Weekend Write-In Story Collection

Acceleration

In 500 words, tell a story in which something picks up great speed. Written for the Weekend Write-In Challenge: "Accelerate" — 18-20 November 2016.

A memoir from my motorsport days in the late 1960s. There are three types of acceleration: linear — both positive and negative — and lateral.

Acceleration

David was leaning into the engine compartment of his Lotus, tuning the Webbers when he heard the heckling. "Whatcha doing' under there, winding up the spring on your little toy car?"

He glanced over his shoulder to see two grinning greasers. "No, I'm balancing the carbs."

"Balancing carbs? With the proteins and the fat? What kind of diet is it on?" Loud, boisterous laughter spread through the small group of onlookers.

David carried on with his adjustments as the heckling grew. He was accustomed to such behaviour, and he laughed to himself at their ignorance. They'll see after the first run. He was in Nanaimo for the Island Motor Sports Club annual gymkhana and was looking forward to popping more misconceptions.

"You may as well pack up and go home. You don't stand a chance against us. Our Stingrays will leave you in the dust."

"Stingrays — good, I can stop doing this. Even poorly tuned, my Lotus will annihilate your muscle-bound beasts." He straightened up, turned and looked at the hecklers, then extended a hand to shake. "Hi, I'm David."

"You're new around here. I'm Steve, and this is Harry." They shook hands.

"Just got transferred to Esquimalt with the Navy."

"What's this car? I've never seen one like it."

"It's a Lotus Europa, it's British."

"Expensive?"

"Forty-five hundred."

"Damn. Our Stingrays were only fifty-four for a lot more car. What were you working on under the lid?"

"The engine."

"In the trunk?"

"No, ahead of it. It's a mid-engine, placed at the centre of gravity for balance and handling."

"Looks tiny."

"A good size, fourteen ninety-seven cc."

"What's that in inches?"

"Just over ninety-one."

"Hell! We've four twenty-sevens in our Vettes, four and a half times your displacement. What's your horsepower?"

"About a hundred. Seems to fit the design well."

"Christ, we're pulling four hundred and thirty."

"What do your Stingrays weigh?"

"We're just over three thousand. They're very light because the body is fibreglass."

"I'm also fibreglass. Curb weight is thirteen hundred and twenty pounds."

"Cripes, that's light." Harry shook his head. "But we've more than twice the power-to-weight ratio of your Lotus. We'll beat your pants off."

"Unlikely. I can out-accelerate you all three ways."

"The frick you can." Steve laughed loudly and glanced around at the onlookers. "What do you mean, three ways?"

"What's your zero to sixty?"

"Seven point seven."

"The Lotus does it in six point one. What's your sixty to zero?"

"I don't know, but it's likely around ten."

"The Lotus does three point eight. That's zero to sixty and back to zero in less than ten seconds."

"Quick." Steve nodded and looked again at the Lotus. "You said three ways. What's the third?"

"Lateral acceleration. How quickly direction is changed. With its balance and ultra-light weight, the Lotus handles like it's on rails. Your Vette ploughs through corners. There's a way you could beat my deceleration, though."

"What's that?"

"Smash headlong into a solid wall."