Need For Speed Tri City Stories

Chapter 4 - A racer's request and pride

Home. 9:30 a.m. I was sleeping in bed and then I heard something. "Hey Branden! You have a phone call!" Adena called. "Maybe it's just Jordan, tell him I'm sleeping! *yawns* " I answered as I was yawned, got out of bed and went down stairs. "Hello this is Branden speaking. Seriously?" I asked as I called. Gas station. "Dude I am serious, they want to take you and Ellie on a race at their home turf." Jordan said as he took a sip of his double chocolatey chip Frappuccino with decaf. "I mean, what course is it at?" I asked. "It starts from Gold Coast to Palm Harbor." Jordan answered as he placed his cup on the counter. "Where are we starting. I know it's in Gold Coast Mountains. Are we starting at Gold Coast highway to Palm Harbor?" I asked as I took a sip of my hot chocolate. "Yep, you and Ellie should take them on." Jordan suggested. "Me, no I am not taking them on." I said. "Why is that?" Jordan asked. "It is because I only do it for my family. I don't do it for fun." I answered. "But why do you do it for like years. I know you love driving but you just don't seem to show or realize it, a driver has to have pride and take challenges on. So do you want to take them on or chicken out?" Jordan asked. " *sighs* I'll take him on because of that accident of me dating Ellie that happened. She knows what happened because our leader told her about the details and you told me about it too." I answered as I sighed. Gold Coast Mountains. 9:55 p.m. "Hey is it cool if we start practice runs?" Gillian asked as she walked up to Josh. "Yeah sure, you guys can practice here as much as you like." Josh answered. "Thank you sir." Gillian said as she walked back to her group. "Branden, Ellie. Come over here for a couple minutes." Letty commanded as me and Ellie came to her. "I want you guys to do 5 runs at 85 percent." "Have you seen the course video yet?" Letty commanded as she walked up to me. "Yeah, I've watched the video course like I'd say all night when I was sleeping." Ellie answered. "Then I'd say you know the course by now." Letty assumed. "Well although I did see guys with stopwatches." Ellie said. "You did? Did you see the same thing Branden?" Letty asked. "Yeah I saw the same thing too. One of them are onto us and they're clocking our times. I'm thinking they're gonna give the info to their leader if they're part of the team." Branden answered. "Well, guys. I am gonna say focus on the practice runs and the race. Branden, this course was to train you and your skills. I want you to learn the course and take it like you normally should." Letty commanded. "Yes, Ms.Disantos. You don't have to worry about a thing." I answered. "Okay, then go." Letty commanded. Ellie and I nodded and got in our cars. We drove from the stop to the course and we took off at full throttle while I was in front. The next day. 6:45 p.m. "Woah, I didn't know we expect this. These gutters are uncovered." Gillian said. "Those gutters are like wide open." Ellie answered. "Yeah I know what you mean, back in Port Crescent they covered it with concrete and then here, it's left uncovered. After last night the drivers couldn't see the ground last night and they couldn't see the gutters that if they fell it, it can total your advantage and damage your car." Gillian replied. "Ms.Disantos told me something and he asked me this. How do you overcome those uncovered gutters, without falling into it." Ellie wondered. "Say what you want, but the best we could do is not fall into them. There's a lot Ms.Disantos knows. You can count on it." Gillian said. 11:25 p.m. "Those guys want to lead for the first run. We'll start with the downhill. You know the drill, if the leading car gets away, the race is over and we lose. But if you make a move and pass your opponent, the race is gonna continue and it will lead to a second run. But if the chasing or leading car makes a mistake by crashing, the race will be over too so don't forget that Ellie. You're chasing for the run so the best you can do is stay behind him and keep up with him." Gillian said. "I got it." Ellie answered. "The RX-8 is ready to go and float like a hot air balloon. It's ready to go and race Letty, you can start anytime." Jordan said as he moved out of the RX-8's suspension system after he tuned it. The race was about to start. But before they raced, Ellie parked behind Josh's Audi RS-4. They got out of their cars and they walked closely to each other. "Alright tires, you're gonna save my ass out there." Josh said in his mind as he gave the tires of his car a soft pat. He stood up and walked up to Ellie. "I'm Josh Carlos. Nice to meet you." Josh said as he showed his handshake to Ellie. "Ellie Yajima." Ellie said as she gave Josh a handshake but he felt numb. "What's this feeling. It's like I'm numb to get behind the wheel. Hmm, maybe this girl seems pretty I assume." Josh said in his mind as he felt something numb he was about to get in the car. Ellie got in the car and she puts on her racing harness. Josh got in the car too and he felt something numb when he was about to put his seat belt on. Ellie grabbed the wheel with both hands, puts her foot on the accelerator and starts revving the car and her engine as the tachometer was rising from 1,000 rpms to 10,000 rpms each time she pumps it and revs it. Josh was revving it and then he shifts to 1st gear and launches. Ellie shifted to 1st gear and launched perfectly at the same time. "You might be right Josh. But you're the reason why I joined this team. You're the best kamikaze downhill racer. There's not even a single driver on this course that can keep up with you. Not now, not when. Losing to some outside RX-8, hmph maybe on the books tonight." The guy said in his mind. "Come on Letty, tell me what's Ellie's plan. How can you drive over these pits without falling into them?" Gillian asked. "Well, I already told Ellie about this and she knows what to do. It a technique that requires shifting the car's weight." Letty answered. "Ok, I think I get it now. He's attacking those corners dangerously and reckless. But, there is one thing. The RX-8 is faster on the corners because of braking from how it recovers from the exits. I can still manage to keep the pace up." Ellie said in her mind as she braked and attacked the corners and caught up with Josh after attacking the corner exit. "What?! How is she keeping up with me, I'm in the zone! Man, I can't remember the last time I felt pumped like this. This is me driving at my best!" Josh said in his mind as he floored it and shifted to 3rd. Summit. "Okay, do you know the technique that Ellie does?" Letty asked. "The technique that she uses when hooking her tires into the gutter, I'm gonna say she calls it the gutter run." Gillian answered. "And this is the same method of the gutter run but different." Letty said. "What are you talking about?" Gillian asked. "She's an amazing driver, I can't get her out of my rear view!" "I wish I can see it on the second run!" "But from here behind I can't see it or whether the punk is just winging it!" "What I am doing that I'm not out here?! This is killing me, whatever that is I'll need that second round to figure it out." Josh said in his mind as he attacked the corners and went into the inside too early. "He's cutting in way too early." "That's it, there's the line to take." Ellie said in her mind as she saw the outside method in her mind, floored it and when heading outside which is the left. Josh knew that she was gonna fall into the gutter but it lead to the inside on the right turn. "You bastard, you're about to drive straight over a lit less gutter! She dashed from the outside and planned on taking the inside on the next corner. No way pal I'm not giving you the inside that easily. I'll have to take control of the inside but blocking the inside. I've gotta take pride of my own home turf, you're not gonna pass!" Josh exclaimed in his mind as he witnessed Ellie taking the outside and then the inside on the next corner. She opened her eyes wide when she saw the opening to executing the gutter run method. "There, use it!" Ellie said in her mind as she performed the gutter run technique. "What?! That's impossible, I didn't leave her to pass! There's shouldn't be any ground on where she's driving, don't screw with me girl! How are you doing that?! What the hell are you driving on!" Josh exclaimed in his mind as he witnessed Ellie's gutter run technique. "It's an adaptation to your advantage. The way the gutter run method requires shifting the weight to the two rear tires, when that happens you open up your accelerator more and taking the weight off the inner front tire as possible." Letty explained. "So it means you're taking off the weight of the inside front tire?" Gillian asked. "It will allow the car to float it's inside tire above the gutter while taking the corners at full speed and that is how you perform you perform a trick on one of those gutters and at maximum speed." Letty answered and Gillian felt surprised. Ellie exited the gutters and passed Josh. "She passed me?! I've gotta be losing my mind! What was that, what just happened?" Josh said in his mind as he felt shocked when he got passed. "Do that method again. Just do it one more time on this corner, please do it. I have to see that with my own two eyes!" Josh said in his mind as he wanted to see Ellie's gutter run method. Ellie performed the method again. "This is crap, if that RX-8 can do it. I can do it too!" Josh exclaimed as he tried to copy her style but then he noticed that he has no feedback for his front tire and then he started to fall into the gutter. When Josh fell in to the gutters, his car rolled and rolled until parts of his car were destroyed. Ellie gasped, looked at her rear view mirror and witnessed the crash. " *grunts* Damn it! I can't get back up!" Josh exclaimed in his mind. After the car rolled, it's body was destroyed. The RX-8 stopped as well as the RS-4. Ellie got out of the car and ran Josh. When she saw a door opening, he got out of the car with no injuries. "Are you alright?" Ellie asked. Josh looked at her. "Are you hurt?" Ellie asked again and Josh nodded no. She felt relieved and breathed freely that she didn't have to call the ambulance. The race was over and Ellie won while her opponent crashed. "A crash at Cross Slope Expressway? Is he hurt? Alright then." Karina called as he sighed and walked up to me, Letty and Gillian. "The RX-8 won the race and the RS-4 crashed in the gutter. You win." Karina said. Letty nodded. Uphill start/downhill finish. "I honestly thought it's a final edition Lan Evo. I gotta say it's a good thing it's just a Lan Evo. Well, looks like she's improving." I said in my mind. "Ellie." I called and she looked at me and I gave her a weird look. "I'm Karina Monterey." Karina said as she introduced herself. "I'm Branden Lee." I replied as I introduced myself. "This guy isn't using any tactics or aggression. But he is good is what I think." Karina said in her mind. I got in the car, wore my harness, and I revved the car to get started. Karina gets in the cars, puts on her seatbelt and revved the car. "Okay, I am gonna have to use my method. However I am not gonna do the way Ellie took the inside. I am doing this race my way and I am the Hillclimb ace!" I said in my mind. "Three, two, one, go!" Gillian shouted as she did the countdown while me and Karina came off the line to a perfect start. The two of them raced until one of them crossed the line first.