World Grand Prix Championship Season 16: RP Thread

[WGPC]

Saturday Qualifying
Forest Cross Raceway

Drivers had fifty minutes to record up to six flying laps of the circuit. The slowest drivers will occupy spots 11-through-26 on the grid. The ten fastest drivers are then entered into a fifteen-minute qualifying session to decide the order of the top ten for Sunday's race

Conditions: DRY

First Session

Pos # Driver			Team		Fastest
 1  2 Jean Mercer-Daly    Nexus Racing		1:39.866
 2 77 Juracai Klianiota   TRAE			1:39.868
 3 23 Jasmin Kranjska     Kissan Motorsport	1:39.907
 4 50 Jang Xiaopeng       Omni Racing		1:39.914
 5 56 Terho Talvela       TRAE			1:39.931
 6 20 Mick Schramm        Omni Racing		1:40.050
 7 22 Kyoko Fujisaki      Kissan Motorsport	1:40.073
 8 71 Rustom Ibuna        MRT			1:40.164
 9 27 Gregori Krupin      VMR			1:40.211
10 25 Jessica Franssen    VMR			1:40.243
11  8 Sebastian Vacantson WGPC Eelandii		1:40.258
12 42 Alex Dimitrianov    McPahan		1:40.276
13  5 Juliano Lemos       Bitten Heroes		1:40.307
14 55 Asao Nadakei        Arada			1:40.325
15 11 Luc Kennedy         TIF 13		1:40.427
16 99 Nate Jackson        TIF 13		1:40.472
17 51 R.L. Cruisin        MSA-SinVal		1:40.551
18 31 Cesaro Whittaker    MSA-SinVal		1:40.559
19 14 Sigur Bjarnason     MRT			1:40.694
20 64 Moe Himura          Arada			1:40.810
21  1 Ryker Lane          Nexus Racing		1:40.868
22 16 Alexander Lund      McPahan		1:40.956
23 52 Sayono Souzare      Polaris		1:41.070
24 47 Erica Okumura       Polaris		1:41.380
25 17 Lourdina Westgrens  Bitten Heroes		1:41.806
26 10 Jennifer Johnson    WGPC Eelandii		1:42.368

Second Session

Pos # Driver			Team		Fastest        	
 1  2 Jean Mercer-Daly    Nexus Racing		1:39.606
 2 77 Juracai Klianiota   TRAE			1:39.671
 3 23 Jasmin Kranjska     Kissan Motorsport	1:40.074
 4 20 Mick Schramm        Omni Racing		1:40.248
 5 27 Gregori Krupin      VMR			1:40.688
 6 71 Rustom Ibuna        MRT			1:40.755
 7 50 Jang Xiaopeng       Omni Racing		1:41.061
 8 56 Terho Talvela       TRAE			1:41.353
 9 22 Kyoko Fujisaki      Kissan Motorsport	1:43.092
10 25 Jessica Franssen    VMR			1:52.353

Race Grid

Pos # Driver			Team
 1  2 Jean Mercer-Daly    	
 2 77 Juracai Klianiota   	
 3 23 Jasmin Kranjska     	
 4 20 Mick Schramm        	
 5 27 Gregori Krupin      	
 6 71 Rustom Ibuna        	
 7 50 Jang Xiaopeng       	
 8 56 Terho Talvela       	
 9 22 Kyoko Fujisaki      	
10 25 Jessica Franssen    	
11  8 Sebastian Vacantson 	
12 42 Alex Dimitrianov    	
13  5 Juliano Lemos       	
14 55 Asao Nadakei        	
15 11 Luc Kennedy         	
16 99 Nate Jackson        	
17 51 R.L. Cruisin        	
18 31 Cesaro Whittaker    	
19 14 Sigur Bjarnason     	
20 64 Moe Himura          	
21  1 Ryker Lane          	
22 16 Alexander Lund      	
23 52 Sayono Souzare      	
24 47 Erica Okumura       	
25 17 Lourdina Westgrens  	
26 10 Jennifer Johnson    

[Vangaziland]

Back At The Party

As Gregori spoke, the engineer watched with admiration. His features warmed into a smile as he listened to his suggestions with interest. "V12 Twin Turbo. I like your style." He looked over to Jessica, whose eyes met his. In a hushed tone, he said to her, "He'd probably like the Astro project."

"Well we haven't heard about the power plant yet", Jess said. "At least I haven't heard anything about a Twin Turbo. More power would always be good", she added. The current engine was a V-10 that did push the VMR chassis along with more of a bias towards acceleration than handling. Many cars they were facing were targeted more towards handling, even if to the slightest bit.

Some could argue acceleration wasn't exactly VMR's crux of the season. This was about as speed focused as one would expect to see the Vannish factory team, with its reputation for reliability. Still, Gregori had a point. "He'd like the Astro", the engineer repeated. He spoke of a potential replacement for the well worn Ghost GT-10 model.

Jess decided to clue Gregori in. "See. Vannish Motors is thinking of heading in two directions. There is a twin turbo V8 GT handling machine. There's also the Astro. It's a big V12. Long coupe. That's probably up your alley, eh Greg?"

Jess grinned as she looked up and over at Gregori, drink in hand. "We should get Greg into the test driver program. Get him a first drive with the new car."

"I bet he'd like that", said the engineer. "We'll take the notes up to corporate. Your word will have a say, Mr. Krupin." The engineer raised his drink to the Sorlovian driver.

Qualifying Session

Forest Cross Raceway was proving to be a place that every driver would have to contend with. Unlike the Vannish street course, this was not a piece of prime real estate chosen for one or two challenging features. It was a purpose-built autocross facility. Each segment of the track was built to push each car to one limit or another.

Practice gave her a solid first look at the course. She had spent much of the earlier week trying to piece together each lap the best she could. She checked online to piece together any video clips she could find. She also spent hours looking over the track's diagram and vvisualizing how her line would run down the course.

Then she could do her nightly ritual of mentally taking a lap through what would be perhaps the most challenging track of the season so far.

Now Jessica found herself behind the wheel of the indigo #25 car.The engine cut quiet with several loud pops that came along with each gear change which battled through the long apex of turn 8. With a slight straight in the middle of the turn, the car roared to life for a second or two of acceleration. By the time the turn made its way back around, the car had already begun to yell with several shifts in the opposite direction. Now the car sped its way out of the turn and down a segment of straights.

She found enough space to open up the exhaust. The Vannish V-10 yelled and barked through the sweeping chicane of 9 and 10. Jess gave it her best line, but her confidence wasn't up to par. She was hoping for good word to come over the team radio about her time, but that had yet to come. The last she heard was mediocre at best. The car made its way through the set of straights, which seemed to bend around the point between 10 and 11.

Jess tried a bit of an aggressive line, braking late and cutting into the serpent's fork. The car was balanced with the angle she threaded and her heavy Vannish foot jammed the car into the next apex, which carried the car left. Like a snake, the car winded around the beak of the segment, stopping and fighting through several smaller breaking points. It would quiet down and glide around extremley sharp apexes, just to yell to life as it sprinted to the next turn. The engine was alive, spitting out the exhaust as it proclaimed its existence.

"Stick with this lap Jess, it's your fastest", said the very same engineer she had seen in Blue Coast over the team radio. She ran behind them, following their line. In some ways it was beneficial for her to have fallen behind other drivers. She adjusted off their line and even rode their slipstream through the low speed section of the track.

Things started to pick up after the serpent unwinded. The Vannish car yelled to life, engine screaming in a violent barrage of high pitched notes. The sounds would echo along the grandstands and down the motorway as the cars made their way through each segment.

Jess didn't push hard to make a pass, even on her fastest lap of her qualifying segment. Turn 20 was a fight where she saw her world at a diagonal angle, momentarily losing sight of the car ahead of her as it cut on its own tight angle. Then things opened up into the fast angle of the Gogaspoon. The turn was a fast one, where oval racing fans would be at home.

The Vannish car hit a line behind the other two cars, each one running through its own gear change as it motored around the wide turn. The cars were on their way shifting towards the fastest straight of the track on the way to the speed trap. Jess sped by in the indigo machine, cameras moving to watch her pass it at high speed. The wail of the spectral motor lifted high into the air long after Franssen had passed. The Vannish engine had an almost etheral quality in its tune which was the namesake of the Ghost GT-10. It was the very same car which saw success in Hodorian Gran Touring Car competition.

A variant of that engine tuned to WGPC max was now screaming across Forest Cross Raceway.

"If I can put up a whole race like this, we might get somewhere", Jess said over the team radio.

The car would eventually hit the braking point and would go silent. It sounded as if an orchestra went silent, only the ghastly echo remaining as the shifter popped. Somewhere in the stands, timed perfectly, a spectator screamed, "Yeah!" His enthusiasm was loud enough to be picked up on a nearby broadcast camera. He was just excited to catch a glimpse of one of the season's quickest cars on a tough, local stretch.

[Mattijana]

Forest Cross Raceway, Esmerel

"I know architects are usually a fairly crazy bunch, but which whacko designed this circuit?"

Johan Struna was staring at the qualifying results as these words slipped from his mouth. The board displaying the flashing split times in an array of purples, greens and yellows also had a circuit map above it, which the MRT team principal was analysing with rather more bluntness than usual.

"The 'welcome mat', I suppose that's supposed to be ironic, looks actually fairly welcoming for us. That bit from turn 13 to 16 isn't bad either. The rest was obviously designed with a lot of focus on speed, little on health and safety and whoever the hell was responsible for the dessert spoon had clearly had too much Marelika with dinner. It's probably the most lethal circuit on the calendar."

As ever, Maria Jamasova, the team's deputy principal was alongside him. "I want to know how long that straight is. Must be at least 1.5 k. 6.97 for the whole lot must be towards the upper limit of the safety regulations as well. Bonkers place."

"Completely plays into the hands of the Nimbans as well, and more importantly the TRAEs and the Vannish as well. Bit of a damage limitation job this weekend I'm afraid. We'll just have to hope the new aero package gives us a bit more speed in the slipstream, otherwise we'll be a sitting duck. There isn't even a section between the faster sections as a break for us."

"You're not wrong there. The last two-thirds of the lap have a crazy average speed. The only real respite is the teaspoon. All 7 apexes of it based on the lines Sigur and Rusty were driving. Could be our saving grace on raceday that whichever nutter designed this place decided to throw in a more technical corner like that just before one of the longest straights in the multiverse."

"The other good news is that although the usual suspects are up there in terms of teams, the second-drivers have done a reasonable job in keeping our drivers championship rivals down the lower end of the top 10. Jasmina's stuck herself in third as well in the KISMO, which is pretty decent of her. She's been class this season, but we'll need her to do it again and take some points off our rivals. At least it's Klianota up the sharp end, he's been pretty dismal so far, especially when you compare him to Terho's performances."

Maria filled in the gaps.

"Mick Schramm's the fourth-placed driver. He's a little too far back in the driver's to really cause any serious problems, but Omni are joint 2nd in the constructor's standings and Xiaopeng's up in 7th, so they'll be looking to pick some handy points this weekend. Terho's 8th and Franssen's 10th, which rounds up the list of championship rivals. It's a small mercy they're not up the higher end, but if there's a circuit where you can push your way up the order, it's gonna be this one. I just hop that applies to Sigur as well..."

"Indeed", replied Johan through slightly gritted teeth, as if he was trying to talk normally, but had had his jaws clamped together by a particularly adhesive sweet. "I've got the engineers to gear him up with the most straight-line biased setup we've got, hoping that the natural car setup and his skill should be enough to help him out with the fiddly bits. We need him to go on the attack as much as possible. Doesn't look like the weather's going to help us out either. It's depressingly sunny all weekend."

Maria laughed. "Go fast and don't crash then."

"Yep. That's what we pay him for really isn't it."

[Vangaziland]

Among Vannish race fans, a community formed around the hashtag '#theotherman'. It was usually spoken in a play on a sentence, almost forced into nearly rhyming by slowing down the word other and drawing out man. It was something silly which is known to appeal to Vangazi on the mass market and proved to be a call the team was starting to rally around.

Xiaopeng and the #50 car did not have the same sort of success Jessica had across the stables. He was still poised to make a late season splash. If certain things went his way, maybe he could be the top Vangazi and hopefully top driver of the competition.

The most notable success for Jang under the Omni banner was winning the Vannish Grand Prix. He was born in Emeros, the city that the street circuit tore through. Many fans were behind him, a sentiment which seemed to be in the charged particles in the clouds above the rainy day that revolved around the Vannish race, turning things Xiaopeng's way.

As Jessica hit her last lap burnout, falling back to 10th from certain victory, there were cheers of joy from a great deal of the fans. This was because they saw the way the order worked out. Jang would win at home alongside his teammate in Mick Schramm. The one-two finish put Omni into a comfortable second that Vannish Motors would tie some time later.

There was a flash about Jang. For as political as Jess was, Jang wasn't that. He was a little more aggressive on the track. Of course this has led to a few tough days on the track. Xiaopeng will push a car to the limit. This makes it hard to determine where other teams stand on Jang. Some would have to guess he could be one of the top free agent drivers, if not retained by Omni next season.

He has shown he could bring victory in two cups during the WGP2. He's also shown that he doesn't mind racing in the number two driver's slot. If looking for a battle partner in the Constructors', one has to see Jang as a guaranteed access to points.

A reporter asked Xiaopeng how he felt about his time with Omni after Qualifying at Esmerel. The Tainese-Vangazi grinned as he looked into the camera and said, "I'm glad to be a part of the family here. We've had great times this season. I trust this car a great deal. We stand poised to make a run. All it'll take is one great push."

"Do you still think of the fairy tale race you took back at Vangaziland? Has anything changed? What do you say to those who say that you rule Emeros motorsports and not Jessica Franssen?"

The driver grinned as he slicked back his spiky hair, which was cut fairly short. "I mean, you have to look at the results. We walked away with the win. If they take the next race to Imondria and put the next Vannish Grand Prix in Esportiva... I can't complain if she doesn't get a rematch in Emeros."

"Where do you think you'll end up next year? It's way too early to tell. But who are a few drivers you'd like to drive alongside?"

"There are a few drivers I think could make a dangerous pair for any team member. Of course, you start with Terho. Add him to a team and there's a guaranteed ninety points. You can't just buy what he can do. It's a rare talent. It'd be something to have him in the same paddock. I'd also like to see what I could do with one of the big name chassis. Imagine what I could do pushing one of the Nexus machines."

"They seem to favor a very aggressive driver. How would you say your style would fit in with such a vision?"

"I'm a lot more balanced. But it's the way that I ride that line that I push things. I'm a student of Vannish Motors, so my training is in the technical. But it's been known that I'm heavily restrained. I'm reigning a lot of bad habits in that I picked up from the street drifting circuit."

"How has drifting helped you in formula racing, if at all.."

"I think it's the guts. Not feeling intimidated by the g-forces or by seeing another car so close. We all take it for granted, but a lot of other people might not transition so well. I think I'm here more so because people gave me the chance. I stood out, fought my way through T2 into WGP2. If it wasn't for that, my racing career would have stopped after that five race contract in Vannish tier two."

"Instead you led a team to two cups and won your national grand prix. Jang, I have to say. As I look out at the field and the schedule ahead, I have to admit I'm rooting for #theotherman." The reporter tossed the interview back to the station's analyst who spoke more on Xiaopeng's effort on the track.

Throughout the interview, Jang had been looking up at the scoreboard as other cars were finishing their laps. He'd hoped for a bit of a better position, but he could fight from 7th. He'd seen other cars have success from such a start. The local was looking strong though. A lot remained on the line in this late season stretch.

[Esmerel]

Forest Cross Raceway, Vertress, Rainier, Esmerel
Friday, 4 May 2018

A Media Interview with the Nexus Racing drivers

KF: Good afternoon, everyone, I'm Katherine Ford from ESAC, and today we're at the Forest Cross Raceway after having witnessed today's free practice sessions. Joined by us are the two Nexus drivers, Ryker Lane and Jean Mercer-Daly, We've got some questions for the two of them.

What got you into racing?

RL: I’ve basically been racing for as long as I’ve been able to understand how driving works! Both my parents and basically all of my extended family have been racers since forever ago, so of course they take me down to a quad biking track when I’m five and I fall in love within minutes. Racing has been my passion ever since.

JMD: Well, it was my dad's passion. Every weekend we would get to go to the track and I would watch my dad race GT cars around the circuits and streets of Esmerel. And he was really good. Won a couple of championships. However, I never expected to be a driver myself. I had a full 4 years of university, but just as I was done my dad had a huge crash and the doctors had to amputate a leg. He's never raced since, so I knew I had to step in and continue the legacy of Christopher Daly.

What do you think allowed you to achieve your goals and race in the WGPC?

RL: You mean, ‘How did I get into the WGPC?’, right? Not really a complicated question for me: Cityprix. For those of you don’t know - people who’ve been following me will know, but those who haven’t might not - Cityprix’s a series of races set around the two cities of the Nexus Wardship. It’s amazing how many circuits you can get from variations on a grid… Anyway, I was at the top of the ATV scene at the time and I happened to be scouted by the BolterCP team. Next thing you know, I’d won the fourth race from the very back of the grid, then suddenly I was winning them left, right and centre and, well, I won the season. After that, I was approached by representatives of a top secret, ex-military project that turned out to be Nexus Racing. Two years later, here I am!

JMD: I'd agree with Ryker here, that question was oddly worded. But I digress. Naturally, I began my racing career in low-level racing known as Wreckfests. They were races with few rules and everyone drove beat-up cars from the 80s. In that series, contact and crashes were actually encouraged. I liked it, but wasn't good at it. It was only when the ESTL reached out for new drivers that I found my shine. After a few years of racing in that league I worked my way up to the Obey team and won two championships. You might wonder where the WGPC is supposed to come into this. Well, apparently my agent, Talia, took an interest in it midway through last season, and signed me up. At that moment, one team, Kjeligsted WGPC, had the second driver position open. And, well, you know what happened next.

Nexus isn’t doing so well in the championship. What are your plans, if any, to get back to the front?

RL: Well, we have a good pair of races coming up for us, including this one. If Jean and I can do well in Esmerel and Timor - MRT are only fifty points ahead. We can pull that back. As for how, we just have to do what we’ve always done at Nexus Racing: we race well and we keep adapting. There are always new upgrades coming down the pipeline, I’m learning new things about racing every time we go out on track… We keep doing that and, no matter what else happens, we’ll win eventually. That’s what I think, anyway.

JMD: That's definitely a big question. We just have to do our best every time we race. Events like this are big marathons. It doesn't matter how well you do in the early stages, if you can't keep up later on you're doomed. And consistency does seem to be Nexus's strong suit, as we've scored points in basically every race, no matter how few. Except when it rains, and it has a lot this season. Believe me, if it hadn't rained at all then we'd be much higher in the points.

What do you plan to do in future seasons of the WGPC, regardless of what your results are?

RL: Regardless of anything else, I don’t see myself leaving Nexus Racing any time soon. We’re going through a bit of a rough patch, sure, but we’re still in the WGPC’s top tier. Even if we’ve got a few things wrong recently, I genuinely wouldn’t be anywhere else at the moment and, while you can never be certain about the future, I don’t think that’s going to change. I also don’t think that I’ll be out of the competition for a while yet. Hopefully I can get that race win that I’ve been looking for!

JMD: Well, I don't plan to leave Nexus either. Given our close relationship, I do expect another year or two with them. If they end up closing shop for any reason, that won't keep me out of the competition. I'll be in this competition for years and years. Personal goal is to break all of the records. Only time will tell.

Do you think you can win this race?

RL: Honestly, I think Jean’s best-placed to win here, given that he has home advantage and all, but I’ve still got a good chance. The design team’s been working more on aerodynamics and safety recently but the Chase Cutter is still the best car in the field in a straight line. Given that Jean and I both have access to that, I think I’m in with a shot if I can outrace him or get lucky. This is WGPC - you never know.

JMD: Well, I got fastest in practice, setting a new lap record in the process. You never know what could happen in the WGPC, but unless a catastrophic incident occurs in the race I think I've already won.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

KF: Thanks to Nexus for the answers. We'll be moving on to other teams after the break.

[West-East Timor]

Forest Cross Raceway
Esmerel
Qualifying

"Are you ready?", Max asked Mick, who had just come to the garage shortly before the qualifying started.

"Always."

"Good to know. I think we might get some good results here. So give your best."

"Always."

"Good to know, too."

"The track is... interesting. It has tunnels, bridges... everything. But I think I like it. I feel good driving on it, actually."

"It seems to be a mixed track. Sector 1 is quite technical, while sector 3 is just acceleration and top speed. Sector 2 also seems fast, but there also is Serpent's Fork slowing it down a bit. All in all, it should suite the car well though."

"Good to know, I'd say."

"Anyways, you should get into the car. The first session is about to start."

"First se-? Oh, yeah. Two-tier qualifying. I almost forgot about that. So I have to do well twice... hopefully."

---

"Well done", Max said when Mick returned to the garage after the first session, still sitting in the car to be ready for session two. "Now you just need to do that again. Or, preferably, even better."

"At least I'm in session two. And didn't have an accident causing me to be last or something..."

"Also, sixth isn't bad. And you now have a chance to get yourself an even better grid position."

"I'm not sure how to feel about two-tier qualifyings. Sure, you can improve yourself and get a better grid position, or depending on what the others do, you can even be worse and still start from a better position. But then again, you can also lose a great position, and that possibly even with a better time, again, depending on what the others do. But I assume the fans like that, so I understand why sometimes they do two-tier qualifying I think."

"You should get back on track again now. Just try to be better."

---

"Okay, that was your last timed lap", Mick heard when crossing the finish line after his fastest lap in session 2. "P4. You're fourth. Good job."

Mick parked his car at the parc ferme, and walked back to the garage.

"Finally a good grid position again", he said when he arrived there. "But you see, this is just what I meant when I sadi that I don't know exactly how I feel about two-tier qualifying. I did worse than in the first session, but am in a better position on the grid. If I had driven exactly the same time as in session 1, I would even be third... But I'm not gonna complain about my grid position."

"I think you should be able to get a really, really good result from that position..."

"You want me to win, don't you?"

"I just mean, you could use a race win... If you still want to win the driver's championship, you'd need to win. Or at least get on the podium here. If you don't... Well, I guess we can still win the constructor's championship."

"I would say a good result is always good. That's why it is a good result."

"That's true I guess."

"I can't promise anything however. Of course I'll try to get the best result I can, and I know that I can win it. But, WGPC races are so unpredictable... I just have no idea what will happen tomorrow."

"Well yeah, I don't necessarly expect you to finish on the podium or anything. It would just be... nice."

"Of course it would. But well, as I said, it's unpredictable. And also, Jean Mercer-Daly seems to be very strong here at his home race. If I had to bet, I'd say he wins the race. It will be hard to beat him."

"However, overtaking three cars isn't that impossible..."

"Overtaking three cars is easier said than done. Also, if we're really going to talk about championships, it might be good that Jessica Franssen is only on P10, and that it doesn't seem to be MRT's favourite track. But it's pointless to talk about all that, we can't predict it anyways. We'll just have to see what happens tomorrow..."

[North Prarie]

At the TIF Esmerelian HQ
Ravi Randado, Luc Kennedy, and Nate Jackson

RR: "Okay. Nate, Luc, you guys are on the same grid. Luc on the left and a bit ahead in 15, Nate in 16."
LK: "Who are we behind?"
RR: "Luc, you're behind Lemos of Bitten Heroes. Very technical driver. Accelerate on 3, 4, and 5, don't let him pull in front of you on 6 and 7, and then on 8 and 9 put the gas down and you should be able to pass him.
NJ: "And me?"
RR: "Nate, you're behind Nadakei of Arada. You two are about the same, but see if you can get him on 12/13."
LK: "And who's behind us?"
RR: "Luc, behind you is Cruisin of Sin-Val. And Nate, behind you is Whittaker from SinVal. Both of them are pretty technical, so you shouldn't have any problems, but Cruisin might try to nutmeg you two. He's a dark horse here, so watch out.
NJ: "Any other things we have to watch out for?"
RR: "Yes. Luc, Ryker Lane of Nexus is 3 spots behind you. Nexus is especially dangerous on this course, and I expect Lane to come storming up into the top 10. If he tries to get by you, accelerate and block him off. Nate, if that happens, pull left to the middle of the track. Then he can't get by you two. Block Lane off. Make it so he can't get around you, then focus on overtaking whoever is ahead of you, be that Bitten Heroes, Arada, or McPahan. Also, little bonus: Luc, if you can get in front of Lemos and Dimitrianov, focus on Vacantson. He's two spots ahead of you. Hunt that guy down, because SOMEHOW he's been getting better results than us. We need to pick up points here, and make sure that we can get in front of Eelandii. Maybe if we finish podium we can leapfrog Kissan too."
LK: "And race strategy?"
RR: "Yes, okay: Keep on the inside between 1 and 4, make sure Bitten Heroes can't pass you. Accelerate on 4, 5, and 6, then stay technical on 7. Between 8 and 12 is where you guys are going to excel. You gotta put that gas down, then roar on the outside at the Serpent's Fork, hit back center on 18, and put that gas down again. From there, it's acceleration alley, just make sure you're turning a bit at 21 and the Gigaspoon. Then you got a hard straightaway, and that's where you cannot let McPahan or Nexus overtake you. Gas hard, and pass as many people as possible. Then stay blocking whoever is behind you on 23, and hit it hard into the tunnel. When you come out, you have a stgraightaway, then turn 24, then lap down. Conditions are supposed to be dry. We're using the Pomtire GP on this race, and going to try to keep it White and Ice Blue. Preferably White. Guys, I will be dissapointed if we don't pick up a point here. Race hard, stay outside, and don't let people overtake you. Let's GO!"

[Northwest Kalactin]

Forest Cross Hotel
Nate Jackson and Luc Kennedy
Nate Jackson: Luc our cars our looking pretty good now so now let’s check our strategy.
Luc Kennedy: we already did I but let’s check it one more time.
NJ: Well like you were saying we should make sure the SinVal drivers don’t cut us off or anything because that would be bad.
LK: Right also I think we will need to watch out for Ryker Lane he is a very good driver so make sure he doesn’t get in front of you or anything.
NJ: Correct I expect him to be in the top five in the race.
LK: Also not to far ahead of us is Alex Dimitrianov I’ll be happy if we can catch him becuas he is a good driver.
NJ: Yes Dimitrianov won a championship a few years ago I think
LK: Alright nate I think we are good on strategy.
NJ: we are so tonight after the race we can go out for dinner eh?
LK: yes I’m okay with that
NJ: Bye Luc
LK: Bye nate

[The Gathered Nations of Privateers]

Vacantson was losing his mind over the results of the qualifier. The whole practice weekend was driving him crazy and both Friday and Saturday saw him storming about, shouting angrily and snapping at anyone who dared to get closeto him. Friday night was especially bad. It seemed the relationship between Sebastian's calmness and the sunlight the racers saw each day was inversely proportional.

The track seemed simple enough from the pamphletsand diagrams, plenty of open space to just run flat-out with a couple of annoyances to break it up a little. Sebastian guessed the original idea behind the track must have been something about a drag strip but the engineer behind it got wise and added some boring stuff to please the fans that were interested more in strategy over brute power. The Corsair could respect that, while it wasn't his cup of grog, sometimes even he utilized the tighter turns to regain a sense of thought and focus with the slower speeds you had to crawl through them in.

Friday's practice, it felt like he was dragging #8, not crawling with it though those turns though. More than once, he was shouted at by his crew for banging his helmet against the steering column. It was easy to tell he was stressing over his lap times, trying to make up forthe difficulty he was having on the super tight turns by hitting the blast zone like the feathered-bellied Sea Turtle (known for biting clean through the keel of even the most armored of ships) was after him. He kept getting caught up on the turn just after that glorious straight, the way it deceptively swung one way then hooked back the other just completely threw him off, he didn't want the speed to end so quickly.

When lap times were posted, Sebastian was quick to point out the crew's faults and quite suddenly, a heated 'debate' over communication broke out. It didn't take long for everyone to become some sort of teat-sucking landlubber and a pile of curses and poxes were cast upon the car. Somehow, he managed to escape the area without getting cornered by roving packs of reporters, hungry for a good interview.

Saturday was somehow worse, probably because of the importance of the day for everyone. Sebastian was aggravated before they all took their laps, after, he was fuming, especially when the results were posted. "Eleven!? How did I manage to only land eleven?" Being just outside the main grid set him into another fury. Fortunately for the team, the reporters were already closing in on the driver, forcing him to outwardly calm down. It was night and day with Vacantson, as soon as he noticed the recording devices, he was suddenly all smiles and optimism.

"We finally have a chance to talk with you! This is your second race in the WGCP and you pulled off an 11th start for it, far better than your teammate within Eelandii, what are your thoughts on that?"

Sebastian put on his best smile and chuckled a little, "Hey, let's not focus on who's doing better. After all, this was just a qualifier, come raceday, she could easily turn this bad start around. I mean, last race I started in a less than optimal position and still managed to grab points by the end of it! And I'm the rookie!"

"Speaking of the last race, your teammate, Jennifer Johnson, didn't finish. She's had a bit of misfortune with DNFs this season, do you think the trend will continue?"

The corsair's smile wavered a little, he had to remind himself that as the new guy, they're going to ask more about current events than they are going to ask about him. "Hey, that's all the past and let's leave it there. She's a skilled driver, Eelandii only signs the best, after all, they got me didn't they?" He laughs, "But as for Johnson, she's got this, be looking for the both of us on the podium."

The interview went on for a few more questions and Vacantson kept his answers fairly similar, talking himself up while trying to deflect worrisome questions about the other driver. In all, Sebastian felt like the interview itself was alright but he knew he wasn't very stand-out as a speaker. As soon as the reporters turned their backs on him, he couldn't help but to share a rather rude gesture their way before moving on with his day.

[Vilita and Turori]

Forest Cross Raceway, Vertress, Rainier, Esmerel :: Juracai Klianiota hopped into his Tropicorp Racing Aelund machine and prepared to take the track for his qualifying laps at the Forest Cross Raceway. It had been a miserable season for the Vilita and Turori driver who has made quite the name for himself as an incredible talent with an inability to finish races. It was the same story in the Nationstates Formula Championship series, it was the same story last season in World Grand Prix 2 with the Novikov Racing team. A bunch of fast qualifying runs. Tons of laps led. A plethora of DNF's. Every once in a while, Klianiota would eventually pull things together and win a race.

During the World Grand Prix 2 season it took until the very last race of the season before Klianiota erased doubts about his talents by claiming the checkered flag and changing his very future in the process. Another DNF and Klianiota may have been starting at the end of their driving career. From WGPC test driver to WGP2 failure, there wouldn't have been much left for the Vilita and Turorian other than to take a local job or a crew position.

With the win, however, Klianiota allayed the fears of the doubters. Sure, he wasn't a particularly consistent driver, but he was a talented driver who could deliver Grand Prix victories. It was enough for sponsors Vilaye Energy Drink and Tropicorp Engineering to stick by Klianiota as Tropicorp joined with the Abovian outfit to form a team for the 16th World Grand Prix Championship season. While they were aware that Klianiota wasn't likely to challenge for the drivers championship, the drivers aggressiveness and skill level was likely to result in pole positions, laps led and maybe a victory or two throughout the season - all of which would be considered value for the seat to the sponsors with a rookie driver.

Thus far, however, Klianiota hadn't even delivered on that end of the bargain. There were a few good runs early on but its been a dry spell of inconsistent mid-pack racing that has the team, the sponsors and the media talking about whether or not Klianiota will even make it until the end of the season in the #77 seat. Turori's own iBen Toralmintii is reportedly waiting in the wings and was the preferred driver for the car from the Abovian perspective as Toralmintii served as teammate and mentor to Terho Talvela during Talvela's championship winning WGPC Season 14 campaign with Vilita & Turori Motorsports. But the Vilita & Turorian side of the partnership pushed for the younger driver, Klianiota, to see what the younger driver could do in the big equipment.

Now Juracai knew his leash was short. Out onto the track, it was certainly at the front of the mind. It was not going to be good enough to run safe laps and get a decent starting position. Pushing the envelope was going to be required. The #77 had to be near the top of the charts. It was time to impress. The Vilita and Turorian driver knew that otherwise, it might be the last chance they would get.

...

Pulling back off the track, Klianiota knew they had run a good lap - but it wasn't great. There was more speed out there in turn 21... or was it turn 20... or maybe turn 86 - whatever number it was there was still speed out there. Klianiota had posted the second fastest speed in the First Session - just two one-thousandths of a second behind the track record holder Jean Mercer-Daly of Nexus Racing. Getting into the top 10 was a critical accomplishment for Klianiota but they knew it would likely take an even better lap in the Second Session to stay ahead of teammate Terho Talvela. If nothing else, Klianiota had made an assumption that so long as they could qualify and finish the race ahead of their teammate Talvela, hey probably wouldn't be sacked.

As Juracai rolled out in the Second Session, the #77 driver payed extra attention to get every bit of speed out of that one turn that had been taken more conservatively in the first session. The heart beat increased as the turn neared. Then it was there. Time slowed down briefly. Nailed It. Juracai was hard on the accelerator and the adrenaline was spiked. The lap time flashed across. 1:39:671. P1. Track Record.

Now that's what Juracai Klianiota was talking about.

Juracai wheeled the Tropicorp Racing Aelund machine around the cool down lap and returned to the paddock. Just as they were getting out, their position updated from P1 to P2. Mercer-Daly had taken notice of the challenge laid down by Klianiota, accepted the challenge, and dealt with it, re-claiming the track record that they had lost for just over a minutes time.

It was a bittersweet scenario for Klianiota who put together the exact lap they wanted, beat their teammate Talvela handily and set up for a great opportunity to secure a victory on Sunday. But still, it wasn't a pole position. There were no celebratory photos with the sponsors and the team wouldn't get a plaque or trophy to put on the shelf at the shop. Now Juracai was left to wonder - would they even care?

Elsewhere the struggles for R.L. Cruisin seemed set to resume as the MSA-Sinval cars were about half to three-quarters of a second off the pace of the leaders, Cruisin placing one position ahead of his teammate Cesaro Whittaker in 17th. For iBen Toralmintii's WGPC Eelandii team there were real problems on the Jennifer Johnson machine as the Krainin driver had only run one ultra conservative lap to feel out the track before suffering a flat tire while crossing the start finish line. The damage to the car prevented additional laps from being run which will mean Johnson will have to start from the back of the grid on SUnday. Eelandii's newest driver, the Privateer Sebastian Vacantson, posted a decent lap narrowly missing the cutoff for the second session in 11th place. After skipping the mid-season test event to do some testing of their own a the Lonngeylin Bullring track, team principle iBen Toralminti was back at the track and could be seen working over time to try to keep cool the new driver Vacantson who, while fast enough on track, seemed to be struggling balance his mindset from the track in the professional and public eyes.

[Savojarna]

Following the training session, Sigur Bjarnason was even mildly hopeful again. He hadn't strained the engine too much and still managed to come in 13th, but the rest of the field would step up their game a bit. At least Krister could assure him that the idiotically long Blast Zone would not be able to kill the engine even if he pushed it there, at least not in the qualifying. The race was a different question, but at this rate, would it matter? The weather report was going to be sunny, there wasn't any evidence of a chaotic race and save a miracle, Sigur wouldn't be able to do any mass overtaking if he lost whatever he gained in the first sector in the fast parts of the track. It seemed like MRT and Sigur just had to accept that Esmerel wasn't their thing, and hope to get some damage control done.

The world looked a lot more bleak 24 hours later. The Savojar exited the car and had to physically restrain himself not to throw the steering wheel into a corner angrily as he saw his time. The crew braced for the incoming rant: "This is a stupid circuit, for fuck's sake! Why even have a race if you don't need to do anything on it? My cat wins this race if you put her into whatever car has the fastest engine here and you call that racing. By all the Gods, look at that fucking timetable. We're top 5 in the first sector, I was even violet, still am fourth; AND THEN THIS DROP? On my last lap I almost fell asleep on that straight cause you have to do sweet fuckall for what, thirty seconds. This isn't just stupid, they also managed to make racing boring. What. The. Fucking Fuck. I'll see myself out, thanks". He topped off his rant with a door-smashing run out of the paddock, past a slightly confused Lara Kasparova who now would have to find a way of explaining both this disaster and the missing Sigur Bjarnason to the journalists of the Multiverse, probably ideally without telling the Esmerelians that her driver just called one of their most popular tracks "stupid".

Sigur Bjarnason wouldn't notice any of this as he ran off to his trailer and grabbed a bicycle, a habit he had picked up midway through the season. He climbed onto his mountain bike and went into the forests surrounding the track that gave it its name. The activity took his focus off the mess surrounding the race and forced him to look at the ground in front of him, or he'd trip over a root or something. If there was a way of losing points even more stupid than an engine blowout, he thought, it's probably stumbling over a root on a bike and sprain a wrist or something like that. Driving through the woods for two hours was both getting his focus back on and giving him a good workout. It was Lisander all over again: A track that didn't really challenge Sigur's concentration for a large part of it, and he'd just trail off and do his job rather than look for that little edge to take it over his opposition. He just wasn't cut out for the little details that make the difference on tracks like Esmerel, he wanted every corner to be a do-or-die moment - sometimes literally.

As he returned from his outing, Krister greeted him at the paddock with a not-too-happy-looking Lara next to him. "Welcome back, Jon Traustason", he sarcastically greeted his driver, referencing Savojarna's most famous and successful cyclist, "and next time at least tell us where you go before you do that. I get that this track is difficult to you, but we can't work when you're out in the woods instead of giving us more feedback to the car. Aside from that, I think you owe Lara an apology, and our press friends a few words. I got a call from STV and the SSA, no doubt these are related. You're an ambassador for our country, so behave like it too! In our garage in an hour, unless the press wants you for longer - and for now, you're in Lara's hands to clear up this PR mess you created". Throughout this whole delivery, Arlund was completely calm and never shouted for a moment. It left the driver completely stunned and feeling about as tall as one of his bike pedals. He sheepishly looked at Lara.

She laughed briefly at his sheepishness before actually getting back to work. "I could give explanations that seemed to satisfy the international press, thanks to Krister's on-the-spot briefing on what your problems are - and being familiar with the technical side of the MRT helped too. But you'll have to go talk to your own people yourself, and Mattijanan media may wish to talk to you directly as well. As much as your cycling gear suits you, I suggest you go change and shower and come out to the media centre in twenty minutes. I'll have the most important ones present there, and you can give them a short interview. I'll try to keep the Esmerelians away from you", she gave him the rundown of what exactly he had caused. Bjarnason felt even more sheepish and small now, having apparently failed at both of his jobs as driver and representant of Savojarna. He walked off into his trailer to change into a MRT-labelled shirt and went over to the paddock. Time to get back to work.

[Esmerel]

Forest Cross Raceway, Vertress, Rainier, Esmerel
Sunday, 6 May 2018, 11:00

Jean was feeling pretty good about the situation. In qualifying, he had achieved his third pole position this year, and set another new lap record even faster than in Friday practice. It was especially fun that this track was absolutely perfect for Nexus's cars. The Blast Zone allowed them to peak at a ridiculous 380 km/h- no wonder it was called the Blast Zone. The race itself would begin in only 30 minutes, but before that could happen, the crowd of 115,000 at the circuit were waiting for an important figure to give a short speech.

A few minutes later, he arrived. President Charles Richmond of Esmerel.

"Good day, everyone!" he began. The crowd roared and cheered. Jean could notice that everyone here who wasn't an Esmerelian, save Ryker, was a bit weirded out. "My friends, we are at a colossal moment in our long journey towards greatness. For the first time, we are host to an international sporting event!" The crowd cheered again. Louder. "I must admit, I have never felt so proud of my nation and its people. We have long since been powerful, but only today, do we bring acquaintances from abroad to share this power with them. This illustrious moment will only be the first of many more to come, but it will be known for simply being the first!" The crowd roared yet again. "We are proud! We are eager to enjoy! We are Esmerel! And today the world will know that!" The crowd erupted into ovations of joy.

God. I had no idea there were so many patriotic people here. Well, that was a given. Any Esmerelian who hasn't ever left the island is incredibly patriotic.

Jean turned towards the clear blue sky and smiled. Everyone's watching. Let's make them proud.

[Mattijana]

Rumour Mill Churning Out Grain as Season End Approaches

With just 4 races to go in this year's WGPC, attention has turned not only to a riveting pair of title battles, particularly the driver's championship, but to the annual period of speculation that comes with the end of each championship. Drivers, particularly those not involved in the title battle, will be looking to stake a claim to a good drive next season.

Here's a look at the most exciting, interesting and completely spurious rumours to have been spat out of the paddock so far.

Jang Xiaopeng to VMR

The young Vannish racer has spent this season at high-flying Omni racing, where he has looked a good talent, moving to 6th in the championship with a maiden race win also under his belt. As part of VMR's probably existent junior setup, he is expected to occupy a seat at the Vannish team at some point in the future.
With championship leader Jess Franssen not looking likely to go anywhere such is her quality and loyalty to her home team, Gregori Krupin would be the man to go. The Sorlovian sits 15th, 9 places below his Vannish rival and whether the team decide to keep him on is up for decision-the general view of most is that he has been unlucky not to have got more points.

If he was to go or be forced to go, the grid's second Vannish driver would be the obvious replacement.

Spuriousness Rating: Distinctly probable, in fact this is more of an inevitability than a rumour. 1/10.


MRT To Stick, not Twist

After a highly consistent and championship-leading season so far, which has Sigur Bjarnason and teammate Rustom Ibuna in 3rd and 4th in the driver's championship, team principal Johan Struna is alleged to be aiming to maintain his driver lineup for the good of the long-term project in development. This season represents the first where the Kranjagrad-based team have been able to nail down a more equal driver partnership after Alex Dimitrianov and Moisés Delgado were outclassed at the hands of Jess Franssen and Terho Talvela respectively.

The sticking point for that theory is the dilemma around current KISMO and former MRT development driver Jasmin Kranjska. The Mattijanan has put together a fine run of results in a car far from the front-end of the grid, most recently qualifying third for the Grand Prix of Esmerel. The 23 year-old is a wonderful talent and has been touted as a future MRT number one for a few years, but she may not fit in well with the more technical vibe of the team over the past season and may be in the sights of a few other teams, not least her current KISMO outfit. Should Johan Struna choose to ship Kranjska out for another development season, she risks another team jumping in to prise her away and the Petrovijankan herself may not be happy with being left out of the MRT lineup for a third successive season.

Spuriousness rating: Definitely plausible, so only a 3/10.


Talvela to Nexus?

Terho Talvela has done a fair bit of moving around amongst the top WGPC teams since his debut, shifting from V&T as world champion to join MRT, before a move to TRÆ where he has climbed to second. Therefore, even if he does manage to overhaul a 10 point deficit to Jessica Franssen and keep the rest of the pack at bay to win the championship, the odds of him moving are sizeable.

Nexus would be a reasonable fit for the balanced, but generally more aggressive Abovian. The car this year has been good in a straight line and Talvela would do most of the cornering for them. What is harder to see is him leaving the joint Abovian and Vilitan team for a similarly-placed team that has underperformed for most of its title defense.

Furthermore, someone would have to leave the Nimban outfit to make a hole for Talvela. Jean Mercer Daly has been at the sharp end of the championship all season and despite being a little way off the driver's championship lead, is the team's best hope of turning over their 51 point deficit in the constructor's. In the other seat, Ryker Lane has gone off the boil, but is the team's home choice and if able to rekindle some form, is a welcome addition to any team. Seeing either of them move would be possible, but a surprise.

Spuriousness rating: A little less likely than the first rumour, but not out of the question. 5/10.


Juracai Klianota to Fill McPahan Vacancy

With this, barring a dramatic U-turn, to be experienced Audioslavian Alec Lund's final WGPC season, at least as a driver, a spot will need to be filled at equally longevitous team McPahan.

Alex Dimitrianov has done a reasonable job in the number one seat this season and currently occupies a top 10 spot in the driver's championship, a feat not acheived by a McPahan driver for quite some time, so for the sake of stability and to keep some experience at the team, Stan McPahan may be keen to retain the 30 year old Mattijanan. However he may opt for youth in order to freshen up his lineup for the 17th season.

Enter Juracai Klianota. The Vilita and Turori driver has endured a horrific season at TRÆ, scoring only 15 points compared to Terho Talvela's 81. However he has shown glimpses of promise, including his second place in qualifying for the race in Esmerel tomorrow.

With the big names of the WGPC unlikely to fancy a spot in mid-grid, Klianota may fit the bill at McPahan. The seat also offers him a chance to develop without being in the shadow of one of the world's greatest, with no disrespect to Alex Dimitrianov.

Spuriousness rating: Juracai Klianota will be lucky to get a drive anywhere after this year, even at McPahan. 7/10.


Alex Dimitrianov to VMR

Even by the standards of a driver transfer rumour, this is on the highly tenuous side, but maybe the Mattijanan would fancy a move to repartner Jessica Franssen and with the Vannish driver unlikely to move, it looks like Dimitrianov would have to make the switch. The pair are said to have respect for each other and the north-Mattijanan still has fans in Vangaziland from his time partnering the star.
Still, his short-lived time at the team last season before it ran into financial difficulty may have left a bad taste and the high-flying VMR are unlikely to randomly promote a mid-grid specialist.

Spuriousness rating: Fanciful, speculative and actually completely ridiculous. 10/10.

[WGPC]

CUT OFF

[WGPC]

Raceday
Forest Cross Raceway

Conditions: DRY
Laps: 44

Start  |  Pos. After 11 laps  |  Pos. After 22 laps  |  Pos. After 33 laps
 1 JMD | 1 JMD Aft. 11 laps   | 1 JMD Aft. 22 laps   | 1 JMD  Aft. 33 laps
 2 KLI | 2 KRU +21.571sec     | 2 TAL +28.644sec     | 2 TAL +35.367sec
 3 KRA | 3 KLI +25.827sec     | 3 KLI +50.371sec     | 3 KLI +64.019sec
 4 SCH | 4 TAL +32.606sec     | 4 KRU +56.828sec     | 4 JNG +96.097sec
 5 KRU | 5 FRS +39.489sec     | 5 DIM +61.069sec     | 5 KRA +96.496sec
 6 IBU | 6 SCH +41.353sec     | 6 IBU +63.522sec     | 6 DIM Laps Down: 1
 7 JNG | 7 KRA +43.234sec     | 7 JNG +69.429sec     | 7 KRU Laps Down: 1
 8 TAL | 8 IBU +43.475sec     | 8 SCH +78.755sec     | 8 FRS Laps Down: 1
 9 FUJ | 9 DIM +50.574sec     | 9 KRA +79.02sec      | 9 NDK Laps Down: 1
10 FRS |10 JAC +59.001sec     |10 LAN +86.993sec     |10 SCH Laps Down: 1
11 VAC |11 BJA +63.972sec     |11 FRS +90.506sec     |11 IBU Laps Down: 1
12 DIM |12 LEM +65.721sec     |12 BJA +92.322sec     |12 JAC Laps Down: 1
13 LEM |13 JNG +66.129sec     |13 NDK +93.61sec      |13 BJA Laps Down: 1
14 NDK |14 NDK +68.843sec     |14 JAC +99.656sec     |14 LUN Laps Down: 1
15 KEN |15 FUJ +75.858sec     |15 VAC +100.06sec     |15 VAC Laps Down: 1
16 JAC |16 LUN +76.433sec     |16 FUJ +100.295sec    |16 LAN Laps Down: 1
17 CRU |17 WTK +80.144sec     |17 LEM Laps Down: 1   |17 LEM Laps Down: 1
18 WTK |18 LAN +83.452sec     |18 LUN Laps Down: 1   |18 FUJ Laps Down: 1
19 BJA |19 SZR +92.314sec     |19 HIM Laps Down: 1   |19 WES Laps Down: 1
20 HIM |20 OKU +92.774sec     |20 WES Laps Down: 1   |20 HIM Laps Down: 1
21 LAN |21 VAC +94.612sec     |21 CRU Laps Down: 1   |21 OKU Laps Down: 1
22 LUN |22 WES +102.553sec    |22 OKU Laps Down: 1   |22 JOH Laps Down: 1
23 SZR |23 CRU Laps Down: 1   |23 JOH Laps Down: 1   |23 KEN Laps Down: 1
24 OKU |24 JOH Laps Down: 1   |24 KEN Laps Down: 1   |24 CRU Laps Down: 1
25 WES |25 KEN Laps Down: 1   |25 WTK Ret. Lap 15    |25 WTK Ret. Lap 15
26 JOH |26 HIM Laps Down: 1   |26 SZR Ret. Lap 13    |26 SZR Ret. Lap 13

Pos # Driver               Team			Race Time	Behind Preceding car	Points
 1  2 Jean Mercer-Daly       	1:15:12.559	0:00:00.000	25
 2 77 Juracai Klianiota      	1:16:00.566	0:00:48.007	18
 3 23 Jasmin Kranjska        	1:16:15.470	0:00:14.904	14
 4 42 Alex Dimitrianov       	1:16:18.199	0:00:02.730	10
 5 50 Jang Xiaopeng          	1:16:39.834	0:00:21.635	8
 6 27 Gregori Krupin         	1:16:42.480	0:00:02.646	6
 7 25 Jessica Franssen       	Laps Down: 1	0:00:17.492	4
 8 16 Alexander Lund         	Laps Down: 1	0:00:02.110	3
 9 71 Rustom Ibuna           	Laps Down: 1	0:00:13.481	2
10 14 Sigur Bjarnason        	Laps Down: 1	0:00:01.594	1
11  1 Ryker Lane             	Laps Down: 1	0:00:01.885	
12 20 Mick Schramm           	Laps Down: 1	0:00:02.721	
13 99 Nate Jackson           	Laps Down: 1	0:00:08.506	
14  8    Sebastian Vacantson    	Laps Down: 1	0:00:00.811	
15 47 Erica Okumura          	Laps Down: 1	0:00:08.817	
16 22 Kyoko Fujisaki         	Laps Down: 1	0:00:00.828	
17 10 Jennifer Johnson       	Laps Down: 1	0:00:00.014	
18 55 Asao Nadakei           	Laps Down: 1	0:00:02.546	
19 17 Lourdina Westgrens     	Laps Down: 1	0:00:13.178	
20  5 Juliano Lemos          	Laps Down: 1	0:00:08.646	
21 64 Moe Himura             	Laps Down: 1	0:00:01.402	
22 51 R.L. Cruisin           	Ret. Lap 44
23 11    Luc Kennedy            	Laps Down: 2	0:00:45.708	

DF 56 Terho Talvela          	Ret. Lap 37	
DF 31 Cesaro Whittaker       	Ret. Lap 15	
DF 52 Sayono Souzare         	Ret. Lap 13

Drivers' Championship Current Standings

Pos	#	Name			Team			Pts	Wins
1	25	Jessica Franssen	VMR			95	2
2	2	Jean Mercer-Daly	Nexus Racing		84	2
3	56	Terho Talvela		TRAE			81	1
4	71	Rustom Ibuna		MRT			78	1
5	14	Sigur Bjarnason		MRT			75	2
6	50	Jang Xiaopeng		Omni Racing		66	1
7	47	Erica Okumura		Polaris			58	1
8	42	Alex Dimitrianov	McPahan			56	0
9	20	Mick Schramm		Omni Racing		55	0
10	64	Moe Himura		Arada			47	1
11	23	Jasmin Kranjska		Kissan Motorsport	43	0
12	1	Ryker Lane		Nexus Racing		40	0
13	16	Alexander Lund		McPahan			37	0
14	77	Juracai Klianiota	TRAE			33	0
15	27	Gregori Krupin		VMR			28	0
16	52	Sayono Souzare		Polaris			25	0
17	55	Asao Nadakei		Arada			18	0
18	10	Jennifer Johnson	WGPC Eelandii		16	0

19	51	R.L. Cruisin		MSA-SinVal		14	0
20	12	Ranveer Singh		TIF 13			12	0
21	22	Kyoko Fujisaki		Kissan Motorsport	9	0
21	99	Nate Jackson		TIF 13			9	0
23	17	Lourdina Westgrens	Bitten Heroes		8	0
24	31	Cesaro Whittaker	MSA-SinVal		5	0
25	5	Juliano Lemos		Bitten Heroes		4	0
25	8	Sebastian Vacantson	WGPC Eelandii		4	0
27	36	Reva Izalio		WGPC Eelandii		1	0
28	11	Luc Kennedy		TIF 13			0	0
28	7	Ethan Ellis		Kissan Motorsport	0	0

Drivers below the line can no longer win the Drivers' Championship

Constructors' Championship Current Standings

Pos	Team			Points
1	MRT			153
2	Nexus Racing		124
3	VMR			123
4	Omni Racing		121
5	TRAE			114
6	McPahan			93
7	Polaris			83
8	Arada			65
9	Kissan Motorsport	52

10	WGPC Eelandii		21
10	TIF 13			21
12	MSA-SinVal		19
13	Bitten Heroes		12

Teams below the line can no longer win the Constructors' Championship

[Aboveland]

Terho's fixes a predatory stare on the second line of red lights, the bulbs glowing under the vast Esmerelian yonder. The checkered, distorted red discs are just discernible over the glare of the sun and through the rippling heat emanating from the tailpipes of the cars ahead.

Blink.

His left ring finger, delightfully empty, squeezes the hand clutch. His right foot summons the ghoulish rattle of the ten cylinders nestled behind his back, his exhaust sputtering.

Blink.

He grips the steering wheel harder.

Blink.

The cavernous nausea that invades his stomach reaches peak intensity.

The lights fade.

The void fills.

The clutch slips.

Nanna charges.

With possessed determination, the sparkling, starry night blue fiend launches off of the grid with an almighty burst of speed. In characteristically Talvela fashion, the first two cars ahead disappear from his immediate field of view, reserving themselves to his rear view mirrors, the machine lunging into turn one just behind the next row of cars, composed of Schramm and Kruipin. To his surprise, both drivers had had as magnificent starts as him. His excitement begins to percolate once more, and his eyes tear up. He's never been this excited. The TRÆ paddock booms with celebratory whoops.

The first part of the circuit is Terho's least favorite, and its tedium begins to show. The two drivers ahead close the gap between them, sealing off the middle lane from Nanna's desperate attempts. The drivers behind converge as well, their technical excellence—Ibuna's particularly— very real threats to his sixth place. In fact, its integrity comes under fire at turn seven; Jang Xiaopeng's natural rookie-like thirst prompts an ambitious dive down Terho's inside, and the Abovian swerves right to avoid contact, very nearly ruining Ibuna's measured circumvention round the outside, and race.

It is at the apex of turn eight that Nanna's throttle is finally wide open, her pistons releasing the energy withheld in the fumes of the late fauna of the earth thousands of times in a minute, screaming in delight. Her tyres barely flinch at the almighty surge in torque, and the car rockets on to turn nine. Just a lift is needed to thread the needle, and until the early apex of turn 12 Terho's right foot hammers the accelerator pedal. His left foot dangles lazily before the braking zone.

Into turn 16, Terho noses his way right up fifth placed Kruipin's rear left. There isn't much of a gap, but in first lap antics excessive caution never yields results. Throwing all caution to the wind, he lunges down the left side of the Sorlovian's car, the rookie forced to make way for Terho as the blast zone nears. Both drivers are now side by side, a slightly more distant Schramm pulling away from the tussle, as they gather into turns 17 through 19. Both cars follow through from the sharpest end of the Serpent's Fork, yet it is Nanna, with her immense power, that pulls ahead into Slow No Mo. The Gigaspoon sees the TRÆ beast gnaw at the tarmac viciously around the wide bend, throttle wide open, and into the blast zone. Here, Schramm and Kruipin are no match for Nanna's raw pull. Fourth is his.

***

For the first time in the season, Edvin gathers around the Vilitan contingent of the TRÆ squad to admire the consecutive placing of their team's acronym on the podium. Juracai Klianiota was putting in a spectacular performance, right as he was about to get the boot. What a mystery that man is, Edvin pondered, stroking the cleft of his chin. Somewhere, deep inside that mysterious head, was the recipe for a world champion set of drives. He'd been able to brave the tumultuous Novikov Racing operations, dealing with a slight shitbox all year, and certainly falling out of favor with the squad as it focused on his Iron Syndicate teammate, and yet somehow managed to win the final race of the season. That win no doubt influenced his own decision to take him into the TRÆ squad this year, promising to focus on him equally as much as on Terho this time, so long as he didn't drive like an idiot.

And despite him driving like an idiot all year, he was now even gaining on Terho! It was a spectacular sight to behold; the team decided against team orders, seeing as both drivers were seperated by half a minute and Juracai still wasn't putting any significant pressure on Terho. If the race were to end right then, Terho would lead the championship, and TRÆ could find themselves actually second overall.

As per usual, the team members' eyes were split between the timing boards and the live video feeds of both their drivers. With every passing lap, Terho's gap ahead increased by mere hundredths, and Juracai's own deficit to his teammate widened by fractions more. The lap counter ticked 34 for the TRÆ drivers, and Edvin's eyes shot to the time gaps.

2 TAL +12.763sec

His eyes widened, and he spat out an airless gasp.

A collective "no!" broke out around the paddock. "Jean's spun!" and unidentified voice announced.

Edvin's insides rumbled. This was Terho's chance to set up the biggest home race upset of the year. Without so much as a second of thought, the team principal dashed clumsily to the radio console, tripping over wrenches, tyre guns, and stretched out mechanics' legs, and fumbled on his headphones. The gap to Jean was now a steady 9 seconds, his steely blue dot marker entering turn 9, Terho's weaving through to turn 6. Edvin punched the radio button with imperative delight, and started his directions.

"Terho, Jean's spun in the Pin of Bravery, I think. Gap ahead now nine point two zero six. Your pace is up but likely skewed by the spin."

Terho giggled, but waited for the verdict.

"Go get him. No mercy." Edvin says, narrowing his eyes trying to make himself sound menacing.

"Copy." Terho replies, the smirk on his face coming through his voice, the thunderous, high pitched roar of her ten cylindered core masking some unintelligible comment afterward.

Nanna's rear slies out of turn 7, slotting her in directly into turn 8. Midway through the apex, the engine revs once more, the gears cycling upward with rhythmic excellence, and Terho gripps his steering wheel for the left right succession of turns 9 and 10. The wishbones jitter up and down over the kerbs, her front wing jiggles, and her tyres grip harder with every extra kilometer per hour. Shooting a quick glance at his pace to the driver ahead, it had normalized to two tenths in his favor. He needed to push more.

Just ahead, across the inside tarmac patches, he sees Jean's futuristic silver cocoon emerge from under the blast zone tunnel, engulfed in the gleaming daylight. He quickly returns his eyes to the road ahead, the kink at turn 10 supposedly fast approaching.

But the fractional lapse in concentration results in the apex being just slightly too close. With a violent lurch of the wheel he rides onto the candied rumble strip, yet just enough to hit the bumps inside. The front left wheel kicks up at the sudden compression; the car's abundant aerodynamic devices maintain the peace for just a second, yet when the floor's sealed airflow corrupts Nanna erupts into a tantrum. She automatically shifts into neutral to prevent a stall, her two left wheels now kicked up into the air, none of the four pointing straight forwards. Terho's heart stops, and he holds on to his headrest for dear life.

Nanna's tyres screech at the complete loss of friction, sliding sideways towards the right outside tyre walls of the track, leaving boiling black streaks across the pavement. The car spins more violently by the second as it begins to scrape the outside of the circuit surface, its wings deflecting airflow every way except for forwards. Terho's right foot is still hammering the throttle, the rev limiter protecting the block's innards from a total catastrophe.

Terho's energized-bunny-bounces across the racetrack cease as the wheels slide over the slick concrete before the tunnel entry. His eyes pointing back to where he came from, the plumes of tyre smoke occluding his view of the approaching cars ahead, he's disoriented. With a barbarous impact, the car stops, and Terho's head rattles against the back of the car, his neck preserved only by his HANS device. Dirty puddles of water shower over him, their algae crusts exploding just above, and a wave of colored, cracked tyres collapses into the cockpit. His vision blurs away.

A more anxious, more painful, more dreadful "NO!" erupts out of the blue-green paddock. Caps fly, the hands of many a team member pulling at the rubbery skin above their eyebrows, rippled like corrugated metal. Edvin gasps again, this time with worry, alarm, trepidation. His hands clench his lower jaw from the inside, pulling it down from behind his teeth, his nearly nail-less fingertip nubs bulging. The car's TV feed has cut away.

Terho, sound asleep, hears the roars of the crowd rupture his red dreams.

[Vangaziland]

Jessica was aggressive with her car from the start of the race. It was clear she wasn't going to just sit back. She was prepared to make a run at the tough course. The tarmac was thankfully dry, the first piece of good luck set for a Vannish car that was not targeted to this track.

The engineer came over the radio, noticing a bit of aggression in Jessica's start. "Pace, pace. We don't need to sprint out of the gate. Save the tires."

But Jess knew she had to fight for every spot. By the end of the first 11 laps, she had fought up to 5th. A shot of the engineer in the paddock showed him anxiously reading the track data on a large panel. Back on the track, the screaming indigo and red car made for good footage as it battled the technical aspects and high speed section of the course. Based on the way things looked, it just wasn't sustainable.

There were a few hiccups early in the race, but things would run smoothly through the middle of the race. The Vannish car was already on fresh tires from the lap 15 stop. The team made the call to run with the tires they had. She had fallen back, but there were different pit strategies in play. The #25 car found itself set up in 11th and fighting hard not to fall back.

"Just feels kind of tight around the technical segment", she called up. The truth was that the course was pushing the Vannish chassis to its limit. Jessica had to fight the wheel with extra effort through several sections. Making good time through the Serpent's Fork was a physical effort that took a lot out of her. It was this heavy feeling that built up into a fatigue which she had to fight throughout the race.

As things picked up, she found a second wind. Throughout the event, Jess had run her lines. This was what it meant that she was more of a technical driver. She made up time by running as close to the same consistent lap time after time. She was less of an aggressive driver, whose lines might deviate more in order to chase on driver or another.

Franssen's lines put her in a decent spot with the wire winding down. She found herself in 8th on Gregori Krupin's tail. "Let's go, bud. Let's push through." She spoke over the joint line of the team radio. Her call was a sign she was likely to stay off Krupin's side. If she planned to pass, she may have given him a head's up. It was close to an acknowledgement of a running order.

Krupin was just looking to be the faster car. Through the fight at the Serpent's Fork and top speed acceleration on the Gigaspoon and beyond, the Vannish cars found themselves making ground. They just didn't make enough to be in a spot to strike at the podium. Still, another race was forming.

Jang Xiaopeng was falling back. He had been up as high as 4th. Krupin and Jess catching up to him must have felt as if they were catching up to the front of the field. It may have just been a little late. Xiaopeng's tires were wearing down after his own early pit stop. The Omni car still had better handling than the Vannish car, which was quicker. This seemed to be enough to help keep the #50 Omni from falling behind the Vangazi.

Jess stayed on Krupin's tail, even when it meant she had to run aggressively to keep put. After Krupin would pass a car, Jess would have to leap frog. She was running a bit behind the Sorlovian though. She crossed the line just under 18 seconds behind him. The distance between them turned out to be the distance between the lead lap, as the lead cars were between them.

As the winners crossed the line, Jess wasn't very far behind. As they crossed and the order stared being formed, Jess cheered over the radio. "Yes! We're still in it. Look alive."

"We're still in a spot to fight from", said the engineer. "Two top ten finishes. Great!" The team would be happy with ten hard earned team points. The cars whirred into their lower geared cruising speeds after crossing the line. It wasn't long before they were back in the paddock.

Jess was all smiles as she climbed out of the car. There were some people around who were sullen with the fairly late Terho incident. More people seemed caught up in the result. It wasn't a great one, but both Vangazi made their way through a tough track. In fact, most cars did. With three cars not completing it, there were a fairly few amount of incidents. For such a fast track and such an aggressive line throughout it, this was a good thing.

"Thoughts and prayers go out to Terho. Hopefully he'll be okay and back out there. WGPC teams have access to some of the top medical staff of the multiverse. We still have to think of his future. Hopefully his head will be okay." She spoke while standing next to her brightly colored car.

"How do you feel about this result? So much is on the line. Are four points enough?"

"At this track? Yes. The way things worked out? Yes. Of course, we always aim to run faster. A season comes down to what you do between your victories. I'll take another top 10 finish." Jess smiled, sweat forming around the top of her golden brown hair which was pulled back in a ponytail.

"How did you feel, finishing just behind Gregori? Did you guys push hard enough towards the end?"

"That's just where the car was at", she said. "It was a fight keeping that line. The same line came easier for a few other cars. That'll happen throughout a season. But Greg and I gave them an honest run." She yelped out a cheer which came out as a high pitched whir of a roar. It wasn't too dissimilar to the whine of her chassis' V10.

Just then Jang Xiaopeng walked past, looking in Jessica direction. "If Jang didn't get in the way, we could have made some progress", Jessica teased, shouting to him.

Xiaopeng responded, looking over his shoulder as if searching for someone. "My race became to keep Krupin back. I couldn't lose that one spot. I promise."

"Dang man, you should have pushed", Jessica teased. Jessica was far enough behind where the battle between Jang and Krupin most likely didn't affect her line. But there was some truth to her statement. Maybe Jessica wouldn't have gotten caught up in the faster, lapping cars.

"Jessica. You had one 16th place finish. You had two uncompleted races. Other than that, you have been in the top ten at every race", stated the journalist, cutting back into the conversation. "What's the key to your consistency?"

"Elbow grease. Every week we all pour through so much data. The team puts a great car out for us every week. It's all about data and the numbers. That's all the start of things before my role even comes into play with the team. I have to do my part and put rubber to road. It's really a team aspect and that's always been the strongpoint of Vannish Motors Racing."

"Gregori is looking strong. What advice do you have to him in this late quarter of the season?"

"You can take a race. The field is wide open. I'd tell him to go for it. I feel like he has a good chance to win one of these last three races."

Jess answered a few more questions before giving a curt bow and a smile to the reporter before retiring to the team only section. It was a hard fought top 10 finish. She was one of the drivers who could appreciate the intricacies of such a finish. In the end, they were four more points to her slight hold on the lead.

Things could have gone a lot worse. At the heart of it all was still a concern for Terho's safety. But a part of her felt relieved just to make it through the tough track herself. There was definitely an aspect of endurance to this season's races.

It was a race week she would not soon forget. Meanwhile, the team was already starting to pack up for its next destination. The wheels of the WGPC were in motion. The sixteenth season was winding down.

[Esmerel]

Forest Cross Raceway, Vertress, Rainier, Esmerel
Sunday, 6 May 2018

Lap 33

Jean was backwards. Facing the famous Pin of Bravery 180 degrees from the angle a driver should be. Why? Well, in an attempt to maintain a gigantic lead, Jean was going with a pretty ridiculous pit strategy- at the point he spun he had been out on track without pitting once. By this point he was barely doing anything at all. The suit he wore every time he was in Transcendence sort of remembered his muscle movements around the course and cruised around. The technology of the future. But in this moment, reality caught up.

“You’ve spun out! There’s no way you can make it any longer, Jean. Box this lap and fit ultrasofts on.”

“But then everyone will catch up massively!”

“Jean, don’t let your inner Esmerelian get to you. They’ll catch up even more if you don’t pit!”

So Jean caved and went to the pits. The gap he had was down from almost a minute to 9 seconds. To Talvela. Jean would show all respect to Talvela if he won. But Jean knew the fans would riot. So he disabled the assisted steering in his suit and took full control of the car- it was now or never. Each lap Jean entered the Blast Zone and looked backwards- and each lap Jean could see a deep blue car inching closer- by half a second a lap. But on lap 37, Talvela wasn’t there at all.

What was there was the roar of the crowds around the track. Something had happened.

“Darrell... any idea on what’s going on?”

“Can’t tell yet, there aren’t any cameras showing anything different...”

Then Jean put two and two together. Talvela had made some sort of error.

“Oh my... Jean? You hear me?”

“Yeah. What happened to Talvela?”

“Gigantic crash exiting the first sector. Looking like a red flag, even.”

“Status on Talvela?”

“Not conscious. I repeat, not conscious.”

“Holy shit... And the fans are cheering about this?”

“Indeed they are.”

“Well... that’s surprising. And not.” Jean still knew that Esmerelians who had never left the island were unbelievably patriotic. But even back when he was one of those kinds of Esmerelians he never went far enough as to celebrate the incapacitation of another human being. Life was strange.

No. Jean made it this way. He was the one who started the Talvela rivalry. He created a cult of personality back when he was only just beginning to experience the world around him. And now, these were the consequences.

Jean knew much would have to be done after the race. But it wasn’t done yet. After the burning wreck of Nanna was removed from the course, the last 7 laps of the race could begin. And Jean made sure he wouldn’t make any more mistakes. Just bring the car home, no matter where he finished.

Sure, Jean won. For a fifth time. But it was hard and not without difficulty, both on and off the track. As he stood on the top step of the podium, Jean smiled for the crowd. They were roaring with delight at his victory- Jean knew that many of them would become fans.

But that smile wasn’t genuine. Jean found it very hard to smile outside of the podium and the following media interviews. Someone he knew well had almost been killed doing their job. And people celebrated the event.

For the rest of the day, Jean sulked. Luckily for him, Esmerel had a media-decline policy that allowed for celebrities to refuse interviews- it allowed him to think a bit. Not even the post-race party cheered up his mind. And it had pizza!

Many of the drivers were at said party, talking to each other, and enjoying the provided foods and drinks. Ryker approached Jean for a moment, probably to ask what was wrong, but hesitated. Jean didn’t say a word. Neither did Ryker.

After the party finished and teams were beginning to pack up, Jean was still in the paddock, contemplating the events of the day. Talia came up to him.

“Jean, don’t worry.”

Jean said nothing.

“The doctors don’t have a full injury report on him, but they say he should most likely survive without any problems.”

For the first time in 3 hours Jean spoke. “Thanks for telling me that, Talia. Makes me feel a bit better, if that wasn’t obvious. Could you...”

Talia wondered what Jean would say.

“Could you tell Nexus that I’ll meet them at HQ on Tuesday? I need a bit of time to myself.”

Talia nodded and left.

_____________________________

90 minutes later Jean was home. Mere minutes after he came in he laid down on his bed and rested. But he also thought more.

Today was a crazy day. So, what else could happen? Jean still didn’t know.

[Sorlovia]

The Forest Cross Raceway saw Gregori adapt his approach. On this occasion he abandoned his usual aggressive style for a more paced and controlled approach. In the opening minutes of the race his mind had flicked back to Jess' advice at the bar on the Blue Coast and he'd resolved to put it into practice. For all he knew it had been his driving style that had caused his bad streak. Perhaps the car hadn't responded well to his rather firm touch and might appreciate a gentler approach this time around. It certainly wouldn't hurt to test the theory and observe how the chassis responded.

He'd gone into the race with a steely focus on the track ahead of him and the readouts on the dials in front of him. The cars around him had slipped away into nothingness leaving only him and the car in a well rehearsed dance. As he'd promised himself Gregori forced himself to take a new approach. When he felt himself tensing up in preparation for his habituation firmness he instead forced himself to lighten his grip on the steering wheel. He took the corners gently and quietly coaxed a burst of speed out of the engine as he came out careful to avoid pushing the car too far. As he did so he felt a thrum of thrust run through the chassis and heard a soft purr from the engine as if the car itself appreciate his gentler hand.

A blur of colour told him that two cars had snuck past him. He repressed a pang of frustration at falling back two spots from his fourth place start and instead funnelled the energy into the race itself. He gave up concentrating on his position and instead gave in to the experience of the race itself and the roar of his engine. He quietened the chatter in his mind that insisted he focus on the places he had just lost and instead fixed his attention on the roar of the engine, the sound of his tyres on the asphalt and the feel of the car as he took the corners effortlessly. Distractions were a damaging factor that he could not afford. They took away from the experience and robbed a racer of valuable focus and advantages.

He'd replied to Jess' comment midway through the race with a playful response meant to build up team camaraderie. His accent had seemed strangely lighter over the team radio;

"I can see you back there Jess," he replied with a slight chuckle "why don't we give these folks a show? If you think you can pass go for it but I'm not slowing down."

His focus became so intent that the race was over before he knew it. Only the sight of the briskly waving checkered flag alerted him to the fact that he was on his final lap. That black and white hued sign that every racer knew. Even seeing the two colours together brought a racer straight back to the exhilaration and feeling of raceday. The sight of that symbol each one of them knew as well as their own palm signaled final bursts of speed and intense concentration in those final moments. Gregori used those last moments to ease his car to a comfortable finish so as not to overheat its engine or push it too hard in the closing moments of the race. The last thing he needed was a tyre blowout or an engine fault. Not right at the end of the race. That would just be embarrassing for himself and VMR.

Gregori flashed past the finish line in a streak of blue and maroon. He pulled off the track into the pit as a smile spread across his face. Sixth place. That was a good finish! More proof that his bad streak had come to an end at long lost. It was two places behind his fourth place finish at the last race but it was a good result nonetheless. VMR would be pleased and his pit crew would no doubt be rather excited at the moment. The fact that Jess was close behind him would give the team back at VMR something to smile about. Their two paid drivers racing so close together in a sort of high speed dance.

----
Post-Race

Gregori excused himself to a quiet diner after the race. Due to his celebrity status he was given a private room where he was joined by the young Slavic woman he'd recently begun socializing with after the last race. Her name was Natalia and he had to quietly admit to himself that she was an incredibly attractive woman. Tall and elegantly built with long dark hair. He wasn't sure what they were yet. They weren't quite dating but they were something more than friends. Not "love buddies" mind you. She was more to him that just some one night stand but he didn't quite know what yet.

Besides, his mother had raised him to believe that one night stands dishonoured women. He'd a few in his teens after long nights drinking but had developed a distaste for such activities as he entered his twenties. Coincidentally that was when he'd first come to faith and had decided that he wanted to be a better type of man. A man who honoured women and praised them for their admirable qualities and strengths. Not a heavy drinker womanizer like his cousin Pyotr.

"You did well," Natalia said with a smile "I was glued to my tv screen watching you the whole time. There were a few tense moments there but I knew you could push through them. You have a lot of talent as a racer Greg. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise,

"Thank you Nat," Gregori replied with a warm smile "it means so much to have you watching my races. It gets really stressful out there so it means a lot knowing I have you cheering me on."

The pair clinked their beer bottles together and simultaneously took a long swig. It turned out that they'd both grown up in Solnichniy but had somehow never quite met each other. Part of him thought he might have briefly known her in high school but he wasn't sure. He was thankful that the diner staff had gracious agreed to keep any reporters away from them so that they could have some peace.

[Vangaziland]

While the Vannish media spotlight seemed to focus on Jessica Franssen, the other Vannish racer was building a life of his own in a land where motorsport was the top athletic event. It was the top pro sport in West-East Timor, home of Omni Racing and Jang's #50 car. He felt every much the star in his interactions with the local populace.

The Tainese-Vangazi had already built a name for himself in the country because of the tightly fought conclusion to last year's WGP2 event. Jang had a close battle against hometown racers Timo Jänkirinää and Jannik Markner. Jang went on to win the season after a tough competition that saw Katara Racing and VMR drivers finish within 1-2 spots of each other.

Vannish Motors happened to come out ahead. This made Jang a familiar face when he arrived in the white, red and orange of Omni Racing. The place quickly became Xiaopeng's second home. The climate was much nicer than Vangaziland. Even Blue Coast wasn't this agreeable to the Vangazi, who quickly bought a home on the island of Weramiil.

His house was a short, scenic drive to the beach. It was looking like a part of Jang would always remain in West-East Timor. For the first time, Jang flew a guest to Forest Cross Raceway to watch a race. He put her in the best section he could get his hands on, trying for a private booth. He made sure she had access to whatever food or drink the concession stands could provide.

He met a local while travelling in the land of islands that made up the home of his team. Her name was Lydia Brown, a local businesswoman in the tourism industry. Between them, they could have represented an ideal couple in her homeland. He was a pro athlete in the most popular sport. She was a captain in one of the largest domestic industries.

She was tall at 5'9, almost as tall as Xiaopeng who stood at 5'10. Black, raven-like hair framed her face's elegant angles. She had high cheekbones and almond eyes from a grandmother who had ties to Asia. She represented the land's multicultural heritage. They could both relate, with both of their nations being more than a fair bit inclusive.

It was partially why Jang fit in so well.

The Vannish media noticed Jang's new girlfriend for the first time at the Esmerelian Grand Prix. There was a side of the Vannish media that was focused on the race, the numbers and events tied to the track. There was another side that was all about rumor mills, gossip and personal business.

It was the latter segment which honed in on Lydia. She was a known figure in West-East Timor, especially as the couple started to go public. That gave Vannish paparazzi something to read about when they began to internet search for her en masse. Sadly there was no dirt. She was just a businesswoman who liked to travel.

They had already been to Vangaziland where she fell in love with skiing. By the end of the race at Forest Cross, at least one Vannish reporter made their way to Jang with the clear intent of asking about his new lady.

"Xiaopeng, do you think Lydia will be happy with the race you ran tonight?" Does she provide any extra influence? You know, knowing you have someone's support.

The driver laughed, somewhat caught off guard but knowing his girlfriend would be watching. "Uh, it does. It's like an extra buzz of energy. Extra motivation. She might have stopped me from slipping out of the top five. She really holds me accountable."

"So now, you know.. I'm going to put you on the spot. You're going to take her to each of the next races right? She likes to travel. She works in the business. It's the least you can do, Xiao." This reporter was an older female who was known in the Vannish media circles for a long career in the gossip industry.

Once again Jang laughed. He was caught off guard by her informal and almost flirtatious nature. "We'll have to talk about that. But if she can work it into her schedule, I'd be glad to. One of the best things about each season is getting to travel the World. There aren't as many atheletes who get such a great tour of each nation over the course of a race week."

The truth was that Jang was enjoying his time at Omni very much. He found himself sitting at 6th with 66 points. There was something ominous in the numbers, but he hoped that from forth good luck might spring. If anything, it was a decent spot to find himself at as a rookie driver running from the second slot.

A part of him would always come back to visit this home. Things were progressing between Jang and Lydia where it looked like they might be together for some time. Still, a part of Jang seemed curious about the international market.

A different reporter asked him where he saw himself driving next year. He could have commited to Omni. Instead, Jang seemed open. "We'll have to see how the field shapes up. I love my team at Omni Racing. It's just about what's being offered and who needs what. I mean. Every driver wants to be wooed. It could very well be Omni that makes the best case next year. It would make sense."

The reporter asked him how likely he was to drive for Vannish Motors.

"I don't think I'm really the angle they're going for. It wouldn't be a bad spot, but they were clear to me how they are looking for a solid international angle. They also seem pretty high on Krupin and his behind the scenes track work. So my dance card is free from the homeland."

It was clear that Jang just wanted teams to pursue him. He would land somewhere. He's shown he can be a force throughout a season. Now the race goes back to his team's home track at the NBS Omnidirectional WET GP. It's a race he has been preparing for a great deal. His engineers and crew got their hands on the track data early and they were working hard to make sure that he had just as good a chance as any to be the car with the most experience on the track.

The WGP2 did not race in West-East Timor. Jang has spent lots of time watching footage of old domestic events taking place on the circuit. He read up on strategy and on what's worked there in the past. He looked up old interviews and tried to pick up first hand knowledge of the track.

A battle was shaping up after all. He had to do everything he could to help Omni fight for the Constructors'. If his co-driver had an advantage as a local, Jang had to do his part to keep his car close. He should also be a stand-in to run after a podium spot, barring any bad luck. He found himself. Omni was only a two podium finish away from taking the lead in the team standings. It was a spot both drivers could be proud to be in the spot to fight for. MRT was still riding an early hot streak of domianance. Jessica and Krupin were putting together a late run to try and steal the team event. Nexus had transported into the firefight with a hometown victory.

There were three races left. There was room for each type of car to do well. There was no guarantee that his preparation would translate into success. The driver would have to be happy with how things turned out for him so far. He was happy with his life on and off the track. The Vannish media may not focus on his life as much as they did to his countrywoman accross the paddock. But things were working out just fine for Jang Xiaopeng.

[Aboveland]

Monday Morning
Lapiz Point, Esmerel
???

The rattly tick-tock of a distant wall clock continued into the real world, detaching from the haunting jeers resounding in his head, and much more tangibly than in his sleep. The crack of dawn seeped in through the gaps between the blackout blinds. Terho's eyes focused on his surroundings, sharpening his vision gradually. He appeared to be in a disgustingly sterile room. His senses of touch came to be, the freedom of his skin immediately apparent. He felt his chest, moving downwards to his navel, realizing he was dressed in a flowered gown. He tried to cock his head downwards to take a peek, but a sort of physical barrier stopped him. He tried again, harder, and the back of his head began to ache, his eyesight just slightly blurring. He let out a frail moan. Edvin, like a startled housecat, awoke from his sleep with wide eyes.

"Hey bud" Edvin said, fabricating a smile. "You're up early!"

Terho still remained dazed, and while his ache was now gone, his vision was still sharpening. As he spoke, he felt his barely prominent Adam's apple brush up against a tight, foam lined contraption.

"Fuck," was his first word. "What day is it?"

"Monday morning, sleepyhead." Edvin replied.

Terho shot a reaching look at the clock. It marked 6:43, probably. It's hands were too jiggly and his eyesight still too unreliable to give him a proper reading. Edvin yawned, joining the wrecked Abovian in his stare. He answered the yawn with the same.

Terho sighed. "So how bad was the crash?"

Edvin couldn't hide his surprise. "Oh? I thought you wouldn't remember."

"Well?" said Terho, insistently.

"Well," Edvin began, "it was pretty rough. You were accelerating when you lost the rear at turn... eleven, I think. You jumped on a ke-"

"Yes, yes, I remember that much. The impact ,I don't."

"Quite hard. Easily in excess of 200 km/h. Heavy g-force reading. You're lucky you got away with it, mostly."

Terho looked away from his friend in disbelief. His eyes dropped slightly, displaying a rare instance of relieved shock. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been in a hospital. It must have been a mighty impact, for sure. Edvin reached down and straightened up the bed with the press of a button, straightening him up. He could now see the peaks in the bedsheets his feet made at the end. His arms were bruised, a small gauze wrapped around his right elbow, and his legs were quite stiff. His neck, however, was rigid, clearly stuck in a neck brace. His vision had stabilized, it seemed.

"I'll call the nurse so we can get the fuck out of here," Edvin said dryly, in sudden contrast to the sweet, caring tone he'd used as soon as he woke up. He began sulking lazily to the door. Terho realized he hadn't had coffee yet, and likely hadn't in a few days.

"I'm gonna have a long piss," Terho replied. He shuffled his torso past the armrests to his sides, halfway to the end of the bed, and rotated using his arms. They weren't as battered as they could have been. He let his knees bend to drop his feet towards the ground, his cramped quadriceps pulling at his legs. He moaned slightly, Edvin pausing at the door to take a glance back before calling the nurse.

His bare feet rubbed against the glossy blue linoleum, sending a chill up his legs which escaped at every recently perked-up follicle on his body. As he incorporated himself, he felt the fatigue of a massive accident impair his body. Terho stretched his arms upwards and took a deep breath, his chin not meeting his chest because of the brace. He shuffled his feet steadily towards the bathroom door and pushed it open from the well oiled, stainless steel door knob. "She's on her way," Edvin said, his voice muffled by the click of the shut door. Terho punched in the central locking nub for good measure. He turned around to face the toilet, and saw his battered self. Despite the fact he couldn't look down to fumble with his gown, he could see himself in a full wall mirror without much strain. He took a good look at his legs before anything else, finding cuts and scrapes all over. They hurt much more than they looked. Pulling up his flimsy, barely opaque drapes, his eyes scanning himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculousness of having to undress in front of himself because his nose pointed upward.

Once he came out of the bathroom, Edvin and the nurse were waiting for him, patiently resting themselves on the bed's end; Edvin's look a face of sleep deprivation, the nurse evidently spiked from some sort of energizing drink or substance.

"Hi there, Mr. Talvela," the nurse said. "The doctor isn't here yet but I'm authorized to discharge you. Will you sit down so I can run you through what you're up to?"

She spoke in an unbelievably soft, almost dishonest, tone. Terho shuffled back to his bed, sat down, and stretched his legs out again as he rested his back on the bed. He made sure to flatten the lower end of his gown for the sake of modesty, just in case Esmerelians weren't too keen on jiggly bits.

"So," she began, quietly, "You came in here yesterday past noon, pretty darn bruised. You suffered a concussion and mild whiplash, and a very slight retina detachment. We fitted you with a brace so you can rest your neck during the next week. Your vision might fade in and out in the next two weeks, but it'd be rare."

Terho frowned. "Am I good to go, then?"

The nurse inhaled through clenched teeth, her false compassion now surfacing. "I have here confirmation you can, but it's a risk. If you really want to leave," she said, toning down her accidental insistence, "we can discharge you at midday. I'll have to ask you to refrain from any exciting activities for at least two weeks, so your retina and neck can both heal properly." Terho noticed a silly smirk on her face when she said "two weeks", yet it wasn't enough to console his doubts.

Edvin, without a single fraction of a second of thought, said "deal" and signed the dotted line, prying the clipboard and pen from the dazed, disgusted woman. He handed it to her and waved her away, almost shooing her from the room. She hurried out to the hallway, making sure to make her shoes clack against the floor. Terho turned to Edvin and frowned, while he followed the nurse with his eyes until she was past the door and out of his sight.

"What was that?" Terho asked.

"You're probably fine. She's just a jealous asshole." Edvin said, convinced the nurse was onto Terho. There was no doubt she'd either been festering a seething hatred for the Abovian thanks to his rivalry with her handsome local hero, or brainwashed into disgust by her colleagues.

"I can't race, Edvin," Terho cried. He felt his heart sink. His season couldn't end so unceremoniously! All the effort, cost, sweat and tears put into TRÆ couldn't simply vanish in a second!

Edvin realized his friend was starting to feel downbeat, yet he maintained his cool attitude. "You'll be fine! I've already booked the plane tickets for 2PM. Ambitious, just how you like it."

Terho insisted. "Edvin, I can't race. What if I sprain my neck harder next week, or suddenly lose my eyesight? I'm staying here, whether you like it or not." He nearly flurpped his tongue at him, but decided against killing his stern mood.

Edvin sighed. He reached into his pocket to grab his phone. A few flicks, leaving Terho slightly confused, led him to his e-mails.

"Read this," he said, turning the phone to him. The sudden brightness shocked Terho, releasing a quick pang of pain across the back of his head and through his eyes. He was careful to rub them lightly, and picked up the phone once the pain had gone.

Edvin.

I know, I’m technically your rival. I’ll make it quick. Get this to Terho and make sure he reads it.

—————
Terho,

I do hope you’ll be okay. I know, I know, we aren’t quite on a first name basis. But that’s not the time for that. You could have died out there.

The scariest part? People cheered when you crashed so violently. Cheered. Let that sink in. Yes, I’m the same flesh and blood. But not the same mind. I pray to Arceus that you come back as strong as you were before.

Get well soon. If you happen to want to talk any more, meet me at the paddock next race.

Jean
—————

Terho read the name at the end of the message thrice, smiling harder each time. He felt his mouth curve downwards in a pout, and he rested a hand on his chest. How nice!

Most of all, the reverence with which the letter had been written was almost haunting. First name or not, it carried a haze of immaculate respect, and his quasi-apology on behalf of the Esmerelian public for the jeers he'd heard in his dreams, which had turned out to be all too harrowingly real, was a little unsettling, yet consoling. He read the final segment of the letter one final time.

"meet me at the paddock next race."

Terho smiled harder, narrowing his eyelids. He nodded in acknowledgement, handed Edvin his phone, and crawled to the bedside. Braving the excruciatingly difficult muscle stiffness he suffered, stretching and popping his joints with almost orgasmic delight, he stood on the chilly linoleum floor one final time. He sighed heavily. Edvin now looked up at him in awe from the cushy seat to the right of the bed, up against the window blinds at the end of the room.

"So," Edvin began, "it's a yes? Practice on Friday?"

"Are you crazy?" Terho replied, waving his arms. "Lintulahti on Wednesday."

[West-East Timor]

Forest Cross Raceway
Esmerel
Post-Race

"Great", Mick said when he arrived back in the garage after the race. "I can't have a good race and qualifying, can I?"

"Well, I mean..."

"Either my qualifying is shit, but the race is good, or the qualifying is good, but the race is shit."

"Well... err... everyone has some bad luck sometimes, I guess."

"I seem to have quite a lot of it."

"You even still can win the driver's championship. I know it's unlikely, but..."

"Yeah, you're right. It's very unlikely."

"...but still possible."

"Jennifer Johnson also still can win the championship. Do you think Johnson is going to win the championship?"

"No, but... Oh, you know what I mean!"

"Yeah, I know. I think."

"And the next race is in Isnalkorvburg. Your home race. I think you should probably do well there."

"Let's hope you're right."

Mick went out of the garage, and while walking through the paddock, he encountered some journalists.

"Mick, what do you think of your result today. It was not your best race, was it?"

"Can't they ever think of something else to ask?", Mick thought.

"Well", he started to answer, "it is dissappointing of course. Starting from fourth I would have expected a way better result."

"What result exactly would you have expected?"

"I didn't have any specific expectation beforehand, but I certainly had expected to at least get some points."

"What do you expect for the last three races of te season?"

"I of course hope to do well in West-East Timor, but for that as well I don't have any very specific goals. The same applies for the othe two races."

"Do you think you can still win the driver's championship?"

"I don't expect it. I mean yes, it's possible, but it also is very unlikely."

"What about the constructor's championship?"

"Winning that is more likely already. If me and Jang both get some good results, Omni winning the constructor's championship is very well possible I think."

"What do you plan to do in the future? Next season?"

"I will most likely stay at Omni. I see no reason to swap to another team. Omni are willing to extend my contract, and it's a team that I helped build up. If nothing very unexpected happens, I will stay there."

"Thank you for the interview."

The journalists left, and Mick went to hisrental car and drove to the airport.

---

Isnalkorvburg
Isnalkorvburg Island District
West-East Timor

Mick had arrived at the airport of Isnalkorvburg. He knew the airport. Whenever he flew home, for some time between races sometimes, he would arrive at this airport. He called a taxi to take him to his home. He owned a big, but not huge house on a forested hill outside of Isnalkorvburg.

The taxi drove up the hill and through the forest, and stopped right in front of his house. Mick payed the driver and stepped out of the car. Unlike most of the hill, there were no trees around Mick's house, and he had a beautiful view at the city. The first thing Mick did when he arrived was going to the garden behind the house and enjoy exactly that view. There were the normal sized family houses on the outside of the city, with skyscrapers in the middle, going until the beach and the sea. It looked like a semicircle form above like that. And he could see Isnalkorvburg Circuit. The track was located a bit outside of the city, but nevertheless it was clearly visible from Mick's house.

Mick liked his house. It was nice and quiet, in a beautiful location, but also close to the city. It seemed perfect to him.

Mick went inside, and decided to eat something. He looked in his fridge and found some instant noodles, which he heated up and ate.

When he found the noodles, he had realized that there wasn't much food left in the fridge, so he thought he maybe should go buy something. He went to his car, which wa parked in front of the house, and drove down to the city. He parked at a mall, and put on sunglasses and a cap before getting out of the car, hoping not too many people would recognize him like that.

Of course, some still did, and so he had to give autographs, answer questions, let people make selfies with him etc. etc., making his visit to the mall longer than he had hoped for. Maybe he should hire someone to do things like that for him.

On his way back, Mick saw posters advertising the upcoming Grand Prix everywhere. He felt like visiting the race track, and so he did.

Some parts of the circuit were open, and so Mick went up top the grandstand overlooking the start-finish line. The track was completely empty and quiet. He knew that would change soon. The team and driver names already were above the garages. Soon, there would be thousands of people around the track. Hundreds of mechanics in the pits. And 26 cars on the track. One of them would be the Omni Racing #20, and piloting it, him.

There was no track Mick knew better than Isnalkorburg Circuit. He had grewn up in Isnalkorvburg. His first race in a Formula series, way back in Formula WET4, had been on this track. His first time in a kart had been on the karting track beside Isnalkorvburg Circuit. He had visited many Formula WET1 races on this track with his parents, and later participated in these very races, sometimes on this very track. Mick was basically at home on this track. And now the first ever West-East Timorian WGPC Grand Prix was going to take place on this track. And he was in it. He sat down on one of the hard, rather uncomfortable plastic "chairs". He suddenly felt very... special? He didn't know if that was a good word for it. It anyways was a feeling he couldn't recall having really felt before. He didn't even need to win. If he thought about it, just being in all of this was already special enough. And yet, this race would be the best possibility to win his first WGPC race. He had huge advantage over all other drivers, simply due to the fact that he knew this track better than anything else. And he would try to do the best he can. But he didn't feel anymore like it would be disappointing for him, his fans, for everyone if he didn't do too well. A WGPC race, here, with him in it... He would never have thought of that when he was watching the Formula WET1 races from this grandstand. He wanted to win the race. But he decided that if he didn't, this still was a great experience, and not the end of the world.

[Vangaziland]

A group of four soldiers stood around a stack of rations. Each brown box of Meals-Ready-To-Eat contained 12 individually packaged meals. Many soldiers grew tired of them during their military service. Many others soldiers simply got used to them, finding ways to accept the palate. Of course, when you're in the field and you get hungry, food becomes food.

These four soldiers were on a detail, set to hand a group of soldiers a box for lunch. A company would show up later, meaning about 120 soldiers would pass through lines these four soldiers would post up on. They were in the Vannish Mainlands, the part of Vangaziland that wasn't on any regional map. In some ways, parts of this woodland base could feel just as isolated.

These four soldiers were posted up at a gathering point located strategically between several firing ranges. There was a covered set of bleachers set up like a lean-to, with three long walls keeping wind off the structure. This was the place where units training in the field would meet for meals. There was a permanent field latrine, something that was a luxury to some soldiers in the field. There was a set of long tables, also covered under a patio, but there were no walls here. Structures rose up from the table to support the overhead cover. Poles struck out alongside the table to give extra support to the overhead.

It was between the tables and the bleachers that the four soldiers had set up their lines. Each line had several boxes open, ready to share one of the packets inside to the next soldier on the line.

The highest ranked soldier was a specialist, an E-4. He had dirty blonde hair and wore a grumpy expression on his face. He wasn't happy about being on detail, but someone had to be responsible for the group. Along with him were three other soldiers. They were all privates, one ranked private first class. The PFC was tall and perhaps a bit too lanky to be considered intimidating. One of the other soldiers was a woman with light ash blonde hair. She was fairly tall and on the muscular side, but still quite feminine in her appearance. The fourth soldier on the detail had dark brown skin and his hair cut to a flat top which faded down along the sides.

The soldiers wore the Vannish MultiCam color scheme. It was one of the company's variants mixing elements of typical MultiCam design with colors closer to Woodland Camo. It was still about 20 minutes before the company came through for their lunch. The afternoon sun hung high in the sky above.

One thing they discovered soon after starting the detail, was their shared interest in the WGPC. The group was riding in the back of a 4x4's flatbed. "Man, I hope Jess can get some points this weekend", said the E-4 to the PFC. The two knew each other, at least for a few months.

"I'm telling you, this should be Jang's weekend. Jess is going to have more pressure to perform at Audioslavia in the last week."

"Yeah, but Jess still has pressure on her this week. It's not like she can't win at an aggressive track."

The female soldier joined the two, adding, "I just hope her chassis can hold up. It's been so long since her car has acted up. You have to feel like something will pop up any one of these weeks."

The specialist jumped back in. "Bro, I just feel like Jessica is set to explode in these last few races. Finishing 7th was on her downtick. That was her bad luck. And that's not bad at all."

"You can't get 7th and call that bad luck", said the PFC. "Some drivers work hard to get into the top 10. It's a good result."

"I know that, you know that. I even said it's a good result. Some drivers would not be happy with a 7th place finish. Jess is different."

Now the fourth person spoke up. "I think this will be Omni's week as well. Sorry, gotta say."

The conversation went back and forth in the truck for some time. By the end they all shared a laugh. Now, standing around the stacked MREs, the WGPC came up once again. Now it was the female of the group who brought the topic up. "

"So.. You think she'll hold onto the top?"

The E-4 spoke up right away, fancying himself as a bet of a motorsports analyst. "There are a few hard chargers. It's hard to say she'll hold onto that spot. Three races will be a long time to hold a lead. Especially when she's already held it for a few."

"It would almost become like VMR in the WGP2 if that were the case", added one private. "The late comeback Xiaopeng made reminds me of this run. If Jessica can keep it up."

The lady replied, "The team has to be happy to be in the top spot for now though, huh? That's good press for the company. They seem like the factory team that cares most about their press. Their publicity probably means more than their track record."

"If that's true, then they should feel like they won already. The team has been on scoreboards as the top car for so long. Krupin is putting up a late stretch. They're battling for a podium spot in the Constructor's. Can't get much more press unless they win the a cup or two."

"I don't know man", said the PFC. "What if Jang puts up a late run of his own? My bet is on Omni to top VMR in the Constructors'. Not sure if they'll pass MRT."

One private laughed, "You really are a Jang fan boy, huh? You must have been so happy at the Vannish Grand Prix."

"Well, that's when I became a Jang fan", replied the PFC. "It took a hunter's mentality to pull that off."

The female soldier interrupted, "It took Jess spinning out, for Jang to pull that off." There was mixed laughter at her comment, which was said aggressively.

"Let's go down the line", said the specialist. "Which driver would you like to see race along Jessica's side next year. Let's say, if Krupin were not an option. Just to pull from the list."

"Well Krupin is still highly scouted. The way he's been running this season could translate into better luck another year. But I see what you mean, just for the sport of picking somebody new." The PFC paused for a few moments. "I'd go the Terho route. We know VMR scouted him for awhile, ever since that one rally series."

"Terho? Nah", said one of the privates. "What about Sigur? I heard VMR sent him a preliminary offer at the start of this season. Maybe they'd work something out with him. I bet he'd put up a lot of points in a Vannish Motors car."

"I like Kranjska", added the female. "She could probably make a run with VMR. Who knows? Like you said, Krupin is pretty good enough."

The specialist added, "Maybe they'll get crazy and just bring Jang back. It doesn't seem like that's their plan though."

The group continued talking for the next few minutes. The season had captured their interest and even imagination. They spent a few moments of their day debating the latest season of top tier international racing. Racing had become more and more a part of conversation across the Vannish Empire. Many felt the current era could become a golden age for international Vannish racing, not seen since the 1930s.

It was getting to the point of competing with other international sports like basketball and lacrosse. As lunch was served a few moments later, at least a few other groups of soldiers would bring up the WGPC. The series was catching on across Vangaziland. This group of soldiers was no exception.

[Audioslavia]

Twelve races, seven different championship leaders, and still with three events still to go, the sixteenth season of WGPC has been nip and tuck at every turn. Here, then is a very brief overview of how the lead in the championship has changed hands thus far.

1: Moe Himura's debut victory confounded pre-season expectations that the title would be decide in a straight fight between Talvela, Franssen and Lane, with none of the above figuring in the top ten. Himura took advantage of the retirements of Johnson, Lund and Whittaker to coast through for the final ten laps, almost a full minute over veteran Omnidirectional Timor driver Mick Schramm.

2: A torrential downpour on raceday (something of a theme for the first half of the season) meant only eleven out of 25 drivers finished race two. Rustom Ibuna would grab MRT's first win of the season, but second podium for Schramm put the Omni Racing driver at the top of the drivers' standings. For Audioslavia, Alexander Lund put in a solid drive to finish fourth behind Talvela, with team-mate Alex Dimitrianov in tenth place.

3: Jean Mercer-Daly's third points-finish in succession would be a win on raceday three in Eastfield Lodge, but a strong second place for Ibuna would catapult the MRT driver into the lead in the championship, with Schramm beginning a long, barren spell. Bjarnason's third place finish would put two MRTs on the podium and cement their place at the top of the Constructors' Standings for some time. At the bottom, a rare retirement for Ryker Lane means the current World Champion is already forty points away from the top of the leaderboard.

4: The twisting street circuits of Vulkanas are perfectly suited to the driving style of Sigur Bjarnason who sweeps home to victory ahead of Dimitrianov and Okamura. Bjarnason takes the lead in the driver's championship with his first win of the season. The title race is as close as it can get, though, with barely fifteen points separating a top five which contains Jean Mercer-Daly, originally with modest odds of winning a World Championship, now with the critics starting to come round to the idea of JMD leading the way. At the other end of the pack, a team quickly earning the nickname 'Stricken Heroes' finally earn their first points of the season with Westgrens' 9th place.

5: JMD is gutted to miss out on a second GP victory of the season after being pipped by Terho Talvela in Lintulahti, but goes top of the standings either way, if only for a week before...

6: ...Terho Talvela takes back the position he made his own in season 14 (and for long periods of season 15) via another podium, this time in Lisander. Jessica Franssen is the winner, taking her fourth career race win, almost 20 months on from her spectacular three wins in five races that announced the Vangazi to the world in Season 14. At the back of the top ten, Ryker Lane adds an extra point to his tally, but the reigning champion has been lacking in the cutting edge that got him to the World Championship last year, and is slowly losing sight of the leaders.

7: Bjarnason! The Savojar takes the chequered flag to win his second GP of the season and move up into pole position in the championship, fighting off a rocketting Franssen in the process.

8: ABSOLUTE SCENES IN VANGAZILAND. Home driver Jessica Franssen's super-human effort of the day is to appear calm despite having to retire on the very last lap of a home grand prix in which she was comfortably winning. The crowd are placated by compatriot Jan Xaiopeng's inheritance of the win from second place, with Mick Schramm finding another second place behind. Bjarnason retains a championship lead, but the pack gains ground, as does Alexander Lund who finishes with his third fourth-place of the campaign. Now confirmed to be in his final season, Alexander Lund has yet to grab a podium.

9: Bjarnason and Franssen go absolutely head to head for most of the race in Mattijana before the Savojar's retirement gifts Franssen a second win of the seaon and a lead in the championship that she has yet to relinquish. Talvela's second place behind Franssen puts the Abovian into second in the championship however - a place he himself would relinquish to fierce rival Jean Mercer-Daly.

10: With three races to go, 20 points separate the FRS, JMD, TAL, IBU, BJA top five, with either driver capable of winning it all. Xiaopeng and Okumura, in sixth and seventh, are also far from out of the race. Going down to twelfth and thirteenth, however, Ryker Lane looks to be giving up his championship without a true fight, stricken by shaky form and a car perhaps a little over-engineered compared to last season's monster. Audioslavian Alexander Lund, in thirteenth, set himself the goal of finishing in the top ten in his final season. He is just ten points away, and with the final race being held in Audioslavia, has every chance of going out with a bang. Just hopefully not in a McPahan-style bang.

[Nekoni]

"Remember when I wasn't shit?" The Polaris team left the Forest Cross Raceway, having put down what might have been their worst weekend so far. Never even attempting to break into the top fifteen all weekend, Okumura spent the entire race session in fact in the twenties, only finishing fifteenth by virtue of not having to stop twice. A finish higher than she deserved, but in terms of her title hopes, it was like she didn't bother to turn up at all.

"There was a time, and it really wasn't THAT long ago, that I was second in the table." Erica pointed to the laptop screen on her desk. "Now look. Three races left. Seventh. I'm a whole win behind the top two." Alexandra Mayari was in the room with her, looking at the results of the last race, as Erica continued. "Look at the guys in front of me. Only one retired, and all the others gained ground. How do you and the rest of the team expect me to get the job done when I can't even break the top ten anymore? It's embarrassing."

Alexandra knew all about having a low point in the season. In her major season of WGPC13, it happened at the start of the season. In the two following, one could argue it was the entire season itself. Unfortunately, she knew that the break was over, and there was nothing that the team could do other than focus on the next race. That said, she wasn't just her boss, she was her friend, and it personally dug into her that Erica was in both a performance and mental slump.

"You aren't up against a target this year. So this year, Eri, you've exceeded expectations already. Getting a win in four shots was bloody fantastic. You got pole at your home GP! I never done that!" She saw Erica's lips pre-emptively move to butt in, and raised a finger to stop her. "Yeah, I know, you dropped the ball when it mattered on the day, but it's OK. You are going to have more than one shot at the hometown win. You remember my first NIC race? When I was with Yognutz?"
"Season 12?"
"Yup. Third place. Lost a place from the grid. Still held off the podium by about a second. I had to get the win on my second time. And, honestly, nothing's stopping you from doing it on your second. There's nothing stopping you from getting a second win this season."
Erica raised her eyes to Alex.
"...how? I've been on the road more in the last couple of weeks than I've been this entire year."
"Perhaps that is the problem, Eri." Alex smiled. "You're riding on this too much. I think you're concerned that this is gonna be your only year in the driver's seat...which ain't true at all."
"But look at where I am now compared to a couple of months ago!"
"The scores you notched up a couple of months ago are what guarantees you the First Driver seat next season! Even though you're in a bad spell, you're still finishing. That's money from the sponsors. You're not last by any means, and even if that's not points, it's still a bonus. To be honest, the guys who sign our cheques don't really mind where we finish, as long as we finish. The fact you were even a championship prospect at some point was really surprising to them."

Erica raised her cup of coffee to her lips.
"But how do I get back to a championship prospect?"
"The answer's not simple. But, of course, all we can do is try. Either way, your seat is safe. Play the season out knowing that you aren't in jeopardy of losing your job. And, I know it's not where your mind is right now, but...if you turn it around, you could still steal the championship under everybody's nose."

Alex stood up to leave, and gave Erica a conciliatory pat on the back. "I know it's tough not winning in front of the home crowd, but you've got to get back on the bull. We're heading off to W.E.T tomorrow. You'd probably do well to get on the track early."