It's been a MONTH since I've last updated. Between writing three Fanfictions at the same time and schoolwork... life is messy, you know? Even if it is the summer.
Luna TFK Watson, DeathX..., and spanky1988...: I haven't given up writing. Yet.
Note: having a map of the racetrack is strongly encouraged to understand what is going on…
Chapter seven: Fresh Rivalry
Two months later
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, United States
In the dry Californian weather, the distinct sound of buzzing filled the air.
The BMW EfficientDynamics M4 DTM with Maria Lougheed at the wheel was, along with nineteen other cars, undergoing a series of laps at the Laguna Seca circuit in California. Maria, having already had plenty of practice with the track a few days prior, still had to adjust to the demands of the environment around her.
For one thing; before, she usually practised with the M4 DTM on her own, if not counting Leon. Now, she was doing a real qualifying session with competitive opponents. How much more could she want?
She kept her hands firmly on the race wheel and her fingers on the shift paddles. Through her gap of her blue, green, and white Bell helmet, Maria quickly and carefully maneuvered through the corners and inclines of the Laguna Seca.
At one instance, she would be following a GT500 Nissan GT-R, and by the time Marina had turned onto the 'Rahal Straight', she had a good amount of speed built up on the race line, and the Nissan was right behind her.
Now, in front, was the Oracle Nissan GT-R. As with every car, the field was competitive. The qualifying session was halfway through and so far, according to Dr. Dan Hilbert, Maria and Leon had managed to post lap times enough for 14th and 12th, respectively. Not bad for a first qualifying session, but still not enough to competitively fight for points.
"You'll have to do a lot better," Hilbert said through the team radio. "I'm not saying this to discourage you, but if we want to fight for points, you'll need to make progress. You can do it, Maria. You're in a champion-proven machine in the M4 DTM. Don't disappoint!"
With that little bit of encouragement, Maria attempted to push the BMW harder, and made – from her own judgement call – much better timed gear shifts with the paddles. With every turn, however, she could feel the pressure of G-forces impacting her body within her race suit. It was a good thing she always did her exercises with Leon…
She continued follow and draft the Oracle Nissan GT-R upon approaching the final corner, and once they turned, Maria made sure the tyres accurately rolled over the kerb. It wasn't long until she crossed the start line.
"You are currently 4.2 seconds slower than the fastest lap," Hilbert said.
She did all she could to keep up with the Nissan ahead. Maria had to admit, however, that whoever was driving the Oracle Nissan GT-R certainly had a good grip on where the race line was headed. It was as if the driver already knew the track by heart.
All Maria needed to do was edge a little closer to that Nissan, but that was a lot easier said than done. Professional racing required top-of-the-line skills, which included running on apexes and besting sector times.
The buzzing of the turbocharged 2.0 L 4-cylinder engine was distinct, and would be deafening to anyone who heard the full rev of its power this close. However, like every driver, Maria wore a race helmet with earphones such to block out the noise.
By the time the BMW EfficientDynamics M4 DTM had reached the final corner, the Oracle Nissan GT-R was nowhere closer, but on the other hand Maria had passed a green-and-gold-liveried black Mercedes on the way. It was the Monster Energy DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé.
It didn't matter how hot it felt, whether it was due to the Californian heat or to the pressure she felt within. Under all that fireproof clothing, the race suit, and helmet, Maria felt like burning inside. However, what mattered was focus.
Leon Pinetree had just finished a routine pit stop in his Hudson's Bay Company BMW M4 DTM to change tyres and headed straight out back to the field. He heard the loud buzz of the revving engine and was on his way out, of course at the pit lane speed limit.
"Well timed, Leon, well timed," Hilbert complimented through the team radio.
Leon hit the first corner, did a slow 1st gear turn, and exited the pit lane to continue his flying laps with the rest of the field. Ahead, two Nissan GT-Rs were flying into the next two apexes. At first Leon was about to floor the throttle but immediately stopped short when the Need for Speed Audi RS 5 DTM, followed by its sister car the Belgian Audi Club RS 5 DTM, suddenly appeared by Leon's side. To avoid a collision, Leon had to let them pass.
No matter, since this lap wouldn't count and Leon had to adjust to the new tyres anyway. When it was safe, Leon glanced at his mirrors before flooring the throttle and heard the sound of the 4-cylinder engine buzz inside the cockpit. All Leon could see through the gap in his helmet was the hot and sandy track, with kerbs and sand lining up the sides, and the Belgian Audi Club RS 5 DTM in the distance.
Think it'll be best to follow this Audi, Leon thought. Race strategies could wait until the race itself. Leon went on following the race line and hoped to lose more time for the lap. The Audis were fast, that was true, but the draft created by the second Audi was enough for Leon to gain speed and soon enough he was halfway through the circuit.
That is, he had to pass the infamous Corkscrew as well, which saw his M4 DTM slowing to tackle the frightening downward slope. However, he was nevertheless no farther from the Belgian Audi Club RS 5 DTM, and Leon knew that what he'll end up with was a fast lap.
"That's a quick lap out there, Leon, good job," Hilbert's voice spoke through the radio. "If all goes well and nothing changes, that will be P4 for you."
Leon did continue to stay behind the Audi, at least until the Audi overtook the Veilside Nissan GT-R via late braking into the first corner, which Leon had no choice but to brake early to avoid a crash. In the aftermath, the Audi was further ahead and had widened the gap between it and the Hudson's Bay Company BMW M4 DTM.
"It's not over yet," Hilbert said. "Try to focus and get as many laps done."
Maria, on the other hand, was engaged in a neck-and-neck battle with the Oracle Nissan GT-R. Try as they might, the two cars were fighting each other over for control of the race line, like two opposing forces of equal might. It was hard to believe that this was only qualifying.
"Don't damage the car, Maria," Hilbert warned. "If you do, we'll have trouble for the race tomorrow."
"Okay, Maria. Try to make this lap as clean as possible. Keep to the race line," the team engineer instructed. "When you do keep to the line, see if you can push past this one if you can."
It was important to listen to the instructions of the engineer, as it was a component of Hilbert's strategy. Rather than compromising the strategy, Maria obeyed the instructions without question, and she tried to do a daring overtake immediately after she and the Oracle Nissan GT-R had passed the steep Corkscrew.
Through the gap in her helmet, however, the GT-R in front swerved to block her overtake, and Maria's M4 had nearly made contact if not for her quick reaction. Maria slammed the brake pedal hard and downshifted by at least two gears. Smoke poured out from her rear tyres as the BMW M4 DTM slowed drastically.
"What was that?!" Maria screamed into her radio. "That was a block! Blocking! Blocking!"
"Calm down, Maria. Just try to calm down," Hilbert assured. "I'll see to talking with the race director about this, but try to bring the car in one piece. Focus, and try to regain your pace."
The anger and frustration could be physically felt within her body, and her breathing became short. Regardless of Hilbert's instructions, Maria found it difficult to keep her emotions under control. What the GT-R did was uncalled for, and completely unnecessary.
She wondered if it was possible to calm down under these circumstances, and she was given a severe wake-up call when half of her M4 DTM left the track and onto the gravel.
"Maria!" Hilbert shouted.
The BMW EfficientDynamics M4 DTM shook and rumbled over the gravel, and gravel and sand were flown into the air and creating a cloud of smoky dust.
"Slow down, Maria! Don't break the car!" the team engineer yelled, as if it were more of a command than an instruction.
As a result, Maria slowed to a halt, and as soon as she did the race marshals in reflective vests hurried over to see if she was alright. On Maria's part, her arms and hands were still shaking in frustration even when she was at a standstill, and she wouldn't let go of the race wheel. It took some time; at the point where a marshal approached the door of the M4 DTM, Maria slowly released her hands from the race wheel.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the marshal opened the door to Maria's side.
"Are you alright there?"
Maria nodded.
"Let's get you out, and we'll move your car back to your garage after the session."
"On the plus side, we've secured the fourth row on the grid, which – for a team that is entering its first professional race – is a good result, although I'm sure there's plenty of room for improvement," Dr. Dan Hilbert announced at the BMW Team Canada debrief. "Mr. Pinetree and Ms. Lougheed have qualified seventh and eighth respectively. This should be a sign that we've put our faith in the right drivers."
The rest of the team applauded politely for Maria and Leon, who were sitting at the front row, with the rest of the team seated behind them. The race engineers were seated beside Maria and Leon, and the mechanics and the pit crew were all seated at the rest of the seats. BMW Motorsport assistant director Michael Fong also sat at the front row, beside the engineers.
"Now to more pressing concerns," he continued. "I'm sure you are all aware of the incident the number 7 BMW had with the number 3 Nissan. The suspected blocking incident was under investigation by the FIA for the past two hours and they've concluded that the number 3 Nissan, having impeded the number 7 BMW, is guilty of blocking as specified in the FIA's rulebook. The Nissan will be handed a grid penalty and start from sixteenth on the grid, having initially qualified tenth."
Hilbert moved to face the team with a smile. "On the whole, good job, team. Let's hope for a smooth race tomorrow. With proper strategy and timing, we shall have points in the bag, and if we're lucky we might try for the podium. Michael, is there anything you'd like to add?"
Michael stood up to stand beside Hilbert.
"Despite this session being overshadowed by the blocking incident, and losing a potential P4 for Leon, I'm glad how this session turned out," he commended. "Starting from the fourth row isn't that bad. And remember that you all are ambassadors to BMW. Shine like stars, and you'll have a podium in your sights."
For the rest of the briefing, Hilbert went over reminding the pit strategies the team was expected to execute. The engineers provided weather updates on a minute-by-minute basis, but they were expecting typical Californian weather of nothing more than sun and heat. It was going to be interesting how the race would turn out in the following day.
Luna Watson.
That was the name of the driver of the Oracle Nissan GT-R, Maria learned.
With the amount of downtime she had left, Maria hurried over to where the Accelerated Racing team was based, hoping to run into whoever Luna Watson was. This was at her discretion, of course, because Maria would figure that trying to talk to Luna directly would highly disappoint Michael or Dr. Hilbert, and possibly the FIA as well. Although Luna had been handed a penalty, Maria felt she should face the issue herself.
The Class-One touring cars were all parked in their respective garages, in preparation for the main race in the coming day. Small signs, embossed with team names, were hung above the space in front of each pit garage by means of an extended bar which included power lines for the wheel guns.
As Maria, dressed in her red, white, and navy-blue team apparel with her trademark hairband, walked past each garage, she glimpsed inside hoping to see the Pearl Red Nissan GT-R with the black-and-red Oracle logos.
She walked past the Virgin Racing USA team, with their Red Bull Nissan GT-R and Rockstar Nissan GT-R all parked inside and their team mechanics making final preparations to the car. In Maria's opinion, the colours, candy-pink with green and candy-purple with sky blue respectively, looked nothing close to their respective sponsors, but she supposed that was what the designer had in mind.
Then there was the only factory Audi team in the W Racing Team. Their Need for Speed Audi RS 5 DTM stood there, the flagship Belgian Audi Club RS 5 DTM sitting patiently alongside, with their engineers instructing non-stop to the mechanics and discussing with the team principal. It reminded Maria a bit of her friends at BMW Team Canada, although she knew they had finished operations and were headed back to the hotel where the FIA had arranged for them to stay.
Had Maria had more time, she would have spent it looking at the race machines more, but she didn't have the time for that. Her downtime was going to spent looking for Luna Watson, who had blocked her in qualifying and should be confronted. Eventually, Maria made it to the pit garage with the Accelerated Racing by NISMO team logo posted with the wheel gun power lines.
There it was. The Oracle Nissan GT-R… and the Microsoft Nissan GT-R. Also, there was the woman not much older than Maria with the raven hair and white bangs talking with one of the engineers… Wait, she was at the drivers' briefing at Paris. This had to be her!
Maria's approach was not unnoticed, since the team members of Accelerated Racing could clearly see the words 'BMW Team Canada' printed on her jacket as well as a BMW hat. If they wanted to, they would have stopped Maria in her tracks on grounds of suspicious behaviour, which they did.
"Hey! You can't go through here! What do you think you're doing?" someone, a mechanic, grasped tightly onto Maria's arm.
"I want to see Luna Watson," Maria replied, annoyed.
She tried to shake off the hand, but the grip was pretty firm. Nevertheless, Maria's attempted entry into the pit garage gained the attention of the rest of the team. She was aware, but what mattered was talking to Luna. Never mind what others were thinking!
"Hey, Luna! Did you think it was funny to block me like that?" Maria shouted. The Accelerated Racing team members had hands on her arms and shoulders trying to pull her back. "Not cool! What was the point?!"
Luna, who had made eye contact with Maria, reluctantly walked over to confront her.
"You're Maria, aren't you?" she flatly said, speaking in the typical London accent. "What, me getting a penalty wasn't enough for you?"
"Sure it's enough," Maria shot back. "But come on, you did not have to do that in the first place! Ever heard of the 'rules'? That's what we play by! You're supposed to be a professional! Answer me, what was the point?"
Luna's face soured, as if she didn't know how to respond. The tension in the air was peaking, which made the team members of Accelerated Racing a little uncomfortable. Maria tried to force her way through, as if trying to taunt Luna, but the team members wouldn't let her in.
Finally, the team principal personally went to Maria and quietly asked her to leave the premises. Still annoyed, but partly understanding, Maria turned around and left.
Only after passing the X-Tech Racing by HWA garage did she run into her older cousin, who apparently left the BMW Team Canada garage as well. His face was emotionless.
"Tell me, Maria," Leon said just as flatly as Luna, "did you just use your downtime to argue with that 'blocker'? You know that issue has been resolved."
There was no point denying it. Maria partly hung her head, and didn't bother looking up. She knew what she did was a little embarrassing. However, she did feel Leon's hand pat her head, which sort of made her smile a little (Leon expected this).
"Look, I know you must feel frustrated. I am too, but that time has passed," Leon said comfortingly. "We have decent positions on the grid, and you wouldn't want to mess up your debut as a pro driver, right?"
"Uh…" Maria blushed out of embarrassment. "Yeah!"
Leon smiled, and motioned his younger cousin back to the BMW Team Canada garage. "That's all anyone's asking for."
Whew! That was exhausting!
