Volume 3 - Panorama 1992

Volume 1: Euro Challenge
​

"Performance through light weight"
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman.

Introduction:

In this modern world we live in, people seem more atracted to drag races, where power is the current standard for performance, than a fair match of equally powered vehicles. But power is only a penny in the huge National Bank we call a "Car". But what is a car? Have we thought about it? Did we, at least once, in our entire life, sat down in the toilet, and began describing the most amazing piece of machinery mankind has ever built?
I didn't. You may have, or not. But one thing is sure: nobody will ever agree. A practical definition would be "a wheeled motor vehicle for transporting passengers, with it's own engine or motor." The roots of the word come from Greek language by fusing the terms auto (self) with mobilis (moving): a vehicle that moves itself. Truth be told, as far as today's standards go, a racing car could only be defined as "something with wheels, engine, and a large amount of horsepower."
This can't get any worse. To think that a 350 horsepower muscle car can beat a well-built, light weight automobile, is only a thought, a theory, designed by those who can't, or just don't want to admit that skills play the most important role in racing. Surely, this is a sad world we live in...

Prologue:

Words keep coming through my head. "They won't stop, they won't slow down, they won't pit, and they won't overtake, because as soon as this race starts, you will be likely at last place. Your only hope is a miracle to happen. But between you and me, I never believed in miracles, and neither do now. Keep that in mind, and you should be just fine."


October 14th, 2005.


-"Wait for me. I will be ready in thirty minutes. Leave the door open, I don't have my keys."
"I told you to get a copy of them. No matter, I will get you one tomorrow. But hurry, time is something we lack right now."
-"What do you mean by tomorrow? Go get the car. As soon as you are parked outside, give me a honk."
"Yeah, you're right. I'll take it for a wash, that should give you some time. It's dirty, after all."
-"Are you talking about the car?"
"No, I'm talking about your hair. You forgot to take a shower today. Of course I'm talking about the car, you moron!"
-"Then leave! We don't have time for this!"
"See you back in thirty, Charlie. Oh, and you may want to put on a jacket, it's cold outside."
-"And you could get that sign out of the fence already. When was the last time we got robbed?"



"It's for security measures, Char. Besides, it makes us look richer than we already are. Once again, see you back in thirty."
-"See ya... Well, Germany, here we go..."

Chester. He is the joker, someone who doesn't think twice. He is 100% real. He never lies, but because of that, sometimes he tends to be tough with people. It's funny, isn't it? Before introducing myself, I take a time to talk about my brother. But what can I say about me? Is it not better to learn along the way? Because whether we are good or bad, achieving or not, we learn walking the path of our lives; in my case, racing on the track. You probably don't have a clue of who we are, or what do we drive, am I right?
Well, here is a pic of our car, my car. I took it four months ago, in a trip we (me and Chester) made to the Grand Canyon:



We live in America. Our father died when we were really young. He was a good man, and he had a lot of money too! Maybe, we only remember him because of that. Money was always a problem in our home. One year before he departed, he found out his missing father was alive, and living in California. He didn't last long, though; he had lung cancer. After his death, dad became the owner of all his goods (more than one million dollars!). He bought a Ferrari F40, he said it was "his dream car". Later, he died in a car accident. Mom said he was driving under the "state of influence". All the money he hadn't spent, which was about four hundred grands, became ours. Dad had explicitly asked Mom to give us that money for whatever we wanted to use it for, but we could only have it at our eighteenth birthday. Chester got his money three years ago. He spent it in a motorcycle, and in motorcycle riding lessons. I got mine one year and three months ago. I bought a Lotus Elise 111R, model 2004 with it, my "dream car", just as dad did with his. Then, Chester got a job, a really good one; he gets more money per month that we did nine years before per year. We went to live separate of Mom; I wanted to live with Chester, and he got his job here, in Beacon Hill, Boston. We are a pair of young adventurers. We came back from Las Vegas three months ago (we went there to celebrate Chester's birthday, we had a really good time, but we spent fifty-nine grands!). Today, we are going to take a plane to Germany. We have already all of our things packed, the only problem is, they won't fit in the Elise's tiny trunk. So we gave them to a family friend, and we are going to pick them there right now. Unknown to Mom, I became a racer. I'm not the best racer out there, I know that. I don't consider myself to be above average, but for some reason, I have won most of my races. Unlike the rest of my high school friends, I drive in racing circuits. There's something on the street that doesn't appeal to me, probably because it's dangerous. Anyways, I still have to get dressed. I only have 5 minutes left before Chester gets back! I just got up, you know?

I can hear a honking sound already. Chester is here.
I'm only half dressed, what do I do? I'll better head out and get on the car. I will finish my dressing there.
Oh, crap! It's freaking cold out here!
What the hell...? He didn't washed the car! And he thinks I'm going to fall for it?



-"Dude, it's really cold out here!"
"I told you. You may want to put on a jacket."
-"Yeah, yeah, you are right."
"And what the hell are you doing half-dressed? Girls around here will spot your underwear."
-"Shut up and let me in already!"
"It's a lot warmer inside here."
-"Yeah, I noticed immediately. Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Why does the car seem so... dirty?"
"They've got a new employee there, and he is a bit inexpert."
-"Yeah, I already noticed. How much for the wash?"
"Thirty."
-"Thirty?! Did you have enough money?"
"Unlike you, Charlie, I work for a living. Your racing can't be called a work. Remember what dad's philosophy was: a job isn't a job if you enjoy doing it. That's why it is called a job. Anyways, you owe me those thirty. After all, it is your car, and I'm the only one who cares and takes it for a wash."
-"How could I forget about it?"
"Okay, now that you have finished your dressing, can we go now?"
-"Yes, Eric must be waiting for us. Besides, you have parked over the sidewalk again..."



"Time restraints, Charlie, time restraints."
-"Start this up, we've got to get there in 2 hours. It's getting dark already."
"You better hold on, because this car is fast!"
-"Be careful, you are going to break the pedal!!! Why didn't you buy your own car???"




To be continued...

 

Sorry, i looked at your story after you went to bed and what you did wrong, is that you have to put " " around it, or just use the option that looks like a little photo with a green dot in the corner. Glad you finally got your pics up man.

 

Good start to story mate

I found a couple of mistakes

He buyed a Ferrari Enzo, he said it was "his dream car".
^should be: He bought a Ferrari Enzo, he said it was "his dream car".

"Yeah, I noticed inmediatly. Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Why does the car seem so... dirty?"
Yeah I noticed immediately*. Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Why does the car seem so... dirty?"

 

A good start!

I went in and fixed your picture links so they appear within the text instead of being URL links.
I future to add images directly, the icon that looks like a little picture screen with a white + sign in the green circle will generate [*IMG] [*/IMG] tags (without the asterisks) which you should wrap the direct link to your picture in.
If you use the globe icon with a chain link, it generates [*URL] [*/URL] tags (without the asterisks) which only create a clickable link to the picture.

If you use the edit button to look at the links in your post now you'll see how they should look.

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask if you'd like me to explain it another way.

 

Yeah...a good start. You're a good writer, i'll be reading this as it progresses.

...funny, i just did lots of racing in Elises these past couple weeks. Which is why i think i'll be able to dig what you've got in mind for this story. +Rep

 

Thanks for the comments!
I would like to thank you, Blitz_69, for giving me advices with the pictures (boy, that was a lot of work). Phase3, thank you for pointing out my spelling mistakes; I have fixed them already. Thank you for correcting my images, Smallhorses, they I look exactly like I wanted! Parnelli, that means a lot coming from you, thanks.

I will continue with this story as long as I have time, and interest. I hope you enjoy it!

 

Chapter 1: ...in Las Vegas.


This is going to be a long trip. And I mean a really long one. We are going from Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts, to Times Square, in Manhattan, City of New York, New York. I'm getting dizzy of all these names. Since the only fun we will have on the road is going to be sleep, why don't I tell you a story of my own? Remember that trip to Las Vegas I told you? Well, it goes something like this...


July 30th, 2005.




-"Wake up, come on."
"Nooo... Let me sleep, just a little bit."
-"You told me we were going to The Strip today!"
"Hey... Keep quiet... I am drowsy... How long have you been awake?"
-"Mnmnmnm, let see... Fourteen hours? It's almost midnight!! Get up and let's get out of here! I'm going to miss all the fun!"
"Go for yourself. We came here for my birthday... I just want to sleep some -- zzzzzzz..."
-"Oh, come on..."

Since Chester wouldn't get up, I went for myself to Las Vegas famous Drag Strip. But before that, I had to go get the car. I parked it besides the Casino we went to last night. It looked as clean as it was the night before.



After that, I just drove to The Strip. I never told Chester, but one of the main reasons for me to come to Vegas, was to test my Elise's power.But, to my surprise, the track was already closed. It seemed someone else had gotten there before me. I could just tell it for the crowd, who was cheering all over the strip. I said to myself "this guy must be really good."
And not only that. Unlike my light weight Elise, this man seemed a little more atracted to power; and to weight...



"Yes, yes, this is what I've been waiting for. This must be the fastest muscle car in Nevada, no doubt about it."
"You are right, Norman! And look at that engine! It straves for speed!"
"Now, we're setting the quarter mile record of the country!"
"Watch the Christmas tree carefully, Norman. We don't want you losing again."
"Don't worry, leave this to me."

"Okay, I guess you know the rules for this test, right?"
"Yes, I'm ready! Today I will break Las Vegas Drag Strip record!"
"Well, uhh, sure."

As much as I hate to watch other cars racing while I'm standing in the crowd, I hate people who thinks they are the best. And this one seemed to fill the bill.

"The tree is going to light on in 5 seconds!"

"I'm ready, I'm ready. Stay calm."



"GO!!!! HERE I COME!!"



"YES!!! THAT'S THE WAY!!! I LIKE IT!!!"
-"This guy is fast, that's for sure, but those tires... They don't seem too happy. And for the looks of it, that car is not as fast as it could be."
"Not good, Norman litted the tires."



"Yeah, this is the true power of the Charger!"
-"I can't believe it! Even with all that weight, it seems as he was flying! I wonder, how much power does his car have?"



"Oh, well. It had to end sometime."

-"He has finished. Now it's my turn, the Elise is ready, and I want to test the Strip!"

"Norman, what the hell happened to you?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Don't you see? You litted the tires!!"
"I warned you about that before. If you had installed the slicks, this would not had happened. Besides, we would have got a faster time."
"We will give it another try tomorrow."

At the moment I saw that car, I knew it was fast. You know what people say about muscle cars, though. That they were made for 1/4 mile times, and not for track racing. I went there to test the Strip, one way or another. But with all those people there, the Elise would have looked slow compared to the Charger. If it had been a real race, I would have got smoked by it. In a circuit, I have no doubt I would have a good shot to beat it. With no circuit close to us, the best I could do right then, was to turn around and get back to the hotel. That was no place for my Lotus, but even then...

-"Hey, congratulations. You have a very nice car."
"Tony, who is this boy?"
"I don't know, I never saw him before at Vegas."
-"My name is Charles. But my friends call me Charlie."
"We don't care who you are, boy. You are bothering us, so why don't you turn around and get back home with daddy?"

That wasn't a very smart move from his part.

-"Why don't YOU turn around and go race to a real circuit?"
"What did you say?? You little brat!!"
"Norman, come on. Chill out. Don't underestimate us, kid. If you think you are so good, with don't race with us?"
-"Your car must have like 600 horsepower."
"Actually, it's a little bit under 700 horsepower."
-"You know you are relying in too much power to drive fast, right?
"What's the point in running a drag race if you don't have power? That's your car, right? Would you like to race with us?"
-"No way. At 200 horsepower, what could I do against you? Why don't you race in a real circuit?"
"Listen, if there was a track around here, other than the Strip, we would smoke you. But there is not, so why don't you shut up?"

He did had a point. I was such an idiot to face them in the first place, but what's done it's done.

"That's right, come and race against me! You don't have nothing to lose, other than your pride."
"We will see you tomorrow, here, at 21:00 pm. If you have the guts, of course. If you defeat us, you will have proven that power is not everything."
-"I never said I was going to race!"
"Sure, boy. You are just scared, that's all!"
"Come on, Norman, let's go to the Casino and play some poker."

After that, they drove away in their overpowered Charger. The Strip, which was covered in people back then, now became empty. There was not a single soul in there. I went back to the hotel, and with nothing better to do, and only thoughts in my head, took a nap.



-"Okay, now, what should I do? Stay here and be called a coward by those rednecks? Or go to the Strip and give it a try?"
"Don't go."
-"Huh? Are you awake, Ches?"
"I lied to you, Charlie. When you got out of here, I picked up the Honda and went to the track. I saw it too. You have no chances at all to win a race against that Charger. You know it; you know that your car was designed for track racing, not drag racing."
-"Yes. But I also know that I don't like to be called a coward."
"A coward? You think this race is all about that? If you go there, you will lose, and be called a loser. You can't afford that. I know I can't either."
-"But, what will I do then?"
"You will stay here, with me. We are going back to Boston, today. It's your choice."

Going back to Boston with Chester, or stay in Vegas and race against the almighty Dodge? I knew that was a tough choice back then. And I still believe I did the right thing. But I keep thinking everyday. What would had happened. I mean... If I had choose otherwise. Would I be the same person I am today?



To be continued...

 

redneck voice: dangit boy! i thought you wuz gonna slaughter that piece o' s MOPAR!

 

Nice one, Parnelli! I hope you enjoy this story as I progress. I know it will be hard to keep your interest, and that is my biggest challenge.
I'm trying to keep as original and realist as possible, although doing that is not
so easy in a game. I would like to see some member's opinions on who should win.
Anyways, the outcome is already decided. And I am not going to change my mind

 

Chapter 2: Leap of Faith - Part One

"We have still a long way to go. I will give you the wheel in three hours, I'm already getting tired."
-"Don't worry. If you start feeling sick, just make a stop and I will drive, okay?"

Well, where were we?
Oh, yeah, Elise vs Charger. That's a boring story, so let me tell you another one. This is about our trip to Seattle, after Las Vegas.





August 16th (Tuesday), 2005.


"Are you sure you are ready for this one?"
-"I don't know. Seattle seems like a pretty hard place to race."
"You must test this course before sunday. You must learn it as fast as possible and as good as you can."
-"Who am I racing against?"
"European cars. This is not like that Charger race. You cannot rely only in your lightweightness."
-"Sure, but light weight is not the only good thing about the Elise."
"Just remember, this is not another circuit race. The streets are different. Your best bet would be to memorize this course if you want to win."
-"That would be unfair. No one knows this course, it's brand new! I don't want to have any advantages over the rest."
"That's your go. But remember, if you lose this sunday, you won't compete again."
-"Between you and me, we know that is not going to happen."
"I wouldn't be so sure about it, brother."

Seattle's street course is one of the fiercest in America. I haven't been on that track yet, but I'm starting to get the creeps. But I count on my Elise and my luck to give me the first place in sunday's race. After all, other than Las Vegas, when was I in a real trouble?
I have been testing the Elise in California's Infineon Raceway, and I believe I'm up to the challenge. I even broke the lap record of my previous race back there. The Elise is unmodified, except, of course, for it's black rear wing, which was installed by Eric, which could be called our "personal mechanic". Not only that, but he taught me and my brother how to drive. The spoiler was his idea, who thought the Elise could be "faster than it is already". I must say I'm in debt with him.


August 20th (Saturday), 2005.


"Tomorrow's your race. Are you sure you don't want to test the track? It is now or never."
-"I told you, I want a fair race. They haven't tested the track, and I won't either. And that's it."
"You will regret that tomorrow. You are throwing your only chance to the toilet. I will go and see the course for myself. Who knows? Maybe this will be my only chance. I will be back in two hours."
-"Two hours? What will you do? Lap the entire thing forty times?"
"..."

I can't help but be a little scared. This is the first time Chester is going to check out a course for a race. But how hard can that track be?





"Is he serious?"
-"It seems so. He's going to lost tomorrow. I know that, don't you?"
"Charlie has never been that careless before. I believe he has some plan ready for the race."
-"He better do. I told him, he can't rely on his light weightness. This track's uphill is very tough. A light weight car won't help him at all during this race."
"Did you told him about that uphill?"
-"No. He told me he wants a fair race. But with that uphill, he will have more than a fair race. The track is not the only thing unknown to him."
"Does he know who is he going to race against?"
-"The only thing we know, is that they are good drivers with fast cars."
"But at Infineon, that didn't seem to worry he at all."
-"That was diferent. He drove in Infineon before. But here, all that is familiar to him, is that this track is a street course. He is used to this kind of corners."
"Besides, he is a really good driver, too. Back at New York, I let him drive my Chrysler for a day, and he broke my section record of the course! And he was not even a local. Damn, it was not even his car! You should know that, Ches."
-"I always wanted to see you two race someday. After all, you taught him everything he knows."
"Everything, except one thing: patience."
-"You are right (smile). All we can do is wait and see."
"Are you going to do something tonight?"
-"I've got to go back home in fifteen minutes. I told Charlie that I would be there at 21:00pm."
"Before you leave, I have to ask you something."
-"Yes, what is it?"
"When you came back from that trip to Nevada, Charlie started acting different."
-"..."
"What happened to him?"
-"..."
"Are you okay, Ches? What's up with your face?"
-"I feel sick. I will go home now. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Oh, okay... Tell your brother about that uphill, will you?"
-"I will, see ya."

I won't. I won't tell him about it. If he thinks he doesn't need to test the track at least once, then it's his problem. I can't take care of him anymore, he is no longer a baby. What happened in Vegas doesn't matter anymore. He has to learn when is he right and when is he wrong.


August 21th (Sunday), 2005.


Today is the big day. I kept my promise, I didn't test the Seattle circuit. Because I know I'm going to win. I win not because of luck, but rather skill. I can say this much because of my previous experiences in racing. Although I've been racing for only a year or so, I'm totally confident on my car. We have grown together, and we have won together. I will prove to my brother that I'm not the same as before, that I have changed. And what better to prove that than a race against unknown cars in an unknown place?

"Are we going?"
-"You go ahead, I have to check the Elise with Eric."
"Don't you run away from this one. There is no turning back right now. Did you hear me?"
-"Yes, I know."
"See you there. Do you know how to get there?"
-"Eric does. He will take me there."
"Okay. Later."
-"Bye."

This time, Chester is serious. He is mad at me because I didn't test the track for today. He is right to a certain extent, but I am known because I will play a fair race, even if that means to not know the course. Everyone is racing in the same conditions as me, why should I be different to the rest? Just to guarantee my win? Or just to be even with Chester? I don't want to dissapoint him. After all, he is my brother: he is the last person I want to be mad at me. If Eric says I can win, then of course I can. If there is someone who knows me better than myself, that's Eric, my mentor. There is no one to be trusted more than an old family friend, wouldn't you agree with me?

-"Is the Elise okay?"
"It's in perfect conditions for this race. The spoiler has been adjusted to give you maximum downforce. Other than that, I have nothing to tell you about."
-"Tell me something... Do you think I will win today?"
"Normally, I would agree with you. But this time---
-"Wait, so you are saying I will lose??"
"No, not at all! But, I would be more confident if you knew the track."
-"You sound just like Chester, I didn't expect this coming from you."
"Everywhere you have been in, you had some kind of advantage."
-"My skills were far superior than the rest, sure."
"But your biggest advantage---"
-"Is my biggest weakness, right?"
"Err..."
-"Was that what you were about to say?"
"The point is, stay alert. I can give you a little, yet useful advice."
-"Okay, come on, tell me."
"The only way you are going to win this one is if you---"

Charlie is in the pits with Eric, probably devising a strategy. I hope Eric tells Charlie what I wanted him to know. The race is going to start soon, so Eric better speed up the conversation.

"Did you understand?"
-"Every word of it. Now, I want to know who am I racing against."
"I can't tell you, since I don't know where they are, but--- Hey, look!"
-"What's going on?"
"They are. I'm sure of it; they are your opponents!!"
-"What? Oh, my... What did I got into?"









"You should have listened to Chester, Charlie."
-"All this cars. Are they here for the race?"
"Those are not your primary concern, but rather that one."
-"Which one?"
"The large, red one."



-"It's seems like a fast car."
"Don't worry if you don't make it, Charlie. But give the best of yourself. I trust you, and while it may seem that your brother doesn't, he does."
-"Does he really?"
"Of course, he is your brother, after all. Chester hopes that you win this one, Charlie."
-"Alright! I will try my best. Thank you Eric!"
"Now go out there, and give them a thrill of a battle! And don't forget what I told you!"



To be continued...

 

I'm really liking this so far . The only problem is the few grammar errors, but who cares about them?? . Although this is really similar to a race report of mine, because mine had a tour of Vegas and Seattle as well . But yours is excellent, I like the style.

 

Really??? Please, excuse me, I didn't knew that. This is just to provide more background about the main character, and since he is american, american race tracks should do the job. There aren't many american tracks, so that may be the cause.
And about the grammar errors, that's my fault, I'm not a native english speaker, so many words are unknown to me.
Thanks for the comment!
PD: this is going to be a double post, but please keep in mind that I do this just to difference from the conversation to the actual story. I apologize if this is a silly idea.

 

Chapter 2 1/2: Leap of Faith - Part Two


August 21th (Sunday), 2005.




-"Did you talk to my brother?"
"Yes."
-"Did you tell him what I ----"
"That he is not going to win, and that you expect him to lose?"
-"Yeah... Good job. Now, let's see what can he do without support."
"We've got the best seats in the house, don't we?"
-"Not only that, but this section is a key point in the track. From here to the finish line there's only a few seconds. So, if you'd want to pass someone, this is the place."
"But being this the first time of Charlie in here, will he be able to do it?"

"The rolling start, people!! The race has begun!!"

-"Damn it, last place? What were they thinking? They really want me to lose. Okay, here we go, baby!!"



-"They've already started. Even without these speakers, you can hear the crowd cheering already."
"Any predictions for this race?"
-"I've already told you. But you haven't told me. Who do you think is going to win?"
"The red one. I don't know it's name."
-"The Callaway? Let's see if Charlie can keep up with him. Even if he doesn't pass through, he will have prove that he is a good enough racer if he can at least keep up with the SL 600."
"I know Charlie is going to win, and you know why?"
-"Why?"
"Because, otherwise, you wouldn't be here."

The track is not as wide as a circuit, but it's enough for me to push the limits. The car ahead seems fast, just like the rest of them. I wonder if they can live up to my expectations. With a fast car like that, they must not have enough skill, like dad always told me: "Bad drivers rely on horsepower, son. You will never see a good driver stand out of the competition with a better car." I must confess that one of my reasons to buy the Elise was that, and the Lotus motto:"Performance through light weight." Dad used to tell us, too, that while Ferrari was his favorite brand, I should keep an eye close to Lotus. In fact, one of his dreams was to meet Colin Chapman as a young man. Sadly, Chapman died before my dad had an oportunity to meet him. The reason why I trust so much in this car, is that my dad trusted in Lotus. And with that by my side, I have nothing to be afraid of.



-"They are faster than me on the straights, but that was as expected. It's in the corners where I will find out whether I can win this one or not."



But I can already sense something of doubt in their movements, like if they were afraid of every corner. You can't avoid that feeling in a place where you have never raced in.



-"The Mercedes is right ahead. He is not going anywhere."
"Oh, the kitten has claws. Let's see what can you do in a course where you don't know anything about!"

-"Oh, no... This can't be happening right now... Is it... Is it an---



As we turned around the corner, my biggest fear was laying across my eyes. As everyone knows, a disadvantage of low powered cars are uphills. Anyone who has driven an extremely low powered car, such as the Citroën 2CV, knows about this: it's almost impossible to keep up with the terrain inclination, to a point where speed begins to decrease and the car has nothing to rely on but entry speed to the uphill. That is: the entry speed must be high enough to ensure the car will make it to the top.

-"Holy crap! It's an uphill!!!"
"This is when I'm proud of my car. See you on the next lap, buddy. I don't believe you are going to make it to the finish lap; unless you turn around!"

The sudden increase in elevation was not the only thing interesting about this course, yet it was the first one that caught my attention. The second one, was about to come...



-"What?! Are they lifting up the ground? What the hell is that?!"



-"Mine too!!!"
"Yes, come on! Those are the guts, kid! Show us what you've got! Although I've got to admit that he is commiting suicide: with an entry speed like that and the light weight of the Elise combined, that boy is going to rocket it's way up to the Moon."



-"WOOOAAAAHHH!!! !!!!!!
"I told you so..."



-"Oh, no... What I'm going to do now?"

Questions, hearbeats.



-"Am I going to crash here?"

Fear, hearbeats.



-"Or maybe...?"

Never before I have been scared as much as I am right now, but I can't believe that I did that jump. Now I know that I have the confidence to finish this race. I can't hold back anymore. With the foot ready on the throttle pedal, as soon as I touch solid ground, I will outrun the Mercedes in the last portion of this uphill.



-"Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!!"
"Ha, you have impressed me, boy. I've never seen someone drive the way you do. But that's not enough to win the race."

The next corner is right ahead. I must admit, the one who designed this course sure was smart to place a tight corner right at the end of the uphill. But since I'm behind the SL 600, I have been given the opportunity to watch his line, enabling me to keep up with his pace. If I was in front of him, I would have crashed against the upcoming wall.



-"Okay, now is my chance! Fifth place, here I come!"
"Oh, ! He is serious! But I don't believe he will make it!!"

Serious battle. If I don't do it right, I know what will happen next. We will both crash, because of me, and I quit racing forever. Or I do it right, get closer to the rest, and sweep the ground with the Mercedes.



"WAIT!!!! Don't push it!!"
-"It's now or never, man!!!"

...Thankfully:



...Great success!

"The Elise has passed the SL 600!!"



The pronounced uphill did its work on my car, and I'm starting to feel the consequences of that land. But with the rest of the pack just ahead, why should I give up at this point? After all, the maneuver was successful, and the Mercedes is now behind me."

-"What do you think he is going to do when he reaches the second 90-degree corner after the uphill?"
"I believe he is going to follow his racing line, just as I taught him."
-"You have got to be joking. How will he do that if he doesn't know the track?"
"Okay, genius, what do you suggest?"
-"Knowing him, most likely he will start drifting."

With the next corner just ahead, my blood is beginning to boil like never before. A long time passed since I found an opportunity to drift, and here it was, a corner to test my long-sleeping drifting skills. As if I were that good! I knew what I had to do since the moment I saw it come.



-"Here is Charlie!!!!"
"Is he nuts? He is going to kill himself doing that. Better to avoid him."
"Come on, this is a race, not an exhibition!"
"A toy car drifting... And my dad told me that that was only possible in my dreams. Funny enough, but you are not going anywhere with those skills in here."

"The Elise has begun to drift!!!! This is amazing, ladies and gentlemen!!"

-"What did I told you?"
"You were right. But how could I guess it? He never drifted in my presence before."
-"He does not want to dissapoint you. Besides, those drifts he makes may not be even intentional."
"Oh, I see now. The Elise low weight allow it to slide whenever steering imputs and throttle manipulation are used correctly. I would say it's one of the easiest cars to slide."
-"That's one of the main reasons Charlie bought it. But then..."
"... then he choosed me to be his driving instructor."
-"Right. And you taught him that-"
"Grip is the way to go in a racing circuit. While some argue that drifting sometimes comes in handy in a race track, I have yet to test that theory. After all, this is not Japan, you know."
-"But Charlie doesn't seem to care at all."



-"Here I go, !"
"Hohoho, this boy seems pretty energic!"
"He sure is killing those tires."



-"Thank God I made it."
"Good control, you get that."
"Oh, light weight is that? Until I saw it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it!"

Okay, now that the drift is over, what do I do? They are still faster than me on the straights, but on the corners, I have proved that I dominate. This is not a race to be taken lightly, just as any other. I just have to concentrate, and not lose my focus. Because when that happens, everything is going to go down the toilet, in true "epic fail" fashion. The next turn is up ahead, now I will see how do I manage to overcome it!



To be continued...

 

Excellent stuff, again! I can ignore the spelling since it isn't really your fault . I can't wait to see the next bit of the race, Elises rock!

 

drifting on a serious race? you're nuts.

well, on a track like that with huge variations on elevation, it's easy to get that Elise to slide unintentionally..,

 

What makes you think it was unintentional

 

this part right here \/ \/

 

Thank you for the comments!
I'm proud to say that I started my vacations today, so I will have a lot more time to dedicate to the story.

And although it has nothing to do with it, I'm happy that today I'm going to get my dental braces removed!

 

New to this thread.. Have to say that I like it up to here and that I can't await the next part of the story .. THUBMS UP FOR THE ALREADY WRITTEN TEXTS!!!

Go on this way and best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

 

Thanks! I'm working hard to make an interesting story, fresh and without those kind of "Initial D resemblances". One can no longer use the phrase "I can't believe it!", since people would think you got that from Initial D.

 

This is a very interesting story. Although, I did see a lot of good pictures. One question. What car would you recommend be used?

Oh, one more thing! I like the Elise! Like they say. "A little horsepower goes a long way."

 

You must have guts.

 

Me and the Elise are full of them, you can bet that.

By the way: next time, try not to pick up a fight with moderators, you will end up losing.
And they will be right 99% of the times.

This is going to be another double post, with the same excuse as before.

 

"What the hell?!"



-"Here is Charlie!!!!"



"Is he nuts? He is going to kill himself doing that. Better to avoid him."
"Come on, this is a race, not an exhibition!"
"A toy car drifting... And my dad told me that that was only possible in my dreams. Funny enough, but you are not going anywhere with those skills in here."

"The Elise has begun to drift!!!! This is amazing, ladies and gentlemen!!"

-"Here I go, !"



"Hohoho, this boy seems pretty energic!"
"He sure is killing those tires."

...next turn is up ahead, now I will see how do I manage to overcome it!

Chapter 2 3/4: Leap of Faith - Part Three


August 21th (Sunday), 2005.




-"The Cobra is right there, and is my biggest challenge right now. But it's a pretty old car, so it can't be very effective at turns, right?"
"How could the SL 600 get passed by an Elise? Incompetent drivers, that's all. But I'm not the same as they are. I've got my pride to hold!"
"Very good, youngster. But if you think that my car is old and it can't put up a fight, then I must tell you, that you are absolutely wrong."

"The Cobra and the Speed Six are making their way to the pole position, and the Elise is close to them!"

-"Yeah, I'm famous "

"I can't see the next corner. It will be better if I avoid any crashes, and take the safe line."
"Come on, old man! Move! Can't you see the Elise is catching us?
-"Here comes the turn!"

Huh? What's that rumble strip doing there? Maybe... I could jump through it?
I did something similar with the Mercedes, and it worked. I should give it a try to this one, too! Who knows, maybe I could get fourth place this way.



-"Oh, damn!"
"What the hell is he trying?"
"The Elise is full of courage, no doubt about it. But if he keeps racing like that all of his life, that Elise won't last too long. Maybe a year, maybe two months."

"The Elise jumped on the rumble strip! The first race in the Seattle Circuit, and look how exciting it is!"

-"He is completely crazy. The Elise can't overcome those kind of... things."
"You are right, as the personal mechanic of the Elise, I can tell you that I didn't tuned it for that. I don't know what Charlie thinks he is capable to do, but he better stay away from those risky maneuvers, or he will break it... Or worse. Crash."



"He is catching me! Move, ! Get the out of my face, Cobra!"
-"I will pass you, I told you I would pass you!"
"That Tuscan won't stay in this race for too long. One can already see the way it is racing, he has lost sense of his racing line completely."



-"I passed!"
"!!! WAIT!"

"The Elise has overtaken the Speed Six! This - Wait, what?!"

-"Oh, no..."
"Thanks for the gap, man."

"WHAT? Tell us what the hell happened!"
-"The Elise overtook the TVR, but it seems that..."

"The Elise got passed by the Tuscan, who took the inside of the turn!! How dissapointing! I can barely imagine what must be feeling the driver of the Elise!"

-"I am not going to lose this fight!"
"If you have the guts, give it a try again!"



"Amazing, the Elise overtook the Tuscan again!! Using its superior speed out of the corner, he has been able to outrun him!"

"But not for too long, junior."



"Oh, my goodness! The Tuscan took the lead just after the pass! I believe horsepower makes the difference, after all."

"You've got to be kidding me! What kind of racing are they doing?"
-"I don't know. In fact, I'm impressed, it's the very first time that Charlie passes and gets passed just after the move. Not only that, but maybe the only time that he does that two times in a row!"
"Oh, this doesn't look to good..."

The downhill section is just aproaching. With the inferior power of the Elise, this is going to be rough, but unlike the previous uphill, this is where the light weight of the one-eleven R comes in handy.



-"Hohoho, nice!"

But I seem to be left behind the rest... Is the power difference so big? That can't be it... There must be something else! Oh, I completely forgot about it! The TVR ---

-"... is a lightweight car, too."
"Really?"
-"Sure, with only 1100kg, and its power outpout of around 360 horsepower, it far surpasses the Elise power to weight ratio."
"This is getting worse every second."
-"Look, here comes the Callaway!"

"The Callaway just passed around the Kingdome. It seems we have a winner for this race."

-"He just passed around there? Then he must be about seven to ten seconds faster than me! Damn, I have to work harder than I thought. Maybe I should have memorized the course, as Chester told me. Oh, here comes the turn!!"



"I'm just ahead of the Elise, but it's better than the sixth place. This section is very important, I can't back off right now!"

As I turned around the corner, I saw again the Cobra, and not only that, but a friend that at first I couldn't recognize.

-"Here they are!"



"Back off! If you touch me, I'll kill you!"
"What's going on, boy? Are you not up to the challenge of an old man?"
"The Elise is getting close. I thought I had left him behind!"

"Here come the pack of four cars. The Cobra, the two TVRs and the Elise are all ready for entering this corners! Let's see how they tackle them!"

-"I can't wait to see this. I know it is here. You can't ask for a better place to overtake."
"Let's hope you are right. Charlie, go on!! We are counting on you!!"

I must admit that Charlie never ceases to amaze me. What he did in Las Vegas was truly amazing. I never saw anyone with guts like those. But when I came here and tested the track, I realized something: there were two drivers before. One of them, driving a silver car, with pop-up headlights. The other one, I didn't saw his car, but I knew he had one, since he was wearing NISMO clothes... Right now, all I can worry about, is for Charlie to finish this race without problems.

This is it, they are all slowing down for this turns. This is the place where I can gain a lot of time over the Cobra. I can clearly see them right now. The Cobra and the TVR are fighting for the second place.



"Why don't you just give up!! Let me get throught!!"
"Your car can't keep up with mine!! After all, mine is pure American muscle."

This is my chance to do overtake them all!! But if I commit a mistake, just like last time...



-"I passed!"
"!!! WAIT!!!"

"The Elise has overtaken the Speed Six! This - Wait, what?!"

-"Oh, no..."





"Thanks for the gap, man. "

"The Elise got passed again!! How dissapointing!"

... my chances of winning will be almost none. But it is not going to happen again! Unlike the others, I learn from my mistakes. Just like last time! Here I go!

-"... NOW!!"
"You just don't learn."



"Haha, don't you learn from your mistakes?!"
-"Concentrate, concentrate..."

"Both the Tuscan and the Elise are dangerously close!

"Charlie, don't do it!!"
-"Shut up! Let him do it, this is his only chance!!"



"But he is going to crash!!"
-"Shut up, !!!!!"
"Chester..."
-"He knows what he is doing..."

... I can do it...

If I knew that I was going to crash, I would have done it anyway. Believe me. There were no reasons to back off right then. I had to do it.





"!! Stay away!! It's not worth it!"
-"... just... a little bit more..."



"OH - MY - GOD!!!"





To be continued...


Merry Christmas to everyone!

 

Wow .. nice.. I can't await the next part of this chapter ..

You always make it interesting.. this is what I like ..

Go on this way, buddy

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

Merry Christmas!!!

 

Chapter 3: The Last Miles on The Road​

October 14th, 2005.


"Let's stop right now."
-"You are tired, aren't you? You have been driving the entire day."
"I could use some rest right now, why don't we take a few pictures, too?"
-"The Brooklyn bridge. We need that one in our album!"
"Hand me over the camera, I'm the best photographer of the two."

We are almost there. Right now, we are a few hours from reaching Times Square. Eric lives there, and when we get there, we are getting a wonderfull dinner for sure. Once we cross the bridge, we will give Eric a call.

"Okay. One, two, three, go."

-"And? How did it went?"
"Perfect, take a look at it."



-"Amazing! But it's not enough. We need something else. I know!"
"The Elise?"
-"Sure! Why not? We have very few pictures of it, other than the ones we take at home."
"Hmmm... Right. Drive it around the fence, and park it there. After that, get out and come here."
-"Why can't I be inside it?"
"It would mess up the photo. It will look better without you."
-"Oh, thank you! I really appreciate that."
"You need some constructive criticism, Charlie."
-"And who is going to give it to me? You?"
"Do you see anybody else standing here with us?"
-"I bet the Elise could give me better criticism than you!"
"Sure. - Hey Elise, what do you think of me? - Brmm, brmmm."
-"Ha-ha-ha. You are so funny. By the way, that was pure sarcasm."
"I hate when you quote them. Come on, get inside it and park it there!"
-"Okay! Geez..."

A journey is not a journey without pictures. And pictures are not pictures without and album, wouldn't you agree with me? After all, it is now an established tradition that, wherever we go, it is a need that we take a picture of the Elise with it!

"One, two, three, go."
-"Now we can go?"
"One more time, it didn't got clear enough."
-"For G's sake, Chester! It's getting cold out here!"
"That's your fault. If you forgot to get your jacket back home, you can't blame it on me. When we get to Eric's home, we will ask him to borrow a jacket."
-"Sure, but hurry!"
"You were the one who wanted a photo of the Elise!"

"One, two, three, go."
-"And? What about now? Is it good?"
"Good enough for the album."



-"I'll ask you one more time. CAN WE GO NOW?"
"A last one, please. We are here, in this wonderful place, and you only want two pictures of Brooklyn in your album? Are you kidding me?"
-"I could ask you the same! Are you kidding me? It's not like this will be the last time we go to Manhattan! We have to pass through here some day!"
"Why don't do it now?"
-"Because I'm freezing!!"
"Okay, okay!! Get inside the car, and don't get out of there. But take it a little to the right, and turn it around, facing the river."
-"Your wishes are my command... Sucker."
"What did you say?"
-"Nothing!"

"One, two, three, go. Now, into the car, and out of here."



-"Let's get out of here."
"Tell me about it. Sometimes, I believe I should have bought this car."
-"But you can't even drive!"
"And do you? You almost crashed last time in Seattle!"
-"I told you, it wasn't my fault. I didn't know the track. How could I guess I was approaching a corner before the final straight?"
"If you had done what I told, memorize the track, that wouldn't had happened. Be happy that I let you race again."
-"But if I won! And with a good margin!"
"Oh, yes. Just because the Callaway driver couldn't drive!"
-"You are jelous, that's all."
"And you will be jelous about my teeth if you don't shut up right now!"
-"Oh, okay..."
"Now, let's cross this bridge just before I change my mind. Going to Germany... Eric doesn't know when to shut up..."

Germany... we only go there because Eric thought it would be a good idea to test my skills against some of the best drivers in Europe. Eric comes from Europe, in fact. He was born in Spain, and his father always took him to see races at the local racetrack. After a few years, he came to America, and did his first years of school here. In junior high, he met my father, and they became instant friends. As far as I recall, Eric could be the only real friend my father ever had. Anyways, Eric is going with us to Germany too, after all, he was the one with the idea, and he was not going to let us go there by ourselves. He is the only paternal figure we have had since father died.
I have almost forgot everything about my dad. I can't even remember the day of the accident, where was I, what was I doing. That happened because, one week later, I feel of a friend's balcony. I had my head severely injured, but the doctor said I was not in any serious danger. Four months in a hospital, and I was "back on track".

-"Say... Do you think I will be able to do anything there?"
""There"... do you mean Germany?"
-"Yes, what do you think?"
"What I think, dear brother, is that your luck has proven to be far superior than your skill. Still, I don't believe german opponents will pose a challenge to you. When have german drivers won an important championship, or something?"
-"You on drugs, dawg? Have you ever heard of Michael Schumacher?"
"Oh, yes. Well, I had forgot about that guy."

Does he know everything about racing? Sometimes, I believe that the answer is plainly "No". Oh, I had forgot! Seattle! Thank you for reminding me about it! Wait, you didn't. Give me my apologies back. Or I'll sue you... Just kidding.

------------


August 21th (Sunday), 2005.


"OH - MY - GOD!!!"



"The Elise has overtaken the TVR, once again, and hopefully for the last time, in a never seen before dangerously maneuver!! Together, ladies and gentleman, we have the honour to presence this incredible race, which will become historic over the course of the years, in the newly Seattle Circuit!!"

"Oh, crap. Well done, you have my congratulations! I wish you keep racing like this!"
"Incredible. Never I saw before someone which your abilities, and not only that! I heard that you are around your twenties, so if you are this good at an early age, I can't imagine what will become of you in the following years!"
"The Elise, the boy. They were born to be together. Me and my 427 S/C can't seem to bond together as well as you he does with his car. As people say - "Only in America."
-"Yes, yes, yes!!"

"Truly amazing. He has become better and better in these past two years."
-"But motorcycles will always be better. Hahaha."
"Hahaha! Now do you believe he will win?"
-"I have changed my mind now. The new question is, when will he take the lead?"

"The Elise is full of spirit, and the Tamora and the Cobra won't give up as easily as the Speed Six!"

"What are you talking about, dude? You don't know hell about cars!"
"American ignorants. This is no Cobra, this is an AC Cars 427!!"



"The Elise is different than before. His movements have become more precise than before. Even an amateur could easily tell that."
-"The Tamora is just ahead. Time to tackle down the second TVR. There's is not space for hesitation. There is not space for hesitation!!!"



-"Now I will catch you. There's no fear, no margin for errors. Nothing to lose, but everything to win."
"If you can pass me in a place like this, I swear I will ask you to take a photo with me as soon as we finish this race. Because if you can do it, then you are on your way to win this."



"The Elise is going for more! The Tamora better to watch out, because by the looks of it, it seems he is next in the Elise's list!"

"What is this? A circus? Come on, it's a race!"
-"I can see it! An opening!!

"Incredible! He is going for it! Do you see it, Chester?!"
-"I can't believe he is going to do it! Maybe, just maybe... he has learn when can he overtake and when he can't?"



"Oh, hell! He has managed to enter!"
"You can start saying bye-bye from third place, son."
-"I can do it, I know I can!"



"The Elise and the Tamora are side-by-side!! If I were knew to this job, I would say that they are going to crash!!"

"And you are not so wrong about it. There's no way to avoid crashing in that position."
"Shut up!!! I can't drive with you saying stupid things like that!"
"The Elise has an open road. He has gained his right to be in third place."
-"..."



"The Elise passed the Tamora!! Good Lord! Can this get any better?"

"I've got to prepare the camera."
"He made it. The more I get to know about his driving style, the more I want to know about him."
"What kind of instructor do you have? He has obviously taught you well. I know you want to pass me, but don't get me wrong! Just because I respect you doesn't mean that I will let you get through!"
-"..."



"He is going for it! This driver is decided to pass the Cobra!!"

"Here he comes! If you are going to pass me, do it fast!"
"Now I get to see this kid's abilities with my very own eyes!"
-"... now."



"You are too close! Back off!"
"That's the spirit! You know when to start a fight! But do you know when to end one?"
-"Come on!!"

"Three simultaneous passes. Just when one ends, another begins. I didn't taught him that."
-"Everybody knows you didn't. He learned it himself."





... congratulations on a job well done.



To be continued...

 

Codename L, you did it again.. Well done .. You're an amazing guy .. You always keep the story interesting.. I like it .. Can't await the next chapter ..

Best wishes,

S-Line Audi Fan

 

Thanks for the comment, dude! It's nice to see somebody takes three minutes to read a chapter.

 

I needed about ten Plus ten minutes just watching the photos

 

It's good that you like it! I'm putting a lot of effort into it. The worst part of the process is uploading the images... Damn you, ImageShack!!