NationStates

Welcome to the 13th season of NSSCRA!

Once again, we are going to attempt to run two different series. The main series (Multiversal Cup Series) and the second tier series (EverLong Series). The main series will be scorinated in the manner in which you are accustomed too, or in the same way that seasons 6-12 have been. The second series has all drivers, regardless of their nation, start with a skill level of zero. This puts all nations on a level playing period to begin with for that series. The second tier series only has one scorination of data, there are not five segments that are averaged.

Every "race weekend" will have two days in which information is scorinated. Day 1 will be the qualifying for the main series and the official race results (with qualifying) for the second tier series. Day 2 will be the day in which main series results are scorinated. Day 2 will be the only day where there is an official RP cutoff. Day 1 will not have an official cutoff for RP as the results will be posted at a time similar to what cutoff time typically is, but will be done without a cutoff associated with it.

Ex: In the main series, a race's information reads like this:
Exhibition- (Aug 20/21)- Exhibition at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive <--- This will be the actual dates of the first cutoff, too.

This means that the cutoff date for this race is August 21.
On August 20, qualifying for this race will be posted without a cutoff. It will also be the day that the corresponding second tier series race has it's results posted (as long as with the qualifying).

The next post will contain the full schedule.

Driver Lists:






You may begin RP'ing at this time!

Multiversal Schedule:

Exhibition (Aug 20/21): Exhibition at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive, Newmanistan
Race 1 (Aug 23/24): Tundra Falls 500, Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Newmanistan (Superspeedway)
Race 2 (Aug 27/28): Race of the Steppes, Raceway of the Steppe, Erdinbet, Yakk (Road Course)
Race 3 (Aug 30/31): Holly's Delights 500, The Garden of Radiance, 12 km South-East of Reykjavík, Iceland, Victoriaans Nederlands, Valentine Z, Garden at 6th Mile Road (Speedway)
Race 4: (Sept 3/4): The Daystar Isles Grand Prix, Shining Heart Circuit, Shining Heart, Daystar Isles (Road Course)
Race 5: (Sept 6/7): BDEnergy 400, Selid Oval, Selid, Myleikaf Province, Abanhfleft (Superspeedway)
Race 6: (Sept 10/11): Cocoabo Preservation 300K, Cocoabo Park Circuit, Cocoabo Park, Cocoabo Forest (Road Course)
Race 7: (Sept 13/14): Southside Bank 400, Halsted Raceway, Halsted, Wreckeria (Short Track)
Race 8: (Sept 20/21): Delivery Mouse 575, Forrestbury International Speedway, South Newport, Forrestbury, South Americanastan (Speedway)
Race 9: (Sept 27/28):TMW 500, TMW Ramba Test Track, Ramba, Rinbung County, Tibet Province, The Sherpa Empire (Short Track)
Race 10: (Oct 1/2): The Race Of Sonnel, Circuit of the Sonnelites, 69X City, Sixty-ninE X (Road Course)
Race 11: (Oct 8/9): Toys '4' All 500, Lonngeylin Ring, Lonngeylin, Vilita (Short Track)
Race 12: (Oct 11/12): Tropicorp 500, Tropicoast Beach Course, Tropicorp (Superspeedway)
Race 13: (Oct 15/16): TJUN 600, Jungle Circuit, Peninsula, JagBase TJUN-ia, TJUN-ia (Road Course)
Race 14: (Oct 22/23): Sharpe's Battleship 300, The HNE Half Mile, Hapilopper City, Hapilopper (Short Track- DIRT TRACK)
Race 15: (Oct 25/26): Exhibition 500-Mile Race, Hapilopper City Raceway, Hapilopper (Speedway)
Race 16: (Oct 29/30): Pencurve Electronics 500, Jalton Superspeedway, Jalton, Saint Kanye (Superspeedway)

(END REGULAR SEASON- 16 DRIVERS ADVANCE TO CHASE, ALL DRIVERS CONTINUE TO RACE)

Race 17: (Nov 1/2)- Vilaye Energy Drink 314, Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, Vilita (Road Course)
Race 18: (Nov 5/6)- TBD, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds Speedway, Sword Island (Short Track)
Race 19: (Nov 8/9)- Kimi-Suomen Sprintti, Kimi Circuit, Kimi Kaupunki, Kimi-Suomi (Road Course)

(FIRST CHASE ELIMINATION- CHASE FIELD CUT TO 12, ALL DRIVERS CONTINUE TO RACE)

Race 20: (Nov 12/13)- Eon Energy 380, Aurora Motorsports Park, Ember Valley, Enera Province, Esmerel (Speedway)
Race 21: (Nov 15/16)- Guangxi Telecom 400, Li River Speedway, Guilin, Guangxi Territory, The Sherpa Empire (Road Course)
Race 22: (Nov 19/20)- Die Versuche des Skorpions, Dürrdürrwüste, Jebslund (Speedway)

(SECOND CHASE ELIMINATION- CHASE FIELD CUT TO 8, ALL DRIVERS CONTINUE TO RACE)

Race 23: (Nov 26/27)- Shwedagon's Blessings 500, Round and Round The Pagoda, Yangon, Valentine Z (Road Course)
Race 24: (Nov 29/30)- Kardashia Chadwick Dealers 400, Kardashia Autoring, Saint Kanye (Speedway)
Race 25: (DEC 2/3)- PTCCU Auto Loans 300, Oxyrhynchus-Ring, Oxyrhynchus, Fhulghamous Peninsula Colony, Abanhfleft (Short Track)

(FINAL CHASE ELIMINATION- CHASE FIELD CUT TO 4, ALL DRIVERS CONTINUE TO RACE)

Race 26: (Dec 10/11)- Proving Grounds 500, Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Newmanistan (Superspeedway)



EverLong Schedule:

Exhibition (Aug 20): Prospect Showcase at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive (Newmanistan)
Race 1 (Aug 23): Tundra Falls 400, Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Newmanistan (Superspeedway)
Race 2 (Aug 27): Race of the Steppes, Raceway of the Steppe, Erdinbet, Yakk (Road Course)
Race 3 (Aug 30): Holly's Delights 360, The Garden of Radiance, 12 km South-East of Reykjavík, Iceland, Victoriaans Nederlands, Valentine Z, Garden at 6th Mile Road (Speedway)
Race 4: (Sept 3): The Daystar Isles Grand Prix, Shining Heart Circuit, Shining Heart, Daystar Isles (Road Course)
Race 5: (Sept 6): Warden Oil 320, Selid Oval, Selid, Myleikaf Province, Abanhfleft (Superspeedway)
Race 6: (Sept 10): Cocoabo Preservation 200K, Cocoabo Park, Cocoabo Forest (Road Course)
Race 7: (Sept 13): Kermania Fortress Run, Kermania Citadel, Jebslund (Road Course)
Race 8: (Sept 20): Macrotech 450, Forrestbury International Speedway, South Newport, Forrestbury, South Americanastan (Speedway)
Race 9: (Sept 27): TBD, Brisbane International Raceway, Sword Island (Road Course)
Race 10: (Oct 1): Stargaze Race 77, Circuit of the Sonnelites, 69X City, Sixty-ninE X (Road Course)
Race 11: (Oct 8): TBD, Lonngeylin Ring, Lonngeylin, Vilita (Short Track)
Race 12: (Oct 11): TBD, Tropicoast Beach Course, Tropicorp (Superspeedway)
Race 13: (Oct 15): NGADM 500, Jungle Circuit, Peninsula, JagBase TJUN-ia, TJUN-ia (Road Course)
Race 14: (Oct 22): Coweta Agricultural 250, The HNE Half Mile, Hapilopper City, Hapilopper (Short Track- DIRT TRACK)
Race 15: (Oct 25): HTN 300, Hapilopper City Raceway, Hapilopper (Speedway)
Race 16: (Oct 29): GGfx Graphics Cards 450, Jalton Superspeedway, Jalton, Saint Kanye (Superspeedway)

(END REGULAR SEASON- 16 DRIVERS ADVANCE TO CHASE, ALL DRIVERS CONTINUE TO RACE)

Race 17: (Nov 1): TBD, Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course, Vilita (Road Course)
Race 18: (Nov 5): TBD, Fredericksburg Fairgrounds Speedway, Sword Island (Short Track)
Race 19: (Nov 8): Kimi-Suomen Kävely, Kimi Circuit, Kimi Kaupunki, Kimi-Suomi (Road Course)

(FIRST CHASE ELIMINATION- CHASE FIELD CUT TO 12, ALL DRIVERS CONTINUE TO RACE)

Race 20: (Nov 12): Cygnus 228, Aurora Motorsports Park, Ember Valley, Enera Province, Esmerel (Speedway)
Race 21: (Nov 15): Mgogoro wa Jiji la Ngao (Shield City Conflict), Mviringo wa Dunia (The Circle of the Earth), Jiji la Ngao, AU Zone, TJUN-ia (Short Track- Dirt Track)
Race 22: (Nov 19): TBD, Die Versuche des Skorpions, Dürrdürrwüste, Jebslund (Speedway)

(SECOND CHASE ELIMINATION- CHASE FIELD CUT TO 8, ALL DRIVERS CONTINUE TO RACE)

Race 23: (Nov 26): Shwedagon's Blessings 350, Round and Round The Pagoda, Yangon, Valentine Z (Road Course)
Race 24: (Nov 29): Axis Hyper Clean 300, Kardashia Autoring, Saint Kanye (Speedway)
Race 25: (DEC 2- FRIDAY!) Visit the Fhulghamous! 200, Oxyrhynchus-Ring, Oxyrhynchus, Fhulghamous Peninsula Colony, Abanhfleft (Short Track)

(FINAL CHASE ELIMINATION- CHASE FIELD CUT TO 4, ALL DRIVERS CONTINUE TO RACE)

Race 26: (Dec. 10): Proving Grounds 400, Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Newmanistan (Superspeedway)


Cutoffs are at 9:00PM Eastern United States Time, Sharp! The regulars know, but be anticipating this to be prompt, on the dot, as I am often on the computer, ready to roll and waiting for the clock to turn, and for Vilita/Tropicorp's last minute RPs!

THE TEAM



Gale Force Racing, formerly Glorious Free Republic Motorsports, was founded seven seasons ago and was originally St. Kanye's official entry in the Electric Grand Prix (eGP). However, that series never took off, and so the team refocused their efforts into stock car racing, debuting in the sixth season of the Nationstates Stock Car Racing Association (NSSCRA). Today GFR have over twenty wins, consistent playoff performances, and a Cup championship. The current team president is Lucas "Luke" Brown, a former driver and champion in KURT (Kanyean Unified Racing Tournament), the country's top series, and the vice president is Eunice Radetsky.

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THE CAR



The Chadwick Infinite, the next step in the evolution of St. Kanye's most popular sedan model, is the car of choice not only for GFR, but also New Northwesteros-based Direwolf Auto Team, 69X's Quebecom Team Tsunopin, and Esmerel's Square Zero Motorsports. Tires and fuel are provided by Tropicorp Racing Supply and Argo Petrol, respectively.

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THE DRIVERS

#18 Jeremiah Brooke

Twii.tur: @Jeremiah_B
NSSCRA 6 Championship Four
NSSCRA 7 Regular Season Champion
NSSCRA 8 Regular Season Runner-Up
NSSCRA 9 Regular Season Runner-Up
NSSCRA 9 Champion
NSSCRA 10 Championship Four
NSSCRA 12 Regular Season Champion
1-Time Vilaye Energy Drink 314 Winner
1-Time TJUN 600 Winner

Crew Chief: Ben Warwick
Spotter: Raymond Goldfarb

Jeremiah, 32, made his debut in the Cup Series' sixth season, and won the championship in its ninth season. He is known for being one of the nicest, most approachable drivers in the series, getting along well with fans and competitors alike, as well as his chill, laid back personality. Despite missing several races due to injury in two different seasons, he is still one of the winningest drivers in the field, and is in fact one of only four drivers in the NSSCRA's Chase era to win back-to-back races in two consecutive weeks, the others being Anastasia Aye of Valentine Z's Valkyrie Racing Team, Taylor Henderson of Wreckeria's Oliver Marlin Racing, and Kai Qiang of Wednesday Racing.

At the end of the tenth season, Jeremiah married his girlfriend and fellow driver and champion, Stacie Houston of Cassadaigua. They have a son, Jericho Houston-Brooke (Stacie decided to keep her surname, and the pair decided all future offspring will have theirs hyphenated), who is staying with Jeremiah's parents at his house in Bompton, St. Kanye. During the break between the twelfth and thirteenth seasons, he gained dual Cassadagan citizenship.

#27 Stacie Houston (OOC: Big thanks to Cassadaigua for allowing me to use her driver on my team)

Twii.tur: @StacieHouston27
NSSCRA 6 Championship Four
NSSCRA 7 Championship Four
NSSCRA 7 Champion
NSSCRA 8 Championship Four
NSSCRA 9 Championship Four
NSSCRA 12 Championship Four

Crew Chief: Marinette Harbaugh
Spotter: Roger Fenty

After noticing her brilliant performance as a replacement for her injured husband Jeremiah late in the tenth season, which included a win in Valentine Z just a few months after giving birth to Jericho, GFR decided to take on the 35-year-old Stacie full-time. This proved to be a very popular move with fans, not only in St. Kanye and Cassadaigua but around the world, since it united two past champions under the same garage, and a husband and wife at that. Stacie herself was excited, having already felt comfortable behind the wheel of a Chad as well as working with the Yeezie crew assigned to her (her usual 'Dagan crew have all moved over to Maddie Alexander). When asked if she and Jeremiah will be going easy on each other on the track, Stacie said: "No way. We both agreed that we won't. That's one thing about our relationship - we always try to push each other to do better." Somewhere, Kev Schorebrook must be kicking himself hard right now.

Stacie repaid GFR's support by making it all the way to the twelfth season's finale, ultimately finishing runner-up to Anastasia Aye in the point standings. During the break between the twelfth and thirteenth seasons, she gained dual Yeezie citizenship.

#46 Thea Alvarez

Twii.tur: @Luna_Althea
NSSCRA 6 Championship Four
NSSCRA 7 Championship Four
NSSCRA 8 Championship Four
NSSCRA 10 Championship Four
NSSCRA 11 Championship Four
NSSCRA 12 Championship Four
2-Time Kardashia Chadwick Dealers 400 Winner (big deal for her given it's her home track)

Crew Chief: Kaley Curtis
Spotter: Naomi Hoff

Thea is a shy, sensitive girl who enjoys fantasy books and movies, stuffed animals and shoes, and would rather dress cute than sexy. At 25, she is the youngest member of the team. But behind the innocent exterior lies a very tough challenger who has mastered the art of last-second wins ("Yeezie magic", as the media calls it). She draws support and inspiration from the many young fans who look up to her as a positive female role model - and it seems to be working wonders, as evidenced by her record six Championship Four appearances.

As a good luck charm of sorts, Thea keeps a stuffed Cocoabo toy beside her during races. Its name, "Cocoabo #46", even appears above the passenger side window of her cars. She is currently dating fellow driver Ilya Tsunopin, one of the most controversial and polarizing figures in the sport right now. Will Thea be able to tame him, or will his wild ways be the one to rub off on her?

THE SPONSORS

Vylet: A tech giant which operates throughout Atlantian Oceania. With their distinctively colored uniforms and vehicles, it's easy to see if someone is having their internet installed or fixed. They have paid a large, undisclosed amount in order to move up from secondary to primary sponsor for Jeremiah Brooke and the #18 team.

Hyde Medical Group: The biggest healthcare company and seventh biggest private company overall in St. Kanye, Hyde operates hospitals, manufactures medicines and medical equipment, does research, works with medical schools and charities, and gives secondary sponsorship to Brooke. Recently, they have also taken their sponsorship into other forms of motorsport, making a deal with Schkeska-VSK Viska Racing, an Aurunan WGPC team.

GGtech: Pencurve Electronics' brand of gaming accessories like mice, keyboards and controllers, as well as gadgets such as laptops. They also manufacture the track simulators used by both GFR and Skip Stiller's racing school, and will be back as the title sponsor for the regular season finale in the Everlong series, the GGtech 450.

Five Star Mobile: The Cassadagan carrier has a long and fruitful partnership with Stacie Houston, and as such follows her to GFR.

Charisma Cosmetics: Since paint company Multiversal now sponsors the top tier series, they have left GFR and Thea Alvarez's camp due to it being a conflict of interest. Taking over primary sponsorship for the #46 will be this Jalton-based cosmetics company, which Alvarez not only is an endorser of, but is also a part owner.

Girls Will Code: A movement that started in Filindostan, promoting the teaching of computer programming among females. (OOC: Girls Will Code logo used with permission from Filindostan.)

Coleman & Thorne: The biggest banking company and fifth biggest private company overall in St. Kanye. Long known for being traditional and old-fashioned, C&T has recently undergone a complete rebrand, hoping to attract the growing number of young professionals in the country (as well as the rest of the Atlantian Oceania region).

Eon Energy: The Esmerelian energy drink company will not only sponsor their countryman Ezekiel Rodger, but also the Yeezies. (OOC: Name by Esmerel, logos by me.)

Based in: Hapilopper City

Primary: Good Motor Oil (Drake Stevenson), Mayhem (Rinzi Zakhilwal), Mel's Ultra-Mart (Chris Holmes)

Secondary: Hapilopper Airlines, Fresh Cola, Warner Hall Pizza, DEZ Cleaning Products, MIX Filters, Coweta Agricultural Products (Stevenson), Wolf Totem Carpets (Zakhilwal)

Contingency Sponsors: Redways Hapiloppian Van Lines, Hi-Tech Brake Pads, GOON Chassis Parts, SuperTV Satellite Television, Hobbs Beer, C:\>RetroHut, Pinkerton Engine Bearings, Ida's Parts By Mail, HTS Industrial Manufacturing, Urban Fryers Fried Foodstuffs, EverLong Convenience Stations, Hydroceramic Parts, Slant Radiator Pressure Caps, Perfect 10 Motels, Huntsman Parts, LOOK! Gauges, Phoenix Insurance Brokers, UltraValue Master Mechanic Stores, Romlin Spark Plugs, BA Racing

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Team Owner: Amanda McAlister (twii.tur: @Amanda_TeamBlue)
The daughter of Ken Henson, who ran Team Blue from the 1970s until 2019, Amanda McAlister is the calm, mild-mannered leader of Team Blue, running the team through the turbulent times, the high moments and the times where she just wants to strangle Drake Stevenson for doing something stupid. Originally someone with little-to-no interest in racing, McAlister rarely traveled to races until two years ago. Currently, Amanda has guided Team Blue through quite the storm and into one of the top teams in international stock car racing. The team has evolved into a solid unit, working together, winning together and losing together. McAlister, like the rest of Team Blue, is highly optimistic for the coming season.

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Driver Coach: Frank Bronson (twii.tur: @Frank_Bronson)
You know this guy. Frank Bronson, retired from the world of racing, is still with Team Blue, serving as the team's driver consultant. Bronson, who won a couple of NSSCRA races with Team Blue, has remained a vital part of the team, working to help the team through all its ups and downs, and is said to be one of the smartest auto racing minds in all of Hapilopper and, if he's able to, will be able to help the team compete for victory. Bronson is still quite close to each of Team Blue's three drivers, and the three drivers highly respect him. It is said that Bronson will also serve as a substitute driver for any of the three, should something happen that would necessitate their absence from the wheel.

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THE DRIVERS.

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HAPILOPPER CITY – The biggest racing series of them all, the NSSCRA Multiversal Cup Series, is about to start its 13th season. Team Blue, the team considered Hapilopper’s de facto national stock car racing team, is about to start its 6th season competing in NSSCRA, and features what some consider its greatest lineup ever – Drake Stevenson, considered the finest Hapiloppian stock car driver of his generation; Chris Holmes, still in recovery from his personal demons to become one of the top drivers in the series; and Sherpaland import Rinzi Zakhilwal, a wildly popular driver amongst Hapiloppians, who went from “the carpet guy” to becoming one of the top drivers in the multiverse.

Think that’s exciting enough? Well, consider this: Team Blue’s long-time arch rival in HASCAR, Oliver Marlin Racing is about to make its long-awaited debut in the Multiversal Cup, with two of Hapilopper’s top drivers: Tyson Hoyt, the longtime “bad boy” of HASCAR racing, and former NSSCRA champ Taylor Henderson.

NSSCRA commanding huge audiences, huge money, huge ratings

In a few days, those five drivers, and many more, will start the 13th season of the Multiversal Cup Series with two races in Tundra Falls, Newmanistan: The annual pre-season exhibition and the Tundra Falls 500 on the 3.5 mile superspeedway there. According to Samantha Johnson, the head of the sports department for the Hapilopper Television Network, somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of all households in Hapilopper will be tuned into the season-opening race.

This shouldn’t be a surprise. Last season, Johnson said, the NSSCRA Multiversal Cup Series received, on average, an estimated 70-80 million viewers per race in Hapilopper alone. And that doesn’t include the crown jewel races – the two points races in Newmanistan, the Vilaye 314, the Pencurve 500, and of course, the two races held as part of the Hapilopper National Exhibition.

“With many of those races, probably 300 to 400 million viewers,” Johnson said. “With the two races in Hapilopper City, 400 to 500.”

With all those eyes on the NSSCRA product, Johnson said that HTN has been able to command massive fees for 30-second commercials during their weekly “Speed Sundays” program blocks – which typically consists of the NSSCRA and HASCAR series together.

In total, a 30-second ad, on average, will cost a company $750,000 to air during a NSSCRA race. During the races in Newmanistan, Vilita, the Sherpa Empire and Saint Kanye, that number goes up to $1 million, and during the two races in Hapilopper City, that number doubles to $2 million.

Those numbers may sound ridiculous, but according to Johnson, every commercial spot was sold during last season’s races well in advance, and in fact, the commercial spots for this year’s Exhibition 500 is completely sold out.

“Companies are tripping over each other trying to get their logo on a NSSCRA race,” Johnson said. “We’ve got companies wanting to do whatever it takes to put their face on the biggest property we’ve got. And those commercials make all the difference for both us and for our sponsors.”

One such sponsor is Ida’s Parts By Mail. A longtime contingency sponsor for the HASCAR Challenge Cup and a sponsor of Team Blue, Ida’s has stressed the importance of getting their name out to the race fan.

“Most of our customer base watch racing on the weekends,” said Tim Horne, president and CEO of Ida’s Parts By Mail. “They see our logo on the track, figure out what we do and realize that we fill a need they have. We’re car guys that work for car guys.”

The Exhibition 500: Demand led to a change

Formerly called the Super Skychief 500, the Exhibition 500, is the biggest sporting event in all of Hapilopper, and arguably the biggest motor race in the multiverse.
The race brought tremendous amounts of attention to Preston Autos’ flagship model, the 200 mph Super Skychief road car, and Preston executives said the race helped the company sell tens of thousands of examples.

“We’d say it was in the high five digits,” said Todd Preston, the son of Preston head Jim Preston and an executive with the company. “The race helped sell so many cars, I’d hazard a guess.”

But complaints from Hapilopper’s other four major car makers led to the Hapilopper National Exhibition Board and HASCAR, both of whom oversee the race, to change the format for race sponsorship for the race.

Instead, this season, the Exhibition 500 will be sponsored by all of Hapilopper’s big five car makers. The leader at laps 100, 200, 300, 400 and 450 will receive a trophy, while the leader at the final lap, lap 500, will receive the Exhibition Cup.

The leader at lap 100 will receive the Preston Autos Cup, while the leader at lap 200 will receive the Hamilton Cup, the leader at lap 300 will receive the Primetime Cup, the leader at lap 400 will receive the Stevens Automotive Cup, while the leader at lap 450 will receive the Major Motors Cup. The five trophies will receive a cash bonus of over $1 million, while the winner of the race will receive a bonus exceeding $5 million.

“There was a concern that the HNE had become too much of a show for one brand over another,” said Rod Hargrove, executive director of the Hapilopper National Exhibition. “And as a result, there were criticisms – very valid criticisms, I need to point out – that we were getting away from what the Hapilopper National Exhibition was about. We’re a showcase for all of Hapilopper, not one brand over another.”

The arms race in full swing

With the enormous popularity around auto racing in Hapilopper, more than ever, each of Hapilopper’s big five automakers are cashing in on the chance to one-up their rivals. For the first time, each of the big five will have a homologation special on the race track this season.

Preston Autos started the arms race several years ago with the Super Skychief, a car that made its world debut at the Hapilopper National Exhibition six years ago. The brand has seen tremendous success with the car, and later this season, Preston will roll out Super Skychief Two for its NSSCRA teams, Team Blue, Harris Community Media, as well as new teams from Togonistan and Yakk, pending homologation approval from both HASCAR and NSSCRA.

Stevens Automotive Manufacturing – known internationally as SAM due to a naming conflict with a Sword Island-based brand with the same name – introduced the Sentry the year after the Super Skychief, and its Sentry Mk. II will make its world debut in Tundra Falls this weekend with Taylor Henderson and Tyson Hoyt driving. The car, said to be more aerodynamically efficient than the Mk. I, could rival some of NSSCRA’s top teams this season.

Major Motors is debuting its new Speedway Excelsior II this season, and the controversial Primetime Motorcar Company, which throws its weight behind one team running their low-production specialty vehicles, has seen a lot of success with the Quest X in the last couple of years.

The lone holdout, at least until this season, was the Hamilton Car Company, which hadn’t introduced a new model to HASCAR since 2012. But last season, Edmund Flanders, driving for Surrey car dealer Michael Sheldon, surprised more than a few by winning the NSSCRA Everlong Contenders Series in an old Hamilton Privilege.

“It was surprising to us, because we haven’t really put a lot of weight into our motorsport programs in recent years,” said Douglas Cooper, executive vice president of marketing for Hamilton. “We had gone away from it in the last several years as we changed our image into a brand for deluxe automobiles for deluxe customers. We didn’t figure that someone would continue to run our Privilege brand, much less win with it, as we didn’t position it for motorsport.”

That someone was Michael Sheldon, a dealer of Hamilton cars in the Surrey area. Sheldon’s image, specifically the commercials that boast that his dealerships “stack ‘em deep and sell ‘em cheap, so drive it like you stole it!” runs counter to Hamilton’s more staid image. And Sheldon doesn’t care.

“Tell you the truth, they can keep that grey flannel crap,” Sheldon said in his typical no-nonsense style. “I like Hamilton cars because they’re good cars, and my people like them. You don’t see many Hamilton cars breaking down on the road. They don’t build buckets of crap. They build cars that will last. And that’s why we race ‘em.”

When asked if he had ever considered running a different make, Sheldon scoffed.

“No way,” Sheldon said. “We figured all we needed was results and Eddie Flanders gave us that result. They had to give us a new car after that.”

That new car is the Privilege SSC – SSC standing for “Sheldon Stock Car,” according to Cooper. The car is visibly more aerodynamic than the standard Privilege. The limited-production car, designed specifically to be raced, was designed in part by the Mike Sheldon Auto Dealers team and will only be sold at Mike Sheldon’s dealerships in Surrey.

The storylines: More hype than ever before?

On top of that, there are a number of storylines going into this NSSCRA season that have fans in Hapilopper foaming at the mouth.

“We have our strongest driver lineup ever,” said Amanda McAlister, team principal of Team Blue. “We’ve got two great homegrown drivers in Drake Stevenson and Chris Holmes, and we’ve got an outstanding import from Sherpaland in Rinzi Zakhilwal. We've got the best three drivers we could pick up.”

McAlister said the team has spared no expense in getting Zakhilwal ready for the NSSCRA, and that has included hiring several of his crew that worked with him when he drove an AutoModi in recent seasons. It also includes the installation of a prayer room in both the Team Blue shop and the Team Blue Center, the team’s traveling “home away from home” that the team uses at NSSCRA events across the multiverse.

“Rinzi is a devout Muslim, and that was one of the things we needed to do,” McAlister said. “We wanted to make sure he was as comfortable as possible with us, so he could go out there, hit the ground running and win races.”

The prayer room was far from the only thing Team Blue took care of to get Rinzi comfortable.

“We are a firm believer that you can’t just put any crew chief with anyone,” McAlister said. “Pat Howard or Lawrence Malloy might not have the same chemistry with Rinzi that his own guys have. We thought it was prudent to bring in some of his guys, train them with what we do and go from there. It’s all about getting them to hit the ground running immediately.”

On top of that, Team Blue has retained its other two drivers, Drake Stevenson and Chris Holmes. Stevenson, considered the top Hapiloppian stock car driver of his generation, and Holmes, the former hothead-turned-mature racer, have become quite comfortable in their roles at the team.

But their former teammate Taylor Henderson will be driving elsewhere this year – at Team Blue’s arch rivals, Oliver Marlin Racing, alongside Tyson Hoyt, once viewed as a big of a hothead as Henderson or Holmes in a past life.

Henderson admits that part of her motivation this season is revenge, and says that she is still quite bitter for the way her time at Team Blue ended.

“I want to get one up on Drake and that team,” Henderson said. “There’s too many people at Team Blue that wanted to change who I was and change how I was. If I did that, I wouldn’t have been as good as I was. To hell with that. I wouldn’t mind putting Stevenson in the wall a time or two this season.”

Hoyt, however, has been much more reserved as far as competing in NSSCRA is concerned. He says that while he wished he could have had this opportunity years before, he’s just grateful it’s happening at all.

“I feel like I’m finally getting the shot I’ve been dreaming of for years,” Hoyt said. “We almost did this six years ago but we had some things tie us up, and we’ve been looking for an opportunity to do this ever since. But this is the most important year of my life, not gonna lie.”

Hoyt, the two-time defending HASCAR Challenge Cup Champion, said this year will truly be the most important test of his life.

“It’s one thing to go up against our own, and we’ve got great drivers and teams here in Hapilopper, not gonna take anything from that,” Hoyt reasoned. “But… you hear so much about guys like Kai Qiang, and Jeremiah Brooke, the Valentians, all of those folks, and you just wonder, just how good you can do against them.”
Hoyt admitted that this season will be a struggle at first, but figured that the Marlin team will become accustomed to the higher level of competition in the NSSCRA and will be competing for race wins before the year is out.

“We’ve got to,” he said.

His long-time arch rival from the old HASCAR days, Drake Stevenson, welcomed Hoyt’s presence in NSSCRA racing.

“It’s great to see,” Stevenson said. “Tyson is one of the best-kept secrets in Hapilopper, and I call him that because he’s a fantastic talent that the world’s media doesn’t know about yet. They’ll know about him this year, and I look forward to racing with him.”

HTN to present expanded NSSCRA coverage

Leaning into the hype of this season’s NSSCRA Multiversal and Everlong series is the Hapilopper Television Network, which this year, will expand its NSSCRA coverage like never before.

When discussing the importance of the series to the network, Johnson boasted that the network will present several new features in full this season, with hopes of expanding it to the entire NSSCRA for season 14.

For starters, Johnson said, several on-board cameras will be located inside the Team Blue, Marlin Racing, Harris Community Media and Mike Sheldon cars for every race this season.

HTN RaceCam will be situated next to the driver and, Johnson said, will be able to pan, tilt and zoom in and out to help show HTN what’s going on with the driver and their car.

“It’s a cool toy for our producers to play with,” Johnson said. “We tested it in a handful of HASCAR races this past season, and we’re really pleased with what we got from it.”

In addition, HTN is open to putting RaceCam units in other NSSCRA vehicles this season, provided teams are OK with it.

NSSCRA fans wanting an expanded look at their favorite series can watch these onboard cameras on the internet, along with live radio conversations between NSSCRA teams. Johnson said this comes in response to the popularity of the H-Sports show “NSSCRA Radioactive,” which features NSSCRA drivers and teams at their best, loudest and angriest.

For a small fee - $4.99 a month, NSSCRA fans in Hapilopper can listen to “Radioactive Live!”, but Johnson warns that HTN will not censor the radio communications on the online service.

“So keep that in mind when you tune in to listen to Drake Stevenson,” Johnson said.

Direwolf Auto Team returns, and so do their two drivers Ricky Lee and Sage Caldwell. In order to determine the holder of the team's one charter, the two were put in a series of challenges - Sage beat Ricky more often than not during the simulator races, but the blue-streaked driver would prevail over his dreadlocked counterpart both during actual head to head races and those in which they competed against others in local short tracks. Thus, it was Ricky being locked into the field for the first time in his career. "He won fair and square," Sage said, "but don't think I won't do anything I can to earn myself a spot in the field."

#99 Ricky Lee

Twii.tur: @SlickRick10000

Crew Chief: Jared Vaughan
Spotter: Jimbo Cornell

Ricky is eager to show his worth as he is entering his first season as a guaranteed chartered driver. "I feel like I've grown my skills over the past few seasons," he said. "While I hope to win a title, or at least a race, I feel like I have to take this one step at a time. Let's focus on getting better finishes first." While he has gotten himself a small following of female fans, "Slick Rick", as he has adopted as a nickname after reading and liking a fanfic based on himself, has yet to build a meaningful relationship with any of them.

#19 Sage Caldwell

Twii.tur: @SageTheRacer

Crew Chief: Jackson Cohen
Spotter: Bart Easton

Meanwhile, Sage finds himself in must qualify status just a season after being pegged by many as Direwolf's savior. "It's a little disappointing, but it's on me," he said. "Everything happens for a reason though. I'll just have to work even harder given the situation I'm in. If I can survive a soup run at the Berman Brothers Classic, I can take this on." The return of Eva Kerman and Jebslunden Motorenwerken meant that Sage would have to give up the "lucky thirteen" he used last season, so he switches back to the number he started his NSSCRA career with, 19, essentially making him hauler neighbors with former teammate (and still close friend) Jeremiah Brooke.

Hwoarang, Togonistan

''We're done!'' Isaia shook his head as he walked into the room, ''Nothing. Absolutely nothing!''

Pisa Kuresa, car mechanic and Isaia's childhood friend, looked at the latter with his arms wide open. ''Nothing? Like... absolutely nothing? Stardust? Marleen? ZX-Flow?!?'' Pisa had a baffled look on his face.

''No, no and a very definitive no. Not a single company out there interested in funding an NSSCRA team. Apparently it's not something Togonistani companies are interested in.''

''Whaaaaaaaat? Come on it's like, you know, the absolute pinnacle of stock car racing. Viewing figures for NSSCRA are HUGE! Are they... stupid or something?'' Pisa seemed to be baffled and slightly annoyed at the same time, doing rapid hand gestures while trying to explain exactly how big of a deal NSSCRA really is.

''I know! I know...'' Isaia lowered his head with a sad frown on his face.

Having taken a deep breath, Pisa calmed down a bit again: ''Okay, we will... get those sponsorships. Overseas. Where they know the true value of the exposure NSSCRA brings.''

''If there's no one in Togonistan who wants to sponsor me, why would there be anyone overseas?'' Isaia sat down and sighed again: ''I mean, unless we get some sort of funding, there's no way we will even be able to bring a car to the grid, let alone make it through the season. Heck, we don't even have a car yet.''''

''How does 500 000 sound? That plus the money we already have should be enough for a car, equipment and paying the staff for the first races.'' Pisa said as he turned around on his chair and started rapidly typing on his laptop's keyboard.

''It costs millions to run a team. Also, what exactly would we run? Buy one of those run-down Darts we saw on sale the other day? And uh, sorry, what 500 000 were you talking about?''

''I was talking about this!'' Pisa said as he clapped his hands and nod at the screen.



''Crowdfunding? Really?'' Isaia sighed once again.

''Come on, if the business entities don't want to fund us, we gotta turn to the fans! People adore you! Everyone who keeps an eye on TTRL loves you! Trust me, we will make it! And, once people see a car with all that empty space on the grid, those foreign sponsors will all start knocking on our door to get their name on it!''

''I mean... it's better than nothing, I guess,'' Isaia said as he looked at the page, ''I hope that... professionally designed poster of yours is going to catch some attention at the very least.''

''Eh, image manipulation was never my strong suit. But, hey, it's already working. We made 2k in 5 minutes, how about that?'' Pisa crossed his arms and leant back in his chair.

''Right... what about the car, though?'' Isaia asked.

''Well, I was on a phone with some folks from Preston. You know, those guys who William Archer drives for in WGPC...''

''Yes, I know very well what Preston is!''

''...and they're willing to sell us one of their Super Skychiefs.'' Pisa looked at Isaia with a smug smirk on his face.

Isaia bit into his lower lip. ''Alright... alright. Yeah. Nice. Very nice.''

Pisa slapped his friend on his back. ''Don't worry big guy, we've got this!''

Aurunair Flight 727 to Novitän, Kuyonne

In a quiet flight back home, Kuyonnen racing driver Alice Kjäran finds herself sitting in the flight, unsure as to why she was needed back home. After a stint in the Aurun WGP3 Championship, which she concluded as unsuccessful, she received an email from her employers at Livkend looking for her back at Kuyonne. Why do they need me back? She thought, looking at the sky out of the plane's window. She just sighs, with her thoughts leaving her wondering what is about to happen. "What are they planning to make me do anyway."

"I heard it's another racing thing again." Says Alice's sister, Eila Kjäran, in their distinctive Tälevan accent. She sits down beside her sister after an intense battle to the death at the plane's bathroom.

"If that's the case then why did they only told me to come back and didn't add anything else?" Alice leans back to rest her head on the seat. "Väl, mä käen finnar uut snarta." ("Well, I'll find out soon.") She puts on her headphones for the rest of the flight as Eila gets focused on the catering trolley. Sometimes, you can be annoying being a glutton like that on flights Eila. Then a moment later, she falls asleep.

Novitän-Kävensbörje International Airport
Hours Later

Falling asleep on the flight left Alice feeling groggy upon landing and as a result, Eila assists her through the airport. "Agh, vilan helvet..."

"Don't worry, once we're through, we can get you some coffee. Oh, and it'll take a while."

"Ugh."

While they struggled for a bit with their baggage plus an Alice, they manage to pass through Kuyonnen airport security. And while waiting at one of the seats as Eila went to get her some coffee to aid her, Alice spots a man wearing familiar yellow colours waiting at the large "Välkomme til Kuyonne | Tarvellattaku Kuyonnen" sign. She rubs her eyes to clear her vision and can finally see the yellow Livkend shirt. Is he here to meet us? She observes for a bit just to make sure before approaching the man.

The man instantly recognises her and greets her. "Welcome back, Alice!"

"Who are you?"

"Come on, don't forget your old buddy."

"Hm.. old buddy." It took a while for Alice to process anything. "Ah! Emil!"

"That's it! How are you?"

"Oh man, I'm still groggy from the flight."

"That sucks, do you want to rest for the day? I can reschedule the meeting with Mr. Vinstö."

"Shit." Apparently hearing that name shook Alice awake. "If it's him then it must be important!" She said in a panic.

"Calm down, you know the man, just relax."

"Sorry, I thought that I'll be looking for a new team."

"About that..."

"Am I in trouble?"

"No but I can tell that you'll be assigned to something new."

Alice sighs as she became anxious to find out. "Let's wait for Eila before going there."

"Got it."

---

Livkend Group-Novitän
Novitän, Kuyonne

The Livkend group is a relatively new racing organisation currently headed by Mikkel Vinströ of local Kuyonnen racing fame as he sought to promote motorsport to Kuyonne, especially larger series held all over the multiverse. But without the facilities and budget, they went to ask the Auruns for help and unsurprisingly, the eagle offered their services to the fledgling team trying to break into international competition.

"What do you mean I'll be driving for Viska Racing?" Alice asked as she was surprised.

Mikkel answers her. "You see, we don't have much here and our rivals will not allow us to use their bigger, more advanced facilities for what our intended purpose. So after coming to the nearest Viska branch, they agreed to help us out and we will be entering as Team Viska-LKG."

Before Mikkel could continue, Alice asks another question. "What series am I going to compete in?"

"Ah, forgot to tell you. You'll be competing in the NSSCRA, a popular one at that rivalling the WGPC. Viska said that they wanted to try their hand on it and we have some experience with oval racing plus you are one of our star drivers and we're nearly complete."

"Is that so, I'm now interested."

"We already have everything we need, the cars, the engines, etc. so there's no need to worry about preparation. We only need you to complete everything."

"Got it. I'll race for you guys."

"Great."

"Oh, before that---" Mikkel gets cut off once more as the full-time Viska driver from Auruna, Kiara Iinokanna, barges into the office. While she was on time, she still managed to surprise both of Mikkel and Alice with her "explosive" entrance.

"Täre tu käiks!" She excitedly greets both of them. "I'm here for the Viska newbie! Is that her?"

"Er.. y-yeah." Alice answers.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Kiara Iinokanna, Viska driver for the top-tier NSSCRA."

Watching the pair, Mikkel sighs before he follows up on Kiara's introduction. "Kiara Iinokanna, started folk racing at Livonsk before trying out AtMA and Rally with VIska. In other words, she has experience which should benefit us all."

"That's right!" Kiara continues. "And after watching a bit of what we're up to, I can say that NSSCRA is similar to our folk racing and AtMA back home except that they race more on ovals here which is different."

"Have you ever raced there before?" Alice asks out of curiosity.

"Nope, this is going to be my first season but you can trust me!"

"R-right." She says, doubtful.

After getting Kiara to settle down, Mikkel continues with what the pair would be up to. "Alright you two, you will be considered as rookies there but don't let that title get in the way of your performances, especially you Kiara, you're racing top-tier NSSCRA. And as for you Alice, you're going to race in the EverLong series which is like the WGP2 of the NSSCRA. It should help you get a taste of what we're planning for you."

The last sentence confused Alice for a bit until Kiara stepped up to explain what Mikkel meant by that.

"What he means is that you'll be partnering me soon! We're going to be teammates!" She excitedly says, unable to contain it. "Ooh I can't wait!"

While it cleared everything up for Alice, she doesn't fell confident about the setup, conflicted if it's to her benefit or not. She will find out soon. She looked a bit nervous as she started to think about it more which made Kiara notice.

"Don't worry." Kiara puts her hand on Alice's shoulder and smiles. "Whatever happens, just do what you can to keep up. I'll be waiting for your promotion. Right Mikkel?"

"Well yeah. Anyway, that's all for today. You may leave. We can't wait to see you two on track, good luck in your debut season."

"Alright Alice, let's go!"

(OOC: Image-heavy, so separate post.)

THE PAINTJOBS

These paintjobs will be used by GFR in the specified races, unless changes arise in the future.

#18 Jeremiah Brooke - Vylet (13 Races: TF500, Yakk, Daystar Isles, Selid, Wreckeria, S. Americanastan, Hap City 1, Hap City 2, Fredericksburg, Kimi, Guilin, Val Z, PG500)


#18 Jeremiah Brooke - Hyde Medical Group (6 Races: Cocoabo Park, Ramba, 69X, Lonngeylin, Trop 500, Oxyrhynchus)


#18 Jeremiah Brooke - GGtech (3 Races: Reykjavik, TJUN 600, Jebslund)


#18 Jeremiah Brooke - Eon Energy Sour Orange (3 Races: Exhibition, Vilaye 314, Esmerel)


[box]#27 Stacie Houston - Five Star Mobile (All races unless otherwise specified)


#27 Stacie Houston - Eon Energy Pink Lemon (3 Races: Exhibition, Vilaye 314, Esmerel)


[box]#46 Thea Alvarez - Charisma Cosmetics (13 Races: TF500, Daystar Isles, Selid, 69X, Lonngeylin, Trop 500, Hap City 1, Hap City 2, Fredericksburg, Guilin, Val Z, Oxyrhynchus, PG500)


#46 Thea Alvarez - Girls Will Code (6 Races: Yakk, Cocoabo Park, Wreckeria, S. Americanastan, TJUN 600, Jebslund)


#46 Thea Alvarez - Coleman & Thorne (3 Races: Reykjavik, Ramba, Kimi)


#46 Thea Alvarez - Eon Energy Tropical Blue (3 Races: Exhibition, Vilaye 314, Esmerel)

Based in: Hapilopper City
Primary: Southside Bank (Tyson Hoyt), Sharpe's Coffee (Taylor Henderson)
Secondary: Springfield-Miller Department Store

Contingency Sponsors: Redways Hapiloppian Van Lines, Hi-Tech Brake Pads, GOON Chassis Parts, SuperTV Satellite Television, Hobbs Beer, C:\>RetroHut, Pinkerton Engine Bearings, Ida's Parts By Mail, HTS Industrial Manufacturing, Urban Fryers Fried Foodstuffs, EverLong Convenience Stations, Hydroceramic Parts, Slant Radiator Pressure Caps, Perfect 10 Motels, Huntsman Parts, LOOK! Gauges, Phoenix Insurance Brokers, UltraValue Master Mechanic Stores, Romlin Spark Plugs, BA Racing, Good Motor Oil, PermaCool Antifreeze

---

Team Owner: Oliver Marlin
Oliver Marlin is what you would call a lifer. The chief executive officer of Southside Bank, now the second-largest bank in Hapilopper, Oliver Marlin was born in Halsted, but his family moved to Hapilopper City not long after the Wreckerian Civil War started. While Marlin has spent his life working from the bottom up at Southside, he also took on a hobby of stock car racing, first as a driver, then as a sponsor, and starting in 1996, a car owner. He believes in patience with his drivers, which shouldn't be surprising. Many that work under Marlin at Southside say he's one of the most employee-friendly bosses in all of Hapilopper and is a firm believer in the mantra "Take care of your employees, and they'll take care of you." He believes in being patient with his drivers' shortcomings - if they can produce, he can work with that.

---

---

Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls, Newmanistan
A couple of days before the Exhibition at the Proving Grounds
He had heard about it from some of his racer buddies. He had seen it on television countless times. But nothing prepared Tyson Hoyt for what he was about to see when he arrived at the Proving Grounds, and in the NSSCRA paddock for the first time. The sights and sounds were unlike just about anything he had seen in Hapilopper – even in Hapilopper, a nation known for its fanatical love of motorsport, a nation where the racing scene was as strong as it was anywhere. It was almost too much for him to take as he walked into the garage area.

He had wanted to come here for so long. For years, at least since Team Blue shifted their focus from HASCAR to the NSSCRA, Tyson Hoyt had been the top dog in Hapiloppian stock car racing, even after sustaining a serious injury in an accident in Pinkerton some six years before. An accident that he thought would have ended his career. An accident that sidelined him for half a season. An accident that left him with a permanent limp.

Tyson walked through the garage, slowly taking in the surroundings. Unlike in HASCAR, where the garages were sorted by last year’s standings, the garages in the Multiversal Cup Series were sorted by car number. As he walked into the garage in Tundra Falls, there was the crew from Esmerel, followed by Tsering Chu and Kai Qiang’s teams from the Sherpa Empire. Tyson chuckled as he walked by their cars. He had heard so much about those two, and been warned about them, too. Tyson smiled. He knew why there was issues between those two and other Hapiloppian drivers. For starters, Tyson wasn’t about to put a blue iguana in anyone’s car. He wasn’t about to give an audio disc to a deaf person. And he wasn’t about to intentionally get under anyone’s skin.

Tyson continued to walk through the garage. Past the cars of Chelsea Taylor and Stacie Houston and Cocoabo 28 and Gwen Tracer Allison, past Thea Alvarez and Ashley Matthews, and towards his car. On one side was Koshiro Kawai’s car, and on the other side was the trio from the French Army. Tyson walked into his garage, and spotted Mike Leonard, his crew chief, and his crew working on car 60, the Southside Bank Sentry. Tyson nodded his head as he walked past. After all, there was more to see. More cars to scope out, more drivers to run into.

He passed the French, as well as Alfonso Mercado, Swell Kirby, Aurelia Karvonen, Rinzi Zakhilwal and Jolyn Ceeta before seeing cars 80 and 81. Taylor Henderson and Drake Stevenson. Former lovers turned enemies. Hendo was nowhere to be found, probably lounging in her motorcoach or doing some PR work with her sponsor, Sharpe’s Coffee, but Drake Stevenson and John Malloy were there with their car, the 81 Super Skychief. They were discussing the proper setup, the way to edge out that little extra power from their car, in order to put their car up front on this, one of the great power circuits on the NSSCRA calendar.

Stevenson looked over, saw Tyson walking past, and waved at him, beckoning him to come over. Tyson waved back. The two shook hands, but it was clear there was some uneasiness. There had been a history between the two, a deep history.

“Let me tell you something, Hoyt,” Stevenson said with a serious tone of voice, “I’m glad you’re here. You’re gonna be a force. But I’m watching you. And I’m watching your teammate. Just… watch yourself.”

“You watch yourself too, Stevenson,” Tyson replied. “I’m gonna be up there before you know it. So will Hendo. We’re gonna win races, man. And we’re gonna take ‘em from you.”

Stevenson chuckled. He knew that, if he was on the top of his game, that Tyson would be among the most feared out there on the track.

“Good luck, man,” Stevenson said. And he was being sincere with that, too. “HASCAR’s one thing but… you’ve got to really be on your game to win here. And I mean, REALLY on your game. Some of the best racing drivers you ever run against, and some of the best god damn equipment you ever run against. You might think you’re good… but then some of those boys goes out there and humbles your ass.”

“I got ya,” Tyson replied.

“You’re going to be in for it, Hoyt,” Stevenson said. “You’re a hell of a racer, but you ain’t seen nothin’ yet until you go out there and go against some of those boys. Go up against the Valentians. Go up against Kai Qiang. Go up against Jerry Brooke. Go up against Shark. Go up against all of those boys. Then you realize what you’re in for. I say this with all the respect in the world, Hoyt, you’re in for it. These first few weeks for you are going to suck. You’re not going to win immediately. But if you can stick it out…”

“Think we can make it?” Tyson asked.

“Oh hell yeah,” Stevenson replied. “Now, if I run into you on the track here, I’ll work with you.”

“Yeah?” Tyson asked. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Stevenson replied, staring over at Taylor’s car. “I won’t work with her, not even if we were the last people on this world, but if I run into you on the track, I’ll work with you. I want to see you winning races, Hoyt. I want it to be you and me, man. Just like old times.”

If the Hapiloppian media were present, they would have been astounded. There was such a bitter feud between Drake Stevenson and Tyson Hoyt back in their HASCAR days, and now here they were, shaking hands, cutting a deal to work together if need be.

Secretly, the two were downright giddy to be racing each other again. The two had referred to each other as their greatest rivals, and the battles between the two back in the HASCAR Challenge Cup were downright legendary. In one race, they’d draft past each other time and time again, trading the lead dozens of times in the last handful of laps. In another race, they’d beat the living hell out of each other, destroying each other’s cars in order to try to beat each other. There had been bad blood, but there was also a tremendous amount of respect.

And Stevenson and Tyson both knew that, if the Marlin team could get up there and compete, he would be a constant threat to win every single week.

Proving Grounds 500, Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Newmanistan :: It was a disappointing end to an outstanding season for Team Tropicorp in the Chase for the Multiversal Cup as for the first time in team history they placed a driver in the NSSCRA Multiversal Cup Series Championship 4. After starting off during NSSCRA Season 7, Team Tropicorp has had a driver in the NSSCRA Playoffs in half the seasons which they competed but never had a driver advance even to the Round of 8 prior to Jenna Logan's incredible run during NSSCRA Season 12. Unfortunately it would come to a crashing end early on in the Proving Grounds 500, Logan being caught up in a multi-car incident early in the race that also took out three Valkyrie drivers. It meant that Logan was the only Championship 4 driver that failed to finish the race - which was won by Vilita and Turori Motorsports driver River 'Shark' Suzgar II for the second consecutive season while runner-up Anastasia Freya Yadana Aye to become the first two-time NSSCRA Champion in the modern era.

While it was a dream season for Logan and Team Tropicorp there was no guarantee that the Cassadagan driver would return for NSSCRA Season 13, her contract being up after NSSCRA Season 12 and some rumors that should would be critical to an attempt to re-start the stand alone Team Cassadaigua effort. Instead, Team Tropicorp and Logan would come to terms on a one-season extension however it will come without the guaranteed charter that Logan earned through her deep run in the NSSCRA Playoffs.

Team Tropicorp have confirmed that driver Centur Tiones and the #2 Tiones Lumber Dart team will inherit the points earned by the #3 Tropicorp / twii.tur Multiversal Dart team during NSSCRA Season 12 in what is effectively a charter swap between the two drivers. Tiones struggled during NSSCRA Season 12 finishing outside the Top 20 in the end of season points. It was rumored that Tiones was considering dialing back to the less grueling schedule of the AOCAR Stock Car Series with the possibility of Jixaka Motorai or Cocoabo #28 being promoted back to full time status. With Cocoabo #28 having instead joined forces with Ilya Tsunopin and Motorai having been eliminated at the Everlong Contenders Series Round of 12, the funding from Tiones Lumber was too good for Team Tropicorp to pass up and also chose to extend Tiones for another season. The caveat to the deal and the funding from Tiones Lumber was the guaranteed participation in each race which ultimately necessitated the points swap for the charter between the #2 and #3 Team Tropicorp Entries.

The Team will maintain the same lineup for the Everlong Contenders Series with Cocoabo #37, Jixaka Motorai and Newmanistan veteran #5 Bryan Harrison competing for the team. Former Multiversal Cup Series driver Anavella Ariiki and youngster Sampson Millwork will return for the team in the AOCAR Stock Car Series while another Tropicorper, Jeszi Hotoniia, will compete for the Dart Futures team. With Cocoabo #28 moving over to drive full time in the Multiversal Cup Series for Team Tsunopin, Team Tropicorp has sold a portion of their Cocoabo-modified chassis fleet to Team Tsunopin and has retained the rest for potential use by Cocoabo #78 as an open charter driver during the Exhibition at Tundra Falls - an event which the Cocoabo driver is a previous winner, and the Cocoabo Preservation 300K which is rumored to return to the Multiversal Cup Series schedule for the first time since NSSCRA Season 10, being contested during round 6 of the NSSCRA Season.

Well then...it's nice to see you all again. This sport we play is certainly one that deserves a long break from it but even despite that, the arrival of a new season is still a cause for hype and celebration for racing fans everywhere. The two series of NSSCRA, the Multiversal Cup and the EverLong Contenders, are back with some changes, with a general increase seeing 58 cars start in Tier 1 and 37 in Tier 2. This increase will mean that 37 drivers will be guaranteed to start in both series and with 2 open spots available, as always, in the Multiversal, that will also mean 21 drivers will have to qualify for the remaining 8 spots - setting up some very tough battles across the season as to avoid being one of the 11-13 to miss out. All of this is mainly due to some new and old faces joining the circus this time around - with Jebslund's return with a friend, Squidroidia's unexpected comeback and a team under the banner of Wreckeria all among the highlights of this expansion.

What about us, as Jaguar Racing is entering its 5th season of NSSCRA existence? Well, our driver lineup remains unchanged for the very first time in our history and that certainly brings with it a certain amount of continuity we haven't experienced before. All bar 1 of our 6 drivers managed to win a race last time out, the best overall performance we have ever produced as a team, and with everyone firing on all cylinders, no one knows how well we could do this time around. But I guess there is only one way to find out.

---

Age: 31
Place of Birth: Nýttheimili, NAU Zone
twii.tur @: @IsfruinJR
Managing Style: Straight And To The Point, Not Afraid To Make A Statement If Required
NSSCRA 12 Record: #2 Became The Top Dog, So What Happens Now?
Favourite TJUN Rep: Froslass (Faroe Islands/FRO)
Favourite TJUN-Tunes Song: Gorillaz - Charger (feat. Grace Jones)

Nýttheimili on the Island of Europa is quaint and small but has produced two siblings who have certainly represented the town and all of TJUN-ia with pride. The first is Harold Gylfisson, TJUN-ia's No.1 Goalkeeper and a name everyone knew. He's a wall in the net when he wants to be and has been through a lot in his journey to the top. At the beginning of NSSCRA 9, no one but a few knew of his sister - Harpa Gylfisdóttir, who was a supervisor on the MRO's Board of Directors at the time and one of the few people who helped greenlit the creation of JR itself. During the first half of our debut season, she just did her job and worked in Peninsula for the company she loved but after the race after TJUN-ia's first home one, she got a phone call that would throw Ísfrúin into the spotlight.

Her predecessor, the man known as Daniel Marx, made a critical error. His great friend, now former Team Blue Manger Chet Byrd, had referred to a female driver (probably Liangmei Li) as a dumpling whilst under the influence (thanks in no part to TJUN-ia's Free Alcohol policy). In an attempt to heal the wounds the weekend after, in Jebslund, he sent a hamper of leftovers from Jungle Fever to Team Blue including the most shocking food item of all: dumplings. Happiloper's Taylor Henderson found them and unleashed a world of pain on twii.tur that would eventually catch the attention of the MRO and Marx would get the axe. The MRO wanted to find someone new for the position who could represent a JR who would never stoop that low again, and what better person than a woman?

Last saw a more even spread of how her 5 wins across both tiers, with 5 of her 6 drivers claiming the top step of the podium. Seeing all three of the Multiversal Cars win races in the same season for the very first time was certainly a huge step in the right direction, as was getting a car into the 2nd half of the playoffs. Our rivalry with Team Blue is expected to continue, but HM is now seen as just "mates from a different place". What about Oliver Marlin Racing though? Well, she isn't quite sure...more research is certainly required.

---

Age: 27
Place of Birth: Riverside, JagBase TJUN-ia
twii.tur @: @JagRacing (team) or @DCarJR (personal)
Blogging Style: Tries To Get As Much Down As Possible, Really Good (In My Opinion)
NSSCRA 12 Record: Loved To Run My Mouth, Even If That Wasn't The Best Tactic
Favourite TJUN Rep: Bisharp (United Arab Emirates/UAE)
Favourite TJUN-Tunes Song: Disciples - On My Mind

Ah yes, me! The Derrick Carlisle, the man who writes all the blogs for JR (including this one right now) is back at it again for another season!

Riverside is only known for two things in the eyes of TJUN-ia: the AstroCourts, home of the TFT, and the Unity Center, Home of the BFT. Tennis and basketball - what a combination. I joined JR back at the beginning with limited experience in writing blogs and if think you can see that in my first few posts but as the season went on, I became more confident as a writer and more confident as a person. I certainly have shaped the history of this team, as anything I say was surely looked at by Gil Archer and it was my question that brought Alfonso's secret out of the closet.

I introduced myself to you all when Harpa came in as Manager and she has certainly changed a lot of things for me. She saw the full importance of having a good public image and encouraged me to fully express myself both on this blog and online, through JR's social channels and my own (which you can see a few lines up, by the way). That certainly helped me to become a more open personality during NSSCRA X, not shy about stating something important when required - even if that caused conflict with other personalities in this sport. For this upcoming season, I will continue to push JR's business in this series - while also trying to make you laugh! With both the MemeWatch list and Music Of The Round back for Round 3, you can certainly expect me to try and entertain all of your senses here in NSSCRA 13, as per usual. I may sound a bit more jolly to you all through the page but don't worry, it's still me!

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Age: 24
Place of Birth: Studtgraff, NAU Zone
twii.tur @: @Stefan07
Driving Style: Consistent Aggression (A Mark From His Open-Wheel Days)
NSSCRA 12 Record: 20th (781pts/1 Win)
Overall Win Count: 6
Favourite TJUN Rep: Ludwig von Koopa (Germany/GER)
Favourite TJUN-Tunes Song: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

The most famous son of Studtgraff and the German community as a whole, Michael Stefan would probably have gone to the WGPC if he hadn't made the switch to the stock car just before the formation of JR. He had a real talent in the open-wheel junior categories he took part in and might have joined Lane Carter in the hunt for a seat, but he decided the best move for him would be in stock cars and NSSRCA specifically. He felt back then that the vision of Jaguar Racing, then under the MRO and Daniel Marx, was something that he could build and turn into a powerhouse - he knew transitioning to stock cars would be a challenge, but he was willing to take it on. Michael Stefan did a Drake Stevenson but without any WGP experience and you could say he reaped the rewards, too.

That first season was one he would never forget, exceeding all expectations in every way. He started slow, as the team did as a whole, but once he got the ball rolling in that #00 car, he was certainly up there with the best of them. That win in Bolgano will be remembered by many for a long time, especially by Stefan. It was good all around and he never felt so happy before in his life. He could still remember the tears of joy he unleashed on the podium during the playing of "The Rivers and Seas". He may have not made the playoffs after that, but to even be in the conversation at all was considered by many to be a success. A pole came in one race and a podium in the last race, as Jeremiah Brooke celebrated his title. It was certainly a great season for the #00 and as he switched to #07 for that season, he hoped to continue the good vibes into the future.

But last season was certainly a strange one for the driver of #07. He did end up winning a race like he has done in every season since JR joined the series, but he failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the "Win And You're In" format was introduced, instead having to support his boyfriend's debut campaign that would see him break the glass ceiling Stefan couldn't break. The traditional JR #1 was arguably the 3rd fiddle of the team last time out as both his teammates made great strides in their racing development. Many do expect Studtgraff's finest to make a run at the Chase this time around, but can #07 return to the highs of the past?

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Age: 22
Place of Birth: San Pedro del Vasquez, UAC Zone
twii.tur @: @AM64
Driving Style: With Youthfulness and Ability (i.e. He's Pretty Good!)
NSSCRA 12 Record: 6th (4132CPts/1 Win/Chase Top Eight)
Overall Win Count: 1
Favourite TJUN Rep: Miles "Tails" Prower (Spain/ESP)
Favourite TJUN-Tunes Song: Years & Years - Palo Santo

Alfonso Mercado was born to ride these sorts of cars. He had a fascination with stock-car racing as a child, always wanting to watch highlights of racing all around the world. As soon as NSSCRA came back for its 6th season, he wanted to be up there with the rest of them and competed in junior categories across TJUN-ia for the UAC. You don't get much out of the UAC in terms of sport, but Alfonso hoped to lead the charge as a boy-turn-man from the 2nd city of the region (behind only Carlandas). He produced good enough performances to get the nod to join JR for the new season, a dream realised in an instant, and you can say no one had a more eventful debut season without a win than the man from San Pedro del Vasquez.

Staring without a charter was hard at the beginning, always not doing enough to make the race and having to watch Michael drive on his own on Sundays. He had his first big break in Ruwani, Banija and you might say it was uphill from there. Once he got to grips with qualifying, his performances improved from race to race and he was certainly a master of getting into the race before he got the charter before that season's end. He might not have had the successes that Michael achieved, but Mercado's debut season was certainly good for someone with no charter from the off.

Of course, the most memorable moment for Alfonso happened off the track. Gil Archer had hated JR for unknown reasons and it was young Mercado who duelled with him the most on track. He felt that it would be just something to do during the racing, to defend JR's and TJUN-ia's honour on the track, but it got real once Mercado's personal life was thrown into the mix. You may all know the story by now, as he explained a lot to the Rainbow Jags a month or so after the season ended: Jungle Fever, the realisation, Stefan's win in Bolgano, the hug, the moment on live TV he stared at his teammate, the talk with Harpa in Hampton Island and, most importantly, Gil's twii that started a rumour and Mercado's response that confirmed it. Alfonso Mercado was gay and, most shockingly of all, he had feelings for Michael Stefan. It became headline news across the International Community, especially back in his home town. TJUN-ia was shocked but very supportive of him, cursing Gil Archer's name for dragging the young man out of the closet no matter how intentional it was. The outpour of support was so strong and the venom towards that Fleftic man so vile, that his name was etched into the TJUN-ian English Dictionary for all to see. Gil will forever be used as another word for "snitch", which he may take as a compliment, and TJUN-ia will never forget the actions of that man.

Last season was most certainly the greatest in Alfonso Mercado's life. Not only did he finally get that race win he'd been working so hard for, but his debut Chase would see him break through the glass ceiling his boyfriend had fought desperately to try and break by making it to the Top 8. He showed that JR can make it to the 2nd to last race alive and he certainly felt that was a fucking big deal. Now, he will be looking to build upon that ride and show the NSSCRA community that what happened last time was no fluke at all.

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Age: 23
Place of Birth: Wollongmatta Bay, UO Zone
twii.tur @: @MaddyRJ03
Driving Style: Fun On The Outside, Determination Within! (i.e. She's Fun To Talk To, But You Don't Want To Cross Her On The Track!)
NSSCRA 12 Record: 19th (821pts/1 Win)
Overall Win Count: 4 Total/1 in T1
Favourite TJUN Rep: Sticks the Badger (Australia/AUS)
Favourite TJUN-Tunes Song: Men At Work - Down Under

After NSSCRA 9 ended in Tundra Falls, with the confetti being swept from the floor and the many hangovers in Saint Kanye still strong, Ísfrúin produced an end-of-season statement with 2 simple facts for NSSRCA X: The 3rd car was coming and the rumours of a Tier 2 Series would be explored, just in case. As it would turn out, Tier 2 was indeed on the way and Harpa decided to make an executive decision about the matter: Michael and Alfonso would remain in Tier 1 no matter what, leaving the 3rd car to be deferred to Tier 2 to be used as development for one of TJUN-ia's rising stars. Thus, on a cold day at Peninsula's Jungle Circuit, JR invited a few faces to test drive the Darts and one name was the top dog: Maddison Riley-Jones.

Hailing from Wollongmatta Bay in the UO Zone (which is just the Manufano Islands), Maddy (as she prefers to be called) is from those same junior categories that Alfonso Mercado hailed from and she was pretty good at them, too. She may have felt forgotten about after JR chose the man from San Pedro del Vasquez over her, because she then produced one of the most dominant performances in the history of junior motorsports, winning 9 of the 18 races that season and cruising to the title with no remorse. It would be shocking if she didn't turn up to that test strong and it was that drive that caught Harpa's eye. She always wanted to have more female representation in TJUN-ian sports, whose current crop of talent, back then, you can name on one hand (though things have improved since with the introduction of the Equal Genders Act). Female drivers in particular were rare in this part of the world so to have one with the talent she had was certainly a plus for Ísfrúin.

Maddy has always been more of a shy person at heart. She may be loud and boisterous when she's racing but once she's out of the car, she shuts down and rarely talks to people she doesn't know. She's kind in heart and an absolute blast as a person, but she can be silent off track and a nuisance on it. She had many admirers on social media entering the debut campaign, with some seeing her as a weird mash-up between the determined Valentina Spetsova (2-time Grand Slam Champion in the NSTT) and the shy guy Lane Carter of WGPC fame. Many questioned how she'd get on in the first-ever Tier 2 season, but she's certainly felt up for the challenge back then.

To say she met the challenge head-on would be a huge understatement as Maddy got used to international racing pretty quickly with a win on the very first Saturday of the season. That secured her a spot in the Chase that followed and she would certainly take advantage of the format, winning two more races on route to the Final 4 in Tundra Falls. That weekend would turn out to be pretty historic for her as a 4th-placed finish was enough for her to become an instant star: the first-ever Everlong Contenders Champion, TJUN-ia's first-ever Champion in NSSCRA (and Motorsports in general) and an automatic entry into the TJUN-ian Hall of Fame. It certainly was beautiful to see her rise that quickly, especially with the help of two friends she made along the way: her idol in Thea Alvarez and someone I will mention in a bit.

Last season was Maddy's first with a charter to use for the whole season and she certainly put that to good use, ending up ahead of Stefan in the standings and claiming her first ever win in the Top Tier during the playoffs. That certainly instilled some confidence into the former EverLong Queen that she can make a name for herself in the Multiversal, but can she take the next step and reach the Chase in that #03?

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Age: 25
Place of Birth: Trunskt, South Newlandia (now resides in Wollongmatta Bay, UO Zone)
twii.tur @: @RD97SNL
Driving Style: Certainly Has Talent, But Is Humble With A Capital H.
NSSCRA 12 Record: 7th (4075CPts+PS/Chase Top Eight)
Overall Win Count: 3 (4 if you count PS11)
Favourite TJUN Rep: IDK If He Knows What This Is...
Favourite TJUN-Tunes Song: Same Here...

Robin Dragonovic is a relatively unassuming person from Trunkst on the northern coast of South Newlandia. He is smaller than average, has dark hair and green eyes, and is also the first South Newlandian NSSCRA driver. Robin grew up quite sheltered in the nicer parts of Trunkst. Throughout most of his life, he never really lacked anything at all, and his parents were able to afford everything the only child could ever want. His mother, a dentist, stayed at home to raise him, and he saw his father, a local politician, as often as he could. Throughout his childhood, Robin tried many different sports and even played for the U13 team of the Trunkst CFT at one point, but there was one thing he always wanted to do more than anything. Robin wanted to drive, he wanted to race, and he wanted to be good at it. And so, the talented young boy did. Eventually, he became better at things, while also keeping fairly high grades. After finishing the South Newlandian version of High School, he attended the Newport Politics Institute, hoping to build up a career in politics like his father.

While he continued to race cars in his free time, he found it more and more difficult to find any competition at all. There are typically no stock car races in South Newlandia, and there was not much else to do for him. It was his father, Greg, who gave him the contact to the Health Minister, also responsible for sports, and encouraged him to ask about potential participation in NSSCRA. When Robin arrived in Elephant Valley to speak to the minister, he was scared that he might be laughed out of the room. The opposite happened, and he was not only able to get a place in the second tier of NSSCRA, but the aide that took responsibility for the plan even managed to get Sun City Speedway, all the way across the country for Robin, to get a place in the racing schedule for that season. Robin would later find out that that particular aide was a big fan of stock car racing.

Most people agree that Robin is one of the most polite and friendly people they’d ever met, but he entered NSSCRA X quite shy and certainly humble about his prospects for NSSCRA X. His most famous quote from this time came in an interview about the new series: “Mostly, I am just planning to have some fun. Maybe meet some interesting people or something”.

That quote certainly looks interesting now looking back. The South Newlandian had an interesting season overall with the main highlight being a wacky win at the wet Roval race in the Appalachian Nation. While he just about missed the cut for the Top 12 in the end, he was certainly up there throughout the season a good representative for his people in the inaugural Contenders Series, despite the hospitalisation of his mother mid-season bringing him tons of sympathy. So why on earth are we talking about this guy in the first place then? Maddison Riley-Jones. That is why we are talking about Robin Dragonovic.

You see, Maddy sought out Mr Dragonovic as a friend after seeing him in a bit of a distraught and lonely mood early on in the season. They got along pretty well, to the surprise of many, but I guess that is to be expected when two nervous souls engage in conversation. A sort of respect formed between the two of them and they would certainly share their experiences - so much so that fans in Saint Kanye started referring to them as the "Stacemiah of the Everlong". Their bond became so strong that, when he admitted that South Newlandia was pretty uninterested in this sport and his future may be at risk, Maddy threw a request to Harpa herself asking for support for him in some way.

The deal agreed between the parties was very simple: Robin's #97 team, including the personnel, would be bought out by JR, securing him a drive in the Contenders for the next season, in exchange for Maddy's deserved promotion to the Cup Series. That move included him moving himself to an apartment in Wollongmatta Bay, where Maddy is based and where the Race of Oceania was held last season - the closest the South Newlandian got to a "home race". While Wollongmatta Bay won't be back this time around, the South Newlandian will still have a score to settle as he enters his 3rd season under the JR banner. He was the only JR driver last season not to win a points race, but he did triumph in the Prospect Showcase that kicked off the season. That is certainly something he doesn't want repeating this time around, that is for certain.

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Age: 20
Place of Birth: Jiji la Ngao (a.k.a. Shield City), AU Zone
twii.tur @: @AJ98
Driving Style: This Young Lady Has Pride On Her Side, As Well As A Bit Of Attitude!
NSSCRA 12 Record: 14th (2230CPts/1 Win/Chase Top 16)/62nd (15pts)
Overall Win Count: 2
Favourite TJUN Rep: Sableye (Kenya/KEN)
Favourite TJUN-Tunes Song: Benny Cristo - omaga

Despite the unexpected arrival of Robin Dragonovic, the plan of JR was always to have two cars in the Contenders Series for its 2nd edition, boosting its commitment to developing the series and the next generation of TJUN-ian stars. But the question of who would become the 5th driver of JR in its current form was certainly up in the air heading into the offseason. Stefan and Mercado were non-negotiable in Season 9 while Maddie's inclusion was pretty much obvious after that trial day in Peninsula before Season X, but this decision felt tough for Harpa to make given how close everyone else appeared to be. So, with the feeling of history in the winter air, the 2nd Peninsula Trial was convened and, out of the 12 who attended, the winner of the day was someone seen as a rank outsider (though she wouldn't see herself as such): Alice Jepkosgei.

Hailing from Jiji la Ngao, or the Sheild City in English, Alice is the latest of athletes from the AU Zone looking to make a name for herself in TJUN-ian sports. From Kepo Ulawaya to Jean van de Kloor and everyone in between, this region is known for producing great sportsmen and women - but not really from Jiji la Ngao in particular, which is surprising considering the Kenyan influences of the whole city. Another favourite of the TJUN-ian junior categories, Alice may not have shined through the pack as much as Mercado and Riley-Jones did in their time, but many fans who follow the pipeline did believe she had the potential to succeed here at JR.

But who exactly is Alice Jepkosgei as a person? Well, you can think of her as TJUN-ia's answer to Taylor Henderson - brilliant on track, but not afraid to speak her mind on her opposition out there. If you're looking for a TJUN-ian most likely to be featured on the NSSCRA equivalent of "Radioactive", then Jepkosgei is the one to keep your ears pointed to in the Everlong. She's also known for having a bit of an attitude down in the junior category, seeing herself as having the talent to beat anyone on her day. Year 2 for AJ was certainly just as interesting as the first, claiming her 2nd career victory before falling at the first hurdle in the Chase. Getting outshone by her more experienced boyfriend may have been expected, but she does hope that she can break into the Top12 this time around. Just like him...

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Age: 27-ish
Place of Birth: Lanzhou, The Northern Chinese Republic (now resides in Tiankong, CEA Zone with weekends in Jiji la Ngao, AU Zone)
twii.tur @: @GG70
Driving Style: Was Just About There For Beiyang, Now Has To Fight Despite Everything Around Him
NSSCRA 12 Record: 11th (3147Cpts/2 Wins/Chase Top 12)
Overall Win Count: 2
Favourite TJUN Rep: I Don't Think He Cares About This.
Favourite TJUN-Tunes Song: Or This TBH.

Gongming Gao originally hails from Lanzhou in The Northern Chinese Republic, a city known for some great noodle soup and poor air quality, and while he wasn't exactly setting the Chinese racing scene on fire, he had the ambition that caught Baiyang's eye and sent him on his way to NSSCRA. His time at Beiyang was...up and down, to say the least, as he had moments of brilliance, but always found himself either having his car break down in him or his efforts being outshone by teammates or by the Sherpa drivers. It certainly felt like no matter what he did, he would always end up in the shadows...and then AJ, and the situation back home, happened.

You see, AJ and Gao ended up getting close...real close, during last season - bonding through anti-racism messages and The Wandering Dragon in Peninsula. They just seemed to gravitate towards each other, one way or another, and they planned on taking a road trip to Jiji la Ngao to see the sights of where AJ grew up. They certainly saw all of the sights, including the Circle of the Earth and all that...but then came news from afar. The North Chinese government had entered a very hard lockdown due to a virus. Suddenly, Gao was now trapped in TJUN-ia with no way of getting home to his family - a family who certainly didn't like him hanging out with a black Muslim woman.

Immediately, the gears were put into motion for an unexpected scenario to play out. Gao would race for JR now, under the TJUN-ian flag after receiving a Humanitarian Visa from the Secretary-General himself, with a new team of mechanics mostly hailing from the Chinese Cities of the CEA. He was officially given an apartment in Tiankong, the CEA Capital, to find his feet, but he also became well known now for taking the train to the Shield City to spend his non-racing weekends with AJ. His debut season was certainly tough, as being away from family in a foreign land will certainly make you feel like shit for a while, but he certainly pushed that aside on the track to get his first 2 career wins under our banner. He reached the Top 12 last time out but now, the 2nd half is in the Northern Chinese's sights...can he break through?

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Current MCS Standings: #07 - N/A (0pts)/#64 - N/A (0pts)/#03 - N/A (0pts)
Current ECS Standings: #97 - N/A (0pts)/#96 - N/A (0pts)/#70 - N/A (0pts)
Next MCS Race: Exhibition at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive, Tundra Falls, Newmanistan
Next ECS Race: Prospect Showcase at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive, Tundra Falls, Newmanistan
Music of the Round III: Arcade Fire - Everything Now (LUX/VIE/CAM/BLZ/HON)
(OOC: This work paraphrases previous works from South Newlandia and North China (Sherpa). Deserved thanks to Saint Kanye for the paint jobs!)

The Valentians – Meet your Drivers!

Multiversal:
Exuberant Superintendent T-2000/2904-3 Surveillant Clarissa Alanis Star Breya « La Amoureux Chéri » Millie Taissa Butterfly Mélody Coraline Jolijn Trini Clementine Hollie Samantha Zeta Harumi, one of the most well-known faces of the NSSCRA series, have unfortunately stepped down to the open charter position for this time, citing several reasons, all of equal importance: She felt that she needed a bit of a time to do her other matters such as running the increasingly prevalent Valentian Kittens, on top of her not doing so well recently and from the previous season, it was not doing her any favors. On top of that, the increased numbers of drivers on the field, along with the large presence of the Valentians, means that she will need to give up the seat for the other drivers. Of course, it’s all just a matter of whether or not she will be able to climb back up to her prime, and to do her robotic wonders! Will Clarissa be able to rise up and exceed the computational limits to meet her challenges – both the drivers and the courses – ahead of her? She believes so, but she is also aware not to be overly confident, for luck plays wildly.

Anastasia “De Sierlijke en Vrij High Valkyrie ov Valentine Z” Freya Valentina Ada. Jolin Annelijn Caitlin Trijntje Crystal Clarice Constance Judy Voi. D. Nexitros Annile Teresa Thida Myat Yadana Aye needs no introduction for the fans and newcomers at this point. Coming into the racing sensation from NSSCRA 9, she quickly and tremendously rose to fame after her consecutive wins in NSSCRA 10, along with the championship that followed. Despite all of the suspicions and accusations, which was understandable given how she was the one acing the track when her two friends – one being the state of the art robot, and the other being a space and time master, are struggling on the field. The suspicions, however, were quickly dispelled when the officials and everyone else alike could not find any foul play within the Valentians, much to the happiness of Anastasia as she took another championship on the 12th season, cementing herself as the first ever driver to get two championships in the modern era. Will she be able to ride her growing legacy for NSSCRA 13? What kind of surprises will await her, as the field of drivers increase?

Chief Aviator Gwen Tracer Hepburn “Fate of Existence and the Omniverse” Ellen Trixie Caitlin Foxworthy Avril Verlene Eveline Celinda Sammy Doris T-Rev Oxton Arielle Lindall Leslie Vitesse Allison says her usual catchphrase, “Cheers, Love!” much to the delight and the happiness of all of her fans. Ever since the Valentians got into NSSCRA 8, there is a particular car that has remained more or less the same, one that has the audience being unable to take their eyes off of it, for it is bright and colorful and attracted a lot of attention. Enter the #31, driven by the Master of Space and Time herself. Outside of the track, she uses the power to the fullest extent, fast-forwarding the relatively boring parts, slowing down the savory moments, and everything else along the way to help herself, and more importantly to help others. On the track, however, the Valentians know that she manipulated the timeline to a very small and passive extent, making sure to only leave DNFs and small crashes here and there. “There are quite a lot of futures out there with, well, catastrophic outcomes. Would rather not have that,” she remarks to Valentians.

Everlong:
Valentijn “De Sierlijke en Vrij Valkyrie General ov Valentine Z” Samantha Maxwell Delta Weston Stijn Angelus Tracey Mitchell Tristian Marnix Basilisk Lewis Hyatt X. Constantine Sein Lin Zaw Naing, the leader of Valentine Z herself, has always loved the idea of stock car racing, going as far as encouraging the Valentians to host their own domestic motorsports events (and there are a couple of them coming up, soonish). Nationality-wise, she remarks that she is the one to break the stereotype, what with the Burmese folks not exactly being the biggest fans of motorsports in the Pre-Valentian Era days, and that they were more of football fans. In any other reality, the Valentians might’ve seen themselves playing in World Cup much, much earlier. However, such is not the case in this reality and the world they are in. Going back to NSSCRA, Valkyrie Valentijn, thanks to the very magic (and a bit of tech) that helped Anastasia and the rest of the Valentians to shrink down, is now able to enjoy most of what the other Valentians enjoy without feeling out of place for someone who is 117 meters tall. She used to control a second smaller body via her sheer mind, but now she is there for real, and she is going to be able to experience the race track alongside the rest of the Valentians. At least, with the ones in Everlong – being her best friend, and another a new addition.

Foresittend Marcus Alan Ariel Maximillian “Unendlichkeit Jäger” Swifty Felix Maverick Prometheus Revlin Lynx Artyom Lichtenstein Baptiste C. Talon Haydn Lincoln Taal Reynolds Fang Wu Ying’s appearance and sheer height may have intimidated and terrified a lot of people, especially for those who are familiar with where that particular suit of armour comes from. For those who are familiar, however, they have no need to worry, for Foresittend Marcus have shown himself to be a gentle giant, both in and out of the armour, and is very slow to anger, if that is even possible. Always level-headed and not looking for a fight, Marcus prefers to be as rational and diplomatic as much as he possibly could. That is, provided the options aren’t exhausted. If it is exhausted, or someone he loves has been hurt, he would not hesitate to be stern and to physically fight back at said aggressor. Still, he’s just here to race and to not fight, and he’s more than fine with that. He often races alongside his close friend – Valkyrie Valentijn – and bar special circumstances where it’s near-impossible, the two would often be seen in an unparalleled synergy.

1st Commander Michelle Karen Kassandra Zann Harley Iliana “Nezastavitelná Síla” Breya Angelina Jayne Valérie Vítková Breanna Shirley Geigen Deborah Beveline Tegan Evelyn Saniya Pavlína is the newest addition to the team, and perhaps a relatively unique and interesting one to come into the world of stock car racing. A Czech nationality, and now the Chief of Police for the entirety of Valentine Z, her job often involved high-speed chases – at least back in those days or during the trainings because Valentine Z does not have that kind of crime and action anymore, save for one or two cases a year. Ultimately a problem-solver who likes to take things the easy route, not liking the attitude of playing bad cop on everyone that she sees, even the most egregious ones, and worked together with Vice Foresittend Jolyn and the other Valentians in making sure that the Valentian Police Department is all about rehabilitating and educating the populace, only using carefully applied force whenever necessary. For NSSCRA, we will see if Michelle has retained her driving skills over the decades, hopefully not doing a P.I.T. on another driver.

The Gardeners – Meet your Drivers!

The Gardeners are all Multiversal drivers, with Everlong slots possibly said to be available for prospective drivers if they are really up for it.
[OOC: TBC and tentative, and subject to Newsmanistan’s approval, but if you really need a driver into Everlong, hit me up.]

Holly Aceline “De Stralend en Wonderbaarlijk Licht Koningin Van Haar Mooie Universum” Aurora Symantha Vreugde Astrid Lavender Lexis Lilac Harmony Tsi. Marlie Nova Radiant Lapia Starlight is possibly the very last entity and being that you will expect to see in Motorsports. A rather chronic isolationist and only opening up to the Valentians only when needed, one wonders as to why – a being that is the friend of the trees and nature (both of Earth and of her own dimension) – would do in such a place where the cars generated a lot of heat and a fair amount of carbon footprint, and there is a lot of media attention whenever there is a crash, a podium finish (which she has received before), or something else along the way. The media attention may not be as high and interdimensional compared to sports like World Cup, but with a lot of nations still, there is bound to be attention, and Holly herself has gotten into such relatively shaky attention with the French Army the previous season. Still, if she is up for it, then the Valentians did not want to stop her, while promising her that they will keep an eye out for her in case.

Vice Foresittend Jolyn Maxine Caulfield Moira “Неуловимая, Женщина-шпион” Marlene Wendy Lucille Lapis Jill Khorosheva Vin. Zolina łnt. Natasha Vasilisa Helen Ceeta Tescelyn Maximovna has a bit of interesting history when it comes to her time in international motorsports. Many, including her, believes that she could have gotten those two championships in place of Anastasia if only she sticks to NSSCRA instead of going into the world of Grand Prix and failing rather miserably at it, to the point that she was encouraged into resignation over the losses. It did not cause her a lot of embarrassment and scrutiny from the media, but she definitely fees that it was an misopportunity, one where just because she can try, does not mean that she should have. On the other hand, Jolyn herself has more than moved on from this very fact, happy for her friend, Anastasia, winning the championships and genuinely wishing her the best of luck along with the rest of the Valentians. Besides, even if she was still in the #15 car, one may not be able to tell if she will perform the same, or it was just Anastasia herself who is skilful, something that she never has a problem admitting. In her grey #76 car, and representing and raising the already-high funding for Valentian Education System, Jolyn is again back into the foray, with her own following that she is content with.

Anna “De Eeuwige Vreugde” Caitlin Madeline Brigitte Priscilla Teresa Mavis Thanda Pwint Thinzar Nwe, Tweede Verpersoonlijking van De Sierlijke und Verwonderlijk Feline Utopia ov Valentine Z is also a rather exotic character even for the Valentians. For one, she is technically not a person, and not something imaginary considering her traits and what she represents. In short, she is one of the three personifications of Valentine Z. There is one for the lush nature (kind of like Gaia, in essence), one for the love of cats (and other pets), and of course, there is Anna herself who represents happiness and joy of Valentine Z. That is not to say that her death (if possible) will not kill the happiness of the Valentians; rather, she reflects the happiness, niceness, joyfulness, and compassion of the Valentians as a whole, and she is more than happy with such an honour. Recently joined the foray of NSSCRA as well, with her first event being NSSCRA 12, and as a result, this being her second season. Perhaps one day, like with other Gardeners, she too may have a fighting chance in getting the podium, and even winning a race here and there.

Hei! Olemme Huuhkajat Moottoriurheilu, Kimi-Suomen kilpajoukkue! Last season, we would make our debuts in both Tiers of the pinnacle of stock-car racing, backed by Kimi-Suomen Auto- ja Kilpaliitto (KSAjK for short) and with a unique cast of characters in play. That season would certainly be one filled with both good and bad, greatness and challenges, but in the end, everyone managed to make it through with something to cherish. In T2, one won a race and another managed a podium with both drivers gaining valuable experience, while in T1, one driver managed a charter while the other gained their humanity.

So...Entä nyt? Entä toisella kerralla? Well, not much has changed over the winter break in terms of the number of drivers in the Top 2 tiers, but an expanded field overall in the Multiversal will certainly make things interesting for those looking to qualify. 8 spots for 21 drivers sounds like utter madness, but this is the NSSCRA HM finds itself in now...one that will chew it up and spit them out if they aren't careful. As for their home race...that has been impacted too. The first Chase cutoff race now emanates from Kimi Circuit, with 16 becoming 12 in the ice and snow of Kimi Kaupunki. That homecoming will certainly be hotter than ever before...but HM will have to fight to get there.

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POMO (The Boss) - Daniel Marx
Daniel Marx, or DM for short, is a figure many in his homeland by birth in JYK-inen (TJUN-ia to everyone else) will know all too well. One of the key figures in the formation of the MRO over there, Marx (aged 31) was chosen by the governing body to be the first team manager at Jaguar Racing and many would say he was doing a good job, getting everyone used to taking part in the sport and getting the team up for the future. But then came the now-infamous "DumplingGate" - where Chet Byrd, now long gone from the sport, made a comment at Jungle Fever I referring to Liangmei Li as a dumpling. That caused a lot of controversies, but what also did was Marx's attempt to apologise to Taylor Henderson, the most vocal of critics, by sending her the leftovers from JF1 - including some dumplings.

He never intended to send those dumplings and if he could go back in time, they would've been left out - but you cannot change what happened in the past and the fury Hendo three in his direction gave the MRO no choice but to let Marx go, not wanting the new team to be tainted by sexism before they've even managed to complete a single season. After that day, he stayed in the shadows in Riverside and avoided the public eye at all costs, wondering what could've been if he hadn't made that stupid mistake...but the itch of motorsports never went away despite the way he was forced out and when KSAjK were looking for someone to get HM up and running, the MRO (surprisingly for him) pointed in Marx's direction. His first season was certainly a success, with one win in the 2nd tier and a podium in the 1st highlighting a campaign that put Kimi-Suomi on the motorsports map. Now, the aims for the 2nd go-around are perfectly simple: beat the new guys from Wreckeria and get a driver back in the T2 Chase. Simple as that. No pressure on the top flight as he knows that it will be tougher overall...

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NAAMIOITUNUT (The Disguised) - #38 Lam Chow-Cheung (林周翔)
Lam Chow-Cheung was never supposed to fly the flag of Kimi-Suomi at the NSSCRA level, but their appearance here is the result of a situation out of their or our control. Lam (aged 19) hails from Hongxai over in TJUN-ia's CEA Zone and showed a passion for motorsports from a very young age, initially supported by their parents and extended family. However, that would all change when LCC came out as non-binary to the world (ei-binäärinen in our native tongue, 非二进制 (Fēi èrjìnzhì) in theirs) - which means that while their preferred sex is unclear, they themself doesn't see themself as either male or female. They started using they/them as their preferred pronouns and wearing clothing many would describe as "androgynous", exhibiting nothing that would indicate they were a specific gender. But that didn't go down well with the family, who still called them "our boy" and kept calling them a disgrace to everything they believed in. They were swiftly disowned by the only people they really knew - an event so traumatic, that they opted to wear a white mask over their face for the rest of that season...an act they still continue to do to this very day, the supposed dishonour still heavy on the shoulders.

Even after that, Lam refused to give up and became a force so strong that the CEA-MRO were practically singing their praises on a daily basis. With that much pressure, the MRO finally relented and gave Lam some big domestic races in Abanhfleft, Hapilopper and The Sherpa Empire to showcase their talents to the world. The plan always was that they would go to JR as driver #6 and hone their talents over there...but then Gongming Gao ended up stuck in TJUN-ia for reasons out of everyone's control and JR was stuck in a pickle, wanting to give Gao a drive but also wanting to give Lam a chance...so they called Marx. A deal was reached that benefited everyone: Lam would go to HM as the charter driver in exchange for HM receiving Dart cars and technical information from last season from JR.

So that's how LCC ended up here in the cold...and that was only the beginning. The debut campaign of LCC was certainly eventful, one filled with both joy and pain for a driver that certainly has gotten the short end of the stick in their life. The LCC of now would not recognise the LCC from last year, their confidence growing to new highs thanks to new connections across the grid and a recognition that they actually meant something in this dog-eat-dog world. Now they had tasted what a podium felt like, what friendship felt like, they want more...and that hunger will push them on with a wink and a smile behind their famous mask.

Livery Schedule
Main: Rounds 1-12, Rounds 17-18, 23-25
Visible: Exhibition, Rounds 13-16, 19-22, 26

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VUOHI (The Goat) - #71 Aurélia Karvonen
The term "Greatest Of All Time" gets thrown around plenty of times in the world of sport, given to those that both deserve and don't deserve the 4-letter moniker, but in terms of the history of motorsports in Kimi-Suomi, there is only one GOAT to talk about: Aurélia Karvonen.
Karvonen (aged 31) has been a constant across racing in the part of the world ever since her karting days at aged 15, long before we even got the idea to start competing in international events across the universe. She's done a lot of winning during her long career across a wide range of sporting categories. Moto, Rally, Stock, Open-Wheel, Endurance, GT, Trucks - you name it, she's done it and won a few races at that.

Naturally, when she heard the chance to race internationally for her homeland was on the table, she jumped at the opportunity and one year of experience in the AOGP series was deemed enough for her to try and get into NSSCRA races as a non-charter. She's certainly very passionate about the sport and won't take shit from anyone - which would certainly help her in her debut campaign. Of course, it wasn't easy from the off as a non-charter, but she found her groove soon enough and would claim her way into the races halfway through the regular season. Starting back at square one, she will hope that the new qualifying format will allow her to shine through like many expect her to.

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RAUHALLINEN (The Quiet) - #07 Kaarina Salo
In order to assure that local talent can have their opportunity to shine in this new frontier, HM and Marx decided to send two cars to the Everlong Contenders Series - NSSCRA's 2nd Tier that develops the stars of tomorrow and is a good base to develop your stock-car skills without the pressure of being in the Cup Series. HM hand-picked two drivers who they felt could be prospects of the future, with different driving styles that will fully show what works and what does not in this multiversal sport.

Car #07 was given Kaarina Salo (aged 19), a prodigy some argued could become as great as Karvonen if she could pull her weight and show her class. Salo is known in the racing circles as "Rauhallinen" - "The Quiet", due to her quiet tone in interviews and how she glides so gracefully around a track, that it feels like a whisper in the wind. Putting a driver known for grace and elegance in a rugged sport like NSSCRA seemed counterintuitive, but sometimes it's not all about the driving style - it's about how you race against those around you. That was certainly seen in her debut campaign, getting a podium on Day 1 the obvious highlight as she missed out on the Chase by only a few points. Now, she will aim to try and break into that Top 16 this time around and with some good inspiration to go off. Her teammate proved it was possible. Now, she will have to try and follow.

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MYRSKY (The Storm) - #7 Ilmari Pëkannen
In contrast to Salo, Car #7 was given to Ilmari Pëkannen (aged 23), a driver who certainly has a bit of a reputation back home. "Myrsky" - "The Storm" - could be seen by outside observers as a "Finnish Drake Stevenson" - someone who's not afraid to push and shove on track and let his voice heard on the radio. Basically, if anyone's gonna challenge Drake for the Radio Sweetheart crown, it might be Pëkannen - and he might take that as a compliment overall. This series did feel like a natural fit for him and while it was perfect, Ilmari certainly pulled the rabbit out of the bag by winning the team's first ever race after his adventures in the Chase were already over. That certainly put some confidence back into his soul...but can he make it 2-for-2 this time?

Last season was the first time that the Urotovsky-Gatutin Motorspors Division’s Stock Car Department had operated with only two charters in the NationStates Stock Car Racing Association (NSSCRA). UrGa’s competitors and rivals in the Abanhfleft Racing Truck Series (ARTS), Duisdorf Motorworks, had bought a charter from UrGa so that Duisdorf could take part in the premier stock car racing tournament in the multiverse. With only two charters to play with in the Multiversal Series, UrGa’s long-time representative in both ARTS and NSSCRA Wilma von Cärinthen was chosen to take the guaranteed charter while Rustan Ilyich Yudin, the Ceroatian talent whose racing career had been resurrected by UrGa following the collapse of both his own former team and nation, would have the second must-qualify charter. Both Cärinthen and Yudin’s performances in the 12th season of NSSCRA were nothing to write about. Cärinthen won only a single race and was unable to get past the first round of the NSSCRA Chase playoffs, and Yudin did not get any wins at all. This has resulted in both UrGa and Abanhfleft falling down the order in the owners’ standings, which could have implications for both UrGa and their rivals Duisdorf coming into NSSCRA’s 13th season.

For once, controversy did not get anywhere near UrGa last season. That would have been a welcome relief after the aftermath of Season 11, when a certain Guillermo Archer got into a crash with Gongming Gao (formerly of North China’s Beiyang Motors and now of TJUN-ia’s Jaguar Motorsports) and called the Northern Chinese driver a racial slur. In Season 12, most of the controversy was focused on a certain Ilya Tsunopin and his fanatical devotion to one-time NSSCRA champion Kai Qiang. UrGa and its drivers kept themselves out of the limelight for most of the time, although Wilma von Cärinthen did deliver a punch straight into the face of Andre Massena that one time. But for UrGa, if that was the most controversial thing that one of its drivers had done throughout the season, then that was for them a pretty quiet season indeed.

UrGa’s lineup in the Multiversal Series remains completely unchanged for Season 13. Wilma von Cärinthen and Rustam Yudin are driving for the team from the Pridnestrovian Republic once again, although this time both drivers will be hoping to get more wins between themselves as well as a sustained playoff run. For all intents and purposes, UrGa’s Multiversal campaign was a disaster, though there were definitely a few positives for the team to pick up and use for future campaigns. The only thing really holding them back at this point is consistency, and both Cärinthen and Yudin have said that they are working on improving that area of their driving. In the Everlong Series, UrGa’s partnership with Leo Baxter’s RouBax Racing Enterprises continues, and Ganglie Zhe will once again be piloting the 42 car. However, a new face has arrived at the team in the form of Patricia nic Neill, an enigmatic driver from the equally mysterious place in Mandalanusa known only as the Island of the Lost, taking over the spot vacated by Agata Kosaryova, who has decided to return to ARTS and compete for the title there after coming so close to claiming the Everlong title last season.

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Eva wasn't sure how to feel. On the one hand, it felt good to be back in Newmanistan, putting in time in the sim in preparation for the Exhibition race. She'd taken a season off to do some tank racing, and, as much as driving a tank felt more natural, Eva had to admit that she'd missed the frustrations of driving a stock car version of the Löwe, and the different dynamics and tactics of stock-car racing vs tank racing. It felt nice getting to mentor Vanda Rosa again, and talk shop with her mechanics and the people at BDA Armory, despite BDA not being her sponsor this season (they were mostly there to see how the ZTR-38R Ausf. B21 did compared to other variants she'd used in previous seasons in preparation for the one she'd likely use next season. The colors of the cars, the higher pitch of the engines, taking turns at breakneck speed, eating international foods, it was all a good feeling.

On the other hand... Every once in a while (read "every five minutes when he wasn't on the track"), an out-of-shape orange man wearing a tacky gold-colored, ill-fitted (it seemed to be designed for someone much more athletic) firesuit and what looked to be the horribly misshapen offspring of roadkill and a yellow rug would come by to offer "advice" to her on how to race. Because "you Jebsmanners" didn't know how to race on a "real" track. Never mind that his country had not had a single track make the schedule. Never mind that he was driving an eyesore that belonged in a junkyard, rather than on a racetrack. Never mind that the Dr. Faygo-swilling failed-businessman-turned-failed-politician-turned-rookie-driver thought the whole multiverse voted in Kerthenian elections. "Herr Arschschmerzen", as she'd taken to calling him, seemed to think he was the reigning expert on a sport he'd never participated in (she'd checked) and had, by all appearances, bought his way into, and had no compunction with shoving his nose into every garage and hauler to dispense his "wisdom". And that had worn away a good deal of good will with how often he seemed to think he needed to lecture people who had children who'd been racing longer than him. The mechanics in the #13 hauler had an open betting pool for how long it took him to get punched out by one of his hauler neighbors, and, word had it, so did Vanda Rosa's.

As for the Brazilistani Jebslunder, she had been needed back home when a bad hurricane had hit Oquevocêquiser, and had been unable to meet the registration deadline for NSSCRA season 12, and she had missed the international circuit DEARLY. It wasn't, for her, the food so much as the people she got to meet and the cultures and religions it brought her in contact with. She was, for example, hoping to ask more about Sherpa and Chinese religions this season, among other things. While she tried not to let the condescending rich man bother her (she'd had worse from customers), she did find it disruptive just how often he visited (it was a bit difficult to listen to one of the mechanics explain changes to her setup and run through issues with the car when he had to compete with the boisterous Kerthenian until another mechanic chased him off with a wrench). All in all, though, Vanda Rosa was glad to return to NSSCRA, and eager to show that she hadn't been completely idle in the meantime.

Team Viska-LVK makes their debut in NSSCRA 13. Primarily based in Novitän, Kuyonne, it formed following the partnership between Aurun motorsport giant Viska Racing and the small Kuyonnen racing team the Livkend Group after both had the similar goal of entering NSSCRA with an agreement of Viska working on the technical side and Livkend dealing with the general management of the team. While the team has Viska's general motorsport experience and resources, and Livkend's Kuyonnen oval racing experience, the team considers themselves as rookies in NSSCRA going up against more established teams and drivers which led to the decision of running a smaller operation than usual. Regardless of that, the team is willing to prove themselves on track and claim their spot in the series.

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The car is based on the Mara Foxhound sedan, a popular car in Kuyonne and used in local motorsports. The body resembles the latest generation of the Foxhound optimised with the help of Urakkan's wind tunnels for use in stock car racing like many of the Kuyonnen domestic series. Powered by a rumbling naturally-aspirated V8 built by Mara for use by teams and independent owners. For the first season, Viska-LVK will depend on, surprisingly, Kaikau-Mälö for tyres instead of the Kuyonnen Leitikka and the popular Tropicorp due to certain constraints within the team. It is unsure whether or not the team will change their mind about their tyre supplier choices.

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Hyper and innocent off-track, described as chaotic and aggressive on-track. Kiara Iinokanna is a full-time Viska driver from Livonsk who recently moved to Kuyonne to try out stock car racing after a relatively quiet career in AtMA and ARC back in Auruna. Willing to try new things and being the only Aurun who has exposure to the discipline, she was the first choice to be the driver for Viska-LVK in the Multiversal Cup Series with the car carrying Viska's iconic number 37. Even if it is her rookie debut at NSSCRA, her desire to push further ahead and win still remains with her as a result of her rallying experience even if it results in her not finishing.


Alice Kjäran is a Kuyonnen driver from Täleva who kept going back-and-forth between Kuyonne and Auruna during her career as she was originally planning on going full-time in single-seaters. She had a pretty successful career in karting and junior formula series but had a bad debut in the Aurun WGP3 Championship. After the conclusion of WGP3 Auruna, she was called up by her employers at Livkend to try out NSSCRA if it's to her liking. After gaining interest on the subject, she agreed to drive for Viska-LVK in the Everlong Series in the yellow #62 car. The young Kuyonnen still has a lot ahead of her, hoping to diversify her skills and gain experience before she seriously considers continuing.

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At a country road at the outskirts of Novitän, Kuyonne

"Why are we here?" Asks Alice as she was guided by Kiara towards the parked #62 Viska-LVK on the side of the narrow dirt road being worked on by a small crew. "Are allowed to do this?" She further added.

"I have permission for this. Anyway, we're here to test how you handle the car you're going to drive. It might not be close to what you're going to experience but it's good enough."

"Alright but why here specifically and not at a track?"

"Well, the nearby ovals and circuits are being used for local races so we couldn't rent any of those out for a day and Viska's testing facility is at Auruna so we had no other choice but to break the silence in this peaceful country road." Kiara says as she sets Alice's gear on the roof of the car. "Put on your gear and let's start."

While she is still confused about how and why the team is at a dirt road outside of the city, she grabs her gear and prepares for the "test" that was prepared for her. After putting on her racing suit, she was assisted into the car by Kiara and before she puts on her helmet, Kiara has a few words of advice for her.

"It's going to be loud and we don't have radios at the tent so if you can't hear anything, just send it."

"Of course it's lou--- wait what? You're telling me to just go for it?"

"Not sure if it works for you but I do it all the time."

"Well---"

"Anyway, just go. We don't have much time."

"Alright."

As the car comes to life, Alice gives it a few blips of the throttle before setting off in a slippery start. She wrestles the car though the Kuyonnen roads, completely shocked by the car's handling and performance which she wasn't used to yet. She struggled for the first few meters before carrying on into the forest. It was a new experience for her and she was not confident if she could even handle it on the actual events. Still, she is thankful for the team for an opportunity to try out what's to come but she regrets doing it on a rally stage.

"OI HELVETTEA!"

At 21 years of age, Isaia Fanene is joining the NSSCRA grid as the first Togonistani driver to do so. The former WGP2 driver for Kaylan Racing Team, multi-time domestic go-karting champion in his junior years and reigning champion of the TTRL series is eager to show his worth in the highest level of stock car racing. Team Fanene is, in it's core, an embodiment of a dream. It's a small outfit run by passionate people who are all eagerly working to take on the world and face fierce competition from top teams and drivers. It's not a manufacturer team nor one backed by any major corporation. It's a team founded by ordinary people with love for the sport and backed by passionate fans.



With the help of our backers, Team Fanene has gathered enough funding to field our car to the grid. We would like to wholeheartedly thank each and every one of our backers whose combined efforts have made it all possible. Despite the initial goal of 500 000 not being met in the end, the team has managed to, for the time being, secure additional funding from Kalmarlundian candy bar company Halgrim's as well as Togonistan-based Adonisia Energy. With potential additional investors already on the horizon, the team is positive about the future.



When it comes to the team's machinery, our team has opted for Preston Autos Super Skychief, a car that has brought success to Hapilopper's Team Blue in the past. We're happy to have come to an agreement with Preston to supply our team and believe the package provided by them will allow us to stay competitive throughout the season. The car is decorated in green and blue colour scheme, which is aimed to be be a homage to the team's home nation Togonistan. Green representing the Togonistani rainforests and blue representing the ocean that surrounds the nation. Simple.

Yes, that is correct. Jaguar Racing has collaborated with Huuhkajat Moottoriurheilu and famous TJUN-ian calendar brand Views of Time (or Tuairimí an Ama in their native Gaeilge) in order to create a calendar that will stand both as a reminder of this season, no matter how good or bad for both teams, while also being available to use for all time. Here are a few features that you need to understand in order to fully appreciate what we have created:
- It is literally timeless as the TimeSwap technology means that your calendar automatically updates to the next year without any replacement required, allowing you to keep the pictures for as long as you want (those can be swapped as well if any updates come in the future).
- It costs USD10.00 (V9.50/7 ICB), with proceeds from each sale evenly split between JR, HM and Tuairimí an Ama.
- It's a great feature to have if you're a motorsports fan or not, if you're from TJUN-ia or Kimi-Suomi or from somewhere else in this vast multiverse.

This very impressive item will now be available in all respectable retailers in all NSSCRA participating nations. Here's a preview of what images to expect, as taken during an off-season photo shoot in Eas-ar-Muir, NAU Zone.

JANUARY - "The Off-Track Groove" ("Isfrúin" Harpa Gylfisdóttir, Daniel Marx and Derrick Carlisle)
The two bosses and the Social Media Manager start us off with a Disco inspiration, wearing neon sunglasses amidst a dancefloor environment. They may be important figures off the track, but they are also human...and they love to have a good time.

FEBRUARY - "Red Letter Night" (Gongming Gao)
It is usually around this time that Chinese New Year occurs and as such, it was only fitting that JR's adopted Chinese friend takes centre stage here. This scene depicts him holding the traditional Red Letters of the occasion, set to a backdrop filled with lanterns and traditional wooden houses.

MARCH - "The Vuohi In The Snow" (Aurélia Karvonen)
Even one of the greatest drivers ever seen in Kimi-Suomi needs to be on here and this image captures her at her best, looking focused and all-powerful amidst the calm wintery scenery expected in the rural reaches of Northern AO. She is fierce and beautiful at the same time, just as she would like.

APRIL - "The Aussie Dream Realm" (Maddison Riley-Jones)
Here, we see our Aussie mate riding a very large kangaroo through a busy city, what she would describe as "a perfect April Fools Day for me". Riding on a kangaroo does sound fun, but it also shows just how fun JR's female powerhouse is off the track.

MAY - "The Calm of Rauhallinen" (Kaarina Salo)
Certainly fitting of her nickname, Kaarina Salo can sometimes be underappreciated when compared to her peers in the team, but this photo looks to let everyone know about her and what she stands for. Here, she is seen watching the waves crash into a calm beach head, giving a little smile to the camera.

JUNE - "Classic of the Mask" (Lam Chow-Cheung)
Around this time is the traditional Dragon Boat Festival, so it is only fitting that the non-binary cutie in the mask gets the spotlight here. Here, they are seen wearing their enby-coloured beizi with a fan in hand that reads "神秘" (Shénmì or Mystery). Their mask is pained with some rainbow cracks, to symbolise "the old me slowing giving way to the new" while their setting is suggested to be an old Imperial Palace.

JULY - "Summertime, pt 1" (Alfonso Mercado)
Alfonso Mercado is proud of his identity as a Latin American, and this piece is supposed to celebrate that. Here, we see a shirtless Mercado dance to a wave of music from the local town behind him. Is this more eye candy than a tribute? Maybe, maybe not...whatever floats your boat, I guess?

AUGUST - "Summertime, pt 2" (Alice Jepkosgei)
Unlike the cover of GQ TJUN-ia Mercado is providing, AJ is definitely bringing us back to her Kenyan roots with a traditional game named Bao already underway in her scene. Dressed in traditional Swahili clothes, she seems to beam with the confidence and beauty we all expect from someone of her calibre.

SEPTEMBER - "Elephant Time" (Robin Dragonovic)
South Newlandia is best known for its Elephants, so it's no surprise that they feature here in Robin's scene. Highlighting his kindness above everything else, he is seen hugging a baby Elephant while under the protection of its calm mother. It is certainly cute above anything else.

OCTOBER - "What's Better Than Cute Boys and Beer?" (Michael Stefan)
Not to be outdone by his boyfriend, here's Stefan attempting to interpret his traditional Oktoberfest celebrations as one of the sexiest things imaginable. Jug of beer? Check. Pretzel? Check. Lederhosen? Of course. There are actually three Stefans here as one is giving you a wink, another is blowing a kiss and the third is looking at you with the instant expression of "you think I'm cute, right?". Ilya Tsunopin, essen sie ihr herz aus!

NOVEMBER - "Enter Myrsky" (Ilmari Pëkannen)
Ilmari said he wanted the most badass thing the artist could imagine, so what about seeing a cocky and smiling man standing in the middle of an actual storm? As everything is destroyed around him, Ilmari gives the look of someone with one goal in mind: to kick your ass.

DECEMBER - "Union" (Everyone)
You know those team photos that sports teams produce with everyone on their roster? Well here is everyone in that sort of set-up, with Christmas Jumpers to reflect the obvious month this lands on. Everyone is expressing their own individuality here, just what everyone ordered...right?

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Current MCS Standings: #07 - N/A (0pts)/#64 - N/A (0pts)/#03 - N/A (0pts)
Current ECS Standings: #97 - N/A (0pts)/#96 - N/A (0pts)/#70 - N/A (0pts)
Next MCS Race: Exhibition at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive, Tundra Falls, Newmanistan
Next ECS Race: Prospect Showcase at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive, Tundra Falls, Newmanistan
Music of the Round III: Arcade Fire - Everything Now (LUX/VIE/CAM/BLZ/HON)

During the offseason, the gang from HM were invited by a calendar company in JYK-inen to create a calendar in collaboration with local outfit Jaguar Racing. Nobody had any real issues with this, as everyone was assured of some creative influence over the final product, and the shoot went without a hitch. But the final product wouldn't be released until the week of the Exhibition at the Proving Grounds. As the team was setting up for the first time this season, all 4 drivers and the Pomo would receive the "Interchangeable Calendar" for the very first time. Here are their reactions.

JANUARY - "The Off-Track Groove" ("Isfrúin" Harpa Gylfisdóttir, Daniel Marx and Derrick Carlisle)
The two bosses and the Social Media Manager start us off with a Disco inspiration, wearing neon sunglasses amidst a dancefloor environment. They may be important figures off the track, but they are also human...and they love to have a good time.

DM: Fuck, I forgot about this.
LCC: This looks fun!
AK: Damn, Marx, I didn't know you were such a party freak!
KS: This looks like something out of an old yearbook.
IP: Yeah, and not a good one at that.

FEBRUARY - "Red Letter Night" (Gongming Gao)
It is usually around this time that Chinese New Year occurs and as such, it was only fitting that JR's adopted Chinese friend takes centre stage here. This scene depicts him holding the traditional Red Letters of the occasion, set to a backdrop filled with lanterns and traditional wooden houses.

DM: Of course, Gao is in this scene. It's nice though.
LCC: Gao looks like a nice guy, no hard feelings for sending me here.
AK: So he is why Lam came here? Poor guy, hope his koti-ikävä is getting better.
KS: I heard he was forced to stay in JYK-inen after a lockdown back in his homeland. I wonder if he's been able to go home yet?
IP: Certainly...traditional.

MARCH - "The Vuohi In The Snow" (Aurélia Karvonen)
Even one of the greatest drivers ever seen in Kimi-Suomi needs to be on here and this image captures her at her best, looking focused and all-powerful amidst the calm wintery scenery expected in the rural reaches of Northern AO. She is fierce and beautiful at the same time, just as she would like.

DM: Oh yeah, this is awesome!
LCC: Oooh...cool!
AK: Huono. Perse. I love it!
KS: That's certainly her...Vuohi.
IP: I can feel her aura from here.

APRIL - "The Aussie Dream Realm" (Maddison Riley-Jones)
Here, we see our Aussie mate riding a very large kangaroo through a busy city, what she would describe as "a perfect April Fools Day for me". Riding on a kangaroo does sound fun, but it also shows just how fun JR's female powerhouse is off the track.

DM: *laughs* OK, that's just cool as fuck.
LCC: If Australia was an image...it would be that one.
AK: Is that what a "kangaroo" is? Kenguru, I mean. It looks cool.
KS: Oooh, a Kenguru! Nice to see.
IP: It looks like someone had a bit too much fun with this one.

MAY - "The Calm of Rauhallinen" (Kaarina Salo)
Certainly fitting of her nickname, Kaarina Salo can sometimes be underappreciated when compared to her peers in the team, but this photo looks to let everyone know about her and what she stands for. Here, she is seen watching the waves crash into a calm beach head, giving a little smile to the camera.

DM: Yeah, that's Salo.
LCC: Aww, how cute. Very calming at that, too.
AK: Of course, Kaarina would go for something picturesque. That sounds like her.
KS: Woah...that is so cool! I love what they did with that!
IP: Nice one, Kaarina. Nice one...

JUNE - "Classic of the Mask" (Lam Chow-Cheung)
Around this time is the traditional Dragon Boat Festival, so it is only fitting that the non-binary cutie in the mask gets the spotlight here. Here, they are seen wearing their enby-coloured beizi with a fan in hand that reads "神秘" (Shénmì or Mystery). Their mask is pained with some rainbow cracks, to symbolise "the old me slowing giving way to the new" while their setting is suggested to be an old Imperial Palace.

DM: Damn, Lam, you got a good one.
LCC: Wow...that's certainly me. Maybe I am becoming what I want to be...
AK: Yep, that's Lam...both delicate and expressive.
KS: Lam with another cute number, as always.
IP: Kukka alkaa kukkimaan.

JULY - "Summertime, pt 1" (Alfonso Mercado)
Alfonso Mercado is proud of his identity as a Latin American, and this piece is supposed to celebrate that. Here, we see a shirtless Mercado dance to a wave of music from the local town behind him. Is this more eye candy than a tribute? Maybe, maybe not...whatever floats your boat, I guess?

DM: Wow...I remember when he was scared of what he was. I guess not anymore.
LCC: ...Uhh...cool, I guess?
AK: Why he needed to show that off, I don't know. I'm not complaining, but still.
KS: Damn...not what I was expecting at all.
IP: He's already taken, Kaarina, he can show that off with no regrets at all.

AUGUST - "Summertime, pt 2" (Alice Jepkosgei)
Unlike the cover of GQ TJUN-ia Mercado is providing, AJ is definitely bringing us back to her Kenyan roots with a traditional game named Bao already underway in her scene. Dressed in traditional Swahili clothes, she seems to beam with the confidence and beauty we all expect from someone of her calibre.

DM: AJ seems like a nice gal, Gao is certainly lucky to have her.
LCC: Long live the Queen!
AK: She seems full of confidence.
KS: She can be a fighter on the track, no doubt.
IP: One of my rivals...seems like she's nice off the track.

SEPTEMBER - "Elephant Time" (Robin Dragonovic)
South Newlandia is best known for its Elephants, so it's no surprise that they feature here in Robin's scene. Highlighting his kindness above everything else, he is seen hugging a baby Elephant while under the protection of its calm mother. It is certainly cute above anything else.

DM: The Elephant Man with the Elephant Fam, that's cute.
LCC: Aww...those Elephants are just so cute!
AK: That's cute as fuck...no doubt.
KS: The Elefantit...so fucking cute!
IP: Can't go wrong with a man and some Elephants.

OCTOBER - "What's Better Than Cute Boys and Beer?" (Michael Stefan)
Not to be outdone by his boyfriend, here's Stefan attempting to interpret his traditional Oktoberfest celebrations as one of the sexiest things imaginable. Jug of beer? Check. Pretzel? Check. Lederhosen? Of course. There are actually three Stefans here as one is giving you a wink, another is blowing a kiss and the third is looking at you with the instant expression of "you think I'm cute, right?". Ilya Tsunopin, essen sie ihr herz aus!

DM:...Micky, I thought Alfonso was the gay icon. Holy shit.
LCC:...Cultural...but also kinda cute?
AK: He knows what he is and he is showing it. Good for him.
KS: Woah...he's not afraid to be himself, isn't he?
IP: Now that is confidence, to not be afraid of what anyone else thinks of you AT ALL.

NOVEMBER - "Enter Myrsky" (Ilmari Pëkannen)
Ilmari said he wanted the most badass thing the artist could imagine, so what about seeing a cocky and smiling man standing in the middle of an actual storm? As everything is destroyed around him, Ilmari gives the look of someone with one goal in mind: to kick your ass.

DM: The Ilmari Special.
LCC: Yep, that's Ilmari. Totally him to a T.
AK: Define Ilmari Pëkannen and this image shall appear.
KS: Yep, that's Ilmari right down to the soul.
IP: WOOOOOOOO! Wow, I look so BADASS!

DECEMBER - "Union" (Everyone)
You know those team photos that sports teams produce with everyone on their roster? Well here is everyone in that sort of set-up, with Christmas Jumpers to reflect the obvious month this lands on. Everyone is expressing their own individuality here, just what everyone ordered...right?

DM: Looks very formal...more for a wall than a calendar to be honest.
LCC: It looks like a photo you get in high school...which certainly brings back some memories...
AK: Holy crap, we look so stupid in this! What is this, an initiation?
KS: What a family we all are...but compared to JR, maybe a bit thin?
IP: The gangs are all here...certainly. That is all.

AutoModi is one of the top car manufacturers in the Sherpa Empire. They made their first foray into NSSCRA backing Rinzi Zakhilwal, but with the news that Zakhilwal would be departing for Hapilopper's Team Blue, AutoModi knew it was time to go recruiting. Different people within the company suggested several possible prospects. The two drivers who got the most interest were Liangmei Li and Tsering Chu, but there were also a few conversations regarding Tyler Linde, Yi Tan, Ongmu Yeti, Shuzhen Zhu, Kalden Tso, Kyidawa Sherpa, Jama'obo Pegasii, etc.

Li's supporters argued that she would look slick in ads, Tsering was too dorky for the company's trendy image, and it would be weird to recruit Tsering when her husband was already locked into a contract with rival manufacturer TMW.

Tsering's supporters argued that she had a better recent track record than Li, and she might help the company connect with new customers in the Jiangnan region (northeastern corner of the Sherpa Empire).

In the end, the company decided to back both drivers, but they were only able to secure one NSSCRA charter. So Tsering is driving for AutoModi in NSSCRA and Li is representing them in IRACT, the Sherpa Empire's domestic stock car league.


#01 Tsering Chu 楚色林

Age: 25
Hometown: Nanjing, Jiangsu (now lives in Guilin)
Car: AutoModi 378
Sponsors: AutoModi, Khamdo Electronics, Kinetik Energy Drinks, Prana, Srivatsa Solar, Highland Tire, Petrohan, Seven Peaks Tsampa, Yulha Sherpa College for the Deaf

Tsering Chu surprised the hell out of everyone -- including herself -- when she won her first NSSCRA race at the age of 19. However, it would be another couple years before she started consistently running near the front of the field. Chu is Deaf and her car is equipped with a visual comms system instead of the usual radio. There are lights on the dash to indicate common messages like "go left," "go right," "come in for a pit stop," and that sort of thing.

In previous seasons of NSSCRA, Tsering's charter was controlled by the Deaf Cultural Association and her alma mater, Yulha Sherpa College for the Deaf. However, a financial scandal at Yulha Sherpa College forced them to sell the charter, and after a tense round of negotiations, it was bought out by AutoModi. AutoModi also arranged a new sponsorship deal with Seven Peaks Tsampa -- a longtime sponsor of AutoModi's SIMS (open wheel racing) team.

Tsering is married to Kai Qiang, who was her celebrity crush before she became a celebrity herself. They recently changed their numbers from #43 and #44 to #01 and #02 because they did not want to park near Thea Alvarez. Tsering and Qiang both believe that is it unsafe for their family -- especially their daughters -- to have any contact with Thea or any contact with Ilya Tsunopin. Essentially, they think Tsunopin can't keep his sexuality to himself, and Thea is too deep in his thrall to have any will of her own. They are really grossed out by the whole thing.

---

TMW is another of the Sherpa Empire's major car brands, and they dominate IRACT. Before IRACT took off, TMW and AutoModi mostly stayed out of each other's hair. TMW marketed to everyday working families, and AutoModi went after a wealthier demographic. But then AutoModi stuck their nose into IRACT and NSSCRA, and a rivalry began to grow between the two companies.

Lhakpa -- also called Wednesday Racing -- is a motorsports team that was AutoModi's rival in SIMS. The team is owned by Dawa Sherpa, a wealthy business mogul who is the CEO of a large farm machinery company.

Since Lhakpa and TMW both had rivalries with AutoModi, they were natural allies when Dawa Sherpa decided he wanted to own an NSSCRA team. To drive for their new team, they recruited Kai Qiang, a veteran driver who already had an established relationship with TMW.


#02 Kai Qiang 强凯

Age: 31
Hometown: Guilin, Guangxi
Car: TMW Phoenix
Sponsors: TMW, Dawa Tractor Company, Guangxi Telecom, Westlake Tea, Prana, Srivatsa Solar, Auntie Shang's Fish Cakes, Highland Tire, Petrohan

Kai Qiang is one of the biggest names in stock car racing, but he has mixed feelings about his success. He grew up in a poor rural area outside Guilin, and he was forced to drop out of high school so he could work to support himself after losing both his parents at a young age. He never expected racing to turn into a lucrative career, and now that it has worked out that way, he doesn't quite know what to do with all the money and fame. Money and fame can't heal the mental scars from everything that happened in the past.

Qiang is not the most masculine guy, and this has been the subject of many memes.

He is married to Mendok Sherpa and Tsering Chu. They have two daughters named Cammy (also spelled Kami) and Sima, and they are expecting a third child later this year. Now that Cammy is starting to learn how to read and write, they are sticking more to the Anglicized spelling of her name -- but it is not short for Camilla or whatever; it's a Sherpa name that's been Anglicized. Cammy is also learning to race go karts, so if the Qiang family are in your nation for NSSCRA, you never know when they might drop by the local go kart track. Meanwhile, Sima is learning to.... shovel ice cream in her face.

As mentioned above, Qiang and his family are making a very conscious effort to distance themselves from Thea Alvarez and Ilya Tsunopin. Once upon a time, Qiang had a crush on Thea, but she said she wasn't into him and he let her go and moved on. They remained friends for a while, but over time their friendship deteriorated too. Qiang has not considered Thea his friend for at least a couple of years now, but she was slow to catch on and continued to act as if they were close, and he didn't have the heart to be too rough with her. That all changed in NSSCRA 12 with the arrival of Ilya Tsunopin. Tsunopin wrote creepy fanfics, he harassed Qiang at the track and in the media, and it should have been common sense that this behavior was not normal or acceptable. And yet somehow, Thea thought it was okay to egg him on and she even started dating the creep. That was the last straw, and it was time to set some boundaries.

---

The Independent Racing Association of the Chinese Territories a.k.a. IRACT is a domestic racing league in the Sherpa Empire. They are the governing body for several different styles of racing, but they are most widely known for their stock car series.

IRACT has a very decentralized structure, and they award their NSSCRA charter by having drivers race for it in a short Spring Series before the start of the main season. This year, the Spring Series was a bit controversial. Going into the final race of the series, it looked like it was going to be a fight between Liangmei Li and Tyler Linde. Yi Tan, Ongmu Yeti, and Shuzhen Zhu were within shouting distance, but they were going to need Li and Linde to have a bad race to allow them to close the gap.

Then Yi Tan and Liangmei Li crashed and took each other out of the race, apparently leaving the door wide open for Linde. Except Linde ran into his own problems, while Zhu was catching all the right breaks. When the results were tallied, Zhu came out on top with Linde and Ongmu a close second and third.

Ongmu let out a loud frustrated grunt in response to a reporter's questions, and refused to comment further.

Liangmei Li and Yi Tan hurled verbal abuse at each other, and Li accused Zhu of using Imagination to cheat. Imagination was Nimban magic, illegal to use at the track on race day according to IRACT rules, but legal to use in the manufacturing process while building your car. Zhu said she used Imagination-powered tools at her workshop in Suzhou, but this was allowed as long as all the finished parts that went into the car were non-magical.


#44 Shuzhen Zhu 朱熟真

Age: 28
Hometown: Suzhou, Jiangsu
Car: TMW Phoenix
Sponsors: Papchung, Shanyang, Couture-Shock, Westlake Tea, Highland Tire, Petrohan, TMW

Shuzhen Zhu has bounced around several different racing series. She's raced in IRACT, Nexus Racing Driver Academy Series, and WSRC. She's had success at times, but it has been a slow build up, not a blaze of glory.

She employs a Nimban mechanic who she met while she was training in the Wardship. There are rumors that they are dating. The rumor has not been confirmed, but that hasn't stopped the Sherpa tabloids from having a field day with it, especially after Li's accusations about using Imagination.

There has also been a lot of gossip about Zhu's hair, which has a blue streak a little like Ricky Lee's. Zhu has had the streak in her hair since before she ever heard of Lee, but that does not stop bored fans, magazines, and tabloid writers from trying to ship the two of them.

Papchung, Shanyang, and Couture-Shock all thought they were signing up to sponsor an IRACT team that could travel by road, so Zhu and her sponsors are still sorting out what is going to happen financially. If any international sponsors have a particular race that they really want to plaster their brand on, they might be able to arrange for Zhu to run a special scheme incorporating their brand.

Qualifying: Exhibition at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive, Newmanistan
Lap Record: 56.342 sec.





Race: Prospect Showcase at The Proving Grounds Presented by Rocket Automotive (Newmanistan)
Lap Record: 56.342 sec.



(Minimum Time To Avoid DNF= 59.200 sec)

Race Results:

NSSCRA EverLong Series
 1 #30- Lexi Patterson (Saint Kanye)                                57.365 WINNER
 2 #0- Alex Remington (Hapilopper)                                  57.502
 3 #96- Alice Jepkosgei (TJUN-ia)                                   57.513
 4 #47- Edmund Flanders (Hapilopper)                                57.589
 5 #66- Patricia nic Neill (Abanhfleft)                             57.623
 6 #42- Ganglie Zhe (Abanhfleft)                                    57.637
 7 #62- Alice Kjäran (Auruna)                                       57.639
 8 #07- Kaarina Salo (Kimi-Suomi)                                   57.681
 9 #00- Colin Meredith (Hapilopper)                                 57.734
10 #7- Ilmari Pëkannen (Kimi-Suomi)                                 57.738
11 #70- Gongming Gao (TJUN-ia)                                      57.742
12 #22- Pyotr Lavrentiev (Saint Kanye)                              57.753
13 #5- Bryan Harrison (Tropicorp)                                   57.855
14 #97- Robin Dragonovic (TJUN-ia)                                  57.885
15 #32- Michelle Kass Evelyn Vítková Pavlína (Valentine Z)          57.975
16 #98- Jixaka Motorai (Tropicorp)                                  58.018
17 #10- Valkyrie Valentijn Samantha Constantine (Valentine Z)       58.031
18 #24- Zack Greene (Newmanistan)                                   58.249
19 #20- Daryl Calhoun (Saint Kanye)                                 58.264
20 #77- Marcus Alan Ariel Reynolds (Valentine Z)                    58.622
21 #48- Ryan Carroll (Newmanistan)                                  58.966
22 #35- Allison Maddox (Sword Island)                               58.996
23 #50- Tawfiq Chouchane (Sultanate of Oontaz)                      59.026
24 #04- Lexie Shelby (Sword Island)                                 59.061
25 #72- Zacarias Policarpio (Sultanate of Oontaz)                   59.064
26 #43- Maurice Cavins III (69X)                                    59.068
27 #60- Rockii Ezis (Vilita & Turori)                               59.087
28 #05- Carson Zanby (Sword Island)                                 59.113
29 #13- Nur-Bahk Erdginbet (Yakk)                                   59.141
30 #14- Samson Tukanova (The Daystar Isles)                         59.180
31 #44- Wang Anjiao (69X)                                           59.233 DNF
32 #17- Ian Larson (South Americanastan)                            59.271 DNF
33 #49- Lotara Novorali (Vilita & Turori)                           59.272 DNF
34 #41- Turakki Mayelli (Vilita & Turori)                           59.290 DNF
35 #31- Patrick Sullivan (South Americanastan)                      59.312 DNF
36 #09- Curtis Kirby (69X)                                          59.524 DNF
37 #37- Cocoabo #37 (Tropicorp)                                     59.547 DNF