. The sun had started to set over the circuit, and Jean exited the tunnel onto the bridge sector as the orange sky pelted the asphalt from the right hand side. Every second he was in control, even as he limited the throttle for the first part of the run, he felt more and more confident in what was to come.

"Hey, by the way, before you begin the first lap, are you going to name the car?" Max asked. "I figured it was a custom around here."

Jean had a brief think about it. "I get that, but I don't know of a good name yet," he explained. "I'll name this beauty, but I need time to deliberate with myself. Right now I'm just going to start tearing up this track."

"As you wish, buddy. Just have fun and don't scrape the paint!"

____________________

After a solid half hour of turning laps, Jean brought the as of yet unnamed Chase Cutter back to the garage.

"Jean, that was some run. You're solidly on pace with Ryker and then some on most of your laps," Max commented. "And well above your old PBs for the track."

"Hey, whatever I can take," Jean replied. "I'm glad to be back. Looking for a championship, but everyone is. Really, if I can just score some solid points this year it'll be alright. Plenty of years left. Of course... no reason to delay, though, getting the drivers' title. Technically already got a constructors' to my credit."

In the adjacent garage, Jean could hear some voices discussing more car testing - voices he knew well. That's definitely Ryker. "Hey, Max, handle the data. I'm going to go and meet with Ryker for a few minutes."

Jean dashed up the pit lane to the next garage over and saw Ryker chatting with his own engineer, Martin. "Hey, Ryker! It's been one hell of a long time. Too long," Jean greeted him with. Until he knew better about Nexus's protocol on the matter, he'd be sticking to a brief distance. Still, he stuck out his left arm and engaged in a joint pretend handshake.

"So, Ryker... I know you're probably wondering what I've been up to, but I'd like to ask you first before we get to me. How's it been going?"

[The 189]

A few of the 189 accompanied ------ to Hapilopper City to cheer their friend on, or just to see the sights. They had been talking to humans for a while now, but none of them had ever visited a human city, and they were curious to see one. Their human neighbors back home at the dump assured them that the Hapiloppians were not a warlike people, so it shouldn't be too dangerous to visit. ------, ---------- and -------- came to the track to watch ------'s tryout, while -------- and ----- went out to explore the city.

------ was disappointed not to land a contract with Preston, but happy that they had given it a chance. When it returned to the ship, it found -------- attempting to make love with a very drunk Hapiloppian man who did not seem to be deterred by their totally incompatible anatomy. It wasn't really working, but that didn't stop them from trying.

The ship asked how the tryout went, and ------ told her it hadn't landed a deal. It had not been embarrassingly slow or clumsy, but a couple of the human drivers had taken corners at speeds that ------ dismissed as too dangerous, and Preston was offering a contract to one of them.

"Maybe I will do better at the Cocoabo Park," ------ mused, the colors of its native language flickering across the LCD strip on its head.

"There is also another team holding open testing," ------ replied. "One of the humans must have told them about you." It showed ------ an email from Volkov Racing. Everyone had to read the email for themselves because ------ didn't know how to translate the names "Volkov," "Nemenyets," or "Sergei Kletska" into colors.

"That looks interesting, too," ------ flashed. It asked the ship, "Can you take me to this?"

The ship answered yes.

------ is applying to participate in the Volkov tryouts in Nemenyets.

[Sorlovia]

Volkov Racing HQ
Pre-season

Sergei carefully read the emails listed in his phone. Things had been silent to start with but now it seemed that several racers had accepted his offer of a test circuit. The competition among the teams was heating up and the racers would be in high demand. Some had already been signed to teams but there were plenty of others were still free agents.

The reality was that Volkov Racing didn't have time to waste. Gregori Krupin had been signed for the number one spot but they still had a second seat to fill. When it started to get down to brass tacks the team's would be competing over racer's and poaching them from each other. So he had to act fast.

Perhaps a pre-season test competition would tempt the ambitions of the racers. He pulled out his smartphone and typed the group email to the racers that had expressed interest.

To: Taras Matviyenko, Aldauren Ginintella, Sara Luna, Charyseine Valkyria
From: Invitation to test circuit

Greetings,

The opening race of the eighteenth season of the World Gran Prix Championships is fast approaching and as such we are looking to put together a team for the season. I would like to thank you taking an interest in Volkov Racing. We know there are many other teams to choose from and are honoured to have your interest. As such, I would like to formally invite you to take part in a special time trial test circuit at our testing facility in Nemenyets.

This test circuit will take place in two days’ time. It would be our privilege to provide transport to our test circuit as well as accommodation during your stay. As there are five racers competing to earn a place on the team we have arranged a competitive test schedule. In the spirit of competition that is the WGPC each racer will be given a private test consisting of a timed circuit of four laps. In order to secure the place on the team we will take the fastest time and other factors into consideration.

I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,
Sergei Kletska
Volkov Racing

Then there were two more emails to write;

To: Adriana Kowalski Faith
From: Sergei Kletska, Volkov Racing

Greetings Adriana,

I would like to thank you for your interest in racing with Volkov Racing. In light of this I would like to invite you to take part in a test circuit in two days' time at our testing facility in Nemenyets. If this is not convenient for you, or if you have other obligations, we can arrange an alternate date for you.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Sergei Kletska
Volkov Racing

To: Sara Luna
From: Sergei Kletska

Hello Sara,

On behalf of Volkov Racing I would like to thank you for your kind words. This is our debut season in the WGPC so it is both an exciting opportunity and and a challenge. As such we are looking to put together a cohesive team ahead of the season. The WGPC is quite a different ball game from the Sorlovian Gran Prix but it's still the same environment.

We are holding a test circuit in two days at our test circuit in Nemenyets. You will take part in a timed test circuit of four laps. In order to secure a place on the team we will considering a range of factors as well as a fast track time.

I look forward to meeting you.

Sincerely,
Sergei Kletska
Volkov Racing.

Sara Luna, Taras Matviyenko, Aldauren Ginintella, Charyseine Valkyria and Adriana Kowalski Faith. Then there was Reiyomi Enata as well. Six racers had responded to his invite and all would be given a fair chance at the seat. But only one could win that seat. The WGPC was the biggest competition in the Gran Prix world and as such the driver tryouts were equally competitive. Every racer wanted to secure a place on one of the teams but each team only had two spots.

It came down to who was the fastest. But Volkov Racing also considered more than that. It also took the personality of the racer into consideration. The team executives watched the way the racers treated each other and the way they interacted with staff. A fast time was desirable but so was sportsmanship. The racers would be scrutinized from the moment they arrived at the testing circuit.

Volkov Racing had one last place. One final contract to give. The game was on.

[Togonistan]

Dom Falepeau's apartment
Tushlark, Togonistan

Dom had just arrived back home from Hapilopper last night. Preston tryouts had been quite an experience. The feeling of driving a true WGPC car for the first time was amazing, hardly comparable to WGP2. The acceleration was just unbelievable, it felt like trying to tame a wild tiger. Also, considering they were a new team on the grid this year, Preston seemed really well organised. Definitely seemed like a professional team by every standard. Of course, Dom was also happy to see a lot of familiar faces again, as quite a few other WGP2 drivers from last season had also decided to try their luck with Preston. All in all, the test had left a positive vibe in Dom, despite the results.

It had been a busy week, but luckily, it was weekend now. Now he can have a few days of rest, before heading out again to attend the Cocoabo trials. Dom felt the need to blow off some steam, and he knew exactly what he needed. Having taken a quick shower, he head over to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Riaka Pilsen from the fridge. Nothing like a cold beer during a moment for yourself. However, he was not planning to just slack the day away... instead, he took out his phone and made a quick twii.tur post:

Dom Falepeau
@DomFalepeauOfficial

---

Going LIVE in 15 minutes.

Join the stream: Click here.

He took a sip of his beer and head on to his bedroom. A gaming PC set with three monitors, a steering wheel and pedals was set up next to his bed. It was another little side-thing he had started to do during his spare time... livestreams every once in a while. It was a fun little thing to do, play some games while speaking to fans. It also gave him another chance to keep his driving skills sharp... as much as one can do it with a simulator, that is. He started his PC and soon, he was live, with viewers flowing in to watch him.

''So, we shall try to hit the apex in that corner to maintain as much speed as we can out of the corner.''
''Remember, never drive while drinking. This is just a video game, but please, do NOT do that in real life.''
''Haha... well, thank you for your kind words. Was that a proposal? Hmm... I don't know about that, I would like to take you out for a dinner some time and get to know you first.''
''Guys and girls, I know you want me to talk about WGPC, but I'm not really allowed to say anything about contract deals just yet... I would if I could, believe me, but I just can't. Not yet at least.''

Dom got so focused on the streaming that he didn't even notice his phone ringing multiple times. He carried on streaming for a few hours, until he decided it was enough for today. ''Thank you for watching everyone, it was cool to hang around with you all. I'm not sure when the next stream is going to be, but it will happen whenever I get a chance. Until then, stay awesome everyone!'' Dom ended the stream and stood up from his seat, to notice his phone having 7 missed calls. All of them from Mareta. Without further adeu, Dom called her back.

''Well hello there lost soul, welcome back to real life. You do realise I called you seven times already, right?''

''Sorry, I got carried away, didn't even notice it. I have a feeling you have some important news for me, right?''

''Not just important... I have some great news for you. MRT has invited you to a private test. They are looking for a driver to work with them alongside Jasmin Kranjska this season. There might be some hope after all.''

''MRT? But I... well, that's great. I shall be there, absolutely.''

''I forwarded their e-mail to you as well, you can find all the details there.''

''That's great. Thank you Mareta, you are amazing.''

''Anything to earn my 10 percent from you, hehehe. Have a nice day, I shall keep you updated if anything important comes up again.''

''You too Mareta, take care.''

Dom had a smile on his face as he walked out to the balcony. He took a deep breath as he around. Sun was shining, nothing but a few clouds in the sky. Dom lit up a cigarette and admired the view over Tushlark.

[Lisander]

Lourdina Westgrens, invited WhoTuber: Welcome to Lisander Autosports Board Whotube Channel. I am Lourdina Westgrens and I'm making a special appearance as guest host for this video! You can see more of my videos following the QR-code that is showing up right now in the left side of your screen! Today, we have the two Lisanderian drivers selected for the WGPC season! This is the WGPC Lisander Drivers' panel, from the balcony of the beautiful "Hotel de La Couronne". Here, almost in front of us, the wonderful sea of Kasandora, the Marina and the starting and finishing line of the most famous Endurance race in the country, the 12 hours of Costa do Sol, which will move the motorsport of the country in a few weeks!. With me, the beautiful redhead driver, Sissie Devereux and the disciple of the multi-champion Marc Wiel, Athan Lille. Welcome!

Sissie Devereux: Hi! Is nice to be here.

Athan Lille: Thanks for inviting me, too!

LW: So, Let's start. How are your expectations for the season?

SD: Well... It's kind of new to me, and I'm not even sure if I'll get a seat. As you may know, I'm a Harlean contracted driver, so even if I don't get a place in the grid, my contract grants I'll keep at least a replacement driver spot for TAS Alliance. I already had some time in KB-04, in Grandeville and in Alix, and both events were great experiences. At least on this I can say I'm better than Athan. I effectively know the car

AL: Well, I haven't any experience with the TAS Alliance car this season, but I'm not sure if I want to be in a Lisanderian motorsport endeavor. I already talked to Nasunen and Vetinari, they know the preference of my sponsor, Marc Wiel, is a team outside the Principality. I believe he's interested in getting his hands in some technology. I wouldn't do otherwise if I was him, honestly. Because of that, I'm accepting any test I'm invited to.

LW: It's akways like that. I know how getting a seat can be a source of worries. I know a lot about of both of you, since we've been partners before. Sissie on WGP3 and Athan in Formula Hodori. You really should make an appearance on my WhoTube channel sometimes! If you haven't subscribed, just scan the QR-code down right your screen, or go to WhoTube dot com slash IronLady. But back to the questions, this one for Sissie: How the team received the refusal of Stellenbosch Tyres? You know, they were heavily relying on this contract. Nasunen and Vetinari as heavily focusing on keep the costs. Not having the free tyres Stellenbosch would give them, this could be a blowout for the team?

SD: I believe not. I believe thet were prepared for that, since that were a lot of possible entrants. I've been with the team principal, Carolina Lasseps, early this morning, and she said they already started polling to define the Tyres and the Livery for this season. TAS brought two interesting colours to the livery. Orange is nice because is the color of both Vetinari and TEAM-MOON, but purple is still my favourite, because it's a return to the days of Bitten Heroes. If this is a bad omen or not, well, I don't believe that luck can be defined for such a trivial matter. I just want to drive a good car, that is if I manage to get a seat. As well as Athan, I'm also accepting any invitation for tests.

LW: I understand. What about you, Athan? What do you think about this approach of TAS Alliance, making the team effectively crowdfunded?

AL: That's a catchy idea, I was presented that earlier and even thought about buying one or two memberships for myself, so they said I couldn't if I was to drive in WGPC. But it's stange in some way. Seems like the TAS Alliance will be in some kind of Reality Show, with lots of team decisions being voted by public. Like those smutty "Big Brother" shows, but without the cameras in the shower.

LW: I believe that would be too extreme. Anyways. Sissie, do you feel confident about getting the seat?

SD: Well I'm not that sure. I don't have a contract with TAS Alliance, but with Harlean, the power unit manufacturer. Some people may say: "Well, you're halfway there!", but it will depend on lots of factors. I'm not even the most experienced driver of the nation, we have Athan here that was in Hodori with you last year. Nasunen said to us "feel free to go for every seat you think you can, we're not sure yet we can have both of you driving for us." We have to understand that Alliance isn't a big team with lots of money and prestige like Nexus Racing or Tropicorp, so probably they will give only one seat for one of us. I believe Athan will be more likely to get the seat. If I fail, I still can act as a reserve driver for TAS Alliance, probably.

LW: And what about Costa 12h? Will you participate? I mean, I already know who will be on my team, but if you guys can come up with something, that would be cool...

AL: Well, the LAB indicated that we couldn't drive more than 2 hours, so that we wouldn't jeopardize our work in the WGPC. I'll be on the Wiel team, in the prototype category, with the boss, Annika Wiel and Andrew Holden.

SD: Ah, Annika will be on her father's team, so... About me, it's no surprise to anyone, in the Harlean Red team, also in the prototypes, with Mélanie Aldini, Leora Hargis and one Lourdina Westgrens. Do you know the latter?

LW: I've never seen fatter. Well, now we'll open for some questions from our WhoTube subscribers, all right?

---

---

Preseason, day 2, 11h07 am

Carolina Lasseps entered the room and waved at the team owners.

"So, boys, what do you have to me today? I advanced to you by e-mail that we have some urgent problems to deal. I already have some drivers interested in seats with our team and we can't make tests without tyres. Our planned tests will ever happen?"

"Yeah, we know that, and we launched the polls as planned. Tyres, Livery and Drivers. They will finish by midday. We should have tyres shipped to us tomorrow. Check out in the Team Forum", said Kimi Nasunen, drinking a cup of tea. "The car livery poll is pretty popular, have a look on the polls! Have you imagined they would do the liveries based on their cards? I prefer the orange, but the purple will sure win. People still love BH, you know."

"Yeah, everybody loves an underdog. We should have bought that name. Who is the owner of the brand now?"

"Lanza. He woudn't sell it. Also we don't have money to buy it"

"Unless we don't use it..." Lasseps interrupted.

"Huh?"

"B.H. Do any of you knows any brand with these letters? I'm sure the design team of can add a new minor sponsor."

"I get it." Nasunen said. "Brian Hagenauer, in our mechanics team. Doesn't he have a workshop for street racing cars? Why don't we thank him for his support with a new logo? One that slightly remembers Bitten Heroes?"

"Looks nice. I'll text him."

---

---

In partnership with TAS Bank, we come to present you the two options of livery painting to the TAS Alliance Racing Team, that are the colors of two ZERO TAS Cards! Choose between TAS Orange, which offers you ten extra days to pay and TAS Purple, which gives you 5% Cashback on every purchase you make with it.

47%

TAS Orange

53%

TAS Purple

---

927 voted, Voting ends in 53m. Discuss this poll on the Forum before voting.

As you may know, our tyre partner, Stellenbosch, wasn't accepted for the season. So we have a very important decision, and we count on you, our partner. What should be our tyre supplier for the season?

37%

Tropicorp

43%

Solymok

20%

Dashoze

---

919 voted, Voting ends in 53m. Discuss this poll on the Forum before voting.

LAB, as usual, sanctioned two lisanderian drivers for WGPC. And it's up to you to help selecting our drivers roster. What do you prefer?

22%

A full lisanderian team ("LET'S GO, ALLEZ ALLEZ LISANDER ABOVE ALL!")*

60%

A lisanderian driver and a foreign pay-driver (I want healthy finances, but I still want to see the fleurdelisé on there!)

18%

Two foreign pay-drivers ( "I'm okay with two pay-drivers, so team will have a less financial worries")

*it will depend on both accepting our offers.

---

870 voted, Voting ends in 53m. Discuss this poll on the Forum before voting.

---

---

TL/DR, OOC Notes:
Athan Lille and Anneliese Devereux accept the Preston Grand Prix Test Invitation. I'm not yet decided on which of them I'll maintain, it will depend on which of them will develop the better story.
I plan to have a Prototypes event in my WGPC roleplaying. If this really happen, I can allow other nations to participate. It won't use The Racing Scorinator, since it's simply a support event.
As confirmed with Filindostan/Gergary via Discord, TAS Alliance will be using Solymok Tyres.
TAS Alliance will address all drivers who emailed in the next post.

[TJUN-ia]

TJUN-ia Airlines Flight 27 (Hapilopper City - JagBase International, TJUN-ia City)
ETA 1 hour
18:33PM TST (More Fitting Music...)

TJUN-ia Airlines isn't really that well known in the industry, but TJUN-ians know them very well. If you need a flight to a place outside of The North Pacific then they are a reliable option to use, but so are the other rival airlines in Air Jaguar and FlyJungle. TA knows how good the other 2 are and so, their main aim is customer service - pleasing the customer no matter what they desire on their flight. TA focuses on the customer, AJ on the variety of routes and FJ on both at the same time - but not as great as the other 2 can.

For Lane Carter, he didn't really care what airline took him back to his humble abode in Portside - he just wanted to get home. His first experience of a WGPC car was behind him and it was very interesting indeed. A field of faces familiar and not-so-familiar arrived in Hapilopper to test Preston's new machine to fight for their 2nd seat. It was a situation familiar to Carter but with how many drivers were he, you could understand the nerves that flowed through many a driver heading into running.

In Group 3, he took the car out for a ride and got to experience for the first time how quick a WGPC car is compared to a WGP2 car. It might as well been the tortoise and the hare because that car was an absolute bullet on the Grand Prix Circuit. The sense of speed was difficult to get used to on the first few laps but he used to it a little bit by the time his 5th and final one came about. He was trying his best by a 1:33.090 just wasn't good enough.

The surprise came right at the end as William Archer, son of Gil and the final race winner of WGP2 Season 3, put in a flier on a track he only shared with that orange robot from The 189 - dubbed "Little Metal Sunrise" by Drake Stevenson. A time of 1:51.542 was enough to beat reigning WGP2 champion Abdoulaye Goita by a whisker to win the test session and to claim the first choice at the available seat. Lane didn't quite understand why Gil allowed his son to test for Preston, considering the hatred he had for Team Blue in NSSCRA, but he thought that William wanted to go and Gil had no choice but to allow him - and it certainly worked out, didn't it!

As for 12th-placed Lane, he had to go back home and start again - just like he did in WGP2 after failing in the first test then in Togonistan. But unlike WGP2, he didn't have just the one option - he had 2.

The first was the Cocoabo Exposition & World Grand Prix Trials at Cocoabo Forest, mainly an exhibition of the Cocoabo Enrichment and Enhancement Project but it also had a day where Free Agents can take on the Cocoabo Forest circuit itself - culminating with a time trial in which the Top 10 (plus 2 Cocoabo) will advance to the Grand Finale the next day, a 23-lap sprint race in the forest. Carter has raced at the Forest before, as it can be used for both open-wheel and stock car racing, but the big thing was that one of the local teams, Race Eelandii V&T GP, will be using this event to fill their 2 empty seats. With TJUN-ia and V&T already on good terms due to Jaguar Racing's deal with Tropicorp for NSSCRA X, it seemed like a good idea to try it out. He will e-mail Vilita and Turori Motorsports in due course.

The 2nd was a wildcard in the form of Volkov Racing from the nation of Sorlovia. Lane didn't really know anything about Sorlovia, over than the fact their racing pedigree must be pretty good in order to run a WGPC team. The team, led by Sergei Kletska, is hosting a test circuit at their facility not far from Nemenyets. With experience with UrGa, a similar-team in his eyes, maybe this one could be a good shout as well. He will also e-mail Kletska about taking part - maybe even throwing some Ukrainian into the mix and see how it goes!

But what Lane Carter didn't know was that his former teammate, Taras Matviyenko, will also be in Nemenyets. It will be the first time the two have seen each other since the UrGa days...but neither of them knew this yet, of course. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top when push comes to shove...

[Sorlovia]

Gregori's Hotel Room

So that was it. He would race with Volkov Racing in WGPC18.

The prospect of racing with the first Sorlovian team to enter the World Gran Prix Championships was immensely appealing. It filled him with a mixture of national pride and excitement. His test circuit had only been a formality. The executives at Volkov Racing had approached him ahead of the formal beginning of the driver sign ups to offer him a contract. The multimillion dollar deal was one of the most lucrative opportunities he had ever received. He would've been a fool to pass it up.

But who would be his teammate? There were a lot of promising young racers. There were many new names in the list of drivers this year and he looked forward to meeting them. If it had been up to him he would've picked Sara Luna. He'd heard of her before and had to admit that she had a highly impressive track record. She mightn't be quite on his level but she had a lot of potential as a racer. Or maybe Taras Matviyenko. He'd browsed the list of racers who were competing for the second seat with Volkov and had researched each of them.

"This is going to be interesting," he said placing the list on a side table "there are a lot of new names this season."

"The WGPC always attracts a lot of interest," Elena replied "it's the dream of every racer. Just like Tarchenko Fashion Week is the ultimate goal of every young model in Sorlovia. It's that stage that you dream of getting onto."

To: Sara Luna
From: Gregori Krupin (gkrupin@expressmail.com)

Hi there Sara,

I heard that you have accepted the offer of a test circuit with Volkov. I have heard of your track record and I look forward to meeting you. It's not my place to say who will get the seat but I wish you the best of luck in your test. Volkov runs a tough testing regime so you will need to need to bring your best. But I am sure you know this well.

The World Gran Prix Championships have always been a highly competitive and demanding world. It takes a lot out of a driver but there really is nothing quite like the feel of being on the track.

Sincerely,
Gregori Krupin

Gregori sent the email and leaned back in his chair. He raised the bottle of Boost Energy Drink to his lips and took a long swig. There was still plenty of time until the first official race. He might as well enjoy the break. Once the season started it would be all on for months. He would start his habitual training regime in the morning. For now he would enjoy some time with his wife.

So Volkov had opted for Tropicorp tyres after all. There had been some debate about whether or not they'd used Deyoze instead. But Tropicorp were the more proven tyres and as a new racing team Volkov Racing wanted to have the very best equipment. They hadn't designed their own engine for the season and had instead opted to use the WGPC spec engine instead. It was the easiest option for a new team. Besides, the WGPC spec ones were very high performance and just as competitive as the others.

Gregori's fan club, the Krupin Krew, were already beginning to gather in preparation for the first race of the season. The official release of his team sign up and the Volkov Racing colours had birthed a range of Krupin merchandise including t-shirts, hats and scarves. When you reached his level you attracted that kind of attention. He was far too humble to take full enjoyment out of it. But he didn't appreciate the support of his fans.

[Kyoki Chudoku]

Hapilopper
Hapilopper City

Everything was wrong.

Rikikida had been across Kyoki Chudoku before. She’d grown up in Chuo District, in the nation’s capital of Subete no Yoimono no Chushin, the centre of the nation and home of the largest airfields. She’d operated out of Otoko District on the other side of the country during the Great Chudokuren Civil War, and she’d spent years by now residing in Nogyo District where she’d held out during the Nightmare War. But even compared to the desolated wastes that had ensued in the wake of that travesty, to step foot on foreign soil…

It didn’t help that they all muttered gibberish. That she had to rely upon Reiyomi’s crude translations to get through even the most basic interactions. She couldn’t understand anything written or spoken in that foreign language on her own, and even her efforts to decipher the visuals were often faltering. The city looked wrong. Too many cars. The wrong style of buildings. Nonsensical attire. Even the air felt wrong to her here.

Let alone the bed. How was she supposed to sleep on something this soft? She was used to having a solid slab, not a trampoline of feathers. She’d have taken the floor if Reiyomi wasn’t selfishly hogging it. Utashige had gotten some piece of furniture, and Masasayuki was curled up on a chair somewhere. They’d all crammed themselves into the cheapest rental room they could find, and even then Rikikida would have rather slept in the dirt. At least she was accustomed to that.

The only thing she was thankful for at this point was the number of weird looks she’d gotten. She hoped it was from the scars. The shūkei marks. She had no idea how much anyone here knew of her country- she certainly didn’t know a thing about theres beyond what she’d been briefed on- but the thought of her intimidating the local population with her presence alone was about the most comfortable concept she’d get tonight.

It took her half an hour to get to sleep, in the end. She hoped she’d be more prompt in the event to come…

Hapilopper
Hapilopper City

Once upon a time, Sakinomi Rikikida had been forced to fight on the ground. She was a pilot by trade, but the Nightmare’s conditions had rendered the sky above a maelstrom whirling vortices and flashing lightning, impassable tears in reality making aerial combat nothing more than a distant dream. Grounded and surrounded by hordes of hostile fanatics, panic had been at an all-time high. It was in those circumstances that Chudokurens turned to the practice of shūkei. They used their knives to carve tears into their own skin, so that even in their death, there could be some recognition of how much they’d contributed to tyranny’s cause- how many of their enemy they had slaughtered before being taken down. Two months of relentless atrocities returned without remorse, of fields hazed with poison gas and barricades thrown together from detritus of all kinds, of barbed wire corpse-walls and the endless songs of children sent to die smiling into the fray. It was something every Chudokuren could regard as the harshest moments of their existence.

If not for those times- if not for the Nightmare- then Rikikida would have found a new worst day of her life.

The other stared in silence. Not even Reiyomi dared to make a comment. Not a word since Rikikida had exited her vehicle. Since she’d loped back to her followers, her team. They’d ventured from their country, eager to prove tyranny’s supremacy. Eager to show the power of a veteran behind the wheel. To demonstrate that order reigned over all things- to dominate the track. And instead-

“...it wasn’t even close,” she muttered to herself. “It wasn’t even close!” She slammed her fist into the table. It hurt, but she didn’t wince. She refused to be humiliated further on this day. How did this happen!? How had she let this happen!? This was to be her moment of glory. The day she rose from the ashes of her homeland to prove herself the tyrant of the tracks. Instead, unmitigated disaster. Unhindered calamity. She’d proven herself nothing more than the worst competitor in the entire event! Was all her hard work, all her ambition, to be for absolutely nothing!?

It had to be the fault of the car. Of the wrongness of this place. Of her competitors screwing her over. Of foreign sabotage. But each vapid excuse was cast away as quickly as it was come up with. She knew what the real reason was. That this failure was entirely her own fault, and didn’t even know how to rectify it. What had she done wrong? There was nothing she could isolate. Just one long connected string of continuous mediocrity.

“There is much we could learn-“ one cold glare was enough to shut Utashige up for two solid seconds. “Looking at me like that isn’t going to change my perspective. Are you at least willing to hear me out?”

“It’s not her fault the enemy has more backing,” came the deep, wheezing tone of Yuki. It was a point she took a moment to consider. As far as she knew, that much was true. The opposition had entire battalions of staff devoted to keeping them in shape, optimising their performance, providing them with resources. Rikikida had three veterans and a shed. Government permission to leave the nation wasn’t any kind of helpful endorsement when it came to the actual objective- it just removed the enormous roadblock that would otherwise make it impossible no matter how much skill or support the driver had.

“This is not about assigning blame. This is about identifying areas for future improvement,” came Utashige’s retort. “That the opposition has more support is not something we can rectify without qualifying for a team position.” Halted at the first hurdle. Accursed freedom-addicted imbeciles…that they invested so much wealth into these matters was only proof of their hedonism in the end. Kyoki Chudoku spent its resources on defence and resettling the scarred, not on something as wasteful as enormous circuits for a few cars to run rings through for a day, like flies buzzing around a carcass.

...and yet, here she was. She was taking her part of the carrion- no, she was having her meal snatched away from her. Thinking of flies and maggots started to remind her of the last time she’d seen a plague of insects around a body. The scent of rotten flesh, the sight of caked blood sprawled across the ground...was this what she’d endured it for? To not only fail, but to fail at something so utterly irrelevant nobody would even care? Even know? The words of the other blurred as she looked deeper into her own thoughts. All this passion, all this bloodlust...why was it applied to something so pointless? Was all of this selfish? To risk the reputation of the Supreme Ultimate Country on a game, just because she loved the thrill?

Rikikida stood. She didn’t regard the others, didn’t give them an answer. She just got up and went on her way. Out she went, just onto the roads below, ignoring the crowds that passed by. She looked up at the sky. So distant. So azure.

She reached a gloved hand out towards the clouds.

Her fingers curled into a fist.

It would be hers again. One way or another.

[Diarcesia]

[Includes contributions from Recuecn]

Diarcesian WGP3: Elbej Historic Site Grand Prix - Behind the Scenes Archives
Some time before Sara Luna's WGP2 season
(OOC: Multiple video feeds are used to tie together what happens below. Teams who are evaluating Sara and Aldauren can access these if desired)

"It's all looking good Luna, bring your A-game!" the engineer of Norris Racing, Sarah Borba (called Borba to reduce confusion between engineer and driver), said over the comms. She determined that the next maneuver Luna would make will close the gap between her and Ginintella. If she could get a better line, she could make a run at the lead here. It was a difficult proposition given the highly technical nature of the track: part of the circuit winds through the outcrops of the rugged terrain of the Odrioyan desert.

The next corner was a nasty right. When Ginintella hit the brakes to execute the turn, Luna took a split second decision to move to the right of Ginintella's National-Konno Power chassis and braked once their cars are almost exactly side-to-side. The move to take the inside of the corner allowed Luna to take a slight lead.

As the laps wore on, it became increasingly clear that the race winner essentially boils down to Luna vs. Ginintella. The two cars were practically in a neck-to-neck battle. As soon as the checkered flag dropped, it was too close to call at first glance. Further review revealed that Ginintella was in P1 by ten thousandths of a second.

Over at the Norris Racing team, the team sighed in disappointment, but Luna only nodded with the cameras showing an unreadable expression from her.

On the podium, Ginintella was clearly relieved (he thought he lost, Luna was constantly at his heels in the points race throughout the season). Just after the podium celebrations, Luna raised her helmet visor (she had her helmet on because of her sun allergy) and turned to Ginintella.

"Mr. Ginintella, congratulations," she said with a slight smile and extended her hand.

Ginintella looked at the hand, then at Luna's face, and shook the former. "It was a well-fought race. I would have lost if I was at less than 100%," he answered with a composed voice.

Preston Autos, Post-tryout

The former Diarcesian WGP3 drivers, Luna and Ginintella, were both present. In hindsight, it must have been predictable. They had similar driving styles with slight variations. Luna clearly struggled with her car (in her opinion, it was quite the temperamental beast). On the other hand, Ginintella seemed to overcome this barrier only because of the sheer experience he accumulated. I am a veteran driver with the most Diarcesian WGP3 championships, with multiple won in a row. This is nothing new for me, he thought.

Abdoulaye Goita, last season's WGP2 champion, was there too. He and Luna had been in a tight race for the title as it came down to the end of the season, but the competition had acquainted them with each other. Now they were seeing each other for the first time since the end of the season, and Goita had stopped by to catch up and chat a little with the Diarcesian driver, who was with Ginintella.

Luna was the first to speak. "I don't think I did justice to the track and to the car. There was some piece I was missing. What was that?"

Ginintella spoke a little after. "It's a question of perspective. We both drove the same type of car. Based from what I studied about you, you appeared to have it all planned out. What if something unexpected happens? I saw you crash out at Pryfors Bilar in the WGP2. I think you're focusing too much in your process that you committed a simple mistake in that corner. It could easily have been avoided if you relax a little."

Luna nodded slowly and thought of Goita. "It did not just cost the race, but the championship, too."

Goita smiled. "That championship was so close, every race was the deciding race. We just didn't realize at the time."

“I’ll be honest, Abdoulaye: I haven’t felt this excited racing someone like you since Aldauren here. I haven’t introduced you properly to him. He’s Aldauren Ginintella, a fellow Diarcesian WGP3 driver. He has way more championships than me. And bigger sponsors, too.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you!” Abdoulaye offered a handshake. “I try to keep up at least a little bit with multiverse motorsports, so I have heard your name before, and it’s a pleasure to actually be introduced.”

The dark elf took his hand. “So you are the champion Sara is talking about, eh? I saw the way you drive. Impressive. You almost made it on top in the tryouts too. Congratulations.”

“Thank you! I can’t beat myself up too much for losing to Archer again - I’m sure Sara remembers that we both lost to him to wrap up the WGP2 season as well. It’s funny that he and I are first and second again to start off the next season. He’s a fabulous driver.”

“He’s no slouch,” Aldauren continued.

Sara grinned, “Archer? It was not even a contest, I had to work my butt from the back at Crossbay. Too busy and far away to even see his car’s rear.”

“I’m sure my car being in the way didn’t help,” laughed Abdoulaye. “No, I’m just teasing. All three of us did well that race.”

“No offense taken. Not unlike Aldauren, who decided to skip WGP2 once he learned I’m stepping up to WGPC.”

“What?” Aldauren asked with a fake bemusement.

“Come on, can you spare this woman a few jokes? I don’t doubt your ability to make it this far.” Sara was laughing more loudly now.

Abdoulaye looked back and forth between the two Diarcesians. “Is there an inside joke I’m not getting? Or are we just wishing we’d made it into the WGPC as quickly and directly as it looks like Aldauren will be doing?”

Aldauren did not take any time to reply, for he knew why very well, “Sara was like a hotshot when she started in WGP3. Finished second in her debut! Right behind me in points! We had more close races than I can count.”

“I can imagine,” said Abdoulaye. “I’m looking forward to a lot of close races with both of you.” He paused. The three of them each still needed to find a team to drive for if that was going to happen. “Do you two know what you’ll be doing next, now that none of us got a spot here with Preston? Do you have anything else lined up?”

“There’s the Cocoabo Park tryouts, Sara will be there too. Although she had her private tests, too, I imagine, given the recent heights she reached,” Aldauren answered.

“Are you going to Mattijana, too?” Sara asked.

“I haven’t confirmed my attendance yet,” said Abdoulaye. “I decided I’d try taking a bit more initiative again so I reached out to a team a bit earlier. Ideally I’m hoping to hear back from them soon, and hopefully they’ll say yes. So I came here in the meantime and I’ll be at Cocoabo Forest too, because you can’t put all your eggs in one basket, you know. And it’s a good chance to get behind the wheel again. But if I get that ‘yes’ soon, I might not show up in Mattijana.”

“I understand. I hope we all find our teams eventually.”

“Should I fail that, I might create my own team.” Aldauren interjected. “I’m getting feelers that Pryfors Bilar wants me back to help form one.”

“I’ve daydreamed about forming a team sometimes,” said Abdoulaye. “That would be so cool. There’s so many fantastic drivers I’d love to work with.” He thought about all the tests being held, and the difficult decisions people like Gary Cook and Drake Stevenson had to make right now as they sifted through applicants. “It must be stressful for the team principals trying to finalize their lineups. I’m glad we don’t have to go through what they do.”

Sara's Room
Present Day

The door to the room was still open, Sara had gone in before nightfall. Her daughter Violet had been asleep on the bed, snoring softly. The light was still on in the room. Sara had been half asleep, and decided to go up, too restless to fully fall asleep. She was reading a newspaper when she saw a notification in her phone. It was from a certain Gregori Krupin. Intrigued, she opened it.

Oh, Volkov's already signed driver, I see you have me in mind as a potential number two. I had a quick look at your background, and I think you are a fine WGPC driver. I'll be happy to meet you once I get there. Then maybe I can ask questions.

With her mental draft ready, Sara began to type her reply:

To: Gregori Krupin <gkrupin@expressmail.com>
From: Sara Luna <sara.luna@pilarmanesi.dc>

Dear Mr. Krupin,

Thank you for your encouragement. I appreciate it immensely. I will try my best to give my all for the team. I make sure to show how I always value my team mate and the engineers, too. Congratulations on you getting signed for a new season!

Sincerely,
Sara Luna

There was a little known fact about Sara in the Diarcesian WGP3. She was one of the oldest to debut in the series, but she showed everyone that she was a pretty good driver. Like in the WGP2, she finished 2^nd in her debut season. She didn't do too well in the season after that, however

At the time, she had a bit of a falling out with her co-driver, who left Norris Racing for good. They have since reconciled.

[Auruna]

Preston Tryout

Kinu looks around the paddock, apart from Lukas Ziuvin, he doesn't know anyone, everyone's new to him. He's one of the newcomers there so he's rather unknown but that doesn't deter him from whatever he's focused on. I doesn't matter. He's there to drive.

Hours after the Preston Tryout

He was disappointed as he never got the seat, his performance with relatively no experience and by beating Ziuvin got his hopes up, it definitely boosted his confidence.

For now, he needs to look somewhere else.

MNA-Lÿntere
Lÿntere, Livonsk, Auruna

Back at his hometown, he doesn't know what to do now. There's a lot going on... but he's not actually prepared for anything. Scrolling up and down through different pages, forums, and his emails. There's not much that interests him.

Wait...

Kinu Luminna reaches out to other teams yet to have a full driver lineup, also announces his intentions to participate in the Cocoabo Trials and other future tests if there will be any.

"I need to do this. I want to race here. I'm going to do what no other Aurun driver has done before. Come on."

If there are no other options left, he plans to be a backup and test driver for Viska this season.

---

MNA FORUMS
WGPO Thread

krasnaahima » in WGPO Thread
@könäivan
KVA Rally

---

12.36
Between Luminna and Ziuvin, who would you like to see race?

Because for me, I'd choose Luminna, he as the potential. I mean, look at the results of the Preston Tryouts. He has beaten Ziuvin!

KK-Tola » in WGPO Thread
@kikookantolaa
Aviari Racing

---

12.37
Ziuvin is great but I'd like to see Luminna race there.

overturin » in WGPO Thread
@iljaturin
STV Motorsport

---

12.39
Damn, I'm split here. I seriously can't decide but I heard the two are great.

Haru14 » in WGPO Thread
@harurukönä
VSK Racing

---

12.39
Luminna comeback?

airanika » in WGPO Thread
@aira_ekeränna
Schkeska Racing

---

12.41
Definitely Luminna for me.

[Twicetagram and JYPe]

Home >> Sports >> International

---

Charyseine Valkyria rumours of WGPC Participation is revealed to be true

Valkyria at the paddocks in Floykriov
by Dan Karvadriev

Alphaxrie-Januslav— After some rumours circulating on online communities and forums about Charyseine Valkyria and the upcoming WGPC season, the young prodigy himself has confirmed his participation in it.

The news came as a surprise to all who thought he would be waiting for the WGP2 season to come. However, since he is not an Adelphia Racing product he may have to wait a while for a drive so his jump to the top level is understandable.

Charyseine, who is also a blogger and part-time e-sports gamer, revealed the news while streaming his Vertigo: Sunset gameplay on popular streaming platform Twiitch.

He said, “Yeah, regarding the WGPC 18 season, I’m signing up as a free agent. This may be surprising to some, if not most of you, but I’ve been itching to reach the top levels of Motorsports racing for a while now. Since the WGP2 is a while away I’m seeing if I can get a seat at the top teams. That is, if they trust a rookie like me.”


Valkyria dons a banana suit in his stream, which has become a popular trend amongst Twicetagrien millennials

Valkyria also stated that he’d attended a test drive for Preston Auto, a participating constructor this season. He also said that he would be attending two other test drives, but he didn’t specify what teams were hosting them.

“I really hope I can get a seat, so I’m practising hard for the tryouts. If I fail both of them, then it’ll be very hard for me to find a seat.” Valkyria ended off.

Also in VVS:

• INVITATIONALl: Twicetagria crashes out 1-4 in the hands of merciless Tikariot
• TRANSFER: Toilet’s acquisition a gamble but a perfect fit: Hot Take
• ONLINE: #CancelAugVlad and #CancelRom trends in Twicetagrien Twiitur
• RACING: Fire “doesn’t deserve a seat in WGPC”, says motorsport enthusiasts

[Liventia]

The OP has been updated with confirmed driver signings (must have been confirmed by both parties) and tyre choices. Please inform me if I have missed any signings or tyre choices.

Teams have another week to sign drivers, but only confirmed drivers will take part in the official WGPC pre-season tests this week. Additionally, two teams have yet to select tyres for the season and should do so by today, or run the risk of having one assigned by the WGPC.

[Mattijana]

Johan once again looked out of the window. The MRT head office looked over the pit straight at the Kopylov InternazionRing and today you could see it in all its glory. The spring sunshine was out and the fog that often hung over the nearby Rekvadas hills was nowhere to be seen.

There was little time to appreciate the scenery though. Two items were on the MRT agenda for the morning - tyres and drivers.

With usual supplier Petrovi not chosen as one of four tyre picks for the WGPC season, MRT would have to look elsewhere. Despite their rivalry with TRAE, Tropicorp offered the most balanced tyre and had a brilliant track record in the WGPC. You weren't going to get fancy technology, but you were going to get reliable, durable and grippy sets of boots. As a result, MRT had negotiated a tyre supply deal with Tropicorp for the season.

Despite the tyre deal being the more pressing matter, the bigger one was finding another driver. He and Maria had at least narrowed it down to four drivers, and three of them had accepted their invitations to the private test. They were still waiting on Goita, but three out of four wasn't bad. The WGP2 champion would be hot property too. Johan wondered if he already had offers on his plate from rival teams who expected him to be the hot new rookie of the year.
Goita was good, that was for sure, but in the back of Johan's mind Sara Luna would be the better team pick. She was mature, she was consistent and she had shown the ability to drive a car fast and not crash it. Those were three very useful attributes, especially in a number 2 driver, and even more so in a number 2 driver at WGPC18 MRT.
Losing both their top drivers from last season meant MRT had more free rein to shake things up. The ultra-consistent approach that had one them the title two years ago had served them well, but a more balanced approach was needed in the bold new era of international motorsport. The switch to the extra power of the Nordija engines was one step. Signing Kranjska was another.

The Mattijanan was by no means a liability, but she was more aggressive than the drivers MRT had signed in recent seasons. Johan expected impressive results from his home driver, but not the level of consistency others had shown. That meant someone who could mop up a respectable points haul when Kranjska didn't come off would be vitally useful.

Of course Luna had also demonstrated she had the pace and the calm head to win races. That too was exciting. It would be the test data and not gut feelings that decided who got the offer however, and Falapeau and Schonbaum were good options too for their own reasons. Time - and time on track in particular - would tell.

To: Abdoulaye Goita, Sara Luna, Dom Falapeau, Niklas Schonbaum
From: Maria Jamasova
Subject: MRT Private Test Details

Dear drivers,

As promised, here are the further details required for the private MRT test taking place this week.

The test will take place at the Kopylov InterNazionRing in Northern Mattijana. Transport will be provided by the team from your airport of arrival in either Burges or Petrovijanka. Accommodation will be provided in the nearby town of Kranjagrad for you and one supporting person. Transport to and from the circuit will also be provided. Further information about the Kopylov InterNazionRing is provided below:

Length: 5.153km
Lap Record: 1:35.244
Chance of rain: 12%
Elevation Change: 165 m

The driver's briefing will take place at 10:00am Mattijanan time. Drivers will use a modified version of MRT's WGPC17 car and will be given 5 practice laps on a neutral setup. Afterwards, drivers have the opportunity to change setup and tyres before a run of 3 flying laps. Drivers will then once again change tyres and have the opportunity to alter setup before a long run consisting of 18 laps. A schedule is as follows and all drivers must complete their runs within their allocated slot.

10:30-12:00: Dom Falapeau
12:30-14:00: Sara Luna
14:30-16:00: Niklas Schonbaum
16:30-18:00: Abdoulaye Goita (if attending)

As previously mentioned, raw pace will be taken into account when making our decision, as well as tyre wear, technique and ability to manipulate car setup.

Should drivers wish to attend, there will also be a post-test meal in the hospitality suite of the Kopylov InterNazionRing where drivers and their associates will have the opportunity to meet with one another and MRT team members.

We look forward to welcoming you to Mattijana and wish you all good luck.

Maria Jamasova
Deputy Team Principal, MRT.

[Liventia]

WGPC 18 season schedule
Mon 19 Oct – Tue 20 Oct: Pre-season test 1 x2 sessions
Pre-Season Test of Xanneria (Excelsior Resort Myrtle Grand Prix Circuit) – 4.265 km, A/T 6/4

Thu 22 Oct – Fri 23 Oct: Pre-season test 2 x2 sessions
Savojar Pre-Season Test (Kauralahti International Circuit) – 5.297 km, A/T 7.8/2.2

Sun 25 Oct – Mon 26 Oct: Pre-season test 3 x2 sessions
Praesidium Bank Pre-Season Test of Esmerel (Forest Cross National Raceway) – 7.165 km, A/T 7/3

Wed 28 Oct – Thu 29 Oct: Race Event 1
Grand Prix of Turori (Eelandii Grand Prix Course) – 59 laps x 5.190 km (Qual: Two-tier, A/T 5/5)

Mon 2 Nov – Tue 3 Nov: Race Event 2
Horikawa Instruments Grand Prix of Hodori (Dashoze Circuit) – 61 laps x 5.013 km (Qual: Elim, A/T 6.7/3.3)

Sat 7 Nov – Sun 8 Nov: Race Event 3
Nimban Grand Prix (Crossbay Circuit) – 64 laps x 4.830 km (Qual: Elim, A/T 6.3/3.7)

Thu 12 Nov – Fri 13 Nov: Race Event 4
Sÿrä-prii Auruna/Aurun Grand Prix (Akresna Circuit) – 49 laps x 6.244 km (Qual: Trad, A/T 3/7)

Tue 17 Nov – Thu 19 Nov: Race Event 5
Abovian Grand Prix Feature Race (Fjellutfordring) – 50 laps x 4.400 km (Qual: One-shot, A/T 6.7/3.3)
Abovian Grand Prix Sprint Race (Fjellutfordring) – 32 laps x 4.400 km (Qual: Feature race, A/T 6.7/3.3)

Sun 22 Nov – Mon 23 Nov: Mid-season test 1 x2 sessions
Mid-Season Test of Île Saint-Joseph (Circuit d'Arès) – 5.075 km, A/T 3.8/6.2

Wed 25 Nov: Mid-season test 2 (single test session)
Raichovian Mid-Season Test of Twicetagria (Raichovsky Circuit) – 6.082 km, A/T 4.6/5.4

Sat 28 Nov – Sun 29 Nov: Race Event 6
Eisborg Gran Premio di Nekoni (Autodromo Internazionale del Rivoli) – 52 laps x 5.918 km (Qual: Trad, A/T 4.6/5.4)

Thu 3 Dec – Fri 4 Dec: Race Event 7
Grand Prix Filindostan Cepat (San Marco Street Circuit) – 70 laps x 4.373 km (Qual: Trad, A/T 2.7/7.3)

Tue 8 Dec – Wed 9 Dec: Race Event 8
Preston Autos Hapiloppan Grand Prix (Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit) – 55 laps x 5.570 km (Qual: Elim, A/T 6/4)

Sun 13 Dec – Mon 14 Dec: Race Event 9
Liventia Airways Grand Prix of Liventia (Talbott Autodrome) – 49 laps x 6.239 km (Qual: Two-tier, A/T 3/7)

Fri 18 Dec – Sat 19 Dec: Race Event 10
Grand Prix tsa Mattijana (Ljubala InterNazionRing) – 51 laps x 5.980 km (Qual: Two-tier, A/T 3.5/6.5)

[Filindostan]

Yogyakulta International Circuit
Yogyakulta, Filindostan

It was the time for the shakedown of the WGPC car of Badai Angin in their home track in Yogyakulta. Not being selected by the Filindostani Motorsports Group (FMG) has enabled the team to fully utilize the facility for their test runs. With Alex arriving in Yogyakulta two days ago and Rusty already in the track meeting the team staff. Rudolf and his deputies are excited to see the first glimpse of the BAP002, the car BA Tim will use to finally mount a serious challenge to Tropicorp Racing Aelund, Nexus Racing, and Mattijana Racing Team who almost overtook them in the constructors' championship last season.

Also in the track is Solymok's CMO, Kristian Szusza, and his client, WGP2 driver and WGPC hopeful Barnabas Mate, who Rudolf permitted to get some mileage in the car after Alex and Rusty will be given two hours each to run the car and give feedback that would be very valuable to the team. Getting the signings done early before other teams do has been very beneficial to the team, as they can assess which parts of the car needed attention to. As the car is greatly biased towards maximing the output of the engine to be fast on the straights and have relatively good cornering, specifically on the technical tracks, in exchange of reliability. They have decided to sacrifice some of the technical aspects of the car with the addition of the reliable Solymok tyres, which brought SVJ Racing to WGP2 glory last season and will continue to use them for their WGPC debut this season, along with Lisanderian debutants TAS Alliance. In exchange, rumors have been circulating that previous partners Fireline have chosen to prefer a different tyre supplier next season, keeping the teams supplied by the Gergarian tyre manufacturer to 3 teams.

Solymok's increased involvement in the series with three WGPC teams this season have impacted their sponsorship of Barnabas, or Barney in the motorsports world, as he reportedly will have not much funding available and will be settling as the role of test driver for Badai Angin and the team's primary backup driver in case Alex or Rusty would be forced to miss races this season. Although, Kristian stressed to Rudolf that he will offer Barney's services to Solymok-shed WGPC teams, SVJ Racing and TAS Alliance in case they need a second driver to run this season, though it will be a long shot his services are needed by then.

After the shakedown session and each driver putting their inputs, the team principal announced that they will have a new title sponsor, originally signed as Rusty's personal sponsor and backing, but decided to provide additional backing as the team's principal sponsor. It was a telecommunications company from Hispinas, Telebuenas, represented by Julian Alenta Varadi, their marketing officer. "Welcome aboard, Mr. Alenta.", the team principal's warm welcome to the Hispino representative.

Telebuenas is a fresh investment in the team as well as in Filindo shores, as they plan to release a mobile communication provider in Filindostan, named "MotoMo'To", which simply means "This is your Moto" in Filis language. They believe that taking advantage of the team's rising popularity in Filindostan, as well as the timely signing of Filindostan's favorite driver Rusty will propel their mobile brand in the country, as well as putting Hispinas in the map and kickstart the craze of motorsports there. But other people believe that the Hispino owners will want an involvement beyond their title sponsorship of the team...

Meanwhile, despite the positive feedbacks received from the drivers, there was one minor trouble the team would need to deal with - their final livery. The computer which contained the data for their livery broke down, and the drive's hardware was busted, corrupting the data in it. It would take several weeks to recover the data, and Rusty was a little livid with the team as they would not be able to present it to the sponsors. "Sorry Dolf, just happened this morning, we had planned to put a test livery to the preseason testing, but shit came up and we might have just to put a plain Badai Angin blue similar to the shakedown session this morning but with the sponsor logos on." Bryant said in a relaxed manner.

"Okay, that's fine, but we will need the final livery by the first race at Turori." Dolf told his deputy. "Isn't Hodori the first event as was last season?" Bryant was surprised at Dolf's reply. "I just received the news from the offices at Liventia. Hodori will not be the opener, Turori's Eelandii Race Circuit will be taking their place. They will be however the second round. Also, look at the information we got. San Marco will be round seven, and the last rounds will be in Liventia and Mattijana respectively."

"That would be great for Alex." Eko muttered. "Yeah, probably good for us too, we got that double podium in Talbott, and Rusty also performed strong there. Mattijana will be a test to our cars though, but Rusty and Alex have their technical expertise to offset any deficiency our cars have with that department. Do you see us challenging for the title?"

"Of course." Dolf answered convincingly. "We just need to fix our midseason slump and we will be there fighting for the title at the end of the season. We also need to negotiate that Aboveland round. I believe that would be the first time in recent seasons that there will be a feature and sprint races on the WGPC calendar. And we will make sure that these helmets would be present in most if not all podium ceremonies this season" Dolf pointed to the helmets Alex and Rusty will wear this season, with Alex donning the yellow and green with black trim helmet, and Rusty having the sporting and flag colors of Filindostan splashed with Badai Angin blue and red.

"These are nice!" Rusty intejected. "I believe we can contend this season. I'll do my best to help this team capture both the drivers' and constructors' championship."

"That's the spirit, 'nak..." Dolf said, but was interrupted again, smirking. "Mr. Rudolf, I'm not your son when we are doing this WGPC thing. Let's be professional inside and out". The whole crew laughed out as they wrapped out their shakedown sessions and proceeded to prepare for the first pre-season test at Xanneria.

OOC Notes:
1. I will be sidelining Barnabas Mate for this season given the fact that there will are many distinct users that RPd this season and I'd prefer the remaining seats going to these drivers. I'd say Barney lacked funding to complete the deal had be been the top driver from the Preston tryout, hopefully that didn't happen. Lisander and Savojarna may use the character in case there will be a need to do so as part of the Solymok tyres angle.
2. As mentioned in Discord, my PC has been broken last Thursday, and I was not fortunate enough to save either the PSD or the PNG files of the liveries in an online repository, so I won't be able to post them until the end of the pre-season testing while waiting for the temporary workaround. I was able however to post the helmet images in IRC and use it in this RP. Will fix the dimensions/size once my PC is fixed.