World Grand Prix Championship Season 14: Roleplay Thread

by **Aboveland** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 4:00 pm

Terho's temples pounded and his heart raced, visor fogging with every breath, as he pulled into #56's garage slot. What a drive! He'd just missed out on beating iBen to second place in qualifying, by less than two hundredths of a second. On every lap he'd chased his rear red LED square, taking in gasps of rubber tainted air after every quick corner. On the long straights iBen would go a bit further from Terho, but when the turns came the Abovian braked late, sending shards of asphalt and shreds of tire into the view of his mirrors. It was a surefire way to catch up, and he wasn't making mistakes. All he needed was to push further.

Reviewing data after the practice session, he could see iBen braked ever so slightly less throughout the lap, whilst Terho's brake and acceleration scales were vastly superior in contrast. He knew his strategy for qualifying: to not have one. All he needed was to push harder. Ever so slightly harder.

by **WGPC** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:33 pm

Saturday Qualifying

ROUND ONE

* Drivers have 45 minutes to record up to six flying laps.
* Fastest lap is recorded
* Top ten drivers move to round two of qualifying
* Remaining 15 drivers are eliminated
* Conditions: Wet

1	1	Alexandra Mayari		SFeG				1:46.393
2	77	iBen Toralmintii		VTM				1:46.542
3	35	Jac-Irlo Val			Fornax Racing			1:46.609
4	8	Igne Spupuo			Telaris Racing			1:46.705
5	51	R.L. Crusin			Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	1:46.780
6	7	Ethan Ellis			Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	1:46.780
7	18	Louis Krindle			MSA-SinVal			1:46.785
8	42	Alex Dimitrianov		MRT				1:46.821
9	57	Galicio Palembe			Scuderia WGPC			1:46.841
10	12	Vic Convarion			Telaris Racing			1:46.903
11	55	Asao Nadakei			ENSADRINK GP			1:46.925
12	89	Will Madison			Fornax Racing			1:46.999
13	13	Gunnar Lindstrom		WGPC Motorworks			1:47.246
14	3	Mateo Oket			Archer Motorsports		1:47.311
15	23	Moisés Delgado			Cygnus ATR			1:47.778
16	56	Terho Talvela			VTM				1:47.832
17	24	Victoria Gardner		SFeG				1:47.901
18	6	Alexander Lund			McPahan Racing			1:48.482
19	14	Oliver Bliss			MSA-Sinval			1:49.217
20	29	Esteban Guilhermez		Cygnus ATR			1:49.702
21	99	Rudolf Ibuna			Scuderia WGPC			1:50.413
22	10	Lauren Ashburton		ENSADRINK GP			1:51.056
23	25	Jessica Franssen		MRT				1:51.242
24	21	Alexander Kohlon		WGPC Motorworks			1:51.651
25	52	Sayono Souzare			Archer Motorsports		1:53.259

ROUND TWO

* Top ten drivers are given 30 minutes to record up to four flying laps
* Fastest lap of this period is recorded

1	77	iBen Toralmintii		VTM				1:46.566
2	18	Louis Krindle			MSA-SinVal			1:47.195
3	57	Galicio Palembe			Scuderia WGPC			1:47.249
4	8	Igne Spupuo			Telaris Racing			1:47.278
5	1	Alexandra Mayari		SFeG				1:47.507
6	51	R.L. Crusin			Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	1:47.930
7	12	Vic Convarion			Telaris Racing			1:48.011
8	35	Jac-Irlo Val			Fornax Racing			1:48.634
9	7	Ethan Ellis			Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	1:49.725
10	42	Alex Dimitrianov		MRT				1:58.669

FINAL GRID

* Lowest finishing driver is removed from starting grid
* Drivers eliminated in round one of qualifying line up in the order in which they finished in that session.

.1 77 iBen Toralmintii        
 2 18 Louis Krindle           
 3 57 Galicio Palembe         
 4  8 Igne Spupuo             
 5  1 Alexandra Mayari        
 6 51 R.L. Crusin             
 7 12 Vic Convarion           
 8 35 Jac-Irlo Val            
 9  7 Ethan Ellis             
10 42 Alex Dimitrianov        
11 55 Asao Nadakei            
12 89 Will Madison            
13 13 Gunnar Lindstrom        
14  3 Mateo Oket              
15 23 Moisés Delgado          
16 56 Terho Talvela           
17 24 Victoria Gardner        
18  6 Alexander Lund          
19 14 Oliver Bliss            
20 29 Esteban Guilhermez      
21 99 Rudolf Ibuna            
22 10 Lauren Ashburton        
23 25 Jessica Franssen        
24 21 Alexander Kohlon        
25 52 Sayono Souzare

by **Vangaziland** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 7:33 pm

The green & yellow MRT car pulled into the lane along with the other vehicles. The qualifying run had just ended. Some of the drivers were already out of their cars and headed into the pits. It didn't seem like there were many journalists, at least not here and now. Jessica took the scene in mostly as a bunch of colors as she focused more on pit lane she was driving down.

It wasn't long until she started applying the brakes, maneuvered into her space and brought the vehicle to a stop. The pit crew quickly approached the car as they had plenty of things to check and adjust before they put the car away from the night.

Jessica unbuckled herself and then climbed out of the driver's seat. She didn't take her helmet off right away. A part of her wanted to keep it on. Her crew chief was nearby and wanted to talk though.

She took it off and revealed how much she had been sweating. Her hair fell down around her shoulders.

"Sorry, still getting used to these cars... You think you have things figured out... And then, rain."

The sky was still covered with dark rain clouds. It had rained earlier and it looked like it might start again any moment now. The track was pretty wet.

Jessica's face was a mix of embarrassment and disappointment. She didn't like qualifying so close to the rear. She was pretty close to the bubble of elimination. She had done pretty well at practice. Then again, the conditions were different.

Jessica is not a very aggressive driver. As badly as she wanted to push things, she spent extra effort sticking to her line. She also was a bit cautious around the other cars during the session.

She wasn't focused as much on her time. In retrospect, maybe she should have pushed a bit harder. She was cautious. This was her first time driving a WGPC car in the rain. She wasn't sure how far she could push the MRT car yet. Her biggest fear was spinning out or clipping a wall during qualifying.

She'd have to take her chances starting from the rear. She knew she could put together some fast laps. Hopefully the weather would cooperate.

'The only way I can go is up', she thought to herself as she walked away from the crew chief. At least she had another yoga session to look forward to.

by **WGPC** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 4:14 pm

I hate purity. I hate goodness. I don't want virtue to exist anywhere. I want everyone CUT OFF for race seven!

by **WGPC** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 4:38 pm

The Grand Prix of Nekoni
Sunday's Race

* Conditions: Dry
* Laps: 50

Pos # Driver               Team			Race Time	Behind Preceding car
 1 77 iBen Toralmintii           	1:28:20.782	+0:00.000
 2 18 Louis Krindle              	1:29:18.586	+0:57.804
 3 56 Terho Talvela              	1:29:29.115	+0:10.529
 4 42 Alex Dimitrianov           	1:29:33.039	+0:03.924
 5  1 Alexandra Mayari           	1:29:34.675	+0:01.636
 6 24 Victoria Gardner           	1:29:52.248	+0:17.573
 7  7 Ethan Ellis                	1:29:53.328	+0:01.080
 8 23 Moisés Delgado             	1:30:04.990	+0:11.662
 9  3 Mateo Oket                 	1:30:17.875	+0:12.885
10 25 Jessica Franssen           	+1 Lap		+0:01.994
11 57 Galicio Palembe            	+1 Lap		+0:00.017
12 10 Lauren Ashburton           	+1 Lap		+0:00.379
13 12 Vic Convarion              	+1 Lap		+0:01.700
14 35 Jac-Irlo Val               	+1 Lap		+0:20.995
15 14 Oliver Bliss               	+1 Lap		+0:18.528
16 13 Gunnar Lindstrom           	+1 Lap		+0:11.725
17  6 Alexander Lund             	+1 Lap		+0:00.643
18 29 Esteban Guilhermez         	+1 Lap		+0:08.786
19 21 Alexander Kohlon           	Ret. Lap 47
DNF 55 Asao Nadakei               	Ret. Lap 21
DNF 89 Will Madison               	Ret. Lap 19		
DNF  8 Igne Spupuo                	Ret. Lap 18
DNF 99 Rudolf Ibuna               	Ret. Lap 8
DNF 51 R.L. Crusin                	Ret. Lap 5

Drivers' Championship

Pos	#	Name			Team				Pts
1	77	iBen Toralmintii	VTM				80
2	56	Terho Talvela		VTM				72
3	8	Igne Spupuo		Telaris Racing			60
4	14	Oliver Bliss		MSA-SinVal			48
5	18	Louis Krindle		MSA-SinVal			46
6	24	Victoria Gardner	SFeG				42
7	7	Ethan Ellis		Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	41
8	51	R.L. Crusin		Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	37
9	6	Alexander Lund		McPahan Racing			33
10	55	Asao Nadakei		ENSADRINK GP			32
11	3	Mateo Oket		Archer Motorsports		23
12	10	Lauren Ashburton	ENSADRINK GP			21
12	12	Vic Convarion		Telaris Racing			21
14	46	Reni Sanderson		McPahan Racing			19
15	1	Alexandra Mayari	SFeG				14
16	89	Will Madison		Fornax Racing			13
17	42	Alex Dimitrianov	MRT				12
18	13	Gunnar Lindstrom	WGPC Motorworks			6
19	23	Moisés Delgado		Cygnus ATR			4
19	29	Esteban Guilhermez	Cygnus ATR			4
19	17	Oliver Bachmann		MRT				4
22	21	Alexander Kohlon	WGPC Motorworks			3
23	52	Sayono Souzare		Archer Motorsports		1
23	25	Jessica Franssen	MRT				1
25	35	Jac-Irlo Val		Fornax Racing			0
25	20	Marcus Melton		WGPC Motorworks			0
25	57	Galicio Palembe		Scuderia WGPC			0
25	99	Rudolf Ibuna		Scuderia WGPC			0

Constructors' Championship

VTM				152
MSA-Sinval			94
Telaris Racing			81
Carvenlo-Franklin Racing	78
SFeG				56
ENSADRINK GP			53
McPahan Racing			52
Archer Motorsports		24
MRT				17
Fornax Racing			13
WGPC Motorsports		9
Cygnus ATR			8
Scuderia WGPC			0

by **Vangaziland** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 5:41 pm

Once again, Jessica Franssen found her line. Her starting position was terrible, placing her two spots from the rear. She blamed the weather for an overly cautious qualifying session. She knew she would have to fight if she wanted to earn any points on raceday.

She had done alright at practice with the 8th fastest lap, so she knew she could put up some fast times. Fighting spot-by-spot, she made her way up the field. She avoided any accidents on the track, ran a technical line and kept the wear off of her tires.

"This was one of the most frantic races of my career", Franssen said after the race. "I knew I could make up some time, but this was an all out fight. This was not like Vannish T1."

Her crew did well to keep the car running. The pit stops were quite fast and well timed.

Jessica spent much of the race following Lauren Ashburton in the ENSADRINK GP car. Ashburton also worked her way from the back of the field, starting one place ahead of Jessica.

"Lauren was on the line as well. I drafted off of her for much of the race. I'm going to have to meet her and shake her hand."

Franssen passed Ashburton coming out of turn 14 on lap 39. The green & yellow car came out of the turn a bit more aggressively, roared into the next turn and took the lead of all lapped cars. It was kind of a risky manuever for Franssen, but she handled it well.

Later in the race, Galicio Palembe found himself tucked in between Ashburton & Franssen.

"I couldn't relax." Franssen said. "Palembe was on my tail right until the end. I thought he was going to pass me on the last stretch."

The Vangazi driver had to block Palembe on the last straightaway as he tried to maneuver around her. Franssen was just a fraction of a second quicker out of the last apex.

It took a massive effort to fight from the back of the pack into the top 10. Some of her more aggressive, technical manuevers made Vannish sports highlight shows. In Vangaziland, sports networks are always looking for the next big thing. The media would be watching her career for sure.

"I would say I'm happy with my first WGPC point", Franssen said after the race. "I just know I could have done more. It makes me wish I qualified better. I'll have to push it the next time it rains."

Franssen still came across as slightly disappointed on camera. Surely she had her sights set higher. She was a fighter, just like her father was when he ran stock cars in the 1970s.

If nothing else, Jessica managed to get her sponsors just a little bit of airtime. It wasn't too bad of a day for MRT. Her teammate placed 4th, a spot Jessica would be a bit more satisfied with.

"My goal is to get points for the team." A journalist had asked what Jessica's motivation was, seeing as how she joined too late to have a chance in the driver's championship.

by **Dunpa** » Sun Jun 05, 2016 5:52 pm

After Race

"I really hate how our setup did nothing. At least I fell under the 90% rule." Alex said to Mike. "After Barunia, our country hosts the next GP. I wonder how we do at our home track." "Well, for a weekend, Schafer doesn't have to deal with promoting our event." Mike said, talking of course about Dunpa's president, Daniel Schafer.

"Do we have to go?" Alex's pit crew asked Michael. "Yes, you have to go to Barunia with us. Besides, the team still hasn't stated wheter they'll stop enforcing the "bring the pit crew with you" rule." Mike told them back. "Let's go to Barunia!" Mike said excitingly. "Barunia!"

by **Mattijana** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:44 am

Breakthrough result for MRT in Nekoni

MRT finally recorded a double points finish and a top 5 result with Alex Dimitrianov responding to his new teammate's pressure by providing an inspired drive to take 4th. Jessica Franssen also drove superbly, rising through the lower and middle order to take a deserved point.

Dimitrianov started well, moving up to 8th as he found a fast route around the outside of turns 1 and 2. The next positions he made up were more by fortune than personal judgement as first RL Cruisin in the Carvenlo-Franklin and then the Telaris of Igne Spupuo were forced out in separate incidents. That moved Dimitrianov up to 6th, but there was a new threat from behind in Terho Talvela who had also made a very rapid start and kept going over the first few laps to move right up behind the mathematically slower MRT. Dimitrianov held him off for a few laps, but eventually succumbed as Talvela made a fairly straightforward manouvre down the Lungomare straight into turn 14.
That would be the only time he was overtaken however and it was almost a made back as Dimitrianov got close down the pit straight, but was forced the long way round into turn 1 and 2 before being closely beaten to the apex of turn 3. Dimitrianov stayed in touch with Talvela, but was never quite able to get close enough to threaten an overtake. The pair both made passes on Vic Convarion, Alexandra Mayari and Galicio Palembe to take them into their finishing positions, Dimitrianov most notably going round the outside of Mayari in the first two parts of the sling. He missed out on a podium by just 3 seconds.

Pit stops were also sharp for both cars and the upgrades aiding straight line speed proved useful around a circuit dominated by two long straights, allowing both cars to make passes and defend their position. Johann Struna also praised the impact of debut driver, Jess Franssen, on the team's peformance:

"Jess is a very motivated character, but she is also very calm and good to work around. The team wanted to do their best to help her and wanted to see her do well. I think we saw the best of her in the race today and her qualifying performances should improve as she gets used to the car. Overall we're very pleased and she should bring in some good results in the future."

On whether the introduction of Franssen has caused a response from Alex Dimitrianov:

"I don't think it's a coincidence. We knew this track would be good for Alex, but he seems to be much more motivated to beat Jess. They seem to already have a friendly rivalry, so hopefully both cars can get some good results at the end of the season. "

by **Vulkanas** » Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:31 am

Interview with Gunnar Lindström - Post Race in Nekoni

Sportir Tidskrift Vulkanas WGPC Reporter Carl Bergenhus catches up with Vulkan WGPC driver Gunnar Lindström after a 16th place finish in Nekoni. In this interview he discusses this race, the season so far, and prospects further in his career.

Carl Bergenhus - Well Gunnar, that must have been a tough race for you. How would you evaluate your performance and the end result?

Gunnar Lindström - Agh, it's not a very good result honestly. We as a team have been off the pace all weekend. The results from the Turori test weren't encouraging, and the results this weekend have reinforced that. It's frankly embarrassing that there has been a Scuderia WGPC car ahead of me and Alex since the test. I don't know if it's new aero parts or engine development, but the balance has been off for me since then. We need to work on the car and just get it together as a team ahead of the next round in Barunia otherwise this won't be the only time the junior car is ahead of us.

CB - Of course this isn't your dream result here, but would you not say that this has been a development year for you and the team?

GL - For sure this is a development year, but we have more funding than the junior team, better car designers, and better drivers, so this performance is unacceptable. Qualifying was average in 13th, I thought that personally we could have done better. But to see Palembe start 9th was very disheartening for me. Obviously Alex had problems so his qualifying wasn't representative of his pace. Then we go to the race. Due to the bad qualifying I get caught up in a few scrapes, but nothing too major. The safety car wasn't very good for us since we had just pitted, so I would say strategy is something we must work on. It was obviously very disappointing for Alex to have an engine failure so close to the finish, but nothing could be done. I was lucky to keep Lund behind me honestly since he was closing fast, thankfully he couldn't follow me so easily so I held on to 16th in the end. The team can say what they like about this being a development year. I haven't heard what their excuse is here. But the junior team is fighting for points and we can barely scrape 16th? At this rate we will need another development year to solve these problems.

CB - How have your pit stops been this season? How do you find the team's interesting mechanic requirements?

GL - I think that my pit crew are about the same as any other in the championship. It was a weakness at the start of the season but they have trained hard, put the work in, and it has paid off. They do a very good job. I don't really see why the team have these requirements but it's their choice - I will just do the best I can.

CB - Looking at your results so far this season, how would you evaluate it so far?

GL - For a rookie year at a new team, it's been okay. I can't say I'm happy with how we have performed, but I never expected wins. Obviously, you look at Terho's season and you wonder why every rookie isn't winning, but I think his team have done something very special with the car this year. Our team... not so much. The whole team was a last minute entry and you can't help but see that in the results. I think if we had adequate testing and car development, we might be challenging in the top 10, but it is what it is. Right now, I want to keep developing the car. At this stage in the season, if you aren't challenging at the top you have to start looking to develop the car for next year, and just keep going until the final round.

CB - Have you considered your prospects for next season? Are you out of contract? Are you looking to move?

GL - My contract was only for this season, and I haven't made a deal yet. We'll have to wait and see what the rest of the season holds for us. Don't get me wrong - I haven't given up on WGPC Motorworks, but if this recent trend isn't turned around I can't say they'll be my first choice for a drive next year. We still have a while to go yet, so let's find out.

CB - Finally, what are your thoughts on Jessica Franssen scoring a point in her debut race?

GL - It's a good result for her. She's a good driver, for sure, very feisty and aggressive. But taking risks won't get you championships - you need to be consistent, and this is just one race's result. I can see what you're getting at though. It's her first race and she's scored a point, but I only managed 16th. Just look at her teammate's result. Clearly this track suits the MRT more than our car. Let's see if she can do the same in the next race, then we can decide where she stands.

CB - Any final words for the Vulkan fans ahead of the next round?

GL - This race was tough, but I'm confident in the team. We know we should be much better than this, and we know we can turn this around.

by **Aboveland** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 6:04 pm

Terho gazed at the crowds before him prior to lifting the behemoth glass bottle above his head and letting the foam from it drip onto his face. He felt the bubbly elixir drip into his race suit and wet his fireproof garments as his face was sprayed with a stinging shot of champagne. He might not have won the race, but he was sure he'd given the drive of his life.

An unexpected wet Saturday left Terho dawdling near the bottom of the grid on the start of Sunday. The bad result after a great practice session left the now-acquainted Abovian WGPC newcomer disappointed, lest the hunger to claw back helped him overcome his sulking and motivated him to push harder on race day for, at the very least, a points finish.

When the lights shut off Terho dropped the clutch on Chassis Y' in true rallying fashion and set off ahead of the pack to gain a position on the first lap, ahead of Moises Delgado. By lap 5 he saw his position counter go up one place and a few scattered oil stains on the pristine tarmac, leading him to believe somebody ahead had retired. On lap 8, while he was just touching 10th place, he was notified of another retirement further below him, which didn't affect his performance in the slightest.

On lap 23, following the drama two places ahead of him from Spupo and Cruisin, Terho began to close in on Dimitrianov in his inferior machine, who he'd been following closely for the last three laps, and ultimately pounced on him on the Lungomare straight portion of the lap.

All the way to the end, the pair pushed their cars to their limits, Terho taking a risky path to overtake those ahead and Dimitrianov straining body and machine to claw back a podium. The former rallying star crossed the finish line third, merely three seconds ahead of his respectable opponent, who moved mountains to overtake him and yet failed to achieve his goal. For Terho, climbing from 16th to 3rd had been a gargantuan task. This podium, he pondered as he gulped down a mouthful of sparkling wine, was well deserved.

by **Vangaziland** » Tue Jun 07, 2016 9:50 pm

From Jessica Franssen's point of view, she was used to the media talking about her. She had dealt with reporters from a young age. In this era of the internet, new articles about her could be found at least every week. If people weren't writing about her racing, they were writing about her social life. Racing wasn't the most popular sport in Vangaziland, but it had a enough of a following to spawn bloggers, podcasts and airtime on sports networks.

She was single and fairly attractive. Every time she had a date, somebody blogged about it. Pictures had been taken of her in public with suitors several times.

But while she was on the circuit, especially this big stage, she was trying to avoid Vannish Sports Media. There were other things going on in Vangaziland. She had spent many hours in her hotel room streaming Vannish Cable News on her laptop.

It sounded like the space program, Vannish Aerospace, was sending up a satellite designed to clean up a bit of space junk from Earth's Orbit. It seemed like a noble project, of course all of this cost taxpayer dollars. Most Vangazi supported the space program though.

Military spending was rising higher and higher. Several of the universities, including Auster and Blue Coast recently staged student protests. Overglade University, known for being closely aligned with the government, hosted a pro-military rally in response to the recent movement.

Of course, 18 months of military service is mandatory for all Vangazi, male or female. Even Jess, the race car driver, did her conscript service, spending her time with the Coast Guard.

The nation's elite Royal families are expected to lead from the front. Most notably Prince Vang, future Head of State, was serving as an Army Officer. He volunteered for infantry, starting as a platoon leader and working his way up to Major, so far.

Even for such a militant populace, spending was getting just a bit out of hand. New Air Force programs have just been released, dealing with stealth rotary assets based on the Comanche and Stealthhawk. First it was said these new helicopters, were only part of a few elite squadrons. Last week General Applebind called this a trial program and said Vangaziland is considering growing the RAH-66 program over the next decade into a major part of Vannish doctrine.

It helps Jess de-stress to focus on her government and it's problems as opposed to feeling the pressure of her next race. Even race car drivers need escapism.

by **Schiavonia** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:20 am

It had been a disaster.

Reni Sanderson's performance had been on the slide for some weeks now, but the qualifying session in San Jose Guayabal had been a shocker. His confidence, slowly slipping away by the week (despite some consistent midfield finishes and picking up a smattering of points on a regular basis), had completely deserted him, and he finished twenty-fifth.

Out of twenty-four qualifiers.

He hadn’t made it. It finally dawned on him that what he thought was once his dream was anything but. Back when he drove in Audioslavia, it had been for the love of driving. But this… this was a love that he was forcing. No matter how much support the McPahan team gave him - and they gave him plenty - and no matter how much backing Horatio Rodrigues and Visit Schiavonia gave him and the team financially, this simply was not working out for him.

But who could he tell? Facing up to the team seemed far too much of a challenge - letting them down after the support they had given him just wasn’t on. And the same for Rodrigues. OK, so he might have been an encouragement, but this just can’t carry on, and considering the money he had invested, this could only be a disappointment.

There was only one solution. He had to get out of this circus. Get away to a place where there are no cars. No people. A place where he can just hide away from the world until everything felt alright again.

San Jose Guayabal is famous for its mountains. There are plenty here. Cars can’t get up there, he thought. I can find a cave, or build a shelter in a forest. I can live off the land, eating what I find. Anything but staying here.

Once qualifying was over and the team returned to their motorhome for the night, Reni crept out under the cover of darkness. He hasn’t been seen since.

If you have seen Reni Sanderson, please contact the Guayabelense Police immediately on 767. It is thought that he may be vulnerable and in danger. Please help.

by **WGPC** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:53 pm

Friday Practice. Barunia.

* Drivers had 90 minutes to complete up to thirty flying laps.
* Conditions: Wet

Pos # Driver			Team		Fastest		Behind Leader
 1 56 Terho Talvela                	1:18.566	0:00.000
 2  8 Igne Spupuo                  	1:18.777	0:00.210
 3 25 Jessica Franssen             	1:18.864	0:00.297
 4 51 R.L. Crusin                  	1:19.032	0:00.465
 5 35 Jac-Irlo Val                 	1:19.036	0:00.470
 6 12 Vic Convarion                	1:19.161	0:00.595
 7 18 Louis Krindle                	1:19.176	0:00.609
 8  1 Alexandra Mayari             	1:19.203	0:00.637
 9 24 Victoria Gardner             	1:19.253	0:00.686
10 21 Alexander Kohlon             	1:19.405	0:00.838
11 57 Galicio Palembe              	1:19.432	0:00.865
12 23 Moisés Delgado               	1:19.437	0:00.870
13  6 Alexander Lund               	1:19.461	0:00.894
14  7 Ethan Ellis                  	1:19.494	0:00.928
15 77 iBen Toralmintii             	1:19.495	0:00.928
16 42 Alex Dimitrianov             	1:19.499	0:00.932
17  3 Mateo Oket                   	1:19.504	0:00.937
18 55 Asao Nadakei                 	1:19.552	0:00.986
19 89 Will Madison                 	1:19.576	0:01.010
20 10 Lauren Ashburton             	1:19.598	0:01.031
21 52 Sayono Souzare               	1:19.715	0:01.149
22 99 Rudolf Ibuna                 	1:20.025	0:01.458
23 13 Gunnar Lindstrom             	1:20.303	0:01.737
24 29 Esteban Guilhermez           	1:20.552	0:01.986
25 14 Oliver Bliss                 	1:21.643	0:03.076

by **Dunpa** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 7:38 pm

"10th is great, but that Franssen keeps beating me." Alex said to Michael. "Well, she's in better equipment. If she were in worse equipment, she would be beaten easily." Mike said back. "Bull[censored], I say. How does MRT have better equipment than every team but V&T and Telaris? How? It makes no sense." Alex told Mike. "We'll talk about this tomorrow. For now, could you get to your hotel room to sleep?" Mike said to Alex.

"She's showing a lot of potential, but I have been in this type of car longer than her. There's no way she'll keep this up." Alex said to himself grinning as he walked to the hotel room.

by **Vangaziland** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 8:16 pm

One thing that Jessica would not be found doing, would be chatting about other drivers. She was focused on herself with her lines and times. She would be surprised to know any other drivers already thought about her. So far, she had one terrible qualifying session and fought to one mediocre finish. A third place time at a practice was hardly worthy of creating a rivalry.

Any driver that was worried about Jessica had their sights too low. It might explain why such drivers might not be at the top of the standings.

Jessica had better things to do with her time than to daydream about other drivers. This was an important course to learn. It would take technical skill to run a good line.

The roundabout for example, at turn 15 needed to be approached at a specific speed and angle. Not timing that right means you might exit too slow. You can't push too fast into it, or you'll crash into the wall. The trick is to push it as much as you can. Jess was good at finding little details like that, with technical skills being her best asset.

She put some fast laps together, even in the rain. She made sure to be less cautious and fully explore the track and the car's limits.

Of course, haters and rivals would be nothing new for the Vangazi driver. She had fought through the ranks of the Vannish racing leagues and ended up in T1. People hated her just for the privileges her name brought and the legacy her father handed down to her.

She told a few of them off, face to face, after some of them were caught whining about her in the media.

"Be a man. You have a problem with me? Say it to my face. Stop the behind-the-back chit-chat." Those were her exact words to the Vannish driver who complained about her. It was caught on camera on pit row. It turned out to be an embarrassing moment for the other driver, one that an international driver might not want to experience if they ended up on her bad side. Hopefully drivers would be more mature on this larger stage of international competition.

Jessica had been given a brief before she left for the WGPC. An agent from the government instructed her on how she was to carry herself around international competitors. She was told that every Vannish athlete on the international stage is an ambassador and athletic diplomat of Vangaziland. They were expected to act in a certain way.

Celebrations, for example, were to be limited to pure outburst and controlled immediately. There was to be no shouting or dancing and carrying on. If you felt like you had to shout, or pump your fist, you could. But you would know the government's minders would be watching for genuine emotion or embellishment. One would not want to risk a fine over being a bad sport.

This briefing was given to all the teams, from the International Basketball Championships to the Nation States College Football league. They were meant to encourage good sportsmanship and show teamwork. By now Vangaziland should be building a reputation for being fair. You will not see any sore winners or pouty losers from Vangaziland.

'Separate the ego from the game.' That was the title of one of the slides. It was one Jessica took to heart. So as much as she wanted to win, she wouldn't pout or put hexes on other drivers. She would run her lines, say nice things about the others to the media and drive on.

by **Deiorus** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 4:16 am

It was late at night in Deios, the national policy meeting in the palace was drawing to end with tired eyes going over expense sheets and potato futures contracts. the young treasury minister, Cheim Ogem was finally given a chance to raise an issue after spending hours on breaking down the royal family's expenses, in a confident voice Ogem voiced his concerns “With the launch of the state television channel and the floods that ruined most of the crown farms, a massive budget deficit is likely in to be seen in the next tax quarter and we must find a new revenue stream or scale back on our modernization projects.” King Len was adamant on closing the meeting and going to rest, during this tired state of mind he pitched absurd way to solve it “Merge the Igne Spupuo Airport-Racetrack with the Deios highway project, that should cover some costs.” Len had realized that he hasn't been following the his multimillion racing prospect “Talking about Spupuo, I don't think I heard of him for a while, what is the latest on him?”, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Sports, Ouss Vophior quickly shuffled around papers to find his name in the papers “Smashed front-wing and got disqualified in Grand Prix of Nekoni” King Len was quick to reply “Need to show that we aren't happy with his reckless driving, what is this? His 3rd disqualification? He must be sure lucky that his paycheck isn't being docked” but as Vophior found a newspaper clipping, he was quick to respond back “But he also got his second win at Suojärvi Raceway, so that should also be noted” King Len's tired disoriented state continued with his response “Ok, change the documents so the airport is named after me and name the highway and racetrack bit after Spupuo, that should also show our appreciation and disappreaciation at the same as well as put the budget in neutral, meeting adjured” as other officials got off their seats to go home, Cheim Ogem and a number of foreign engineers involved in the infrastructure projects were frozen in shock of the decision.

by **Barunia** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:41 am

The first turn was fairly straightforward. The road widens on the turn, allowing for a faster speed through River Bend. The extra tarmac was deemed necessary as a wall follows the bend to stop cars sliding into the pit exit lane. Da Vinci is as sweeping as one of the master's brush strokes, with a slight incline as it rises to meet the S-bend of Edison. Take the entry into 3 too tight, and you'll end up buried in the tyre wall. Best to run wide on 3 and light up the brakes to get around 4. Edison runs straight into turn 5, the Needle, which leads into a long, arrow-straight track on a downhill run. You can gun it down here, but find the right point to brake, or else Breakpoint will break you as you run off the course into the gravel. Breakpoint is the name for turn 6, a 90-degree bend.

The Cut-off series of turns are a designed to test the drivers skill through a quick sequence of different turns - number 7 is an easy curve, but it bends right back, making turn 8 an acute hairpin. 9 is a right angle, which leads into an incline back up the hill. Gravel pits line this section.

10 and 11 are sharp turns, with walls on the inside preventing drivers from cutting the corner. Run-off areas are provided on the outside for safety. After turn 11 the track levels out as it runs along the line of the hill - it is walled on both sides, with a small grandstand on the slope overlooking the track. The Wood section - referencing the eponymous Alexwood - is a winding chicane supposedly meant to reflect driving between trees. Turn 14 can catch drivers unawares as the track suddenly darts around the tyre wall and heads up the hill. A run-off area on the right should clear any drivers who get it wrong off the track.

The inclining back straight hides the oncoming roundabout from view on the approach - the road levels just before the start of the sequence at turn 15. As its name suggests, this bend is based on a normal street roundabout, although larger and slightly shallower to accommodate the higher speeds going through it. Drivers will need to slow down considerably to navigate this challenging obstacle.

The back straight has a slight right hand curve to it, but it is gradual enough that drivers will still be able to get up speed as the they roar past the stands. Drivers will need to accurately measure the relevance of both time and speed as they navigate the difficult Einstein corner, which is slightly less square than c in the scientist's famous equation.

The terrifyingly named car crusher is a tough chicane, with a wall at the end of the lead-in straight. Drivers will need to pick their braking spot well to navigate the tough right hander safely but quickly. The second turn is not quite so tight, and drivers will be able to accelerate hard of it. One last bend to go, but don't leave the crusher too fast, or you'll face the disappointment of spinning out on the gravel at disappointment corner. The pit lane entry is positioned at the far right edge of the approach, and is walled off at the edge of the track to avoid cars entering the pit lane accidentally. On the approach straight, a painted exclusion zone runs for thirty metres down the right hand side, and house rules prohibit a driver who is not pitting from driving in this painted area for more than five metres. The usual penalty is a "drive through" pit.

The last turn, Home Run, is the fastest and easiest on the course. Barely a turn at all, the track curves just enough to hide the finish line from sight as the driver approaches, his (or, indeed, her) view across the bend being impeded by the grandstands that stretch around both sides of the final stretch.

by **Barunia** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:40 am

This was it. This was the race that would make or break Archer. The backyard match. Alexwood. Just outside Edwardton, one of Barunia's most popular cities. A hundred thousand Barunians in the stands, several million watching at home. In the town, banners lined the streets and the drivers had been treated to a parade down King street, Edwardton's main road.

If there was one Barunian who should have been getting into the festivities, but who was definitely not, that man was Henry Baltimore. Archer's team principal was a man in deep despair. It might be a Barunian track, but it wasn't Archer's test-track and the new car had never been around it prior to the practice. It was anyone's guess how it would perform in racing conditions. The new car had been a bit of a lemon, too; while there was no doubt the reliability had been improved, it was definitely slower than the old car. That shouldn't be too much of a problem at Alexwood, where it would be a brave driver who took any straight there at full speed, with the infamous Breakpoint and Einstein to contend with at the other end.

Therein lied the other cause of Henry's despair: A driver's bravery. For one of Archer's drivers, the biggest challenge Alexwood presented would be fear. It was here, on this very track last season, that Sayono Souzare, sitting on pole position, clipped the wall on the entrance to The Wood on her very first lap, and threw her rear axle as she exited at turn 14, spilling the remains of the Archer across the track. After that, Sayono's confidence took a beating, and exacerbated by an inadequate repair to her car, she hit a form slump. This season had been one long form slump for the Hodoran driver, whose contract with Archer was looking shakier by the minute.

Henry had no idea how Sayono would handle the pressure of Alexwood, but he wasn't hopeful. For one thing, she had missed the last race, having failed to qualify in Nekoni. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, she didn't have the support of her teammate. After the race in Mattijana, Oket had faced the press in Arkan and heavily criticised his fellow Archer driver. That had drawn the ire of both Henry and his boss, Ben Cunningham, who had grilled Oket over it, claiming that it was damaging to the Archer brand and to the team image, and could potentially count as defamation. Oket had been threatened with termination of contract if he said such things to the media again.

This of course had also upset Makeo. So now Makeo was unhappy, Souzare was unhappy, Henry was unhappy, and Ben was unhappy. But the spotlight was on them now, as the home team, so it was time to put on a brave face. Even if they didn't feel brave.

by **Ethane** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 3:37 pm

Not All About The World Cup

By Lucas Goldwaters

Throughout the World Cup, sports have a problem, and that is everyone seems to turn off from everything other than football, and focus solely on the world cup events. It is a disappointing event, when thousands of people neglect to show any interest in other sports, such as racing, that still bring exciting thrills to anyone who watches it. I know for one, that I, in the past, have been guilty of switching off from other sports during the world cup. Why, just last world cup, I was enthralled by it, and couldn't even really focus on anything else. I just love football.

The thing is, through my newfound media career, I have found other sports I love, one of them being motorsports. Being a reporter upon motorsports does give you a different insight into the sporting world, that can be assured of, and it has done just that. My career has opened my eyes up to other forms of sports, other forms of entertainment I was missing out on in my football-crazed world. Being a reporter also helps me to keep focused on other things. No longer do I solely focus on the world cup. I know there are plenty of other sports out there to enjoy, and while I do still love football, and do still love the world cup, I now realise it isn't everything, and that there is more to life, and more to sports, than my national football team playing against other great sides of the world in the world cup. While I won't be losing interest in the World Cup any time soon, I do now realise, and enact on the fact that when the World Cup is on, that cannot be your whole life, in sports, or not in sports, as there is more to life than a bunch of overpaid men running around a pitch kicking a ball into a net.

by **WGPC** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 7:33 pm

Saturday Qualifying

* Drivers had 90 minutes to record up to ten flying laps
* Conditions: Changeable

Pos # Driver			Team		Laptime
 1  8 Igne Spupuo             	1:16.639
 2 56 Terho Talvela           	1:16.665
 3 25 Jessica Franssen        	1:16.684
 4 35 Jac-Irlo Val            	1:16.726
 5 77 iBen Toralmintii        	1:16.842
 6  7 Ethan Ellis             	1:16.878
 7 18 Louis Krindle           	1:16.886
 8 42 Alex Dimitrianov        	1:16.898
 9 89 Will Madison            	1:16.998
10  6 Alexander Lund          	1:17.103
11 12 Vic Convarion           	1:17.126
12 21 Alexander Kohlon        	1:17.155
13 10 Lauren Ashburton        	1:17.195
14 55 Asao Nadakei            	1:17.201
15 51 R.L. Crusin             	1:17.321
16  3 Mateo Oket              	1:17.374
17 23 Moisés Delgado          	1:17.429
18 57 Galicio Palembe         	1:17.479
19 52 Sayono Souzare          	1:17.490
20 99 Rudolf Ibuna            	1:17.778
21 29 Esteban Guilhermez      	1:17.784
22 13 Gunnar Lindstrom        	1:18.100
23 24 Victoria Gardner        	1:18.109
24 14 Oliver Bliss            	1:18.201
25  1 Alexandra Mayari        	1:18.733

by **Dunpa** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:03 pm

After Qualification

"12th. I fell off a bit from practice, but I could get some points if I put this qualification to my advantage." Alex said to Mike. "Well, actually, the exact top 3 drivers from practice are the top 3 from qualification. I think this is nothing but a coincidence." Mike said back.

"OK, let's wrap up this chat and go to the hotel room." Alex said.

by **Vangaziland** » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:44 pm

Later, after qualifying and before the race, Jess was in for a quiet night of studying. Surely some of the other drivers would be out exploring the town. There had to be more fun and interesting things to do than what Jess had been keeping busy with.

She used her laptop to watch the qualifying run 'On Demand' through a Vannish racing website. Now she was watching the 90 minute session and listening to what the announcers had to say. She usually found herself arguing with their opinions. Sometimes four or six eyes were better than two, so she paid attention to their observations.

But more importantly, she would watch and see how others ran their lines. Some cars were already a bit too sloppy in qualifying. Those were the people she would not want to follow on race day. A similar analysis before her last race told her that Lauren Ashburton was on her line. Following Ashburton led to Jessica's top 10 finish.

One would think that starting at 3rd would relieve some pressure on her. It actually had the opposite effect. She knew aggressiveness would be coming more into play during the race. She knew some of the best racers in the world would be on her tail and they would try everything they could to pass her.

A few drivers pulled off a few aggressive moves during the qualifying session, just to get around slower cars. This gave Jessica a hint of what was to come. Aggressiveness wasn't her strong suit, but she would fight to stay on her line.

She focused on the recording. Her car looked good on screen and so did her team. They did a good job of providing a car that was dialed in once more. Jess had them tweak the downforce and gear ratio after the practice session. The suspension was still feeling good after the last race, not too loose or tight, but dialed in.

Jess had already started to build a bond with her new crew and team. They were good people to be around and knew their stuff. It's been their work on the car that allowed her to run such a time. Now, she hoped for timely pit stops tomorrow as well.

She would try to make a serious run at this race, not knowing if she'd have a better starting position than this. She would have to put her best foot forward, but it would not be easy.

It was eventually time for Jess to turn off her computer. She tried to calm down and ignore her rapid, nervous heartbeat. She tried to push out all thoughts and focus on the darkness. It took what felt like ages until her mind gave up and she drifted to sleep.

by **Mattijana** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 12:57 am

The circuit was about as un-Mattijanan as it was possible to get.

Turns 2 and 3 aside, the circuit was point-and-squirt with a lack of sweeping turns and an annoying amount of Mickie Mouse chickanes.

So it was surprising when an MRT car finished the practice session in Barunia third fastest.

What was not so surprising was that it was Jess Franssen and not Alex Dimitrianov who had done better. Jess was the more technical driver whilst Dimitrianov was someone who preferred his tracks to be more on edge, flowing and straight.
Dimitrianov was learning however. After a few hairy moments under breaking, he became more comfortable and became progressively quicker throughout the session, eventually ending up 6.5 tenths behind his teammate.

What was more eye-catching however, was the pace that could be extracted from the MRT at the circuit. Franssen was only slower than the consistently fast VTM car and the Telaris of Igne Spupuo. If Dimitrianov could match the pace of his teammate, both cars would be in for a strong weekend. It was only a practice session though.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Johann Struna saw the qualifying results, he thought he was looking at the practice leaderboard. That was until he saw the second MRT car had suddenly leapt up into eighth.

The changeable conditions had probably helped. Dimitrianov was used to the constant showers near the Kopylov circuit and knew that if the track was driveable, it payed to get out early in case the track conditions worsened. Having set a banker lap of a 1:17.956 in damp conditions, he eventually set out on a set of slicks with the track at its dryest and set a 1:16.898, putting him 6th. A couple of cars went faster, but he was still sitting in 8th when a second shower came, marooning many near the bottom of the leaderboard. Alex had also narrowed the gap to his teammate. It was now just a couple of tenths.

That was session over. Both cars were comfortably inside the top 10 on position and pace. The race target was for Franssen to maintain her podium position and for Dimitrianov to make up at least 3 places to come 5th or higher. It was ambitious, but certainly not impossible. If the weather struck again, things could become even more interesting.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 2:40 pm

Vilita & Turori Motorsports R&D, Eelandii Grand Prix Course, Eelandii, Turori :: Turorian driver iBen Toralmintii and his Vilita & Turori Motorsports team have quickly become the hottest thing in Turori with anticipation building for the teams upcoming visit to the Vilitan Mountain Challenge Course in Rockii Coast during the 10th Round of the World Grand Prix Championship's 14th Season. Until then, however, the Grand Prix of Barunia and the Grand Prix of Dunpa still await. Despite the fact that the World Cup 75 Qualification competition has started, interest in the Turori National Team's early fixtures have been overshadowed in Turori by the ratings of the live broadcasts of Practice and Qualifying sessions from Barunia.

Turorian star iBen Toralmintii is fresh off a dominating performance at the Grand Prix of Nekoni where the Vilita & Turori Motorsports driver led from start to finish having claimed the pole and was off into the sunset from that point forward, finishing the race nearly a full minute ahead of his closest competitor - Louis Krindle of MSA-Sinval. The story of Vilita & Turori Motorsports' return to the Grand Prix circuit has captured the Island Emirate, particularly due to the fact that Turori's own Toralmintii has already captured two race victories and leads the Drivers Standings heading into the 8th of 12 events.

Generally inundated with months worth of speculation about who would be the Goalkeeper of choice for the Turori Eels National Team, or whether the Eels were going to score enough goals to comfortably win matches and advance as the top seed - instead there have been feature reports on Torlamintii and the influence that Vilita & Turori Motorsports Development Facility located just down the corridor from the Turori National Team headquarters in Eelandii has had on the success of both Toralmintii and his VTM teammate Terho Talvela from Aboveland.

The focus and fanfare surrounding the World Grand Prix circuit has been so great, in fact, that the Football Association of Turori (FAT) opted to host the opening match of World Cup 75 Qualifying at the Kionao Minor Field in Kionao instead of at Eels Park, not wanting the distraction of a weeks worth of fanfare surrounding a qualifying match to distract from any ongoing Vilita & Turori Motorsports development activities - or to provide any possibility of an opportunistic foreign visitor from attempting to use the football match as rationale for getting 'closer' to the VTM development labs - perhaps in an attempt to get an eye on their technology.

Unfortunately for all Turorians, moving the opening match of World Cup 75 qualifying away from Eels Park and out to the Kionao Minor field in Kionao didn't have the desired impactIn fact, the Eels looked lacklustre on the pitch in front of a lacklustre crowd as they fell victim of the biggest upset defeat in their all-time history. Luckily for Turorian sports fans, they still have Toralmintii.

Turori's lone Grand Prix pilot posted the 5th fastest time in the qualifying session for the Grand Prix of Barunia - not exactly the result he was looking for but just 2 tenths of a second off the front row where his teammate and primary championship rival - Terho Talvela - was positioned. Vilita's own driver, R.L. Cruisin of Carvenlo Franklin racing, will start from deep in the pack only posting the 15th fastest qualifying time - once again under performing in comparison with his Ethanian teammate Ethan Ellis who will start 6th. The Grand Prix of Barunia will be an important event for Cruisin to show his mettle and work his way up into the points so he can build momentum to mount a late championship charge, and, perhaps even a victory at his home course during Round 10.

by **WGPC** » Sun Jun 12, 2016 3:04 pm

CUT OFF for the Grand Prix of Barunia

World Grand Prix Championship Season 14: Roleplay Thread

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