Need For Speed Fortune Valley Stories

Chapter 15 - Open Skies Part 7

9:04 p.m. Fortune Valley Resort & Casino. The Z was catching up to the Autozam on the final section of the course which is a flat straightaway. "This incoming flat straight is gonna be a headache for me. I can't allow her to pass me here! I'll drag this to a second run!" Yuu said in his mind. "There's a straightaway before the goal, if I try that method, I have a chance of winning. But then something's nagging at me. I mean passing on a straightaway after losing twice to pass someone on the corners. Can you even call that a victory? And would Ms.Disantos want that? There's no point in waffling now, you haven't got time! But I don't know! Should I do this or not?! You're gonna let this jerk drag us into a second run?! Come on girl, think!" Ellie exclaimed in her mind. "Will she come from the right or the left? I cannot use the car's lightweight body in a situation like this. Even if I stay in the middle of the road, there's space on the left and the right. I don't really like this but I'm not gonna let you pass me! Left it is." Yuu wondered in his mind as he turned to the left and blocked Ellie. "You are not getting in front of me punk! Nobody messes with a rallyist that lives to tell." Yuu exclaimed in his mind. "Okay, you're willing to go that far huh? Well in that case." Ellie wondered in her mind. "I can see them coming you guys check it out!" Karina exclaimed as she saw the cars coming by. Ellie turned her headlight switch up to turn off her headlights. "Holy crap!" Zandara and Cordelia exclaimed as they felt shocked that Ellie disappeared. "Oh crap, the Z just vanished." Karina said in her mind. "You're in a rude awakening if you think you can bring this over to another run Ellie. Don't get hung up in a clean victory. If styles helps you so much you are willing to lose. This is not a game my student. What doesn't get us to that finish line, we've gotta ignore. You miss your chance to pass this guy is not cause you can't. It's cause you won't. Style is what you can make of. You can do this Ellie, win it!" Letty said in her mind. "Where did she go?! She just friggin disappeared! What the hell's going on?! Her headlights were practically on my trunk a second ago weren't they?! This can't be happening!" Yuu wondered in his mind as he looked at his rear view mirror and thought the Z disappeared so he turned to the right. Ellie saw the opening and accelerated hard. She went side by side with the Autozam and turned on her headlights. "What the hell?!" Yuu wondered as he saw the Z popping out of nowhere. "Look out, they're coming towards!" Zandara exclaimed as she, Karina and Cordelia ran to the side of the road to get clear and let them pass. Ellie passed Yuu and the battle was over when they crossed the line. "I told you didn't I? You'd have to think differently about yourself. As long as you want to catch up, you will catch up, make driving faster your top priority, and find the one thing in your car that will allow you to beat your opponent. Use it to attack. When I told you to think like Gavin. I didn't mean any of his counterattacks but also the emotional side. Today's battle was to have you experience that type of feeling. The victory was hinged in the final section. At that moment you managed to keep up with the Autozam's tail. I'm impressed. You can rest now, the time trials have been cancelled." Letty said as she walked away. "That was on hell of a battle." Jovanna said as she gave a pat to Ellie on the shoulder. "She did mean that as a compliment right?" Ellie asked. Jovanna starts chuckling. "To be honest, I still can't accept that method I used to overtake him right up in the last moment, I was still thinking it over. I wasn't sure whether or not to go to a second round. They were all going on in my head and I couldn't make a decision." Ellie wondered. "Luckily you didn't do it. If you took it into a second run, Letty could've put you on a different training levels and keep coming up with different techniques." Jovanna replied. "Really?" Ellie asked. "Of course, the second run would have the same conditions but also with no other chances. The rain saved you. If it did stop on the second run, the Autozam would pull away from. This is your battle and nobody can interfere with your decisions. But don't forget, you're carrying the Drifting Hazards reputation. Don't forget that." Jovanna answered. "How could you lose to a Z33 with your skills and these conditions?! We've had this thing in the goddamn bag! What do you have to say for yourself?!" Shoichi asked. "I don't know for many reasons. At some point her headlights were off like a ghost." Yuu answered. "Is it because of the rear-view mirror's blind spot? Even if it was, you should've realized before hand." Hajime replied. "By that time I realized she had rushed in to my inside. I've had enough, I barely got any self confidence left. Something seems off about that female driver." Yuu said. "You know, you launching that blind attack in the rain was a good strategy. To the opponent, it seem like you just disappeared. Letty has also mentioned before that it's one of the best weapons to use in street competition." Jovanna said. "Maybe but I don't want to use it too often. Eventually my opponent kept blocking me and I was starting to get angry so I used it. Shoichi was showing me what was under the hood of the S4. When I looked at it, I saw a supercharger in the engine. "Woah, a compressor huh? You've switched over to a supercharger?" I asked. "Yeah that's right, after losing to the Trueno last fall it occurred to me. Well let's just say the turbo and I decided to go our separate ways. The engine gave more horsepower so I went with a supercharger instead, it's like an NA engine and it's quicker than my turbo. And damn right you and I are gonna run that race tonight. Keep in mind when you're behind my taillights." Shoichi answered. "So that's how you want it to be. I'll tell you what, if you want to learn how to drive a turbo then just follow my lead." I replied. "Line em up people! The S4 in front with the R34 chasing!" Adena said. The S4 was going in front first and then the R34 was going last. "Branden, your main objective will be last week's. You understand. Visibility is like driving with your headlights off so memorize the line carefully." Letty said. "I got it Ms.Disantos. Just let me do my own thing." I replied. "Fine." Letty said as she walked off. I adjusted my rearview mirror. When I looked in my rearview, I saw Ellie looking at me in my mirror. I shifted up to 1st and pulled up the e-brake. Then I started revving it. Shoichi did the same thing as I did. "Everybody ready?! Alright we're gonna start the countdown! 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!!" Adena exclaimed as she started the countdown and the cars launched off. "Once we get to the mid speed section, it doesn't how much power he has to use it all. Get ready to eat my words my friend cause this is not gonna be an endurance battle. It'll be driver against driver!" Shoichi exclaimed in his mind as he floored it. "Wow! Did you see that? Their strength is about equal." A female spectator wondered. "Comparing maximum horsepower, the 34 definitely wins. But with it raining so heavily, it's not possible to floor it. The lower the average speed, the less of an advantage the 34 has. On low speed corner exits, whoever has more rear-wheel traction out of the corners will win. Power that you cannot use will be a disadvantage. If you want to know who has the advantage, the more responsive supercharger has the advantage over the 2.6L Twin Turbocharged I6 Engine." A male spectator answered. "The time trials are going to be cancelled or it may turn out to be another battle because the rain's gonna stop at 9:30. Prepare for it and go, time to turn up the heat!" I exclaimed in my mind as I shifted up. "Where are they now? Is that so? Thanks. They've just hit the hairpin where the gutter crosses over the road. Both cars are still within close proximity." Hajime asked. "It's come to this... winning will not be easy. That R34 is still stubbornly refusing to give up." Yuki answered. "Being able to keep up to Shoichi in such heavy rain is already an achievement in itself. This competition may drag on for a long time. However, the longer it goes on, the more advantageous it is for Shoichi!!" Hajime replied. Uphill start point. "Ah." Ellie said as she saw Yuu walking up to her. "Hey I've something I want to ask you, you got a few minutes?" Yuu asked. "He's still hot on my tail, I used to drive a turbo too. I know all about the shortcomings of turbos. High horsepower turbo cars are hard on slippery roads!! If you can keep up, you've got great skills. Despite my enemy, I have to respect his skills." Shoichi said in his mind. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you." Yuu said. "Yeah, and I'm guessing it's about that last straightaway before the finish line." Ellie guessed. "No it's not that. I'm a rallyist and I am not experienced in this chasing battle at all. Speaking from a different angle I don't even care about this cat and mouse game. That's exactly I want to know about this motivation you had." Yuu replied. We crossed the gutter section. I was still keeping up with the S4. "During the race when we were out there. There was something I felt in you. You had a hell of a strong will in you. Both of us can know our car later in the back of our heads. Our techniques were also more or less the same." Yuu said. Flashback. It shows the Autozam moving to the right and Ellie using the blind attack method to pass Yuu. "There was a difference on the will to win. Thinking about it seems a little strange. Someone friendly as you doesn't look anything special. That's exactly the kind of motivation I need to know about." Yuu explained. I pumped the accelerator once and twice to gain control. Then I shifted up to 4th Gear. "How should I put it. I don't think there's anything special about it. I'm just scared of driving in the rain. Afraid to the point of trembling, but I still drive." Ellie said. "No. What I want you to know is your determination and whether you are afraid of the rain are two different things, there is something else I need to know about you. Someone who claims not to fear driving in the rain is a liar and a amateur. To racing with such people, all you gotta do is amp up the pressure a little and they'll start to spin out. To keep up your concentration over long periods require extremely strong mental stamina. One can only be considered skilled when he is able to understand the slippery surface of a wet road, bring the potential to the maximum and keep his concentration at the highest level. This is the motivation I'm talking about. In other words, I think your concentration is a different level. From my personal experience, without a higher objective, it is just impossible to develop such a high focus and motivation to win. Just loving to drive does not make that someone motivated. That is the difference between an amateur and a professional. From what I see, your driving is at a professional level." Yuu replied. "A professional? Well I don't know." Ellie wondered. "Alright we're gonna start the second run! Starting in 5, 4, 3." "This run's gonna end as last!" I exclaimed. "Yeah!" Shoichi exclaimed. "2, 1, GO!!" Adena exclaimed as she started the countdown and Shoichi pulled down the e-brake while I stepped on the accelerator and accelerated hard when launching. "He's doing good. This rain's gotta grading on a I6 turbo like his. Cause with a car like this, you can't pop up that accelerator that much, he's using the half throttle. That's a high level technique, but it doesn't matter. In the endurance race, the car becomes controlled by driver. That's what we got here, and if that second that boy makes a mistake. I make my move!" Shoichi said in his mind as he saw my accelerator methods. I double pumped the accelerator and I moved the right foot on the brake and clutch pedal while my left foot was on the dead zone. "Even after understanding this. I still have no idea. Of course from time to time, I drive and drive everyday for my team. Rain or shine, I keep driving no matter how hard I go." Ellie said. "Yeah that's me too. There's something to do with your environment? How old are you?" Yuu asked. "I'm 22." Ellie answered. "You're 22 years old? Oh man I just turned 17. I swear if I had your technique at 22, I would totally be at a different level right now. I envy you my friend. You got everything go for you, you can always get better when you move up to higher levels. Lately I've been in something I guess you can call it a funk. Leaving me a few tips was worth a shot. I'm sorry I bothered you." Yuu replied as he walked away. "Motivation huh? At this time around, I must be getting better and better. I always want to win and win for my team. But there's one thing that's my mind is I'm not gonna lose to Branden!" Ellie wondered in her mind. I was still concentrating and I squinted a bit. "He's keeping up. With the mu, he can't even use half of his engine power, but for me it's sucking half of it causing me slide a bit. The R34 needs to show its true colors. Not like this. Usually when I'm stepping on the accelerator it's helping me concentrate more. I'm calmer. I just have to be patient. Wait for the right moments crank up the pressure on this guy." I said  in my mind as I pumped the accelerator. Starting point. "I think it's gonna be a dead heat. The longer this race goes on, the more stressful it is for Branden. Since it's a competition in the rain. Regardless of how long the race goes, it won't put stress on the car. It will put stress on the driver. There's no need to worry about wearing down the tires or the steering giving out since the road's friction surface is low. You can't floor it either, so your engine won't overheat or blow. All the pressure's on the driver. The biggest wear and tear is in him. Emotionally, mentally and physically." Adena said. "I don't know how long Branden can concentrate or focus. This is the best chance for him to test out what he's been practicing. I hope it goes all right. Real skill has to be proved under pressure, otherwise it's pointless." Letty replied. "Don't you think you're just a little hard Branden sometimes? I mean you should maybe take it a little down a notch for him." Adena suggested. We were crossing the upcoming turns and final section. The S4 was still on me when I was in front. "Jackass is still behind me." I said in my mind as I stepped on it and shifted up to 3rd. "That supercharger was a good idea I mean they both gotta use the air pressure to move the turbines. The supercharger can pull power right from the crankshaft. It's pretty impressive." I said in my mind. "Best thing about this supercharger is you can get the power linearly while you're still using engine rotation. Turbochargers have turbo lag. Superchargers don't have anything like that. Sure, turbochargers can still kick up a lot of power. But with this baby, I get a constant boost kick as long as I keep my foot pressed on that accelerator." Shoichi said in his mind as he floored it. "Get on a winding road with the low average speed and the supercharger has the absolute hand over the turbo. No doubt about it." Shoichi said in his mind. The run now progressed into the third run which had me chasing again and Shoichi . "We're starting the 3rd run! Starting in 5, 4." "Crazy, can't believe they're going into a 3rd run. It could probably be their skill level I suppose." Gillian said. "3, 2, 1, GO!" Adena exclaimed as she started the countdown and the cars launched off. "It's because of the rain. The chaser is always in the leader's water spray and has to change his rhythm. There might be some differences in the race results if they raced alone. But the race rules is gonna tie them together. Without any distance between them, either of them might win." Ellie replied. "They're both probably tired by now. It seems like it'll put stress on both of them but mostly it's gonna put stress on Branden while it'll give an upper hand for his rival." Cordelia said. "But they won't feel the fatigue because they're concentrating only on driving. If a driver starts to feel tired, he'll begin to lose his focus. That's when the winner will be chosen." Ellie replied. One of us are starting to get tired. I haven't given up nor Shoichi. I still kept up with the S4 tailgating him at the same time. "No, I am not gonna lose this! This battle tonight's about motivation and I've got it! Bastard, never had to work for a time, he can't understand what I come for. You can't buy the determination I got! I can't lose! This is not how this movie ends!" Shoichi said in his mind as he braked and shifted down. "The Levin's body is starting to shimmer. I guess it's time for me to amp up the pressure on him and wait for my chance to make a move." I said in my mind as I pumped the accelerator. "Damn it! It seems like he's tailgating me! What's going on?! I'm starting to lose focus! I must be tired then I thought, I have to push it harder!" Shoichi exclaimed in his mind as he braked into the corner. I braked hard as I almost felt like I was gonna crash into him. "This is bad. I'm starting to lose control. I just hope my concentration doesn't go out on me." I said in my mind. "A person that cannot keep up his concentration for too long, even with a lot of effort, it will last at best for 30 minutes." Letty said. "Don't the professionals go for like 2 or 3 hours? I mean, how the hell do they pull that off?" Adena asked. "They are not concentrating 100% at every point during the race. At a longer straightaway, they take the opportunity to allow their brains to rest. But in the street racing world, there are corners all over the place. So there are no places where the driver can rest just a little off and on top of that, in the rain visibility's poor and the road is slippery, you can't relax." Letty answered. "When you lose your concentration, what kind of situation will arise?" Adena asked. "First of all, your judgement will decrease, your reactions will slow every little movement will become a struggle. You become unable to multi-task. You will momentarily lose control!!" Letty answered. We were still racing but our concentration was giving out. I was still concentrating but it was gonna give out and the rain was storming down very hard. "Woah." Adena said. "Not good." Jordan said. "Amazing." Hajime said. "Now this rain's starting coming down very hard." Cordelia said. "This will totally wipe one of them out." Gillian replied. "Ugh can't see! Alright, up there should be a mid speed section I can take!" Shoichi said in his mind as he was about to adjust the windshield wiper switch. But then he crossed a gutter and then he started to spin out. When I saw the opening of him spinning out. I took it carefully without wrecking and I won the race. "You okay man?" I asked. "Yeah I'm fine, I managed to stop a centimeter before the gutter." Shoichi answered. "Ah. Understandable." I replied. "I know this road on the back of my head. When I adjusted the windshield wiper's speed I made a mistake of slipping onto the metal gutter cover which was caused by bad luck." Shoichi said. "I just got word that Shoichi spun out. It's looks like we lost but we got two more battles left." Haijime said as he hung up. We arrived at the finish line and i parked my car by the van. "You did it Branden, congrats!" Cordelia exclaimed. "I can't believe you won!" Ellie exclaimed. "Good going kid!" Dom exclaimed. "You know, if it hadn't been my concentration pulling out, I could've lost. But I still won and managed to keep it coming. I guess the rain must've stopped now. But the floor is slippery and I guess we may have another race." I replied. "You want to on that lady in the Porsche?" Shoichi asked. "Yes, please let me race her." Lexi answered. "Adena, I think someone wants to challenge, it may turn out to be two more battles left or something I don't know what this might be." Letty said. "We want to do another round if it's alright with you Letty?" Shoichi asked. "Sure, why not. Who's your other driver?" Letty asked. "It's me. I am gonna take on that lady who drives that 993 Carrera. It will be an uphill and a downhill which is a turnaround battle." Lexi answered. "But." Yuu stuttered. "It's too late, the train has left the station." Shoichi replied. "Adena, you're up." Letty said. Adena nodded. Before she got in the car. She saw her rival's aura and sensed her as a professional racer. "She's a pro. Amazing." Adena said in her mind as she got in the car. "Do you want to lead for the first run?" Letty asked. "Yes, I don't mind at all." Lexi answered. Lefty nodded and puts her elbow on the roof the 993. The 993 was behind the RSR 2.8. "Adena, before you roll off the line. Here's what I need to tell you. You're going up against a professional and pros are amazing. I want you to do is try to find a technique on a difference between your 993 and that 911 RSR 2.8. Understand?" Letty asked. "I got it, let's do this." Adena answered.