>>254541
> C. Phil Fitzgerald, a former CRL champion with boundless potential, yet seems to be held back by controversial actions both on and off the tracks.
This seems like the most interesting choice.

So a racing quest, eh? I honestly hope this gets some interest.

File: Dragon plugs1.png (130 KB, 3000x1441)

130 KB PNG

>>255170

I do to.

If there aren't any objections, I'll continue this quickly enough.

File: 1407726019628.jpg (561 KB, 1272x1920)

561 KB JPG

Also, apologies for the typo in the OP regarding my tripcode.

>>255170
>>255235

>You are Phil Fitzgerald

Man, where did the time fly by? It only feels like it was yesterday when you were competing in gokarts with your dad, then moving up through the CRL's "Ladder" series with alarming speed in spite of all of the casual racism at every turn.

Luckily, your talent behind the wheel was great enough that somebody looked past the color of your skin and gave you a shot at competing in America's top-flight open-wheeled championship. That it was Templer-Truer racing, running year-old Fox chassis and the ancient "Isringhausen" 4-banger against the might of Phantom Motors, Bellomo SPA and the rest of CRL's heavy-hitters didn't matter to you; just being on the grid was fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Then came the race at Harper Canyon's roller coaster of a road course.

You still smile about that one as you peck at your eggs. It was the race that got you into the history books and a drive with Phantom Motors. The following year, armed with the best package on the grid, the floodgates opened and the CRL Title was yours.

"Still haven't won The Grand Prix though" you think as you finish up breakfast. "That's the only race anyone seems to care about..."

You sigh. You'll win it soon enough. Besides, you're probably not going to get an extension on your contract if you don't... You check the clock on the wall and figure that you could get away with doing a couple of neck-stretches and bust out some exercises before another damn sponsor meet-and-greet...

When the phone rings. Crap, you hope its not your agent. You HATE dealing with your agent, especially this early in the morning.

>A. Let it ring. You need to work out to keep yourself in racing shape.

>B. Answer it and listen to what he has to spiel.

>C. Listen in on the machine while doing some more warm-ups and see what he has to say.

B.
Get it out of the way.

A. Let it ring. Fuck him

File: Spoiler Image (211 KB, 393x591)

211 KB JPG

>>255832
>>255966

Tie-Break time! or I could roll a 1d2...

>>256022

Rolling the 1d2 in a couple of minutes if no one replies....

A. Fuck him.We need the exercise.

>>256022
>>256073
I'm also inclined towards A. It's all about get gud.

>>256073
>>255966
>>256080

The phone rings incessantly as you stretch. Damn, it IS your agent; No one else you know would wait after 5 rings...

"You know what? Fuck you Jim" you hear yourself yell out loud while you change into some low-key sweats and a hoodie before stepping into your weight room. As a racing car driver, you have to push your fitness beyond what most athletes would consider "Satisfactory" to gain an edge on the competition. Besides that, CRL cars are built for 5'10" or less manlets and the less of your bulk you have to cram into the car, the better.

Shit, maybe you should just drop "Diamond" Jim Jones and actually do business deals on your own again? He might be good for flash publicity and getting you fight tickets, but christ almighty he has stupid endorsement deals; The last one was for some Japanese male hair highlighter that left you with blonde streaks through your hair...

You work up a good sweat for a warm-up, then get to "Crunch Time": As a great fighter once said, you only count your sit-ups, push-ups and whatever after they start to hurt because those actually MEAN something.

Two hours later, you break for lunch and find Jim left enough messages to fill up your answering machine. For a laugh, you figure that you'll listen to a couple while fixing up a salad.

>"Phil? You there? Nigga you bet not be fuckin' screenin' me right now, because shit is goin' down and I need some fuckin' confirmation about what to fuckin' do here nigga!"

"Same old Jim" you sigh, tuning his message out like you were driving a car right in your kitchen table... Until he says 7 little words that make your blood freeze:

>"Phil, Listen... Phantom passed on the deal."

(Cont...)

>>256122

Your world shatters into a million fragments at those words and it feels like your legs are going to collapse. Goddamn it, you KNEW that you should've had Jim play it easier than that during all of those contract negotiations! What's $1 Million here or fucking there to you? You've already got enough money to send all of your cousins to college (And/or bail them out of prison) and get your parents into a nice house out in the country...

You swallow whatever was left of the salad in your mouth and call Jim's offices pronto.

"Oh... NOW the nigga comes around. Where the FUCK have you been?"

>A. "What did they say?"

>B. "WHAT THE FUCK DID PHANTOM MOTORS SAY JIM?!"

>C. Stay silent. Let the rage build up so you can chew him out properly for this.

>D. Write-In Vote

C, We need to give him the insult fest of a lifetime for this.

>>256167

"Phil...? Nigga, come on, don't play with me man. This is some serious shit."

You silently let Jim speak, rage building up inside of you for fucking you out of the best drive in the CRL and your best chance to win "The Grand Prix".

"Look... Phil, listen. Listen to me Phil! Phantom didn't renew the contract because they're PULLING OUT OF THE HONKY BULLSHIT LEAGUE PHIL!"

And suddenly, the rage subsides... For a moment.

"What do you mean?" you finally ask, getting a big sigh of relief from "Diamond Jim".

"Exactly what I mean Playa. From what the rep told me, the CRL's goin' to shit and Phantom getti' while the gettin's good and the cow-fuckahs in charge of the "Grand Pree" are takin' their ball and going home" he explains.

"I'll... Call you back" you tell Jim, cutting him off right in the middle of some fake bullshit hype-man tirade he thinks gets your spirits up and dial the number for Phantom Motors' offices in Canada

So the rumors of a breakaway series splitting the CRL in half are true after all... It's a lot to take in. All of that history, all of that money... Gone to Stockcars, probably. Damn it to hell, and you were really starting to get the hang of running on ovals too.

"Phil?" the secretary on the other end asks.

"Speaking. I want to reach Don."

"One moment" she says before putting you on hold. After what feels like an eternity waiting on the other side of the phone, "Don" picks up.

"I take it you've heard about Phantom Motors new direction?" the raspy voice on the other end asks.

>A. "Why?"

>B. "And I don't have a chance to part of that "New Direction", huh Don?"

>C. Ask him to explain the situation.

>D. Write-In Vote

>>256255
>C.
Asking calmly and politely will hopefully get some answers.

Also, here's hoping for eventually joining underground racing leagues.

File: Spoiler Image (40 KB, 300x209)

40 KB JPG

Apologies for the late Reply. Had Dinner.

>>256604

"Yes... Jim talked a little about it" you coolly state. "I want to know why I wasn't told earlier, Don."

Don Rickles, founder & CEO of Phantom Motors, WWII vet, possible Vietnam "Spook" and friends with practically every defense firm in North America, asks "Well, what do you want to know Phil?"

"Everything" you honestly reply. Don likes honesty.

Don clears his throat and clues you in: "The CRL is... Well, it's moving away from what Phantom Motors wants out of a racing series and what our sponsors want."

You find yourself nodding, intently hanging on his every word.

"The owners of Irvine Motor Speedway, the men and women behind "The Grand Prix"... They don't want us anymore. The new head of the Speedway sincerely believes that American Open-Wheel Racing needs to be saved from The CRL and it's owners, so he's using an equipment wedge that the Speedway created as an excuse to start his own ovals-only series."

"The lynchpin is the Pushrod motors we ran in my rookie year, right?" you ask, knowing exactly what Don was talking about.

"Yes... So, if the Speedway wants to drop the bomb on us, we'll drop the bomb on them" Don chuckles before taking a dramatic pause. "Phil, we closed down our CRL Team because I want to test you in our Formula X racer next month in the UAE, as part of their "Open Rookie Test" program."

Your eyes widen at those words. Holy shit, Formula X?! The biggest world championship around?

"I... I can't believe it. Are you really serious? About Formula X?"

"Of course! You're a perfect candidate for this new position" Don states. "Though... I can't guarantee that you'll get the drive. Phantom Motors does have quite a few others interested in the seat."

Well, that knocked the wind out of your sails. Of course Phantom Motors would make the test into a glorified "Gong Show"; It fits Don's management style and creates free publicity for the team and whatever series their doing... But something's nagging at you.

"When did Phantom Motors expand into Formula X?" you ask, genuinely curious.

"The higher-ups were in discussion with buying out another team wholesale early last year... The decision was made shortly after fiasco at time trials for "The Grand Prix" Don admits.

>A. Accept.

>B. Decline.

>C. Ask how long you have to make a decision.

>D. Write-in Vote

File: Spoiler Image (58 KB, 600x903)

58 KB JPG

>>256769

I'm going to call it a night (It's getting late and I am feeling quite tired), but the vote's still open and I'll pick this back up ASAP.

>>256769
A) Accept. Stay cool. [Shit nigga, this is your last shot at the big leagues, you should take this opportunity]

>>256986
seconding

File: Spoiler Image (279 KB, 1024x768)

279 KB JPG

>>256986
>>257307

OK, I'm back and writing for Option A.

>>257615

It's taking all of your self-discipline to keep from hyper-ventilating over the phone. "I'll be there."

"Excellent. We'll fill you in on the hotel accommodations and flight plans within the week" Don tells you before hanging up.

You put the phone down and smile. God, you feel like a kid counting down the days until Christmas morning all over again; Formula X, while it's not the dream you always wanted, is a BIG deal and just a chance to test one of those monsters is something the kid in you never could've dreamed of...

Shit, just knowing that in spite of all the partying and the hob-knobbing with A-Listers over the last year, the team didn't actually fire you... It's a weight off of your shoulders, that's for sure.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur, your mind only taking rests in between grueling workouts that made you feel better than you've been since you signed with Phantom 4 years ago. You call it an early night, but before you go to bed you take about an hour to really think things over and plan out the rest of your month. It stems from a piece of advice Phantom Motors old driving coach imparted with you:

"If you're nervous about racing, about the pressure or the anticipation of it all... Plan your days out to the minute. Put yourself on a schedule and execute it like you're squeezing air out of a balloon. Make it until all that's left is getting in the car and driving the bloody thing."

So, with that in mind...

>A. Kill it in the gym for the rest of the month. Formula X cars are beasts and you need to be in tip-top shape to handle one.

>B. Get your name back out there, take add offers and try to get a portfolio of sponsors ready in case you don't get the Phantom Motors drive...

>C. Balance your schedule, but clear your head and get rid of leeches like Diamond Jim and... What was her name? Whatever, she never did anything for you anyway.

>D. Write-In Vote

>E. Lose your goddamn mind and do Options A through C AT THE SAME TIME NIGGA!

>>257640
>D. write in
GET SWOLE.COM
and also go practice driving fast at some track, gotta get used to high speed handling and maneuvers. I guess we can afford renting a track for a few days.

Diamond Jim we can ignore unless he starts being a bitch about it.
we have no woman trouble because real racers have no girlfriends

>>257664

Seconding this.

File: 10298792_148837468817546_(...).jpg (145 KB, 960x528)

145 KB JPG

Stuck talking with friends at a breakfast. Sorry for the delay.

>>257664
>>257695

For the rest of January you focus on training, training and more training, primarily cardiovascular work and strength-training your neck to cope with the insane G-Forces Formula X cars can produce. You toyed with renting out an older CRL racer to shake down, or testing with a back-of-the-grid team fitted with one of the new Clayton Engineering "Stock-Blocks" (The ones that are a going to run roughshod over everything at "The Grand Prix" this year if they last) to keep sharp, but honestly the overall top speed of an FX car isn't all that much higher than what your used to. It's the braking & handling you're curious about...

Instead, karting at a surprisingly-good indoor facility on the weekends was enough to keep the competitive juices flowing... And getting back to basics, living up in some secluded mountainside in California has seemed to have really helped you mentally break away from most of the fake hype your time with Phantom in the CRL seemed to bring. After all, to quote a former FX champion:

"You have to strive to be the best in the world, but you can never believe you actually are the best".

All in all, a relatively peaceful month... Until the day you were going out to SFO to board the first of 3 connecting flights to meet up with the rest of Phantom Motors...

And of course, it's "Diamond Jim".

"Champ, man... We need to talk."

"Really..."

"Nigga, come on. You've been keepin' me in the dark since New Year's Day, you stopped talkin' to Tracy after I went through all kinds of fuckin' bullshit just to get to look at your sorry ass-"

(Cont...)

>>257800

"-Jim, I told you,

"Hey, you want to be Creed and fuckin' run up the side of a goddamn mountain, that's your fuckin' business OK? But by you not givin' me time to talk about where your money's goin' and what you need to be doing with it-"

"It's about the new contract you sent, isn't it?" you ask, cutting him off.

He pauses, probably looking for an excuse, but changes tack. "What the fuck was wrong with it that you had to X out every goddamn page nigga?"

>A. "Everything."

>B. "Jim, look, I don't have time to deal with this; I have a flight to catch."

>C. "You're fired, Jim."

>D. Write-In Vote

>>257827
>D
You just wrote the words "GIVE ME MONEY" 500 times.

>>257827
>C. fire this impolite man, for we need not the services of an incompetent leech.
also we need to put money on a savings account for the future

>>257842
kek

>>257827

>C. "You're fired, Jim."

This guy makes Don King look fair.

File: 1929813_148837432150883_4(...).jpg (159 KB, 528x960)

159 KB JPG

>>257844
>>257845

"Because you wrote "GIVE ME MONEY" 500 times and in 500 different ways?!" you yell.

"Phil, Listen-"

"No, YOU LISTEN" you thunder, base rising up in the back of your voice. "When I won at Harper's Canyon in my rookie year, one of your hoods gave me a card and said you;d like to talk to me."

"Hey now, don't you start callin' Lil' Cow-Tippah a Hood-"

"-So I called you, I went so far as flying out to Las Vegas to your office the next night" you cut him off again. "And you told me about what you thought you could do and what I was doing was really different and special, how I was going to be ‘The Jackie Robinson of Racing’. And like an idiot, I listened to your stupid fucking advice and have watched my money dwindle into shit I don't care about!"

There's a long pause, though Jim doesn' hang up. Finally, he clears his thoat and asks "So, it's the contract ain't it?"

"That piece of trash you sent me insults my intelligence and my family" you calmly state. "Look, Jimmy... I like partying with you. You're an OK friend. But I'm done dealing with you on a business level, OK? Because the fighters that you represent, that can barely read or write, don’t come from a family like mine."

You can imagine Jim on the other end of this conversation with his jaw dropped to the floor, but that only drives you make this cut clean.

"I hate to be arrogant, but my family is business-oriented, with a chain of supermarkets that was started in 1927 by my grandfather. I went to college and got an MBA in structural Engineering, OK? So, Jim, you’re dealing with a different person than your fighters who’ll sign anything you put in front of ‘em... And you're fired."

"I'll sue your Uncle Tom ass in court nigga. Mark my fuckin' words, Diamond Jim Jones is gonna fuckin' bleed your ass dry!" he yells before hanging up.

You smirk at his words, but call him back to lay down a burn.

"What?!" he screams, nearly blowing out your eardrums.

"If you even so much as try to sue me, I'll get my lawyer to show the court how you fucked up my shot at starring in some Japanese TV drama about racing so badly they replaced me with some blonde-haired twink as evidence."

The line goes dead and you smirk, then check the time and start to pack. You've got a flight to catch at SFO and you need to get there at least an hour early to get through security.

>>257959
My fucking god, he actually did it...

>>257959
a round of applause everyone

File: Spoiler Image (2.8 MB, 2500x1645)

2.8 MB JPG

>>257959

Three flights and around 30 Hours later, you arrive in The United Arab Emirates at the Dubai Motordrome and meet up with the rest of the crew at Phantom Motors.

"On time as always, eh Phil?" Don asks as you look around at the mechanics working on the craziest looking racing car you've ever seen. Seriously, what kind of engine is that? "Where's Tracy?"

"It's... Complicated" you admit with gritted teeth as one of the other drivers is sent out to do a run, the car sounding like a bar-room brawl with chainsaws as it trundles down pit-lane.

"Ah... I see" Don "You followed our instructions about the start-up procedure for this car, correct?"

You nod. "I'm kind of glad you sent it when you did; It was long flight and I didn't think to pack any books" you jest, getting a chuckle out of Don and a couple others within earshot.

"Good... OK, you know what to do" Don quickly says before heading out to his perch on the pitwall (Underneath an air-conditioned canopy you could live in) and you go over a debrief with Sean, the guy in charge of managing the "Tubby-Spec" car you and three others will have to share over the next day...

Squeeze the air out of the balloon, go over the impossibly complex steering wheel in your hands, only focus on the "Start", "Radio", Drink" and "Boost" buttons for now (No trick differential adjustments on the fly for now; They've got a computer doing that apparently)... And then, just drive the bloody thing.

So you do.

>Roll 2d20; Best of 3 Rolls count

Rolled 1, 15 = 16 (2d20)

>>258040

Can we get a track map?

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>258040

Rolled 8, 6 = 14 (2d20)

>>258050
Woops. Well that was a waste. Here's a fix.

File: Dubai-Motordrome-Aerial-View.jpg (206 KB, 1232x693)

206 KB JPG

>>258047

Pic Related, running clockwise from the start-finish line.

Rolled 13, 20 = 33 (2d20)

>>258040
Let's do this

>>258075
>>258057
>>258047

You haven't had butterflies in your stomach while strapped in a racecar in a long time, but then again you've never been strapped into something like this before... The noise of the engine alone makes he hair on the back of your neck stand up on end and could probably lift your helmet off of your head if you weren't practically locked into place thanks to your HANS device.

"OK, do one installation lap to check the systems, then bring it, then do a 10 lap run" Sean squawks over the radio.

"Roger that" you barely get out before pegging the throttle down and rushing into Turn 1, a downhill right-hander with a slightly off-camber entry point.

You feel like you're being pinned back into the seat as you rush down into the corner, the power of this beast a little more visceral than you expected. The brakes though... Christ, they feel amazing and it's almost like your eyes are going to pop out of their sockets. You get through the first half of the lap OK, but all hell breaks loose when you get onto the backstretch.

"OK Phil, hold the boost button for at least 3 seconds on the back straight" Sean pipes up into your ear. You do and... the straightaway disappears in little more than 3 seconds and you're braking hard into the hairpin at the end of it. Fuck, how did that even happen?

You tip-toe back to the pits, stopping on a dime into your pit box while the crew pops the car up on special rolling jacks to wheel you back into the garage for a couple of routine check-ups.

"Having Fun?" Sean asks as the canopy slides out and he sticks his head in the cockpit.

"It feels like a videogame" you barely manage to say with a grin.

"We'll see how high a score you'll get on this next run, OK?" he jokes before going back to sticking his nose back into some kind of Tablet.

Just like a kid again... OK, you know what to do. You take 5 looooong, sloooooow breaths with your eyes closed and get to it when the engine fires up and your roll out into pitlane again.

(Cont...)

File: Phantom Motors FX1-2.jpg (216 KB, 1024x768)

216 KB JPG

>>258140

You take it fairly easy on the first lap out, building some heat into the tires before "Dropping the Hammer" and picking this car up by it's neck for 9 straight laps, the lap-times on your digital display dash on the steering wheel getting shorter and shorter.

The strangest thing you feel over the course of the 10 Lap run is just how easy the car feels to drive, how it responds to your "Touch" with nary a shrug or an attempt to fight back... A CRL car, in comparison, fights you every step of the way and practically demands that you drive nice & tidy.

In the back of your mind it makes you wonder if you're really driving it at a competitive pace, or just stroking it around? No time to think about that now; You're on a real flyer of a lap. Into Turn 1, down to 4th gear, up through the gears through 2, 3, and the kink in 4 before braking hard for turn 5 and back down to 3rd, then up through the gears again and on the "Boost" on the backstretch before another hard braking zone...

It really does feel like an old arcade game you used to play in some dingy, low-lit arcade in Chicago when you were a kid. By the end of the run you're breathing hard, but not from exhaustion; It's from the excitement of driving something as insane as this.

You've got a grin from ear-to-ear as you hop up out of the cockpit and grab a cold water bottle from a staffer, then ask Sean "How'd I do?".

"You broke the Lap Record" he grins.

>A. "Awesome. When can I go again?"

>B. "Really? I didn't feel like I was pushing it that hard out there."

>C. Ask what you can do to help around, if anything.

>D. Write-In Vote

>>258188
>>A. "Awesome. When can I go again?"
i guess my roll saved the day then

>>258188

>A.

Fuck yeah.

>A.

Sorry for the delay. My computer crapped out on me.

>>258213
>>258228
>>258306

Everything you've read about Formula X in passing suggests that drivers are emotionless robots that view other drivers as enemies, even within their own team. You're too

"Awesome... When can I get another go at it?"

"Hmm... Well, if Deveraux doesn't crash on his run... Sometime this afternoon? It's too hot to run in the middle of the day" Sean explains. "Don't worry, Don will probably find a way to keep all of you busy."

"Yeah..." you sigh, then shrug and head over to the pitwall to join Don in watching the rest of the Formula X teams present run young drivers past you at 200+ MPH.

Don finally acknowledges your presence with a simple "That was a good run."

"I guess... I don't know, I felt like I had to hustle it to make it respond to my inputs; Half the time I was numb to the feedback it was giving me" you admit.

"Eh... They all seem to do that. I blame all of the electronics we use to get the damn things to run" Don grumbles, endless streams of data you aren't 100% familiar with streaming on screens by your chest.

"Traction Control, Launch Control, Power Brakes, Power Steering... At least I could change gears freely" you half-joke.

'You were pretty smooth though. Smoother in your movements on the later laps than anybody else we've tested yet."

"Huh..." is all you say as a bright-red car screams past you, then ask "Have Formula X cars run here before? Because I can't believe I broke the lap record" as the noise dies down a little.

"Not in a race, no, but it's a popular testing track" Don concedes. "Most of Formula X's courses are built for them."

You can tell by Don's answers that he's busy, so you watch the rest of the session in relative quiet, nobody within half a second of your lap-time before everybody breaks for lunch.

"Noise curfew makes it so that we can't run you into the evening, so we'll put you back out onto the track first after the break" Don tells you while the two of you walk back into the garage.

>>258473

A quick team lunch (Mostly for the mechanics, because almost everybody trying to go for the drive seems to be rail-thin and existing on air and bullshit alone) and the next session starts up at around 3:30 PM local time, the track looking greasy to your trained eye and the other cars doing conservative laps to get a feel for the grip.

"OK Phil, go get'em" Sean tells you as you slip on your helmet and HANS device and gingerly climb back into the cockpit for a 30-Lap run, Don giving you the look of "Just run steady laps. You made your point earlier" as the canopy slips into place and the jacks drop the car back down to the ground.

>Roll 3d20

>>258473
so these formula X cars are those huge F1 lookalikes with 700-900hp, like the redbull X1?

Rolled 20, 13, 3 = 36 (3d20)

>>258491
>>258489
also rolling start

Rolled 3, 14, 18 = 35 (3d20)

>>258491

Seems that way to me.

>>258489

File: 1406859145632.png (1.24 MB, 1008x720)

1.24 MB PNG

>>258491
>>258511

Something like that... Formula X cars aren't allowed the fan-suction like those Red Bulls have and can "Only" go 240-250 MPH in a straight line when they're fully "Trimmed out" )Low Downforce setting), but their cornering & braking abilities are the best in the world, they've got just about every driver aid you can think of and the rules are open enough that there are different engine types running in addition to 6-Wheeled wonders and shit.

CRL cars, for a comparison, are sort of closer to an early-mid 90's Indycar: A lot of power, but everything's "Analog" (Steel Brakes, Sequential Gearshift, "Passive" suspension) and they don't have a ton of downforce.

Also writing the next update ASAP.

>>258537
and here i was imagining that it was the mid 80's

>>258537

>Cyber Formula

Aw sheetit. My body is ready for races.

>>258555

Draco would've been the Mid '80's story, I think. This is closer to the early 90's "Gizmos"-Era Formula 1 and "The Split" that Indycar was about have happen...

>>258497
>>258511

You take it slow the first few laps out of the pits, the greasy track really making it hard for you to judge how much grip the car really has. Instead, you focus on keeping a smooth driving line and hitting your apexes lap after the lap, gradually clawing back some time.

By lap 10, you go for it and up the pace a bit, the car again becoming easier to drive the faster it goes... Though, there are a couple of eye-opening moments when you have to apply slight amounts of "Opposite Lock" for some "Hectik Skidz", as that one girl you knew would call it.

"Knock it off Phil" Don's voice booms over the radio and you comply, going back to the kind of "Gentle-Firm" driving style more in common with CRL cars. You've got to ask Don what kind of engine this thing has when you're done, because it's character is different from anything you've ever experienced in racing. Plus, that noise...

By the end of the run, you managed to keep all 4 wheels on the track and the fuel gauge in the yellow as you head in, expecting Don to give you a scolding for the slide you had in Turn 6 before the backstraight.

To your surprise, he's almost smiling as you get out of the car, the mechanics feverishly working to convert the seat and pedals to one of the other drivers. "Sorry about that moment."

"Don't be; The data trace said that the engine should've grenade'd after that" he tells you. "How did you baby it for 20 laps?"

You shrug, not really knowing what to say. "I really don't know... But it felt fine to me, so I kept going."

Don nods, then Sean hands you a print-out of your laps to study, going over where you're miles ahead of the other five testers and where you'e merely quicker than them... All the while thinking "Goddamn, I should've been looking at a drive in this series earlier".

File: Deviantart-please-stand-b(...).jpg (772 KB, 1920x1080)

772 KB JPG

>>258596

Unfortunately for you, Jacques Deveraux crashed the "Tubby-Spec" car the team built on the the run right after yours, so it's the end of the day as far as driving goes for you... But you stick around to watch the rest of session with Don, soaking up the sights, sounds, smells and culture of Formula X.

On first glance, it's almost as smug and insular as the CRL was when you first arrived: Nothing but stares at you from other teams, none of them welcoming... On the other hand, this is a relatively new team that just set one of the fastest times of the day, so it's to be expected (Some Japanese guy only barely squeaked by your time at the very end of the day).

By 8 PM local time you're back at the Team's hotel, drained but excited about tomorrow's prospects and hoping that you'll get a chance to really shine tomorrow... Especially as it only feels like you're scratching the surface of the car's full potential.

===

I'm going on a long lunch break after this post. I should be back within an hour or so.

Feel free to ask questions about the lore of the world, the different series as well as general questions/comments/rates and/or reviews while I'm out. They will be answered.

>>258652
1. Does practicing make any difference on stats?
2. If practice adds to our drive stats, do they affect rolls?
3. What year is it currently in the setting? Is there anything in the MC's private life we need to pay attention to besides what we already went through?
4. will we meet a girl that ruins our racing career?

File: blood-1.png (18 KB, 938x232)

18 KB PNG

>>258696

>1.
Yes, but not for this particular test session. When the season kicks into high gear Practice Sessions, Test Sessions and even go-karting can increase Phil's basic stats.

>2.
Yes.

>3.
1995 of an alternate-reality Earth.

>4.
Only if you want to.

Also, writing for the next update.

File: Phantom Motors FX1 3.jpg (166 KB, 1024x768)

166 KB JPG

>>258880

You wake up the next morning with nothing but confidence about today. Not even the crazy high-class luxury hotel with ridiculously-designed furniture that doesn't seem to function can dampen your spirits; Hell, you even catch yourself humming a tune in the shower (D.O.C.'s "Pyramid") and even start half-rapping while you shave some stubble off.

The drive into the track was practically deserted and took less than 20 minutes tops, the Phantom Motors crew seemingly impressed at your punctuality.

"Always on time... Nice to see it make a comeback Phil" Don smiles.

"You nod, then get down to business. "What's the situation with my car?"

"The damage is too severe to fix here, so the team has been preparing the back-up car with salvageable parts" Don explains as the "Primary" chassis does a full engine & rev-range check. Speaking of which...

You ask for Don to come over and pull him aside. Something about the car's engine has been bugging you and he seems like the guy to answer it: "I should've asked this the yesterday, but what kind of engine are we running? Because I've never driven anything with such a peaky range..."

Don chuckles a little, then spills the beans: "It's something our boys have been toying around with for some time... A 2-Stroke."

Your eyes widen and you have to cover your mouth to keep your jaw from dropping. "Really."

Don nods. "We figured that with advances made to direct injection technology and how light one could be made, a 2-Stroke, Twin-Turbocharged V10 with Direct Injection would be the ticket..."

"Go get'em kid" Don smirks before giving you a pat on the back.

>Sometime later, outside of the car...

Don Rickles watches the "T-Car" roll out of pit lane, analog stop-watch at the ready. He leans back in his chair on the pit wall, listening to thrashing idle of his team's $150 Million baby for a few seconds before turning back around to confront Sean Walford, the crew chief on the #2 car in Phantom Motors's nascent Formula X campaign.

"When Phil gets back in after this lap, make up some excuse about the tires and stick him on Softs. I want to see if he's got it or not" he orders in a grave tone of voice.

Sean nods and speak of the devil, Phil Fitzgerald rolls back in and stops on his marks, the pop-up jacks ready for a tire change...

>Roll 3d20

===

Bad News Anons: Something at home came up and I might not get a chance to complete this session today.I'll try to get it taken care of ASAP, but for now, the quest has gone into "Glacier Mode".

Rolled 5, 9, 18 = 32 (3d20)

>>259030
good luck OP, we will roll our dices for your success as well

File: 1461083034275.jpg (24 KB, 485x202)

24 KB JPG

Rolled 16, 12, 9 = 37 (3d20)

>>259030
>2-stroke, twin-turbo DI V10

File: Phantom Motors FX1 4.jpg (209 KB, 1024x768)

209 KB JPG

OK, without going into too many details, that sucked. Anyways, Glacier Mode has thawed a little and I'm back until I pass out.

>>259344

I could've went full wet-dream and have it use Oval-shaped pistons and Coates-type rotary valves as well, but I thought that was a bit much...

>>259066

>Meanwhile, back in the car...

You look around the cockpit sides and notice the tires getting changed. Before you could say anything about it, Sea sticks his head in the cockpit and lays out what's going on:

"The data traces picked up some readings that could've been a tire going flat, so we're going to take a precautionary measure and change them."

"OK... They're the same compound right?" you ask.

"Yep. Don wants you to go for a hot lap this run though" Sean concludes as the crew bolt them on and the jacks drop, the "Lolipop Man" taking his sweet time to let you go.

The visor goes down and the canopy starts to slide back into place as you idle down pitlane at a serene 60 MPH, then gun it on the exit lane. The track feels like it's got a lot more grip in it than yesterday, especially for how early it is. Just on your out-lap alone you find that a couple of the corners could be taken almost a gear higher than what you were doing yesterday... You hold off on using the "Boost" until the next lap and really start to push it in the final sector, the tires having unbelievable grip compared to yesterday. Too much almost.

"Don did a "Matched Perfect & Staggered Special" trick on me" you think as you enter the final corner and head down the main straight, just touching top gear and playing a game of "Chicken" with your braking points going into Turn 1.

Luckily for you, your braking points win and you go deeper into the braking zone than you thought was possible, though not without a little slide on the exit... The car's poise is astonishing though and you recover from it quite nicely and take the next few corners flat, up-shifting into top gear just before braking for the back-to-back hairpins of Turns 5 and the uphill-to-downhill kink that leads into Turn 6.

(Cont...)

>>259553

You know from yesterday that being too greedy in the apex of this turn could lead to a wide exit and lost speed down the backstretch, so you intently wait until you've cleared the apex to get back on the throttle and hit the "Boost", the speedometer and the digital dash on your steering wheel lighting up like a Christmas Tree until you back off the boost and brake hard into Turn 7.

[i[The grip already seems to wearing off on these tires...?"[/i] you idly wonder as you have to fight the car through the twisty final sector, getting another nice power-slide through the last corner before straightening up and crossing the timing line a full 3 seconds faster than your best from yesterday... Yep, Don set you up with the qualifying tires alright.

Knuckles white, heart pounding, neck already straining to just keep your head up, eyes almost feeling like they're on stalks... Just like your first time in a CRL car. Goddamn, you've missed this feeling! The raw feeling of pushing yourself farther than you thought was possible... Being given the best cars and engines in the CRL 99.9% of the time, having to baby everything just because you could... It helped pad your savings account and your trophy room, but something always felt missing until now.

"Bring it Phil, something's up with the left bank of the engine" Sean chatters over the radio, snapping you out your inner glow and back into driving the craziest racing car ever back into the garage in one piece.

The look on a lot of the crew members faces is one of awe. The only ones that are putting up a poker face are the CRL hires that know you well enough that this kind of turn of speed isn't that surprising, Sean the crew chief... And Don, with an rare grin on his face.

"That's what I wanted to see... Good job Phil" he says as the crews go back to work on checking over the engine bay of your car.

You take a moment to admire the insanity lurking behind your head out there, catch a breath and...?

>A. Ask "When's the season start? I'm ready when you are."

>B. Laughingly call him a son of a bitch; He'll get the warmth behind the words.

>C. Tell him "I don't know if I can live with doing that all year Don. That lap took a lot out of me."

>D.

File: booster.jpg (9 KB, 200x198)

9 KB JPG

>>259663

>D. Write-In Vote

Fixed.

>>259663
AD)
"You cheeky bastard, I remember the last time you pulled that trick on me."

>>259720

"You cheeky bastard... I remember the last time you pulled that kind of trick on me" you say with a smile.

Don nods and you head over to Sean, listening him chew out one of the other drivers on the radio (Some Italian guy, judging by the name) and take a moment to tap him on the shoulder. "Can i look over my trace pages?"

"Oh yeah... Hang on" he replies, immediately going back into offering some "Constructive Criticism" to the hopeless driver behind the wheel of Phantom Motors's "Primary" car before handing you the print-outs.

You glance at them, seeing how they stack up compared to yesterday... And, while the levels on the graphs are higher than yesterday, the lower parts are... Fuck it, you'll just hang on until Sean has a moment.

It turns out that the engine problem with "Your" car was very real, as the "Sweat Hogs" are hard at work at fixing the problem and you're left with the odd feeling of being a fifth wheel with all of the stuff happening around you...

>A. Try to blend in and soak up how the team works and what they're saying about testing here. Who knows, you might learn something.

>B. Ask if you can take a breather in the team's motorcoach. You want to get some body-weight exercises in and that's the only other air-conditioned place open to you.

C. Watch some of the closed-circuit TVs and see how the other cars & drivers are doing around the track. No one's probably going to beat your time, but you never know...

>D. Write-In Vote

>>259850
C) Maybe your lap record was... maybe your car is that amazing? Check the other drivers' lines. Esp. that Japanese guy.

>>259999
Nice Quads Anon.

You quietly look around and spot a bank of TVs a couple of nerdy-looking guys (and a girl) in Phantom Motors team gear are looking at, a couple of them displaying lap-times in real-time but the rest are showing different camera angles as different cars are on track chasing the invisible hands of fate, slaves to the stopwatch...

On first take, you're blown away at how fast they look on TV compared to watching CRL or Stockcar races... But, your keen eyes quickly settle into a rhythm and you start to really analyze the differences between all of the different cars and drivers pounding around the Dubai Motordrome, though only a few of them seem to stand out to you:

>1.
"S. Kobayashi", the Japanese guy(?) that only barely managed to beat you time yesterday... He's good. Damn good... He's getting through the final sector almost as quick as you, but seems to have lost some speed down the straight compared to yesterday. Seems to have got an "Edgy" kind of style and can live with a "Loose" car, though you're more curious about how his 6-Wheeled car's aerodynamics seem to change when he hits his boost.

>2.
"G. Slater". He's about as smooth as you are, but isn't as fast in the compound corners that make up a lot of this track, though that might be the car. His speed on the backstraight suggests that his team went with a low-downforce set-up because he's a rocket in the speed traps.

>3.
"Z. Cervantes" ... Oh man, he's having to hustle that car big-time just to get it to do anything. He's got it right on the edge of control and it feels as though the car's dancing under his feet and arms, just waiting for the most opportune time to bite him... He's the quickest rookie behind you though.

And before you know it, the team breaks for lunch and the track goes quiet as everybody else does the same... You keep to yourself during the meal (Grilled Chicken Breast, a small side-salad and a Cherry/Granola yogurt parfait for a sweet), eyeing the other drivers trying to get a ride with Phantom Motors just enough not to be suspicious.

Again, the old CRL driver coach Don set you up with was full of pearls of wisdom about everything EXCEPT driver the car itself, with one you've followed for a while rings true right now:

>"You can tell what kind of driver someone is by how they eat. The less organised they are, the messier their plate is and how they hold and use their utensils... They can say more about someone than any lap-time."

File: Fallout-4-announcement-tr(...).jpg (129 KB, 1920x1080)

129 KB JPG

>>260090

You inwardly smile at how your plate looks compared to everyone else's, then take a bite of the parfait. Halfway through this 3-day "Gong Show" and you're feeling pretty good about it so far. Don trying to get you to perform early this morning aside, the teams seems friendly enough, works hard... Nobody at Phantom has given you the "Thousand-Yard Stare" yet over your skin color, or tried to fuck you by improperly setting up or neglecting work on your car...

Then again, with the kind of press you used to get in America, anyone stupid enough to try that would've gotten fired and/or the wrath of the media bearing down on him. It IS kind of curious that you haven't gotten any real attention in the paddock so far, at least not in your own team anyway: No grab-ass reporters, no air-headed "Lifestyle Experts" pitching softball questions... Just you, the crew, Don, Sean and stupendous Middle Eastern heat to contend with.

Good times, good times... And man, you've forgotten how much you liked sweets. You kind of had to wean yourself off of them to keep your fitness up.

>Later that day...

The engine problems in your car were traced back to a salvaged part causing one of the electronic systems to give out a false reading, so Don asks you to do a long run on Hard-Compound tires and a full tank of fuel with a minimum lap-time to match and keep as long as possible.

Doing it almost feels like a victory lap, but you never know what can behind the wheel of a racing car. Even in one as advanced and "Safe"-feeling as this, the grim reaper is only just a few steps away from you... Ironic, considering Don's new logo for the company and how all of the CRL chassis were listed as "Dullahans" and the engines were "Wraiths".

>Roll 2d20

===

I'm trying to stay awake, but it's proving difficult, so I think I'll call it a night here and conclude this tomorrow.

As always, the vote is open and any questions asked will get answered in time.

Rolled 6, 14 = 20 (2d20)

>>260124

Rolled 15, 4 = 19 (2d20)

>>260124
good night

Rolled 10, 14 = 24 (2d20)

>>260124

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pls6OyJpCWg

Rolled 11, 10 = 21 (2d20)

>>260124
don't break the circle

File: Spoiler Image (100 KB, 1088x1038)

100 KB PNG

OK, back for a little bit.Don't know how many updates I'll get done today before this auto-sages, but I'll try to keep a steady stream going for as long as I can.

>>260232
>>260305
>>260700

As usual you take a warm-up lap to check the brakes, the boost on the longest straightaway as well as the steering before coming into the pits to get a full top-up of fuel and fresh tires, the first time you've had a real pit-stop simulation before heading back out.

Not surprisingly, it's tricky trying to go fast while keeping an eye on the fuel gauge, even if it's an easy-to-read "Page" on the digital dash... But, within a few laps you're doing OK. The biggest trick to this car on "Hard" compound tires is that with the engine's peaky power & torque curve, it's very easy to light up the tires and get sideways on the power at slow speeds, even with all of the electronic "Nannies" keeping everything in-check.

So, you focus on smooth movements, almost babying the car in comparison to the balls-out lap early in the morning and making ever apex count. Fortunately, your efforts seem to be working because 15 laps in and your fuel's not quite at half a tank, though you're only a few tenths of a second ahead of your target lap-time.

"Smooth, smooth, smooth. Good stuff. Box in 20 laps, box in 20 laps" Sean says over the radio. Good thing he finally said something too; You were almost starting to get bored lapping around by yourself out here.

By around lap 20, other cars come out onto the track, but most of them seem to be doing tests rather than actually putting miles down... Until you spot a White car with almost no sponsors closing in on you, getting sideways through the 3rd sector.

"Probably the Greek guy" you think as you start your 25th lap, the tires now finally starting to show their age and the fuel gauge just above "Yellow"...

>A. Race him a little bit, but don't get too wild; You need to keep this car in one piece.

>B. Let him go by; You don't want to be near him if his talent runs out.

>C. Hold your line and make him try to get around you. Treat him like this is for a win.

>D. Write-In Vote

>>261155

>A. Race him a little bit, but don't get too wild; You need to keep this car in one piece.

>>261172
seconding this, might as well toss the greek salad a bit

File: Apex-Dubai-Motordrome-Mot(...).jpg (735 KB, 1890x1063)

735 KB JPG

>>261172
>>261178

Fuck it, you didn't take 3 connecting flights and get your passport & paperwork together to let other cars go around like you were standing still. You get back on the throttle earlier than you had been in the middle of the final corner and run the car up to top gear down the main straight, using the engine braking from the science-lab experiment of an engine to slow you down and keep it smooth through the first turn.

The white thing behind you looks like it's going to spin out and just from a glance in the rear-view mirror, but he manages to get through the corner and actually gains on you a little bit, the sound of his engine almost audible over the racket yours makes as he follows you through Turn 2. As much as you want to try and make a block through 3, you know from watching him yesterday that he's got a bit of a wild streak, so you just keep ahead as the two of you head through the end of the 1st sector and rocket down the back straightaway.

You don't know what the Greek Salad has under his cowling, but it's enough that he's pulling out to pass you on the inside... You let him go, but brake a little earlier and re-take the position as he overshot the hairpin.

"Kid's stuff" you think as you see him try to recover. It takes him 3 full laps to catch back up to you, by which point you've got the fuel light flashing red. Damn, you're going to have to pit early because of that clown... And now that you think about it, you shouldn't used the boost that lap either.

You let him go by you into Turn 5, but follow and draft him on the straightaway and get a few laps out of your gas tank before coming into the pits, the crew wheeling you back into the garage.

"You would've made the target if you didn't race that guy" Sean says, an almost scowling look on his face.

"I had to get away from that guy before he took me off the track" you reply as you hop out of the car and "The Sweat Hogs" go to work to prepare the car for somebody else.

(Cont...)

>>261245

Sean gives you a look, but doesn't say anything more as he goes back to pouring over lap-time charts and data streams. "Fine, be that way" you think with a shrug while you take a look around the garage, the place buzzing with action as both crews seem to be working together to fix a transmission problem on the "Primary" car.

>Wat Do?

>A. Watch some of the rest of the session with "The Nerds".

>B. Try to find Don and see if he's OK with you not hitting the target lap.

>C. Head back to the Phantom Motors hauler and relax a little bit.

>D. Write-In Vote

>>261267

>C. Head back to the Phantom Motors hauler and relax a little bit.

>>261267
>B. apologize for getting carried away with the greek salad

>>261281

I guess I'll change my vote to >>261285 to speed this up.

File: mXtQkDx.jpg (173 KB, 1920x1080)

173 KB JPG

>>261285
>>261321

You look around the garage for a few minutes, the cowl of your "Public" persona going up as everybody else works around like bees in a hive. "I wonder where Don went...?" you ponder as Sean shows up with some pages of data from the last few laps of your run, drilling into you you should've backed off and let the guy on a mock qualifying run go ahead of you instead of trying to race him, blah blah blah...

Until Don walks back into the garage and spots you looking like you'd want to be

"I'll handle it Sean" he tells him, then looks back at you. "You ran 32 laps..."

"Yeah... I know" you sigh. "I got carried away with tossing some Greek Salad."

Don smirks at your joke, then admits "I honestly don't know why Walford was obsessed with you going 35 laps on a full tank of fuel. A race simulation here would call for two stops, maybe three... The hard tires lose too much time over a lap to make a mock one-stop strategy worth looking into, honestly."

"Either way, I'm sorry Don. Really."

'Don't be. You haven't had a chance to race in one of these cars before... That you got two extra laps out of our car and kept it a tenth or two ahead the target time is fine enough for me" Don states.

Don is such a strange guy sometimes... One minute he's barking orders like a drill sergeant, the next he's got an air of mystery about him... But with you, he comes across like an old friend. "What should I do Don?"

"Not my place to say... I don't think we'll need to run you again today though. You showed enough speed" he tells you before going over to the other side of the garage to get an update on the "Primary" car's gearbox troubles.

>Wat Do?

>A. Keep an eye on the rest of the teams running out there with "The Geek Squad" in charge of monitoring the read-outs from Phantom Motors cars.

>B. Check out how the crew is doing with the "Primary" car and keep soaking up information about how Formula X is different like a sponge.

>C. Tell Don you're going to relax in the team's spare motorhome for a little bit.

>D. Write-in vote

===

I'm going on a lunch break. I hope tobe back soon.

>>261374

>C. Tell Don you're going to relax in the team's spare motorhome for a little bit.

>>261386
supporting

>>261386
>>261391

OK, that took WAAAY longer than I thought... But I'm back to wrap this thread up.

>Writing....

>>261617
>>261374

You follow Don and overlook the "A"-Team finishing up a gearbox change, a guy that has skin almost as dark as yours looking pensive while chatting away to three guys that look like sheikhs in arabic (Or whatever it's called). You wait for a moment, then tell Don that you're going to take a breather in the team motor coach.

"OK" is all he says as you make your way around the back of the garage and get blasted by a wall of 100 Degree heat. A quick walk across the paddock has you covered in more sweat than when you had stepped out of the car, but you find the team's black, imposing motorhome sticking out like a sore thumb in this intense heat easy enough.

The air-conditioning is even better inside than i the garage and you find yourself kind of cold when you first walk in, but don't mind after your third bottle of water.

"Nice to know I can still do this" you hear yourself say out loud, then stretch a little to try and lessen any aches and pains you might have tomorrow. Two days in and you're by and large the fastest of the six drivers Phantom Motors have tested and are now hovering around the Top-5 overall (That Japanese kid Kobayashi, Slater and a couple of other names you don't know have started to show their true speed a little)... Conventional wisdom suggests that you've got a lock on the drive, but you can't really begin to think of it like that until the contract is signed and/or you shake Don's hand.

You catch yourself nodding off after an hour, then spring to action and do some push-ups and sit-ups to keep your blood flowing and your mind back into focus. Truthfully, you don't really know why you feel so tired after a race or a practice or even qualifying; Every other driver you've had as a teammate seems to be amped-up enough they could run a 10k or something...

>Later that evening...

The rest of the day went off without a hitch, though you didn't get a chance to do another run when that French guy, Deveraux, reported that he didn't have any drive in "Your" car in the middle of his economy run.

Still, you feel like you learned a lot just by looking around at the crew working (You'll know their names soon enough, you hope) and watching other drivers out on the track with Don up on the pitwall...

(Cont...)

>>261749

Which leads you here, back at the hotel sitting in with Don and a couple other higher-ups from Phantom Motors at a 4-Star restaurant you probably couldn't even have afforded to loiter in front of 5 years ago...

"Something wrong with your steak?" Don asks as he attacks his meal with military-honed precision.

>A. Ask Don if you've got the drive or not.

>B. Enjoy his company in silence. If Don has something to say, he'll say it.

>C. "No, not really. I was just thinking."

>D. Write-In Vote

>>261760
>B.
i know that feel when suddenly tired after a hard race, it's a real knocker

>>261771

You look down back at your plate and start eating in silence, a slightly embarrassed look on your face. Don eyes you for a moment, then goes back to conversing with the other guys at the table (Engine man Benny "Boost" McCoy, Chassis designer Michael Mertens and Alain Herera, Vice-President of Phantom Motors) about a plan of attack on the new "United Racing Series" springing up around "The Grand Prix"...

You tune yourself out of it after a few minutes, mostly because you don't want to think about trying to get a ride in an all-oval series stuck running year-old CRL cars with Pushrod engines that upset their chassis' handling balance... Not after driving a Formula X racer.

Mercifully, the conversation shifts to you and Don clears his throat. "I know you're probably wondering why I invited you here tonight... So, I'll get to the point: I want you yo drive for us in Formula X."

You raise an eyebrow, but don't say aything as Don continues: "However... I don't want to sound racist, but you've bee dealing with piranhas the last few years and you've been... Distracted."

You reluctantly nod.

"So, my terms are this: If you cut ties with those piranhas that have been picking at your bones and move to London, where our team is going to be based... The drive is yours. No extra sponsorship, nothing."

>A. Accept.

>B. Decline.

>C. Tell him you need time to think about it.

>>261896
>A. Accept
Once in a lifetime chance baby and we get to drive that sweet sweet (impossible to recreate in a simulator car)

Accept

>>261925
>>262331

"You had me at 'Piranhas' Don" you say with a smile. "Of course I'll accept."

Don smirks at you, then raises a glass of rosewater in a toast. "To this season, then."

You join in and try not to make a face as you swallow your drink, then excuse yourself from the table; You need a second to let this sink in...

You find the Men's room and try to calm yourself down, splashing water on your face and quietly saying "I'm a Formula X driver" like a mantra for around 15 minutes. Then you towel yourself off and head back out to your table, Don and the others just about to leave.

"One thing Phil: Keep this in you back pocket until a formal announcement, OK?" he rhetorically asks, adding "And try to act natural tomorrow at the track."

"Sure thing" you reply, that inner-child smile creeping onto your face.

"Splendid" Don replies, then hands you a business card. "That's number for Eddie Liebowitz, head of Only Sports Marketing Inc. He'll probably take you in and represent your business deals from now on."

You admire the card and the man behind it: He's a big player in the world of sport, though manly in professional Golf & Tennis... Before you can interject any thoughts on the matter, Don adds "The team will draft up a contract and forward it to you ASAP" in a tone of voice that suggests he's going to hire people to kill you if you don't sign with OSM.

Once more, the rest of your night is a blur of emotions. 1 month ago, you were staring down an early retirement, convinced that no CRL team owner would put up with your entourage or partying habits and now, you're in the biggest show of them all, the last bastion of free-for-all car design: Formula X...

You fall asleep listening to some James Brown, already dreaming of standing on the top-step of the podium at the Great Race of Monaco (The biggest rival to "The Grand Pirx" in terms of prestige & history aside from the driver's title itself).

(Cont...)

>>262342

>The next day...

The last day of the test felt... "Off" to you, but not necessarily in a bad way. Knowing that you've got the drive made it hard to put up an act at first, but you loosened up over the course of the day and got a token run at the very end of the test, right when the track was at its coolest to try and beat the time set by S. Kobayashi & Team Shinjo.

Best of all, though, was that you had all day to talk over how the car would be set up with Sean & Emmi, the chief mechanic. For the first time you had stepped foot in the UAE and arrived at the track, it really felt like you're part of the Phantom Motors team again talking with those guys and you felt bad for only matching the time, rather than beating it...

Still, nothing can change the fact that you're not only still a professional racing car driver, but one competing on the biggest stage of the world. The problem now lies with dealing with the sleazy con-men like "Diamond Jim" Jones you've allowed to get close to you...

And Tracy... Goddamn it, that's going to hurt when you get back to Chicago.

===

And that's the thread!

I hope to continue this next week at 10 AM PST/1 PM EST, but if anything changes that plan check my Twitter ( https://twitter.com/WeaselThat ) for updates.

I have to get my dinner ready, but I'll stick around for questions/comments/rates & reviews

File: 1428158597407.jpg (62 KB, 1584x1194)

62 KB JPG

>>262364

Forgot my picture.

>>262374
are you on discord? You should make a room for the quest, would be nice to shoot some shit about the lore and characters

>>262374
Thanks op

>>262391

No, never heard of it, but it shouldn't be too hard to set up some way to talk.

>>262759
it's pretty easy to setup, browser based and all that electric boogaloo i hope i still have internet next week though

>>262795

Same here. I'll probably get an account ready in time for next week though.

I also plan to run a shitty fanfic side project here on Saturday, but it doesn't have any real connection with this quest outside of a shared name or two.

>>262822
sounds good do link if you run that fanfic, im off to bed for now

>>262844

Can and will do.

Damn, this thread is still up? Neat.

I'm linking my shitty, not-related fanfic quest for >>262844

>>278811

>>278576 (Cross-thread)
>>278576 (Cross-thread)
>>278576 (Cross-thread)