Why race if you don’t have money?

Chapter 133 Satoru Nakajima's Graduation Gift
"How will you be here?"

Chen Xiangbei asked a question directly.

To be honest, he wasn't too surprised when Hoshino Yoshi appeared.

After all, the Grand Prix is ​​not just a Chinese event, but a motorsport event for the entire Asian region and even the world.

Japanese professional teams occupy the main positions in the competition, and whether they are touring car drivers or formula car drivers, they all have experience in Grand Prix racing.

For example, Takuma Sato in his earlier years, Kamui Kobayashi and Kazuki Nakajima in recent years, and Takuma Sato and Ayumu Iwasa in the future.

Hoshino Yoshi is a disciple of Suzuki Akuri and has the Honda-affiliated ARTA team behind him. As long as he doesn't completely give up his professional career, coming to Australia is a highly probable event.

In comparison, it is theoretically impossible for Dong Yuanxi to appear here!

"What do you think?"

Dong Yuanxi tilted her head, a playful smile appearing on her face.

Chen Xiangbei had never seen Dong Yuanxi like this before; she was always an ice queen at school.

"how could I know."

Chen Xiangbei shook his head; he wasn't a god.

"Would you believe me if I said I came to watch your match?"

"Do not believe."

Chen Xiangbei gave his answer without hesitation.

Based on the theory of "she likes me," one of the three great illusions in life, Chen Xiangbei believed that even if Dong Yuanxi had some special feelings for him, given her family background and academic excellence, she wouldn't act like a love-struck fool in a TV drama.

It's unusual for her to be here, especially with less than two months left until the college entrance exam!

Dong Yuanxi frowned slightly at Chen Xiangbei's answer.

Then she pouted and replied, "Although there were many unexpected situations along the way, I did come to Macau to watch your match."

"What coincidence?"

"My family's company is the title sponsor of this year's Australian Grand Prix."

Like other sports, Formula One also has a sponsorship mechanism.

The difference is that, in addition to the main title sponsor, each Formula One race can also have its own individual title sponsor.

Take the F1 Chinese Grand Prix as an example. In its early years, the sponsor was UBS, then Heineken, and in the last two years, it has been Lenovo Group.

However, in lower-level Formula racing, due to limitations in influence and dissemination, there are no sponsors for individual races, and even the main sponsor follows F1, serving as a support race.

Only special tournaments like the Grand Prix have independent sponsors.

If Chen Xiangbei remembers correctly, the title sponsor of this year's Macau Grand Prix is ​​Eastern Shipping, whose background is the famous Tung family of Hong Kong.

No wonder Ma Minghan, that scoundrel, always talks about his father, but behaves like a lapdog in front of Dong Yuanxi. It just goes to show that there's always someone better.

"The college entrance exam is just around the corner. Aren't you afraid that coming to Macau to watch the game at this time will affect your grades?"

"I have passed the Cambridge Assessment International Education entrance exam and will be going to the UK to study in September."

"sharp."

Chen Xiangbei nodded in approval.

It seems I was overthinking it. How could a top student like Dong Yuanxi, who consistently ranks at the top of her class, be troubled by the college entrance examination?

Even if she were a poor student, her family background would have made it easy for her to study abroad.

"So, are you going to be a race car driver from now on?"

Since Chen Xiangbei had asked so many questions, Dong Yuanxi took the opportunity to ask one as well.

"Yes, racing is my dream."

Just as Chen Xiangbei uttered those words, the roar of racing car engines echoed from the starting line of the Guia Circuit.

These two cars today are not ordinary performance cars, but professional GT race cars, each with over 400 horsepower and racing modifications, making them unmatched by most supercars.

The roar of the engine is incomparable to that of ordinary performance cars. You don't even need to see the appearance of these two racing cars; just hearing their "fierce" roar is enough for even a layman who doesn't know anything about cars to feel the surging performance power.

Stimulated by the explosive engine noise, the street racers were in a state of high excitement.

Normally, it's difficult for them to even catch a high-level underground race, but today they got to see two professional drivers battling it out in their race cars, which can only be described as an eye-opening feast!
At that moment, a very sexy woman came between the two race cars to act as a race queen.

She reached into her cropped T-shirt, forcefully pulled out a lace-trimmed bra, and then waved it around passionately.

This scene was like adding fuel to the fire, making the already excited drivers even more frenzied, with cheers and whistles ringing out endlessly.

Luxury cars and beautiful women are always the perfect pairing!
"Chen Xiangbei, is this how street racing is done?"

Looking at the carnival scene before her, Dong Yuanxi asked with some doubt, feeling that it didn't quite match Chen Xiangbei's temperament.

In Dong Yuanxi's memory, Chen Xiangbei had always been relatively calm and composed, and she couldn't imagine him being crazy.

"Um...we'll see. Actually, I don't run around on the streets much."

To be honest, although Chen Xiangbei is very famous in the underground car circle, he has not really driven on the streets much.

"Then how did you come to have the title of 'Nanyun Mountain Racing God'?"

"You know this as well?"

Chen Xiangbei was somewhat surprised; aside from the underground car industry, no one should pay attention to this title.

"You forgot? I know you very well."

Dong Yuanxi turned to the side, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.

Looking at her bright eyes and white teeth, even though Chen Xiangbei had been a race car driver for more than ten years in two lifetimes, and his heart had long been focused only on his car and his hands, he still couldn't help but feel a strange flutter in his heart.

As expected, good looks really do represent justice!

Just as the two were talking, the sexy woman tossed her bra high into the air, and Zhang Zhendong and Xingye Yi simultaneously released the clutch, accelerated, and launched their two racing cars into the distance.

However, the difference in strength became apparent at this point. Hoshino Yoshi was clearly faster, and the Honda NSX gradually overtook the front of the Porsche 997 while continuously squeezing and seizing the entry line into the curve.

It can be said that Hoshino Yoshi was flawless in his entire starting clutch and throttle coordination, as well as his tactical control of pressing the car and seizing the line, perfectly suppressing Zhang Zhendong.

This is not just about superior driving skills, but also about a gap in experience!
To be honest, Zhang Zhendong is not weak at all. His achievements in the CKC and Asian Renault Championships are unparalleled among his peers in China.

He has also participated in numerous underground races, earning the title of "Underground King of Racing" in Donghai. If a typical Formula One professional driver were to rashly race against him in street races, even if they were slightly stronger, they would most likely suffer an unexpected defeat.

After all, Zhang Zhendong is also a Formula One driver by training, so his basic skills are very solid.

Unfortunately, he encountered Hoshino Yoshi!

Japan's professional racing system is far more brutal than China's. The "training" begins from the karting stage, and those who can win the F4 championship and be recruited by Honda Suzuka Racing Academy are absolutely the best of the best.

More importantly, Hoshino Yoshi's experience in street racing is in no way inferior to his status as a professional racer!
In terms of proficiency in street racing, he is far ahead of Zhang Zhendong.

This is why Chen Xiangbei dared to accept Zhang Zhendong's challenge.

From the very beginning, Hoshino Yoshi had no chance of losing!

As expected, as the two ran to the T1 pond bend, Hoshino Yoshi, with his skillful lane-stealing maneuvers, directly pushed Zhang Zhendong behind.

And it's visibly clear to the naked eye that Hoshino Yoshimi takes corners faster and has a better line of sight!
To some extent, Zhang Zhendong faces the same situation as Chen Xiangbei: although the Australian Grand Prix is ​​nominally a Chinese domestic race, in reality, mainland Chinese riders are far less familiar with it than Japanese or even European riders.

ARTA Racing Team is a veteran team competing in the Guia Circuit. In terms of track data and cornering trajectory, Hoshino Yoshi once again completely outclassed Zhang Zhendong.

With all the factors in the world—timing, location, and people—out of Zhang Zhendong's favor, how could he possibly succeed?
"Holy crap, this Japanese driver is so good, he seems to be way ahead of Zhang Zhendong in terms of skill."

“Zhang Zhendong is no novice. He won the Asian Renault Championship at the end of last year and also holds the title of the King of Underground Cars in China. The difference is a bit exaggerated.”

"That's right, Zhang Zhendong is a professional Formula One driver who transitioned to touring cars, how could he be outpaced from the start?"

"This Japanese driver said that Zhang Zhendong only deserves to race against Chen Xiangbei after he beat him. Just how strong is Chen Xiangbei?"

"Both are Renault champions, is there really such a big difference between the Asian Cup and the European Cup?"

"It seems Chen Xiangbei's strength is quite exaggerated!"

The Australian drivers on site stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, their faces filled with disbelief.

The vast majority of these are still underground drivers. Compared to Zhang Zhendong, whom we can still get in touch with, Chen Xiangbei is more like a "legendary" figure.

They had a general idea that Chen Xiangbei was very strong, having won the Renault championship in Europe and signed with the Brawn GP team, but they didn't have a specific idea of ​​just how strong he was.

Subconsciously, I thought that with Zhang Zhendong's grades and driving skills, he should be able to compete with Chen Xiangbei.

It now seems that Zhang Zhendong and Chen Xiangbei are not even in the same league!

"Chen Xiangbei is awesome!"

A shout suddenly rang out from the crowd, drawing Chen Xiangbei's attention.

He discovered that it was the same young man who had driven the Audi R8 and called Dong Yuanxi "sister" before.

"Dong Yuanxi, is that your brother?" With this question in mind, Chen Xiangbei pointed over and asked.

"Yes, he really likes racing."

"So you came here with him today?"

Chen Xiangbei looked enlightened; no wonder Dong Yuanxi had appeared at the Guia Circuit out of the ordinary.

"I'm keeping an eye on him because I'm afraid he'll cause trouble."

Dong Yuanxi showed a helpless expression.

Thanks to her interest in Chen Xiangbei, she has a greater understanding of racing compared to the average girl.

Street racing and professional racing are fundamentally different in some respects.

The former was to show off and pick up girls, while the latter was to challenge the limits of speed.

However, many teenagers cannot tolerate the dullness of their profession and prefer the indulgence and flattery of the streets.

Dong Yuanxi was well aware of this, which is why she came along, not wanting her younger brother to get involved in street sports.

Unfortunately, there are many things she feels she cannot stop; she can only watch for a while, not forever.

"By the way, he admires you a lot."

Dong Yuanxi then added a sentence.

"Worship me?"

"He believes you will definitely become China's first official F1 driver!"

When she said this, Dong Yuanxi emphasized her words, and she felt the same way.

A few minutes passed quickly. As the roar of the engine grew louder, two headlights appeared in everyone's sight. The race car in front was, without a doubt, the Honda NSX driven by Yoshiyuki Hoshino.

When Hoshino Yoshihiro slammed on the brakes at the starting line, cheers and applause erupted from the crowd.

Hoshino Yoshi not only beat Zhang Zhendong, but someone also timed his lap time, reaching an astonishing 2 minutes 40.337 seconds, which has surpassed the previous lap record of the Guia Underground Racing.

Zhang Zhendong followed closely behind and returned to the starting line, his face extremely grim!
He never thought he would lose, let alone lose so badly. In the final moments, he could barely see the taillights, which meant he had fallen behind by at least a second.

Zhang Zhendong always believed that his talent was no less than Chen Xiangbei's, but he was just unlucky to encounter the collapse of Huasai Sports, which prevented him from continuing on the Formula racing path. Otherwise, he could have achieved similar results in Europe.

Now he understood why the record at the Huasai base was broken, why the Suzuka Racing Academy in Japan sent out an invitation, and why Chen Xiangbei consistently refused to race against him.

Perhaps the truth is just as Chen Xiangbei said: it's not that he's afraid, but that he's unworthy.

At this moment, Zhang Zhendong felt that all his former arrogance had become a joke!

As the duel ended, Chen Xiangbei said, "I should go."

Hoshino Yoshi and Zhang Zhendong have made a big fuss. Now, it's not just underground racers, but also many local residents and tourists from Macau who have come to watch from both sides of the Guia Circuit.

If this trend continues, it won't just make it into tomorrow's newspaper, it'll at least be uploaded to the internet.

Chen Xiangbei's initial intention was to familiarize himself with the track, and he did not want any unexpected complications at a crucial moment.

Are you coming again tomorrow?

Dong Yuanxi's tone contained a hint of reluctance that was hard to detect; she hadn't expected Chen Xiangbei to leave so soon.

"I'm not coming back. This place isn't suitable for professional drivers."

Just as Chen Xiangbei finished speaking, Hoshino Yoshi pulled up in his Honda NSX.

"Xiang Beijun, get in the car."

Hoshino Yoshi is currently serving as a substitute driver for the ARTA team, and he shares the same concerns as Chen Xiangbei.

This isn't the Japan Bay coastline or the Metropolitan Expressway, so it's not a good thing for professional cyclists to receive too much attention.

Goodbye, Dong Yuanxi.

Chen Xiangbei waved his hand, opened the car door, and got in, his actions and style as swift and decisive as ever.

Goodbye, Chen Xiangbei.

Dong Yuanxi wanted to say something, but given the current situation, she had nothing to say and could only wave goodbye.

This time, however, Chen Xiangbei did not let Hoshino Yoshi step on the gas and leave. Instead, he stuck his head out of the car window and said, "Dong Yuanxi, I'll take you to the team's pit room to watch the official competition."

"it is good!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Dong Yuanxi nodded emphatically in agreement.

As the headlights of the Honda NSX gradually disappeared into the distance, Dong Yuanxi's lips unconsciously curled up slightly.

"Xiang Beijun, is that your girlfriend?"

At this moment, Hoshino asked a question. Although he couldn't understand Chinese, he could sense the ambiguity in their parting.

"No."

"It should be soon."

When did you become so gossipy?

Chen Xiangbei replied irritably, "Hoshino Yoshi is a lone wolf in Japan, and he basically doesn't care about the things around him."

Hoshino Yoshi smiled and said nothing more in response to Chen Xiangbei's complaints.

"By the way, what brings you here tonight?"

"Familiarize yourself with the track."

"Are you planning to change careers?"

"Ah."

Hoshino Yoshi nodded; he did not intend to continue developing in the field of Formula One.

Upon hearing this reply, Chen Xiangbei's expression instantly darkened.

There are only two reasons why Formula One drivers switch careers: either they don't have the results or they don't have the money.

Clearly, Hoshino Yoshimi is the second point.

Formula racing is indeed too expensive. Even if Hoshino Yoshimi received a scholarship from Honda, it would still be difficult for him to sustain his career in this field.

Instead, by transitioning to touring cars or GT prototype racing cars, with Hoshino's Formula One achievements and foundation, he could not only avoid spending money but also quickly obtain racing prize money and sponsorship contracts.

Just like Ma Qingye races Formula One cars in Europe, but occasionally returns to China to participate in touring car races to make money.

Chen Xiangbei could understand Hoshino Yoshi, but felt sorry for him.

If given the choice, who would be willing to give up their dreams?

"I'm sorry, Xiang Bei, we cannot keep our promise to meet at the summit."

Hoshino Yoshiya said this with a touch of sadness. He still remembered the promise they made by bumping fists under the starry sky in Tokyo, the capital of Japan.

I persevered, but ultimately succumbed to reality.

"It's okay, it doesn't have to be the top of Formula One, touring cars or endurance racing are fine too."

Chen Xiangbei smiled and offered a word of comfort.

In a sense, transitioning to a new career path is the fate of the vast majority of Formula One drivers, including myself, who couldn't escape it in my past life either.

This is precisely why perseverance is so valuable.

The Honda NSX quickly arrived at the hotel entrance. Just as Chen Xiangbei was about to say goodbye and get out of the car, Hoshino Yoshi took a file folder out of the armrest box and handed it to him.

Chen Xiangbei took the file bag and asked, puzzled, "What's this?"

"A graduation gift from Principal Nakajima."

What graduation gift?

Hoshino Yoshi's answer left Chen Xiangbei completely confused. Honda Suzuka Racing Academy even had graduation gifts?

"He knew that the Super Dream team did not have Grand Prix track data. The disc here contains a recording of Kazuki Nakajima's running line when he ran for pole position at the Grand Prix, which has great reference value."

"You'll know after reading it."

Kazuki Nakajima is the son of Satoru Nakajima. He represented the ART team in the 05 Grand Prix.

In that year, Kazuki Nakajima secured pole position, while another Japanese driver, Kamui Kobayashi, finished second. This can be seen as a harbinger of a glorious era for Japanese motorsport, with the two future F1 drivers setting the stage for an early showdown.

The competition between the two was so fierce that an accident occurred during the race after the start, resulting in both of them having to withdraw from the race.

However, the pole position video of Kazuki Nakajima is still of great reference value. It also contains track analysis data from the European ART team's strategy group, which is undoubtedly a lifeline for Chen Xiangbei, who is currently lacking in track familiarity!

(End of this chapter)