III

28: Gunma's New Rookie All-Star

III

"Well, this is a nice change of pace," I said.

Keisuke was leaning on his FD in the driveway. It had to be no earlier than 3 in the morning.

"I couldn't sleep. Couldn't stop thinking about that 86 again."

I sighed. "Thought you got over that."

"So did I. Then you started talking about how the 86 could beat an actual FD just like mine in a race that's happening tonight. So what do you say?"

Keisuke smiled. "I like the sound of that."

As we left I remembered how I didn't want to be seen on Akina before the race happened later today. Then again it was so late that no one would be left to see us anyway.

III

Keisuke grunted quietly, seeing Ryosuke stick in his rearview mirror like super glue. The FC's headlights wouldn't disappear from his sight no matter how hard he tried.

'Less horsepower equals more speed. Only Ryosuke could come up with something so odd yet correct. It's been made clear to the rest of us on the Red Suns that not even our entire team combined have half the brains my older brothers does. He can predict when and where a race will end so precisely that he's probably timed the exact second it happens. But then...'

Flying out of a turn, Keisuke shifted before accelerating down Akina's hill.

'How in the world can an FD lose to an 86? Anywhere in any condition? It pisses me the hell off.'

He held his steering wheel with pride.

'To know that I. Keisuke Takahashi of the Akagi Red Suns. Would lose for sure in Ryosuke's prophetic simulations. To a stupid tofu shop 86 driven by a high school kid.'

Ryosuke watched thinking to himself, calmly observing Keisuke's driving while easily keeping up with him.

'Congratulations little brother. You've improved your accelerator work even faster than I was expecting. On these very same hairpins, you lost anywhere from 8-9 percent of your max turning speed depending on the corner. Yet still, you've undoubtedly grown like Mako has. Learning, evolving.'

Ryosuke smiled seeing Keisuke kick up the pace, entering their twin drift on a corner, both RX-7s facing inwards as they screeched through the turn.

'Seeing you grow brings me back to when I became Akagi's White Comet. The famed lone wolf. You've achieved your objective by driving with me tonight.'

III

Keisuke spoke with me near the second checkpoint. "How'd I look?"

"You're all right. You've improved quickly if I'm honest."

Keisuke ignored this but I could tell he liked hearing it. "Haven't seen anything from tofu boy tonight." he looked on uphill as if he wanted to snarl at him as he cleared a curve.

"It's nearly 4 in the morning. He's likely enjoying some sleep by now."

"Tell me. How could I, or Ryoto, or any FD driver in the world lose to that 86 in any way? It's the fastest cornering car ever made in the country."

I nodded. "True. But the FC and the 86 outclass it. It wasn't until recently that I ran the numbers. You can't beat me or that 86. Not for a long time anyway."

Keisuke grunted, balling his fists. "Your computer simulations are about as right as anything I've ever seen. How in the world can I lose to that kid? No matter how many times I tell myself I'm not racing him it still bothers me nonetheless."

I hid my smile, looking off down Akina's hill. "That's the beauty of street racing. It's like I always say, regardless of tuning. A downhill race anywhere, on any mountain. With any cars. Comes down to a test of skill and driving ability. That's it, pure and simple. It's the only way to explain how an 86 could beat both a 32 and something like Mako's Sileighty. With a driver as good as her behind the wheel."

"So I'm just worse at driving than that kid? That grade school kid who looks like he just got his license?"

"Takumi Fujiwara lives and breathes the downhill. He's gotten up every morning and driven this road up and down for the past six years in his 86 as fast as he could. To have that kind of dedication to anything would give anyone mastery over whatever they dedicate themselves to. It's the fulcrum of my fastest driver theory. Dedication."

Now Keisuke's classic temper flared. "And I don't fuckin' dedicate myself to my FD? I love her! I love knowing I can always go faster! Here were are at four in the morning working on technique!"

"No FD can beat Takumi Fujiwara. It's not just the car you race, it's the driver."

He sighed. "Just tell me I'm wrong for being this stressed. I can't stop thinking about how everyone will react when that 86 crosses the finish line first. Beating my favorite car in the entire world."

"No, you're not. It'd be painful for me to know as well. But I do have something to put your nerves to rest."

"What's that?"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I've never run a simulation where the victor wasn't you. Except with this 86. The final result was the same. You are going to help me make the name of the Akagi Red Suns legend. Think of what we've accomplished Keisuke."

I turned towards Akina and waved a hand towards the pass. "I could challenge an eighteen-year-old kid who delivers tofu for a living to a race on the downhill and the entire prefecture would come running to this mountain to watch. Keisuke, your nerves are completely understandable. But just think about the beauty of this 86. Something so strange can only happen in street racing. Don't you get that?"

Keisuke said nothing, as I placed a hand on the hood of my FC. "I knew from the moment I started racing in my FC that I would never be able to accomplish the full potential of the driver I could be on the circuit. You can learn from it, but only in street racing can any driver fully express themselves. If you really want to know why Fujiwara is so fast, the answer is simple. He's got the best blend of natural talent and training that I haven't seen anywhere else."

"Then my fears were true." Keisuke turned towards his FD. "The problem isn't our cars. He's just a better driver than me."

"Unfortunately. But you're still an incredible driver Keisuke. There aren't a lot of people who could honestly beat Mako on the downhill. There are only four I've simulated who can. You, Takumi Fujiwara, and myself. Everyone else doesn't come close. And you're only just getting started. That's what makes your driving so impressive."

"So then how can you teach me to beat him one day?"

I crossed my arms. "I can't. Not unless you train as hard as you have been these past two years except for about five more. And that's assuming that Fujiwara doesn't outpace you before then."

"Five years!?"

"Keisuke do you understand what inertia drift is?"

Keisuke nodded a bit. "I do. It's called a Scandanavian flick."

"Yes, but have you ever actually studied the physics behind it?"

"No, I but I bet you did."

I looked back at one of Akina's hairpins. "I've broken down every single drifting technique in physical terms as much as I could. Using things like orbital mechanics and engineering, I've got it. The 86' inertia drift is so fast that he only needs to use the gas pedal to control it. In other words, he's only using his foot to completely control the inertia of the entire inertia of his car. Only someone who understands the downhill so well he can control his car as an extension of himself can be such a precise driver."

"And, can you do that?"

I looked back at Keisuke. "Excellent question. Yes, I can. It took some time to practice enough in my FC, but I got it I believe." I mentally thanked the Gamer for letting me handle the FC so precisely.

"Thank you, big brother. I think you've really done a good job at calming my nerves."

"You're welcome. Although." I smiled again with my back turned to Keisuke as I gazed down the mountain. "Akina really is a nice course to practice on."

Keisuke breathed a sigh of relief. "Nice to know this wasn't a complete waste of time."

"The lookout point we used to watch us beat those Speed Stars from has a great view. Wanna get some coffees?"

"Sure. I got work in a few hours anyway."

III

I passed Keisuke a canned coffee as we watched the sunrise. Both the FD and FC were behind us as we looked Akina's lookout post.

"Thanks," he said sitting on his FD's hood while drinking it. As I sipped my own, Keisuke talked to me. "So man, I got another question for ya. Where do you think the Red Suns are going? I mean, it was right here you decided to tell me about this fastest in Kanto project of yours."

"Hm. Well considering that in about fifteen hours the 86 is going to embarrass Ryoto Shin on this very mountain, you and I are probably going to be able to challenge all of Kanto after I defeat the 86. I've calculated him to be the final barrier between us and victory over Gunma."

"What do you mean? I thought you just said the tofu kid's gonna prove an 86 is faster than an FD."

I nodded. "On the downhill. The FD is the uphill variant to the FC. Even if I increased the power output of the FC back to 350 horsepower. I still wouldn't be able to match the amount of traction the FD gets and how efficient it is at every aspect of the uphill. But the downhill is a completely different challenge entirely. For the FD to be truly fast on the downhill, I'd need to take away its greatest weapon. Its horsepower."

"Right. Guess that makes sense." Keisuke said.

"But if you want to know where the Red Suns are going. That's a question I've asked myself more times than I can count. Until we don't take care of this Takumi Fujiwara business, I'm afraid we can't even think of other prefectures for now. But that's a bridge we have to cross in September. For now, you've got to focus again on the uphill."

"No Night Kid can touch what I bring. Gunma's uphill is mine bro."

I chuckled a bit remembering Keisuke brag these same words when they were supposed to race in September in the anime. "Wait till you meet some real opponents. Then you'll thank me for pushing you to train on the hill climb again."

"So what? You and I train together on the downhill for what then?"

"Fortunately for both of us. You're the only person I think can honestly train with me on the downhill. Kenta's faster than Aisuke, which is saying a lot. And Kenta's been your protege since he joined the team."

Keisuke sipped his coffee. "It's funny to remember when the only people in Gunma who could race with you were the same people you chose to form the Suns."

"I know."

Keisuke looked at me. "Something tells me you chose to go to Myogi first because you wanted to wait before challenging the 86."

"Right again little brother."

"You probably could've been able to avoid the 86 entirely. Why get him to start racing months before the summer even began?"

"Well," I started explaining. "Takumi Fujiwara's father, Bunta is similar to his son in that they both rarely emote. But, under that calm exterior, he has a soft spot for Akina, his old home course. It'd be assured he'd force Takumi to race for the Speed Stars should we challenge them."

"Wait, the guy who runs the tofu shop that 86 always delivers for would. Actually care enough to help those losers out?"

I finished my coffee. "I mean it would be out of pity. But yes. If I didn't ask Fujiwara to street race, his father would probably push him into it."

"Why? Is he living through his son or something?"

I smiled a bit. "Having your son advertise the name of your tofu shop on the side of the car he races in is a good way to get people to visit it for a change. But that's not the reason why Bunta would do it. Bunta's style, from what I could research, wasn't that different than Takumi's. It was different don't get me wrong, but they both drove FRs with low horsepower."

"I mean, from what I could tell. That kid probably wanted nothing to do with racing until you brought it up. Hell, he still looks like someone really out of place instead of a street racer. You and Kenta are the only people besides him who drive N/As who're fast at all."

"I forgot how much you respected horsepower. Must be why you like that 32 so much too."

"I mean have you seen it? It's like Nissan's version of my FD. How could I not like it?"

I threw my can of coffee away. "Hm, now on that assessment of Nissan. We can agree."

Keisuke checked his watch. "I gotta be at the shop in an hour. What do you have planned today?"

"Well, I was going to run diagnostics on both our cars. But just by seeing you handle her on the downhill," I turned to the car Keisuke was no preparing to drive. "The FD is fine. You've learned how to not hurt her so much."

"What else?"

"There's the race."

"Not really much of a race after what you said, but right. The race."

I sighed. "Then I have to give Rin Hojo a phone call. Have to let him know father is considering his offer."

"Wait, what offer?"

"Takeru Hojo wants me to graduate early to come work for him."

Keisuke laughed in surprise, his eyes widening. "Holy fucking shit!"

"Language Keisuke."

"Big bro like three people in the entire country probably get an offer like that. That's a big goddamn deal!"

"Well, father knows how valuable I'd be to his hospitals."

Keisuke laughed. "What great news. Wait till I tell the team at the race tonight."

I watched him get in his FD as I spoke to him. "Keisuke nothing's set in stone. Father's stonewalling-"

"Call me when you get the Hojo lab coat!" he joked before leaving.

Sighing I rubbed my eyes.

I had a long day ahead of me and it had gotten off to a very tiring start. I hadn't slept in two days. I had a lab report due for my mid-term and Keisuke decided to wake me up as I was getting some long-needed sleep.

This tended to happen from time to time. Running the Akagi Red Suns, running diagnostics and simulations, keeping up to date on all my stuff for med school, as well as dating Mako and needing to keep my vast library of knowledge on drivers and cars in Kanto up to date as well was. Extremely time-consuming.

By the time I keyed the ignition to the FC, it was clear to me how tired I was. I could get a solid 4 hours of sleep in before father needed me to get started on some administrative assignments for the hospital.

As I drove back home, I considered just why I even bothered listening to my father at this point.

Yes, he paid my way through med school but I made so much money from the Gymkhana and circuit events I'd won as well as the Gamer especially, that I could pay him back like ten times over. I could even pay for my own apartment with Keisuke, despite how expensive it was to live in Gunma.

However, disrespecting your parents in Japan was not wise. My memory of what happened with Kaori in the anime served as a good example, especially since her father and mine were extremely similar.

Luckily, I'd graduate from medical school in five years, which was early even for someone of my performance. Four if I could somehow find a way to get father to agree.

III

"Takumi! You know the drill!"

Muttering, Takumi walked downstairs yawning. "Yeah yeah, I heard you."

Shortly after finishing one of his many chores, Takumi spoke to Bunta. "Hey, dad? I was wondering if you needed the car tonight."

"I don't. Why you got a race?"

"Yeah, it's another blue car. This time, an FD? I honestly can't keep track of all those names Iketani and Kenji throw around all the time. It's almost impossible for me."

"I can't blame you." Bunta measured the fat condensation rate in one of the water beds holding finished tofu. Tapping the measuring stick, Bunta spoke. "But yeah, you can take the car up tonight."

"And dad? What can you tell me about the RX-7?"

Bunta smoked quietly. "An RX-7? Hm, not much. What kinda make is it?"

"Make? What does that mean?"

"What manufacturer sells it? Toyota? Mazda? Nissan?"

Takumi shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. I just want to know how fast it is."

"Well if it's anything like the RX series from back in the day. Mazda made some nice cars then, I can only imagine they've gotten better as time went on."

"So you do know about it?"

"Of course I do. Just the variant everyone used back in the 70s," said Bunta. "Although if I'm perfectly honest, you don't need to get your mind bogged down in all the technical stuff. You're not that kind of driver Takumi."

Takumi nodded a bit before returning to his chores. "Right."

Bunta put his cigarette back in his mouth before thinking, watching his son return to work.

'Takumi usually doesn't care what kinda car he's racing so long as it has four wheels and can drive. For him to start to ask questions means he's focused on something I really have to appreciate.'

Bunta held his cigarette, returning to the front counter.

'He's looking for the car that can give him the biggest challenge. Well done Takumi, well done.'

III

I sighed, finishing the last bit of work on my computer before I heard the doorbell ring.

Kenta and Fumihiro were on my doorstep, and both were surprised.

"You look exhausted Ryosuke," said Kenta. "Sure you don't want to take a nap or something before tonight?"

"I'm fine. When I race the 86 in September, I won't be nearly as tired I promise you. Besides, the next few hours will be important before the race starts." I checked my watch. "Sunset approaches, the clock is ticking gentlemen."

III

On Akagi, the Red Suns all gathered with Fumihiro and I taking their attention. "Two full months have passed since Fumihiro and I have checked the systems on all your cars. We're going to send you off in pairs, observing the whole time. Then we make any adjustments as needed."

"First, Daito and Keisuke will head uphill. Then Aisuke and Yakuma downhill. Finally Takihiro and Kenta downhill."

"What about you Ryosuke?" asked Kenta. "You're the most important driver on the entire team."

The rest of the team murmured in agreement.

"Rest assured I run diagnostics on my car on a daily basis. If there's something wrong with it I'm the first to know. Now, Fumihiro will observe the uphill section, and I will observe the downhill. If anyone fails to pass this inspection, we'll have to fix it immediately."

"Understood!"

III

As the sun began to set, Aisuke was speaking to me while Daito quietly stood next to me. "We've been thinking about what you said. We get you know everything about cars, but how can an FD ever lose to an 86?"

"Like I already told Keisuke. This race proves nothing we don't already know. That 86 is the best driver anyone's seen in years."

Aisuke chuckled. "Except for you." a few others who heard this all muttered and nodded in agreement.

"I admire your praise. But no one else has been able to handle their car with that level of precision as if it was part of their own body. Takumi Fujiwara is one unique driver."

"I wasn't expecting a kid that young driving a car that old to be that fast." Our excellent 180 driver sighed. "One more month. And we can finally race that 86. It's like nothing we've faced so far even comes close to a challenge like him."

"An accurate assessment Aisuke. But I'm afraid I'll have to agree. No one has ever had the skill to compete with top drivers like Nakazato and especially Mako. Especially not someone so new to racing like the 86."

Kenta laughed. "Apparently he's so good he even got you to come out of retirement to race him basically."

Takihiro shot him a look. "You're lucky Keisuke's not here to smack you over the head for that."

"What? We were all thinking it." Kenta said.

"No, I agree with this as well," I said. "I haven't had a proper street race in over two years. Not since forming this team have I been able to really raced anyone."

"Yeah that's because you don't need to," said Kenta. "The moment you made the team people just stopped racing you. I mean, what's the point? Drivers no one else could beat joined a team because you asked them to."

"Now this I can't agree with. All of us have more to learn from street racing."

Kenta raised an eyebrow. "Even you?"

"Yes, even me."

The hum of the FD's twin turbos came to a halt as Keisuke and Daito pulled up to Akagi's peak.

As Fumihiro got out of the passenger seat of Keisuke's FD, he handed me his clipboard.

Nodding, I scanned the results while Fumihiro spoke to me. "They both met all requirements. I'll have to check them under the hood to make sure, but they both check out."

"Good. Yakuma, Aisuke. You're up."

I sat in the passenger seat of Aisuke's Type X 180 while Yakuma was positioned in the leading position in his white Supra.

"Remember, push the car enough to show me its state. But this is just a drill."

Aisuke nodded, following Yakuma downhill.

Even if they were essentially sparring except gradually increasing the pace, I could tell Yakuma and Aisuke stood on relatively even ground. The Supra was far better at handling grip runs and its superior horsepower and traction kept it ahead. However, Aisuke could corner very quickly, and he was able to keep up.

I took a small note on my clipboard.

Aisuke's turbocharger missed the fourth out of the fifth firing position on every two corners. It wasn't anything worth failing him over, but it could cost him time in a race.

Aisuke spoke in his bucket seat, changing gears to follow Yakuma into another corner. "How's he looking?"

"Fine. I can tell Yakuma changed the engine setting of his Supra by a solid increase of 20 horses. For what reason I don't know, he doesn't seem to be much faster on the downhill now. Nothing noteworthy, but I guess that's fine."

"And me?"

"You're fine as well. You and Daito have to worry the least about keeping your cars in shape."

Aisuke shrugged while following Yakuma down a straightaway. "Guess that makes sense. I work for Nismo and he's a sponsored racer."

"I can tell that's part of the reason why this Type X of yours is rather smooth. Reminds me a lot of Mako's Sileighty."

"You can tell me honestly. Have you tuned your girlfriend's car?"

I nodded. "A bit. Mostly just things to keep the turbo and a few other systems in order. Both you and Mako have the same engine, yet the valves and compression are completely different."

"How so?"

"Well to put it plainly. You are Nismo, while Mako buys parts from it."

Aisuke shrugged while following Yakuma into another corner. As he left it, Aisuke upshifted before accelerating down another straightaway. "I'm not gonna lie to you Ryosuke. Your girlfriend is one impressive driver."

"I know. Makes me proud every time I see her improve on the downhill."

"I wanted to tell you this in private so the rest of the team didn't hear but. She could do well in Nismo. She's still a bit green, but a few more months of racing the same way she has been and I'm telling you. She can go places."

I chuckled a bit. "She'll be ecstatic when I tell her."

"Please don't. I don't to distract her from racing with a rosy idea of coming to work in the same job I do."

"That's very respectful of you Aisuke. Thank you." I said.

III

After Yakuma and Aisuke passed, I observed Kenta and Takihiro's performance downhill. The idea of pairing cars of similar nature against each other was to make the differences stand out more. Since Daito and Keisuke drove the same car, Yakuma and Aisuke's cars also performed similarly, and Kenta and Takihiro's cars were S14s and S13s respectively, it would be easier to see any discrepancies in their tuning.

Kenta's S14 was an N/A and he drove it far faster than Takihiro's S13 whose turbo pushed about 210 HP. Even in this maintenance test, Kenta was so far ahead of Takihiro that he could easily pass him and leave him in the dust. Only Kenta knew that he had to stay in the following position so I could observe both cars.

"Dang I almost feel bad for the guy," admitted Kenta. "Being our worst driver by a long shot."

"You have a knack for not filtering what you say Kenta," I said jotting Takihiro's turbo work on the clipboard.

"But it's always the truth, isn't it. And what everyone else is thinking."

I had to admit, Kenta was the person to say what everyone was thinking when no one had the guts to say it. Keisuke and him had that in common I suppose.

III

Knowing it was Akina's last race before I challenged Takumi in about 5 weeks, Akina pass still had a lot of people who came out to see.

It was impressive enough that Takumi was able to beat a 32, but an FD was known for its high cornering speed. What no one except for Keisuke and I knew, was that the FC was the actual best cornering machine on the market. The FD just had better traction and gear power since it was much newer.

The Akagi Red Suns were all standing in the gallery behind the guardrail at the matching L turns in the middle of Akina's course.

Keisuke's simulated run against the 86 served as a good template, but because Ryoto Shin wasn't even the best FD driver in Gunma, this meant he'd lose sooner than Keisuke would.

In the straightaways, the FD would gain ground. But even cornering at full speed, Ryoto's line would be so outmatched by Takumi it wouldn't even be close.

Hard as we might try, no Mazda racing fan in the world could train hard enough to beat Takumi on the downhill. It took natural talent as well as years of discipline to ever begin to master the rotary engine.

III

Ryoto looked around the peak from the driver's seat of his FD.

'A decent amount of people came out here tonight. Even if he beat the same 32 I beat, it doesn't matter. I have faith in my FD.'

Iketani spoke. "Okay, racers to your marks!"

Takumi positioned his 86 over on the starting line on the right of Ryoto's blue FD.

"Countdown starts in ten! Nine!"

Ryoto's FD made the 86 pale in comparison by how much louder it could rev.

"8! 7! 6!"

Takumi kept revving up his engine, blinking calmly in his 86.

"5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Go!"

As Iketani threw his finger down, Ryoto pressed the gas. The FD had so much more horsepower that it shot forward from the starting line, easily taking the lead from Takumi.

The 86 began to accelerate downhill, both drivers changing gears as they opened up the throttle on the first straight.

III

Ryoto entered the first corner drifting, and as he left it, Takumi's corner was so fast he made up most of the time he lost on the first straightaway.

Still, Ryoto was far enough ahead he didn't see the 86' headlights in his rearview.

'I'll be racing on the Red Suns in no time. All I gotta do is beat this 86 and I'm gold. If I just stay on top of my game, I should be good.'

Takumi noticed how he couldn't see the blue FD ahead of him. Moving his hand off his chin, Takumi changed gears.

On the next corner, Takumi turned so fast that again he was able to recover any time he lost from Ryoto's superior straight.

Ryoto glanced in his rearview for a second but had to look again as he couldn't believe his eyes.

'I must be seeing things. I had a full two-second head start right off the starting line. He can't be closing the gap!'

While Ryoto's FD could corner fast enough to not lose the lead immediately, Takumi was able to stay well in his rearview.

The exhaust to his FD flaring, Ryoto pressed the gas before approaching the corner. His twin turbos whirred loudly as he braked hard, shifting twice to make the FD turn inwards and clear the turn.

Now Takumi closed the gap entirely, the 86' wheels screeching through the curve as he cornered.

Seeing them drift side by side, Ryoto grunted.

'My FD has the best pair of turbines ever made for the open road. If I can't lose this 86 in the corners I'm finished.'

Turning his Mazda racing cap around Ryoto spoke. "You haven't seen the beginning of my FD I swear!"

Takumi watched as Ryoto again used the 200 horsepower he had over the 86 to use the exit of the turn to his full advantage. Shifting, Takumi thought to himself.

'When we shift gears in the turns our speeds are similar. But the straights are completely different. But since the last part of Akina is nothing but hard turns, I don't know what everyone was saying when they said this FD was super fast.'

"This is the straightaway in front of the skating rink! The 86 is chewing the FD's bumper! That thing might as well turn into a jet plane because it's practically flying!"

Ryoto gripped his steering wheel, glancing into his rearview to see the 86 directly behind him.

'Losing to such a weaker car is shameful. How can my FD not outrun this 86!? How is my FD feeling so slow right now? It's the fastest car ever made for corners on a mountain pass!'

Takumi sat relaxed in his 86, calmly watching Ryoto scramble to desperately stay ahead. No matter how hard he turned and shifted, the 86 simply cornered faster than it.

Whenever Ryoto hit the brakes and shifted in his FD, Takumi was already three steps ahead. If Ryoto was braking correctly then Takumi was doing the same three times over.

Steering calmly as he cleared the turn, Takumi's race with Shingo had made his corners much more efficient. Just by counter-steering a little, Takumi used less of the front tires to turn the car more. Regaining control of the car after the slide, Takumi pressed the gas accelerating down Akina's hill.

On the hot July night, it was clear to all watching from the galleries Ryoto could not shake Takumi no matter how hard he tried. If he gained any time in the straightaways, Takumi recovered it easily in the corners.

Takumi's braking drift had evolved from his race with Mako, and he had refined his braking better. He could corner using more of the potential of the brakes while not overusing his front tires.

Ryoto was sweating, refusing to believe the 86 was right on his tail. Believing he was seeing things, Ryoto was pushing his FD harder and harder in a failing attempt to lose the 86.

Meanwhile, Takumi was completely calm. His driving didn't reflect this from how fast Takumi was able to execute his technique. The gallery watching saw Takumi on the verge of passing the FD through the corner, and the following turns were the same.

On the slower curves where Ryoto tried using his superior horsepower and traction to corner faster, he still couldn't lose Takumi.

The FD's tires squealing, Ryoto kept sweating as they quickly cleared the medium turns approaching the second checkpoint.

Seeing the 86' headlights quickly reappear in his rearview, Ryoto's eyes remained wide.

Takumi might as well have yawned, clearing the sharp right marking the end of the medium turns with a fast drift. Ryoto by comparison barely remained in the lead.

On the long straight past the second checkpoint, the FD was trying to run away again. Takumi knew as well as Ryoto that any time he made up would be instantly lost in the curve.

Takumi drifted behind the FD, and this time, the 86 was going fast enough to not be lost in the straightaway.

Takumi moved to the outside as Ryoto slowed down, braking seeing how sharp the coming right turn was.

III

I don't think I was off by a second. Takumi passed the FD and slipped the tires of the 86 naturally from how fast he was able to turn. The resulting braking drift was so strong that Ryoto had no way of responding, it was clear he didn't have the ability to corner as fast. He was just using the accelerator to control the turn, and there was barely a hint of countersteering.

Keisuke looked on in horror, watching Ryoto lose as the 86 pulled well ahead.

The Akina Speed Star serving as a spotter for the race spoke into his walkie. "This is the twin L turns after the midpoint! The 86 just passed the FD from the inside easily! He just made the FD look like it was treading water!"

Keisuke yelled. "No way! What just happened?"

"Like I keep saying, the difference in driving ability is immense. Ryoto Shin might drive an FD, but he could drive any car and it wouldn't matter. Not when he's been used to mountain roads for a fraction of the time Fujiwara has."

I checked my watch. I needed to rest up, we'd head out to the water park in a few days. And I knew Kenta was going to enjoy it, but as for Keisuke.

The amount of shock I saw in him from how easily the 86 made beating the FD look was surprising.

However, looking around the gallery, people began to mutter. The FD, the pride of the speed and technique of my own team, the Akagi Red Suns, just lost horribly to the 86. Street racing had someone of a skill level no one had seen for a while, not since my rise to the top.

Takumi Fujiwara had beaten the best cars made in the past 5 years. The FD and BNR32 were widely considered to be the fastest cars ever made in the racing world, and yet he had beaten both with the most outdated car driven in any street race in living memory.

August was all that remained between me and September 1st when I challenged him to a downhill race on Akina.

Going to the water park with Mako and then the end of summer would mean something very important. September would begin, and Gunma's fastest racer would be decided.