Chapter 9. The Fox and the Skyline
Click-clank. Click-clank, they herd as they turned around. The collective gasp from the members of Project D was clearly audible the 15 or so feet away that Mike and company stood. Mike lit a cigarette as the competition stared blankly back at them. Click-clank, went the top on Mike's Zippo.
Ryosuke looked across the parking lot. Almost as soon as they'd begun renting out the garage from Mike he had know that at least Mike was involved in the local racing scene, but he hadn't imagined something like this. Not only had Mike and the others been able to nab all the technical data on their cars, but Ryosuke had given Mike a demonstration on drifting. No doubt that would come back to haunt them.
Keisuke was the first to recover. "You bastard!" He said clenching his fist, Takumi stared at him, eyes narrow, but didn't say anything.
"Sorry kid." Mike said. "I saw a chance to get a decided advantage and I took it. Don't take it personally."
"Hey you guys going to race, or gab all night?" One of the people from the crowd chimed in, followed by a chorus of like minded jeers.
"Yeah, of course." Mike said.
"It's your home turf, so how is this going to happen?" Ryosuke asked.
"Alright." Mike began. "Three races. Fox is going to take the Skyline over Granite Street in Medway, to Farm Street in Bellingham, its short. The next two races are on Populatic, John, then me. The yellow RX-7 and the Corolla." Mike said.
"Sounds good." Ryosuke said, it would work perfectly for his plan. Mike was keenly aware that all the members save possibly Ryosuke were staring him down. Mike stepped forward.
"Let's race!" He shouted and all over the parking lot people began to murmur.
"This is it."
"The Dukes of Windsor against the Japanese All Stars!"
"This is going to be awesome!"
Mike fired up his Cobra and followed Fox from the parking lot, Nakazato and Ryosuke followed behind Mike, while the other members of both teams headed for the finish line or other points along the course.
Fox backed his Mustang into the same starting position he had a few weeks earlier against the Eclipse. The last race had been easy, this one would be another matter entirely. The black Skyline GT-R backed down the narrow space between the guard rail and the Mustang. The motor burbled at idle, any quick jab from Nakazato's foot sent the revs shooting higher, eliciting turbo snaps and hisses. It was going to be a lot different.
Mike knelt down next to Fox's driver's side door.
"Fox you remember the strategy we came up with to stop them from drifting?" Mike asked in a whisper.
"Of course I do. You want me to use it?"
"Absolutely, anything you can do to upset his rhythm. Good luck." Mike thumped the roof of Fox's car. "Hey, Nakazato." Mike called, the driver of the Skyline looked over. "Good Luck!" Mike said.
"Alright, Nakazato." Ryosuke said, kneeling down next beside the black GT-R. "Listen up. They will have come up with a plan to stop us from drifting. So I want you to hang back until the first real turn. Stay close but leave some room, so that when he jacks the brakes you can just go around him, and after that you're all set." Ryosuke said. Nakazato nodded. How can he possibly know that? Nakazato thought, but he would follow Ryosuke's instructions regardless, he was right more often than not. Nakazato had learned that quickly.
The two cars idled at the starting line, the Skyline's almost gentle hum creating a strange counterpoint to the Mustangs V8 rumble. Mike smirked to himself, this was the match up that Fox had wanted, and if the strategy worked the way that Mike thought it would Fox would have the race won easily. The starter took his position at the side of the road.
His hand went up.
"Ready!" He yelled, and the two monsters revved their engines. "Set. . .Go!" He yelled as he dropped his hand.
Tires squeeled, engines roared as almost 700 horsepower was collectively unleashed on the narrow New England road. The red Mustang jumped out to an early lead just as Mike thought it would..
"Ha ha!" Fox yelled as his car rocketed into the lead. There's nor replacement for displacement. He thought as the Skyline's headlights got smaller in the rearview mirror.
Nakazato gripped the steering wheel a little tighter as he shifted into third gear. Have your fun now boy, cuz at the first turn this race is over! Nakazato thought. It seemed almost a shame, as the first corner approached very quickly. Nakazato knew he would win, he wanted to string it out though, play with the Mustang learn about how the American raced. But he had his orders from Ryosuke.
The starting line.
"I wish we knew more about these cars that they're driving." Fumihiro said to Ryosuke. "I mean going in blind against well established racers?"
"It's alright." Ryosuke responded. "Nakazato will win." He said with his usual calm confidence.
"How can you say that?" Fumihiro asked.
"Because Mike seemed very intent on getting information about drifting after Takumi's first race. The only reason for wanting such information besides to learn how to do it would be to develop a plan to stop it. And how would you do that Fumihiro?" He didn't answer right away, it wasn't the most evident thing, and when that was combined with Ryosuke's usually cryptic way of speaking it was even less apparent.
"It's really simple." He began. "The best way to stop an opponent is to upset his rhythm, so how would you upset someone's rhythm who employs drift?"
Suddenly the light bulb clicked on above Fumihiro's head. "If they're behind you, you could do it by hitting the brakes." Fumihiro answered quickly.
"Now do you see why this tactic won't work against Nakazato?"
The first turn.
The Skyline still lagged back a ways, but not as far as Fox would have liked. He also hadn't been able to put anymore ground on his opponent since the start of the race. The first turn approached quickly. Fox moved to the inside and hit the brakes hard and early.
Nakazato saw the first turn coming, the Mustang moved to the inside. All of the sudden, and way to early the brake lights came on and the Mustang slowed rapidly. Nakazato tapped the brakes and moved to the outside. Once he had committed to the turn he nailed the accelerator the ATTESA E-TS took over and put power to the front wheels to help pull the GT-R through the turn. Nakazato smiled to himself. Ryosuke had been right, as always was. Keeping constant throttle input Nakazato cranked the wheel over and allowed all the advanced electronics to help the car through the turn. He had learned early on that one of the worst things that could be done in the GT-R was to take your foot off the gas in midturn as it caused the ATTESA E-TS to kill the power to the front wheels inducing understear.
"Shit!" Fox uttered as he grabbed the shifter and slammed it back down into second gear. The damn Skyline had gotten by. He now found himself playing catch-up to a set of four afterburner taillights. Tires squeeled as Fox accelerated hard out of the turn in an effort to catch up with the Skyline. The other car moved quickly through the turns, quicker then almost anything Fox had seen, except for Mike and John's cars. The mighty Ford 5.0 didn't seem to keep pace on the short straight sections either. "That bastard didn't drift." Fox uttered as he linked the short S turns together. The hills would be coming soon.
"Exactly Fumihiro." Ryosuke said. "I told Nakazato to purposely allow the Mustang some room, that way there, when he hits the brakes hard to throw off Nakazato's drift. Nakazato would have the room to adjust and make a move to pass. It's really an easy win." Ryosuke said.
•••
Fox picked up some space as the two cars rocketed through the hilly section. It had taken Fox years of practice to get the braking and acceleration points down, not to mention the fact that the Skyline is heavier which means more weight unloading and loading as the suspension goes through the range of motion over the quick hills. By the last hill Fox had almost caught up.
•••
"Hey Ryosuke?" Mike said as he walked up to Ryosuke and Fumihiro. "No hard feelings about keeping this from you guys?" Mike asked hopefully.
"I would have done the same thing." Ryosuke admitted with a shrug.
"Also." Mike said. "When we found out that you guys were in town I knew we would race. And when we did I didn't think it was going to be on even footing if you guys were still trying to tune cars in the parking lot of a hotel."
"I guess that seems fare."
"I just wanted to know that when we raced you guys would be at the top of your game." Mike said. "And I suppose its besides the points, but it was good to have you guys around." Mike extended his hand.
"Don't think we won't do the same if you guys ever find your way to Japan." Ryosuke grasped Mike's hand firmly.
"Good luck tonight." Mike said as he walked towards the Cobra. "Don't worry you get all the info you want about her tomorrow." Mike winked at the leader of Project D.
"Bullshit!" Fumihiro muttered under his breath.
"What?" Ryosuke asked.
"All that crap about being equal and all liking us around." He paused. "Is bullshit."
"No," Ryosuke said, he had his famous contemplative look on his face. "Mike's a good man, he means what he says."
•••
Nakazato chuckled to himself as he glanced into his rearview mirror. The Mustang was still back there and keeping up, but he wasn't going to get by. There wasn't even that much of a race left.
The two cars crested the last hill, as soon as it was safe to do so both cars hammered on the gas, headed at high speed towards the end of the street. Engines burbled and turbos cracked as the two cars decelerated to take the 90 degree right hand turn. Fox tried to move inside, but Nakazato blocked him out. The two cars now rocketed down Farm Street.
Quickly the road dropped away and began to twist again as it headed towards the Interstate 495 bridge. Fox brought his Mustang as close as he could to the bumper of Nakazato's Skyline as they moved towards the next turn. The road was still to narrow to pass safely and Fox knew it, but he also knew he couldn't afford to lose anymore ground to the other driver.
The Mustangs lights were still big in Nakazato's rearview, much bigger than he had wanted. There's more to that can than I thought. Nakazato ground his teeth as he braked to enter the next turn. He hit the gas and powered through. It took skill to drive a car with no electronic controls and Takumi's 86, or even the Mustang that followed him at that moment, and the Mustang had no doubt that the Dukes of Windsor were top notch racers now. But by the same token it also took a lot of skill to get the vehicles full potential, and skills, and skills Nakazato has.
Tires squealed as the two cars moved through the turns. No matter how much Fox tried he couldn't seem to corner with the Skyline. The car was gripping just as it always had, if not better, but the Skyline always seemed to maintain an advantage in the turns, as if the wheels were glued to the road. Not only was Fox running one of the best laps he'd ever turned, but he was far more focused than he had been in a long time, it had been hard to find anyone as good as Nakazato in the local talent pool. At least that was among the people who were still foolish enough to think they could beat the Dukes of Windsor, but these guys might just be able to do it.
If it hadn't been for the afterburner taillights and the high powered driving lights Fox wouldn't know where the Skyline was as he entered the wide left turn going over the Highway. Just like before Fox knew that Nakazato would not be able to block the whole width of the road. Entering the turn Nakazato held the accelerator almost constant, allowing the ATTESA E-TS to do their work and pull the beastly Skyline GT-R through the turn. The advanced electronics helped Nakazato open a gap, and it kept growing as the turn continued. Both cars straightened out, and Fox with room to makeup, downshifted and put the gas peddle to the floor. The rear tires squealed as they struggled slightly to reign in the power from the Ford 302. With the motor residing in Fox's Mustang lacked in horsepower it almost made up for in torque. Compared to the Skyline t made up for its lack of horsepower in an abundance of torque as cubic inches is the best way to get torque. Fox shifted and put the peddle to the floor again. He didn't usually drive that way, but this was his last opportunity and he knew it.
The red Mustang gained on the GT-R, pulling even with it just about halfway across the bridge. The two machines stayed even for awhile before the Mustang started to get ahead. By the time they slowed to enter the left hand turn that followed the bridge Fox had almost cleared the nose of the Skyline. Fox sat on the inside of the left hander, waiting for the second he would be able to slide up and block Nakazato from passing him. Nakazato began to inch closer, and then eventually ahead of the Mustang. A quick jab on the brakes slowed the cars down to take the right hand turn that followed right after the left hander. Nakazato pulled ahead, now having the inside line, again he let the front wheels pulls the car through the turns and powered ahead of the Mustang. Nakazato powered out of the turn onto the straight away, RB26 singing and the twin turbos whistling in tune.
Fox banged his fist off the steering wheel angrily, yelling a string of obscenities as Nakazato and his black Skyline took the lead again, it wasn't long to the finish line. Both high performance machines went flat out as they approached the finish line. On the upshift Fox gained some ground as the revs dropped back into the meatiest part of the torque band, but Nakazato continued to gain ground as the RB26 approached the bloodline at 8,000 RPM, nothing revved like an RB26
Spectators and cars could be seen on the front lawns as the two racers approached the finish line.
"Oh my God, the Skyline's going to win!"
"Fox hasn't lost in months!" Someone else yelled as the cars roared past, close together.
Molly and John stood at the Finish line, not to surprised after the Skyline crossed the finish line just ahead of the Mustang. After all it was the topgun of Japanese performance cars, and with close to 400 horsepower it was at least an even match for Fox's Mustang.
Nakazato let out a sigh of relief, regretting having thought Fox would go down easy. He was an excellent driver, tat much was sure. He had kept pace well and without the acid of advanced computer controls, and all wheel drive, and the next two drivers up were only going to be tougher. . .
•••
The Starting Line
"Hello?" Ryosuke answered his cell phone. "He won good. . . It was that close? . .He must be good. . .Alright, well see you at Populatic.
Fumihiro looked at Ryosuke, even only hearing one end of the conversation he knew Nakazato had won, but it had been close. Probably closer than they had thought. That was to be expected, they had years of time on this course and knew it like any of the Red Suns knew Akagi. But Project D had something the Duke of Windsor didn't; Takahashi Ryosuke.
"Shit!" Fox said as he slammed the drivers door of his Mustang shut. He looked at Molly and John standing nearby. "Don't say a word!" He pointed at Molly as he growled, there was a fire in his eyes that wasn't normally there.
"Who me?" Molly shrugged. "Never."
"I would have won if he had drifted." Fox said angrily defensive.
"What?" John gasped, "He didn't drift?"
"Nope, when I jacked the brakes going into the first turn he just went the fuck around me." Fox dropped his arms to his side in exasperation.
"What the hell are we going to do then? Mike came up with that plan and it should work, it makes sense, but what if the don't drift all the turns, how do we know which turns to employ the plan on?" John said thinking about his race against Keisuke that would be taking place very shortly.
Nakazato walked over from where he had parked his GT-R with the other Project D cars. "Good race." He said, extending his hand to Fox, who took it begrudgingly.
"Yeah, you too." Fox grunted. "Why didn't you drift? I thought you all did it over in Japan."
"Nah," Nakazato said, "The GT-R has all wheel drive, and advanced traction control, so its not really beneficial to drift."
"Huh, so its not just a glorified Subaru?" Fox asked.
"Nope." Nakazato answered. "Not even Imprezas can keep up with my GT-R." Nakazato said proudly. "But you made it a very good race, much better than the competition that we've come across."
"Tell me about it." Fox said. "You guys are definitely above all those kids who think throwing big rims and an exhaust tip make a Civic a performance car."
"It bothers you guys too?" Nakazato said with a little surprise in his voice.
"Hey Nakazato?" Kenta called. "Stop fraternizing with the enemy. Ryosuke says good work, and its time to head out to Populatic!"
"Alright. I'll be right there." Nakazato turned back to John. "Good luck, you're going to need it."
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