Daynight Racer (Completed)

Chapter 10

Enough with all the testing and learning. This was the real deal. Lyst had to get her head in the game and start performing, for the season opener was only moments away.

In the morning, Lyst and Ashley arrived at the track, riding Obsidian. After locking the car up, they proceeded to the Powers garage before splitting ways to complete their own tasks. Lyst walked over to the cabinet containing her race suit and other equipment. This would be the second time she saw them, so she knew what she had to do.

The team personnel noticed her as she appeared from behind the tyre stack, fully locked and loaded. They helped her into the car, and adjusted the parts around the cockpit so Lyst could stay comfortable. After they were done, Lyst was left alone, with only her race engineer to accompany her through the 45-minute practice session.

L: Hey Rick, are you there?

R: Yes, Lyst. Good to have you back in the car. Are you ready to rumble?

L: You bet. Bring it on!

The team lowered the car onto the ground. When the coast was clear, Lyst pulled out of the garage and subsequently out of the pitlane. For the first few laps, she drove slowly, mainly to get herself accustomed to the twisty bends of Brands Hatch, but also to warm up the engine and tyres so they could function properly. Once she felt comfortable with the conditions, Lyst attempted a fast lap.

She positioned her car well as she approached the final corner - the Clark Curve, and floored it along the Brabham straight. Everything whizzed past her in a flash as her car almost reached 200 kilometres per hour. By the time she reached the Paddock Hill Bend, she slammed the brakes. The car pitched forward, sending Lyst face first into her steering wheel if not for the seat belts holding her together.

Lyst slowly let go of the brakes and turned the wheel as her car dipped down the Hailwoods Hill. The sensation of all the forces pushing Lyst around in the car felt thrilling. The fact that her car was only inches away from the gravel traps at the side of the track, all the while going at over 100 kilometres per hour only amplified the excitement of the experience.

Now it was time for the twisty section of Brands Hatch. The first corner that came up was the Druids Bend. Most of the energy that Lyst's car had carried down the hill dissipated into heat as it slowed down to make the turn. Lyst cranked the steering wheel to an extreme right and felt the car barely holding on to the track surface. Her gentle caress of the throttle turned into a full-on stomp as she slingshotted herself down the short section of road that followed.

With her steering wheel pointed at relatively small angles, Lyst navigated her way through the giant curvy part of the track consisting of the Graham Hill Bend, Cooper Straight and Surtees. What followed was Pilgrims Drop, a long, downhill straight that saw Lyst's car exceed well over 200 kilometres per hour. Lyst had never reached such high speeds in her many years of driving. It was scary yet electrifying, and Lyst couldn't help but to smile at the thrill of it all.

The dip turned into an ascent at the end of the straight, leading to the Hawthorne Bend. It was a unique corner, this one, because Lyst didn't have to brake at all. A gentle lift of the throttle, and a flick of the steering wheel to the right was sufficient for Lyst to get through the corner. However, because of the high speed nature of the Hawthorne Bend, the G-forces were immense. Lyst felt as if her neck had broken and her soul left her body, but she knew that wasn't true, since she was still safe in her car, with the next corner coming into sight.

With two rapid downshifts, Lyst flung herself through Westfield Bend. She used the momentum of the car to swing past Dingle Dell and approach the Sheene Curve. Lyst downshifted once more, barely slowing the car down to get through the curve, only to be facing the Stirlings Bend shortly after. Thankfully it was a fairly straightforward corner, so Lyst made it without much trouble.