Rotary Racer - Final Chapter (for now, anyway) added 26/1/10

[DK]

Chapter 1 - Look at that car!

- "Damn ricer!"

- "Nein...you must be 🤬 me!

- "You gotta be kidding me, an RX-7 beating an R8?

- "My Viper! Beaten by a Mazda..."

- "That can't be stock..."
- "You're right, it isn't stock...domo origato, RE Amemiya.

- "Damn und blast!"
---------------------------------------------------------------------
* "Wake up, Ryo!"

 

[DK]

You know what, screw it, the pictures don't work. Can anybody give advice on how to get PROPER WORKING LINKS!!!

 

[Adamgp]

You need to upload them through a site like Imageshack or Photobucket.

 

[Jujubean]

You need to upload them through a site like Imageshack or Photobucket.

I am having the same problem. I was writing a race report, and took a bunch of photos. I uploaded them to Imageshack, and put the links in the report, but no dice. Its like I didn't do anything at all. Its weird because I also put in pictures of the maps, and they did work.

 

[AMG.]

Have a look at https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=116825 or use a GTPlanet album.

AMG.

 

[COOLfiat]

better get the pictures going.

 

[DK]

Have a look at https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=116825 or use a GTPlanet album.

AMG.

Thanks for your advice, AMG, the pictures are up now!

 

[DK]

Chapter 2 - My actual car

Okay, maybe you guys don't know me. My name is Ryosuke Sato Jr., son of legendary racing driver Ryosuke Sato...Sr. I am 16 and I love rotaries. And turbochargers. That car I was dreaming about is my dad's. And yes, it has been tuned by RE Amemiya. Anyway, back to the story...
--------------------------------------------
Please note that when you see this symbol >>> #, it means that the person talking is on the phone.
--------------------------------------------
- "Ryo, come on, we're getting you a car."
- "A car?"
- "Yes, Ryo, it has four wheels, an engine and at least 2 seats. Have a look in here."

Dad handed me a copy of Auto Trader.

- "Pick out what you like and then phone the guy. But please check thoroughly. I don't you buying a Silvia and then finding an RX-7 for less."

I spotted a R32 GTS-t for...oh, crap, 1.1 million yen. Out of my range. Dad only gave me a million yen spending limit. There was a S13 for 950,000 yen, but it looked like there may have been plenty of offers, as it said next to the picture, "950,000 yen or best offer." I rang the guy who was selling it.

- "Are you selling that white S13?"
# "Price has gone up. Now it's 1.5 million."
- "Damn!"

I hung up. I spotted an R30 for 600,000, but I doubt it has stayed at that price. And then, I spotted something.

It was a beautiful 1990 Mazda RX-7 FC3S, probably in an immaculate condition. However, the price looked too good to be true. Just 600,000 yen! Something must be up. Did it have a stash of cannabis in the door panels? Did it have, instead of the legendary 13B rotary engine, something from a Honda Civic? I rang the number.

# "Mushi mushi? "(Hello in Japanese if you're using the phone)
- "I'm calling about that FC3S. Have you had any offers?
# "Hai. Three. The latest was 660,000 yen."
- "Well, I'm offering 700,000 yen."
# "Ah, domo origato. I'll call you back if I don't get any further offers."

--------------------------------------------
Next Monday
--------------------------------------------
Dad brought me to the small town where the car was. And then...

- "Dad, look, it's beautiful!"

I was referring to this:

- "Konichi wa, you must be Ryosuke. And this..." the owner points at the RX-7, "...is now your car.
- "Domo origato for the car!"

I handed over a cheque for 700,000 yen. He handed me the keys.

- "Now Ryo, your career can begin."

 

[mazdaman]

Chapter 2 - My actual car

Okay, maybe you guys don't know me. My name is Ryosuke Sato Jr., son of legendary racing driver Ryosuke Sato...Sr. I am 16 and I love rotaries. And turbochargers. That car I was dreaming about is my dad's. And yes, it has been tuned by RE Amemiya. Anyway, back to the story...
--------------------------------------------
- "Ryo, come on, we're getting you a car."
- "A car?"
- "Yes, Ryo, it has four wheels, an engine and at least 2 seats. Have a look in here."

Dad handed me a copy of Auto Trader.

- "Pick out what you like and then phone the guy. But please check thoroughly. I don't you buying a Silvia and then finding an RX-7 for less."

Nice to meet you can i join in on your story because i love rotarys also.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

He blows away a Family Cup in a winged RX7. BIIIG DEAL. How much power are you using?? Give us some details. I'd be more impressed if you removed the wings...you're up against a batch of cars that don't use downforce, after all.

Also, how about giving us some story? Not just...'hmm, I think I'll race'. How did you get to this conclusion? Is it a pizza driver who enters the Amateurs?? What?

Sorry. It's Monday and I just got to work. My mom always said "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". Obviously, I'm not obeying at the moment.

 

[DK]

He blows away a Family Cup in a winged RX7. BIIIG DEAL. How much power are you using?? Give us some details. I'd be more impressed if you removed the wings...you're up against a batch of cars that don't use downforce, after all.

Also, how about giving us some story? Not just...'hmm, I think I'll race'. How did you get to this conclusion? Is it a pizza driver who enters the Amateurs?? What?

Sorry. It's Monday and I just got to work. My mom always said "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". Obviously, I'm not obeying at the moment.

It wasn't the Family Cup, it was a race meeting. I think it had about 460hp.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

It wasn't the Family Cup, it was a race meeting. I think it had about 460hp.

Sorry man..it's MOnday. Carry on with your thread.

 

[DK]

Chapter 3 - Debut

Dad entered me in this race at Fuji. It was part of a championship called the Japanese 90's Classics Cup.
- "I just need you to sign this form." said dad.
- "For what?"
- "To register you as a racing driver in the Gran Turismo Association."

A racing driver? Whoa!

- "Sure."

I handed the form to a man at the entrance to the driver's paddock. I then drove my car to the starting line.

I looked at the grid. My opponents were a Nissan Silvia S13, a Nissan Primera 2.0Te, 2 Honda Preludes and a Honda Civic SiR-II.

- "Ha! You guys are no match for my RX-7!"

I revved my twin rotary engine. I was convinced the toughest competition would be the Silvia, because it was my only opponent with rear-wheel drive.

- "Go!"

I leapt off the line. My car passed out one of the Preludes and the Civic.

- "Damn it!"
- "Should've raised my bid for that GTS-t..."
- "All right, two down, three to go!"

- "Scratch that...three down, two to go!"
- "🤬!"

By the first turn I was second!
- "Aw, crap!"
- "You're losing to an FF? Tut, tut."
- "You're not passing me, buddy."

- "Come on, I want a battle!"

- "Aw, 🤬!"
- "Woohoo!"
I had taken the lead at turn 3!

But then I lost it at turn 4...
- "Goddammit!"
- "It's your turn to get mad!"

But at turn 7, I retook the lead. And so the battle heated up.
- "Arghh!!!"

But it seemed he had more power on the straight...I ruled the corners, but he ruled the straights.

At turn 1 I demonstrated this by retaking the lead.
- "🤬!"

I only got a glimpse, but at 100R the S13 launched an (unsuccessful) assault on its stablemate.
- "Come on, there's a 150,000 yen prize for 2nd!"

He tried again on the straight between turns 2 and 3 on the next lap. I know that because...

- "🤬, I'm 🤬 now!"

I lost the lead at 100R.
- "NO!!!!!"

I think I was 3rd for a few seconds.
On the last lap I was desperate. But I had a hope. There was turn 7, my favourite although I've only gone round it 4 times.

- "Time to get absolutely wasted on champagne!"

- "You want a fight, kid?"

I managed to force him off line - and off balance.
- "🤬!"

- "Woohoo, 150 grand!"

- "Ah, the sweet taste of victory. And 450,000 yen also tastes good..."
I picked up the cheque for 450,000 yen. A man approached me.

 

[Parnelli Bone]

See. Now that's more like it! Good story. Great pictures!

 

[Smallhorses]

A better race description, 👍 but let's just clarify the use of the censored smiley shall we?
It's to be used in place of full profane words that're otherwise not allowed here. You don't use it after a beginning letter or between a beginning and ending letter, as you did several times in this report. 👎
You've been told about partially censoring words by the staff here before - quite simply don't do it. Either use the censored smiley or type the full word and let the profanity filter do it's job. Partially censoring a word with the censored smiley is just the same as partially censoring a word with asterisks or other characters, i.e. unacceptable here.

I've edited your post to correct it and this'll be the final time you're warned about it without extra administrative action taking place too.

 

[DK]

Chapter 4 - Hiroto Matsuda
- "Hey, kid, great race."
- "Holy crap...Hiroto Matsuda?"
- "Yeah, whatever. Don't be so dumbstruck."
- "Ah, Hiroto. Are you back from Europe already?"
- "Yeah. All those Alfas, BMWs and any other non-Japanese cars were no match for my GT-R. Have you ever told your wife about that time you did in jail in the States?"
- "No. Lately, she's been accusing me of all sorts of bad things. I got an early release for good behaviour. Then I scouted America for any talent. I found some good drivers during the time I would've served in prison if I hadn't got out on good behaviour."

Meanwhile, I went to collect my winnings.

- "Sweet! I'm gonna buy a new muffler!"
- "I'm sorry, but the 90's Japanese Classics Cup is for stock cars only."
- "Damn!"
- "If you need a fast car, why not buy a GT-R R32 or R33?
- "Nah, I prefer rotary-engined cars?
- "How about an FD3S?"
- "What, do you sell cars?"

I was handed a leaflet - and an invite - for the next meeting at the Special Stage Route 5 racetrack in Tokyo.

 

[Rotary Junkie]

You know your FC is perfectly capable of the 90's cup in stock configuration and that an FD is overkill, right?

 

[DK]

Chapter 5 - One Dark Night

Dad laughed as I told why I wanted an FD3S.
- "Ah, my son, you don't need an FD3S. It's overkill!"

Hiroto was quick to butt in with his reason why the FD was overkill.
- "Using an FD for this cup is like bringing a F1 car to a JGTC race. You're gonna slaughter them. It's like having Michael Schumacher race for you, in his Ferrari FXX, when your opponent is supposed to be some punk who spends his nights on the Wangan, chasing the famous "Devil Z" or the "Blackbird"."
- "Son, if you really are my son, you'll not require a FD. Talent will usually make up for most horsepower disadvantages, especially if you're driving a lightweight, handling-focused coupe, e.g. the Corolla AE86 or the Lotus Elise."
- "But..."
- "Kid, you've got to find a way to make up all these disadvantages. And, I doubt your car is any worse than some bargain bin Honda Civic. Unless that has had an F20C engine swap."

We arrived at the track. We weren't the only people racing that night, as highly-tuned and specialised track cars were also there.

- "Wow, Dad, there's an FD just like yours...except it's black."
- "Whoah, like at that R30! Who knew you could turn them into hardened race monsters...like its grandkid, the R32...which I own."

I signed my name on a sheet, registering for a 90's Japanese Classics Cup race.

- "You are racing with...Group 3." said the woman at the registration booth.

I waited and watched the other races. An R32 roasted its opponents alive in an 80's Cup race, while a KPGC10 won a 70's Cup race. And then I watched a Silvia S14 win a 90's Japanese Classics Cup, and the race following that was won by a Civic Type R EK. Then it was my race. My opponents were 3 Preludes, a Civic and a Mitsubishi Mirage.

- "Dad?"
- "Yes?"
- "How much horsepower does a Honda Prelude have?"
- "Around 190 to 200."
- "Oh, crap."
- "What did I tell you about driver skill?"
- "(Half-heartedly)It can overcome most horsepower differences, especially if you're driving a lightweight, handling-focused coupe."
- "You're a quick learner, no wonder you got mostly A's last year."
- "Okay, please clear the grid for the warm-up lap!" said the announcer.

Those 3 minutes spent zig-zagging around the track, getting heat into my tires, went by quickly. My fears quickly melted away. Preludes, I thought, were no match for my RX-7.

- "Come on , you're not getting past me, boy."

- "Come on, the next corner, probably then I'll get 5th.

But, I had to wait for the hairpin under the overpass to grab 5th. The Mirage was just in front.
- "🤬!"
- "I'm screwed now!"

- "Damn!"
- "Okay, 2 down, 3 to go."

- "Goddamn it!"
I had just 2 opponents to deal with - the remaining Prelude, and the Civic. The latter was about to fall into 3rd...

- "Gah, I hope that red Prelude kicks your ass on the straights!"

- "No...I can't lose!"

I don't know how, but then I ran wide!
- "Thank you!"
- "🤬!"

- "Okay, let's see you deal with that Civic!"

- "What the..."
- "You're mine now!"

I was genuinely scared now. Maybe it was my inexperience. Well, I'm just weeks away from my 17th birthday, and all the greats - well, not Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso or Kimi Raikkonen, but maybe they have an instinct for racing - were at their greatest around 27 to 30 years old. So, I had some learning to do. But, the Prelude was just a second or two ahead. And then, at turn 4, I took the lead (maybe my friend Satoshi was right, as he said FRs are better than FFs at cornering).

- "🤬 you!"
- "Ha ha! Eat - or rather, breathe in - the CO2 from my exhaust, loser!"

Behind me, the black Prelude was pulling itself into a battle for a prize of around 100,000 yen - or, in other words, 3rd place.
- "Come on, I'll eat you guys for breakfast!"

- "Running wide again? Damn, why can't I capitalize this time !? "

- "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

- "Ha, 150,000 yen, here I come! Now I can ditch this crappy Civic for a Silvia!"

- "Not so fast!"
- "Crap!"

- "*Sighs*. I'll never win now..."
- "Give up, and focus on covering your own ass!"

- "I can't believe I'm fighting for 75,000 yen and 4th place!"

# "Come on Ryo, last lap!"
- "Thanks for the heads-up, Hiroto."

Meanwhile...

- "Ha! Eat carbon dioxide, chump!"
- "GAH!!!"

- "Come on...I need this..."

- "I can't see that FC3S..."

- "Ah, victory, a taste you can never be sick of. Unlike rice."

- "Congratulations, Mr. Mazda-RX-7-FC3S-driver. Don't waste your winnings."

The Civic driver was very gracious in defeat...unlike the driver of the red Prelude.
- "🤬 piece of 🤬 🤬! I should've bought a 🤬 Silvia, or a Skyline, or an FC3S like the punk who beat me!"
- "Whoah, chill out, dude, you win some, you lose some!"
- "Don't tell me to 🤬 chill!"
- "What, did someone use your breakfast as a urinal or something?"
- "Arrgh...I hate you goddamn comedians."
The driver of the red Prelude kicked his car repeatedly, until there was a dent in his door.
- "Damn...that's gonna screw up the aerodynamics! "

EDIT: Please give me some feed back, I don't want to have to double post!

 

[DK]

Chapter 6 - Rematch

Somehow, that guy with the (dented) red Prelude got my e-mail address, and challenged me to a rematch at what he considered a "proper" circuit.
- "The Grand Valley Speedway? Ah, a great circuit, as I recall. Hosted the 2003, 2005 and 2008 Formula GT Japanese Grand Prix."
- "I shouldn't accept his invite."
- "Yes, but beating him a second time would convince him he's a 🤬 driver."
I laughed at his comment. Dad is such a comedian.

--------------------------------------
TWO DAYS LATER
--------------------------------------
Receptionist: "Ah, Mr. Sato, we were expecting you. Your Japanese 90's Challenge race is at 2 p.m. I think a Mr...Sagata specified that you would be racing against him."
- "Yeah, I kicked his ass at the Special Stage Route 5."
The receptionist laughed. "When he mentioned you, he didn't say anything about any ass-kickings."

--------------------------------------
AT 2 P.M.
--------------------------------------

- "Damn, these are the same guys whose asses I kicked a week ago!"
- "Is that the same RX-7 from the Special Stage Route 5?"
- "🤬, not that 🤬 guy!"

- "Hmm...I guess I'll try my luck at the corners, seeing as the Preludes have a power advantage."

- "GAHHH!!! 🤬!"
I think I could have heard that guy scream the MF-word when I passed him.

- "I hate deja vu...."
- "In cases of when I pass the same guy twice, I love deja vu...but it does get repetitive."

- "Not this 🤬 again..."

- "*sighs*...wait...I can pass him on the straight!"
Announcer: "And a daring move by Sato!"

- "Aw, I friggin' hate...that thing...where something happens twice to you...what was it called?!"

- "He's definitely going to pass me at turn B."
- "Come on...I've got the only FR here..."

# "Ah, well, good luck taking on those 2 Preludes..."
# "Well, I do have the better car..."
# "Cocky :censored:er..."

- "🤬!"

- "🤬! Double 🤬! Quintuple 🤬!"

- "Sayonara!"

- "Come on...I wanna buy that Evo II I saw in Auto Trader!"

- "How the..."

- "This may be the least convenient time to say this, but I need to take a dump."

- "Oh come on, not the Mirage!"
- "My time to shine, baby!"

- "NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

- "🤬 off!"

- "Yay, 3rd place and 100,000 yen!"

- "*sighs*...I hate this piece of 🤬 Honda!"

- "Well, at least a silver trophy would get a lot of money in a pawn shop."

- "Woo-hoo! 450,000 yen!"

- "Oh, come on!"
Last I heard, that red Prelude got another dent in the door. And all its driver got for his troubles were 50,000 yen...

As I left the track, I was handed an invite for another 90's Classics Cup race at the Twin Ring Motegi...

 

[crooky369]

All I can 🤬 think about when I read these stories is the scene below!

 

[Pitracer100]

Nice Chapter!! You are really writing this in a different style that I like.
"This may be the least convenient time to say this, but I need to take a dump."

Don't forget to read True-Blood Racer!!

 

[marchi]

Being constructive, you have all the ingredients for a great story, but like the rest, you fall in to the same pattern of constantly winning. Take a second place, some times even a third. You can then add depth to the character by allowing him to deal with the fact of losing.

 

[DK]

Chapter 7 - Marcus
Marcus is an exchange student from Finland. His dad works for Mitsubishi, and likes to spend his spare time tuning his Evo 8 for...well, it may be a bit stereotypical, but it's for rallying. Even though there are few dirt tracks in Japan, this car is also good on touges.

Me, Marcus and our other friend Hiroshi were cruising in his Evo.
Then, Marcus said, "Hey, Ryosuke, there's a racetrack a few miles from here. Do you know it?"
I replied, "Know it? I raced - and won - on it!"
"Well, there's an Evolution Meeting there. And we're currently driving..."
"A Mitsubishi Evo V."
Hiroshi gave his two cents. "Guys, if my mom finds out, she's going to freakin' kill me!"
"And so is mine. My mom thinks motorsport is for men with more brawn and bravery than brains. She wanted me to be an accountant!"

We arrived at the track. We went to the registration booth, and I was again welcomed by the same receptionist as the one who was at my second ever race.
- "Well, Ryosuke, seeing as you have the most racing experience on official racing tracks, you're driving."
- "But it's your car!"
- "So I'll be really pissed off if it ends up being recycled into a people carrier or a few thousand cans of Coca-Cola! I'll be even more so if it became cans of Pepsi!"
We (me, Marcus, Hiroshi and our opponents) rolled out of
the pits as the cars from the last race - the Type R Cup - rolled in.

- "God...if mom sees this..."
- "Well, it's not like she caught you reading Playboy!"
- "Seriously, Hiroshi, mellow out!"
- "How? You're thrown in jail for a tenth of a gram of 🤬 weed! I wish this was...some country that legalised weed."
- "That'd be Holland."

- "GO!!!"

- "Seriously, Marcus, this car has really bad understeer."
- "I'm pretty sure your dad taught you how to deal with that!"
- "Yeah, but not when it's this bad!"

- "Wait...is that an Evo 5?"

- "Please get harder springs Marcus..."

- "Come on...this car better make up for the crappy steering!"
- "🤬 you!"

- "Damn it!"

- "Arrgh...he's all over me!"
- "Come on!"

- "Oh 🤬, I knew I should have bought that new muffler!"

- "Okay, now it's drifting!"

- "Learn how to control your Evo, 🤬!"

- "Damn, he can out-drag me!"
- "Yes!"

- "It was fun while it lasted..."
- "Come on, bring on that last Evo!"

- "🤬! More understeer!"
- "Yeah, whatever..."

- "I have him..."
- "...Or her."

- "Bring it on, kid."

- "Oh, I really screwed up."
- "400,000 yen, you're mine!"

- "Come on! You had an opening!"
- "But it's your car!"
- "Why did he slow down?"

- "Oh, crap!"

- "You 🤬 dumbass!"

- "Ha-ha, I'm...sorta rich."

We got out of the car. Hiroshi really didn't care about the result. But Marcus did.
- "Explain why you held back!"
- "I don't know!"
- "You 🤬 retard!"
- "I dunno, maybe it's courtesy!"
- "Racing isn't about courtesy!"
- "You've never raced!"
- "Do you think there's ever been a race where two cars haven't touched once?!"
- "No..."
- "And so, Ryosuke loses the argument..."
What made the result worse for Marcus is that the Evo 4 was driven by a girl.
- "Oh come on!"
- "So...I guess you drove that Evo."
- "No, it was Mr. Chivalry over there."
- "Hey."
- "Hey."
- "Good race. That was sweet of you to hold back on that second last corner."
- "I didn't want to make contact."
- "🤬..."
- "Besides, we win some, we lose some."

We went home. Who was that girl?

 

[Smallhorses]

A better race description, 👍 but let's just clarify the use of the censored smiley shall we?
It's to be used in place of full profane words that're otherwise not allowed here. You don't use it after a beginning letter or between a beginning and ending letter, as you did several times in this report. 👎
You've been told about partially censoring words by the staff here before - quite simply don't do it. Either use the censored smiley or type the full word and let the profanity filter do it's job. Partially censoring a word with the censored smiley is just the same as partially censoring a word with asterisks or other characters, i.e. unacceptable here.

I've edited your post to correct it and this'll be the final time you're warned about it without extra administrative action taking place too.

I did warn you about this previously. This time you'll see the extras I promised you. 👍
🤬 stands by itself. Clear?
No :censored:ing, :censored:head or suchlike is acceptable.

 

[DK]

Sorry for the lack of updates for the past month, the Internet broke down at my place and I don't feel like going to an Internet cafe to do a reply, especially when you get charged €3 an hour.

Chapter 8 - Motegi
As I was dreading the day I would go back to that joyless prison that is my school, I was not just dreading it for the amount of work I would get, but also because someone could have heard about me losing to a girl.

Marcus and I took a little day-trip to Motegi, with Hiroshi in tow. I was having my head pounded by the sound of this rock band that Marcus really likes, Linkin Park.

Sound system: ~ "...I've...become so numb, I can't feel you there, become so tired, so much more aware..."
- "Honestly, Marcus, it's my car, can I please turn it down!"
- "So says the guy who listens to techno..."
Hiroshi really couldn't care, because he was reading a tuning magazine.
- "Hey, guys, what's better: a Honda Civic Type R or a Honda Integra Type R?"
- "Integra."
- "They're both crap."
- "Uh...why?"
- "Let's see...they both have FWD!"
- "Civics are heavier and have a worse power to weight ratio than their coupe cousin, the Integra."
- "Well, your common or garden variety DC2 has a power-to-weight ratio of 5.290. The EK9 Civic has a power-to-weight ratio of 6.471. Statistics say the Integra wins."
- "I think you got it the wrong way round - there's no way a EK9 Civic has 6.471 horsepower per kilo. Perhaps its 6.471 kilos per horsepower."
We went to the entry booth. Our race was to be an evening one...
"...like that F1 race in Abu Dhabi."
- "That hasn't happened yet!"
- "Yeah, but I found out about it thanks to Wikipedia."
Our opponents weren't all FWD cars. I spotted a Silvia S14 there, possibly a kouki (later period) model.
We were to go on the West Course. Why not the full course? We were told that there was a big crash on the pit straight in a JGTC race this afternoon.

CR-X driver - "An FC3S? Oh crap!"

Marcus - "And you complain about my car understeering..."
- "Shut up!"

- "Oh boy, this isn't going to end with a trophy..."
Hiroshi - "I never knew they made CR-X's in the 90's..."
- "Nor did I."

- "Wow, 2 overtakes in one go!"
Red Integra driver - "Hey, he hit me!"

- "Aren't you that Primera guy from Fuji?"
Primera driver - "Aren't you that FC3S guy from Fuji?"

- "Yes! Second place!"
- "FC3S guy - 2, me - zilch."

- "Huh...only fitting my Familia was beaten by another, superior Mazda..."
- "Yes! Come on, baby!"
Marcus - "What a cheap piece of crap Mazda..."
- "What did you say!"
Marcus - "Please, it was that other Mazda!"

S14 driver - "I can't shake this guy!"

Primera driver - "Come on...I gotta rescue my dignity..."

S14 driver - "I had to pick the Q's model, didn't I?"

Marcus - [looks behind] "Seriously, you're way ahead of those losers. *laughs*"
- "I can't look behind now, I'll lose concentration and fly into the gravel!"

Red Integra driver - "Come on, I need an opening..."

Red Integra driver - "Gotcha!"
S14 driver - "*screams* NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You 🤬 🤬!"

S14 driver - "It's over...I'm last..."
CR-X driver - "What a relief..."

S14 driver - "What's the use, he'll just run away on the straights..."

Red Integra driver - "Gah! Little punk!"

Primera driver - "*sighs*...3rd again..."

Marcus - "Come on, just a few more corners, don't screw up..."
- "You really are pressurizing me..."

S14 driver - "*sighs*...It seems like my self-esteem has been shot in the head..."

Primera driver - "No-one remembers the silver medallists, so I doubt that I, a bronze medallist, will be remembered."

I took one last look in my rear-view mirror, and noted how far behind that Mazda Familia was.

Marcus looked behind us.
Marcus - "I suppose that makes it a Mazda 1-2!"
I had won. My self-esteem got a bit higher. As we made it to the area where we picked up our winnings, I noted the sour look on the S14 driver's face, who would only pick up money that was worth the amount of fuel he used - about a few thousand yen. That guy was going home empty-handed. As Hiroshi visited the merchandise stall, Marcus and I sat down and discussed a good day's racing.
- "That S14 driver is probably going to kick himself...or worse."
- "Yeah...so, is there going to be another Japanese 90's Classics Cup race?"
- "Says here that it's to be held next Sunday at..."
- "Where?"
- "...Apricot Hill, Canberra...Australia!"
- "Australia?! Mom will never let me go there!"
- "Why?"
- "Uh...because she hates motorsport! Ever since what happened to Dad!"
- "What did happen to your Dad?"
- "Well, it began like this...it was the 80's. Toyota had a Formula GT team, driven by legendary racing pair Ryosuke Sato Sr., AKA my Dad, and Takeshi Hunasuke. They won 8 titles between each other, 6 for Takeshi and 2 for Dad. In 1991 Toyota cut funding to the Formula GT team by implementing wage cuts. Dad and Takeshi were already among the lowest paid drivers in the paddock, earning what would now be $4 million a year. They considered this an insult. They both walked out and vowed never to drive another Toyota again, be it a race car or a road car. Dad trained drivers for the Nissan Formula GT team from 1992 to 2002, including actually racing for them with Hunasuke from 1992 until 1994, winning one title each but neither of them clinching the 1994 title - that went to American James Goodwin Sr., racing for GM Motorsport's Formula GT division, which was cut in 2006 due to a lack of American support. Hunasuke also stayed on in a training programme, and left in 2002 to have a peaceful retirement in Capri."
- "Wow...so that's why your mom hates motorsport."
- "Yeah, and also because he spent a lot of time away from home, and because there are still fatal accidents on racetracks every year."
We went home. Hiroshi showed me this top he got showing a Mazda RX-7 FC3S (in race trim) which said (in Japanese): "Rotary Racer".

 

[Pitracer100]

Nice chapter.👍

 

[DK]

I've decided to clear this chapter due to a lack of replies. I don't want to resort to double-posting, which happened before on my last (and much less successful) story.

Chapter 9 - The Wizard of Oz
- "Dad?"
- "Yes?"
- "Can you read this leaflet?"
- "OK, let's see...Japanese 90's Classics Cup race...at...Apricot Hill, Canberra, Australia?!"
- "I take it I'm not going..."
- "Son, I'd have to discuss this with your-"
Mom came in.
- "Discuss what with who?"
- "There's a race...in Australia! I could win a new car!"
- "No son of mine is going to Bathurst! They hate foreign cars racing there!"
- "Mom, it's at the Apricot Hill raceway, near Canberra!"
- "Ah, I know what that is. It was built in 2000. Apparently there's a joke saying that it was built in case motorsport made it into the Olympic Games."
- "Mom, look at what you could win!"

- "The benefits outweigh the risks, Keiko."
Mom reluctantly agreed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Five days later...
-------------------------------------------------------------------

I looked through the field.
- "A Toyota Glanza, a Nissan Primera, a Mitsubishi FTO, a Honda Civic SiR-II...actually, two. This is going to be a breeze!"
I got into my car, at the back of the grid. The sound of the crowd was far from deafening. I heard that there was going to be an Australian V8 Series race later, where Ford fans would beat up Holden fans and vice-versa.

Then the lights went red. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...GO!!!

FTO driver - "Ah, crap!"
I was 5th almost instantly.

- "Damn it!"

Then I took 2nd after passing two cars at the same time. The Glanza had to realize that he was not getting away from me.

- "Come on, this ain't the D1 Grand Prix!"
- "Nice try, mate! Try the D1GP!"
It was the moment I realized that there were benefits to driving aids.

- "Come on..."
- "Thank you Toyota!"

- "Ah, 🤬!"

- "Who does this car think I am, Colin McRae?"

- "Adios, sucker!"

- "Argh!"

- "No, no, no, no, no, no, no...phew!"

- "Goddammit!"

- "He's all over me!"

- "I can do it..."

- "And a clean pass for Sato!"
- "Jessica's not going to like me for this!"

- "Come on, I need to catch him!"

- "I can't lose this!"

- "NO!!!"

- "Damn it!"

- "No..."

- "I need this!"

The second-placed Primera was too far behind to give any trouble now.

- "I cannot lose this! I cannot come last! I owe the bank four grand! They're going to take my home!"

- "Banzai!"

- "I've done it...my first race..."

- "🤬 it..."
I had completed and won all five races of the Japanese 90's Classics Championship. And this was my prize...

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Next chapter - Chapter 10: Godzilla
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If any users are reading this, please give me some feedback. I don't want to kill off Rotary Racer, and I have some more twists and turns for Ryosuke. Give me some feedback, but don't PM me, I haven't got Premium.

 

[DK]

Sorry for the double-post, but I have to post the next chapter.
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Chapter 10 - Godzilla
I went to the GTA's Japanese branch's headquarters. I presented a certificate showing that I had won all of the Japanese 90's Challenge races to an apathetic recepitionist, who said sarcastically, "Wow, you won all those races? Big deal!" She lead me to the prize car compound. "You're lucky, this is one of the last we have left - an original 1999 Nissan SKyline GT-R. I remember the first time we held the 90's Challenge - the prize was a Nismo 400R - terrible for the high-speed races, and just horrendous to drive.

There it was, in its Bayside Blue Metallic glory. She handed me the keys. Sure, I prefer RX-7s, but 4 times out of 5 if you asked a car nut to think of two Japanese coupes, he'd choose the GT-R before the RX-7.
-----------------------------------------------------------
A few hours later...
-----------------------------------------------------------
Hiroshi - *sighs*
Marcus - "What's wrong, dude?"
Hiroshi - "You know."
Marcus - "Ah, back to school blues, right?"
Hiroshi - "Everyone has a car but me. I have a licence, but no car."
Marcus - "Holy 🤬, did you hear that?"

Hiroshi - "Ah, great, some rich kid in a Skyline."
I rolled down my window. "Hey guys!"
Hiroshi - "You lucky 🤬, is it your birthday already?"
- "No, that's a week away. I feel like taking this baby for a test drive. Special Stage Route 5, you guys want to come?"
Marcus - "Hell yeah!"
Hiroshi - "Come on, I just had KFC! You know how queasy I get at speed!"
- "Then watch from the sidelines!"
Marcus - "D'you mind if I bring my new CD?"
Hiroshi - "Yeah, he got another Linkin Park CD."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
After an hour of traffic...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

- "Hey, why is that car over there?"
My question was answered by a man with an American accent.
- "'Cause I won it, dumbass!"
I heard another man, with a Texan accent, wearing a Mopar t-shirt.
- "Yeah, tell 'im Tommy!"
A girl, about 18, was crying her eyes out.
- "Oh, quit your crying you stupid 🤬!"
Another man spoke, with a strange European accent.
- "Ja, go back to watching those doof Japanese cartoons!"
The girl came up to me.
- "I want you to kick their asses."
- "Ooh, look at the lovebirds!"
- "Okay, I'll race you - for pink slips. I win, you give this girl her car back. I lose, you get my Skyline."
- "Fine, because when I win, that Skyline's going on eBay for $1,000! "

They were still two drivers short of what the owners would allow to start the race, so they got two others to drive - a banker in an Audi sedan, and some car collector who owned a Honda Dualnote (probably bought at an auction). I left Marcus and Hiroshi in the pit lane, seeing as Hiroshi's stomach hadn't settled yet, and because Hiroshi nearly threw up when I tried to demonstrate this car's awesome acceleration.

- "Ah! Understeer!"

- "1 down, 4 to go!"

I made a daring move down the inside of the banker's Audi.
- "Gah, first I blow hundreds of billions of yen, now I blow the race!"

A daring move at turn 6 saw me into 2nd.
Now, the Texan...

- "Come on, Godzilla!"
- "NO!!!"

But then he spun me!
- "Cheating 🤬!"
- "Sayonara!"

- "Ha, ha, auf wiedersehen!"

- "Crap!"

- "Nein, nein, nein, nein, NEIN!!!"
Turn 12 had seen me get right up the 'Cuda's tailpipe.

The front-heavy 'Cuda understeered into the wall.
- "Goddammit!"

Meanwhile, the girl who lost her RX-7 looked on from the pit-wall, next to Marcus and Hiroshi.
- "You know, you stink of fast food."
- "And you stink of perfume."
Marcus couldn't care, he was listening to Linkin Park on his iPod.

- "Come on!"

Because I turned off driver's aids, my car went for a bit of a wild slide...

...but I still kept that BMW behind me.
- "Come on, you can't lose to this ricer!"

By turn 8 on the second of two laps, it was over. Unless, I screwed up.

- "Come on Godzilla, just another kilometre!"

- "YES!!!"
- "No..."

- "Great job, Godzilla."
As I came back into the pitlane, I was hugged by the girl who lost her car.
- "You can have it."
- "What?"
- "I have money, and more than one car. It's driver skill I need."
- "Well, thanks!"
As I took my new cars home (with Hiroshi in the RX-7), I thought: "Can these summer holidays get any better?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't miss Chapter 11 - Against The Odds!
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[Pitracer100]

Brilliant chapter!
He has 2 cars in 1 day!

 

[DK]

Chapter 11 - Against the Odds
It was late at night. I returned home. But I noted one absence in the basement car park - my FC3S. I went up the stairs to the apartment.
- "Mom?"
- "Where were you?"
- "I won another car!"
- "If you're wondering where your father is, he's gone."
- "Where?"
- "To Suzuka. He's modifying it - for racing."
- "Cool!"
- "Apparently, some big mouthed Toyota fans have called him a traitor, and their friend owns a Toyota Supra JGTC car, bought in an auction. I should also mention that tuned RX-7 is your birthday present."
---------------------------------------------------------------
The next day...
---------------------------------------------------------------
- "Out of the way, 🤬!"
Hiroshi - "🤬 you!"
- "What's the matter, Hiroshi?"
Hiroshi - "Kenji Watanabe, that's who. Stupid big-headed rich kids..."
- "Makes you dread school, huh?"
Hiroshi - "Yeah. He's a racist 🤬, too."
- "Makes me feel sorry for any Koreans in his way, then."
---------------------------------------------------------------

- "Damn it!"
Mechanic - "What's the problem, joshi (boss)?"
- "Understeer!"
Mechanic - "I think we need to look at the brake balance."
- "I don't want my son fighting understeer! The tires last barely 5 laps, because with harder tires he can't keep up!"
---------------------------------------------------------------
First day of school (31/8/09)...
---------------------------------------------------------------
Kenji - "Go back to Korea!"
Jin, an exchange student from Korea, fell victim to Kenji's hatred of Korea.
Daisuke - "Yeah, go kiss your boyfriend, Kim Jong-il!"
Again, Kenji is your typical bully - crap at any subject except PE. He got a D in world affairs. But then Hiroshi got into the mess...
Hiroshi - "Hey, jackass! Leave him alone!"
This earned him a kick to the stomach.
Kenji - "What did you say, 🤬?"
Kenji liked to assume that he was the best driver in the school, because his dad raced in the Toyota Formula GT team - in 1998, Toyota's last season when they won a grand total of 10 points, with Hiroto Watanabe (his dad) scoring just 1 point. Daisuke, the idiot, had to draw attention to me.
Daisuke - "Hey, there's his friend, Ryosuke!"
- "Never were the brightest bulb in the box, were you?"
Hiroshi - (clutching stomach) "What ever you do...don't mention..."
Kenji - "Oh yes, the "great" Mike Roberts lost to this punk... he's in his 50's and he drives a piece of crap American muscle car which uses the retarded principle of (says it in an American accent) 'There's no replacement for displacement'."
Yes, news travels fast. Especially on MySpace.
Kenji - "Okay, retard, how about a race? Downtown, R246. There's a Japanese Sports Challenge going on there at 5pm."
The day just dragged on after that.
-----------------------------------------------------------
3:29pm...
-----------------------------------------------------------
Teacher - "...and that's what we're going to cover in your last year."
Hiroshi - "Oh, joy."
Teacher - "Tanabe, you're going to write out this 100 times, 'I will not moan when I receive work,' and I want it tomorrow."
There was an outbreak of giggling among the girls, and afterwards the bell rung.
Marcus - "So, any homework?"
- "It's the first day back. Of course not."
Marcus - "Yeah, Miss Tamura is a pushover. Always gives you 10 minutes to do your homework questions.
- "Plus there's the rumour she's almost blind."
Marcus - "She's 64. Your eyesight is usually crap around that age."
-----------------------------------------------------------
90 minutes later...
-----------------------------------------------------------

Kenji - "Listen to this baby roar!"
Kenji revved his car's RB26DETT. Yes, he's driving a Skyline. Loyalty means as little to him as it does to a soccer player named Cristiano Ronaldo whom Marcus goes on about all the time. Marcus often calls him a coward...and other synonyms.

Unfortunately, because I turned off traction control, I suffered from wheelspin.

I braked hard for Akasaka-Mitsuke. My car managed to catch up...marginally.

At Mazda curve (named after the only Japanese manufacturer to win the Le Mans 24 hours, formerly known as Shuto-ko) I passed the RX-8.

The next victim was the RX-7.
RX-7 driver - "Damn!"

The next victim was the Impreza.
Impreza driver - "🤬! "

Daisuke was the next to fall.
Daisuke - "No! NO! NO!!!"

Daisuke would not give up, though.

By Turn L (they couldn't find a decent name, on the normal track it's turn 1) I had got right up his tailpipe.

But, on the straight I couldn't keep up.

At Akasaka-Mitsuke, I dived down the inside.
Kenji - "No...NO!!!"

But, in an event of what-goes-around-comes-around, Kenji tried to get down the inside of me.

At Palace Corner, Kenji had to fight off the Impreza.

By Turn L the Impreza had passed the Skyline.

Kenji - "How the 🤬 did that happen? I thought Imprezas were slower than Skylines!"

By the end of the R246 straight, his self-esteem had been shot in the chest.

At Akasaka-Mitsuke, the other RX-7 had dived down the inside of the Impreza.
Impreza driver - "Meh...I had a good run."

But by Marunouchi, the Impreza had re-taken 2nd.

Impreza driver - "Come on!"

RX-7 driver - "I need this!"

It was the last lap. The Impreza was all over me.

My tires were coming away from me. At Meiji Kinenkan the Impreza was right at my tailpipe.
Impreza driver - "Come to papa!"

But at Memorial Corner, the other RX-7 took over hunting rights.

RX-7 driver - "Come on, last chance!"
But it was futile.

RX-7 driver - "Never mind..."
Kenji, who had come last, proved that racing skill isn't hereditary.
Kenji - "Argh!!!"
Daisuke just laughed at him.
Daisuke - "LOSER!!!"
Kenji - "Oh, please shut up!"
The bully had become the bullied. Oh, how I love the irony. I noticed that the driver in the Impreza was the same girl who drove that RX-7 (which I was driving) and lost.
??? - "Well, hello again."
- "Hey."
??? - "So, how's my RX-7?"
- "Great, I just won that race."
??? - "3rd place, that's good for me. I don't aim for 1st all the time - you'll just be disappointed when you lose."
- "Thanks for the advice."
??? - "You win some, you lose some, right?"
- "Heh, I guess so."
??? - "The name's Mayumi. I'm new to racing. My dad is a rich businessman."
- "Don't tell me he's one of the 🤬 who screwed up the economy!"
Mayumi - "No. He works for Sony."
- "Hmm..."
Mayumi - "Don't try to call me, I'm going to the States to race. Lots of Americans ready to throw away their cars because of this stupid philosophy of, 'There's no replacement for displacement'."
She turned and went to her Impreza, and drove off.
Marcus was standing at the pit wall.
Marcus - "Dude! Kenji is never gonna live this down!"
- "Let's go home, Marcus. I've had enough racing for today."
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Next up: Chapter 12 - Underdog (no relation to the crappy kid's movie)
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