Doog Attempts a Fan Fic 7/11/12 Chapter 5 Uploaded

[Doog]

I actually started this story several months ago, but forgot about it. Recently, I found it again in my documents, and I figured I'd give it a go. A couple days later, and I had some chapters typed up. So, let's see where this goes, and I'll be crossing my fingers that I can stick to it. The story itself is unnamed for now, but I'm open to all suggestions. Anyways, on with the story....

Chapter One : Test Drive

Black = Kyou (Main character)
Green = Hiroshi
Red = Akio
Blue = Masato
Purple = Shop employee


"Here it is," he announced, pointing at it.
I looked out the window to see a beautiful white Lexus SC300 parked in the center of the driveway, its shining silver wheels turned towards me, inviting me for a drive.
"Wow," I half thought, half said, still admiring the car.
My friend, Hiroshi, and I stepped out of his Subaru. I came closer to the Lexus to get a closer look. As I marveled at it, Hiroshi went to the entrance and rang the doorbell. Seconds later, an elderly man emerged and greeted him. The two walked over to me.
The man walked over to me and nodded ,"I hear that you're in need of a new car."
I studied him for a second before responding. He had an aged, but friendly looking face. He must have been a man of at least sixty. "Yes, my friend, Hiroshi, found your ad on Autotrader, and I fell in love with the car as soon as I saw the first picture."
The old man smiled ,''Yes, it's a fine car, isn't it?" "My wife has loved it for 14 years," he added.
"So why are you selling it?" I asked.
"Our needs have changed. We're grandparents now, and stuffing two car seats into the back of the Lexus just doesn't work," he chuckled.
"Congratulations," I said. I gazed over at the white Lexus once more; the entire car sparkled in the cool sun. "Do you mind if I take a test drive and get it checked out by the mechanic?"
"Go ahead," said the old man ,"Just don't be gone for too long." He handed me the keys.
"Thanks," I replied.
I grasped the doorhandle and pulled it open, revealing a luxurious interior, appointed with various tans and browns. I noticed something special in the center; a manual gearstick. I looked back at Hiroshi.
"What?" he asked.
"This car's got a stick shift!" I announced, grinning.
"What? Get outta town," he said, dumbfounded. "Lemme see." He peeked into the car; sure enough, there it was, in all of its glory. He then looked down at the footwell, where there were three pedals. "Incredible," he paused ,"A Lexus with a five-speed."
"I know right?" I plunked down into the seat. I easily got into position, sliding about on the leather surface. Hiroshi got in on the passenger side and made himself comfortable. We both closed our doors, and fastened our seatbelts. I stuck the key into the ignition; the familiar Toyota chime greeted me. I put my foot on the clutch and twisted the key in the ignition; a low growl from the engine bay oozed into the cabin. I shifted into 1st and slowly made my way out of the driveway. I pressed harder on the gas pedal, letting the engine go up to 5,500 rpm, before shifting to 2nd. The rpms fell to 2,100 rpm, and the previous loud purrs were now a hushed drone. I relaxed into the seat and fiddled with the air conditioning controls.
"Man, I gotta say, this thing is comfy," Hiroshi commented, as his seat reclined a bit.
"It's like a riding on a pillow," I added.
The road widened to two lanes in our direction, and I wasted no time in overtaking the silver Daihatsu in front of us. I shifted down to 1st and floored it, Hiroshi and I were forced back into our seats, as the Inline 6 surged up to a rather low, but still screaming 6,100 rpm, where I shifted up. I got halfway through 2nd where I'd felt I'd done enough. We were going nearly 70 mph now, flying past the assortment of Suzukis and aging Hondas in the other lane. The little condos to the right were starting to blur. I slowed down for a red light, the car smoothly went from 2nd to 1st, and then to Neutral.
"Daaaaaaaaumn!" Hiroshi said, gazing down the hood. "This thing packs a punch!"
The drive continued for another half hour, and after putting the SC300 through its paces in the curvy mountain roads and tearing down the main roads, I arrived at the shop, where a good friend of mine, Akio, worked. I parked the Lexus in front of the garage door. Hiroshi unfastened is seat belt and got out; I did the same. I locked the car and walked to the entrance with Hiroshi, looking back at the Lexus as I did so. Hiroshi pushed open the glass door for me, and I walked into a small waiting room filled with posters of modified Hondas, various wheels sitting on stands, and a heavy smell of cigarette smoke.
A small man with spikey hair and tattoos sitting behind a desk greeted us. "Hey, welcome to our shop. What can I hook you up with? Rims, an exhaust, tires?"
"I'm here to see Akio," I replied.
"Ah, he's in there," said the man, pointing through an opened door to the garage.
Hiroshi and I went into the garage, which was filled with automotive parts of every sort. We walked past a bright red Mazda RX-7 that was having its engine oil drained out. Past that was a riced Honda Civic, painted in putrid neon green. Its factory exhaust was being replaced with a fart can nearly as big as the car itself.
"Ricer," Hiroshi commented, pointing at the fart can.
Next to the Civic was a completely stock Toyota Celica; all of its wheels and several engine components lay on the ground. Akio was removing sludge coated parts from the engine.
We both stood there for a second, realizing that Akio hadn't noticed us. I walked around the Civic to the right and got behind Akio. I hesitated for a moment, and then put my arm around Akio's neck and pulled him into a head lock.
"Woah, woah woah!" he yelled, frantically.
"Guess who?" I said.
He looked up at me and laughed ,"I knew it was you."
"Yeah, sure," Hiroshi said.
"So, what's up?" Akio asked.
"I finally found a replacement for the 'Tegra," I told him, pointing at the Lexus outside.
His eyebrows raised ,"Oh really? 'Bout time you found a new car; I was starting to have a hard time picturing you without that Prius that you're renting."
"Tell me about it, that thing sucks," I looked back at the Lexus. "Hey, can you do me a favor?" I asked.
"Sure, as long as it gets me away from this Celica," he pointed back at the Celica. "You would not believe how much sludge is packed in there."
"Do you mind taking a look at the Lexus?"
"Yeah, sure," Akio replied.
I walked back to the Lexus and got in. I started it up and drove it into the open bay next to the black Celica. I popped the hood and got out.
Akio took a good look around the car, carefully inspecting the tires for wear. He then inspected the undercarriage, making sure everything fit tightly. When he looked under the hood, his previously neutral expression changed to something of shock.
"That's not what I think it is it?" he paused ,"Is that the 2JZ-GTE?"
"Not quite. This is the 2JZ-GE, the GTE is the twin turbo'd version of this engine. But both engines are found in the Supra,"
Hiroshi started coughing, saying geek between coughs.
"You're just jelly," I said.
After Akio thoroughly inspected the car, he gave me the facts.
"Overall," he said ,"The car is in good shape for its age. The parts appear to be in good condition, and there's no evidence of rust or sludge, or any of that stuff. I would recommend getting the brake rotors changed, but other than that, the car's got a clean bill of health."
"Sweet!" I said.
"You're good to go," Akio said.

We left the shop and headed back for the elderly man's house. When we arrived, the old man was trimming some bushes in the front yard. I parked the Lexus in the driveway. Hiroshi and I got out.
He turned and greeted us ,"Did you enjoy it?"
"Absolutely!" I replied, nodding vigorously.
Hiroshi stood behind me with his hands in his pockets, looking back at the Lexus. Because wasn't planning on actually buying a car today, I didn't have much more than 10,000 Yen on me. I reassured the elderly man that I would come by the next day and pay for the car. I gave him 10,000 Yen as a deposit and rode home with Hiroshi.


Hiroshi piloted his Subaru through the curves, keeping a firm grip on the shifter. The flat four rumbled and grunted with each shift. I sat in the passenger seat looking out the window, thinking about the Lexus.
Hiroshi broke the silence ,"So what are planning on doing with a Lexus?"
I looked back at him and shrugged ,"Not sure, really. I guess I'll do what I did with the Integra."
"Trying to keep up with the big boys on the mountain roads?" he asked.
"Hey, I kept up with those Silvias and Skylines pretty well, and I know a few of them were running racing slicks."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Hiroshi replied, smiling a little.
"Well at least won't have to rely on being lightweight to catch up anymore. Maybe I'll have the power advantage now," I suggested hopefully.
"Good luck with that," Hiroshi responed, skeptical as usual.


That's it for Chapter 1; Chapter 2 will be up soon. Yes, I realize there are no pictures. This Chapter and Chapter 2 will be text-only, but the following Chapters include pictures. Until then, please leave comments or criticism, or both. Both are appreciated greatly. 👍

 

[DK]

Great start, I can't find any major faults here, except for:

I was starting to have a hard time picturing you without that Prius that your renting.

 

[Doog]

Great start, I can't find any major faults here, except for:

Shucks, an error. Edited now.
Thanks for the feedback. It's a bit boring now, but it'll start to pick up on Chapter 3.

 

[Doog]

Chapter 2 : New Car

Today was the day. I woke up bright and early at 8 AM and fixed myself up. I had a quick breakfast and eagerly took the Prius back to the rental depot, where I willingly paid the rental fee, looking at it as if I were paying them to take that dreadful thing off my hands. I had arranged for Masato, the elderly man, to come to the rental depot to drive me to the registration office to exhange the title to me. After I paid him and he signed the title over to me, I drove him back home in the Lexus and bid farewell to him, assuring him that the car was in good hands.


I arrived home just past noon and intended on parking the Lexus in my garage, but due to my roomate Mike's sloppy parking, I had to settle for a parking spot in the driveway.

I made my way inside the house and grabbed a bag of potato chips and headed to my bedroom. I sat down at the desk and browsed the internet, looking at what other people had done to their SC300s. After an hour or so of searching, I came to the consensus that my new car's best attribute was speed. That wasn't exactly what I wanted though, as I quite liked racing on mountain roads in close combat. But seeing as that wasn't the Lexus' strongest virtue, I decided that if I wanted to push it through the curves, I'd have to get a new car. Luckily, before coming to the conclusion that I had screwed up and bought the wrong car, a new idea came to me : why not put my money into making the Lexus go fast, then using the money I won by doing that, I would build it into a great corner-carver.
After finishing my bag of chips, I fired up the Lexus and set off to the shop that Akio worked at. I strode past a black Nissan 300ZX, with its engine and a massive turbocharger lying on the ground next to it. I admired it for a bit and wondered if I would ever come across it in my new career as highway racer. I came back to reality and found Akio bent over the hood of a Mazda MX-5, removing a racing air filter.
"Psst," I hissed to get his attention.
Akio placed the air filter on the engine cover and turned around to look at me. "Oh hi," he said.
"So I bought the Lexus," I announced.
He nodded his head in approval.
"I want to use it for racing on mountain roads or on the track, but doing so's gonna cost me," I told him.
"Mmm hmm," Akio murmered.
"So I thought it'd be better if I used my money to beef up the engine; turbos and racing exhausts and all of that. Then I'd use the money I'd make from racing on highways to transform it into a track car or road racer or whatever."
"Sounds like it could work," Akio replied, nodding.
"And I came here to get your advice : what should I do first?" I asked him.
"Well," he began, scratching his head ,"Since it's really a Supra in a tuxedo, most parts for Supras should work for your car."
"Good to know," I said, relieved.
"You can pretty much do anything under the sun to it and it'll be fine. I suggest you start out with a new exhaust or air filter or something, or if you're looking to spend more money, I could work some magic with the engine. You could also do a turbocharger," he added.
"Good, good," I said.
Akio went back to installing the air filter on the Mazda. "So what's the plan?" he asked.
"What plan?"
"You know, what kind of tuning are we gonna do first?"
"Oh, that," I replied, nodding. "I guess we'll start out with the minor stuff, the air filter, the intake, and an exhaust."
"Ok," he said ,"And when are we going to install this stuff?" he questioned.
"Well if you can order the parts, I can come in next week for the installation."
"Sounds good," he said.

I returned to the Lexus and drove home, where I browsed the internet for performance parts for the rest of the day, eager to get the ball rolling.

 

[DK]

A good chapter, but I felt that it was a little short.

 

[Doog]

Chapter 3 : Progress


My alarm clock chirped to life at 10 AM in the morning. I squirmed around from under the sheets to reach out and turn it off. I hoisted myself out of bed and traveled to the kitchen to have a bowl cereal for myself. "I wonder if those parts are in yet," I thought to myself. After finishing the cereal, I returned to my bedroom and turned on my cell phone. After what felt like ten minutes, the phone finally turned on. It buzzed once, notifying me of one new message. I read the message : The exhaust shipped in today. We have all the parts now, swing by and I'll install them - Akio.
I showered, got dressed, and brushed my teeth and went to the garage. I tapped the button to open the garage door; daylight poured into the room. The Lexus' white paint sparkled in the sun. I buckled up and drove to the shop, where I found Akio installing a carbon fiber hood on an NSX. Akio, somehow sensing my presence, turned back to see me.
"What's up?"
"Meh, nothing worth talking about. What is worth talking about is installing these parts on the Lexus," I grinned.
Akio dusted his hands off on his denim pants ,"Okie dokie. Pull it in that space over there and we'll get started."
"Cool," I replied. I went back outside and drove the Lexus into the garage and popped the hood. I went to the back room and helped Akio bring the boxes to the garage. After that, he opened up the boxes and got to work.
"So, I'll do the exhaust; you can do the intake and the air filter," he told me.
"Sounds good," I went to work in installing the parts, and after about half an hour, we were both finished. I stood back and admired the engine bay, proud of my progress. I thanked Akio and paid him and drove to Hiroshi's place.


I arrived at Hiroshi's house, a small white stucco building with a low-pitched roof and a lone maple tree in the front yard. His silver Subaru sat proudly in the driveway, the paintwork shining in the sunlight. After parking the Lexus on the curb, I walked up the pathway to the front door and let myself in.
"I can't believe he still leaves his doors unlocked," I thought to myself, laughing a little.
Hiroshi sat on a worn sofa next to his little brother, Hisoka. They both sat, arms crossed, watching TV silently.
"Aww, look who's spending time with his little bro," I blurted out.
Hiroshi looked over at me ,"Shut up, he's not that bad," he laughed ,"Besides, you always spent time with your little sisters."
"Gah, got me there," I replied, sitting down next to him on the sofa. A cheeto crunched as I plunked down.
"So, wassup?"Hiroshi asked.
"Just got back from the shop; had some stuff installed on the Lexus."
"Kewl," he nodded.
"You know any good places to race?" I asked him.
"Oh yeah, tons," he said, as if it were nothing.
"So where could I go to race against people on a highway?"
"You could go to a highway, duh," he said.
"Smartass," I replied, giving him a punch on the arm.
"Well, I don't really do that stuff myself, too many Skyline douches to be honest. But I do know a place where the Skylines and Supras don't bother with."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah," he nodded ,"Route 7, it's about a 10 minute drive north of here."
"Fantastic," I said. "When's it active?"
"Cars start to show up 'round 10 PM or so and start to clear out at 2 AM."
I looked at my watch; it was 1 PM. "Gah, got nine hours to wait for my first race," I complained.
"Pfft, first world problems."
I rolled my eyes, "Wanna get something to eat?" I suggested.
He shrugged ,"Yeah, sure. We'll take the Scoobie," he told me, fumbling for the keys in his pocket.
"Awesome," I said, heading for the Subaru.
"Hisoka, don't forget to feed the cat, and it's your turn to do the dishes," Hiroshi told his little brother as he headed for the front door.
"K," Hisoka replied, engrossed into his show.
I opened the unlocked door of the Subaru and fell into the racing seat and harnessed myself in as Hiroshi got in and got himself situated. Hiroshi turned the key in the ignition; the fiesty four-pot under the hood grumbled to life. Hiroshi exited the driveway and drove to the nearest fast food place, a McDonalds in the town square. We found a booth and had ourselves two mediocre burgers and a flat soda and wasted no time in leaving.
"I'm gonna take the long way, alright?" Hiroshi told me.
"Sounds good," I replied.
Little did I know that the long way was actually the very long way. Hiroshi flung the silver Subaru around the curves and corners, and it stuck to every one of them. After a while the scenery started to change; the grass got a lot drier, the trees started disappearing, and there wasn't much population to speak of. After a good hour or so of driving, we noticed a group of cars parked alongside the country road. As we grew closer, the cars became recognizable; they were supercars.
"Hey look, a race," I pointed out.
"No, I thought they were having a tea party," Hiroshi shot back.
"Maybe you should join them, you'd fit right in."
"The hell with you," Hiroshi responded, punching my arm lightly.
"Well at least race them then," I suggested, "After all, we are stopped now. They're probably wondering what our deal is."
"Race them in this?" Hiroshi was flabbergasted.
"What, this road's got all kinds of crazy corners and stuff, and you've got all wheel drive. You could troll these guys!"
"I don't know about that..." he started.
"Pfft, at least ask them. Hell, they'd probably let you join for free, thinking they would blow you away."
"Well, if you put it that way, I guess there's nothing to lose, is there?"
Hiroshi drove the Subaru up to the group and parked next to a white Ford GT. He turned the key in the ignition and the steady gurgling of the Subaru's exaust went silent. I unharnessed myself and stepped out of the Subraru and stood by the passenger door. Men, and a couple of women, stood by their respective supercars, mingling. Lounge music was heard in the distance, and the air smelled of gasoline, perfume, and spray-tans. The owner of the GT, a clean-cut guy wearing a button up shirt and blue jeans, stared at us.
"I don't think the togue races are here until later," he informed us.
"We're not here for that," I said.
"Yeah, we came to join your race," Hiroshi added.
The guy lowered his dark-tinted sunglasses ,"Say what now?"
"We want to race you."
"I'll be right back," the man told us. He strode past several supercars and met with a tan man wearing a Ferrari jacket, a matching hat, and matching red shoes. The Ford GT owner explained the proposition to him, and the tan man laughed and nodded. The guy returned to us ,"You can race with us. Good luck keeping up."
"Alright," Hiroshi replied.
Ten minutes later, the tan man with the Ferrari-branded clothing harnessed himself into his Ferrari and pulled up to a start line marked out in chalk. All the other members of the group made their way to their cars and formed a grid on the road. I plunked down into the Subaru, and Hiroshi came to a halt in the vacant spot between a cherry red Jaguar XJ220 and a bright blue Dodge Viper.

These poseurs are no match for the Murcielago, the best thing Lamborghini has ever made.

My Zonda will surely win!

I really wish I had that V12 right now...

This is an NSX, the product of Honda and Aryton Senna! Who else can claim that?

If I lose and make a fool of myself, I'm bringing you down with me.

Is that a Subaru over there? Gah, I thought that when I got a Zonda, I would be finished with racing those cocky little things...

'Murica! **** yeah!

What the hell!? I don't remember my car sounding like this! Sounds like a freakin Ferrari now...

What's with that Saleen behind me? It sounds like crap!

Oh hey, somebody else brought a GT!

I hope the curator doesn't mind me using this...

I have more power than anyone here! This race is mine.

The SLR is supercar royalty, I'll be fine.

Gah, I can barely see out of this thing!

I have an Enzo Ferrari, the product of a heritage of racing and development. I will win this.

Heehee, look at all the expensive supercars here, I'll whoop them with my Tommykaira!

Here we go!

So far so good...

Who does that Subaru think he is?!

Nice, slam on the brakes right in front of me!

****!

That's just fantastic, blocking me in.

Time to fly!

What's up with that Saleen, it sounds like crap!
Hey what's the big idea here, riceboy!

Still have at least ten more to go...

Hee hee! I'm gonna fly right by him!

WHAT?!?
I just flew by an SLR!

Power isn't everything, you know...

Hahaha, look at that little Subaru fly by everyone!
You're not passing me!
The racing etiquette is just fantastic here, blocking people in and whatnot.

Come on!

Bye!

This has certainly calmed down a little...

Is that a Subaru?!

Dammit!
***** did I just pass?

Yeah!
You're kidding...

YOU SCRATCHED MY MIRROR!!!!
Haha, never liked Ferraris anyways.

Last one...

YOU SCRATCHED MY MIRROR!!!
Whoa whoa whoa, I'm supposed to be the underdog here!
Trollin the trolls...

You bastard!
Heehee!

I wasn't expecting that...

And into the sunset...

Get back here!
HE SCRATCHED MY MIRROR!!!
We're losing them...

Eat my dust....
Troll!!!

Almost gone...

Did they ragequit?

I win!

Hiroshi pulled over to the side of the road and parked up, waiting for the supercar club to finish. They came in a group seconds later and begrudgingly paid up. Hiroshi happily accepted the winnings and drove the both of us home.

"So that's that," he said.
"You actually beat them."
"Mmm hmm, trolled 'em."
"Alright, I'm gonna head home now; get ready for my race."
"Catch you later."

I left Hiroshi's and traveled home in the Lexus, now more confident for my own race which started tonight. I arrived home, where I found Mike's car parked haphazardly as usual, this time on the curb, with a couple of crumpled parking tickets under the windshield wipers.

I parked the Lexus in the center of the garage and entered the house, where I eagerly awaited the Lexus' inaugural race.

 

[DK]

It's nice to see supercars getting owned.

 

[Doog]

It's nice to see supercars getting owned.

Until I can arrange some races with real people, that's how it's gonna be. Chapter 4 will hold a closer race with Kyou and the supercars.

 

[Doog]

Chapter 4 : First Race

I came through the door and into the house, where I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up some. I showered, brushed my teeth, and fixed my hair.

After all of that, I checked my watch : 8:29. Disappointed, I emerged from the bathroom and walked down the hallway to the kitchen, where I had myself a serving of Spaghetti. Bon Appetit.

In the middle of my meal, Mike came to the kitchen carrying a Blackberry and an iPhone, texting on both. It was the first time I'd seen him in a week. He grunted in acknowledgement of me and stuck the Blackberry in his mouth - eww - whilst grabbing a tinfoil wrapped slice of pizza out of the fridge. He then returned to his room, Blackberry in mouth, with his pizza, all the while still texting. Mike and his gadgets; that was his thing, always in his room working on his several computers. I chuckled to myself at the thought of what would happen if the power went out on him.
I finished my Spaghetti and shoved the empty plate into the dishwasher and checked my watch once again : 8:43. "Close enough," I thought to myself. I grabbed the Lexus keys and walked out to the garage and opened it. The garage light flickered on, casting a subtle ray of light onto the Lexus' hood. I pulled open the driver's side door and fell into the leather seat, my jeans making a quiet sliding sound. I turned the key in the ignition and was greeted with a low rev from the engine. The bassy idle surrounded me in the cabin. I pulled the shifter into reverse and left the house and traveled to Route 7. The drive was rather interesting, as Route 7 was in the city, and all of my affairs were generally situated in the countryside and suburbs. Bright neon lights greeted me on every side of the road; modded up Skylines prowled the alleys, and Supras sat in front of the night clubs. Traffic was dense in the city, and I got a good workout shifting constantly to keep the revs from getting too loud.
Finally, I found the green sign above the road that told me that if I took the onramp to the right of me, I would be on Route 7. I nudged the steering wheel a bit and powered up the on ramp, the Lexus' torquey Inline 6 pulling me up the ramp. I merged in with the traffic and cruised in the center lane until I found a challenger. A shiny black Toyota Crown cruised along in the left lane, and to the right of me was one of the bulky vans common to the highways here. After a good 15 minutes or so of cruising, I found a group of cars lined up at the side of the road. I turned on my hazards and pulled over behind an Audi R8. The guy who I presumed to be its owner was knelt down by one of the wheels, deflating the tire a bit. I stepped over to the Audi and tapped the guy's shoulder; he jumped a bit and turned around to see me.

"Oh, hi," he murmered, visibly nervous about the race he was prepared for.
"Hey," I replied. "So you're having a race here?"
"Uh huh," he nodded.
"I'd like to join it."
"Well the entrance fee is a million Yen."
"Alright," I said, reaching into my pocket for the money.
"Give it to that guy over there," he said, pointing to a lanky man wearing a bright yellow coat and black pants, standing next to a white BMW. I nodded to the nervous guy and headed over to the yellow jacket man, carrying my money.

I reached him, and he glanced over at me.
"Sup?"
"Yeah, hi," I greeted him. "I want to join this race."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah really," I showed him the million yen.
"Cool story bro. Hand it to the chick with the cleavage."
I couldn't help but chuckle a little at that, "Sounds good."

I headed over to a group of men who were ogling the girl; I ignored them and handed the cash to her.
"I'm joining the race."
She took the money and stuck it somewhere inside her top and went back to absorbing the attention.
I turned around and walked back to the Lexus and got in, where I pysched myself up for the race. A couple minutes later, an Audi wagon drove out of the group and back onto the highway. One by one, the other cars followed; I did the same and found myself behind a red Mercedes SL. The person with the loudest horn honked three times, and the race was on.

I hope I don't lose tonight...

They said I could be anything. I chose to race in a Lexus, but apparently the guy in front of me has the same idea.

Oh boy....

Zis is Klaus's time to shine, ja. I will win zis race once and for all!

Heeheehee, my horn is so silly!

Heh heh heh, look at all of 'em wussies in them foreign cars, heh.

This race is mine.

This one's for you, Carol!

For the first time in my life, I'm starting to think 400 horsepower isn't enough to win this...

I don't think this is the route to the country club...

I wanna eat this burger, but I gotta shift gears and steer, too! Challenge accepted.

Crickey, this'll put my Jag through it's paces for sure.

I'm having second thoughts about taking the concept on the road...

If you look at it this way, it's a Gallardo wagon!

Off to a...rocky start...
Sayonara!

Shoot.
Yo bro, you best be stickin to the boulevards in your old Lexus!

This isn't looking good.

Hard on the brakes!
Aww man!

Here we go!
Cheater!

You guys brake much too early.
Aww snap bro! You just whooped my Beemer in your Lexus!
Stay low Klaus, stay near the back for now. You will strike at the end of the race.

Oh geez!
Don't hit my Vette!
Yeah, I don't think this is the way to the Country Club.

Eat my dust!

Slamming on the brakes in front of me? GENIUS.

Move over!
*****?

We're going pretty fast...

I thought I already passed you....
Oh no, Lexus boy again.

Shoot.
Driving while eating a burger's a real pain.
Let's do this!

Oh look, a Miura!
USA! USA! USA!

Yeeeeeehaaaaaaw!!!!
Shoot.

Here I go!
Again? You're really hasslin me here, son!

Oh boy, here comes the tunnel....

I've been blocked!

****!
If you hit me, I'm suing you.
Back off, buddy, I've got kids in here!

That's better...

R35? Pfft...

What?!
Heehee!

Come on, I want first place here...
Nobody can beat the mighty Countach!

This'll be a challenge...

Are you overtaking me?!
Moooove over!

Hahahaha!
That's a bunch of balls!

I will not eat your dust!

Oh crap!
I'm back!

Move it, import!

USA! USA!

The Countach takes first!

I'm winning!

Crunch time!

Noice.

It is Klaus's turn to shine now.
Where did he come from!?

Oh no....
This one's for the USA!

Yeah!

Looks like I've gotten second place. Not bad.

Ja. Another win for Klaus.

 

[DK]

That was a nice way of using a different game for this story. 👍

 

[Doog]

That was a nice way of using a different game for this story. 👍

Good to see more good words from my lone reader.

Unless I can think up, type up, get pictures for, and put together another chapter tonight, this will likely be the last chapter for a while. After tomorrow, I'm going to be out of state for 12 days and away from my Playstation, so no fan fiction for me.

 

[halfcab23]

Great story man! keep it up!

 

[RCKakashi14]

Your story is very good, I hope you can keep it up.

May I suggest one thing?

To make your racing images better, I suggest that you use Panning Mode 3 and the shutter speeds should range from 1/60 sec. (when there is only one car moving and it's on the straight line) to 1/250 sec (when there are multiple cars you want to shoot) so that the cars have the impression that they are moving, but there is less blur for the cars. Then you should also set the aperture ranging from 11.0 to 16.0 depending on how much background you want to emphasize on your pictures.


Here's some samples:

I hope this helps. I am also waiting for the next chapter.

 

[halfcab23]

Your story is very good, I hope you can keep it up.

May I suggest one thing?

To make your racing images better, I suggest that you use Panning Mode 3 and the shutter speeds should range from 1/60 sec. (when there is only one car moving and it's on the straight line) to 1/250 sec (when there are multiple cars you want to shoot) so that the cars have the impression that they are moving, but there is less blur for the cars. Then you should also set the aperture ranging from 11.0 to 16.0 depending on how much background you want to emphasize on your pictures.


Here's some samples:

I hope this helps. I am also waiting for the next chapter.

This helped my fanfic A LOT!

 

[Doog]

Your story is very good, I hope you can keep it up.

May I suggest one thing?

To make your racing images better, I suggest that you use Panning Mode 3 and the shutter speeds should range from 1/60 sec. (when there is only one car moving and it's on the straight line) to 1/250 sec (when there are multiple cars you want to shoot) so that the cars have the impression that they are moving, but there is less blur for the cars. Then you should also set the aperture ranging from 11.0 to 16.0 depending on how much background you want to emphasize on your pictures.


Here's some samples:


I hope this helps. I am also waiting for the next chapter.

Thanks for the tips. 👍
I'll be sure to try them out when I can get back on my Playstation (hopefully Sunday).

Edit :

I'm back home now, and I can use my Playstation once again. Expect a new chapter on Monday.

 

[Doog]

Very sorry about not having a new chapter up yet.
This chapter is quite long, and has taken quite a while to make. Add in that, and some laziness, and it hasn't quite been on schedule. But all the pictures have been taken, and most of it has been written. You can expect a new chapter tomorrow. 👍

 

[Doog]

Chapter 5 : A Wild Girl Appears


After my respectable second place finish on the highway, I collected my money from a shocked group of racers and left the area; some of those guys seemed pretty irked, and I wasn't about to see what they were going to do about it. I took the Lexus out of the city and back through the country roads; the Inline 6 had the time of its life revving up to its 7,000 RPM redline and down again. I managed to pull through the curves with minimal body roll, the wind rushed past me, and the six cylinder revved away, its raspy exhaust note howling away behind me. I had a grand time on those roads; there's always something entertaining about taking a car and making it perform in ways that it wasn't intended for.

But, my nighttime drive didn't last forever, and soon enough, I found myself at Hiroshi's. I slowly pulled up the gravel driveway and parked next to a little Toyota Aygo; Hisoka's car. The gravel crunched under the Lexus' tires, and the brakes squeaked ever so slightly as I came to a halt. I walked up to the front door and gave three knocks; Hiroshi came to the door and let me inside.

"Well if it isn't the backroad racer who thinks he can play with the big boys," Hiroshi said, chortling at his own joke.
I rolled my eyes ,"Second place."
He stopped chuckling and did a double-take ,"Say what now?"
I crossed my arms with a sense of pride ,"Yup, second. And there were Lamborghinis there too, you know."
"What?" he looked straight at me ,"They must've gone easy on you."
I shoved him back a little ,"Nah, they were serious. You shoud've seen this guy in a green Countach rage when I passed him."
"Wow," he said quietly. "That's crazy!"
"I know right?"
"How much did you win?"
"I had to give a million yen to join, and I won eight million, so seven million profit. Things are looking good so far."
"Mmm hmm," he grunted.
I checked my cell phone out of habit : 12:03 AM. "It's kinda late," I said.
"You don't say?" Hiroshi replied.
"Alright, I'd better head out then."
"Ok. G'night."
"Night. See you round."

I left Hiroshi's and returned to the Lexus and motored on home at a more relaxed pace this time; guys in old Skylines and Truenos lurked around here, and I wasn't about to join a race in nearly stock Lexus. Or was I? Yes I was. As I meandered through the creases and curves of Route 17 - the road I was traveling on - a pair of headlights appeared behind me. They grew closer and closer until they were glued to my rear bumper. The car, which appeared to be a Nissan 240Z, tapped its horn once and sped up; it was now alongside me. The driver stared right at me; he wanted to race. He overtook me and drove ahead whilst I followed him. A few moments later, he parked up behind a group of cars. I pulled up behind him and waited. I got out of the Lexus and stood in front of it, waiting for somebody to tell me what was going on. The man in the Nissan lifted himself out and walked towards me.

"Hey hey hey, wassup, bro?" he smelt a litle bit of liquour.
"Pretty good," I shrugged.
"Hey man, you got 2 million yen?" he was a little drunk.
"Mmm hmm."
"Cool. Listen, we're gonna head around the mountain, it's only like, 5 miles. The race ends when we get back here, aight?
"Alright. What's the prize?"
"If you get first place, you're gonna get like 10 mil, aight? Get in second, and it's 5 mil, cool?"
"Cool."
"Aight bro, just hold tight; we'll be startin in a lil bit, cool?"
"Cool."

Nothing worth mentioning happened in that little bit, although one of the guys gave me some Mexican chips, and boy were they good. Spicy and delicious. But anyways, after that little bit, a white Evo with dark grey wheels drove up a little bit and parked. The friendly guy with the Nissan motioned me to park up behind the Evo. The three other cars assembled behind me, and the race was on as soon as the Evo tooted its horn three times.

I don't have a good feeling about this...

Yeah! I'll whoop all dem posers in my Nissan! Yeah, this 🤬 is the very definition of swag, yeah! This is the swag attack right here! Straight dope!

Hahaha, look at all of these wannabes. I'm the real thing.

Let's show 'em how it's done, Lexus.

Ever notice how we always have the grid right by a gas station? How weird is that?

That's a fast Nissan!
Powaaaaahhh!!!

Hard on the brakes!
Aww man! Don't try to outbrake me!

Gah...understeer rears its ugly head...
Heehee! Never try to out maneuver an Evo!

This is going well so far...
Come on, you can do this, Zion! You can do it!

Come on!
Wow, he's keeping up...that was unexpected.

*****?

Oh snap bro! You're on the edge! Living on the edge

Mother:censored: 🤬 son of a 🤬! No!

Looks like somebody had a little accident...
Not the grass!

Heehee!
You won't be in first for long...

What? No!
I always win!
Yo, dawg! Guess who's right behind you?

Yeah! This is how we do it!

What?!
Yeaaahhh!!! We gonna whoop dem others!

I'm shocked...

Is that all you guys got?

Sayonara!
What!? Hellz nah, bro!

Come on!

Wait, what's going on?

Nissan! You have failed me!

Heeheehee!

Looks like I've got this one under the belt...

Oh geez...
I always win!

What?!
Bahahahaha!

I was shocked; I couldn't believe that I was beaten so narrowly; whoever that guy was in the 370Z must've been a native to mountain racing, even if he did spin out once. He was good. I collected my 5 million yen prize and drove home, a little disappointed and angry at my narrow loss. I chose to take the easy way home and got on the main road that ran near my house. The Lexus was clearly relieved to have been given a rest. The comfort-tuned suspension bobbed up and down and hid every little bump and crease in the road. The engine droned away in the low RPMs, and the wind rushed into the cabin through the opened windows.

[/IMG]

I arrived home at 1:17 AM and parked the Lexus back inside the garage. As usual, Mike's car sat in the driveway, crookedly parked as was normal. I wasted no time in getting dressed for bed and getting under the covers. I turned off the light and went to sleep. That was easier said than done; I tossed and turned and tossed and turned some more. I just could not sleep, period.
Some time that night, I eventually fell asleep. It wasn't restful though, and I ended up waking up at 6 AM. I did the usual morning routine: get up, eat, shower, get dressed, etc. After all of that was out of the way, I checked the clock on the wall: 6:58 AM. I hopped in the Lexus and traveled to Akio's garage. He was washing his hands in the sink when he saw me enter the garage through the waiting room.

"Oh hi, Mr. Wangan Midnight Racer," he teased.
"Ehh, we're not quite there yet. Just a solid second place finisher for now."
"Really?"
"Yeah really," I reassured him. "So, I won some money, and now it's time to beef up the Lexus some more."
"Well, it's pretty convenient that you showed up today."
"Why do you say that?"
Akio pointed to a couple of unopened boxes sitting over in the corner. "We ordered those parts for a customer who drove a fourth generation Supra. The guy never showed up, and now we're stuck with perfectly good parts. But they'll work on your Lexus."
"That is convenient. So what's in there?"
Akio rubbed his forehead ,"Oh, minor stuff. There's an ECU, a sports catalytic converter, and a sports exhaust manifold. I think there's even some sports shocks in there."
"Really?"
"Yeah really. Drive the Lexus up over by the Subaru over there and I'll install 'em."
"Sounds good."
I drove the Lexus up to the bay, where Akio went to work installing the shocks, and I did the minor engine work. About an hour later, we had both finished. I thanked Akio for the help, and left the garage.
An idea struck me as I was driving: Why not try out the new stuff on the track? It sounded good to me, and I made my way to the highway and drove South to Motegi, a track I had always wanted to drive on before. I arrived at Motegi at 9:43 AM; the place was filled with all sorts of track cars; I walked past gutted BMWs and Mazdas, and even a couple Porsches, a rarity over here. I paid the admission and drove my Lexus over to another parking lot closer to the track. I parked the Lexus diagonally in my parking spot and got out to check out the other cars.

As I began walking past some of the other vehicles, something caught my eye ahead, a black Chevrolet Camaro, the classic one. That, however, was not why it caught my eye. What caught my eye was its owner, a pretty little brunette standing next to it, wearing a yellow jacket, jeans, and yellow sneakers. Not quite the type I'd expect to see at a track day. After some contemplation, I decided to introduce myself, using the Camaro as the icebraker. I went over to the Camaro and stood next to it, admiring the details. The black paint shined in the sun, complemented by two white stripes on the hood. Two fuzzy dice hung on the mirror inside.

"So, is this yours?"
I must've caught her off guard, because she jumped a bit. "What? Oh, yeah, it's my baby."
"It looks great."
"Thanks," she smiled.
"You know, I've been to a couple track days in the past, and I've never seen a woman participate in one until now."
"Yeah, I know, this is actually my first track day," she seemed a little nervous.
"Oh really?"
"Mmm hmm. I've had this guy for a while, but I've never really raced him or anything."
"So I take it your new to racing in general?"
"Yeah. I don't work much, and I only have a couple friends here, so I kinda got bored. So, I decided that I would do something crazy, and this is where I ended up," she paused ,"I hope I don't hit anything."
"You should be just fine; at least you're not overcompetent like some of these douchebags."
"I know, right? I came here maybe an hour ago, and like six guys have came to brag to me about their awesome cars," she rolled her eyes.
I nodded.
"Hey, can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure."
"You're probably a good driver, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Well, I'm......not that experienced. Do you think you could ride along and coach me or something?"
"Sure!" I lit up with excitement.
"Awesome," she replied.
Just then, as if on cue, a man came carrying a helment and handed it to the girl.
"Will you be riding with her?" he asked.
"Yes I am."
"Do you need a helmet?"
"Yes I do."
"Helmet rentals are 15 thousand yen an hour. I'll find a helmet for you."
"Thanks."

He turned around and jogged back to the building to find a helmet for me. Meanwhile, the girl got in the driver's seat. I invited myself in and slid into the passenger's bucket seat.
"I guess I should introduce myself, I'm Kyou. Kyou Hisashi."
"Oh, yeah, right, I forgot about that! I'm April Jones," she laughed a little.
The man came back with a black helmet and gave it to me, and I strapped it on.
"Are you ready?" April asked.
I gave her a thumbs up.
"Awesome."

She stuck a key into the ignition and twisted it; the Camaro roared to life and shook with power. April gave two small revs; the Camaro rumbled twice and settled back into a deep, bassy idle. She grabbed the shifter and pulled it into first, and slowly exited the parking space and maneuvered out of the parking lot. She drove a for a little bit and arrived at the track entrance. The Camaro came to a halt as April waited for the track attendant who stood in front of us to give us the ok to go. A minute later, he shouted and motioned for us to join the other cars on the track.

"Are you ready?" April asked.
"Yes I am!" I clutched the edges of my seat in preparation for what would happen next.
April stomped on the gas pedal and clutched the steering wheel; the big V8 roared with fury, leaving a trail of tire marks and smoke behind us.

Alright, take this guy on the inside, and don't use too much gas here.
Whatever you say!

Try to outbrake him here and stick to the inside.

Hey, it's working!

He's fighting back!
You can't give up right here; move right a little.

Heehee!

Next time, don't quite muscle him out of the position so much.
Eat my dust!

What do I do here?
Same as always; outbrake, and stick to the inside, and you'll be fine.

Hey! Jerk!

Alright, this is a tight corner right here, only give about half throttle.
What's throttle?
The gas pedal.
Oh, right!

You're giving too much gas, too much gas...
Ooops!

Bullocks.
See, throttle control in a corner is key.

I can barely outbrake that big bus!
It is a 40 year old car...

That was good! But you're in the grass again...
Oh, yeah.... whoops!

Take him on the inside!
You always tell me to take him on the inside!

You're doing great!
Yay!

🤬!
Just turn around and face the right direction, then merge back on when its safe.

After that small incident, the rest of the 10 laps that April had paid for were pretty good. There were a few minor ventures off track, but she seemed to know what she was doing; she also seemed more sure of herself. After she was done with her laps, we parked back in the parking lot and talked for a while. We exchanged phone numbers, and I agreed to meet her for coffee the next day. I bid farewell and drove the Lexus home, only realizing halfway there that I had completely forgotten to take it onto the track. But still, a small price to pay for a new friend.