World Grand Prix Championship 20 [RP/Results Thread]

by **Tumbra** » Sun May 07, 2023 8:23 am

Credit to Liventia and Vilita and Turori for much of the structure of this opening post.

Driver signups are open throughout the season, to sign up a driver simply go to this thread to do so. However, they will not have a race seat unless signed by a team.

SEASON 20
RP/Results thread

Season 20 of the World Grand Prix Championship is currently in the
INITIAL SIGNUP PHASE
NEGOTIATION PERIOD and DRIVER SIGNUP PHASE
REGULAR SEASON

To see how the negotiation period usually works, read below and/or have a look at last season’s RP thread. Once you have signed a driver up, begin writing about them in this thread. The more interesting the story you create, the more chance your driver has of catching the eye of one of the WGPC teams. There are no rankings. Success is built on good roleplaying by team-owners, drivers and team-mates as well as a big slice of luck, with your driver’s parameters coming into play too.

You may RP however you like. Maybe you'd prefer to tell the world that a couple of teams are interested in your driver via some rumour-mongering in your local newspapers? Perhaps you'd like to set up an interview with a team? Maybe your driver has a big social media presence or can’t keep out of the news for all the wrong reasons? A popular tactic in recent years has been for teams to hold an open-invitation trial for a number of drivers to test their car around a local circuit, with the best driver/drivers being chosen for the team, so look out for those as well. There is no 'right' way to do it, and the only 'wrong' way to do it would be to attempt to confirm your driver is racing with a team before any real negotiations, OOC, IC or otherwise, have taken place.

You may also wish to consider the massive difference in pay between an experienced driver with a good reputation and a newcomer. In RL Formula 1, the best drivers are paid handsomely to drive while the newcomers often have to pay a team in order to secure a drive. Does your driver need to secure sponsorship in order to pay his way into a deal? Or is he a skilled driver with years of experience, upon whom a team can rely to draw money to the team through external sponsorship and win bonuses?

When you wish to confirm that a driver has joined a team, or formally offer a spot in your team to a driver, do so in bold, like this or this or this or simply like this.

Finally, as this is the RP thread, there should be no out-of-character chatter here. Take your observations, commentary and complaints to the OOC discussion thread.

Cutoffs will occur at 0200 UTC on Saturdays and Mondays of race weekends unless otherwise stated.

All teams must have two drivers confirmed no later than the first race.

DRIVERS & TEAMS
Fourteen (14) teams will be taking part this season.

Team Name                           NAT     R     A    T     Engine                R     A     T       Tyre                     R        T 
##   Driver                         NAT     R     A    T
Cygnus                              ESM     3     5    4     Tropicorp            -0.4   0.2   0.2     Tropicorp Racing Supply -0.14     0.14
71   Brendan Faloe (FAE)            ESM     5     3.5  3.5  
84   Angela Stella (ANG)            VEZ     3.8   3.9  4.3

Eminent                             ETL     3.65  4.3  4.05  Sidus                -0.5   0.75 -0.25    Phoenician-In Motion    -0.81     0.81
40   Adriana Kowalski (AKS)         VEZ     4.25  2.75 5
 7   Anneliese Devereux (DEV)       LIS     3.8   3.7  4.5

GPA Pryfors Bilar                   DCS     3.83  3.25 4.92  Sidus                -0.5   0.75 -0.25    Phoenician-In Motion    -0.81     0.81
37   Laura Haukanna (HAU)           AUR     3.5   4    4.5
33   Sam Blaatschappen (BLA)        DCS     3.29  4.55 4.16

Kaylan                              TGN     4     5    3     Kaylan               -0.75  0.5   0.25    Phoenician-In Motion    -0.81     0.81
88   Ted Pressley (PRE)             TMB     3.8   4.1  4.1
12   Darian Vilau (VIL)             TGN     4     4    4

Nexus Racing                        NIM     3.75  5    3.25  Paragon Warp         -0.25  1    -0.75    Phoenician-In Motion    -0.81     0.81
94   Ryker Lane (LAN)               NIM     5     4.5  2.5
17   Janne Laukkanen (LAU)          ABL     3.4   4.8  3.8

Portland–Carvenlo                   LEN     3.75  4    4.25  Carvenlo              0.25  0    -0.25    Tabtac                   0.35    -0.35
19   Dom Falepeau (FAL)             TGN     5     4    3
51   R.L. Cruisin (CRU)             V&T     3.64  4.5  3.86

Pressley Racing                     TMB     3.5   4    4.5   Kaylan               -0.75  0.5   0.25    Brústeinn               -0.6      0.6
42   Sophie McCreary (MCR)          TMB     2.6   5    4.4
87   Bryce Yannec (YAN)             MRT     3.5   4    4.5

Preston Autos                       HAP     2     5    5     Preston               0     1    -1       Tropicorp Racing Supply -0.14     0.14
 5   Rudy Edwards (EDW)             HAP     3     4    5
96   William Archer (ARC)           AFT     3     5    4

Race Eelandii VTGP                  V&T     4     4.5  3.5   Tropicorp            -0.4   0.2   0.2     Tropicorp Racing Supply -0.14     0.14
11   Lane Carter (CRT)              TJU     5     2    5
23   Cocoabo #23 (C23)              TRP     2.5   4.5  5

Scuderia Orange Cow                 CBP     5     4    3     Tropicorp            -0.4   0.2   0.2     Tropicorp Racing Supply -0.14     0.14
24   Jordan Crowe (JCR)             CBP     5     3    4
 9   Batu Tüvshinbayar (TUV)        TJU     3     5    4

Sivaleinen                          MRT     5     2    5     Preston               0     1    -1       Tropicorp Racing Supply -0.14     0.14
10   Lillý Náttmörðsdóttir (NAT)    MLK     3.9   4.7  3.4
91   Kingston Walcott (WAL)         DEL     4.5   3    4.5

Tropicorp-Colorworks                ABL     3.3   4.5  4.2   Tropicorp            -0.4   0.2   0.2     Tropicorp Racing Supply -0.14     0.14
 1   iBen Toralmintii (TII)         V&T     3.75  3.25 5
13   Ji So-Yeong (JSY)              CMT     5     2    5

Urotovsky-Gatutin                   PDN     5     3.75 3.25  Preston               0     1    -1       Tropicorp Racing Supply -0.14     0.14
14   Skiia Vialiv (VIA)             TRP     2.75  4.75 4.5
74   Adonis Fitzpatrick (FTZ)       AFT     4     4.25 3.75

Viska                               AUR     4     3.65 4.35  Viska                -0.62  1    -0.38    Phoenician-In Motion    -0.81     0.81
28   Aaron Deering (DEE)            UAD     3.8   4.1  4.1
50   Sara Luna (LUN)                DCS     3.93  3.39 4.68

*Tyres and engines will not contribute any RP bonus to the teams that select them. They only affect the R/A/T.

FREE AGENT DRIVERS

Driver Name                     DRV NAT P#  A#   R    A    T  
Danielle Bugatti Johnsilvaturr  JOH JON 76  17   4.5  5    2.5
Kinu Luminna                    LMN AUR 82  84   3.25 4.5  4.25
Jean Mercer-Daly                JMD ESM 2   3    5    2    5
Dario Nülkeschläger             NÜL HÜL 27  72   4    3    5
Nepö Kinder                     KIN HÜL 63  83   3.99 4.5  3.51
Jenna Vandersen                 JVN VNG 33  66   3.9  4.2  3.9
River Landon Ray                RLR SPA 8   5    5    2    5
Julita Lérida                   LER DOR 78  99   4.2  2.8  5
Maximiliano Asphari             ASP AHR 57  94   4    5    3
Natasha Vollerei                VOL AHR 4   21   4    4    4
Chiara Killana                  KIL VON 17  86   4    3    5
Ricardo "Richie" Schmidt        SCH HUA 26  22   4    3    5
Stefan Rakočevič                SVA SVA 40  52   4    4    3
Jonalu Marcelo                  MCL BJM 22       2    5    5
Olivia Stone                    STO NIM 85  3    2    5    5
Edward Rousseau                 ROU ETN 41  48   4    3.5  4.5
Sam Tyler                       STY ETN 88  26   3.1  4.6  4.3
Sandro Perez                    PER DEL 68       2.5  5    4.5
Qarataqus Klűnj                 KLŰ SWR 56  33   3.6  3.4  5
Alejandro Rusegara              AMR QUE 10       2.5  5    4.5
Thomas Vandenberg               VAN AIY 17  44   4   3     5

ENGINES
The following engine manufacturers have indicated their interest in supplying engines to other teams.

Manufacturer/Name       M   NAT  R      A        T
Skychief V6             P   HAP  0      1       -1
Viska RG Motors         V   AUR -0.62   1       -0.38
Taika 1/Kaylan          K   TGN -0.75   0.5      0.25
Tropicorp TRE-2T24V8    T   TRP -0.4    0.2      0.2
Sidus                   S   VLK -0.5    0.75    -0.25

TYRES
The following tyre suppliers have been accepted to supply tires to other teams.

Manufacturer	        NAT       R      T     Notes
Brústeinn               GRÆ	 -0.6    0.6
Phoenician-In Motion    D-N	 -0.81	 0.81   NIM/DCS dual entry
Tabtac Tires	        BWM	  0.35	-0.35   BJM/WMN dual entry
Tropicorp Racing Supply	TRP	 -0.14	 0.14

SCHEDULE

Monday 15 May: Pre-Season Test 1 (2 sessions)
Eelandii Grand Prix Course, Turori - 5.19km, A/T 5/5

Wednesday 17 May: Pre-Season Test 2 (2 sessions)
Gernache Circuit, Mertagne - A/T 6/4

Sunday 22 May (P/Q) & Tuesday 25 May (R): Race 1 — InfoInternet Grand Prix of Liventia presented by Liventia Airways
Talbott Autodrome, Liventia - A/T 3.5/6.5. Qualifying: Two-Tier

Saturday 27 May (P/Q) & Monday 29 May (R): Race 2 - ZX-Flow Energy Grand Prix of Togonistan
Hwoarang Racing Circuit, Togonistan - A/T 7/3. Qualifying: Elimination

Saturday 3 June (P/Q) & Monday 5 June (R): Race 3 - Cocoabo Preservation Grand Prix
Cocoabo Park Circuit, Tropicorp - A/T 4/6. Qualifying: One-Shot

Saturday 11 June (P/Q) & Monday 13 June (R): Race 4 - Ramngardian Grand Prix
Sigurd Ring, Diarcesia - A/T 4.6/5.4. Qualifying: One-Shot

Saturday 17 June (P/Q) & Monday 19 June (R): Race 5 - Nimban Grand Prix
Crossbay Circuit, Former Citizens of the Nimbus System - A/T 6.3/3.7. Qualifying: Elimination

Monday 26 June: Mid-Season Test (2 sessions)
Astena Asterwynth Circuit, Atheara - A/T 4.5/5.5

Saturday 1 July (P/Q) & Monday 3 July (R): Race 6 - Aurunair Aurun Grand Prix
Akresna Circuit, Auruna - A/T 3/7. Qualifying: Traditional

Saturday 6 July (P/Q) & Monday 10 July (R): Race 7 - Preston Autos Hapiloppian Grand Prix
Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit - A/T 6/4. Qualifying: Traditional

Saturday 15 July (P/Q) & Monday 17 July (R): Race 8 - Tumbran Grand Prix
Mount Fesmos Circuit - A/T 6/4. Qualifying: Elimination

Saturday 22 July (P/Q) & Monday 24 July (R): Race 9 - Abovian Grand Prix
Fjellutfordring - A/T 6.7/3.3. Qualifying: One-Shot

Saturday 29 July (P/Q) & Monday 31 July (R): Race 10 - WGPC Nuflora Esmerel Grand Prix 2023
Forest Cross International Raceway - A/T 5/5. Qualifying: Traditional

HALF 1 A/T SPLIT: 5.08/4.92
HALF 2 A/T SPLIT: 5.34/4.66
OVERALL SPLIT: 5.21/4.79

RULES & REGULATIONS

RP NOTES
You are recommended to read this section in its entirety, especially if you are a first-time entrant to WGPC.

* Due to the nature of the sport, there are no RP permissions in WGPC. You should expect your drivers and/or teams to be mentioned by other players. You may even expect other users to mention things your driver has said.
* In contrast to, say, war RPing, where a user decides which/how many losses to take after an attack, in WGPC a user decides how much blame or responsibility to take after an accident. You may RP that your driver caused an accident through their own poor or overly aggressive driving, but you may not write that another user's driver was at fault for an accident unless you have their permission. In general, making another character look stupid is not usually acceptable. If a driver is in their first season, it's probably acceptable to call them a rookie, or inexperienced, or possibly even naive if you're sufficiently careful, but refrain from calling another driver reckless or stupid or unskilled unless it's clear from the other user's RPs that this is the case.
* If you're going to RP a conversation between your driver and another driver, try to keep to the other driver's established characteristics.
* If another user mentions an action of your driver, or mentions something that happened to your driver, before you have the chance to RP, you may either reinterpret their interpretation of events or, if you really feel you wanted the story to go in a different direction, you may change the events that happened. For example, you had your heart set on RPing your driver as having had a particularly violent and explosive accident, but another user decides that your driver retired in the pits due to engine failure, you may write your own version and ask that the previous RPer makes the appropriate change to their RP.
* Any disputes over RPing will be adjudicated by the season hosts, whose decision is final.

by **Lisander** » Sun May 07, 2023 8:24 am

First | Next >>

I. Back to the Action, now solo.

Studio 4 of the RTL Production Centre in Soria is the location from where most of the station's live programming are broadcast. On Sunday afternoon, right after lunch, Drive is one of the most watched shows A mix of talk show and reportage, the programme talks about cars, car culture, racing, repairs and things related mainly to cars, but also to motorbikes and sometimes boats. If there is an engine, they will probably talk about it. That afternoon, the show had a special guest, who had done some special reporting in recent months.

"Well, we need to say hello and goodbye to our special guest. _Anneliese Devereux_, it has been an honour to have you with us this last season. We wish you the best of luck in your return to the WGPC, and may you continue to grow and grow. The doors are open when you want to come back!"

Julian Castro, the TV presenter who hosted DRIVE, the weekly car show on RTL, got the crowd roaring with applause.

"Next time, I promise the production will give you some better things to drive. This season we gave you some strange cars to drive. There was the truck transporting cellulose. Was you paid for that transport? That day as a chauffeur for Splendora's model casting, which ended with you taking photos yourself for a certain clothing brand was very fun to watch too. What was your favourite Drive Day?"

"All of that was very fun to do. Drive a Taxi in Grandeville was so fun, But my favourite was the Driving School day. That was a big production. They made myself look like sixteen again. I had freckles and braces again. They even took a photo to a fake ID. I hope no one gets jailed because of this... Oh, look, they're showing this on the screen!"

Swiveling in her chair, Anneliese could not contain a smile while watching footage of her guest appearances on Drive Day, a sketch where she drove some different cars. On that occasion, specifically, Anneliese had been disguised as a teenager getting her driving licence for the first time, to pull some pranks on the instructors. Doing doughnuts, accelerating without looking at the street, taking her hands off the wheel, attacking the kerbs on the test circuit. The instructors' reactions were hilarious.

"Relax.... Nothing was done illegally. We informed the driving school owners that you were going to scare the instructors, but it was only a joke. The teenager Alice Montreaux was reproved in the driving tests. It's the end of her WGPC dream." Castro joked, as they turned back to the audience. "Well, different of you, right? Are you ready for one more season in the highest echelon of motorsport?"

Anneliese took a sip of water from the mug and answered.

"Well, I need to be. This is my profession, as they say in Hodori, my ikigai, and I'll have to actively search for a seat this year. With Bitten Heroes pulling out from Eminent and from WGPC, I'll venture myself overseas. But I have good expectations."

"How do you feel about not being 'the face of the team' for the first timein WGPC? I mean, with TAS you were unarguably the team figurehead. Then in Eminent, you and Adriana were pretty much the center of attention in the interviews together... How does it feel to be the one searching the seat?"

"I think that would be nice to drive without the pressure of having to be the number one driver in a team. Last season I was already contracted by Eminent, but I got an offer from WGPC Motorworks. I would have been a true 'second driver' if I had accepted that."

"So, being the first or second driver, do you have a preferred seat for the season?"

"I'm not in position to choose, in fact. I'll be happy with any offers. I'll go to every test they call me. I've even tested for Camden these days. If everything else fails, I'll move to AstyF1. There is no such thing as bad weather for me. I want to drive."

"And we love to see you on the track. you are much loved by the fans around the nation..."

"Well, I'm the only one right now in WGPC, you know..."

"I get it. Anyways, how's going off the track?"

"Off the track? I'm afraid there's no such thing in my life... I mean, I had vacations, traveled around to commitments of my sponsors... I believe the most similar to "off track" was my visit to St. Marian Orphanage. Most of my followers already know, but I was an extern student there. My parents and I lived close to the Orphanage, and since there were no free schools in our area, I had to enroll in the Orphanage's School. I wore the same uniforms, attended the same classes, even played hockey there. I'm very proud of being a supporter for this cause, through Wishes Foundation. Wear this logo makes me feel like I'm doing more to support them." - she handled the cap over the small table in the studio.

"That's beautiful to see. Wishes is a beautiful foundation, and the sports community embraced it so massively. Okay, but talking more about racing and what you plan to do. Can you tell us something about the future of Bitten Heroes? I mean, they haven't close their doors, but we didn't see any movement from Lemos and Castellamare after announcing they would part ways with Fireline and Eminent..."

"I'm not aware of the total extension of their plans, but I know they are planning to return to competitions in maybe one or two years. I'm not a contracted driver anymore, so I don't take part on the decisions."

"Don't you feel a little like Mick Schramm in WGPC 15, being send to another team to spy on them?"

"Nah, nothing. As I said, I'm not contracted at the moment. I'm not inside the Brax Centre 9 to 5, testing stuff or giving input on anything. I still earn a share with Merchandising and Image Rights, but in this case, I mean, my input as a driver on the new team would be too little. Back at the time of TAS-Alliance, I was pretty much on the factory floor. I saw parts being mounted, gave my five cents in almost everything. Being a pay driver is different. Also, everything is on the photos right now. If one team adds or removes two centimeters from its bargeboard height, and it gives a tenth of a second of advantage, spotters will find very quickly and in two or three races, all teams will be using that bargeboard height."

by **Togonistan** » Sun May 07, 2023 9:08 am

Kaylan Racing Technology - Simple, Affordable, Powerful!

Years of experience in motorsports have allowed us to find the balance between simplicity, power and affordability. Having developed 3 different variations of WGP2 engines in the past (including the championship-winning Kaieke 3) as well as provided competitive engines to a number of teams in various WGP3-level series, you can be rest assured that by choosing Kaylan as the engine supplier for your team, you will put your faith in technology that has proven itself on the world scale.

Our Values:

Simplicity - Following a simple and straightforward design language with our engines, our goal is to reduce the struggle of teams needing to adapt to new technology. Ease of maintenance and availability of spare parts is one of the main goals we have aimed to achieve when developing our powertrains. Each engine comes with a start-up guide and video tutorials, allowing teams to install and run our engines on their cars with ease, with no need for additional input from our side. Should some teams still face some struggles, our team of experienced mechanics is ready to provide assistance either via means of modern communication devices or by arriving on spot to help the team get their engines up and running.

Affordability - By using modern top of the line facilities and constantly researching for ways of replacing expensive materials with cheaper, yet durable alternatives, we have managed to bring our manufacturing costs down drastically. This has allowed us to provide a price lower than various other manufacturers on the market while not making any cuts in performance.

Performance - Affordable doesn't have to mean slow! Our engines have proven themselves over the years as very competitive designs, often exceeding various other, more established manufacturers in terms of performance. With our engines, we have worked to find the middle ground between producing enough speed and power while keeping the weight to minimum, in order to produce an engine accessible enough for both established as well as less experienced drivers.

Our Engine:

ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS:

Name: Kaylan Taika 1
Spec: WGPC
Type: 1.6l V6 Turbo Hybrid
Power: ~934 HP @ 15000 rpm

Powertrain is the heart and soul of any modern day WGPC machine. Taika (Translation: Tiger) is our newest and most powerful line of racing engines. Utilising the newest Turbo Hybrid technology, Taika 1 was the first WGPC-spec engine designed in-house by Kaylan that was powering Kaylan Racing Team in their WGPC debut. In-between the two seasons, we have taken time to further develop the Taika 1 by improving both power as well as reliability in order to provide a competitive engine that is able to put up against even the most powerful WGPC machines in the world.

Kaylan is ready to provide the Taika 1 to any WGPC teams looking for an engine supplier in the upcoming season.

by **Esmerel** » Sun May 07, 2023 9:18 am

PROLOGUE
Beginnings, Both Old And New

For the longest time, they called him “The Perennial”.

Always racing at the front- in folk series, in Group N, in EGTC, and finally the WGPC. His career went down the same paths that his father’s career had. Years and years of fighting with the best in order to join their ranks.

And then, just like his father, when he was at the top, it all came crashing down. Unlike his father, his career didn’t end then and there, thanks to the wonders of modern medicine.

Some days, though, Jean Mercer-Daly wished his career had ended after that day at Crossport.

It wasn’t painful to live with half of a prosthetic body. Advanced nerve simulations meant it felt nearly identical to the original deal. Wireless connectivity meant he could use all sorts of technologies much easier. In all respects, he was supposed to be the same as, if not better than, before the accident.

Several consistent podiums in 2019. One last hurrah in 2020. He could have done it, if perhaps in another timeline. But everything after that became a blur. Everything went faster, from the cars to the weekends to time itself. He couldn’t keep up- and that might have just been a fact he needed to accept sooner than later.

Perhaps there were some things that couldn’t be perfectly restored. Was it his senses? Reaction times? Prosthetics going faulty at the wrong moments? Did the blame perhaps lie with Nexus and their intent to pursue an 8-wheeled solution to speed?

It probably wasn’t any of that. It would be rude to think about the lattermost possibility, anyhow. There was really only one thing that was damaged in the crash that couldn’t be repaired- not even by medicine from the year 3000. It was Jean’s confidence.

It wasn’t as if Jean had never felt down before in his life. Everyone felt that. What set Jean apart was that he always seemed to bounce back.

2002. His dad’s terrible accident into the wall at Lapiz Point scared him and sent his brother running away from home. Jean took up the wheel and continued the legacy.

2011. Losing the EGTC championship by 2 points. Jean fought three nail-biting championship battles in the next three years and won them all.

2016. A great year that suddenly led to his team closing up shop. He made promises that he wouldn’t be done, and they came true.

2017. A valiant entry into the WGPC and a podium on debut. Then four failures to score points. He punched back and won the next three races in a row, something no driver had ever done before.

2018. The stings of losing the championship at the very end, plus his own terrible accident. He raced again anyway, with some more success.

Was there anything different about this time? Maybe everything could have been. One thing he knew was different was that time had passed. Jean didn’t start his career in open-wheel cars, sure, but he began it late- at 34- and next month, he would be 41. His father’s decision to sign for an open-wheel team in 1999 was at the age of 37, and his last season was at age 40; it would have been one more if it wasn’t for his accident, but Jean was about to surpass that.

Jean knew nothing lasted forever, even if he hoped it could have lasted longer than it had. But Nexus was starting to struggle, pursuing a radical eight-wheeled concept the likes of which hadn’t been seen on the track in decades. Maybe one day they would get it right; Jean did hope that day would come. Even if things never went wrong, Jean’s tenure at the team was blocking the tenure of another from getting off the ground. Janne Laukkanen was tapped to be the successor to the most successful driver in WGPC history, and there Jean was, hoarding the seat. It was a miracle he wasn’t forced out of it.

And so Jean had long since made his decision. The WGPC didn’t seem to have a concrete time in which it would start, but whenever it came back, Jean was not going to follow. Not if there was room. Not if Nexus was seconds faster than the field. Not if Forest Cross was every round of the championship. Not if every trophy became his by default.

His career was supposed to have an ending, and by the gods, that ending had happened.

__________

It was a quiet noon on April 12, and the extravagant house in the hills of Rochester had nobody but its usual sole occupant inside. Outside, the winds of the Concord Province blew, spreading the cool 15C air across the land, as well as through the open windows of the house.

Jean liked this weather. He also enjoyed the emotions of Esmerel’s day of independence- today was 46 years since. Esmerel wasn’t a particularly patriotic country, at least in terms of promoting their country over others- but of all the days of the year, it had to be this one during which they would be the most inclined to boast.

Was Jean boasting with them? Not really; he preferred the solitude of his house over the boisterous cheers of a crowd, or the overwhelming saturation of a TV show or a movie. There were 90 million other people in the country. Surely they would be enough to celebrate without him. No matter if he was a “national hero”.

It was good that they had the respect to let his personal life be. 99% of them, anyhow.

Still, Jean did wonder, as he sat quietly at the kitchen counter eating a PB&J sandwich, what he was going to do for the next 40-50 years of his life. Even without his adamantine will to go his own way, he would have probably left the WGPC at some point or other in the near future. Would he try to go for “Homecoming”, like his father had? One more season in the EGTC, which built him from an everyman to a superman? Maybe he’d go for some other racing, like back to small folk racing, or street racing with his brother up in Esterlon? Maybe he’d start a racing team and bring up new stars to greatness? If none of that, he could hold public office. Esmerel drew a hundred or so representatives from a public lottery every year anyhow.

It did hurt him, he admitted to himself, that he still seemed to have the racing bug. He was just worried it would turn into a slog. Going well beyond his prime and ruining his image. It had happened to drivers in every motorsport before; Jean arguably went in that direction through the last few years. So, again, was it back luck or a sign?

There were lots of things Jean didn’t know, and that was one of them. Something he did know was that a PB&J wasn’t very hard to make. It still tasted good, no matter how simple a craft it was.

As Jean sat there and ate, he felt a vibration in his arm. Someone was calling him. Jean hated taking calls, but if it was through his arm, it had to be someone close enough to know that number. He picked up, and a familiar voice came through.

“Jean! That was faster than I expected, nice!” It was Max, his engineer from the last three years.

“*pfft* Can it, Max,” Jean replied, holding in laughter. “To be fair, you’re one of like six people who knows this number. Three of which are my family members, two of which are the current and former chancellors of the country.”

“I know, I know. I meant that I know you hate unexpected calls on your phones, and I’m proud of you for standing up to that monster and doing it anyway,” Max reassured. “So, mind telling me what you’re doing? Are you busy?”

“...Not that my schedule is full, but why do you ask?” Jean said.

“Important business that you can probably guess.”

A few seconds passed, and Jean sighed as he realized. “Max, I mean this with as much respect as possible: No.”

“Wh… Oh, come on! You haven’t even heard the deal yet!” Max complained.

“The deal’s going to be that they want me driving. Nexus, I’d guess,” Jean said. “What’ll this be, the fifth season? I haven’t heard of a career that got that stagnant. Aside from Ryker, but he’s their own countryman. Plus he’s got years still ahead of him.”

Max started to get a bit excited. “...Oh, so you mean that you’d take an offer from another team? I’d be willing to go with you if-”

“No, I didn’t mean that, either,” Jean interrupted. “If you want me to say it to your ears now, I’ll do it. I’m not coming back, Max.”

On the other end, Max sighed. “...Well, I suppose it’s still a bit early to be doing anything like this,” he said. “They’ve not even decided who the host’ll be this year. Though it is happening, unlike the limbo it’s been stuck in for the last while. Time for you to change your mind, eh?”

“...Do you mind if we switch to video call?” Jean asked.

“Not at all. Let me just sit down; that’d be easier for me.”

Jean turned on the camera and showed Max his face- a face of blank, unsure eyes. “Max… I figured this might make it easier for you to read the room,” he said. “I think I’m too slow.”

“Too slow? What in the- Where is this coming from? Things happen, I know they do! You can’t have an off year after years of success and already think you’re too slow!”

“...I guess you have a point, much as I don’t agree with it,” Jean replied. “There’s a whole host of reasons I want away from that place. I think the most important of them all is the guy sitting in the back seat.”

“Who, Janne?” Max said.

“Yes! I feel like he should have taken my seat a long time ago! He’s a fast driver who immediately got shoved aside for a middling driver on his way out-”

“Jean. Jean, listen to me. You’re spiraling,” Max intervened. “I know it’s a difficult situation. At least, I think I know. I do want to know. But if you want my opinion here… I think stopping now is going to kill off any possibility of ending your career on a happy note. As it is now, you’re calling a season full of struggles your swan song.”

“Better that than anything worse. At this age, my dad was struggling to keep up,” Jean reasoned. “I want to bow out with at least a little bit of grace before I take it all away by running my career into the ground out of… some misused passion!”

“...Jean, I have one question, and if you don’t have an answer, that’s okay. I just want to ask it. …Do you have any passion at all for racing?”

“...The truth is, I do. I’m scared, though.” Jean sighed. “Scared of muting what could be for another star just getting started, like Janne. Time makes fools of us all, I know, but…”

“I hear you. So, Jean…”

“Yes?”

“Let’s just breathe and go back to my original question,” Max said. “Are you busy? Have you got anything on the schedule?”

“Actually, I do,” Jean replied. “I’m supposed to be going to Cygnus University in a couple of hours. The engineering department wants me to present something to the senior class.”

“Oh, that sounds nice,” Max said. “They couldn’t have picked a better person to speak. You have all sorts of experience with near-future engineering! That’s what Cygnus does, right?”

“Not to the level the Wardship does, but yes,” Jean answered.

“...Alright. I’m happy to hear it. Let me just say… it’s always been good to talk to you, Jean,” Max confided. “I’m actually staying on the Wardship right now, so I’m going to talk to Nexus about what you want. You don’t want to drive, and I respect that. But I know you still have the passion. I’m sure there’s some kind of solution here that we can all work out. You hear?”

“I hear, Max,” Jean replied. “And… thanks to you, too. You make it a lot easier. Lot more than I’m used to an engineer doing.”

“Who in the Verse did you have as your engineers in the past? Were they that bad?”

“...Forget I brought it up. We can talk later; I’ve got to start going to Midwood for the presentation.”

“Alright, we’ll catch each other later?” Max asked.

“Sure. Thanks again, Max. Later.”

Jean hung the call up and finished his sandwich. He shut the house down and headed down to the garage where his car waited. He couldn’t lie to himself- there was a bit of sadness in not being part of the WGPC anymore. But still, he couldn’t do it forever- and maybe that was alright.

Whatever the case, it didn’t matter right now. He had a university to go to.

__________

Jean arrived at the campus of Cygnus University in a little over an hour.

Midwood was one of his favorite cities in Esmerel. It sat atop a plateau surrounded by trees and mountains galore, right in the middle of the country. It was also split by the Olympic River, the northern half of the great channel that split the whole country in two.

Of course, none of that was why he came. Cygnus wanted him of all people to talk to the senior class of the Engineering division. Why, he wasn’t sure. It could really only be about the WGPC, but why not get someone more qualified like Max, or someone who actually built an iteration of the UHSGVs he drove for Nexus?

It wasn’t that Jean couldn’t speak on their behalf. Maybe he just needed to accept that his home country loved him and wanted him to be their public man. Yeah, that made enough sense. Maybe if he just told his brain to move on and stop dwelling on unavoidable facts, it’d be smooth and simple.

Cygnus University had been opened in 1990, and since then had become one of Esmerel’s most prestigious universities. The government supported post-secondary education enough to make it free, so the university had to work to make sure its students graduated at the top of the national class, and they often did. Little “cygnets”, as they were affectionately called, worked hard to learn their chosen trades and studies, from the arts, to entertainment, sciences, and pretty much everything a university taught. Its engineering program was the cream of the crop, however, working to innovate on nearly everything created in history and improve life itself. Occasio vocat- “opportunity calls”- was the university’s tagline.

Jean didn’t go to university- he had considered it, but ended up pursuing motorsports full-time after his father’s accident. Still, if history went another way, he could have seen himself going here.

Jean immediately walked across the scenic grounds to the Engineering Hall, the university’s largest building. Crowds walked around him as he entered and headed for room 114. As the door was closed, he knocked on it.

A kind-looking man who appeared to be about Jean’s age opened the door. “Mister Mercer-Daly! Glad to see you today,” he said.

“I appreciate the honor, but just call me Jean,” Jean replied. “It’s easier anyway.”

“Very well, Jean, come on in. I am Dr. William Emerson, Engineering; I teach a class called Emergent Engineering to senior students. We focus on the ‘soon-to-be-now’ of the field, and work to perfect the transition to something better. But enough about that. The administrators told you why you were here, yes?”

“I was supposed to give some kind of presentation to your class?” Jean said. “They didn’t tell me why or on what.”

“I see. Suppose they think you’re more than you are- which isn’t a knock at you, they just have unrealistic expectations,” Dr. Emerson commented. “I think that you should talk about your time working with the pinnacle of motorsports- the World Grand Prix Championship- and what your time there has been like.”

“Doctor, honest question… Why me?” Jean asked.

“Why not you?”

“Well, I didn’t make any of the cars I drove. And I never went to college, for engineering or otherwise,” Jean said. “If you wanted to get the scoop on Nexus, shouldn’t you have asked someone else?”

“...Jean, good sir, you severely undervalue yourself,” Dr. Emerson said. “You’re popular, so the students will no doubt listen. But also, you experienced the results of countless engineers working together to achieve what they hoped was ‘perfection’. You aren’t an engineer, no, but you’re affected by them every day of your job. Plus, you couldn’t have gone every race weekend of every season you raced in without giving your input on setups! You know how cars work, and importantly, what makes them go faster than anything on the roads today. I think you’re the best to talk to my students. They’re a bright bunch.”

“...If you say so. I’m not going to ditch this,” Jean confirmed.

“Excellent! As it so happens, they’re coming back from their break just about now. And… Yes, the first couple of students are coming in! That’s Ariel, there, and second is Brendan, third looks like that’s Devin…”

“...Should I know all their names before I begin?” Jean said.

“No, I was just using them for myself,” Dr. Emerson replied. “Now, just wait here for a minute or two- they’re punctual, no panic- and we can get started. I’m expecting maybe 10 minutes of talk, and a bit of time for questions after that.”

Hearing this, Jean nodded.

__________

“Class, I’m sure you know who this man is,” Dr. Emerson said, as every student came in and sat down to attend Jean’s presentation. “But I wouldn’t say he needs no introduction; that’d be rude to his accomplishments. So, I present to you, World Grand Prix Championship driver and national hero Jean Mercer-Daly!”

The class clapped profoundly at Jean’s presence- strongly, but not wildly. Jean did feel happy being appreciated like this.

“You understand the assignment here; have your notepads and questions ready!” Dr. Emerson said to his students. “Jean, the floor is yours. Tell them about your life, as someone who works with engineers constantly. The kind of person that these students will one day affect.”

With Dr. Emerson’s guide in mind, Jean went ahead and presented.

“My name is Jean Mercer-Daly, and I am here to teach you about feedback.”

Jean began slowly, unsure of what exactly he needed to say. But as time went by, it became more and more clear.

“...and aerodynamics give you downforce, which makes you slow in a straight line and fast when you’re not; getting the balance of grip and speed means communication with your team…”

“...Flying laps are critical; when you drive a car that fast you can really feel every little difference, and you want to feel every little difference; the tires, the track, the softness or stiffness of the suspension…”

“...if it’s not about setting the car up, they can be your eyes and ears around you, warning you of incidents and track limits; to finish first, you first have to finish…”

“...find weaknesses in the chassis, the tires and the engine, improve them for later races as well as next season’s car; do you invest resources into your own model or buy a tried-and-true model and work on that…?”

“...You and your team need to be just that: a team; you tell them what changes they need to make, and they’ll know what parts of the car to change to give you those results. But you’ve also got to consider the team’s second driver, and even their testing driver; do you set up for the fastest possible lap or give it a slower, but easier setup…?”

“...and I can see what that means to you. You’ve got to deliver the best results that your project lets you, and you’ve also got to satisfy the people who want the project done. You could find the magic device that sets up the car for every track perfectly. But if you don’t let the driver, or the client, or whatever, give you feedback, you’ll never know what to change to make everything you do in the future better. That’s what I’ve got. Take in feedback, and you’ll be paid in full for your time.”

Twelve minutes had passed. The class gave another round of applause, and Jean felt satisfied.

“That was a very in-depth view of what we look for, Jean, thank you so much,” Dr. Emerson confirmed. “We might not even have that many questions after you pre-answered most of them. Either way, class, do we have anything more to hear?”

Three students raised their hands. “Yes, Lianna,” Dr. Emerson picked the first.

“Jean, sir, I was hoping I could ask something about this project we’ve all been working on for a while,” Lianna said. “I don’t know if I can share the details yet, but… What would you say is a good goal to reach if you’re trying to be flexible with something? Like, if you’re not sure if the ‘client’ wants one target or another, but won’t take a middle ground?”

“Hm… In a professional setting, I’d probably want to allocate resources towards both,” Jean replied. “Like… Oh, I can think of this one. Say you’re going into a race weekend, and the weather is going to be all over the place- clear, rainy, everything else… Parc fermé rules, which mean ‘closed park’, dictate you can’t change most of the setup after you send a car into a qualifying session, so if the race is looking to have different conditions than qualifying, that’s when you need to make a decision, with enough knowledge to set the car up for one or the other condition. Do you focus on qualifying pace for a good start, or race pace, counting on being able to hold on for long enough against cars you can more easily catch? I guess in this instance you could also use a mixed-conditions setup, but you would be sacrificing potential in both conditions to try and shore up against them. ‘Better than a master of one’, maybe, but maybe not. It’s a hard choice, but as I said, I’d probably be prepared for both.”

“That’s a thoughtful answer, Jean,” Dr. Emerson commended. “Next… Ah, Brendan. Go ahead.”

“Jean, my name is Brendan, and I do a lot of testing for our projects in this class,” Brendan introduced himself with. “One of the things I test is driving in a simulation. You drove in the WGPC for five seasons, so you have a lot of experience with the real thing… I wanted to ask you for some tips on getting the right feel over driving some distance. I know you just told us all about feedback, but… how do you give feedback?

“...Good question. I’d… I’d say my tactic is to be kind, but true. If a car isn’t up to my expectations, I won’t get angry, but I won’t be afraid to voice criticism either. I think that’s the key. Everyone needs to be more accepting of criticism. If you don’t know what’s wrong, how are you supposed to fix it? However, that only applies if the criticism is constructive. You can’t say ‘oh, this is all wrong’ and then give nothing to the people who are now expected to fix the ‘problems’ you got angry about. And when you’re driving something that works- don’t forget to feel around for the weakest parts. Enjoy the good thing you’ve helped create as much as you want, but don’t forget: ‘How can I make this better?’”

“...Thank you, sir,” Brendan said.

“You too, Brendan,” Jean replied.

“Excellent, another good question!” Dr. Emerson exclaimed. “We had a third hand up, didn’t we?”

No hands were raised. “...My question got answered, thanks,” a student said.

“If that’s everything, then give Jean another warm round of applause, everyone!” Dr. Emerson said.

And thus, the students did. Jean honestly couldn’t remember a feeling this warm for a long while. He’d still made his choice, but every passing moment, it hurt a little more to leave behind the world he’d been a part of for so long.

Jean bowed with his left arm across his chest, and, with a bit of renewed pride, left the classroom.

__________

Out of the corner of his eye, Brendan watched as Jean Mercer-Daly walked away. After that, he was back to watching Dr. Emerson, and to his notepad.

Brendan Faloe was a studious person. He had always had a gift for understanding the ins and outs of a project, and always wanted to know more than he did. Strangely enough, that life seemed to suggest to him that even if he was at his best, it was only good enough for number two.

He was the second of three children to his parents. The second highest grades in the Engineering program. Outside of that, his best work was on adapting previous creations and ideas- following in the footsteps of others. Was it all a coincidence? Did he lack the ability to strike out for himself and find his own way? Something other than those two?

It’s not as if it bothered him- but it did make him easy to recognize.

After Jean left, Dr. Emerson talked at length about the last few upcoming assignments for class- the college year was coming to a close in a couple of weeks- and that student projects were due in that time. Brendan wasn’t worried; his grades, while second-best, were still solid, and his project was well on the way to completion in time for the due date. It was sort of a meta-project on the rest of the class- the other students all had a peer review their project, and most of them had turned to Brendan for help.

It was probably the one field Brendan was first in- if only because of a lack of competition. He knew what worked and what didn’t, and he’d put it all together to present the class’s processes of working their projects- acting as a “client” for them, in a sense. He was confident it’d work- that was the whole reason the university brought Jean Mercer-Daly to speak to the class, as a “client” of his WGPC team, Nexus Racing.

Brendan wrote down more notes on the upcoming weeks- smaller assignments due here and there, a test next Thursday, things like that.

“...Which is all I have for today, actually,” Dr. Emerson finished. “Class is dismissed for now- enjoy Independence Day, work on your projects, it’s up to you.”

A few students left the classroom- whether to do work elsewhere or go out and celebrate the day wasn’t something Brendan knew. It wasn’t as if they were slackers either way; the class was full of people who wanted to be there. Brendan, meanwhile, continued to study his notes, revising and proofreading his project pages, when something got his attention.

“Brendan, if you would… I’d like to speak with you one-on-one, again if that’s alright?” asked Dr. Emerson.

Brendan nervously looked up from his seat, and a few classmates whose attention had been grabbed started to mumble.

“Simmer down, everybody, there’s nothing troubling to talk about,” Dr. Emerson said in response. “Brendan?”

“Yes, sir, I’ll be there in a moment,” Brendan acknowledged.

Brendan closed a few of his devices and stored them away in his backpack; he stood up and walked to Dr. Emerson’s desk.

“Again, no trouble to be found, but let’s talk somewhere quieter,” Dr. Emerson said.

Brendan just nodded and followed Dr. Emerson out of the classroom, into a lounge corner just down the hallway.

“Brendan, I wanted you to know that I think you’re a great student with a lot of potential,” Dr. Emerson said. “I’ve seen what you’ve shown me of your project and I am eager to see your final submission.”

“Thank you, sir,” Brendan said in response- a bit unsure of the conversation’s purpose.

“I wanted to ask you something… Do you have anything planned for after graduation?” Dr. Emerson said.

“...Oh. Um… To be honest… no. I was hoping to figure something out,” Brendan replied, “after I graduated. I know some possibilities are out there if I find them; maybe I could take on clients as a freelancer. Something like that.”

Dr. Emerson smiled. “...Do you want something more concrete?” he suggested.

“Like what?”

“Well… You know the motorsports program, right?” Dr. Emerson started. “We’re still working on an entry for the next season of the World Grand Prix Championship, which should happen this year.”

“I’ve heard- you’ve even brought me in to test a few of your things,” Brendan confirmed. “So what’s this got to do with…?”

“I’d like to offer you a place in the team- the Cygnus Motorsports Team,” Dr. Emerson announced to Brendan. “I think your place should have been certain- even offered a long time ago, I must admit! You have experience here- you were one of the designers behind our i-League car when you weren’t even in university yet!”

“I don’t remember doing much with that,” Brendan said. “And I don’t know how well the car did.”

“You were interested enough to offer your services, and you still did better than many in the program when it was still new and fresh,” Dr. Emerson rebutted. “It was a good day when we learned you wanted to come to Cygnus University- and you’ve done well the entire time, despite the pandemic in the middle!”

“...Sir, you’re making me feel embarrassed, honestly,” Brendan said. “I didn’t think you cared that much about something I almost felt like was an afterthought.”

“What was just another Tuesday for you was a very memorable day for me,” Dr. Emerson said. “From that point, I knew that we could keep a motorsports program going- that there were enough bright minds to fuel its progress. And progress we made- we won the Atlantic Division championships in 2020, so we knew we were getting somewhere! We’ve spent the last two-and-change years on our latest, greatest, WGPC-ready car.”

“...Do you want my feedback on your project too?” asked Brendan. “Is this what it’s about?”

“I think so. We have a version of the car ready in a simulator,” Dr. Emerson said. “I know you love simulations and testing… so I’d like you to join the team for that. I think you’d be a perfect fit. There’s familiar faces on the team, plus me, and some even bigger experts if you need to turn to anyone for advice.”

“Why me? I’m not the best you could ask for this, am I?” Brendan asked.

“I think that remains to be seen. Maybe you aren’t… but that’s not a bad thing to me,” Dr. Emerson affirmed. “You might not be first, but you’re never anything less than right behind. And there are other, wonderful students in the class that could take the same role, the same honor- but I think that honor should go to you.”

Brendan sat silent for a few moments.

“I don’t know what else I can say to present my argument, other than to summarize it as ‘I want you on the team, Brendan’,” Dr. Emerson concluded. “What say you?”

“...Keep me on your mind. I’m interested,” Brendan responded. “Should I come to wherever you’re doing this?”

“Later. I’m sure you want to celebrate Independence Day, or work on your project, or both,” Dr. Emerson said. “We should focus on university tasks first- you on yours, and me on mine. I’ll let you know when the time’s right.”

The two both stood up and shook hands. If the cards fell in just the right place, then there was a solid hint at something getting going.

Something new and free to pursue a path of potential.
__________

by **Vilita and Turori** » Sun May 07, 2023 9:42 am

WGPC 11 - 4th Place (82 Points, 1 Win) - Vilita & Turori Motorsports
WGPC 12 - 9th Place (54 Points) - Vilita & Turori Motorsports
WGPC 13 - 11th Place (56 Points, 1 Win) - Frontiere Racing
WGPC 14 - 7th Place (59 Points, 1 Win) - Carvenlo-Franklin Racing
WGPC 15 - 14th Place (29 Points) - Arada Motorsport
WGPC 16 - 9th Place (58 Points, 1 Win) - MSA-Sinval
WGPC 17 - 17th Place (23 Points) - Mirrors
WGPC 18 - 7th Place (48 Points, 1 Win) - Race Eelandii VTGP
AOMC - 3rd Place - Team Vilita
WGPC 19 - 9th Place (57.5 Points, 1 Win) - Carvenlo Racing

All Time WGPC Stats: Wins: 6 :: Podium: 18 :: Top 10: 48

VETERAN CRUISIN EYES 10th WGPC CAMPAIGN

R.L. Cruisin: Personal Biography ::

R.L. Cruisin's World Grand Prix Championship Career got off to a fast start, earning their first career podium in just their fourth career start then standing atop the podium for the first time in the penultimate race of their rookie campaign which ended with 8 points finishes in 11 events good enough for 4th overall in the Grand Prix standings.

Six seasons later, and that debut campaign remains the best statistical campaign of Cruisin's career. Cruisin would drive one more season for home country team Vilita & Turori Motorsports but despite two podium finishes, would fail to find Victory Lane in WGPC 12 sparking a departure from the team that had given the Vilitan driver their break in the sport. Cruisin would join up with promising upstart Frontiere Racing for WGPC Season 13 picking up their second career Grand Prix victory despite piloting the under-powered Frontiere machine. Cruisin was offered a return to Vilita & Turori Motorsports for WGPC Season 14 but opted instead to join Carvenlo-Franklin Motorsports. Cruisin knew the Carvenlo team could field a competitive car - having twice before been the World Grand Prix Constructors Champions. When Vilita & Turori Motorsports would go on to win the opening two events of the season, Cruisin was undeterred, responding with their own Victory at Carvenlo's home track to climb into the early season title contention. For the third consecutive season Cruisin would outperform their teammates on the track but struggle to keep pace with the Championship leaders.

Watching Toralmintii - the Works driver who only got the Vilita & Turori Motorsports job because the team wanted a local driver and Cruisin had turned down a return to the team - compete so well in the car - was difficult for Cruisin. When Carvenlo announced they would not be feeding a team for season 15 the Vilitan driver moved to the Arada Grand Prix team earning 1 podium finish and 4 Top 10's.

For WGPC Season 16, Cruisin would join their Fifth different team in as many seasons teaming up with regular mid-table team MSA-SinVal. Cruisin stunned the oddsmakers when, for the second time in their career, they would win the seasons penultimate race. Cruisin had a massive late season surge with three consecutive points finishes and two podiums to close out the campaign including earning the Eastfield Lodge outfit MSA-SinVal its first ever Grand Prix Victory. Cruisin outperformed teammate Cesaro Whittaker by 53 points in the standings.

Changes in Eastfield Lodge necessitated change for WGPC Season 17 however, as the teams backers split and put their support behind local driver Dalia Dahl. Cruisin appeared to have landed on their feet, however, as the famed Mirrors team was being re-founded for the season and they had tapped Cruisin as their #1 driver. The excitement was short lived however as the Starblaydi team's return ultimately proved to be a little bit of Smoke and Mirrors. The engineering department was under-funded and the speed never appeared on track. Cruisin used their experience and skill to will points out of the "Purple Plow" as the entry would be come to be known, while teammate Esteban Guilhermez would finish the season as one of just two drivers who competed in all races to fail to earn a single point. While Cruisin finished a respectable five races in the point, it was the first season in the Vilitan drivers career that they failed to score a podium finish. Cruisin nearly kept the streak alive at the Turorian Grand Prix chasing down Drake Stevenson on the final circuit in Eelandii but falling just under 2 seconds short at the finish.

With Mirrors closing its doors again at the end of WGPC 17, Cruisin struck a deal with the Race Eelandii VTGP team to bring Vilaye Energy Drink Sponsorship back to the home nation team for the first time since World Grand Prix season 11. It was a fantastic start for the new partnership as Cruisin and Race Eelandii VTGP took the checkered flag and top spot on the podium winning the WGPC 18 season opening Grand Prix of Turori for the fifth victory of their WGPC Career. Cruising would later pick up a second podium finish at the Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit but would ultimately fall short of Championship contention finishing the season in 7th place in the Driver Standings. Additionally, with a shortened schedule, Cruisin was unable to hit the 100 career starts milestone and currently sits on 98 career grand prix starts, just two shy of being the first to reach the triple-digit milestone.

While their our rumors they could be open to returning to Race Eelandii VTGP during WGPC Season 19 if no other ride could be found, historically Cruisin has shied away from driving for local market teams. So when it was announced that the Carvenlo Liventia Airways team from Liventia which he previously drove for during WGPC Season 14 would be re-established, Cruisin jumped on the opportunity to re-unite with the team they had posted their best prior Grand Prix Season with outside of their rookie campaign. Having won the Grand Prix of Liventia during Season 19, Cruisin quickly re-ignited their favor with the team and is reportedly negotiating with Portland Carvenlo for a return to the driver seat for World Grand Prix Season 20. Until a deal is done, however, Cruisin is willing to receive inquiries from interested teams. The all-time Grand Prix starts leader with over 110 appearances on the grid, Cruisin could provide the veteran experience that a first time WGPC team needs to kick-start their operations.

Nationstates Grand Prix IV - Reserve Driver
NSSCRA Season 4 - Driver - Vilita & Turori Motorsports
NSSCRA Season 5 - Driver - Vilita & Turori Motorsports
WGPC 11 - 18th Place (5 Points) - WGPC Motorsport Works Driver
WGPC 12 - 19th Place (4 Points) - WGPC Motorsport Works Driver
Super Formula Championship 1 - 1st Place (52 Points) Vilita & Turori Motorsports
Super Formula Championship 2 - 1st Place (77 Points) Vilita & Turori Motorsports
WGPC 14 - 2nd Place (128 Points) - Vilita & Turori Motorsports
WGPC 15 - 12th Place (35 Points) - WGPC Eelandii Motorworks
NSSCRA Season 6 - 1 Start (24th place - Vilaye 314)
WGPC 16 - 1 Start; WGPC Eelandii Team Principle
NSSCRA Season 7 - 3 Starts (9th Place - Vilaye 314)
WGPC 17 - 2nd Place (147 Points) - Tropicorp Racing Ælund
iROS-I - 1st Place (58 Points) - Tropicorp Racing Ælund
WGPC 18 - 2nd Place (101 Points) - Tropicorp Racing Ælund
AOMC - 5th Place - Team Turori
WGPC 19 - 1st Place (127 Points) - Tropicorp Racing Ælund

All Time WGPC Stats: Wins: 11 :: Podium: 20 :: Top 10: 44

TORALMINTII SET TO DEFEND FOR COLORWORKS TEAM

iBen Toralmintii: Personal Biography ::
The transition from full-bodied Stock Cars to Open Wheel was not immediate for iBen Toralmintii who left the struggling NSSCRA circuit to take on open wheel racing as a WGPC Motorsport Works driver during WGPC Season 11. After having to fight tooth and nail for every position and accruing just 9 points over two seasons as a WGPC Motorworks driver, Toralmintii decided to hit the reset button, departing the WGPC circuit to join the Nationstates Super Formula Championship series.

In Hodori, Toralmintii quickly caught on to the driving style - putting together strong consistent finishes throughout the season before claiming their first Super Formula victory in the final event of the season along with the season Championship. Due to the great success, Toralmintii returned for a second season of Super Formula action and started things off the same way winning the opening round before a runner up finish at his home track in Turori. Posting another consistent and smooth season, Toralmintii had all but defended the title heading into the final round but left nothing to chance, claiming their third career Super Formula race victory and second consecutive series championship.

Building on the momentum gained as back-to-back Nationstates Super Formula Champion, Toralmintii and the Vilita and Turori Motorsports team made a triumphant return to the World Grand Prix Championship during WGPC Season 14 putting up the single most dominating performance by any constructor in a single World Grand Prix Championship season with Toralmintii finishing narrowly behind debutant teammate Terho Talvela for the drivers championship. It was just the second time in WGPC history that two drivers from the same team finished 1-2 in the drivers standing after Team Rolatia did so during WGPC season 2 with drivers Thomas Ragji and William Sralt.

But things turned sour for Vilita & Turori Motorsports and Toralmintii during the off-season as Talvela and the funding from Abovian sponsors Nortec and Arctic Air sought glitz and glamour at the MRT race team sacrificing technical performance and results in the process. The VTM team closed its doors after just one season and its assets were repurposed as a Works team, WGPC Eelandii. After driving one season for the WGPC Eelandii Motorworks team Toralmintii announced that they would retire from driving full time in order to take on the role of Team Principle overseeing the development of new drivers.

With the time off from driving, Toralmintii rekindled the flame running some local events within the Vilitan Cove included the popular NSSCRA Stock Car event, the Challenge at the Rocks. After posting a Top 10 finish at the Challenge and putting on a display of the WGPC Eelandii Motorworks ride for fans, it was clear the desire for success was still there. Toralmintii stunned the World Grand Prix ranks by signing a deal to return to top-level World Grand Prix Championship racing with the newly formed Tropicorp Racing Aelund team based out of Aboveland.

The move re-united Toralmintii with his former Vilita and Turori Motorsports teammate Terho Talvela and while the season got off to a slow start, the duo slowly started to re-gain some of the magic that had seen them combine for the highest points haul in World Grand Prix history during the World Grand Prix's 14th season. Toralmintii's dream of winning the World Grand Prix title was dented by a slow start to the campaign but they secured their place in the conversation of greatest auto racing drivers of all time by finding a new gear as the World Grand Prix circuit hit its Atlantian Oceania swing. Toralmintii piloted the #77 machine to back-to-back-to-back-to-back race victories to become the first driver in World Grand Prix Championship history to win four consecutive races. By seasons end Toralmintii had missed out on the drivers Championship by just five points and the conversation had wholly shifted from whether the Turorian driver would return for one more season behind the wheel to whether or not they could finally best their Abovian teammate to become a World Grand Prix Champion.

The Answer, however, was once again no. Toralmintii finished behind Talvela once more in WGPC Season 18 in the most inexplicable fashion. Toralmintii was in Top form throughout WGPC Season 18 leading the field with three race victories and entered the final race in Mattijana needing just a handful of points to convery their comfortable points lead into a championship. In the final round, however, the #77 Tropicorp Racing Aelund machine lasted only two circuits and teammate Terho Talvela rallied to a runner-up performance turning a winless season into an unlikely championship, besting Toralmintii by just 4 points. Marking the end of an era, Talvela retired on the spot becoming the first ever three-time World Grand Prix Champion.

After some speculation, the veteran Toralmintii confirmed they would return to Tropicorp Racing Ælund for WGPC Season 19 while attempting to compete for the Championship with a new teammate for the first time. The team clearly put their focus and attention behind the #77 as Toralmintii produced more consistent runs than teammate Luna throughout the season, narrowly missing coveted victories at the Eelandii Grand Prix Circuit and the Lintulahti-Toralmintii International Circuit, finishing second in both events. Toralmintii would claim victory late in the season at the Grosser Preis von Siowenien und Teusland and would ultimately hold off a late charge by Preston Autos driver William Archer to secure the title.

Since the conclusion of WGPC Season 19 and the investigation into the financial dealings of Ælund Racing, the team have re-acquired their operating license under the name Tropicorp-Coloworks Grand Prix and are expected to confirm the return of the defending World Grand Prix Champion to drive for the team again during WGPC Season 20

by **Hapilopper** » Sun May 07, 2023 3:47 pm

PRESTON SIGNS EDWARDS, HOPES TO RETAIN ARCHER
By Sandy Peters, the Hapilopper Television Network

HAPILOPPER CITY – Preston Autos Grand Prix Racing indicated this morning that they are hoping to keep the same driver lineup that it has had for the last several seasons.

Already, Rudy Edwards has committed to driving one of the team’s cars, while the team has offered the other seat to Abanhfleft native William Archer, the two drivers that have carried the Preston banner in Grand Prix racing for the last two seasons.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Preston Grand Prix team principal Marty Lewis indicated that they are hopeful they can retain that driver lineup.

“We’ll just put it like this, this team wouldn’t be where it is right now without William Archer,” Lewis said. “His results were more than enough to convince Preston to keep this team going, and his results have propelled our organization to the front of the grid. That probably wouldn’t have happened with any other driver.”

Lewis also spoke of Edwards’ role in bringing the team to the front of the field.

“Rudy Edwards nearly won the World Grand Prix Championship on his first try,” Lewis said. “He has shown the has the chops to compete each weekend and he has shown he has the ability to win a World Championship.”

Edwards, who has driven Preston products since the start of his career in the Hapilopper Championship Series, said this season will be a crucial year for him moving forward in the World Grand Prix Championship.

“This is year three for us,” Edwards said. “To me, that means that this year is do-or-die for us. Thankfully, I think we’ve got the best car we’ve ever produced, and we’ve got a car that can win a championship. The Preston crew has more than done their job building a new car, the Performance Products squad has improved the Skychief V6, they’ve done their job – it’s time for me to do my job.”

Preston Autos expects to launch the new car, the Preston PGP-03, in a week at the Jeanell Bridges Performing Arts Center in Hapilopper City.

The Preston Automobile Company is excited to offer the Skychief V6 engine to customer teams for the upcoming World Grand Prix Championship series. The engine, a turbocharged 3.43 liter, or 209-cubic inch powerplant, is based off the same V6 engine offered standard to the Preston Skychief road car. But unlike the Skychief, which offers 255 horsepower to those that drive it, the Skychief V6 which powers the World Grand Prix drivers offers between 850 and 1150 horsepower, depending on boost levels available for the driver.

WHY PRESTON?
We’d like to answer this with “why not?” But we have answers of more substance than that. For starters, we at Preston Autos have answers with a little more substance, and we feel we have more than enough substantial answers to provide you.

For starters, the Skychief V6 has been developed over the last three years to be one of the most powerful engines on the World Grand Prix Championship trail. Our staff at Preston Performance Products have worked on these engines over the years to ensure its power, and we have made substantial gains over the last three years. Should you pick the Preston Skychief V6, you will find yourself at a power advantage.

Secondly, the Skychief V6, owing to its stock-block roots, is a more cost-effective option than other options from brands such as Viska, Kaylan, Sidus or Tropicorp.* A team that selects the Preston Skychief V6 will be able to receive all of the power of the Skychief V6 at a third of the cost of the other options. We at Preston Autos are racing people, first and foremost, and we acknowledge race teams, and race car manufacturers look to find an advantage anywhere they can get it, and ergo, look to find a way to maximize their budget any chance they can. Instead of spending full price on an engine deal, race teams will be able to divert those funds to developing their race car or, quite possibly, satisfying the overinflated egos of those seat-to-wheel spacers called “race car drivers” that think they know everything.

Thirdly, owing to the countless hours of on- and off-track testing, Preston Performance Products has succeeded in improving the reliability of the Skychief V6. Recent tests performed at high-stress environments, such as the Hapilopper City Grand Prix Circuit as well as the two-mile high-banked Hapilopper City Speedway, have proven that the Skychief V6 can run over 500 miles reliably without a failure. While WGPC teams aren’t running 500-mile races, that figure is a great figure to provide peace of mind to race teams looking for a fast, but safe, powerplant for their race car.

And lastly, the Preston Skychief V6 is an easy-to-understand powerplant. No need to worry about advanced technology, neural networks or unusual fields of energy that could conceivably wipe out a whole city block if something goes wrong. Instead, the Skychief V6 can be installed in your car just like any other engine. Mechanics won’t need to understand quantum physics or learn how hybrid technology works. One of the key tenets of Preston Autos’ Grand Prix program is to prove that technology that works for the road can work on the race track, and we’ve proven that time and time again.

WHAT IS BEING OFFERED?
Should a race team choose the Preston Skychief V6 program, they will receive a complete package of support for an entire WGPC season. This includes:

- Two Preston Skychief V6 engine leases for the entire WGPC season, one per entered car. This includes the right to use the Skychief V6 in race meetings, test sessions and other events as deemed necessary. These engine leases include as many engines as legally allowed in World Grand Prix regulations.

- Support staff who will assist you in fitting the Skychief V6 to your car, as well as assist you throughout a race weekend with any problems or issues you may have with the Skychief V6

- Free use of spare parts for any repairs necessary to the engine, if needed

- An assurance from Preston Autos that customer programs will be held on equal footing as the works team. While Preston Autos fields a works team in the World Grand Prix Championship, to us, a customer Preston team winning is just as much a victory as if our works team scored the victory. We here at Preston want you to succeed.

HOW DO WE SIGN UP?
Wise decision! Shawn Hammer at Preston Performance Products is waiting your inquiry, and is available via phone at (935) 2025-3078-0596 or shammer@preston.co.hp.

OOC NOTES:
* - It is important to point out that this is advertising speak, and should not be construed to imply any actual price of any engine provided by other suppliers. Just wanted to make sure that was known.

by **Auruna** » Sun May 07, 2023 8:33 pm

Viska Factory
Sterlennau, Auruna

While eagerly waiting for the new season to arrive, the Aurun team is always busy back home from the development for the next season to other domestic ventures, there's no shortage of work in Viska.

Viska Racing, placed 4th in the previous season, has earned a name for itself in the series after a few seasons. Known as "The Eagle" to fans due to their logo and livery, Viska had always been wanting to compete in WGPC after a quick but successful first taste in the feeder series. Although they had a rough start in their campaign, it eventually paid off with stellar performances on several occasions including their home win in Akresna with the help of surprise performer Kinu Luminna which contributed to them placing 4th in the championship.

And it's not just with their works team that Viska had success in, Viska had been well known in certain partnerships with several racing teams both in the domestic MNA series and international series with the more notable ones being with Pryfors Bilar that helped them in their WGP2 campaign that led the team to compete in WGPC (and it still stands as a technical partnership now to let PB become independent) and with Sport Mikuren in WSRC that helped the team nearly win the championship. These successes led to the decision of allowing the engine development branch of Viska, now known as Re:Genesis, to become a supplier in this WGPC season.

It was really a busy time during the buildup and the same can be said in the driver department.

Inside his office, team principal Jöna Ekeränna has been sitting in front of his computer for hours analysing every driver in the WGPC lineup to pick who would be a perfect candidate for the seats although he already had a few Viska-affiliated drivers on the list. While doing this, he had something in mind after the end of the previous season where one of their drivers certainly struggled. It was a difficult one to approach but he felt like he needed to do it. For the sake of Viska's championship goals.

Meanwhile, Viska chief strategist Artur Iljakov is just sitting their in Jöna's office, waiting for his decision.

"Any progress?" Artur blurted out, breaking Jöna's concentration.

"Ah f--" Jöna nearly yelled out. "A-ah, Artur... I was in the middle of something."

"It has been several hours, have you made up your mind on what to do with the team?"

"Kiiro gave me a lot of work to do, I managed to do all of them but picking the drivers... it's difficult."

"Give me a rundown of the others."

"Obviously we're going with our own Viska RG Motors for the engines and Phoenician-In Motion for the tyres, so that settles it."

Artur nods in agreement. "Ofcourse we're going with what's familiar to us in that department. Anything else?"

"This is Kiiro's part but the technical partnership with PB continues. Anyway, the chassis is come along great and everything seems to be in order."

"Alright, but the drivers?"

"WGPC rules says that they're all free agents at the start and it's their choice to pick which team they'll be driving for. I know what Kinu will do and Aaron is on the line for the Viska seat but..."

With a calculated guess, Artur asks. "Is it about Olivia?"

"Yeah, it's going to be hard at this point. We did help her get to WGPC and she's a talented driver but her performance as of recent was... er... not good."

"So, are we going for Kinu and Aaron?"

"Aaron is going to be a rookie but I have high hopes for him but let's consider Olivia first, I still have hope for her with us and I don't want to host another trial unless the situation is dire." Jöna says while looking stressed out which concerned Artur for a bit.

Artur looks away for a bit to come up with something before turning back to Jöna. "I think I'll just go and talk to her."

"Wha-? Directly talk to her?"

"For her and Viska's sake, I'll clear things up."

"Alright then Artur."

"I shall go now, we're going to be busy for the moment so I'll let you do your job and I'll do mine."

"Okay, got it, see you."

Soon after Artur left Jöna's office, he quickly went to his own to message Olivia Stone and Baxen Aurora.

"I just hope they understand the situation." He muttered as he sends the message.

To Olivia Stone & Baxen Aurora

I'm sure you are aware of our current situation. While we're still considering Olivia for a seat in Viska, there are other drivers on the line like Aaron Deering who dreams of getting a WGPC drive. Olivia's performance in the previous season, while she got a win at Crossbay, it wasn't good as expected of her for the rest of the season as it was horribly inconsistent and overshadowed by Kinu. You still have our support but knowing that this is a serious matter and us wanting a consistent fight for wins or even a championship, let me ask you: Will you stay with Viska and actually commit to fight for results or will you look for another opportunity?

Only you have the control of your future.

- Artur Iljakov

Will we fight?

Yes... we will fight on.

Täitä Viska, täitä.

For the first time in WGPC, Viska's in-house engine department Viska Re:Genesis (or Viska RG Motors) is open to supply engines to other teams in the upcoming WGPC season.

Viska RG Motors or Viska Re:Genesis was a result of Viska's takeover of Schkeska's WGPC engine programme so that Viska has full control of R&D, and manufacturing of engine components. After the complete takeover at the end of WGPC 19, Viska RG sought to improve upon the existing designs to suit the team's needs without any outside intervention especially from Schkeska who had a certain reputation outside of Auruna. It is currently led by Hori Nÿkkänö, Viska WGPC Technical Director.

The engine in question is the Re:Genesis VT-160F/H-III "Kiiruja", an evolution of the H-II version used in Viska's VK-02H in WGPC19 which helped the team take 4th in the championship. It is a 1.6L V6 turbocharged dual hybrid engine outputting ~988hp at 10500 rpm. The unique aspect of the engine is the dual hybrid system that is a conventional battery hybrid system combined with an electric flywheel system first pioneered by Schkeska in AEC but perfected by Viska, this system allows for the unit to combine the instant action of the flywheel system and the long-term storage of the batteries. The engine can be adapted to different chassis to suit the needs of the customer.

Customer teams will receive substantial technical support and due to direct MNA funding, the engine costs will be significantly lower than usual.

Engine Specs
Re:Genesis VT-160F/H-III "Kiiruja"
Configuration: V6 turbocharged dual hybrid engine
Displacement: 1.6L
V-Angle: 90° cylinder angle
Valvetrain: 24-valve DOHC
Fuel Delivery: Direct injection
Aspiration: Single turbocharged (if permitted, Viska Dual Turbo System/ VTDS)
Turbocharger Model: Viska ST-72/200X (2x Viska ST-65/200X for VTDS)
Turbocharger Manufacturer: Viska Internal Turbo Technologies Unit
Max revs: 15.000 rpm
Hybrid Systems: Dual hybrid / hybrid x hybrid - Viska Systems Electric Flywheel x Battery Hybrid (VSEF-BH / VSEF-B Hybrid)
Engine Management: Zorten-Viska ZTV-440
Power: ~988hp @ 10.500 rpm*

*The power output is currently estimated based on WGPC technical regulations as Viska doesn't officially reveal the engine's actual power output.

World Cup 80/89/91 Group Stage

CommOil Scuderia Orange Cow WGPC Team

WGP2 Constructors Champions (Season 5)

These are heady times for the CommOil Scuderia Orange Cow Team and the Orange Cow Racing Organization overall; after sharing the facilities of Performance Research Laboratories for its first two season, the Race Teams of the OCR family have moved into our CBP$78 million purpose built factory just down the road from PRL, where we still have access to the wind tunnel for aerodynamic testing for all of our motorsport entries.

Scuderia Orange Cow had already made the decision to attempt to move from WGP2 to the main WGPC series, but winning the Constructors title has eased the way by providing the team with a guaranteed spot in the field; OCR knows that a guaranteed place in the series is not a ticket to success, being just two seasons removed from being a late entrant to WGP2 season 4 and paying its dues as a backmarker team.

The rise of OCR from a theorectical concept to a championship team has been led by Team Principal Michael Lambert, Deputy Team Principal Victor Marzetti, Jr., Director of Design and Chief Aerodynamicist Edward O'Malley and Vice President of Commercial Operations Jill Franklin, the four hands-on directors among the investor syndicate that were responsible for the first ever Baker Park based international open wheel racing team.

It has evolved into a total collaborative effort featuring corporate partnerships with some of the Commonwealth's largest business entities, with CommOil signing on as title sponsor from the beginning, bringing the petroleum giant that is a division of Commonwealth Mining Corporation, Baker Park's seventh largest industrial company not only for their financial support but also an important technical partnership pertaining to fuels and lubricants; LiteSpeed Mobile, title sponsor of the Grand Prix of Baker Park and another dual financial/technical partner; and BCEL, the Commonwealth's largest producer of beverage products both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, who have taken up a more prominent role as primary sponsors of the AOGP Team.

A new racing only factory facility has allowed OCR to increase the employment of organization to 168, nearly four times the size of staff from our WGP2 debut campaign; alongside the three building complex is a new state of the art test track based on the design of the old PeRiL Circuit that the team utilized, which became an important symbol of the underdog ethos OCR has fostered within the organization. While it awaits sanctioning from the Commonwealth Motorsport Federation for use as a racing facility, it will play an important role in the testing & development of the PRL03-1.

In addition to all of that team news, the extension of the 451 Expressway South to connect with the A50 is nearly complete with a dedicated interchange for the Drummond Vale Racing Circuit, which will shorten the drive time to the track for both OCR and for teams (and visitors!) that will take part in the Grand Prix of Baker Park at DVRC.

______________________________________________________________________________________

There were plenty of decisions that needed to be made ahead of the team's first WGPC season, more than the average person might think needed to made at all.

First was the driver situation. Batu Tüvshinbayar had won the WGP2 Driver's title with Jordan Crowe alongside, who played a vital role in helping the team to make it a clean sweep of the hardware; Crowe was a Parker, he'd driven in the first ever race the team entered, been the test driver/mentor to the pairing that both credited him with their improvement in the first GP2 season, earned the race seat next to Batu on merit, and finished seventh in the points.

So why were people talking about replacing him? Even more weird was the idea that there was a question about both race seats.

There was so much conflict in Mike Lambert's mind regarding nearly everything about the team ahead of 20th season of WGPC, which worried him because he was normally decisive and clear about what he wanted to do in every aspect of his life.

It started on a trip to Hapilopper to meet with the Preston Auto people about possibly using their Skychief V6 engines for a third season in a row.
“Vic, tell me in cold realistic terms exactly what our expectations should be.”

“Not going broke.” Marzetti laughed, because the fact was the team was going to be funded extraordinarily well for a first time top tier series team. Some of the original investors had been bought out or simply cashed in the return on their investment after the title season, which made the overall management structure stronger, the difference in funding made up with CommOil, LiteSpeed and Commonwealth Automobile Corporation (which was not a sponsor but had provided some technical support) being offered to the chance take equity interests in the organization.

If it was going to field teams in WGPC, WGP2 (which would see the AOGP team moved up the ladder) and a brand new AOGP team set up, a stable foundation was needed.
“That's very reassuring, Vic” Lambert gave a wan smile.

“When we were working 20 hours a day to get on the grid, the only goal we had was that we wouldn't get embarrassed. Would a first season here like that one be the worst thing in the world?”

Lambert shook his head while looking down at his drink. “No. It would be probably be the same kind of excitement.”
__________________

Lambert & Franklin were discussing different associate sponsors for areas on the car when he blurted out another question.
“If we had an entirely new driver lineup, how do you think the sponsors would react?”
“Are you drunk?” Franklin chuckled. “That's both my answer and my question.”

“Don't you think...hear me out, if we had an experienced driver alongside...or if we could get a ...”

“You are drunk. We have two rising stars that are extremely popular with our sponsors and the fans. . We're not going to jump straight in and be fighting for podiums or poles. Let's walk before we try to run, Mike. Who are you right now, I don't even know this Michael Lambert? We've gotten a lot of mileage out of being a team that believes in building from within. Don't get starstruck.”
____________________

Lambert and O'Malley, plus Director of Engineering Paul Valentini, had several hours worth of meetings about the overall thinking about chassis design relative to the powertrain and tire choice.

“The Preston people were falling over themselves to get us to commit but I said they'd be the measuring stick we'd use to decide.” Lambert talked about the previously mentioned Hapilopper visit.

“I'd like to have some info on the Tropicorp engine.”
Valentini wondered if the V8 was a direction that the team might travel down to separate itself from other new teams.

“The Preston has been good and reliable for us. I do think we should look at some alternative just to have a baseline for wheelbase, weight, cooling. I think there's aero gain around the engine cover that could be beneficial if we can get the packaging right.” O'Malley had designed every chassis OCR fielded and preferred a classical design based on a wheelbase length that split the difference between modern ideas of 'short' and 'long' axle distance.
___________________________________________________________________

Race Engineers Sunil Choudhary and Vaughn Estes had a rare one-on-one sit down with Lambert under casual, non-work related conditions.
“Let's pretend money is no object--name two drivers from the last two seasons that you'd be excited to work with, either GP2 or WGPC.” Both men had been central to the hiring of all four race team drivers SOC employed and Lambert respected each of their unique approaches to zeroing in on potential or already realized talent behind the wheel.

“(Laura) Haukanna. And Adonis (Fitzpatrick), quite honestly.” Estes was Batu's race engineer, so he had cast a critical eye on some of the contenders for the driver's title, including Aaron Deering, Skiia Vilaliv and others; Haukanna had been a potential target for a race seat in both GP2 seasons but only as a “hopeful” test participant.
“(Annaliese) Devereaux...and R.L. Cruisin.” Choudhary had been engineer for both Sakiteno Kuyara and Crowe, but he was well versed in the senior series drivers pool. “I think both of them would thrive here for different reasons, if the car is decent.”
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
SOC extends outreach to judge interest ahead of a private test offer to Haukanna, Fitzpatrick, Vialiv, Deering, Devereaux and Cruisin.

by **Vilita and Turori** » Mon May 08, 2023 1:43 am

VILITA & TURORI RACER ✓

@VTRacer
Stunning news out of the @WGPC this week as we learn that for the first time in 10 seasons there will be no Grand Prix of Turori or Vilitan Grand Prix on the #WGPC20 calendar. The Eelandii Grand Prix Course will host a pre-season test in conjunction with the opening round of @iROS while the VMCC is left off the schedule entirely. The Vilitan Cove regions race date will move for the first time to Cocoabo Park as the organizers look to take advantage of the destination resort capacity of the venue to appeal to the high spending WGPC clientèle.

#WGPC20 :: #GPTurori :: #CocoaboPark

by **Dod Rava** » Mon May 08, 2023 3:22 am

(A caricature of Amica's efforts published in a motorsports gazzete.)

Studio Radio Rava, 12:30.

"Hello all listeners welcome to the last sports part of our broadcast awhere we will talk for a moment with Julita Lérida an up and coming racing driver, good morning Julita."

"Good morning."

"Julita you are a great driver in Dod Rava you have achieved practically everything at a very young age, you have financial support from Amica and now you want to try your hand at WGPC."

"Exactly as you said my current goal is to get into the WGPC."

"The negotiating period has just started, have you already attracted the attention of any team or were there any negotiations already in the works? Is one your preferred one?"

"Not yet, but we will try to contact each team with open seats, if we get any invitation for tests we will attend them. I know that Amica would be very happy to help with funding If I were to be signed by someone. I don't really have much preference for these teams, as I said before, the most important thing is to get into WGPC and keep growing."

"Alright we'll change the theme a bit but we'll come back to WGPC later, you got a very generous contract from the fairly new Amica racing academy, you were one of the first. How did you feel about it? Was it easy for you to leave home?"

"Of course, I was delighted with it, it gave me great opportunities, my parents were happy too, especially my father knew that if I was to continue to use my potential, I would need additional funds. My parents supported me, they didn't have too much problems, I remember that at the beginning I had the option of moving to Koroni or Rawa, I chose Rawa, I finished school there, I became more independent, the whole process was easier than it seemed, there was no pain or fear for me or my parents."

Mhm and how is this Academy, you were one of the first who got into it, what does it look like from the inside, how does the whole process go from beginning to end.

"It started with us signing the contract and choosing one of the two facilities, as I mentioned earlier, one in Rawa and the other in Koronki. At the start we get an agent, he explains all financial matters and other obligations to us, and the test sessions begin, we get chances in various racing series in Dod Rava, there were also days in the centers that they brought all the associated drivers and divided into mentoring groups. I remember that I was in a group with a few younger than me and with Alina Carbalo and Mariusz Psikuta, both great drivers showed up in NSSCRA, they showed us that they race in Dod Ravie, they taught me a lot, I learned a lot from them."

"We know that Carbalo and Piskuta were great back at Dod Rava, but on the international arena they did worse, they were usually at the back. Do you think that if you got into one of the WGPC teams you could change the perception of Dod Rava drivers as backmarkers?"

"This is a hard question, the realities of the NSSCRA are different from the WGPC, of course I would like to win, but at the moment no one knows for sure what will happen."

"Do you have a plan B if you don't make it to WGPC this season?"

"I hope I can make it, but we do have a plan B and that is AOGP."

"Wow, quite far from home."

"It's just a emergency solution"

"I understand, maybe we'll move away from racing for a while and talk about you, you're from Szczylek, am I right?"

"Yes that's right, I was born in Szczylek."

"Have you watched or played any sports that weren't motorsports?"

"I watched and still watch Hockey, I support HKLS Góra, I was a bit disappointed that they didn't win the Ultraliga this season, but that's life."

"Well, unfortunately it happens. You have siblings, don't you?"

"Yes I do. I have a sister and brother, but they followed in the footsteps of our grandparents, the brother is a firefighter and the sister is a mountain rescuer, they both work in Szczylek.
Grandpa was a mountain rescuer and a member of the local Volunteer Fire Service, but I followed my father's footsteps into motorsport."

"Your father was very good at speedway, a two-time vice-champion of the country, surely he wanted you to follow in his footsteps as a speedway racer?"

"No, not really. My father wasn't too pushy about it. I tried speedway, but it wasn't my cup of tea and I switched to four wheels. Our father supported us in our passions, he had no problem with us picking up something else."

"I'm sorry to interrupt you Julita, but our short time is up, so I want to thank you very much for coming to our studio today, and we all wish you good luck."

"Thank you very much it was nice talking to you too."

"And this is the end of the sports part, the next broadcast of our segment will take place at 8 pm, my next guest will be Borys Berezucki, the national football team coach. See you very soon."

by **Tropicorp** » Mon May 08, 2023 5:26 am

Tropicorp Multiversal Campus, Tropicoast, Tropicorp :: Tropicorp have once again confirmed their continued participation in the World Grand Prix Championship as not only a Tyre Supplier but also an Engine Provider at the constructors level for multiple World Grand Prix outfits.

The Tropicorp Racing Supply brand returns as the leading choice in competitive racing tire for the World Grand Prix Championship circuit with a durable distance variant, a short run soft and fast variant as well as an intermediate and "Storm" variant. The 'Storm' variant first saw action in WGPC 19 as a new derivative of the Tropicorp Racing Supply Tyre line and represents a crossover into the personnel transport market through the "Storm" branding which replaces the Sifaka wordmark on the wet tyres only.

Tropicorp is a quasi-governmental corporation created to conduct Research, Development and Production activities primarily on behalf of the Tropics of Vilita. One of the byproducts of Tropicorp's development in a remote location on the mainland has been the removal of native and wild tree species to make way for development space. Tropicorp engineers discovered a dense grove of local rubber trees.

Tropicorp Engineering developed their customized local rubber solutions to create high performance racing tyres for testing purposes. After the tests proved successful, It wasn't long before the tooling was done and Racing Tyres were popping out on an hourly basis from the workshop and Tropicorp Racing Supply was born. Everything on Tropicorp Racing Supply's standard product line from Crew Uniforms to Composite-Material suspension parts will be on offer. - even the potential for advanced product opportunities through Tropicorp Engineering to include Chassis and Hybrid Power systems.

Tropicorp Racing Supply has long been in the business of creating high-quality motorsports tyres but saw a resurgence on the World Grand Prix circuit when they became the official Tyre Supplier for Tropicorp Racing Aelund midway through the World Grand Prix's 16th season after the team struggled to find its form on its debut. When the Unique Tropicorp Rubber was introduced, however, the teams fortunes improved and interest in the Tropicorp Sifaka tyres increased with many orders for sample and small quantity levels of product over the offseason. Tropicorp became the largest Tyres supplier in the WGPC during its 17th season and were the runaway winners of the WGPC17 Supplier Performance Award which recognized the top performing Tyre Supplier of the season.

Tropicorp repeated this performance during WGPC Season 18, and WGPC Season 19 repeating as Supplier Performance champions for the second and third consecutive seasons. Tropicorp have already been confirmed as an official WGPC sanctioned supplier for World Grand Prix Championship Season 20 and are in final negotiations with a number of teams regarding the use of Tropicorp Racing Supply Tires. Tropicorp has enough production capacity to outfit any willing team with Tropicorp Tyres for the WGPC 20 Season, with interested teams needing only to confirm their contract with the series top supplier, offering the most balance Tyre on the market with both the Tropicorp Sifaka and Storm variant tyres. The Tropicorp Racing Supply team will be on hand with spare lots of tyres at each of the official WGPC Pre-Season testing events and tyres may be purchased directly for use in those events without any pre-reservations.

WGPC19 Tyre Supplier Performance Standings

[1] - 242 :: Tropicorp Racing Supply

[2] - 196 :: Phoenician/InMotion

[3] - 80 :: WGPC Official

[4] - 1 :: HR (Deyoze / Gajamina)

The Tropicorp TRE-S2T-24V8 is the latest powerplant to roll out of the world-renowned Tropicorp Race Engineering garage. The 2.4 liter, twin-turbo charged V8 engine has been built from the ground up; despite sharing similarities with the team's previous powerplant, the 2T24V8 has been developed on a brand new architecture, increasing the unit's power to weight ratio, low-end torque, and virtually eliminating turbo lag through novel innovations in injection and mapping. Its relatively small size and weight also makes the TRE-2T24V8 an attractive option for customer teams looking to adapt an engine to their precisely-designed chassis.

Engine name/manufacturer: Tropicorp TRE-2T24V8
Reliability (Between -1 and 1): -0.4
Actuation (Between -1 and 1): 0.2
Tare (Between -1 and 1): 0.2

Cocoabo #23 Looking to Continue WGPC Career

"Fast Cocoabo" was an ever-present through the first three seasons WGP2 circuit including being the Runner-Up during the inaugural season of WGP2 competition. After being agonizingly defeated at the Inaugural Cocoabo Preservation Grand Prix by Vannish Motors Racing driver Jang Xiopeng, Cocoabo #23 returned a stronger, smarter, faster Cocoabo. Many blamed Fast Cocoabo's defeat on home turf during WGP2 Season 1 to poor pit strategy and not on driving talent. Still, on track, the Cocoabo showed improvements across the board. From the moment the lights went out on the grid, Cocoabo #23 was on a rail never to be challenged. The Orange and Blue Tropicorp machine led the field from start the finish taking the checkers nearly a minute ahead of the nearest competitor to become the first Cocoabo to win an officially sanctioned multiversal event within the Cocoabo Forest.

'Fast Cocoabo' completed their first full season of World Grand Prix Championship competition during the WGPC's 18th season and finished 15th in the 28 driver point standings. Cocoabo #23 consistently out-performed their Teammate at Fireline Motorsports. While Cocoabo #23 was unable to secure a first ever podium finish in the Top Tier of World Grand Prix competition they still managed to place the under-funded Fireline Motorsports machine into the Top Ten in 4 of the 11 races. By comparison, former WGPC Drivers Championship Runner-Up Jean Mercer-Daly, a race winner for Nexus Racing during WGPC Season 18, only accumulated 3 Top Ten finishes. With Fireline Motorsports not returning to the WGPC Grid for Season 19 and instead merging into the Eminent Grand Prix team, it left Cocoabo #23 without a ride, eventually signing up to the WGPC Motorworks team and making a strong showing with 3 top ten finishes and a best result of 4th place in Nekoni, equaling a career best result. Now, While the Cocoabo is rumored to have reached out to Sivaleinen, Cocoabo #23 is a free agent and officials from the Cocoabo Enrichment and Enhancement Project are willing to support Test Drives for Cocoabo #23 with any team that may be interested in the services of their driver.

Cocoabo #23 brings funding from a variety of sponsors including The Cocoabo Enrichment & Enhancement Consortium including the Cocoabo Park Resort and Tropicorp Natural Service.

WGP2 S4 - 4th Place (110 Points) - Vilaye EnergySport Montagne GP
WGP2 S5 - 3rd Place (2 Wins) - Tropicorp VilBev GP2
WGPC19 - Test Driver - Tropicorp Racing Aelund

All Time WGP2 Stats: Wins: 2 :: Podium: 6 :: Top 10: 21

VIALIV LOOKS TO BUILD ON VICTORIOUS WGP2 CAMPAIGN

Skiia Vialiv: Personal Biography ::
After a last minute deal to race in the NSSCRA's Everlong Contender Series fell through, Vialiv was picked up by the Vilisorma Beverage Company as a driver for their show team Vilaye EnergySport which entered Vialiv in the Rumble in the Rice Fields events. Vialiv's backing from the Vilisorma Beverage Company was critical in helping the Vilitan driver land a seat for the 4th WGP2 Season after she failed to earn a drive after trials with Nykipiflugpuun Noortekoondis, PB-Viska and UrGa Motorsports. Vialiv only secured a seat for the season when Vilaye Energy Drink bought out the sponsorship of the Montagne Grand Prix Team under the contractual requirement that it get to choose the teams drivers.

Despite the circumstances of her participation on the World Grand Prix 2 circuit, Vialiv was impressive from the start earning pole position in her debut at the brand new Streets of Alikki-Corra course. While she could never manage to claim a maiden World Grand Prix 2 victory, Vialiv recorded six runner-up podium finishes in her debut season and was "best of the rest" behind the top 3 of Heinz-Otto Junker, Janne Laukkanen and Ted Pressley who decided the title between them in the final race. It was very much a similar story in WGP2 Season 5 where Vialiv would finish third in the overall standings behind Batu Tüvshinbayar and Darian Vilau. Vialiv posted two race victories during WGP2 Season 5, a spring in Aji No Moto followed by the Lisander Grand Prix feature event, but ultimately fell just short of the title, losing by 7 points. Vialiv served as Test Driver for Tropicorp Racing Aelund last season and got the chance to pilot the car for the first time a the midseason test and is looking to bring that experience into a full time ride with a willing WGPC team. Vialiv is ready to negotiate and accept any test offers that might come her way.

While Vialiv is still hoping to impress with her skills on the track, off the track she is sure to be an asset to whichever team is able to secure her services with a strong social following on twii.tur and even an established record interacting with the fans through fantasy sports and other interactive services.

by **Atheara** » Mon May 08, 2023 7:02 am

A NEW BEGINNING, STARTING IT, AND A VIDEO SERIES

Maximiliano Asphari.

One of the two drivers from Atheara who decided to try and participate in the World Grand Prix Championship. He's a bit aggressive, more often than not playing it rather risky whenever he's racing. However, he's reliable enough in that his aggresive behaviour on the track does not end up becoming a negative for him (As in, him not crashing into the barrier due to that aggressiveness and pace). This aggresitivity comes from him driving for Azura Excellor, one of the worst teams in the Athearan Grid Racing Championship. This risque and strong behaviour on the track was what dragged him to Maximiliano's one win and nineteen podiums in the AGRC. He's done his best in what he was given but after that one win, nineteen podiums, eighteen pole positions, 196 out of 216 possible races in nine seasons, he decided to leave for the international scene. The reason? He wants to enjoy racing in a serious enviroment, without having the requirement to always garner points (Maximilano Asphari before leaving was 1 of 3 drivers who had finished in the points in every single race they were in) and to explore the world.

Off the track? He's actually a rather shy individual. Doesn't speak too much unless asked but is definitely a tender soul. The varity of his on track and off track personalities was rather odd to a lot of the fans who follow the AGRC. But he has once answered on why his personality is so different at times. "On the t-track I am uhh... Aggressive because, y'know, AZE isn't a f-forgiving team, enviroment... Points are uh pretty much n-necessary to survive. This a-aggression is, well, required to, well, get the points. The owner of the team is s-strict and always h-had a point requirement, deadline thing, otherwise... Uhhh, I can't say, but it'd be r-really bad. A-and when it comes to m-me being shy, like, uhm, right now... It l-largely came from my parents." A shy figure off the track but aggressive when he's on it, Asphari has often embraced this flaw about himself as he continues to stick to how he acts and how his personality works. A driver who trusts what has always worked for him.

Natasha Vollerei.

A young girl who had just turned into an adult and before that had decided to thrust herself into Atheara's, and now the international motorsporting world. When she showed up to Artecha Racing Power and asked for a tryout for the Halozia Junior Formula Championship, most laughed at her. But Vollerei showed her simulation results, which actually seemed better than some of their current drivers. Considering the simulation technology in Atheara, she was given a trial as she desired. And ARP decided to take the risk and give her a few chances to prove herself by giving her three races in that season's HJFC. She won two of those races with absolute ease, her statistics and numbers showed that she rivaled even some of the better AGRC drivers and could likely keep up with the Halozia's and the EdgeTechs. This scenario has never happened before throughout the history of motorsports in Atheara, but considering the fact that Natasha seems harmless and has no ill intent and due to the fact that she seemed to be a competent driver, the ARC allowed her to start a career and would allow ARP to keep her until the end of the season in which she soon turned 18, and then she decided to leave for international waters rather than following into the domestic waters of the Athearan Grid Racing Championship.

But off the track, there's this oddly charming and mysterious aura around her. There isn't a lot known about her background and she would rather not talk about it. You could ask a whole lot of questions, but her answers are either rather vague or she won't answer at all. Natasha Vollerei is indeed a perplexing figure, and what's even more odd about her is for some reason, she has extensive knowledge about racing despite only recently appearing on the radar. It goes back to over a century worth of knowledge, small tidbits that most Athearan motorsport historians and enthusiasts would miss. Vollerei also heavily understands the rules of racing and often makes her own judgements based on the opinions of people around her. But despite that, she won't stray from factual information. She's still open to discussion however, take it as you will.

These two drivers are representing a nation that has a domestic motorsporting scene rooted in it's past and future. And these two are certainly hoping to prove themselves.

The two drivers mentioned were currently talking to eachother, funnily enough. The reason for them having a conversation to eachother...? Why would there need to be a reason? These two are from the same country and will be, hopefully, competing in the World Grand Prix Championship. Or perhaps they may end up as reserve drivers, who knows what fate awaits the two Athearans. Where were they currently? Well the two were actually meeting up at a small cafe in a mall within the Athearan capital city of Astena. Just a small gathering before getting serious.

The two were talking about the recent information release about this WGPC season. The accepted teams, what pre-season testing could look like for the teams considering they had zero idea on the teams in this season. The other drivers who were competing and about their backgrounds. Typical WGPC related chatter, as this also allowed he almost-a-decade-in-experience driver to meet with the newcomer who can apparently match the better AGRC drivers. Maximiliano's just curious, but he understands that he might be pushing the limits in trying to find more about Natasha considering her rather secretive behaviour.

Then, his phone receives a notification and he checks it. A business acount from... The Athearan Sport Ordering News? The messages sent were several, but they outlined a massive project that they want Asphari and Vollerei to be in. He decided to ask further on what this project was and the reply was a video series to introduce people to the Athearan Grid Racing Championship. With the main spotlight of the show being an iceberg on some lore about the AGRC that they want him and Natasha to cover. He was intrigued, Natasha was confused looking at him.

"What is something on your phone that is keeping your attention?" Vollerei asked.

"A project by ASON, and they want both of us in it." Asphari answered back.

"What's the project about?" The girl asked again.

"A video series to introduce people to the AGRC, and covering some lore about the AGRC through an iceberg for-"

"I'm in."

Well that was easy.

by **Togonistan** » Mon May 08, 2023 8:44 am

Vilitan Grand Prix
WGPC 19

''That is P9 Ted... P9. Solid drive all around, good pace. I'll see you on the parc ferme. Well done.'' Simon, Ted Pressley's race engineer said via team radio after the Tumbran had crossed the finish line at the last race of this season. Kaylan team members walked around the garage, shaking hands and sharing congratulations for finishing the season. No, not for the results, but for simply finishing. It is no secret that their debut season had been an uphill battle for the whole Kaylan outfit. Having taken the brains as well as assets behind their previous WGP2 operation to compete in WGPC, the team's lack of experience with machinery used in the top tier had shown throughout the season.

First and foremost, it had reflected in their car design with the T-180 heavily reflecting their previous championship-winning WGP2 machine in it's design. While it had been a competitive package in the feeder series, WGPC was a whole different opera and the T-180 had, contrary to the expectations, not exactly set the grid on fire. Kaylan ended up finishing the season 9th out of 12 teams in the season. Xander Mahakipare, Kaylan team principal, was not exactly happy with the result. More importantly, the Kaylan board wasn't going to be happy with it either. At the start of the season, Xander had been given a clear goal to finish at least 8th in the constructors standings - a goal which was not met. It wasn't the matter of missing out by a narrow margin either, the gap to Carvenlo up on 8th ended up being a whooping 22,5 points. Of course, Xander was glad... glad that the season was over and, finally, he and the team can finally have some rest after pouring countless hours over the months into all this. However, he was also nervous, because Xander knew he'd have a lot of explaining to do once the off-season begins. At the end of the day, he was the team leader. He was the one responsible for the whole operation. And if the board wasn't happy with the team, Xander knew damn well it'd be his head on a plate.

Kaylan Racing Team HQ
Tushlark, Togonistan
Present Day

Niko Ausage, head of Kaylan's scouting department, raised his head as the sun shining in through a large glass window got covered by Xander's big torso casting a shadow on him. With his arms crossed, Xander slowly shook his head with a serious look on his face. Despite the weather outside being nice and sunny, the whole atmosphere in the office was rather grim. Niko was just about to open his mouth in order to say something, when the door opened and Manu, the team's Chief Technical Officer, stepped in. The smile regularly present on the young Togoni man's face faded as he looked at the duo. Obviously, no words were needed for him to realize that the news Xander had must be anything but positive.

''So... what did Mr. Felan have to say?'' Niko finally asked, looking at Xander.

Letting out a deep sigh, Xander put his arms wide open like a helpless child: ''In short, the news are sh*t. Kaylan is cutting our budget in half.''

''What?'' Manu looked at Xander, absolutely baffled, ''what you mean... in half? Like, half-half?''

''Give or take... the fact is, we are knee deep in a mess,'' Xander landed his buttocks on a couch and took a moment to look at the two, ''I was on phone with Ralph just a moment ago, his story was that the board thinks we were spending too much last season.''

''Too much?'' Manu raised his voice, ''do these knuckleheads realize we're a WGPC constructor? Compared to other factory teams, we're literally scraping the barrel! Tropicorp invests billions into their projects, while we're operating like some backmarker private team!''

''I know Manu,'' Xander said calmly, ''I know. Had we actually been competitive, the story would maybe be different.''

''So they want us to be competitive yet operate on a f*cking shoestring budget?'' Manu let out a frustrated sigh.

Rubbing his chin, Niko eyed the duo in silence for a moment. ''What's the plan now then?''

''We look for sponsors from the outside, as always. Also, there is a little hope to get some extra from Kaylan... if things go right for them. Basically, the powertrain development division has been developing the Taika further and Kaylan is looking to make some deals and supply it for our competitors. Provided they can get some deals in place, there might be a little extra coming our way as well.''

''Like... who, exactly?''

''According to Ralph, a certain Mr. Charlie Pressley has shown interest.''

Manu widened his eyes. ''You mean old man Pressley? Ted's dad?''

Xander nod slowly at Manu, while Niko coughed his throat clean: ''Speaking of which... Xander, you wanted to discuss the driver contracts?''

''Correct. I think it's pretty clear who our first option is, am I right?'' Xander looked at his companions, with all of them nodding approvingly, ''Good. We'll send Ted an offer to extend his current contract, on the same conditions.''

''And what if he refuses?'' Niko asked, perking an eyebrow, ''we all know that the Abovians have shown interest in him. With Ted's current contract running to it's end, he can simply refuse to revive it and accept an offer from Ælund or anyone else, really. I believe we need to put down an alternative plan.''

''Also, what about that second seat?'' Manu raised another question.

''Well, we have Darian in line waiting for his chance,'' Niko added.

''Darian,'' Xander nod a few times as he reached for a bottle of water on the table, ''don't get me wrong, I absolutely think Darian deserves to finally have his chance as a full-time driver and had my meeting with the board ended differently, I would give him that seat in a heartbeat. However, you also need to understand he won't bring any money into the team. The only, and I mean, only way we can possibly even consider him is if we get a driver with sponsorships alongside him. Someone like Ted.''

''So, you want to give Ted the offer and keep Darian on hold?'' Niko asked as he slid out his notebook.

''Correct. I want the offer passed to Ted as soon as possible. If he refuses, we can discuss alternative options later. In the meantime,'' Xander turned to Manu, ''I want someone to take a look at the deal we have with Phoenician and get the paperwork settled. The sooner we can get some tyres delivered to us, the sooner we can start with testing our new chassis. Also, if you see Veronica, tell her to come to my office. I want to take a look at the blueprints.''

''You got it!'' Manu said and got up from his chair, heading out of the door.

Kaylan Racing Team offers Ted Pressley a contract extension for the upcoming season.

Kaylan will use Phoenician-InMotion tyres
Kaylan will use their own engine

by **Delaclava** » Mon May 08, 2023 9:33 am

"...and that's why pickleball is a danger to us all and must be banned and criminalized on a national level."

"Fascinating. Well, Fuzzy, thank you very much for joining us on the show today. You can buy Fuzzy Strokes' new book, Peter Piper Played Tennis, in bookstores and on Agogo.com beginning Friday! And for our last story today on Sunrise Sports, before we turn over to DSGN Live. Max?"

"Thanks, Mitzi. The world gears up for the 20th World Grand Prix Championship, the premier open-wheel competition. Might Delaclava be a part of it for the first time? The odds are slim, but reports have indicated that two drivers are actively seeking rides in this milestone season, and those drivers are Sandro Perez and Kingston Walcott. And to get more on this story, we have our Miscellaneous Sports correspondent, Edward Alya. Ed?

"Yes, um... hi!"

"You ready?"

"My notes sure are!"

"What can you tell us?"

"Right, so the name that's going to be more familiar to the general public is Sandro Perez. He's 29, he's an absolutely thrilling and daring racer. He's been in Prix del Á for seven years but has only raced four of those seasons. He had five wins as a 22-year-old rookie but struggled to put it all together for the course of a season, which he did last year and became Prix del Á champion for the first time. He's also been arrested twelve times, had a very public affair with actress Celia Cross, then an affair with her husband Benji Parra. He's a colorful character and it's intriguing to see him try to make a big jump to the world circuit."

"And what about Walcott?"

"Racing fans will know him better, but I am not one of those. Kingston Walcott is 23 and would be set to make his Prix del Á debut this year. He absolutely stormed to victory in Prix Silver last year, winning 13 of 15 races. He's worked his way up through each rung of racing and observers say he's incredibly composed and experienced compared to his peers. Again, World GP would be a huge jump for him, but this is an ambitious racer who's willing to make the leap."

"What do you think their chances are of landing a seat?"

"I would say next to zero, Mitzi. These guys are relative unknowns and Delaclava has zero history as an open-wheel competitor. In the early days of NSSCRA stock-car racing, you had some guys like Tony Abbott and Jeff Connolly who were really solid performers, Abbott was even fifth in one season, but nothing since then. Walcott has the advantage in that he brings his own sponsorship. He's the son of fashion magnate Sidley Walcott and could bring over the Sloot brand or the Svelte Couture brand with him. But Perez has cachet in his own right too. Regardless, I think their lack of experience and reputation is going to be a killer for them. Either guy could maybe get a test seat, but it's hard to say."

"Would these guys give up a season of competitive racing for a test drive?"

"Absolutely. Walcott is a student of the sport and he would just thrive on a learning opportunity like this. And Perez would love the opportunity to gallivant around the world and start some new families."

"Fascinating stuff. Thank you for that report. That was Ed Alya with the scoop on WGPC 20. Max?"

"Thank you, viewers, for joining us this early morning. Now we'll send you off with this week's Top 10 Animal Sports Bloopers..."

by **Lisander** » Mon May 08, 2023 11:37 am

<< Previously | Next >>

Daily News for your wallet.

CRYPTO TOKENS FUND FORMULA SEASON!

That was the news of the week. After AC Kasandora, Club Sparta and Team Harmin Sailing, Annneliese Devereux, WGPC Driver, was the first athlete to launch a Fan Token, the so-called FT_Dev. She agreed to give us an interview about this project, and also talked about her financial management for the season and life. She received our reporter, José Miggiorin, on her so-called studio, that occupies two rooms of a commercial building in Kasandora North. The place is fairly simple. The first room is a proper office with doors to a bathroom, like any of those trading firms. The second room is home to a Sim Racing cockpit, complete with all kinds of items needed to race, a powerful computer with three screens and a table with all kinds of spare parts. Steering wheels, pedals, shifters. We made the interview in that room, amidst all the hustle and bustle of the preseason. She even had to interrupt the interview for a moment to respond to a tryout invitation.

"So, Anneliese. Crypto is becoming more and more common, but how are you developing this? Will people make money if you win some Grands Prix? Or is it like crowdfunding for the season?"

"The short answer is maybe, but it's not exactly that. That was an idea that started with AC Kasandora earlier this year. It's like being an associate or supporter of the team, like a fan club. FT is the company that takes care of the details, and the profits made from the token don't go into my personal account. Some of it goes to FT itself, as the operator of the system, and some to the company that looks after my racing activities."

This is getting more and more confusing. So a company pays you to drive? Not the team?

"If we talk in legal terms, from this season onwards I am not driving for any team, but for a company called AD Motorsports. AD stands for Anneliese Devereux, and I am the owner of the company, meaning I am working indirectly for myself. But I am not the person who signs the contracts, because I would need a lot of time and commitment to run a company. AD Motorsports has a few people on contract: myself, as the driver. Anne Siebler, my personal assistant and engineer. Luisa Westenra, my physiotherapist. There is a small team that takes care of the media, under contract with an advertising company, and there is Lisa Bohn, my lawyer, and Mariano Bohn, her husband, who is a certified accountant. They act as the general managers of the company, signing contracts, paying the salaries and the proper taxes, all these things I won't be able to do because I will be travelling around the world. So the company takes care of everything I need to do my best. It's a formality, to save me time and avoid legal problems in the future."

Yes, that part is understandable. From buying your favourite bottles of wine to booking hotel rooms, this company takes care of all the details. But where does Fan Token come into the equation?

"A portion of the profits from Fan Token goes to that company, and the money is used to keep the company running."

So it's effectively a sponsor, right?

"Yeah, something like that. But all the WGPC teams already have their own sponsors. They sell the biggest livery spaces for advertising, leaving only the smaller spaces for the drivers' sponsors, so my contributions to the team probably won't be as big. The bigger contracts will cover the costs, so the Fan Token is not to make ends meet."

Even though you already have sponsors? I mean, you signed contracts with Wishes Foundation and Mirage Eyewear this year, and you're still getting money from Bitten Heroes and Leinas Timepieces? Is WGPC really that expensive?

"FT_DEV is not about making money. In the last update that FT reported, they only sold 1,400 tokens. There is one big spender, a well-known person, who bought 500 tokens at once, and the remaining tokens were sold at "retail". The average purchase is 10 tokens per person, some people bought only one token. This value is insignificant compared to the sponsors' income. It is another way to generate buzz from people on social media. By buying a single token, the person gains access to a number of interesting possibilities."

And what are those possibilities?

"There are some cool things on the website, if you want to take a look. If I remember correctly, there are memorabilia giveaways and a poll to set my helmet colour for the Test Events. Can you put a link to that in this article?"

By that time, her phone shown a notification.

"Just a moment please. I need to answer this."

From: Anneliese Devereux (contact@anneliesedevereux.ls)
To: Scuderia Orange Cow

Thank you for your invitation. I'm glad that I have attracted your attention, and I'm interested in scheduling a Private Test with Scuderia Orange Cow. Is for my best interest to have as much drive as possible, this season.

Best Regards,
7. Anneliese Devereux

After three or four minutes, she finished what she needed to do.

"Sorry, it was a test invitation I had to answer. But back to what we were talking. Going through the season, when I get a seat, there will be raffles of premium tickets to selected events and some prizes from our sponsors for those acquiring FT_ADV. Sunglasses from Mirage, watches from Leinas. Wishes Foundation doesn't make a profit, but our publicity team is thinking of ways to get them involved so that my fan base can support the cause of orphaned children. The biggest fans on social media will also receive prizes. It's like a fan club, but with little gifts and other niceties."

So that's one way to engage the fans. But aren't you afraid that it will cause the same drama for you that Echocoin caused some time ago in Aboveland?

"Not at all, because that's not a currency per se. I mean, it's not something to value and devalue. If I get good results, people will buy it to support me, and the price will increase. But my only duty here is to drive. If FT_DEV appreciates from L$5 to L$50, that friend of mine who bought L$2,000 worth of tokens will make a lot if she sells it back to the market. But that's speculation, pure and simple. If someone buys FT_DEV to speculate, it's good to be aware that they're buying a Utility Token, more or less like an NFT or something. There is no promise of profit, that's in the contract, and I won't be responsible for anyone's bankruptcy."

You seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject, indeed. Have you invested in crypto before?

"No... I'm just saying what the FT guys explained to me. I used most of my savings buying solid assets. My family house in Soria, my flat in Kasandora, some properties and stakes in motorsport-related companies through AD Motorsporrs, under the guidance of my friends. My net worth is low compared to other big names in the sport."

Speaking of Net Worth, how does it feel to be the biggest motorsport star in the country? Our magazine did a compilation, and his net worth was found to be one-tenth of Terho Talvela's.

"I felt like 'wow' with this thing of net worth. Talvela is one of the guys I used to watch on TV, really a legend in the motorsport community. If I'm worth ten per cent of what he's worth, I've made it. That's down to my efforts and my sponsorship. People seem to like me, and I like to be liked by people."

So, as we promised, here's the poll currently in her site. You can vote visiting this link: ft-dev.ls/helmet

by **Esmerel** » Mon May 08, 2023 6:25 pm

CHAPTER 1
A Hat In The Ring, A Foot In The Door

May 6, 2023

Cygnus Motorsport Team’s facilities were only a kilometer or so from the main campus.

Brendan studied the buildings around him as he drove to a parking space. He’d come here a few times already, ever since Dr. Emerson offered him a place in the team- but he hadn’t paid much attention to what was around him yet. The buildings weren’t labeled, but he could imagine which was which- a wind tunnel, in-depth motion simulators (which he had tested) and a physical test track.

Cygnus had spent a lot of money, offered by a lot of willing sponsors, to build these facilities. Few could argue that wasn’t true- but few could argue that they weren’t state-of-the-art. When the time came for the World Grand Prix Championship, then all these facilities would be put to the ultimate test. It wasn’t whether or not they worked, as they clearly did- but whether or not they were worth it.

Brendan walked into the main hangar building, where he knew Dr. Emerson and the rest of the team were. True to that, he saw the team manager- as well as one of Brendan’s classmates, Lianna Alphonse- talking to each other near the telemetry station.

“I’m here, sir; hope I wasn’t late to anything,” Brendan said.

“It’s absolutely no problem,” Dr. Emerson replied. “I know college has a few last things to take care of before the end of the year. And congratulations on graduation, by the way.”

“I know it’s an honor, whether or not anyone could see it coming,” Brendan accepted. “So thank you. …I see everyone else around doing some hard work? Mind telling me what I probably did miss?”

“It’s a good day, Brendan,” Dr. Emerson answered. “The WGPO has released the entry list for this year’s championship. Eighteen teams contesting thirteen slots- and we’re in.”

“...Sorry, say that again? We’re competing in the championship this year?” Brendan asked for clarity.

“Yes, we are,” Lianna replied. “And that means we’re going to have to focus on getting everything ready. There’s a few things we prepared for in general, and some things we couldn’t have done any better with- but we do need to pick up the pace. We need an engine supplier, a tire supplier, and two drivers, and all of those need to be in order in time for preseason testing, which is a week from now.”

“...Alright, I get that,” Brendan said. “Weren’t we working on our own engines and tires, though?”

“We were, but we have to work around that,” Lianna said. “The hosts this year adjusted the rules. In-house engine programs are only allowed for teams with at least one year in the series. As we’re only just entering, we’ll need to find an engine. The same goes for the tires- I think we would have been allowed to submit an application, but it was moreso for supplying to other teams, which we wouldn’t have done, as well as our tire program not being quite ready.”

“I don’t think we should be worried. With fortune, we’re in this for the long haul,” Dr. Emerson said. “This just means we’ll have better-developed engines, and maybe tires, for next year. …It does hurt our initial deal with Sturmburgher, though, to help them with their road car engines. You live and you learn, I suppose.”

“Catch me up- we were working on an engine deal with Sturmburgher?” Brendan asked.

“Yes, as Dr. Emerson said, for their road cars,” added Lianna, “a more powerful option for enthusiasts who want their modulars to have an extra kick. Maybe we’ll still be able to work on that in the background, but they won’t be able to boast that it’s an engine fit for an open wheeler yet. It’s irrelevant now either way.”

Lianna turned towards a pedestal nearby, which had the prototype Cygnus engine on top of it.

“A shame, I admit- I felt like we had something going,” Lianna said. “And we’ll have to reconfigure the rest of the car to fit a customer engine. Might be a speed bump.”

“There’s good news, though- we do have options,” Dr. Emerson confirmed. “And I’ve been looking at them intently- think I know what the C101 is looking for.”

“Not to complain, but this is the first I’ve heard of it,” Lianna noted. “So what’s the plan regarding that?”

“Our engine plan was a 2.3L twin turbo V8- that’s what we managed to fit in the chassis,” Dr. Emerson began. “Given that, I think our best engine option would be from Tropicorp. That’s a 2.4L twin turbo V8- same configuration, just a bit larger; I’m sure we could fit it in the chassis without much adaptation.”

“I like the idea,” Brendan said. “What about the tires?”

“The same, actually- Tropicorp tires,” Dr. Emerson answered. “Last season had two major tire manufacturers- Tropicorp and Phoenician-In Motion. Of the two, Tropicorp has harder but more reliable compounds- I’m preferring a bit more reliability to help our car, as it still needs some work in that department. There’s other good reasons for these- we could get a package deal, maybe even put some more sponsors on the car, and did I mention this combination of suppliers took the factory team to three consecutive Drivers’ Championships? I’m sure they’re our best bet.”

“You’re the boss. You can go ahead and make the call- or whatever you’ll do- to see if they want to supply us,” Lianna affirmed. “As for other technical issues, we’ll have to add weight to the car to meet regulations, and also solve- well, I was just thinking that Brendan’s here, so maybe we should just show him what’s what.”

Dr. Emerson nodded, and the trio walked over to one side of the room. Lianna moved a tarpaulin curtain to reveal the Cygnus C101, or at least its chassis on temporary tires.

“Most teams at this point have adopted a halo around the cockpit to protect drivers from debris,” Lianna said. “It’s proven to be invaluable in several instances; though we’ve gone with a different approach, a closed aeroscreen. It’s, arguably, more aesthetically pleasing and less obstructive to the driver’s eyes, as well as assuredly aerodynamic, but it might not hold up against impacts as well. We may want to work on solutions to make sure the screen meets the same safety standards.”

“I’ve got to say, you and your team did a good job working on the chassis, Lianna,” Dr. Emerson said. “It’s very small and nimble, good for fighting, and the aerodynamics give you a lot of grip with much less dirty air behind than cars of the last few years. I’d love to see it inspire other teams, in a sense, to adopt similar constructions, and create better racing, which leads to better championships.”

“In the WGPC? I know you grew up in an era,” Lianna rebutted, “where races were just parades to see whose car would give up first, but we’re past that. We don’t get much more exciting than this.”

“True, true. Brendan? Have you anything to say?” Dr. Emerson asked.

“...Why does the chassis already have my name and number on it?” Brendan noticed.

“...It’s a foregone conclusion, Doctor. Just offer it to him already,” Lianna suggested.

“Yes, well… I had hoped to ease him into things!” Dr. Emerson responded. “But alas, time is making fools of us all, and we do need to get moving before next week’s tests. Brendan, you’ve enjoyed testing the simulator, right?”

“Of course,” Brendan simply replied.

“...Perhaps you’d like to test the real thing? Not just that- but race it?” asked Dr. Emerson.

“...Are you actually serious?!” Brendan exclaimed. “Er… um… forgive me. I meant… bleh. What I meant is… How come me? I’m not a racer.”

“You understand everything about the process,” Dr. Emerson said. “You’ve told me you dabble in driving your car across the country in your free time, and you play a lot of games too. You can get each and every feeling out of the car better than almost any other- and to be honest, you’re the only person I know who might be interested in this.”

Dr. Emerson paused for a moment. “The failures of Esmerel’s past- Obey, MTAC, Square Zero- they do discourage most others from even trying,” he said grimly. “It’s hard to get off the ground for anyone, moreso for a nation focused on quick results. We won’t be about quick results. This year is just a foot in the door- we’ll win the championship eventually, but we can’t expect immediate success. Unless it does happen, I suppose, but our expectations are low. And about you, Brendan… I know you’ve been the bridesmaid, in a sense, for a while- even though you deserve more. You already were happy to join the team, so why not try it? Take the chance?”

Brendan looked at Dr. Emerson with intent. “You’re right- I guess opportunities like this don’t come often, do they?” he asked. “Sometimes it just… happens. Right away.”

Saying this, he smiled with honesty.

”I’ll do it. I’ll take the chance. Let me be your number one.”

“Thanks a bunch for the confidence boost, Brendan,” Dr. Emerson replied cheerfully. “Once we get the engines and the tires onto the car, we’ll be able to send you out to the real track. Until then, you’ll have to make do with the simulator.”

“That’s where I thrive- I hope I can take that feeling to the track,” Brendan said.

“Good, good. We’ll get it all in writing very soon, but you can already get to celebrating the opportunity,” Dr. Emerson said.

“...Much as I personally see this as too bold a move, congratulations are in order, Brendan,” Lianna admitted. “Doctor, this does still leave the second driver. We have time, but other teams are looking for drivers as well. We may want to choose fast.”

“I know… I was thinking we could send invites to a test and choose a driver from that, but…” Dr. Emerson trailed off. “There isn’t an awful lot of time to do that, compared to other years. Yes, in reality, some teams might not be able to get both drivers in time for the first test, but I would much prefer to handle it quickly.”

“We do also need a driver that can reliably adapt to the car,” Lianna added, “and not spin into a tire barrier at every opportunity.”

“...Which is why I think we might have a winner already,” Dr. Emerson announced. “I’ve been in contact with someone who might be interested. I’d like to wait and see for a more concrete reply, but I think it’s looking good. It really is- all in order well before others. It’s better than last.”

“So be it… Boss. Let’s see what awaits us.”

__________

Addendum

Luckily, it at least didn’t take long for the bigwigs at Tropicorp to respond.

Cygnus Motorsport Team confirms it will be using Tropicorp engines and tyres for the upcoming season.

It also confirms Brendan Faloe as its First Driver.

World Cup 80/89/91 Group Stage

Jordan Crowe hadn't spoken to anyone from the team in over 3 months—the odd text here and there, an email exchange or two—since the reception; he and his girlfriend Steph had tied the knot, with much of the team attending the festivities, then gone on a lengthy honeymoon (she had done some therapy to get over her fear of flying).

“JC! how's the married life?” Sammi Carter was one of the OCR drivers for the AOGP team and the four pilots—Batu, Carter, Nick Unger and Jordan—had formed a close bond between themselves.

“Really good. We've not killed one another yet after all the time we've spent together, so that's a good sign.”
“Have you heard from Mike lately? He's asked me to go up to the shop to do some laps on the new track.” Sammi was from St Leon so she had the peculiar idiom of 'going up/going down' rather than saying 'he asked me to come up'.

“No I haven't. I don't know if he's gonna work out the contract stuff or if someone else is. I don't wanna seem impatient by calling in and asking 'when are we gonna sign?'”

Less than four hours after than phone call ended, Mike Lambert's voice was on the other end of the phone.
“Jordan, is this a good time?”
“Yeah, it's fine Mike. How's things going ahead of the season?”
“Hectic. We've taken on so many new people since the last time you and I saw one another, and there's 2,000 other issues. The WGPC sent us confirmation of our entry last week so now we are ramping up all of the commercial deals, the media stuff. I was wondering if you had a free day next week to come in?”

“Sure, I've got an open calendar. (laughs) What day?”

“Tuesday? Sammi is gonna run some exhibition laps in last year's car that we're mocking up with some of the new design features, both for PR and for gathering some data. We can talk about how the next month or so is gonna play out.”

“That's great. I'll see you then.”
“Tell Steph I said hello, let's say 10 am?”
“Sure thing, bye.”

Jordan Crowe is open to listening to offers from established WGPC teams, even just for test invitations. He is on what could be considered a “subject to option” or a “memorandum of understanding” type contract—OCR wouldn't hold him back if a better opportunity came his way.
_____________________________________________

Lambert, Vic Marzetti, Ed O'Malley and Paul Valentini arrived in Tropicoast to meet with Tropicorp Racing Supply officials on two different fronts.

The TRS tires that OCR used in both WGP2 and AOGP were extremely well suited to the cars they ran in both series, and there was not much appetite for ditching the brand in favor of different supplier after all of the data was analyzed during the off-season. The deal was done fairly quickly as TRS was happy to have the WGP2 Constructors champion as a customer team in this series.

Scuderia Orange Cow to stay with AO tire brand Tropicorp Racing Supply.

The presentation by Tropicorp Engineering of the TRE-2T24V8 engine was impressive and then there came a breakout session where Valentini and O'Malley were taken to be shown a scale model of the entire package while Lambert and Marzetti discussed the optics and practical financial realities.

“The Skychief has been a good engine for us, because it's fit our engineering objectives—not failing mechanically and having a smooth torque/HP ratio in medium speed corners. Plus it's compact and has decent low mass center. But we have a significant interest in the eight cylinder layout because it has a strong historic identity with domestic racing in Baker Park.”

Lambert breezily explained the tie-ins then handed off to Marzetti.
“The ballpark figures we've kicked around for the engine budget start off at minimum of 13 million and max out at 19 mill, relative to what we're investing on chassis design and development, aero, brakes, suspension, cooling, gearbox. A great deal is going to depend upon what the nerds think.” (laughter)

The “nerds” were being given a close look at the layout attached to a partially built WGPC 19 spec chassis; there were intellectual property, propitiatory confidential design elements, and general non-disclosure factors that were at play, but the visitors were allowed to take notes on measurements of every part of the package and were unhindered by their escorts in examining details closely.

The meeting concluded with dinner and when the OCR representatives left to return to the airport, there were as many new questions as answers they'd gotten.

________________________________________________________________
The internal email server that included only the very top executives—who were given their address by the author of this message—pushed the forwarded mail just as the flight from Tropicoast was taking off.

From: Jill Franklin--VP/Commercial ( frankiejo@ ocrmail.bp.)
To: Michael Lambert—CEO/Principal ( lambchop@ ocrmail.bp.)
cc: David Peterson—CFO ( petedave@ ocrmail.bp.)

Re: Fwd:
From: Anneliese Devereux (contact@anneliesedevereux.ls)
To: Scuderia Orange Cow

Thank you for your invitation. I'm glad that I have attracted your attention, and I'm interested in scheduling a Private Test with Scuderia Orange Cow. Is for my best interest to have as much drive as possible, this season.

Best Regards,
7. Anneliese Devereux

by **Valkea** » Mon May 08, 2023 9:07 pm

by **Auruna** » Mon May 08, 2023 10:47 pm

Jukkenna Residence
Livonsk, Auruna
Laura Haukanna

Soon after the end of WGPC19, where I finished 7th in the championship and having the honour of being Rookie of the Season, we had a long off-season that followed. It was a relatively boring year, apart from WSRC and other events, there's not much to do and there was no news about WGPC. After the conclusion of WSRC2 (and being Kälö's co-driver for the last two rallied there), I decided I needed some time off from anything motorsport related so I went to Haru's place with Kälö and Zuiha for some time. I'm just hoping the Juno can take care of Kata while I'm gone. Anyway, my time with the three was surprisingly peaceful, it's not what I'm used to but I guess it's probably due to being burnt out or something but we still enjoyed it.

After a week, Kälö and Zuiha returned to Nisko for something... I think it involves Sport Mikuren or they're just going back home, I don' know. But all I know is that I apparently decided to stay at Haru's for a lot longer than anticipated which I didn't mind at all but I grew worried of Juno and Kata back home. After a quick phone call to reassure myself that they're fine, my lengthened stay continued.

I have no idea how long I stayed but my mind was clear of anything related to WGPC until one morning when Erik Halenna, my race engineer, suddenly called.

As I was lying on the couch, bored, my phone rang which startled me. It was early in the morning so I was a bit groggy but I still answered. After picking up, I answered with a mildly annoyed "What is it?" to whoever was calling.

Then I heard Erik's voice respond. "Hey Laura, it's Erik. Did I wake you up? If so then apologies."

"Why did you call me early in the morning?"

"Ah, I just have some news for you."

"Yeah?"

"WGPC is up if you haven't heard yet. And PB is in."

"Whoa, really?" My face lights up in excitement upon hearing the news. I wasn't up to date with anything apart from what Haru and Kälö would tell me.

"Knew you'd be excited but listen here, SOC - Scuderia Orange Cow wants to do a private test with you. What do you say?"

"Wait, who again?"

"Scuderia Orange Cow, champions in the last WGP2 season."

"I'll ask Haru for info about that."

"Alright, now, it's your call on what you want to do."

"While I prefer driving for PB again, doing a private test should be fine... right?" Then after a brief pause, I give an answer to Erik. "As you have become somewhat of an agent now, tell them that I'm interested in SOC's private test and would like to participate in it. I'm going to be quite busy in a bit I think so I'll let you handle it."

"Understood, and that's all for now. See you."

"Alright, see you soon."

After hanging up, I lie back down again, feeling a bit drowsy but I was still excited. I put my arm over my eyes trying to fall asleep again. As I lay on the couch, I didn't notice Haru who just came down from his room and after trying to grab my attention several times, poking me in my cheek finally did it and it completely woke me up.

"O-oh.. ah... Haru, didn't notice you there." I said while I sit up to make room for him.

Haru then sits down beside me and asks in a cheeky manner. "Going to race again?"

"What? How did you--"

"Well, sorry for eavesdropping." He says, chuckling.

"Uh.. heh, it's alright... I was going to tell you anyway."

"Heh... so Miss 'WGPC19 Rookie of the Season', what's your plan this time?"

"Well, I guess it's likely that I'm going to drive for PB again but it's their call if they still want me. I still couldn't believe how we managed to pull that off last season. Also, give me a better nickname."

"Nice of you to stick with them for another season, they became your second home for WGPC. In regards of the nickname... would 'Kiirukami' work?"

"What does that mean?"

"A shortened form of 'Kiirujaanhaukami'* and that should tell you what it means and where I got it from."

"O-oh... that sounds nice. I quite like it. Anyway, anything from your end?"

"Ehh, WGP2 is not going to run alongside WGPC this time but I can wait. I'm not looking forward to it as of yet after what happened last season but I'll get myself ready when the time comes."

"Huh, alright then. I think I should prepare for what's to come." I get my phone to take a look at the calendar. "I guess I should head back home tomorrow."

"In that case, is there anything you want to do?" He asked looking to hang out with me before I leave, taking the opportunity while I'm still here which is a bit different than he was before. Maybe there's something else behind this.

I stand up after Haru asked to answer him with sheer enthusiasm. "Time to explore Livonsk again!"

"Alright then Miss 'Kiirukami'." Haru teases. "You take the lead."

With a playful giggle I simply responded. "Kirustee Haru."

*Kiirujaanhaukami - Little Silver Hawk; lit. Small Snow Lily Hawk
kiiruja(a) - Aurun Snow Lily, can also be used for the colour silver instead of hopunaa / serevunaa
hauka - Aurun for hawk
-mi - a suffix used to determine that something is "small"

Kinu's Apartment
Veratuna, Auruna

Kinu Luminna's off-season has been pretty quiet. There's not much news about him apart from the rumours that he's competing in AEC which was proven to be false after the season started without him and he has been under the radar ever since. But that changed as the WGPC20 season is about to start where he, along with fellow Aurun Laura Haukanna, are in the list of WGPC drivers for the upcoming season which drew media attention and online talks about who is going to drive for which team. Popular assumptions are that the two are going to remain with the teams they raced with before but in Kinu's case, after finishing 5th in the championship, other teams might consider him for a seat. It's no wonder ever since something clicked within Kinu as he raced in the previous season. Coming from the Motorworks, he had a humble beginning and now he's near the top. Though there's some pressure present at his current situation but as long as he could improve upon his current performance, he thinks he can take it head-on. Although there are worries that he's not going to drive if his fortunes swayed the other way.

What to do... what to do. Kinu repeats to himself as he is consumed by boredom. While he had a minor role in Viska's AEC project and has access to their simulator to hone his skills, he's still looking forward to WGPC which meant he had to wait for a long time. A really long time. He had been waiting for news to come around until a tiny notification popped up while he mindlessly scrolled through the internet on his laptop.

"What's this?"

He went on to check what it's all about and it directed him to his messages. Who is it and what it might be about? He would then take a good look to see who it was from as he was new to this MNA messaging app.

[[Viska] Artur Iljakov - 1 New Message]

"Oh? What is this about then? This looks interesting."

Kinu then opens the message...

To: Kinu Luminna

As we the new season of WGPC dawns upon us, we're going to go through driver negotiations and signings once again. I'll have to let you know that Viska still considers you for a seat so don't you worry about that, just keep that in mind. Now, teams may approach you for their seats and should you accept them, it's alright, you have our support. Only you have the control of your future. Whether you choose Viska or any other team, it's up to you.

We'll be here in case you need something to fallback on. We got your back.

That's all.

- Artur Iljakov

P.S. You owe me 50 Raviens

"So that's what this was about... huh."

He contemplates for a moment.

Alright, Kinu... you're on your own here and no one can help you this time. No Lukas, no Jan, no Artur and no Jöna.

...

"I get their point. I think I'll come up with a plan just in case. Now, let's wait and see what the rest of the grid think of me before I make my move. Let's not rush in, let's not make mistakes." Viska already has some confidence in me so they might be a perfect choice but I kinda want to try something different... something new... but what will it be?

Waiting... Kinu just couldn't do it especially in the beginning of the WGPC20 season, he grew restless and wanted to see the results of everything, wanting to know everything. But it is all he could do for now.

Just where would he end up this time.

by **Mertagne** » Tue May 09, 2023 2:04 am

SIVALEINEN LCR ORIGAS GRANTED WGPC LICENCE
New Mertagnian Racing Outfit Granted Conditional Race Licence

I DIDN’T ENTER THIS VENTURE TO LOSE MONEY
Annikki Sivaleinen claims she is ‘desperate’ for technically minded team principal to head WGPC team

SIVALEINEN IN TALKS TO RECRUIT KEY TECHNICAL STAFF
WGPC veterans from other teams offered substantial payout

SIVALEINEN LCR ORIGAS SIGN ON AS PRESTON AUTOS CUSTOMER
‘Technical Agreement’ signed in Hapilopper City -- could this spell further partnership?

FUTURE FOR BRYCE YANNEC IN WGPC?
Mertagnian WGP2 star expected to continue partnership with House Sivaleinen

TROPICORP TYRES TO SUPPLY TO MERTAGNIAN RACING TEAM
Tropicorp Racing Supply enters agreement with Sivaleinen LCR Origas to provide tyres for WGPC 20

CAN MERTAGNE MAKE IT TO THE GRID THIS YEAR?
Despite promises from Sivaleinen LCR Origas, the future looks bleak

NEW TEAM SECURES OLD STAR
Sivaleinen bag Polarian WGPC star Vitaliy Aaltonen as Team Principal

Annikki Sivaleinen swept the newspapers and dossiers off of her dusty desk at the former Lekueder Country Racing facility in Acerglade, Plitterland -- a town approximately 40 miles west of the bustling city of New Fligsive. The LCR outfit had previously competed in national open-wheel championships, and could, rather shakily, trace its heritage back to an offshoot of MTS Systems Racing, which had competed in Formula Hodori many years prior. Now, the team, facing bankruptcy last year by overspending in an attempt to develop a car for a WGP2, was purchased by the fashion house that Annikki oversaw, and made a moonshot above and beyond their WGP2 aspirations by devoting the time, funds, and energy to apply for the WGPC. While their licence was granted and the car met the technical specifications, the team was working off of last season’s innovations and still had a long way to go before they could line up on the grid for the first race of the season.

All of this made Annikki’s head swim, however - she was well used to running a business, but due to her detail oriented nature, she felt the need to immerse herself in technical motor racing literature as better to understand the nature of the agreements her - and it was a shock to think that, yes, this was her - racing team had ratified.

So she was relieved when she received a message from her secretary that her 10:00 appointment had arrived.

Into the Sivaleinen office stepped a lanky man in a surprisingly ill-fitting Sivaleinen suit, as if he had just had a growth spurt or lied about his measurements. A sharp jawline on an angular face complimented even sharper hair, a ducktail cut of ash blonde that pinned back his face, which was framed by a pair of thick black round glasses which held a piercing blue-eyed gaze. The green lanyard brandished loosely around his neck stated his name and his purpose: Vɪᴛᴀʟɪʏ Aᴀʟᴛᴏɴᴇɴ, Tᴇᴀᴍ Pʀɪɴᴄɪᴘᴀʟ.

Behind the desk, Annikki Sivaleinen sat, papers haphazardly piled to her side. The rather lonely commercial phone sat slightly off its rocker. Sivaleinen brushed her hair out from over her eyes, linked her fingers, and smiled. “Thanks for coming in to see me this morning, Vitaliy. Nice to see you’ve settled into the role okay. How are you finding things?”

The team had navigated significant hurdles with the signing of both a tyre and an engine supplier, opting to venture with Tropicorp Racing Supply in an agreement for tyre supply, but not dipping their toes fully into the Tropicorp ecosystem with the engine supplier. Instead, a ‘technical agreement’ had been signed behind the scenes with Preston Autos of Hapilopper, with the senior team providing the Skychief V6 to Sivaleinen, with both parties interested in a closer agreement that would see Sivaleinen ‘bridge the gap’ to the top tier of competition. These had been Vitaliy’s first key actions as Team Principal, and he had dealt with them with a professional and technical courtesy that was becoming more and more like him nowadays.

A puzzled look crossed Aaltonen’s face. “I’ve barely been out of a meeting yet during these first few weeks, so it’s certainly been quite intense. Did you have something for me to do?”

“Just to remind you that you have a press conference at 13:00. The media are excited to hear about your foray back into WGPC.” Annikki said, nodding with an intensity that looked positive, but portrayed a worriedness about the media behind her eyes. “Our media team will be briefing you of some questions you’re likely to be asked beforehand.”

“Sure. I’ll be fine though, the media loves to speak to me.” Vitaliy said, as a wry smile crept across his face.

As the team principal sat down in the Sivaleinen media room to speak to the flurry of press that had arrived, a clamour of journalists keen to extract some information flooded Vitaliy’s vision. A media consultant looked to placate the crowd and started rapidly pointing at people to deliver questions.

“So, Vitaly, how does it feel to be appointed Team Principal of a WGPC team that, until very recently, had their sights set on a WGP2 entry?” asked a prominent Mertagnian journalist from Ekitaldia.

“It’s been a bit of a chaotic start to my tenure, since we’re trying to become established so quickly, but we have a bunch of fantastic people working under us who have put in a lot of effort to get us this far. I’m proud of the work that everyone is doing, and the team is being built with some amazing people on the engineering side and on the business side. We have a fantastic technical partnership in place with some big names, and so my expectations are high when it comes to making an impact in our first season.” Aaltonen replied, a bit quickly.

A tabloid journalist looking for some dirt chimed up next. “What’s the story with your partnership with Sivaleinen? How did it come to be?”

Keeping a cool head, Vitaliy responded, “I’ve been sequestered over in Audioslavia for many years now, at Johanson Motorsports as, recently, a Technical Development Manager among other things. I was invited to see the facilities here at Sivaleinen LCR Origas, and I was impressed with what I found here and the talent that is rapidly being cultivated. It was a great opportunity to try my hand at helping build a team from the ground up as a new entry to the grid, bringing passionate people together into the exciting world of motor racing.”

“How has development of the car been going? Rumour has it that the team has had their nose to the grind-stone non-stop in the time since you took charge.” asked a journalist who was clearly from some petrolhead magazine or website.

“The windtunnel is running as much as possible, producing a lot of data, and we’ve done a lot of simulation work to get the most out of the car while understanding regulations which are somewhat new to this outfit of engineers. We are working to understand which set-ups work well and which don’t. The car, at the moment, is still in a design and testing phase but we have a clear direction on what we want to get out of the car, and on the driving ethos of the team. I’m confident that the expertise of the team will manage to deliver a car that is capable of breaking into the highest levels of this competition.” said Aaltonen with the typical confidence that comes with the job.

Picking up on the thread laid down by a previous journalist, another asked, “Can you divulge more into your technical agreement with Preston Autos, who will be supplying your powertrain this season?”

“Preston Autos is an industry leading company in the realm of motorsports, and the Skychief V6 will be used in the Sivaleinen car this season. As a part of our agreement, we are looking to them to provide some expertise and resources on how best to integrate the engine with our car. This is key for setting up a strong backbone for the team, and will be a fantastic resource to lean on but also compete with on the track.” quoted Vitaliy -- an almost verbatim canned response he’d been fed before the conference. It didn’t make it any less true.

“Any news on who will be filling the seats of your car? As we know, contract negotiations are ongoing - but do you have your eyes set on anyone?”

“I’m not able to comment on any specific drivers at present, but the key goal will be to hire drivers who can maximise the capability of the car. There’s a lot of talent out there going into this season and we want to select a driver pairing that will be able to add something to us. As a new team on the grid we ideally would be looking for someone with a lot of expertise, experience in this type of car - but we can just as well learn alongside a rookie, and truly develop something alongside their own skills and complement each other well.” said Aaltonen. Contract negotiations were ongoing with several promising drivers, but little was to be divulged this early in the process.

A dirt digging journalist of a different breed was selected to ask a question. “And how would you describe your working relationship with Annikki Sivaleinen, your CEO?”

“We have a solid working relationship - she is incredibly competent at what she does and as a result it makes my job a little easier and I can focus on the racing. We have a clear understanding of our respective roles in this organisation and what she has hired me to accomplish here.”

“Right, so no issues with her, unlike your last motorsport position. How did things end with Johanson? What was it you called him again?”, the same journalist responded.

Vitaliy sighed, with a bit too much dramatic flair. “I’m not discussing that, it’s not relevant to this conference. The only thing I’ll say is that people love to claim I’m the cause of all this drama, just because I happen to be involved - usually I’m the one putting an end to it if I haven’t started it.” He raised an eyebrow as if to suggest he would be ending a lot of drama this season.

“Who will you see as your biggest rivals on the track?”

Aaltonen cleared his throat before responding. “Preston Autos had a fantastic performance last season, and are looking to be the ones to beat this time around. However, many other teams have big plans for this year - Kaylan has experience behind them and will be looking to build on that capital, and Pressley Racing will certainly be ones to watch. It will certainly be an intense season for sure, and we will be bringing out our best to ensure we get the results we want and deserve. We’ve not got a great idea on the competition yet, but hopefully the results of the pre-season testing will show where we stand relative to the competition.”

The conference wound down with some more light-hearted questions that Aaltonen parried with a light dismissal, before he stood up, head cut-off by the cameras filming, and walked out of the media room. Media reception to Sivaleinen's entry was lukewarm at best, but hopefully the car would make up for that once it hit the track.

by **Tumbra** » Tue May 09, 2023 5:59 am

For the sake of confirmation:
Ted Pressley accepts Kaylan's offer to extend his contract with them.
Pressley Racing Engineering will use Kaylan engines for the upcoming season.
Pressley Racing Engineering will use Brústeinn tyres for the upcoming season.
Pressley Racing Engineering signs Sophie McCreary as their first driver.
Pressley Racing Engineering offers Bryce Yannec the second seat.

Grantfeldt, Tumbra

The news that Charlie Pressley had changed his team's focus from WGP2 to WGPC had launched a hive of activity as the headquarters was rebuilt, again, and the WGP2 car was hastily converted into a WGPC car. Not that it would harm the team's performance, mind — the car was basically already WGPC-spec, as the team had long been planning to join WGPC eventually, anyway; but plans had changed. There were supporters, and there were detractors; but because Pressley Sr. held an iron grip over the operations over the team, there were no protests eventually.

Team Principal Jack Brook was not one of the supporters. The marque was too inexperienced, he wanted to tell Pressley Sr. A decade of experience in Tumbran Super Formula meant nothing in the face of those established giants like Viska and Carvenlo, he wanted to say. But Pressley Sr. shouted at him, telling him to get with the programme or "f**k off," and so Brook had attempted to put his misgivings aside and focus on getting the team prepared for WGPC.

That included getting Sophie McCreary ready for WGPC.

Brook had no idea why Pressley had suddenly started prepping the talented 19 year-old for entrance into WGPC; again, he felt it was too soon for the young girl to be thrown into the deep end. As he walked past the simulator room, where Sophie was seeing the Pressley PRE-023 being put through its paces, he frowned. Still not ready, I think. Still too erratic. Still too combative. Her race engineer, Terrence, was used to her outbursts on the radio by now; but the job was wearing him thin, and he could see it. She needed a stable presence, someone to guide her in WGPC and in life.

That was the purpose of today's meeting with Charlie. Brook was about to try and convince Charlie Pressley to sign someone more experienced for the team's second seat, to be a mentor for McCreary as she got to grips with the sport. He'd already prepared four names for his consideration; R.L. Cruisin, Dom Falepeau, Dario Nülkeschläger, and Sara Luna. Each of them had a wealth of experience in the sport; each of them would be good team members to help the team get feedback for the car.

As he waited outside Pressley Sr.'s office, he saw his deputy — the silver-haired, bespectacled Stephen Cheung — step out of the lift that led to his office and sit next to him. He was also carrying four manila folders. Jack didn't much like Stephen; he was always too keen to bend over backwards for Charlie Pressley, and Jack figured it was because Stephen wanted his job.

"Old Man tell you to meet him at 1.30?" began Jack.

"Yep," replied Stephen.

"Seems like we're going to give him suggestions for second drivers, then."

"There's not much else to get out of the way, anyway. Engine was decided beforehand, we're using the Kaylan. They suggested we use the Phoenician tyres but the Old Man flat-out refused. He wanted Brústeinn...said they offered him a better deal."

"Who'd you suggest, then?"

"I've got four. Vollerei. Yannec. Ji. Vialiv."

"All three newcomers to the sport."

"Well, we can't have them upstaging Sophie, can we?"

"She needs a guiding hand. She's still too young, too raw, and yet she's being pushed into too big a position!"

"She's the next big thing, Jack."

"She still needs time to bloom. An experienced hand would —"

"An experienced hand would be too smothering for Sophie. She needs the time to shine on her own stage! She'll be Tumbra's first world champion one day."

"Some day is not now."

"Stephen, Jack, Mr. Pressley will see you now," the secretary said, breaking up their argument. Stephen and Jack looked at each other; it was obvious that this meeting would be for each of them to convince the Old Man, Charlie Pressley, which path to go down.

Couno

"Ted, you've really got to move out of the hotel room soon, y'know? I've got a nice place down in Marray. You could stay there. My dad rarely ever goes down to Bechor these days, anyway," said Ian Ashburn, Lakewood City centre-back, while half-drunk. "Might help you pull some girls, too..."

"I dunno, Ian," said Ted Pressley, WGPC driver. "I like it in Couno..."

"Well, it sucks that you're estranged from your dad now," said Ian. "At least he's not sponsoring the team. I had to tell him that you and the team were different."

"Yeah, I'm glad I've still got you lot. Though it does suck to be part of a civil war within my own family..."

"Will you be coming for the West Couno game on the weekend? I can grab you some deluxe hospitality. Dad'll be there. I'll be playing too, but that's obvious."

"Yeah, sure. You'd best keep a clean sheet."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

"If I keep a clean sheet you've got to go bag a girl."

"Eh..."

"What's up with that? C'mon. Just tell them you're a WGPC driver. They'll be swoonin'. Guarantee it."

"I dunno, Ian, I'm not exactly in the mood for a relationship right now."

"Oooh? Did something happen?"

A blush appeared on Ted's face. "Not...exactly."

The one night in the sauna Ted had shared with his competitor, Janne Laukkanen, still hung deep on his mind. He'd been thinking about how best to approach Janne since, but he'd never gotten the chance. It'd been one of the two things that had bothered him, actually; the other was where he was about to drive for the next season. He'd considered casting his net elsewhere, looking at Carvenlo and the new Tropicorp-Colorworks team for a bit; but when Kaylan came in with an offer, he'd accepted immediately. He needed stability to try and continue raising his stock, even if he didn't know who his teammate for the new season would be.

So that one was chalked off immediately. He held vain hopes of Janne becoming his team-mate, but heard that he was bound for Nexus, with their weird floaty car or whatever. When it was announced that his dad was setting up a team for WGPC, his heart sank as he became scared Janne would sign for Pressley; it was obvious his dad was out to prove a point to Ted that sticking with him would have been better. His heart sank even more when it was announced that Sophie McCreary was to be the team's lead driver.

Ted liked Sophie, in a brotherly way; she was four years his junior, and was always super enthusiastic about driving. She could be a bit crashy, but had a good heart. But as to whether she was ready for WGPC, let alone WGP2? No. She was being rushed through the lower rungs of racing to prove a point to Ted — that he was replaceable — but Ted feared that Sophie wouldn't be able to keep up with the stresses of being a full-time WGPC driver. He wished he could reach out to her; but she didn't speak to him now.

There was a lot for him to think about this season. Pressing on with Kaylan. Trying to connect with Janne and see whether he wanted to go out again. Taking care of Sophie, even if it was from afar.

And there was nothing to it but letting out a loud sigh.

Grantfeldt

"I think Stephen's right," said Charlie Pressley, having looked over the eight manila folders. "We've got to give Sophie the time she needs to shine. I don't think any of the four drivers you brought out would be willing to take on a second driver role, anyway."

The four manila folders prepared by Jack were kept underneath the table. Jack suspected he'd never see them again.

"So," said Charlie. "We've got four to choose from. I like the look of the Mertagnian youngster, Yannec. Are we likely to have any competition for his signature?"

"Siv-Siva-Sivalvainen-" Stephen began.

"Sivaleinen are interested," said Jack. "But he could be convinced, I suppose."

"Where did he finish in WGP2 last season?"

"Pretty disappointing, all things considered," said Stephen. "But he's got a lot of potential."

"Good."

"Good?" said Jack. "If we're to hit the ground running, then we cannot be signing someone who finished near bottom in WGP2! If we wanted to sign a driver from WGP2, Vialiv's there — Haukanna, I don't know, Tuvshinbayar if you're really desperate —"

"He won't complain," said Pressley, reading through Yannec's folder.

"What?" asked Jack incredulously.

"We give him a seat in WGPC, he can't complain. We make it sound like he'd be shit outta luck otherwise, and he'll have to be okay with everything."

"Boss, you can't be —"

"If he gets snapped up by Sivaleinen, then we'll look at Vialiv," said Charlie Pressley, closing the file. "But whomever we get, they have to be okay with being a second driver."

His eyes narrowed. "I'm not letting anyone get in Sophie's way. Stephen, make initial contact with Yannec's management; you'll have full rein over the negotiation."

Jack coughed. "Charlie, I'm Team Principal. Surely I should —"

"Yannec was Stephen's discovery, he gets to do the deal. He's already more familiar with Yannec anyway. Anyway, thank you both for coming down. That'll be all."

"Thank you, Boss," said Stephen, as he began moving towards the exit of the room.

"Charlie —" began Jack

"That. Is. All. Thank you for coming down," Charlie said, as he motioned to the door that Stephen was already halfway through.

Jack gritted his teeth. It was going to be a long season.

by **United Adaikes** » Tue May 09, 2023 6:49 am

Aaron Deering's residence, Green Hills
Bayside Shrank, Red Forthdor
Ludsport, United Adaikes

"Logan?" Aaron faced his smart TV. "Can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Aaron," Logan Gibb replied, "but get back a few steps, as I can only see your neck down to your knees."

Logan Gibb is the new Director of the Office of Public Relations of the United Adaikes Performance Fuels, a subsidiary of the United Adaikes Oil Company. Aaron's father is the President of the United Adaikes Oil Company. He entrusted Gibb Aaron's racing career.

"And don't you get lovey-dovey with Jamie when I talk to you, Aaron. This is an official business and should be treated professionally," Logan added, smiling.

Jamie laughed at Logan's statement and let go of Aaron's hands, only for Aaron to clench with his own again.

Jamie Giffard was Logan's former Executive Assistant in the Office of Public Relations when Logan was Deputy Director. When Aaron got his first international win in Baker Park during the previous season of WGP2, Jamie asked Logan to be Aaron's full-time manager of Aaron's racing career.

"So tell me about Viska," Aaron sat on the couch, talking earnestly.

"Kinu's likely going to be given the first seat," Logan started. Aaron nodded, totally expecting that. Logan cleared his throat before he continued.

"They're not sure yet about the second seat."

"I don't get what you mean, Logan," Jamie wants clarification on the current situation.

"Viska likes you, Aaron," Logan replied, "you showed them exactly what they wanted to see from you in WGP2 and during the E-Prix. It was quite an entrance for a rookie, but they were amazed at your dedication."

"You know I don't like being stalled, Logan," Aaron interrupted.

Logan sighed before continuing, "I was quite expecting they would not give you a seat outright, Aaron. We know about Olivia's situation, but Viska wants reassurance. If Olivia wants a change, then we talk again with Jöna."

"So we wait?" Aaron asked.

"Just because your mother allowed you can now live alone with Jamie in that high-end mansion of yours in that high-end subdivision in Red Forthdor doesn't mean all you have to do is just wait," Logan laughed.

"I did this on my own, Logan," Aaron replied, "my money, my skills."

"Hey," Logan interrupted, "See, that's why I think you still have not matured. I always thank the heavens that Jamie's there with you."

"But there's only three of us here!" Aaron giggled, "You don't hear me talking about this publicly."

"Jamie, you make sure he does not talk like this in public," Logan faced Jamie, despite being in a virtual meeting, before looking back at Aaron.

"Fine, we wait," Logan sighed, not believing what he was about to say, "but you can always check the setup of the other teams."

"What do you have in mind?" Aaron replied.

"Oh, I have so much on my mind right now, Aaron," Logan rolled his eyes, "and I'm also thinking about this when you and Jamie can just talk about this."

"Logan, don't tell me you didn't notice that Aaron's missed you," Jamie interjected, smiling.

Logan sighed again, smiling back, "Remember Urotovsky-Gatutin from last year in WGP2? They're now in WGPC. Kaylan's got quite a good setup, as well as Race Eelandii. Also, I received word about two new teams coming in. Cygnus, a university engineering team, and Sivaleinen. Now, these teams will still think you'll be a pay driver despite finishing third last season in WGP2, but I have no problem dealing with everyone. Do they want money? I'll give it to them. Do they want your skills? Let's show them what they want.

"Some international outlets are calling you a rising star, Aaron. I got faith in your skills," Logan ended.

"I may have to think about this first, Logan," Aaron started, "but you're right. If these teams are open to seeing me test drive their cars, let's show them what I can do with their setup . But Viska is the top priority, Logan."

"I also do think Scuderia -"
"There's an offer from Scuderia -"

"Whoa, wait, what?" Aaron spoke so loud to make sure Logan and Jamie could hear it over the virtual communication.

"What?" Logan and Jamie asked in unison.

Aaron turned to Jamie and said, "Jamie, tell Logan what you said."

"Logan, I'm forwarding you this," Jamie started, "but Scuderia is inviting Aaron to a private test."

"And?" Logan asked.

"Of course, I'm going to Scuderia's private test." Aaron did not expect Logan would still ask him.

"Jamie, I'll trust you with the negotiations when they come," Logan asked Jamie, "but when needed, you can always call me."

In summary:
-Aaron Deering expresses interest in driving for Urotovsky-Gatutin, Kaylan, Race Eelandii, Cygnus, and Sivaleinen, while awaiting a decision from Viska.
-Aaron Deering will be joining Scuderia's private test.

by **Delaclava** » Tue May 09, 2023 8:17 am

"More coffee, Mr. Walcott?"

Kingsley Walcott looked away from the window, where rain lashed against the bright green conifers surrounding the Walcott estate. The butler, Mirella, was standing in the doorway, pewter carafe in hand.

"Sure."

Mirella walked in and poured. "You're quiet today."

"Yeah..." Kingsley gestured outside. "There's not a lot to do, is there?"

"Well, if you'd like to play basketball or something later, let me know."

"Thanks."

As Mirella finished pouring and exited the room, a short, stout man in an orange suit and two taller men in dark suits walked through. The short man slightly brushed past Mirella, while the two men who flanked him took greater care to acknowledge Mirella and step aside politely.

The orange-suited man, with a head of close-cut, bristly, platinum blonde hair, was one of the richest men in Delaclava, Sidley Walcott. Behind him to his left was his business manager, Curtis Bly, a severe, bearded man with dark, steely eyes. To his ride was Sidley Walcott's consigliere, Ashley George, who was fairer and whose blue eyes conveyed the same intensity yet with some warmth.

Sidley nodded at Curtis. Curtis stepped forward. "Kingsley, we may have an opportunity to get you a Grand Prix seat this year."

Kingsley's head snapped up. "Really? Where?"

Curits paused for a second. "Sivaleinen."

"Who?" Kingsley's head tilted.

"Sivaleinen. They're a new Mertagnian team that managed to get a spot this year."

"Oh." Kingsley thought for a second. "Wait, no, that's a... brand of suits, isn't it?"

"Yes. It's a big fashion house there."

Kingsley looked at his father. "So is this really about the drive, then?"

"Son, it can be both!" Sidley Walcott stepped forward and knelt down in front of Kingsley - which really did not change his height all that much. He put both hands on his son's face. "This would be good for both of us. New business opportunities, a multi-regional collaborative empire—and you get something you've always dreamed of. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Yes, Dad, of course," Kingsley nodded as much as he could. "But it's not just about getting a seat, is it? I don't want one season. I want a career."

"You can have a career, son, and this is where it starts!"

Kingsley forcefully smiled and removed his father's hands from his face. He looked at Curtis. "What can they offer me?"

"Well..." Curtis paused. "You understand that we can't ask for a lot. You're young and they're looking, preferably, for drivers with a bit more experience. They're willing to develop someone younger, but you might have to prove yourself a little bit."

"Look," Sidley interjected. "This would be a great opportunity. So why don't you realize that yourself while we go ahead and get moving on a deal." He gestured to Ashley, and as Sidley and Curtis exited the room, Ashley sat down on Kingsley's bed next to him.

"So you're going to convince me, then?" Kingsley snapped.

Ashley sighed. "Look, what's there to convince? Yeah, your dad's using you as a bartering chip of sorts. I'm not denying that."

"Well, that's awfully honest," Kingsley chuckled. "Aren't you supposed to be on his side?"

Ashley reached across and tenderly grabbed Kingsley's hand. "You sure about that?"

Kingsley smiled weakly. Ashley continued. "Look, I get all of that—but you do want to be in this competition. You want to be at that level. Right?"

"Right."

"You can sign with any of the teams on the grid and there's no guarantee that it works out. But this is a team that is interested in you. Don't overlook that out of pride or some false sense of independence."

Kingsley thought for a second. He nodded. Ashley went on, "You heard it too, nothing's final. They're going to be doing tests, right? You'll have a chance to drive, to show them what you're made of. You'll feel out the car, you'll see if you'll like it. And if you prove yourself, they're going to get fully behind you. Can you do that?"

"Yeah." Kingsley swallowed. "That sounds good."

"Good." Ashley leaned in and gave Kinsley a quick peck on the cheek before standing up. Just before he left, he turned around.

"You know, I know you don't want to be beholden to your father. You want a sense of independence. Well, this is a way to make that for yourself."

Kingsley Walcott expresses interest in driving for Sivaleinen. He remains open to interest from other teams as well.

Sandro Perez is also a free agent who is open to interest and tests.

by **Liventia** » Tue May 09, 2023 9:02 am

(For the avoidance of doubt, Portland–Carvenlo will run its own Carvenlo engines this season.)

Portland–Carvenlo announce surprise tyre choice, aim to re-sign Cruisin
TALBOTT— New season, new…ish team, new tyres, and new drivers?

Carvenlo Racing is back in the World Grand Prix Championship — but in a new guise. Having competed last season with former world champion Matthew Portland as director of motorsport, Carvenlo have now signed an agreement with Portland's own self-built Portland Racing team to compete in the 20th WGPC season as Portland–Carvenlo, with Portland Racing owning a 35 per cent stake in the new entity and Carvenlo 65 per cent.

Six-time world constructors' champions Carvenlo will continue to provide the engines for the new team, and changes are also afoot elsewhere.

For starters, sources in the team have indicated that it does not expect to re-sign the Abovian racer Janne Laukkanen, who is considered a near-certainty to join Nexus Racing as one of its two race drivers after previously serving as that team's test driver.

The agreement to take Laukkanen on board last season included the option for Carvenlo to use the Nimban In Motion tyres — something that is no longer on the line with Laukkanen set to leave the team. Instead, sources suggest, Portland has decided to take a risk and opt for the new Tabtac spec being offered for the first time in the WGPC.

With Laukkanen on his way out, Portland and team principal Troy Wilkins are thought to want stability in the team, and as such have made a seat offer to R.L. Cruisin to stay on with the team as one of its drivers.

Cruisin finished ninth in the standings last season, having also previously driven for the then-Carvenlo-Franklin Racing team in WGPC Season 14.

The team is said to privately be considering Dom Falepeau, who was third in last year's world championships but is now without a team after Badai Angin did not renew their registration with the World Grand Prix Organisation, for the other seat.

It is understood that should Falepeau decide to join the team, Portland–Carvenlo would treat both drivers as joint-first drivers.

Names like Dario Nülkeschläger and Kinu Luminna are also thought to be on the team's wishlist, while rookie drivers Sandro Pérez and Qarataqus Klűnj are also believed to be in contention. However, should Falepeau decline the drive, Laukkanen is believed to be the next in line ahead of the others should he not agree a deal with Nexus.

The sources also indicated that Portland–Carvenlo have "no intention" of running an open trial day this season, and will likely make driver offers based on "other factors".

(Portland-Carvenlo offers a seat to Dom Falepeau.)

by **Valentine Z** » Tue May 09, 2023 10:37 am

Part 0 – Starting Factors and Variables.

Zastępca Strażnika Adriana Krystal Desiree “Cudowny Manipulacja Światłem” Venus Kowalski Faith Stanisława Engelse I. Cherise Krystyna Zaborowska Sztormowska Pamela Alina Re. T. Lillian, or at least, the clone version of her, stepped out of the data transference and copy machine that was being operated by the original version of her, as well as Intelligence Officer Jenny and a few other Valentians. With what happened in OWARS being attributed to the lack of knowledge and data that was being copied into her, this time the Valentians were making sure that she got all of the necessary data in one piece, while also taking out a certain not-too-important-for-racing chunks of data out of her. Other than that, the clone obviously had to share the dimensional storage that the original has, instead of her own, since duplicating that is going to be a lot more problematic than it is worth. All of these small details aside, other than being known as Adriana #2, for the purpose of both formality and brevity, her name became Adriana Ela Kowalski Lillian, a slight mix and rearranging of the two names in order to distinguish her from the actual one. As minutes have passed, the transfer was complete, and she has up to 99.50% the knowledge and data of the actual Adriana. “Okay, you should be good to go and are ready for the WGPC!” the actual Adriana exclaimed and cheered for her clone, to which then she let the clone start making her own decision. Perhaps to make it simpler and to prevent actual halting confusion for the rest of the Valentians and non-Valentians, from here onwards, when we mean Adriana, we mean the clone in the context of WGPC, and not the actual one who is going back to NSSCRA. Ready and all set, she set off to look at the teams on that particular day, her smile replaced with a small frown.

“Hmm, I don’t see them!” she thought to herself, looking at the list of teams that are available. Fireline Motorsports was the very first name and team that is in her mind, and sure, she does not mind joining and signing up under the other teams. As it is the attitude of the Valentians, they always look at and are thankful of those who have given them the chance, and for Adriana, Fireline is considered as well since they have given her the chance, and they have worked closely with her, eventually resulting in Adriana obtaining a few wins in her trophy case. “Hmm, maybe I will wait for a while, we shall see how this goes,” she thought, knowing that it was a bit pointless to think about, but maybe there might be a last minute deal, or some sort of an update if there are a lot of drivers being involved. She wrote the emails in a matter of minutes to the rest of the teams, but she held it off once again, waiting for the next day and to see as to if she could get Fireline on her side. The next day came, and much to her surprise and happiness, they are finally here. Well, technically. Fireline Motorsports appeared as a joint team, one that she knows.

Eminent Racing is, as far as the Valentians know and are concerned, is a combination of Fireline and Heroes, a joint team as aforementioned, and perhaps the very first one that they have knowledge on. There definitely have been other joint teams in the past, but for them, this was the first time they were exposed to such a team, and Adriana in turn had, and still has, no problem with them. Joint or no joint, the team have been nothing but accommodating and nice to Adriana, and she is very fond of them. As soon as that announcement has been made, she was joyful and most importantly, she wasted no time to write and send an email to the team. “Dzien dobry! I hope you all have been well! It is certainly nice to see you again as a team that has been accepted and made it into this wonderful season! It has given me immense joy to be given the chance to drive for Eminent or Fireline throughout the seasons, and I would like to once again join in and apply to be a driver in your team. If there are any particular tests that I will need to do, please do not hesitate to let me know, for I am more than willing and have a free schedule for this entire season until I got myself the team. I would like to hear from you all soon, and wishing you all the best with choosing the drivers! Best Regards, Adriana Ela Kowalski Lillian.” And with the email sent, all she has to do is wait.

1st Cpt. Angela Stella Trista Josephine Natalie Rv. E. Tps. “The Eternal Explorer” Bethany Alyssa Valeska Payton. Mikayla Gosling Josie Rowan Serenity Chelsea Lynette Hannah Tan Fang Ling was a late join. At first, her heart was so set on waiting for the next season, or whenever WGP2 is coming out. After all, she does not exactly have the best of experiences, and she could think of so many reasons as to why she was a little reluctant. First and foremost, her experience: With only one season of WGP2 that she has experience in, Angela figured that she was going to have a little bit of difficulty competing against the best of the best, especially against those who drives for keeps. Sure, there was her experience in domestic racing, as well as her physique and the vigorous nature of driving a F1 car being relatively trivial compared to the many countless space missions that she has went, and across multiple universes; but again, while they would help in general, they are not exactly replacements for actual experience on the track. Thirdly, was the fact that she might have to start looking for a team once again, and even though she had driven for Eminent for WGP2 in that season, this time with WGPC, it is possible that they are going to pick other drivers. “Hmm, well, time to start looking around, I suppose,” she thought to herself, gathering all of the information.

She has gathered and amassed a large number of bookmarks on her internet browser, as well as the physical pamphlets that each of the teams is giving, if any. There certainly were a lot of choices, some more than others, and some definitely more prestigious than others. Some are probably willing to give her a chance, others might not fit in with her driving skills or of general attitude, and of course, the rest would only take in the very best. As she was preparing the base template of her email, she started looking and took particular interest in one team that she figured she might have a bit of a chance – Cygnus University. As it was described on its website, Cygnus University is “one of Esmerel’s top post-secondary schools, and one of its most championed programs being its engineering division.” Sounds just like her kind of thing, she thought to herself. The rest of the history of the university is also something that is more than worth looking for, with Angela’s rationale being to try out the other teams where no other Valentians have tried before yet. In other words, she was going to apply to their team. “Hello and good day to you, Sir / Ma’am. I am Angela Stella Tan Fang Ling from Valentine Z, who have participated in the fifth season of WGP2 (Formula 2 Racing) a few years ago. I am aware that it has been a while and for the most parts, my resume on the racing was a little lacking, but combining the experience I have had driving in a racecar before (and in many of the domestic races happening around Valentine Z), as well as the physical fitness that I have went through for the decades worth of space programs, I hope that I will be able to bring in the determination and performance that your team is looking for. I am more than happy and am willing to offer myself up for the trial runs, if needed be. Thank you, and best regards, Angela Stelle Tan Fang Ling.” With the email being sent out, and just like what Adriana did, she was going to wait first before applying for the other teams. “A little risky, but I hope the wait will be worth it.”

Intelligence Officer Jenny Claudia Joy Lena Linette “Sombra De Kenshutsu Sa Renai Hakkā” Marce Tanya Mayweather Ik. D. Do. S. Morishita Whitney Sakurano Fujima Felice Hoshiko Radiance was still wearing her traditional smirk across her face. “Well, well, maybe we are not going to let the cats out of the bag for this season,” she remarked to the team around her. MeowMeow Racing, the very first Valentian WGPC (and WGP2, hopefully down the line) Motorsports Team, was told that they did not make it for this season of WGPC and as a result, would not have to bother looking around for drivers. “A bit of a shame though, but hey, it’s all right,” she said casually without the usual explosions or rants that one might associate from rejection. In fact, Jenny was more than capable of taking said rejection, and she simply started the following: “We are still good. We still have those two Skychief Engines that we bought- err I mean, we rented from those guys, right? The Hapilopperians, I mean. They are very nice people, and I am glad that we once again have had a very good dealing with them, and them being willing to give us the chance with these two engines. Anyway, MeowMeow will still try to do the domestic practices and heck, maybe we can even try these engines into our cars and the chassis.” The rest of the Valentian members of the team nodded and agreed in near unison, all of them happy with the proposal and in fact were looking forward for two (technically three) reasons – to support and cheer for Adriana and Angela through indirect means, as well as to send an email to the Hapilopperians that they would still like to get their hands on the engines if possible. “Well, trade secret is definitely going to be a thing, so I am expecting a few of them to be attached to our team. Any objections to that?”

It was once again a resounding no. With a few more key highlights and pointers along the way, Jenny then prepared to send the email herself to Preston Autos. “おはようございます！I hope this email finds you well, esteemed friends of Valentine Z from Preston Autos. I would like to open this email with much appreciation and gratitude that we have both had good mutual relationship – be it from racing alongside one another in NSSCRA, to business transactions and relationships that I am thus writing about as of now. We understand that we have filed in and paid for a rental of two Skychief V6 engines, specifically for use in this season. However, as Fate would have it, it would have seemed that MeowMeow will not be joining the fray with the rest of the teams, and thus no show on the grids and courses. On that note, I would like to ask as to if we will be allowed to use these engines occasionally this season in order to test it in our own road course? I do understand that the lease is good for one season, and that if we didn’t make it in this season, this lease would carry over to the next. I would like to reassure you all that we are not taking advantage of this fact, and in fact are willing to pay the extra costs if necessary: To rent for aforementioned occasional usage of the two Skychief V6 engines for our own testing, as well as for leasing on the next season, whenever that may be. Rest assured that we will also not attempt any form of dishonesty, including but not limited to: Reverse engineering, teardown, and/or tampering, and you are more than welcome to send a couple of employees from Preston Autos in order to supervise our testings. We would like to hear from you shortly, and as always, 今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。Best Regards, Intelligence Jenny Claudia S. Radiance Hoshiko.”

2111 words (including 26 CJK).

World Grand Prix Championship 20 [RP/Results Thread]

World Grand Prix Championship 20 [RP/Results Thread]

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