Day 196

[from Project Hover]

"We're here in London's Hyde Park, for the first race of the inaugural World Hoverboard Racing Championships. I'm Ashley Garcia; here with me is Italian hoverboarding maestro Gianni Abbruzzi. Gianni, what do you think of this 1.5-mile circuit they've laid out here? Is it a fitting first race for the sport?"

"Well, in terms of the sport's history, there has never been a hoverboard race here before, so it doesn't have that history that places such as Japan or America do," said Gianni. "But at the same time, this is a historic opportunity for the sport to get more exposure in the UK, especially with an Englishman, David Edwards, competing in the field. As for the track itself, it's a very fast-looking layout, with some long straights that will really push the top speeds of these hoverboards, as well as some tight turns that will provide overtaking opportunities, such as the tight Turn 3 hairpin. While the main paths are quite narrow in places, there is plenty of grass at the side of the track, and of course these hoverboards are all-terrain; you won't lose any speed by going off-track, unless you hit the barriers."

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Find the track layout here: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/808028007]

"Now, there are ten teams and twenty drivers taking part in this inaugural tournament," said Ashley. "We've got teams here including Texas, one of the earliest pioneers of hoverboard technology, and Kasaiki, one of the world's foremost hoverboard manufacturers and a dominant force in the Japanese hoverboard-racing scene. We've got teams from MIT, Shanghai University, and the UK's own Cambridge University. "You'd have to say that Kasaiki and Texas look like the favourites, don't they?"

"They are most definitely the favourites," said Gianni, nodding. "Their hoverboards are undoubtedly the fastest and most reliable on the grid, and I think the other teams will struggle to stop them from dominating this first season, except for perhaps Alti Racing's Claudia Brunelle. She's an exceptional racer, one of the best in the field, and could challenge the top four riders."

"What about the Texas and Kasaiki riders, then?" asked Ashley. "Both of Kasaiki's drivers are still only teenagers: compare that to Claudia, who's 26, or Texas' Aidan Parker, another of the legends of hoverboard racing, who turns 28 next month. Do you think the relative youth of the Kasaiki team will count against them?"

"Maybe at first," said Gianni, "but I think as the season goes on and those girls get more comfortable with their boards, their performances will improve quite dramatically. It's important to remember that these girls - Rika Natsume and Kazumi Matsuhara - even if they are only 18 or 19, they've still been racing hoverboards for several years, competing in the junior categories, so they're not completely inexperienced. And let's not forget, of course, this is the first-ever hoverboarding tournament on a truly global scale. None of the riders, not even the veterans like Aidan, have ever done anything like this before."

"Rika Natsume, Kasaiki's lead driver, is one of the youngest riders in the field, at just 18 years old," said Ashley. "Do you think that's too young to be competing at this level?"

Gianni shook his head. "Not at all," he said. "As I said before, she has several years' experience already, and I've seen her racing: she has an immense amount of raw talent, and the potential to become one of the sport's great names. She may be the youngest driver in the top teams, but I still reckon she's one to look out for this season."

"Okay, thank you for your input," said Ashley. "Qualifying is about to get underway, so let's head over to the track and our commentators, Callum Lancaster and Adam Scott..."

FULL ENTRY LIST

TEXAS HOVERSPORT
#3 Haruka Morimoto (♀, JPN)
#4 Aidan Parker (♂, USA)

SHANGHAI UNIVERSITY
#8 Liang Tai (♂, CHN)
#9 Li Zhen (♀, CHN)

CHT RACING
#14 David Edwards (♂, GBR)
#15 Michael Altermann (♂, GER)

TAKASA HOVERSPORT
#17 Takeshi Okamoto (♂, JPN)
#18 Saori Shinomiya (♀, JPN)

ALTI RACING
#22 Claudia Brunelle (♂, FRA)
#23 Vincent Martelli (♂, USA)

TEAM KASAIKI
#27 Rika Natsume (♀, JPN)
#28 Mazuki Matsuhara (♀, JPN)

HOVERTEC RACING
#29 Adam Williams (♂, USA)
#30 Ryan Edmonds (♂, CAN)

GRAVITAS RACING
#34 Francesco De Martini (♂, ITA)
#35 Marko Ivanović (♂, HRV)

PRETORIA RACING
#36 Marius Engelbrecht (♂, RSA)
#37 Elize Roberts (♀, RSA)

MITRA
#55 Carl Mitchell (♂, USA)
#56 Jamie Chung (♂, CHN)

Day 164

[from Project Hover]

"-and with one lap to go, it's still Rika Natsume, winning comfortably here at the Tokyo Dockyards!"

Rika smiled confidently to herself as she crossed the start/finish line to begin the final lap. With a significant advantage over her nearest rival, victory was surely hers. She had already won the overall HoverGP championship, and winning in her home city of Tokyo would be the icing on the cake. But Rika had one more ambition still to achieve: to be a part of the first-ever World Hoverboard Racing Championships.

After hoverboard technology finally reached the market in the 2020s, it had not taken long for the first races to be held. In 2028, a group of Japanese hoverboard enthusiasts had founded HoverGP, the world's first hoverboard racing tournament, held entirely in Japan. The year was now 2040, and hoverboard races were being held across the globe. Most took place in closed-off urban areas, such as the dockyard Rika was racing in currently, but some took place at existing motor racing circuits or even purpose-built facilities: Niigata boasted the world's first purpose-built hoverboard racing circuit, completed in 2036.

The International Hoverboard Racing Federation had been founded several years prior as a worldwide governing body, and had standardized many of the sport's rules. Now, it had organized the creation of the WHRC as the world's premier hoverboard racing tournament, and the first-ever edition was set to begin in early 2041. Having won one of the world's most prestigious tournaments, Rika was confident that she would secure a place at one of the competing teams, but with only 20 places open, and several already taken, competition was going to be fierce. Still, winning this race would certainly help her chances.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: You can find the full track route here: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/769741849/)

The start/finish straight ran along the main road adjacent to the dockyard, before a right-hand turn brought the riders through the dockyard entrance. A subtle right-hand kink followed, then another ninety-degree right-hander. To her left, Rika could now see thousands and thousands of shipping containers gathered on the dock, ready to be loaded or unloaded. The dockyard authorities had collaborated with the race organizers in order to disturb the busy dock as little as possible, while still allowing the race to go ahead; certain areas had been kept clear of containers in order to provide spectator areas, refreshments, or marshal posts. The building on the left side of the main road, opposite the dock, had been turned into a makeshift pit lane and paddock, housing the mechanics and engineers, and in a few minutes' time it would hold the podium ceremony.

The straight Rika was currently on was a dead end, bounded by a fence, but a section of the left-hand fence had been cut out, creating a chicane that had proven tricky for some of the less experienced riders to navigate. Rika, however, had no problem with it, nor with the second chicane that followed almost immediately afterwards. As a backmarker moved to the left to let her through, Rika accelerated between the rows of shipping containers before sweeping round a fast left-hander.

At this point, the dockyard was divided into two by a thin bank of trees and bushes. A temporary curved ramp had been constructed that turned the riders ninety degrees and up and over the bank, and Rika leaned hard into the corner as she took it, sweeping through it and exiting onto another straight lined by shipping containers. This one went to the very edge of the dockyard, at which point Rika took a right, then a more sweeping right, then a left, cutting through a small car park on the inside.

The last section of the track was somewhat technical, though the width of the track made it easier than it might otherwise have been. There were also a lot of temporary grandstands erected here for spectators, and their cheers spurred Rika on to finish. Another right-hand turn, then another left, then another right. A sweeping right-hand turn pointed her in the direction of the dockyard exit, and she turned right out of it and back onto the main road. Just before the final corner was the start of a grass verge that separated the two halves of the road; a tire barrier forced Rika into the right-hand lane, as this was the only one from which the first turn could be accessed.

Rounding the final left-hand turn, Rika took the time to wave to the spectators in the grandstands as she passed the chequered flag to take a comfortable victory. She had won the HoverGP series by a significant points margin, and as she slowed down to take her victory lap, she felt the familiar sense of accomplishment rush through her body, giving her a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. She loved that winning feeling. It was partly what drove her to race: she loved how racing made her feel, and she loved how winning made her feel even more.

Rika's race engineer Kimiko soon chimed in on the radio. "Congratulations, Rika," she said, "nice race. You did a really good job out there."

"Thanks, Kimiko," said Rika, beaming proudly. "You did a great job too, as always."

"Reckon you did enough?" asked Kimiko.

"Oh, I know I did," said Rika. "I gave it everything I had out there. If I don't get signed, it's not my fault."

"Well, we'll see what happens," said Kimiko. "Alright, bring her back home and let's get this party started."

Rika nodded and continued on her parade lap, waving cheerfully to the fans as she passed them. This had been the last race of the season, and Rika felt a little sad knowing that it was all over for the year. However, she was confident that next year, she would have an even greater contest to enjoy.

***

With Rika's team having also won the constructors' championship, she and her mechanics had a lot to celebrate, and when she arrived in the garage after the podium ceremony, the celebrations had already begun. Glasses of champagne were being handed around, and Rika quickly had one thrust at her. "Here," said Kimiko, handing over a glass. "One for the champ."

"But I'm underage!" pointed out Rika. The drinking age in Japan was still 21, and Rika was only eighteen.

"It's fine," said Kimiko, waving Rika's worries aside. "One glass won't hurt."

"Well… if you insist…" Rika took a tentative sip, then gave a nod of approval. "Mmm… not bad," she said.

"So, what's next?" asked Kimiko. "I know you're shooting for the WHRC, but… are you just gonna court the various teams and hope for the best?"

"Pretty much, yeah," said Rika. "Gonna have to court some sponsors as well, probably… ugh." Rika was unable to hide her contempt at the thought of having to schmooze the various corporations just so she could afford to race. "Having to fulfil sponsor obligations is boring. I just wanna race."

"If you hired an agent or something, they could take care of all the boring stuff for you," suggested Kimiko.

Rika clicked her fingers. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that!"

At this point, the pair were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice. "Excuse me? You're Rika Natsume, right?"

Rika turned round to see an older man standing there in a sharp business suit. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't tell why. "That's me," she said.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said the man. "My name is Akihiko Karasuma. I'm the team principal of the Kasaiki WHRC team."

Rika immediately realized where she knew the name from, and her eyes lit up with excitement. Kasaiki were one of the market leaders when it came to hoverboard technology, and Akihiko Karasuma had been one of their most prominent technicians prior to being appointed the head of their WHRC effort. They were thus considered one of the front-runners for the inaugural season. There was only one possible reason why such a man could be visiting her at the team garage.

"I'll cut straight to the chase, Miss Natsume," continued Akihiko. "We've been very impressed by your performances this season, and we want you to race for us in the WHRC next year."

Rika almost couldn't believe her ears, or her luck. "M-me?! Race in the WHRC?! For Kasaiki?!!" she repeated, dumbstruck.

Akihiko nodded, amused. "Yes, that's what I just said. I take it from your expression that you're interested?"

Rika nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "It would be such an honour to ride you, sir! I mean, ride for you! Ehh…" She blushed bright red, flustered by her accidental misspeak.

Akihiko gave her a warm smile. "Well then," he said, "why don't you head down to our head office in Kobe sometime so we can discuss this more formally? Maybe, next Saturday?"

"Sure," said Rika. "Now that the season's over, I'll be free for the next few months, pretty much."

"I hope you'll keep training over the winter, though," said Akihiko. "It'd be a shame if you started the season all rusty and out-of-shape."

"Oh, of course!" said Rika. "When I said "free", I meant "free to do whatever I want", and that includes training, obviously."

Kimiko felt like adding in her own endorsement. "She really loves being on that hoverboard," she said. "Some days we just can't get her off it."

"I see," said Akihiko. "Well, in that case, I wish you good luck with your training, and I'll see you next Saturday. With any luck, we'll have the deal signed in plenty of time."

"I sure hope so," said Rika, her excitement barely contained.

"Well, I'll see myself out," said Akihiko. "Good night, Miss Natsume. Oh, and congratulations on winning the HoverGP championship," he added, as he turned to leave.

"Thank you," said Rika. With that, Akihiko waved goodbye and left the pit garage. The moment he was out of sight, Rika let out a loud squeal of excitement. "Did you hear that?!" she said to Kimiko. "I'm gonna be a WHRC driver! This is everything I've been racing for this past year!"

"I know!" said Kimiko, who also seemed excited. "It's amazing! I'm so proud of you, Rika!"

"And it's Kasaiki as well!" said Rika. "With their hoverboard underneath me, I could even shoot for the championship!"

"I'll be cheering you on all the way," said Kimiko. "Now, how about we toast to celebrate?"

"Sure!" said Rika. "Cheers!"

"Cheers!" said Kimiko, and the two clinked their glasses together before taking a hearty swig of champagne.