Need For Speed Tri City Stories

Chapter 16 - The Ultimate Canyon Battle and a line confusion

10:00 p.m. Eternity Pass. The FD3S was behind the Dodge Viper SRT-10. "You sure you're ready for this Dom?" Azlynn asked. "Me, oh hell yeah. This will be one interesting race." Dominic answered. "So what position would you guys like to be in for the 1st run?" Gillian asked as she walked up to Dom. "Would you guys have any objections to me leading for the 1st run?" Dominic asked. "No, not at all." Gillian answered. He nodded and he looked at me. "Alright, let's get started." Dominic said. I gave a frown before the race started. "In case you forgotten, I'm Dominic Santos." Dominic said as he introduced himself. "I'm Branden Lee." I replied as I introduced myself to him and went back to my car as he went back to his car. "Branden, I want you to listen to me carefully. This is the type of advice I haven't gave to you that often so pay attention. We are going to fight this battle with a strict management and remember, this guy is driving a muscle car and it has a weakness but you'll have to figure it out. All I am saying is that you can or maybe cannot to make a move but you can try to make a move, but wisely and I have given you a time zone that can be if you're far behind, you lose. But if you close the gap or pass your opponent, you win." Letty commanded. "How many seconds?" I asked. "I'd say about... 7 seconds." Letty answered. "7 seconds." Gillian said as she felt surprised. "7 seconds, okay then." I replied as I nodded and got in my car. I equipped my racing harness and closed the door. Dominic equipped his harness and Gillian walked past the cars. "On my count! 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!" Gillian exclaimed as she started the countdown and the FD and Viper launched at the right time. We entered the first corner approached the second and third hairpin. "So Letty, what's the type of advice you gave to Branden?" Gillian asked. "I told him that we are going to race this battle with a strict management and if his opponent pulls away past than 7 seconds, he loses. But if he manages to keep up with him or pass him below that 7 second range, he wins." Letty answered. "So what about the weakness of the Viper?" Gillian asked again. "The Viper's weakness is it's oversteer and it's handling. It can easily slide on the corners but more worse, you see all muscle cars have a tendency to oversteer and that is why the tuner and exotic cars can pass them. The FD3S's braking system has been fine tuned but the Viper's is worse, it's cornering can beat the Viper's handling. But it can pull away from the FD on the straightaways, if the FD can manage to attack the corners faster than the Viper, then Branden will have a better chance to keep up with the guy driving the Viper. I didn't tell Branden that so he can figure it out but he knows he's racing this battle with a strict management." Letty replied. We approached the 4th hairpin and I saw how fast the Viper was pulling away from me. "What a good way to keep a muscle car under control. Damn, he's fast!" I exclaimed in my mind as I braked and shifted down to 3rd as I approached the 5th hairpin and I closed the gap there but then we approached the long straightaway. "I'd hate to say this, but how can I keep up with this guy at a 7 second range. If I don't close the gap or make a move, I'm done for. I've gotta take it faster than him!" I exclaimed in my mind as I approached the bend and attacked it fast to manage to keep up with the Dodge Viper with a braking drift. "Okay, this guy is not bad. But can he keep up with me after this straightaway after tunnel section and the 8th hairpin? Cause up next after that 8th hairpin and straightaway, there's a chicane that leads to another straightaway and the last hairpin." Dominic said in his mind as he braked into the tunnel section and drifted along at the 8th hairpin while I gripped the inside of the pavement that helped me turned the grip of it's tires and made me manage to keep up with the Viper. "No way! How can he even pull it off at that speed?!" Dominic exclaimed in his mind as we approached the straightaway and then the chicane after it, it leads to the 9th hairpin. "All right!" I exclaimed in my mind as I saw the inside covered gutters and turned the car to the inside of the turns and it did the same way how I gripped the 8th corner fast. I gripped it and pass the Viper. "Heh, he got me real good. I lost, but it felt good." Dominic said in his mind as he got passed by me and let's off the accelerator. I warped into the corners and cross the line in first place. Back to the base. I drove back to the mountain, opened the window and raised my arm outside and showed the peace sign. "Yeah!" Adena exclaimed. "I knew he could do it!" Gillian exclaimed. Letty smiled as she saw me in first place and I smiled because I won the race. I parked the car next the van, got out of it and looked at it. "Well I couldn't believe I pulled that off with my own sleeve. I might as well be proud of myself." I said in my mind as I gave a pat to the FD. "That was an awesome race Branden! Now you really smoked that Viper." Kaylyn said as she gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Thank you Mrs.Chan." I replied. "It's not over yet, Ellie's racing." Letty said as she looked suspiciously at her opponent. Ellie parked behind the TT and got out of the car. "What position would you like to be in for the 1st run?" Gillian asked. "I would like to lead for the 1st run if you don't mind." Azlynn answered. "I don't mind at all. Hey Yajima! You'll be chasing for the 1st run!" Gillian called and Ellie nodded. "Jackson, nice to meet you mam." Azlynn said as she introduced herself to Ellie. "Ellie, it's nice to meet you." Ellie replied as she introduced herself back. "You wouldn't mind if I ask you some questions?" Azlynn asked. "No, not at all." Ellie replied. "I was curious to see you drive a Porsche at a young age which presumed that it seems to be a great interest to me." Azlynn said. "Well I guess you could put it that way, she's been with me for almost like a couple days since I brought her from the dealership and remained fresh." Ellie replied. "Then I guess you learned your techniques in this car when you were a young age haven't ya?" Azlynn asked and Ellie felt confused. "Of course I won't be taking it easy on you in this run." Azlynn said as she looked serious to Ellie and she felt serious too. "I hope you don't, mam." Ellie replied and Azzy showed a surprise but then got back to being serious. "Letty, the Cayman S is ready to go." Cordelia said. "Good to hear." Letty replied as she puts her elbow on top of the roof and looks at Ellie. "I want you to listen to me carefully Ellie." Letty commanded. "Yeah?" Ellie asked. "I'm gonna be straight with you, the guy you're driving up against is the toughest you ever faced. Not a chink in her armor, I have one piece of advice before you take off." Letty answered as Ellie seems a little unsure. "Tough it out." Letty said as she looks suspicious to Ellie and she showed a soft gasp. "You might not think you can win but stick to your guns and you might pull this off, I'll be able to say more later but for now I want you to focus on the road and not your opponent. Remember, you're not racing a woman. You're racing a ghost." Letty explained. Ellie felt a little shock within her veins. "Don't forget that." Letty said as she went back to the road and Ellie felt shocked and confused. "Start em up Gillian!" Letty commanded. "You got it!" Gillian replied. "Here we go guys! 5, 4, 3," "A ghost huh?" Ellie wondered. "2, 1, GO!!" Gillian exclaimed as she started the countdown and both the TT and the Cayman S launched at a perfect start. Ellie was focusing but then she was confused. "Hey Branden, do you think Ellie's gonna be okay out there?" Kaylyn asked as I looked at the road and was thinking of an answer. "Sweating about it sure isn't gonna help, this is her race. We gotta let her run it." I answered. They approached the 4th corner. Azlynn was pulling away from the corner and Ellie tried to catchup but she did but lost a little bit of ground. "This is killing me, I don't have anything to give at all. I didn't notice this earlier, but she's running different lines!" Ellie said in her mind as she looks confused. "I thought I picked the best line to take and she's not even that close. The timing to the inside is quicker as it, it's the opposite of what I've been taught before. But is that the right thing? If it's not then, how in the world does she get that kind of speed?" Ellie wondered in her mind as she attacked the 5th corner and it shows Azlynn leaving her hand on the shift knob and the other on the steering wheel. Start line. "You know Letty, I'd hate to say this, but you kinda scared Ellie before she was about to race." Cordelia said in her mind as she looked at Letty suspiciously while looking for tools. Flashback. "I'll be able to say more later but for now I want you to focus on the road and not your opponent. Remember, you're not racing a woman. You're racing a ghost." Letty commanded. Present. "Ellie's greatest ability is absorb and adapt the skills of her opponent while she is observing when chasing but what you said to her doesn't make any sense. What did you mean when you called Azlynn a ghost?" Cordelia wondered in her mind. They approached the tunnel section. Ellie drifted in the tunnel section and shifted down. "I don't get any of this. How can she stay on those screwed up lines and still be so fast?" Ellie wondered in her mind as she looks confused and tries to catch-up to Azlynn but she pulls away due to those confusing lines.