The Race Begins in 5th. *UPDATED: SIDE STORY #2*

Prologue​

For some people, racing is just a past time. Others, a career. For me, it's a release.
My name is David Busch and I'm 21 years old. I live just outside of Shimotsuma with my mother. I work as an office cleaner and in a fast food joint. Already, it sounds pretty cliché, huh?

My Father, Mother and I moved out of Germany when I was about three years old, to come and live in Japan. My father worked for a car tuning company, and was offered the chance to live in the land of the rising sun.
It was when I was about 7 years old that my life reached a turning point. I can't remember much visually, but I do remember the screaming of metal. We were travelling along a highway when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and blind-sided us in our car. I was in the back seat at the time, so I was out of harms reach. My father had no chance, since the truck smashed into the drivers side. My mother lost the use of her legs during this accident.

However, we both survived, and she continued her work as an admin at a local business. While money was tough sometimes, she saw too it that I didn't go without. Racing is in my blood, as part of a family with a long history in Nuerburg, so it was only natural that I had a keen interest in motorsport.



Without trying to sound boastful, I pride myself on being one of the fastest in my age group. I competed regularly in open wheel racing, and I made some good friends. I started to think that I was going to make a career out of this like many of my family have. Unfortunately, when I was 16, Mother contracted multiple sclerosis. The changes weren't much at first, but as the time passed it began to show its toll. She needed a motorised wheelchair and our old Toyota Corolla just didn't have the space we needed. Money was tight, but we managed to get enough together to buy an old Volvo 240.



The suspension is soft, and there's enough space for her motorised wheelchair. It became my daily driver, and as I worked all those nights, I slowly began to appreciate it.
My weekly schedule consists of care for my mother during the day, and then catch the graveyard shifts at work. On Sunday, though, when I drop my mother off at the hospital, is where I get my release.



Every Sunday, I hit up Tsukuba circuit. We live quite close to it, and I've been going there since I was a young boy. As you can see, I'm definitely not winning any races, but it's not about that. It's where I can come blow off some steam and think about nothing more than the thrill of racing. The idea of a Volvo going around Tsukuba in the company of cars like Skylines and Supras is laughable, but it's one of the few joys I have. Some Sundays, I come and I give it my all through the corners, relishing the soft suspension and the keen body roll.



Or if it has been raining, I'll just throw caution to the winds and drift 2 tonnes of metal around the bends.



I'm well known at the track, and some of my childhood friends still race here. It's the best setup I could hope for, really. Most of my friends are rich in comparison, so it's not just the Volvo I get to take around the track. It's been like this for a couple of years now, and I suppose in a realistic world, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Well, it's nearly Sunday again. Guess I better get ready. I promised Eddie that I'd be there.

---
So I'd thought I'd give race reporting a try. I apologise in advance for what will probably be quite horribly photoshopped race photos, but I'll try my best 👍

Chapter 1: Apex perfect​

It's Sunday again, and unless you don't know me very well, there's only one place I can be.



Yeah, the asthmatic Volvo with the suspension properties of an inflatable castle diving into a corner is a very common sight on Sunday, against all popular belief. Well, it's something a bit different to the usual humdrum of the Hondas and Nissans usually pounding this track.

Still, that's not the only thing I'm here for. It's a great time to catch up with acquaintances, too. Like Eddie Kusugari, the resident maniac S2000 driver of these parts.



He's one of the guys I've known since I moved to Japan and started racing. He's a rich kid, but he's worked hard to get to where he is. Or just worked, anyway, but he's a good guy. Keeps me in rubber too, since by a happy coincidence, his track tyres fit my rims, so he always has a spare set lodged for me somewhere.

Today is more of the same, really. Run a few laps, have a laugh and just basically catch up with each other. Like a bunch of women who gather at the salon every other week, I guess.

Well, just like every other week, until...

"What's that boxy piece of crap doing on the track, Bushy?"

Ah, yes. Another childhood "acquaintance". Samuel Wells, THE rich kid.



Everyone knows someone like this, and I'm no exception. I trust you don't need a detailed description, as this conversation should probably fill in most of the blanks.

"It's Sunday. I'm here to race."
I'm leaning against the Volvo, chatting to Eddie. Eddie's S2000 is parked close by, just a bit further down the pit straight. Samuel, who has pulled up along side with his head out the window bursts out laughing.

"Race? Ha, that thing can't race! It has like, what, 2 horsepowers? Get real. Unless you want to put it to the test?"

I take stock of his car. It's a brand new NSX. Must have cost quite a pretty penny. I doubt his Dad will miss the balance, though. I hear he's quite the big shot. Car looks like it's only done about 100 miles at best, and all of them in 1st gear. But I know that no matter how bad the driver (he may be rich as hell, but wealth doesn't reflect skill. Eddie knows this), my Volvo stands no chance.

"No", I concede. "The Volvo can't match your car. But," and I put my hand out behind me, and hope Eddie gets the hint. He does, and drops the S2000 keys into my hand. "I bet the S2000 over there can easily take it."

Samuel takes a quick glance at it, and then laughs again.
"What, that roadster? Isn't it powered by a hair-dryer?"
I grin.
"Want to find out?"
He looks at me like how a wolf probably looks when it spots a lone sheep.
"Hah, I'll meet you at the start line. If it can make it, that is."
Samuel rolls the window up and pulls away. Eddie, who was uncharacteristically silent during the whole conversation turns to me.

"You really think the S2000 has a chance against his NSX? I think he's running like, 300 HP under that hood."
"'course I do, Eddie. Remember the time you borrowed Kaz's Viper? Got into turn 1, put your foot down, spun out and ended up ripping the back end of his car off?"



The memory must be as fresh in his mind as it is in mine. He winces.

"Yeah, he wasn't happy. You're thinking the same'll happen to Sam?"
I smile, and walk over to the S2000 and get in. As I start the car up, I turn and look up at him.
"No, but one can hope, right? Besides, you've seen how he used to drive that old R32, right? He left imprints of the tyre sidewall in the road. And I know that's not possible in an NSX, unless rolling over is the plan."

As I head to the finish line, Eddie shouts out "You owe me a beer for this!"
I smile. I can't afford beer right now, but I know I won't be able to put a price on Samuels face when he finds out he's lost.

---
In the blink of an eye, we're already at turn 1. I gained an early lead when the light turned green, if only because the NSX spun the wheels for a good three seconds before it caught the S2000 up.



While I'm keeping up with Samuel, it's not for lack of effort on his part. In the hands of a more skilled driver, I probably wouldn't even be looking at the rear end of the NSX. Thankfully, he keeps running wide, and it sounds like he's having trouble modulating the throttle. Seeing as the Type S Zero he's driving doesn't come with TCS or anything else that would help you stick to the track, I wouldn't blame him for not opening the taps on that V6.



He runs wide on this corner again, and it's here I snatch the lead, smoothly easing the car out. I hear the sound of rubber squealing and looking at the rear view mirror, I see that the NSX's tail has just stepped out, and I can see him scrambling to correct it. If I had to guess, he just found out what happens when you slam the pedal into the floor when you're in 1st gear through a corner.



I manage to keep the lead all the way up through turns 6 and 7. On this straight though, Eddie's "hair-dryer" had no chance and I had to hand the lead over to Samuel. I was at around 133mph when Samuel passed at about 150mph, streaking towards turn 8.
Now, I don't know what went through his head at this point. He was either spying on me and Eddie and our impromptu drift session about an hour previously, or he's the same as the kids who watch that anime with the Corolla. I must say, it looked quite promising at first.



Well, promising for a car still going at well over a 100mph. Of course, he understeered heavily. That's when his rear end passed over the sand, and for all intents and purposes, hell (or at least his tires) broke loose, and he ended up looking something like this.



Until he kept on going and ended up about 15 metres away from the finish line, facing the wrong way. According to Eddie, who was watching from the pit wall, the V6 pretty much called it a day and stalled. Naturally, not wanting to provide a lesser spectacle, I elected to show Samuel how this dorifuto thing should be done.



As I coast up past the line and pull into the pitlane, I hear the whine of the NSX. I get out and look back, and I see Samuel pulling away, towards the track exit. His windows are up and tinted, so I can't catch a glance of his face. But I can't imagine he's anything except pissed. I'm probably going to end up regretting this win down the line somehow, but for now, I just turn to look at Eddie, expecting a look of incredulous disbelief on his face. Instead, I'm treated to a rather indifferent looking Eddie eating a packet of potato chips. Then again, it was a bit foolish to expect anything more. We both know Samuel well enough to know the Volvo probably could have beaten him around the track.

I approach, chucking the keys at him.
"I like what you've done with the suspension settings. Less body roll into the corner. When did you toughen the anti-roll bars?"
He extends a hand and deftly hooks the keys on a finger. He jerks a thumb behind him.
"While you were back at the club, taking a leak. Math just recieved a new suspension kit for his S2000, offered me pickings at his old service."

As he disposes of his empty crisp packet, my pager goes off. Mother needs to be picked up from hospital. Eddie looks back.
"You off, then?"
"Yeah. Hey, man, thanks for letting me use the S2000. See you next Sunday?"
"Actually, I was thinking about coming 'round your place tomorrow, if you're cool with it. My parents have some business with a client, and I've got nothing better to do tomorrow. Besides, I haven't seen Mrs. Busch for a while, and Tia wants to say hi. Probably wants to say hi to you to, while she's at it."
Heh, as it happens, I haven't seen Tia for a while, either. She's Eddie's sister, and you'd never know, seeing how Eddie looks compared to her. Must be from the better looking side of the family.
"Yeah, okay. I'm sure Mother will enjoy the company. And I can get you that beer I owe you." I wink at him, and get in the Volvo. As I start it up, and casually slam the gears into 1st, I suddenly realise I'm still running the track tyres. Well, with this in mind, and me being the very careful driver I am, I suddenly look very forward to the prospect of the coastal road that goes to the hospital.

Weellll, another story. It's getting interesting, although you could have more pics. The fact that the Viper shot is monotone makes it feel like you're actually going back to the time when that happened.

Excellent beginnings, good photos, and I'm looking forward to more. 👍
I'm not a great one for posting inane comments after every single chapter, but rest assured I'll be reading every update.

I think the balance of pictures and text is perfect 👍, sometimes it's very difficult to follow a story if the text is broken up by too many large photos.

Nice story there mate, well written and good photos.👍

Awesome start, man 👍 To be honest, I'm so glad someone is doing something different than the rest of the stories. Interesting choice of car, I must say. The fact that David comes from Germany makes it more interesting, too. I already despise so much japanese stuff in the board 👎 Three, four, five japanese cars I like, but reading about them everywhere just cracks my nerve, hence why I enjoy more about american and european cars. I'm glad you seemed to notice about the over abundance of Japan on the board, and choosed something more Swedish Also, the fact that you didn't went for the usual "crap car" vs "good car" style, and instead decided to race the S2000 against the NSX makes it even better and original 👍

Smallhorses

I'm not a great one for posting inane comments after every single chapter, but rest assured I'll be reading every update.

Click to expand...

Luckily for you, SaberFire, I can Don't worry, I won't post inane comments, but real comments. As a fellow reader, I know how annoying can it be to read the same comments all over again with different words. It makes you think people don't read, just skip to the end and post 👎 It won't be like that with me


Continue like this, I would like to see where is this heading!

I apologise for the lack of photos, or the lack of quality, but when I actually did the photos, I didn't realise that the "hold" switch of my MP3 player was on, so it didn't actually save any of the carefully camera angle matched shots I took. So a quick revisit and some hastily salvaged shots later, here we are.

@ Codename L

Yeah, I just spotted the Volvo and had a flashback to the time that I used a Opel Corsa to beat my mate driving an RX-8. Couldn't pass up the chance. Plus, I agree, after a while, the flood of Japanese cars does get a bit tiresome. So it scored points on all grounds. And besides, even if we had Michael Schumacher racing against a banana the Volvo would have had NO chance .

But yeah, thanks for the comments so far, everyone! 👍
While I try to stick to promises, I can't guarantee "regular" updates, but I'll try to crank them out as I get the time. Or as fast as my patience wears thin on this damn MP3 player...

SaberFire

Codename L

Yeah, I just spotted the Volvo and had a flashback to the time that I used a Opel Corsa to beat my mate driving an RX-8. Couldn't pass up the chance. Plus, I agree, after a while, the flood of Japanese cars does get a bit tiresome. So it scored points on all grounds. And besides, even if we had Michael Schumacher racing against a banana the Volvo would have had NO chance .

Click to expand...

👍

Tiresome at best, in my opinion

Anyways, I noticed you edited the previous chapter. Great win, I say. Good to see some mistakes in the races 👍
By the way, I feel so sad for his mother
My character's father died too in a car accident, so I must say I understand David.

Smallhorses

I think the balance of pictures and text is perfect 👍, sometimes it's very difficult to follow a story if the text is broken up by too many large photos.

Click to expand...

Aauugh!!

Codename L

Awesome start, man 👍 To be honest, I'm so glad someone is doing something different than the rest of the stories. Interesting choice of car, I must say. The fact that David comes from Germany makes it more interesting, too. I already despise so much japanese stuff in the board 👎

Click to expand...

Urgh!!


I like this, the writeup is great and involving.., more please..,

Chapter 2: A sign of things to come​

...I just cleared that corner at 70mph. In my Volvo. Without crashing.



I'm absolutely revelling the fact that these sports tires are keeping me so glued to the road. Absolutely no wheel slippage and enough grip to tear the tarmac from the road?



I'm cruising at a brisk 95mph here, without another car in sigh--.



Did I just see a car there? Unmarked police car? Nah, couldn't have been. Would have given chase by now. Too flashy for a police car too, anyway. But point well taken, hindbrain, I'll slow down now. Just as well, the railings here aren't built for stopping understeering Swedish roadtankers.



Slowing down helps me appreciate the scenery more, too. When the weather is clear, you get beautiful views of the neighbouring islands. It is quite relaxing, I must say. Those togue racers have a hidden motive for coming out to the mountains to race, then? Well, looks like I'm in on the secret now.

I'll have to point the scenery out to Mother on the way back, too. I know she still enjoys painting when she has the energy, and I think she'll appreciate it.

---
When I return from buying groceries the next day, I notice two more cars than usual parked on our street.



Looks like Eddie and Tiare are here. Huh, didn't know Tia drove Eddie's old Punto. Still rolling those OZ rims, huh? I remember when Eddie bought them to "butch up" his first car, the Punto in question. Sorry, man, but the fact that it's a Punto alone isn't going to help you much. It was a quick save too, when you nearly bought an MX-5 in sky blue. I hope you're not trying to tell me something...

I enter through the front door to the living room. Eddie is sitting in the arm chair, facing in the direction of my Mother, who's sitting on the couch. Tia is sitting down on the carpet, apparently having a joke with my Mother that Eddie apparently hasn't got, or he has become the subject of it, seeing as he's pulling an impressively blank face. He brightens up when he sees me.

"I hop--."

The sentence doesn't even finish before I dig a bag of banana chips out of the bag and chuck them to him. Eddie's addicted to the things, and none of us can figure out why. Tia looks up at me, with a mock-expectant look on her face.

"You haven't forgotten about me, have you?" she pouts. I laugh, and dig my hand into the bag.

"Of course not, Tia. How could I? Uhh... toilet roll?"

She giggles as I proffer the thing to her. She gets up, and takes it from me.

"Oh, alright then. Probably tastes better than the things Eddie eats, anyway. I'll come help you unpack."

She walks off into the kitchen, putting the toilet roll into the bathroom as she goes. I follow her, and put the bag on the kitchen counter, and split it down the side. She joins me, and we start putting things away.

"So when did you get Eddie's old car, anyway?" I ask her.

"Oh, it was just lying around waiting for sale when I passed my driving test, and I just asked him if I could have it instead. And I'm fine by the way, thank you for asking." She winks at me.

"Oh, sorry, yeah, I was getting around to asking that? So you passed, eh? Am I going to see you zooming around Tsukuba any time soon?"

Tia occasionally frequents the track with Eddie, usually tagging along when she hasn't got much better to do. She's just started University this year, though, so I haven't seen her down there (or here, for that matter) for quite a while. Doesn't race much, though. At least, I haven't seen her in action very often.

"Maybe", she says, finished with putting away the last of the groceries. "I've just got a really hectic timetable at the moment. I've got a night class tonight that ends around 4 a.m."

"That sucks. Then again, I get off work around that time, so I might see you on the way home, if we're lucky. Want anything to eat or drink, by the way?" I've got my head stuck in the fridge, fishing out a couple of beers. She shakes her head.

"Your Mom already offered. I've just had lunch."

"Fair enough", I smile and walk back out to the lounge. I take station beside Eddie on the floor next to him and pass him a bottle. "Here's the beer I owe you. Enjoy, they're the last two left."

We pretty much spend most of the afternoon laughing and joking. It's nice to see my Mother this happy, with a smile on her face. There haven't been much, recently.

All too soon, though, it's time to head off to work, for Eddie to head off home and Tiare to head off to her class. Still, at least there's one thing to look forward to tonight. See how the highway drives on track tires. Should be an interesting night...

---


I'm currently following up the pack. When my shift ended, I happened to run into a small group of cars. Among the drivers and passengers, one of them was Takeshi "Yari" Ueda, so called Yari because of his impressive Evolution. He was riding shotgun with another familiar face from the track, Terry. Terry pulled up at the lights and Yari wound the window down.

"Hey, David! Me and the boys are here for a little race, while the roads are nice and clear. We could use another car to fill out the numbers, but since you're here, I guess you'll do. You down?"

I brush the slight dig at my beloved wagon away. I shrug. It's well known around these parts that Yari runs a large part of the street racing scene. Rumour has it that his Evo produces close to 600hp. I don't think anyone has beaten him in it before. Thankfully, he's in Terry's MR2 tonight.

"Sure. What's the buy in?"
"15,000 yen. Winner takes all."

I wince at the thought of losing 15,000 yen. Money like that goes far when you live like me. But then again, me and Eddie did a little work to the Volvo this afternoon, and I know that most of these cars here can't be outputting much more than 200hp. I give in, and reach of a wad of cash. I hand it over.

"Alright, since you're the last one in, you take the back spot. Two laps on the highway. Good luck. You're probably gonna need it."

The race starts and we're all entering the tunnel.



The MR2 is pulling through the corner tightly, so I can't get on the inside and have to settle for an outside line. I hardly loose any speed and the tires keep me glued to the road as the suspension makes the car lean over onto its door handles. As we approach the next turning, I decide to try and see if my size can compensate for lack of acceleration.



The gambit pays off and the MG and MR2 are forced to give way as I power through the corner, spinning the rear inside wheel to hell in the process. But I manage to keep the lead and I now have at least one warm tire. As we dive through the next corner, I manage to pass the Celica.



Unfortunately, messing around with the rear runners has left me trailing behind the BMW and the Corolla, and it takes me up until the tunnel again to catch them up. I manage to pass the BMW, though, and start hunting down the red Levin.



This car seems familiar, and I know why. I've seen him down the track a few times, and a good word to describe him is fast. He's not conceding any ground, and I know the Volvo can't find enough time to out drag him on the home stretch. So, I throw caution to the winds again, and dive into the corner, willing him to run wide.



Not wanting to run the risk of collision (it'd be nothing short of suicide to even think about running fender to fender with a boat like this), he slows and takes the corner slow and wide. I look to my right and I see him make a gesture that accurately describes what I just did. But I have no time to ponder making a witty comeback, because I still need to cross the finish line again.



The race ends and I look out of the wing mirror to see the MR2 catching me up as I pull up for the red light. I wind the window down as I catch the expressions on Terry and Yari's faces. Terry has the look of utmost shock on his face, while Yari looks like he's just heard the worlds greatest joke. Yari chucks a few large wads of cash into the passenger seat.

"Where the hell did you learn to drive that like that?! Man, oh man, that was the best race I've had in ages! You beat Veggie, and you know how much work that Corolla had done to it! ****, I guess I better be watching my mirrors for the sight of a boxy old wagon with a speed demon at the wheel, eh? Listen, we best split before the cops show up. You earned that money right there, man. Later!"

The cars all go their separate ways as the lights go green, and I begin to head home. I know that this is going to have some kind of backfire along the line somewhere, but I'm far too elated to care. And 90,000 yen? That's a lot of money for such little work. I earn less than that in nearly a month. Not that I'm planning on becoming a street racer, mind you. If something happened to me... well. I just can't do it in good conscience. This was a one off thing. Not happening again. Don't want jail, or worse. Too much to loose, so little to gain...

Still, with this money, perhaps I can buy a few treats for me? Or the Volvo? Or Mother? There's enough money there for all of those, I suppose, so I guess I'll head out shopping later today. I'll just say I won on a scratch card, or something. She doesn't need to know, right?

Another great chapter, man...Rene would like this

I'm beginning to like this.., get on with the race already..,

Still well written.👍 I like it, and am very interested to see where this is going.

I'm liking this so far. I especially like your writing style. I'm very interested to see where this is going. Good word SaberFire

Nice story so far!

Okay, so chapter 2 is up and posted. I'm sorry for the way I put the chapters up, but I only get so much PC time a day (electricity costs so much ), so I'll probably be putting them up in halves, mostly. I'll try to crank out a full one every now and then, but we'll just have to see.

Thanks for the comments so far, guys, I appreciate them 👍.

That was an excellent race, using the size to push through was a different and nice tactic which gave it some spark.👍 Oh, and after the open wheel spinner, this line REALLY cracked me up.

But I manage to keep the lead and I now have at least one warm tire.

Click to expand...

Great race, man 👍 Very nice for a second chapter, indeed
Seems like the Volvo isn't such a boat, huh?

I love the fact that the star of this thread is an old crappy Volvo.

I love the fact that the star of this thread is not a crappy japanese car.

Chapter 3: There's no such thing as bad Publicity​

I guess I was right. That race would come to back to bite me in the arse. Yari recorded the whole thing, from when it finished up to when he pulled up alongside me, and he uploaded it to his website. Although he's made an effort to conceal my identity, it doesn't help the fact that there's probably only one 240GLT in the whole of Japan. I was in Tokyo this morning, picking up a few gifts for Mother (I'm hoping she never finds out about the race) and a new gift for me (a new differential), when managed to bump into a couple of would-be street racers.



The pull away from me at the lights, swerving and trying to block my path. But I'm not raising to the bait. That race was a one off thing, and...
Okay, to hell with it, I'll give them what they want. In between the haphazard swerving and lack of speed, I take the chance to put my foot down and go for the gaps between the Golf and the Civic type R.




They don't realise that they've just been overtaken until I catch up with the Celica, by then it's far too late and there's nothing he can do except move over to let me pass. Hoping they're satisfied, and since it's Sunday again, I pull off the freeway and head down to Tsukuba circuit, to test out my new differential.

As I'm laying underneath the Volvo fitting the thing, Eddie helping up top with fitting a new head gasket (the old one was causing a loss of compression higher up the RPM range) I reach for my socket set and for some odd reason, I see something like this.



Next second I'm buffeted by gale force winds and I nearly go deaf as the sound of engine exhaust reverberates around the race track. Looks like the guy I'm to thank for my pseudo-celebrity status (I received a round of applause when I pulled into the pits today, bizarrely) has just rolled up in Tsukuba in that damn monster of his, the Evo 8. I remember asking Yari about it once, and I asked if it was street legal. He laughed and said "Sure, but I don't think anybody is going to get close enough to find out!"

It was a few months ago, when they held a motor exhibition up by the nearby Apricot Hill Raceway. A race meeting for exotics was scheduled, and me and Eddie took seats in the stands to watch it unfold. As our eyes scanned the starting grid, passing over the likes of Zonda and the NSX-R protoype, we noticed the Evo 8 at the back of the grid, looking rather out of place.



But it was peculiar, though. That wing certainly wasn't stock, and the ride height was a lot lower than the standard model. Also, those rims. Those looked like M3 rims, and the only M3 I've ever seen around here usually features in the videos of Yari's site. Hang on, doesn't Yari drive a--.

Too late, no time for thinking. These cars are some of the worlds fastest, and I quickly put the Evo out of my mind as the approach the first corner at break neck speed. Until the Evo forces its way back into my mind.



He must be going at about 100mph! That shouldn't be possible, and he isn't even touching the rumble strip. And the gap between him and the pack is a lot shorter than I thought, because at the third turn, he blows past the Nardo and the Cien. And he's about 5 inches away from the Tommy Kaira, as this bumper-cam picture shows.



This Evo is simply hunting these cars down and it's not even following the standard racing line. He's running wide, yet finding unending levels of grip. It's so flat, yet it must be pulling more than 3gs in the corners at least. Hell, he passes the NSX through turn 5, and on the straight down to the hairpin, the Zonda too. By now, he's flying, going at least 165mph. Far too fast for this corner. He brakes late, and the back end steps out. As the groan raises in the crowds throat, we all choke on it as the screens all show this.



We can't believe what we're seeing. It's beyond belief. We came here to see some of the most expensive cars money can buy from all over the world, and instead we're all being gobsmacked by a JDM. It shouldn't be possible. The Evo only pushes about 276bhp stock, while the Zonda alone outputs 547. It's hard to decide what the car actually is, too.



Is it a grip racer? A touge machine? We can't make our minds up. You can feel the car trying to pull the track away with it through the bends, but when it starts sliding, it acts like it's driving on ice. As it blasts past the finish line, the crowd literally explodes as the Zonda passes almost a second later.

And that's the story of how Yari came to be called Yari. Sure, he was a massive presence with the M3 (apparently, he uses his old M3 rims on the Evo as they're apparently 5 kilos lighter than the heavy steel ones that came with the Evo), but within a few weeks, the street racing scene was buzzing. This car quickly became a legend in it's own right. The few people that have challenged Yari have quickly found out that most of their video feed of the race was the back end of a Lancer getting smaller in the distance, or Yari grinning at them through his passenger side window as he pitched the car sideways past the hapless challengers, sometimes coming to within a few millimetres of the front of their car.

I continue working on fitting the diff, until I hear a clapping sound and conversation above me.

"Yo, props on the video, man!"
"What, the one with David?"
"No, the lastest Evo one! ****, that GT-R had no chance! Nice move on the overtake. Didn't know someone could get so wound up by someone driving backwards through a chicane!"
"Heh. I figured my reverse gear needed some love, and that R34 looked like he was having real problems with understeering. Thought I'd give him the thumbs up, but looks like he took it rather badly. Hey, David, man of the hour! Here, let me help you up!"

I slide out from under the Volvo, and grab his hand and pull myself into a standing position.

"I don't know whether to slap you or shake your hand. I can't go a mile without someone challenging me to a race now!"
"Oh, come on, man! You're not telling me that you don't enjoy the attention? At least a little bit? I mean, you just showed the world that--"
"That I got lucky. Veggie underestimated me on that turn and hell, even you did at the beginning! The only thing I had on my side was the fact not many people want to trade paint with nearly two tonnes of moving metal."

Yari laughs, and hands me a clean rag to wipe my hands on.

"Okay, I guess that's true. I'll put the word out that you don't like to be bothered. But speaking of the race, I've got a few friends here that have travelled an awful long way to see the famous Volvo in action, and I'm sure you don't want to disappoint them...?"

I sigh. On one hand, I'm not usually a competitive person down here, and I like keeping my Sunday's down to a relatively boring humdrum. On the other, I did just install a new differential, and I'm curious to see how my car fares against vastly superior opponents.

"Sure, but don't expect me to pull out any amazing feats of badassery. I ride on luck and guile, and I think I left most of that home today. But in the spirit of friendly exhibition, sure, let me get cleaned up. You joining, Eddie?"

Eddie shakes his head.

"Can't, the S2000 needs a new gearbox. Accidentally rammed the thing into reverse while I was in 4th, and I'm not blowing up my ride home."
"Fair enough. You hanging around to watch?"

Eddie checks his watch.

"I would, but I've got to get going, unfortunately. Formal family gathering, so I need to get home and have a shower, get changed and all that crap. Head gasket is all set, though, so you're A-ok. Let me know how that diff works out."
"Cheers, Eddie. Looks like I owe you another beer." I smile. "See you later, man."

As Eddie walks off to the track to the car park, a question pops into my head.
I turn to Yari.

"Why'd you get rid of the old M3, anyway?"
"Oh, that. Dunno. I suppose I just wanted to see what 4WD was like. Besides, the tuning company which bought my old one off of me gave me a fair price, so I can't complain."
"You're not racing today, then?"
"Nah, I'm just here to get some telemetry readings from the Evo. You know my car isn't really at home on the track, anyway."
"It sure has a funny way of showing it..."
"Hah, in fact, I'm apparently almost 30 mph faster on the road than on most tracks, so that's probably saying something. Anyway, looks like they're all lined up, so you'd best get moving. Thanks for not turning me down that night, anyway. It was a great race."

I get into the Volvo and turn the ignition. The car sounds a lot smoother already, thanks to Eddie.

"No problem. But if I win this one and you're recording it, we are going to have words."

I turn out of the pits and join the back of the grid, eager to see how the new diff effects that annoying inside wheelspin.

---

Great chapter, man, though the M3 rims on that Evo look sorta out of place Yari does not know what he is doing.

At least they look a damn sight finer than those horrible stock rims the 8 comes with... even though I have to admit side profile shots don't bring the best out in them

real great reports! Read the whole thing and love the pics.

I would like to see more pics of good ol' GT4 but they way you have done it so far is great! 👍

Chris

Loving this story...you sure have some writing talent!

^ Agree. (EDIT: with both posts )

The story is in some places just a little bit confusing, just because of so much descriptions, but it is great to see something more than a simple name of a location and actions, as Smallhorses once said to me in a private message

I love the fact that you put so much dedication on top of the original style you have for cars and racing, and I can only hope you will continue like this. 👍

One thing you should keep in mind, though, is that you have all the time of the world to post your chapters That can help you stay focused longer, and develop them better than they already are. Just a piece of advice from a fellow writer.

Remember, I'm cheering for you man 👍


EDIT: Maybe I should stop until you post the next chapter, I'm starting to sound like a "moarer" or the like.

Thanks for all the positive comments, guys 👍

Unfortunately, I'm going to be a bit delayed with throwing up the next chapter since Free London III is on Sunday, and I'm getting myself ready for it today. But I should have it up by Monday, at the latest. Or possibly today, but I can't make any promises