Chapter 64 Manche1
Wu Shi had driven a straight-drive go-kart many times at the Laconca circuit, but he had only driven a multi-speed go-kart for a short period of time during practice.
A huge number of go-karts drove onto the track, swaying left and right to warm up their tires.
Buzz buzz buzz~!
After one lap, the front row of cars started making laps, and the line of cars gradually widened.
Rustling sound!
The first to cross the line was number 127, ①DANTE MASSIMO, with a score of 45.897.
Next up was number 128, LUNDBERG DOUGLAS, who clocked a time of 45.599, knocking out number 127.
One go-kart after another crossed the finish line, and the timetable kept changing. Number 131, FUOCO LEONARDO, set the fastest lap time of 45.460 for quite some time.
It wasn't until Lennox Lamb Jordan, number 141, racked up 45.309 points that he was finally pushed off the leader's list.
"Lennox' speed is indeed quite good; he's consistently maintained this speed for pole position over the years."
The team leader, engineers, and technicians from CRG gathered together to discuss the matter.
"Is it possible for Wu Shi to surpass him?" a technician asked.
"I think it's possible. During his KF3 days, this guy always got the fastest lap with an absolute advantage. Even though he just started playing geared karting this year, his speed can't be slow."
"It might be hopeless. Wu Shi didn't show the same dominance as before in driving the go-kart with gears. Rosa, don't you think so?"
Everyone looked at Rosa; as Wu Shi's engineer, her judgment was certainly more accurate.
Rosa noticed that the team leader was also looking over, and her heart started pounding. Everyone was waiting for her to give a positive answer.
After 2010 and 2011, everyone's expectations for Wu Shi had far exceeded those for a normal genius.
"I believe in him." Rosa looked at the track; she had seen how hard Wu Shi had been practicing lately.
Even though Joss said that Wu Shi was not as good as he was two years ago, she still believed that Wu Shi was the strongest in his class.
Rustle!
45.295
Bizaleion Charly, number 160, completed an amazing lap, with his lap time prominently displayed at the top of the leaderboard.
"Wow, almost there, only 0.014! What a pity!"
CRG's technicians felt regretful. Although the fastest lap in the qualifying round does not guarantee a front-row start in the final, it is a great opportunity to showcase a driver's skills, and it is a pity to be eliminated.
"Are we almost at Wu Shi's place?" someone asked.
Wu Shi's registration number was directly assigned to number 164 because the qualification review was delayed.
As the last to enter the race, the airflow in front of him isn't clean, but the track route will be better, as any remaining rubber and other debris will be picked up by the people in front.
He had now reached Turn 10, which was immediately followed by Turn 11, a straight with no buffer zone in between. Therefore, he could not take it using the same method as when taking a turn.
He learned this principle during the Mini 60 race, and the problem he faced now was the selection of gears and the control of throttle opening.
During regular practice, we always enter the corner in second gear, and start accelerating as we pass turn eleven.
Most of the people were running like this, and Wu Shi could only run like this at this time as well.
For the sake of the long straight road ahead, we must enter slowly and exit quickly here.
Waaaaah!
He shifted from fifth to second gear, the clutch was half-open, the engine rumbled, and as he approached Turn 11, Wu Shi engaged the clutch and floored the accelerator, causing the vehicle to accelerate.
Sizzle!
The tires were screeching, but he calmly maintained control of the steering wheel and didn't slip.
Swoosh!
When the race car passes the apex of Turn 11 and the car vibrates and flies up, you can't accelerate or shift up, otherwise it will definitely spin.
The accelerator was pressed again only after the race car landed.
Buzz!
Click!
The go-kart accelerated rapidly, quickly reaching fifth gear and exceeding 100 mph.
After passing the fake turn number 12, the gear shifted to sixth gear, but then a hairpin bend followed, requiring a downshift to get through.
"Extremely smooth handling," the CRG team leader said. It seems that the team's guarantee to promote Wu Shi to the KZ2 level is not a problem.
Before Wu Shi actually ran a race in an official competition, no one knew what level he could perform at. After all, changing gears meant a lot more risks. It would be absurd if he stalled halfway through the race.
Whoosh!
45.256
Clap clap clap!
Applause erupted in the CRG team's pit area, and Sid and Rosa both breathed a sigh of relief.
We've never been this nervous when this guy runs laps before.
The two race cars drove back to the pit lane. Wu Shi took off his helmet, and Rosa ran over to give him a big hug, saying, "That was fantastic! You did a fantastic job today! Joss always exaggerates!"
"I'm not exaggerating!" Joss's voice came, with Vestager following behind him.
In the recent KF2 race, Pan Zi achieved a time of 45.803 seconds, a record that will stand for more than a decade.
"I said, Wu Shi is capable enough to win the championship, but he shouldn't have won so hard. He should have won easily, like an adult fighting a child!" Joss said.
Wu Shi remained silent. Although the old man was disgusting, what he said was indeed correct, and Wu Shi couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
'Don't rush! Damn it, now I know how twisted Panzi's mentality is. He's under pressure every day, yet he still manages to stay calm during the game.'
The team members at CRG were already used to Joss's words; his demands on Verstappen and Wu Shi were outrageously strict.
At that moment, Lennox walked in, his face even more sour.
When a technician tried to speak, Wu Shi stopped her, saying there was no need to pay attention to such people; talking to them would only spoil the mood.
Next, two rounds of racing, Manche1 (round 1) and Manche2 (round 2), will be held to determine the starting grid for Finale 1.
Because of his lap time in the qualifying round, Wu Shi was able to start from the front row, which made him feel slightly more relaxed.
During the warm-up lap, he looked back and saw that everyone was keeping close together, and no one was risking breaking the rules by blocking the line of cars.
Soon, all the participating vehicles arrived at the starting straight, and Manche1 was about to start.
Kart number 164 accelerated, closely followed by kart number 160, driven by Bizarion Charlie, and then Wu Shi's teammate, Lennox.
All three cars had a good start, but when they reached Turn 1, Wu Shi was tightly positioned on the center line.
The two players behind him were in sync, one on the outside and one on the inside, just wanting to see how he would choose.
Should we play inside or outside?
Wu Shi had a thought flash through his mind and immediately pushed the ball inside, thinking there was no need to defend the outside too hard.
Because there is a straight after Turn 1 and Turn 2 is also a right turn, it means that the outside laner cannot overtake him by crossing lines, and he will firmly occupy the inside lane.
Rustling sound!
He tenaciously defended the paint, maintaining his lead, forcing Bizarreon, who wanted to overtake him from the inside, to slow down and let him pass.
"Wu Shi's defense was quite brilliant. He wisely chose the inside to secure his driving line. His exit from the corner was very quick, and his traction control was excellent!"
"But his teammate Lennox was no slouch either, and he managed to squeeze through when Bizarion slowed down!"
"Wow! Lennox has taken the Bizarreon position! Brilliant overtaking! We see him heading straight for Wu Shi. Is an internal power struggle about to unfold within CRG?!"
John, the narrator, spoke rapidly, each word seemingly strung together.
"No! Lennox can't get through! Wu Shi's line is too reversed, firmly blocking the entry position and completely ignoring Lenlocks's feints!"
"At Turn 3, Wu Shi is going too fast in and out of Turn 3! He's widened the gap! Does Lunlocks still have a chance?"
"Wow, it's come off!"
John seemed somewhat unsatisfied with what he was saying.
"Wu Shi once demonstrated dominant strength in the KF3 class, and now he is still a champion-level driver in the KZ2! We are witnessing the rise of a genius driver!" Commentator John continued.
"Yes, based on the previous data, Wu Shi's driving talent is outstanding. However, I think the audience should feel it's a pity because they won't be able to see him continue to dominate the competition with his dominant skills," commentator Tom echoed.
"Let me see, we have a message from a spectator in Lecce who said: 'Wu Shi is just running at a relaxed pace. He's been leading for too long and is getting tired. If he were to race at full speed, the people behind him wouldn't even be able to see his taillights,'" commentator John said.
"This must be a fan of Wu Shi. What I want to say is that there are too many suspicious points about Wu Shi's performance in the past two years. I even suspect that he used a vehicle that exceeded CIK standards," said commentator Tom, successfully stirring up the topic.