Daynight Racer (Completed)

Chapter 25

R: That was a 1:58.983, putting you in seventh.

L: Only seventh?

R: Yes. It seems you lost time around Becketts. Try to focus on your racing line into those corners.

L: Got it.

Using the subsequent lap to cool her car down, Lyst mentally planned out how she was going to tackle that corner quicker than she already did. She swore she had always zipped through it the same way every single time, from her attempts in the simulator, to her runs during the practice session, and now to qualifying. Nothing had changed, but why did she suddenly find herself struggling at that specific part of the track?

Biting on her lower lip, she manoeuvred through the last corner before putting all of the car's two hundred and seventy horsepower down onto the tarmac. Whizzing past the pit straight, she held the pedal to the metal through the first two corners, letting the downforce from her car do the sticky work. She slammed on the brakes and downshifted into Village and turned right, before flicking the steering wheel left to round The Loop.

Soaring to immense speeds along the Wellington Straight, Lyst braked again, now into Brooklands. Turning the other direction, she hugged the inside line and kissed the apex, before letting the car run wide on the exit towards the old pit straight. One of her wheels almost touched the gravel trap at the side of the track, which would have sent her crashing into the barriers at the side. Knowing that could've happened, but didn't, sent a wave of adrenaline and satisfaction throughout her systems.

Anyways, Lyst diverted her attention back to the corner ahead, Copse. For her, it was a straightforward corner, since the aerodynamics of her car had proven sufficient for her to take the corner flat out. Lining up on the outside of the track, Lyst twisted her steering wheel rightwards, feeling the tyres dig into the track and flinging the car around Copse like it was in orbit. From her cockpit, she saw the apex getting nearer and nearer, until she felt a bump from the front right, indicating that she had hit the apex. An invisible force tugged the ends of her lips into a smile.

That was perfect. Now let's see how Maggotts and Becketts will go...

Just like Copse, Maggotts could be taken flat out in her car. Deciding on the line with the least change in direction, Lyst was committed to the corner. At high speed, she threw the car around the left and right turns, before swiftly braking as Becketts neared. Downshifting one gear, she slowed her car down to an adequate amount, hitting the apex again, before putting her foot flat to the floor, accelerating onto the Hangar Straight.

That wasn't so bad, at least it was quicker than before-

Her thoughts were cut off by an unpleasant bump on the track surface, followed by a 'crack' sounding from the rear of the car.

Uh oh...

Looking at her rearview mirrors, all she could see was a puff of smoke, and black particles being thrown in the air, like a tinted glass being exploded into smithereens. Internally, she cursed at herself. One single thought was enough to distract her from the road ahead, causing her to ram her car onto the curb.

And now there was damage to her car. Great... This meant her lap had to be aborted, and she had to wait until her team finished repairing her car before she could run another lap and improve her time.

If she could even run another lap. The chances seemed to be slim.

Slowing down and moving off the racing line, Lyst finally reported the incident to the team, though she was sure they were already well aware of what happened.

L: The car is damaged, Rick.

R: Come into the pits. We'll repair it.

With another silent curse at herself, she limped her car into the pits and parked in front of the Powers garage. Immediately, the mechanics wrapped their hands around the car and wheeled it in, before inspecting the damage. Turns out, the diffuser strakes were ripped apart when the car bottomed out at the curb.