Zero To A Hundred With You

Chapter 16: The Sprint

24 cars parked in their specific grid in front of the starting line, all determined to win, or at least reach the podium. Alice looked around her and saw familiar faces, some of whom she saw as friends and some as foes. But to her, everyone is an opponent she must watch out for. As she waited for the cars to move, she received a radio transmission from Ghazali who was in the pit.

"Gaz to Alice, can you copy?" Ghazali asked the drivers.

"Copy, loud and clear Gaz." Alice responded

"Great, you guys will start doing some warm-up laps to warm up the wheels. After that, the rolling lap will begin. When the first car reaches the starting line, the race starts. Do you copy?" Ghazali asked her.

"Copy that Gaz." Alice said to him.

The race cars began moving at a specific speed as the pace car spears headed the group. Many racers began swerving to warm up their tires and Alice followed suit. As she swerves, she notices that Sugimoto is not warming up his tires. She chuckled a bit seeing him imitating a legend.

"Hey Senpai, you think you're Kimi Räikkönen or something?" Alice said teasingly to him over the radio.

"Heh, I'm gonna race like him as well." He said with a confident tone on the radio.

The race cars began approaching the starting line and the pace car went to the pit. Sugimoto's Porsche crossed the starting line, indicating that the race had officially started.

"Lights out, lights out! good luck guys!" Ghazali told both of them over the radio.

Everyone began sprinting and the engines screamed through the circuit. Sugimoto stayed in the racing line and Kara's GTR got beside them as they entered the first corner into the hairpins. Sugimoto got to the corner exit first and squeezed Kara from overtaking him. Sugimoto managed to maintain his lead and Kara got behind him. Alice carefully enters the first corner into the hairpins following Richard from behind.

"Yellow flag, yellow flag!" Ghazali told over the radio.

Alice looked behind and noticed two cars behind her had spun out upon entering the hairpins. This caused most of the cars behind her to slow down while the leaders sped off. The leaders began moving in a single file as they reached the first high-speed straight of sector 3. Sugimoto is met with Kara who is trying to use the slipstream to pass Sugimoto. She tried to overtake but had to bail last second as they approached the chicane. While they fought, Richard and Alice used the leader's slipstream to their advantage.

"Seems like they're fighting hard out there, I just need to remain focused and follow Richard as close as I can." Alice muttered to herself.

The gap between the leaders and the other cars behind them was significant. The cars made it through lap 1 and there were 19 laps left.  The race continues as normal with a few unsuccessful overtakes occurring until lap 3. In lap 4, Sugimoto battles out with Kara again on the straights as they enter the Hairpins. Sugimoto notices the GTR went on the outside line and Sugimoto went to shut her down by occupying the middle of the track.

"You won't pass me on the outside Fujiwara." Sugimoto muttered.

"You fell into my trap Asashi." Kara said to herself.

The GTR suddenly came up and got beside him forcing herself on the inside. The GTR seemingly hooks onto the Apex surprising Sugimoto and he gives up his position. On the next turn, Kara blocked Sugimoto who was trying to switch back and successfully overtook him.

"Damn, I went too wide. I'll get you back Fujiwara!" Sugimoto chuckles and feels fired up.

Kara is now in the lead, Sugimoto in second. As the race continues, Alice notices that Richard is a bit slow and the gap widens between them and the leaders. In her desperation, Alice asked Ghazali for his advice on what to do next.