Coincide || OP

Chapter 5

10 minutes later as he had said, Oscar was out of Riley's room and back in the normal garage.

"Right, Oscar over here!" George called over the Mclaren boy.

George, Will and Riley were now standing infront of Riley's 95 branded car, ready to debrief on the hotlap challenge.

"So." George began once all three drivers were infront of him, "Little friendly competition between you guys that may or may not impact Riley's qualifying, Betty has approved this Riley so don't fight it." 

Riley cocked her head to the side taking in what her race engineer said but just what did he mean about her qualifying?

"It's essentially a three part challenge and video. First up Riley and Oscar, you'll be sharing the car and putting down some hot laps." George waved his arm around that wasn't holding up his clipboard. "Whoever sets the fastest lap out of you two, gets to qualify for the first race." He grinned. 

Riley's mouth fell open in shock, "No surely not! what's the last bit he gets to drive the race for me too?!" 

"Nah." George waved dismissively, "Just a simple track ride QnA between the three of you."  

Riley rolled her eyes, "Get ready to get beaten Piastri, George is my car set up?" 

"Yep! it's all set up and ready to run," George pulled his clipboard out and was looking at it with interest. 

"Great! i'm going first." Riley turned around and promptly shoulder checked Oscar before walking off the grab her balaclava and helmet. 

Oscar's eyes stared at the spot the green haired girl had just been standing, was she really that pent up over him having a few laps in the car? 

"Don't worry about Riles, Mate." Will piped up and Oscar snapped his gaze away to look at him. " she means well but she gets a little too caught up in her competiveness." 

"Now that I can understand." Oscar laughed, "I may have got told to dial it back a bit in Formula 2." 

"Really? I wouldn't have thought that." 

Riley walked past them and over to her matte red and black, Erebus branded Racecar. Per the regulations changing for Gen 3 she now had to race in a Camaro zl1. 

Riley opened the door and hopped inside careful not to bang her helmet on the door. a few stray mechanics came over to help her get hooked up to everything. 

At the sight of Riley getting in her car, the camera crew that had been setting up while Oscar was changing began to record. Oscar and Will both gave the camera a quick wave when it focused on them for a second. 

After a quick radio check, Riley was off to zoom around the track. It had been sorted so this would count as one of her practice sessions so she had to make every lap worth it.

Oscar and Will had retreated into the garage to judge her laptimes and so Oscar could see what the steering wheel set up was like, as per usual Erebus were hoping for a double podium so they had to make sure both Will and Riley were at their top speed.

The Tailem bend track was mainly twisty with only a couple straights, the way Riley liked. As much as she loved a good drag race there was just something about overtaking in corners that she loved.

Therefore Riley in short was flying around the track as she pushed for qualiy laps, just to beat Oscar.

She was called back in after she did her best lap of the session, a 1.49.06. She stepped out the car with a bounce in her step like she always did when she had drove. 

"Right your turn." Riley nudged Oscar, while taking her balaclava off. she then went in search of her water bottle that she knew she left somewhere around here. 

Oscar stepped away to put his own balaclava and helmet on. He was then ushered into the car where the mechanics hooked him up to everything before running him through the basics of the car. 

Once Oscar was sorted he was off to do his practise laps before he had to smash out his professional one. Riley meanwhile had found her water bottle and inbetween taking gulps of water had made her way over to Will. 

"You should slow down." He offhandedly commented as she chugged her bottle. 

"Can't." she sighed as the water cooled down her throat, "I just did the best lap of my life." 

"I'm not too sure about that." Will commented staring at the broadcast screen that showed Oscar driving around the track. 

"Wait huh?" Riley snapped her attention to screen Will was looking at.

"Damn." She whispered," is he just amazing in everything he drives or?"

"I really don't know mate." Will smirked, "but he's clearly beating you."

"Oh shush."

"Riley!"

Her name was called and Riley saw that Grace was waving her over into the corner.

"The Mclaren crew wants to do a quick interview with you."

"Okay yeah sure." She nodded and followed the Mclaren crew though the  red door at the back of the garage.

They stopped just outside the door, all hudled in a group.

"So I'm going to ask you a couple questions and then we want you to answer without it sounding like a question, if that's okay?" A small blonde girl, about Riley's age questioned.

"Yeah that's totally fine, fire away."

They had to step out the back to get away from the noise but Riley could still hear Oscar flying around the track and it made her restless.

"So Riley, when did you begin racing and racing for Erebus especially?"

A near silent click was heard and Riley suddenly had a camera pointed at her face. "So I started racing quite late actually, I wasn't fully put in Karts until I was like 11 years old." Her  nose was scrunched as she tried to recall memories from years ago." From there I learnt pretty quick and ended up racing in sprintcars for a season before I switched to Dunlop super 2's at 18 and now I'm here racing in supercars for Erebus!"

Riley's interview with Mclaren continued for a few minutes as the sounds on the track slowly died down. Oscar was just pulling into the pitlane when Riley stepped back inside the garage.