The corners came one after another, as Ryan kept his composure, each and every turn, just staying concentrated, just taking it on one corner at a time. The car was feeling like it wanted to die, but Ryan couldn't let that happen. He had pole. And he was staying on it, no matter what. Muller went in close as they swept through the left-right hander chicane at the end of the straight leading to Turn 8, Ryan having to brake early but fend his outside tight, as the car slid through, the roaring V10 absolutely beautiful, as Ryan's blood swept through, his forehead sweat covered and every nerve in his body fighting, like absolutely mad. The next straight was just as sweepingly quick, and Turn 11, 12 and 13 were a nice complex, Muller trading a little paint with his bumper, like the tiniest of nudges. Ryan held on. The car was going, and he knew that Gina was right on him, willing to slip through on the one mistake he could make going on the offensive. Through Turn 19 and 20, Lucas pulled roughly 2/10ths of a second away from being basically in the Z4's grill, and the next corner, the penultimate one, wasn't an event. The last one, the kerb rolling under the spent hard compound of the R8's tyres, was uncomfortable, but doable. Getting round, the Z4 close, Ryan floored it. The cheqered flag awaited. ----- Pulling into the pit lane, and then in front of the garage, Ryan cheered, as he stepped out. Lucas watched on, just happy for him, as Lucas took his helmet off and stood on his car, klaxons in the audience blaring. Muller was the real champion, but here, in this race, Ryan had did it. As Gina pulled in, and took her helmet off, Ryan hugged her, a little high on the moment, as he looked over to the podium. "Whoo!" Ryan yelled, as he smiled, just knowing that this moment was too good to ignore. Deep down, however, something said that this was in vain. That he was second anyway. In his first season of GT3, yes. But second wasn't something that felt worthy after today. Not the way he had raced. ---- [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQYsGWh_vpE]OST[/url] The end of the race had been a climactic event, with the whole event being something wicked. It was surreal, just brilliant. First place was good, though second in the series did feel like it had let Ryan down a little. The podium and medals had come out, and it had been a huge event, with at least three hours between then and now. A press conference, a bit of news here and there, and then that was it. It had been a hell of an event. He sat in the garage, head back, looking at his R8. Lucas walked past, patting him on the shoulder. Though that said, Lucas did feel angry. A little betrayed. This was a lot of effort, and not for a lot. Second in the championship was great, but for the first time, he wasn't getting a lot of reward. Maybe others had seen the potential, but the team hadn't. "You did good, kid. Not bad. Second is good, the whole season, in your first go. Not a lot of people get to do that. Gina pulled out a cracker of a performance too. So, what now?" He simply asked, as Ryan looked over. "I don't know. GT3 is good, but I've got a few other offers. Better paid. Better accommodating, in some other disciplines. And I know you don't like your job either. Could move." Ryan simply said, exhaling. "Look, we got the car running as good as we could, there's nothing more we can give..." "No, horseshit. The car was great, we were great, and I'm the first loser. We won't even get bonuses. Second in my first fucking season. Just like you said. You should be getting paid, Gina, me. That sort of performance, from a team that's expected mid table. That includes you. We were asked the world and didn't get the world, so here we are. Lot of money down the pisser. And I don't want to be about when Sean goes through another fucking brief." Ryan simply said, exhaling. "And anyway, I want something new. GT3 was good this year. Touring Car racing was good too, but I'm seriously thinking of going back. Besides, rather than getting stressed out, I want to sit in that car and know I'm not racing for some dick's management scheme." Ryan added, as Lucas nodded. "If that's how you feel then. I'm with you if you go. My bonus will be cut, but wherever the hell you're thinking of going to, it better be good." Lucas replied, as Ryan nodded, taking his baseball cap off as he looked out at the darkness, then at the two R8s, and back to Lucas. "I have a good place to go, I think I have a rough idea." He simply said, as he stood up, looking around, as he checked the time. "Shit, those visitors are meant to be here. Said they'd stop by. Come on, Gina." Lucas simply said, as he headed to the rear exit, looking over. "Gotcha." Heading out, the parked cars sat right in front of Ryan, the sight of a fairly rounded out Scot sitting on the bonnet of a red Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and his feminine partner by her vehicle, both here to visit this particular pair of racing drivers. There were many reasons, many, many reasons. And it brought a smile to Ryan's face, as he saw them both. They looked formidable, like they were good friends, and good rivals on the road. People that were as fast as they said they were. "Second place isn't bad. Good to see you two." Ross simply said, as Ryan chuckled, Ross's face one of confidence, just knowing already of what Ryan felt; even though he didn't race himself, he could tell it from afar. "Don't see you out on the racetrack, Ross." "The road is ours." Ross said, chuckling, as he patted the bonnet of his C63. ----------------- Dubai, United Arab Emirates Part Two: Horsepower [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg25-8fJGaE]OST[/url] The C63 roared, as Ross put his Oakleys down, shifting up as he heard the 6.2l V8 thunder, as the skyscrapers of Dubai lined the streets, Ross pulling right into the exit, the sight of two very fast cars moving through the center of Dubai a centre to see. The sun was out, and the evening was slowly coming in, as the sun did veer off to the West. "Down here, Kimberly, don't look behind! There is a fuckload of police, they look pissed!" Ross added, turning down the music a little, as he braked hard, the rubber screaming as he pulled hard into a tight 90 degree turn, smoke blaring from the rear wheels as the distant noise of cop cars could be heard. "We're approximately four miles out, we've got not long left. Fuck me, whatever we are carrying, I have a horrible feeling it's gonna cost us if we stop, more than just a speeding ticket..." He simply added, overtaking slow moving traffic, moving onto the opposite side of the road, as he slid back in, just gunning it through, the tyre smoke and roaring V8 blaring. Turning left, he moved into a smaller alley, the noise of cop cars flooding, as Ross kept on the gas, just knowing he had to keep up the momentum. The Red C63 had been a beauty, and the Sheikh that wanted this car back, had something inside from Abu Dhabi. Something that needed delivery, and fast. It needed to be incognito too, so Ross being the entrepreneurial person he was, knew that it was always time to have a little bit of a race. No JDM, but muscle, stuff that was going back to the Sheikh afterwards, stock but powerful. And it felt awesome. Pacing back onto the Sheikh Zayed Highway, the traffic building as the day came to a close, Ross put it back into fifth, already thundering back on the pace, weaving through cars, just loving this. Right in the center of Dubai, they were transporting something, and it was total anarchy. "More cops, right ahead! Back off the motorway we go!" Ross added, as he turned right, back off the highway, into some construction work, that he had to smash through a barrier to get through. Keeping the throttle on, he skidded around a crane, aware the police was a little confused, before getting back on the road, continuing to storm down.