CHAPTER 3: Practice night.
Saturday came and the mountain was set for the race.
The team had already met up in preparation for the race except Sweeper.
Akira: "Sweeper is going to be late."
Ryo: "Tactics Akira, he doesn't want to give them any time to crack out any winning strategy by either recognising him or by seeing the car.
He is just being cautious as usual, I bet he is watching somewhere on the course though.
He did say to me that he was interested in seeing how the AE86 drove."
Miki: "I just hope we can win tonight."
Ryo: "Well we can afford to lose one race, as in total they got no chance of changing the record.
And I'll tell you up front the weak link here is me.
Sweeper will most likely slaughter that FD guy, Takahashi Keisuke."
Akira: "You really have that much fate in him?"
Ryo: "He is in the world-class and I have seen those he battles, heck I even tried a short race against one of them once.
I was totally outrun, with no chance whatsoever to catch up.
And should Sweeper lose, there will be a massive commotion up in the ranks of those racers.
A lot of strange people will be here to battle Project D; even that 1500 HP Skyline GT-R guy that they say is Brazil's fastest.
They actually call him Speedy Gonzales; his real name is actually Carlos I have heard.
Or at least that's the name he likes to use."
Yuji: "A 1500 HP GT-R is no joke Akira, I have seen a 900 HP R34 GT-R doing its rips on the track and the drag strip.
Those things are unbelievably fast."
Akira: "But…"
Around the corner several cars came rolling with a FD in front, a yellow FD.
Ryo: "They are here, Project D!"
They pulled into the parking lot and started unloading their van.
Ryo looked at the men and quickly recognised the leader.
Ryo: "So this is the team that is undefeated, no wonder, their leader is quite skilled and knows how to use his brain.
But still, there is no way you can win on the uphill today."
A man with a red T-shirt approached Ryo and greeted him in a friendly manner.
Fumihiro: "I am Fumihiro, spokesperson of the Project D racing team.
Is it ok that we practice on the course tonight with the race being tomorrow?"
Ryo turned towards Akira who nodded.
Ryo: "Yeah, that's fine with us. However be careful around those tight hairpins.
They look like easy ones, however they are difficult to handle.
You will notice the skid marks there, just don't run off the road, it was a real mess the last time somebody lost control there."
Fumihiro: "Thanks, we understand and thank you for the advice."
Fumihiro left and headed back towards Ryosuke and Seji turned towards Ryo.
Seji: "Why did you warn them about the hairpins?"
Ryo: "Because the last time someone nearly got killed there! And I do NOT want that to happen again if it can be avoided.
Besides those corners are treacherous, challenging team or not I don't want to see people crash there!"
Miki: "Anyways are we going to watch them practice?"
Akira: "Of course, I am sure Sweeper is further down the course keeping an eye on them.
But to give you guys a taste, try chasing them and see if you guys can keep up.
Akira, Yuji and Seji you try the uphill and Miki and Tomihiro you take the downhill.
Now I think you guys will realise the difference in skill.
I'll be up here for a bit and see what I can pick up before I head down and watch from a corner."
The team drivers got into their cars and the uphill drivers headed out first as they had to get to the base of the mountain and wait for Keisuke.
Tomihiro started up his first generation RX-7; he had done a newer 13B replacement for more reliability and power.
He gave it a few quick revs and let it idle waiting for the AE86 to take off.
Miki did the same thing with his Nissan Pulsar, a failed rally car in Nissan's eyes, but a good street racing machine in people's eyes.
The mechanics finished the work on the AE86 and Fujiwara got in, started it up and rolled out on the course.
Tomihiro and Miki quickly followed and tried their best to keep up and observe what they could.
Ryo kept watching Ryosuke and the mechanics and was slightly impressed.
Ryo: "They got what it takes to join the lower ranks of the World Cup…
And here I am sending the best from the World Cup series at them, but I guess it will be a nice lesson for their team."
Half of the practice runs were over and Sweeper had watched the yellow FD go through corners and wasn't very impressed.
He pulled out his cell phone and called Ryo.
Ryo: "Ryo" Ryo answered as he picked up the phone.
Sweeper: "Sweeper here, I have been watching the runs of the FD guy so far, I am not very impressed though.
I thought of giving him a scare in life."
Ryo: "Sure thing, speaking of scare, I sent my team boys to follow the Project D on the practice run.
A bit unorthodox perhaps but it was a good experience for them, well maybe not Akira, he keeps saying you will lose."
Sweeper: "Never say that until the race is over and the cars have crossed the finish line.
Because in the World Cup it is like that, you cannot tell who is going to win due to unforeseen things like engine failures and off-road runs."
Ryo: "Well just play with Keisuke, where are you by the way?"
Sweeper: "In a bush, shortly after the beginning of the uphill section, have seen the driving pretty good though."
Ryo: "Take care then, I guess it is a waste of breath to tell you to take it easy?"
Sweeper: "Correct" Sweeper hung up and got into his FD, waiting for the yellow FD to show up.
The yellow FD blew past him and Sweeper pulled out of the bush area and did a full pursuit of Keisuke on the uphill section.
It didn't take long before he was close to Keisuke's tail.
Sweeper: "CAUGHT YA!"
Keisuke looked in his rear view and spotted the blue RX-7.
Keisuke: "What the? Who is driving that car? Damn, well if you want to play with me on a practice run you will get burned!"
Keisuke slammed the accelerator to the floor and started pulling away from Sweeper's FD.
Sweeper: "Hey, hey don't get overconfident now FD kid, I got over 1000 HP here, there is no escape on the straights!"
As Keisuke checked his mirrors again he noticed the FD was right on his bumper again.
Keisuke: "WHAT? What is up with that FD, it must have more power than me since it caught up so quickly and the fact that I am still flooring it.
I will end this in the corners up ahead then!"
The first 90 degree right hand corner was coming up at an amazing speed.
Keisuke slammed on the clutch and stepped hard to the brakes to shift the weight quickly and get it sideways.
As he looked out the side window the corner passed quickly, Keisuke felt assured he was winning.
Then when he looked the other way he saw the blue FD sideways at the same speed, not further away from his FD than 3cm.
Keisuke: "WHAT! You crazy son of a bitch, that is just too close!"
Keisuke quickly straightened out his car and tried to pull away from Sweeper but Sweeper let him get away a short moment just to have some distance between the cars.
Sweeper: "Just as I thought, that FD kid wasn't as good as I thought he would be.
Well I shouldn't draw any conclusions yet, we will have to see in the high speed section that is coming up before the nasty hairpins, if he fails to impress me by then I guess I will just have to end it."
Keisuke kept his accelerator floored and constantly checking the rear view mirror.
Keisuke: "Damnit! I am driving as hard as I dare through these high speed corners yet that FD guy can keep up.
Just who the hell is he?"
The last high speed corner flew by and a short straightaway was coming up.
Keisuke had already seen the danger of the corner on the video and began slowing down.
Sweeper: "Why are you braking here junior?"
Sweeper blew past Keisuke's FD.
Keisuke: "WHAT! This is a dangerous hairpin, you cannot overtake here.
It may look like a sloppy left turn then followed by a right but it is just an illusion.
You will end crashing at that speed."
Sweeper dipped the clutch and started the braking hard and at the same time releasing the clutch every now and then while shifting down to uses the engine braking.
Keisuke noticed the backfire from the blue FD.
Keisuke: "Still you are braking too late; there is no way you can recover from that."
But to Keisuke's amazement not only was the FD over speeding in his eyes but it was also following a perfect line through the corner, it would seem like the driver was breaking all the laws of physics.
At the last left hand corner out of the hairpins Keisuke noticed the strong acceleration of Sweeper's FD.
Keisuke: "Just who the hell is the driver of that car! He is just plain outright crazy."
5 minutes later up at the top of the mountain Ryo was still observing Ryosuke briefing the mechanics when he heard tire squalling and a loud rotary sound.
Around the corner came a blue FD at a high speed.
Ryosuke turned towards the noise and spotted the FD pass while shifting up with a loud sound from the blow off valve.
30 seconds after Keisuke's FD came running up the same route, he slided and parked next to one of the vans before he got out and ran towards Ryosuke.
In the background Ryo was just laughing to himself, he had just witnessed the after effects of Sweeper's driving.
Keisuke: "Aniki! Did you see that FD!"
Ryosuke: "You mean that blue FD? I saw it pass by anything special about it?"
Keisuke: "It totally outran me, I tried my best but it was like it was avoiding the laws of physics."
Ryosuke: "What are you saying? Was it from their team?"
Keisuke: "No it couldn't be because it wasn't here earlier.
It just came up behind me all of a sudden, and as I was trying to outrun it.
He just kept up and not only that, his cornering was UNREAL!"
Ryosuke: "Interesting, I will have to ask you more questions after this battle is over, until then continue with your practice if you can.
Just try to calm down."
Ryo laughed and got into his car and started heading home.
He had seen enough, there wasn't likely they would try to go all out again not with him looking anyways and after Sweeper really shook up their uphill driver.
There was certainly not much left for him to do.
Outside his house he found Sweeper leaning on his FD.
When he saw Ryo come home he got up and walked towards the garage.
As Ryo got out he met Sweeper.
Sweeper: "Did you see that kids face? You should have seen it when I passed him in those hairpins.
It was priceless."
Ryo: "Oh yeah, I overheard their conversation, they wonder who that blue FD guy was now.
Most of all he said you broke all the possible laws of physics."
Sweeper: "Actually it simpler than that, that kid… what was his name again?"
Ryo: "Takahashi Keisuke."
Sweeper: "Keisuke, well that FD kid sucks at using the full potential of his tires.
He cannot use more than 70 of the grip he had available.
I used 100 of it in comparison and the fact that I had to practice on distribution of braking power, acceleration, turning radius all that to make the car move as I wanted it to.
That Keisuke overdoes things and cannot push it properly.
He is not worthy of the FD Specialist title."
Ryo: "Hey, hey, these guys aren't World Cup class, so you cannot expect them to put up as much fight as that Carlos guy."
Sweeper: "I guess so, but it was worth it.
The look on Keisuke's face will be something I will remember for the rest of my life."
Ryo: "You ain't alone on that; you should have seen it as he exited the car."
Sweeper: "I guess he was also affected by the fact that I was 3cm away from him in a drift."
Ryo: "You were 3cm away from him? MAN you are crazy."
Sweeper: "It didn't feel crazy to me."
Ryo: "Well it is getting late; I need some sleep to prepare for tomorrow night."
Sweeper: "Well me too, I'll be heading back, see you tomorrow then."
Sweeper got into the FD and drove off laughing to himself as he watched the image of Keisuke's face as he passed him.