An Anthro's Tale

Heavyweight Championship

We huddled around the monitor for DJ's helmet cam as the race started. I could see the RPM needle jerking around as the rear tires burned out in an attempt to get traction. The new Firebird, GTO, Camaro and Saleen were already out front and gaining distance by the time DJ managed to get traction and get off the the line. It was a very short straight before the first turn off the full circuit, I'd say about a hundred feet or so. Since DJ was at a lower speed than they were, she was able to accelerate through the corner and over take the new IROC, but not the Firebird or the GTO and the other Saleen was solidly out in front. The next straight was about 250 feet. I watched as DJ's autonomous cog switcher redlined at 5,435 and made a smooth transition into second gear.

The Saleen out in front downshifted into third gear and went through the corner with the grace someone like me had come to expect from a Koenigsegg or a Ferrari and not a pick up. DJ dogged the GTO and the Firebird through the corner with a nasty drift, just barely managing to out-slide the GTO and avoid contact with the Firebird. The next straight promptly ended in a turn in which DJ was able to handle in third gear and finally catch the Pontiac, witch promptly started a chase of it's own. DJ and the other Saleen, which I now knew was driven by Joe's buddy Ross, went through a series of turns before entering a straight that was right behind the pits. I felt the tail breeze from their trucks as they flew past us and shifted into their next gear.

DJ slowed down t about 60 miles an hour as she pulled a semi-drift through the next corner and just barely missed over taking Ross, who was quicker on the gas than she was and was in fourth gear by the time she had hit third.

“She needs to be-able to accelerate in third”, I said, “if she can do that for the next corner, she could catch him.”

“No kidding”, Tristan said.

The next turn approached. I could tell from the way she was gripping the steering wheel that DJ was getting ready to try something. When the corner came and Ross braked, DJ gave her truck a shot of gas and flew past him, pulling a drift just in time to save herself from hitting the wall..

“Go DJ!”, Shelby said.

“That was awesome”, Tristan said.

“I'll bet Ross is all like “say whaaattt?”, I laughed.

DJ and Ross were tailgate to grill as they both flew down the straight, dogged by the ever persisting IROC-Z and GTO. DJ, as usual, drifted trough the corner and gained ever more ground over Ross. There was an S shaped turn before the next straight. S shaped turns are exactly what they sound like, they form an S, and they are dreaded by the Heavyweight Division in Super Sport Racing. Because heavy cars tend not bank very well, multiple, fast turns risks bottoming out (when the suspension compresses completely, very dangerous) and a loss of grip. And if your car weighs three tons and is traveling at 156 miles an hour, very, very dangerous. DJ, being the crazy chick that she is, power slid through the turns and came out on the straight ready to go through all six gears.

“Damn”, Jack said, “that was hot.”

Tess snickered, “did you find that attractive?”

Jack gave Tess a stupid look, “yes. Your sarcasm won't work on me Tess.”

Tess made a pouty face and turned her attention back to the monitor.

DJ had just started down the straight. I watched the Tachometer climb from 2,000 RPM's to nearly 5,500 before it jumped back to three and made the switch to second. The Twin Turbo V8 hissed and roared it's way down the long straight before the red markers indicating it was time to downshift began to pop up. DJ braked and the transmission reacted by downshifting from sixth to third. DJ managed to get into fourth on the small piece of road that stood between her and the famous Speedwell Sunset Raceway. There was an audible suspension sound as the tires switched chamber for the inclined wall. The truck rocketed out of the corner and shifted into fourth gear as the other cars mounted the incline behind her to take up the chase.

“How are the readings on the transmission Josh?”, DJ asked over the radio.

“Heat has me a little worried”, Josh said, “but other than that it looks okay.”

“Heat build up?”, I asked myself, “that's not good in an automatic. Tristan pull up the 331's CPU and see what the recorders are getting.”

“On it”, Tristan said.

“Why is heat building in an automatic a bad sign?”, Tess asked.

“Because heat build up in any transmission is a bad sign”, I replied, “in a manual it's a little different cause all of the pressure comes off in a shift because the clutch disconnects the engine and the tranny in the shift, in an automatic the engine is still spinning everything at full tilt. If there's heat build up, then it's because the truck drank it's transmission fluid.”

“That even sounds dangerous”, Tess said.

“It is”, Tristan said, “Seth, the truck's computers are registering an absence of automatic fluid.”

“What did I just say?”, I asked looking at Tess.

“DJ”, I said over the radio, “you gotta pit. Your truck drank it's transmission fluid.”

“Crap”, DJ said in reply, “have it ready, gas, fluid tires, brakes, I'm coming in.”

Jack grabbed the tranny fluid while Team Draco's pit crew readied everything else. DJ's truck came screaming in the pits with the others less than ten seconds out. The crew filed the tank, changed the brakes and tires while jack filled the transmission with it's happy juice. Ten seconds after entering the pits, DJ was out on the track again and had crossed the finish line. Her lap time was 2:20.221, while Ross had finished his first lap at 2:18.392. That put Team Falcon in the lead for the Championship and Team Draco in second, as things were now. The race wound on for nearly an hour. At the every end, by the skin of her teeth, DJ's Saleen out performed the newer models. Her final lap time was 2:15.040, averaging her lap time at 2:16.005, the fastest lap time I'd ever seen a pickup pull.

“Team Draco has taken the lead in the Championship”, the announcer replied as the cars slowed to a stop, “the next race will occur tomorrow at 4:00PM. The track is closed for tonight.”

“Hey”, DJ said as she walked up, “I won.”

“Barely”, I replied, “get that tranny fixed.”

“Noted”, DJ said.

I yawned, “man I'm tired.”

“Yeah same here”, DJ said, “my entire body hurts from the G-Forces in the truck.”

We kept talking as we hopped into the 331 and drove back to where Dad and Mom had the Ford and the Camaro.

“Whats the next race?”, Josh asked.

“Street Rivals Twin Turbocharged Run Off”, DJ said, “Ross was talking about it in the pits when you and Joe were rally racing.”

“We got the Camaro for that”, I said, “Jack and I can handle tomorrow.”

DJ's truck pulled to a stop beside the Ford and we all piled out.

“You look tired Seth”, Mom said petting me behind my ears.

“I am”, I replied yawning.

“Well then let's go to the hotel and check in”, Dad said as we piled in.

We drove for a mile back to the hotel and went up to our rooms. Shelby and I showered and fell into bed, falling asleep as soon as our heads hit our pillows.