Chapter 41 - 5: Pole Position

Chapter 41: Chapter 5: Pole Position

On the track, Wu Shi rolled his neck. It was his turn to set a lap time.

He stomped on the gas a few times, the engine roaring to life and then quieting in bursts. After confirming he had a complete feel for the vehicle, he began his hot lap.

WHOOSH!

The kart accelerated to top speed on the straightaway, then shot past the checkered line. The timer started.

"He’s started!" Louise shouted.

Seth took a deep breath. ’Whether I made the right choice or not all comes down to today!’

A race car driver needs not only unrivaled skill but also an unrivaled mentality. In his first race of this caliber, would Wu Shi make a mistake due to nervousness, or would he err by being too eager?

These were things that could never be seen during regular practice.

SWOOSH!

Wu Shi felt the wind slam against the kart, then flow back along its shell.

The air intake on the left continuously sucked in fresh air, feeding it into the engine.

VROOOOM!

He detected a slight issue with the engine and eased off the throttle slightly, quickly resolving the anomaly.

And just then, he arrived at Turn 1.

Taking a corner like this normally wouldn’t do much to improve his lap time. He entered the turn 0.1 seconds later than any conventional line, while fully utilizing the track and the available grip on exit to achieve a corner-exit speed comparable to everyone else’s.

If you were to look at a comparison graph, you would see that Wu Shi’s kart had already taken a slight lead upon entering Turn 1, a lead he maintained upon exiting.

On the straights, no one could pull away. Everyone knows how to floor it.

But as he entered the chicane, Wu Shi once again delayed his trail-braking.

SCREEEECH!!!

"He’s sliding!"

"No, the vehicle’s stable."

"He’s pushing it too hard. Can he keep control of the kart?"

Voices of doubt rose from the crowd.

But Wu Shi’s hands on the steering wheel made no corrections. With the kart on the verge of sliding out of control at any moment, he dove straight into the chicane.

He deliberately avoided a few of the apexes, because they had a slight height difference with the ground. If he cut them too aggressively, the kart would be launched into the air, meaning a momentary loss of grip.

And in his plan, every bit of grip, at every single moment, had to be fully utilized.

"His racing line is different."

"Yes, but it’s clearly cleaner and faster."

"It is fast, but can he maintain this pace? If he deviates even slightly, a line like that could cost him a lot of time, right?"

"I think it’s a driving style suited for qualifying. Once the main race starts, he’ll need a safer approach."

The spectators were either veteran drivers, coaches, or long-time enthusiasts. They had a deep understanding of what to watch for in a race. Just by observing the karts at various points along the racing line, they could discern a driver’s approach.

Just after passing the chicane, Wu Shi felt a wave of nausea. It was probably something he ate for breakfast.

He fought back the urge to vomit and continued to nail his entry lines. Because his speed was so immense, he would even deviate slightly from the apex, but this deviation didn’t cost much time and was completely within the realm of control.

WHOOSH!

Wu Shi ran the next long section with incredible smoothness. As he was about to cross the line, most people instinctively looked up at the timing board.

FWOOSH!

A moment later, the timing board flashed, and a time appeared.

1:16.773.

"Whoa..."

"Unbelievable!"

"What just happened?"

"Wow, to drive a mini-category kart at that level."

Cries of astonishment rose one after another.

"Who’s number 398? I want his information, now!" a team leader from a major out-of-town team said to the person beside him.

Sid stood beside Raul. Although he had left his position, he was still a shareholder in the Laya Team, so his presence here was perfectly normal.

"Mr. Raul, did you see that? Pole position. Undisputed pole position," he said softly.

Raul remained unmoved, sitting in his chair and watching the track ahead.

"Incredible! My God!"

Seth shot to his feet. The kid had never posted a lap time like that during practice.

"Just as I thought. His talent belongs in Europe," Martina smiled. Just last night, she had specifically told the little guy to give it his all and not hold back.

’Only when your excellence is great enough to dispel any and all doubt will your path become clear.’

She now just hoped that Wu Shi could maintain this level for the next few years. As long as he performed well enough in the World and European Karting Championships, she had the means to help him find a Renault Formula team willing to take him on.

Whew...

The kart drove into the pit lane and came to a stop. The moment Wu Shi got out, Seth rushed over and pulled him into a huge hug.

"Team Leader, are you trying to strangle me?!" Wu Shi said hastily.

"Sorry, sorry, I’m just so excited!" Seth babbled.

"Wu Shi, were you holding back this whole time during practice?" a teammate came up and asked.

"I let loose a little, I guess," Wu Shi said, scratching his head.

"You’re a monster!"

The teammate sighed. He’d be thanking the heavens if he could break 18 seconds, yet this guy had pulled off a 16-second lap. He was sure the race officials would be coming to inspect his kart very soon.

"Get some rest. You’re starting from pole in this afternoon’s final. Give us a spectacular PTW!" Seth patted Wu Shi on the shoulder and then walked over to the race officials.

Wu Shi rubbed the spot where he’d been patted. ’This team leader is built like a bear. Couldn’t he be a bit more gentle with those pats!’

"Wu Shi~ congratulations!"

Louise stepped forward with her arms open, saying happily, "They’ve all celebrated with you!"

’In other words, she wanted a hug.’

"Thanks."

Wu Shi opened his arms as well. ’A girl’s body really is different. Even through the racing suit, she feels so soft. So much better than that brute of a team leader!’

"Wu Shi, when is your birthday?" Martina asked suddenly.

"December 3rd," Wu Shi replied.

"So you’ll only turn 10 at the end of this year," Martina said.

"That’s right. Which is why I can’t participate in KF5 races in other countries yet."

Wu Shi didn’t really care. As long as he finished this year’s ACI championship, he figured everyone would know his name.

However, winning every single karting race wasn’t an easy feat.

Because even when they met the regulations, the karts from different teams used chassis, engines, and other components from various manufacturers. This led to differences in tuning, and their stability wasn’t as good as in a spec series.

In other words, one small mistake could lead to a DNF. That was a risk he had to consider.

"Keep up that consistency in the main race, kid." Seth had finished with the officials and came back over. The more he looked at this kid, the more he liked him.

"I will. As long as there are no mechanical failures, I’ll bring the kart home," Wu Shi nodded.

"That guy over there doesn’t look too happy with you," his teammate suddenly said, walking over.

Wu Shi looked over. It was that Dionysius from the Laya Team. He wasn’t familiar with the name, so he hadn’t considered him a rival at all.