I became financially independent right after entering college.

Chapter 113 Attack and Defense
After successfully borrowing the car, the bet was officially established. The original track arrangement was cancelled, and everyone moved into the stadium and contacted the track steward to notarize the two of them.

Under the supervision of the track steward, everything was in good order. It was obvious that the track steward had presided over many such non-professional competitions.

Bai Chou and Sun Shengjie each got into their own cars, started from the starting grid, and did a warm-up lap around the track.

Bai Chou's warm-up lap was as aggressive as ever. He almost treated it as a flying lap, braking hard and speeding up.

A well-timed heavy brake application can instantly raise the tire temperature by dozens of degrees Celsius, bringing it up in the shortest possible time. However, if the braking is not done properly, it is very likely to lock the wheel and cause the tire to be worn flat.

Compared with Bai Chou's warm-up lap, Sun Shengjie's running style was much more conservative. He just controlled the Lamborghini to change direction left and right on the track repeatedly, tearing the tire rubber with continuous lateral grip.

This method of warming up the tires is common in professional Formula One races, but it is clearly inappropriate on this track and in this race.

To heat the tires quickly, you should maintain an average speed of around 90 to 120 km/h. Professional Formula One drivers have higher average speeds, and a slow, controlled treadmill is enough to reach that speed.

The average speed of civilian cars is slower, and Wanchi is a small, low-speed track, so we must run at the speed of a flying lap to ensure that the average speed is between 90 and 120 kilometers per hour.

Starting from the warm-up lap, Bai Chou established a considerable advantage: the tire temperature of the Exige was at least 20 degrees Celsius higher than that of the Mavericks driven by Sun Shengjie.

Higher tire temperature brings better grip, and better grip can further narrow the gap in acceleration capabilities between the two cars.

Through this warm-up lap, Bai Chou also figured out important information about the Exige, such as its power output curve, gear shift response speed, and body dynamics during cornering.

This information also strengthened Bai Chou's confidence in outperforming Sun Shengjie.

For Bai Chou, the only flaw of this car is that the gearbox is very bad, the gear shifting lag is relatively long, and often the gear shifting needs to be predicted.

Other aspects can not be said to be perfect, at least it is neither good nor bad. This is enough, such a car is enough to outperform Sun Shengjie's Lamborghini Mavericks.

As the two raced their formation laps, the crowds gathered on either side of the grid excitedly discussed the bet. With the fate of a Lamborghini at stake, how could such a bet not excite people?

The vast majority of people are more optimistic about Sun Shengjie, as the difference in their cars is too great.

If Bai Chou was driving a GT3RS, everyone firmly believed that Bai Chou would be able to beat Sun Shengjie in seconds and run a lap time faster than the Frog King with an M4. His driving skills are no joke.

But Bai Chou was driving an Exige whose engine power struggled to be fully utilized in hot weather. Admittedly, the Exige was well tuned, but the Maverick is also a track machine.

Sun Shengjie is also a good driver. He even specially replaced the Mavericks with track-specific P0TR tires. The performance gap between the two cars is so big that it is unimaginable.

The only ones who firmly believed that Bai Chou could win were the Li siblings.

Li Zhongjiu has experienced Bai Chou's driving skills. Li Xue doesn't know much about racing and is jealous of the Nio. When Bai Chou wins the race, he will take her for a ride in the Nio. Wouldn't that be much cooler than driving a GT3RS?

Amidst the discussions of the crowd, the roar of the engine came from far away. The two track machines that had completed the warm-up lap returned to the starting point one after another and parked side by side in front of the starting grid, like sleeping dragons, emitting low roars from time to time.

Bai Chou was on the inside and Sun Shengjie was on the outside. This was an arrangement that both of them could accept.

【Track layout】

Starting from the inside, the car is closer to the center of the corner and can seize the center of the corner earlier, which is beneficial for Bai Chou to establish an advantage at Turn 1.

However, the cornering lines are basically outside-inside-outside, and the Mavericks have more horsepower. Sun Shengjie can delay braking and use a slow-in-fast-out method when starting from the outside, taking advantage of the Mavericks' horsepower on the nearly 1-meter straight after Turn 400.

In short, both of them felt that I had the advantage.

Li Xue, her face brimming with excitement, held the starting flag, acting as a guest starter. After confirming that both of them were ready, she suddenly waved the starting flag.

Bai Chou instantly released the brake and stepped on the accelerator. The twisted Exige's rear tires spun rapidly and rubbed against the ground. The Exige, ready to go, took the lead over the Lamborghini and sped past Li Xue.

Bai Chou's reaction speed is at the level of an F1 driver, which is obviously faster than Sun Shengjie's.

Immediately afterwards, the gray-black Lamborghini Exige also shot out, passed by Li Xue and chased the Exige from behind, but the gap of about one car body between the two cars could not be made up.

"Hoshinima!"

"What a generous gift!"

"How the hell is this possible? The Lamborghini can't even catch up to the Exige!"

The onlookers, their adrenaline surging, exclaimed in surprise. Bai Chou rushed out faster than Sun Shengjie. They were not surprised, as professional drivers generally have faster reaction speeds.

What really stumped them was the Lamborghini's inability to catch up to the Exige at the start of the grid, despite having more horsepower, better tires, and being a four-wheel drive car.

Why can’t I catch up?
"No, it's possible." Li Zhongjiu's eyes flashed, and he roughly guessed what was going on: the tires, the pressure comes from the tires.

There's no point worrying about the tire warm-up lap method, which is to run the tire warm-up lap as a flying lap. At least it can raise the tire temperature to more than 20 degrees Celsius higher than the Mavericks. Without grip, no matter how high your horsepower is, it's useless.

In addition, the front and rear weight distribution of Exige is approximately 35:65. The weight of the car body is entirely on the rear wheels, and the downforce at the rear is almost endless. You can step on the accelerator without worrying about the rear wheels slipping during the acceleration phase.

The starting straight of the Wanchi track is very special: its starting straight is particularly short, only a little over 100 meters.

During this 100-meter period, Bai Chou, who had a faster start and stronger grip, not only always stayed ahead of Sun Shengjie, but also intentionally or unintentionally drove the car to the outside, suppressing Sun Shengjie.

"Grass!"

Sun Shengjie, who was chasing behind, cursed and gritted his teeth. Bai Chou's route was very subtle. It seemed that there was enough space for him to overtake on both sides, but he felt uncomfortable no matter how he moved.

Overtaking from the inside requires entering the corner earlier, and because it is not the best cornering line, the cornering time will be greatly extended. Overtaking from the outside can cause you to be pushed off the track if you are not careful.

He had been following behind Bai Chou and had no way to take advantage of the Mavericks' horsepower.

Fortunately, the starting straight of this track is not long. Bai Chou, who took the best cornering line and suppressed Sun Shengjie for a while, steered, braked, and downshifted with a heel-toe throttle in one go, using the most perfect tracking braking to cut to the center of the apex.

Then slightly adjust the front of the car to point to the outside of the track, step on the accelerator and accelerate like crazy.

Common sense suggests this isn't the right way to exit a corner. The most perfect way to exit a corner is to adjust the steering wheel appropriately, releasing the brake and pressing the accelerator.

The more you turn the steering wheel, the less you press on the accelerator. The less you turn the steering wheel, the deeper you press on the accelerator.

But this car is an Exige with a front-to-rear weight distribution ratio of 35:65. The rear wheel grip is endless. This weight distribution allows it to open full throttle in advance without worrying about the rear wheel slipping when exiting a corner.

Just step on the accelerator and let Exige do the rest.

"Great!"

Chen Shuyan's eyes lit up. Just by looking at Bai Chou's obviously unreasonable way of exiting the corner, she knew that Bai Chou had mastered this Exige with just one warm-up lap.

There is no formula for racing. Different cars, different tires, different tracks, and even different weather and temperature will change the theoretical fastest running method.

Compared with Bai Chou's silky smooth cornering like a scalpel, Sun Shengjie's cornering is obviously much more struggling. This struggle is caused by the larger body of the car, lower tire temperature, worse technique and more passive situation.

In just one corner, Sun Shengjie had opened up a gap of about 0.2 seconds. By the time Sun Shengjie came out of Turn 1, Exige had already raced for about meters on the straight.

Everyone subconsciously held their breath, and Chen Shuyan clenched her fists, praying for Bai Chou in her heart. In everyone's eyes, this long straight road was the key to determining victory or defeat.

In attack, defense, and pursuit, the one in front holds the absolute initiative. Often, even if the car behind is faster, as long as the car in front doesn't make a mistake in its defense, it can only trail behind and can't overtake.

Exige's performance is almost completely behind Lamborghini. The only way to win is to gain the advantage from the start and suppress Lamborghini, and then avoid being caught up by Lamborghini on the straights.

If the Exige can still lead after this long straight, then the outcome is 50-50. If it is caught up or even overtaken on the straight, then it is almost certain to lose. Exige chasing Lamborghini?
The difference in horsepower of more than 200 is impossible to catch up, and even if you catch up, you can't surpass it.

The roar of the engines resounded through the sky as the two cars sped along the straight. The Lamborghini's horsepower was completely unleashed, closing in on the Exige at an astonishing speed.

Guard against him, aren't you a professional Formula One driver? Show us your superb defensive skills and defend like a lion!

Chen Shuyan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, secretly cheering for Bai Chou.

However, what no one expected was that the Exige did not react at all as it kept approaching, as if it was running a flying circle. The body of the car did not swing at all, allowing the Lamborghini to pass by.

Finished!

Just after running two-thirds of the way down the straight, the Lamborghini with its explosive acceleration ability crushed the Exige into pieces in seconds and took the lead. Chen Shuyan's heart sank to the bottom.

She really didn't know how the chasing Exige could beat the Lamborghini.

In the cockpit, Bai Chou had a blank expression on his face and even wanted to laugh. He never expected to be able to stop Sun Shengjie on the straight road. How can you tell me how to stop him with a gap of nearly 300 horsepower?

There is a saying among amateur racing drivers: Everyone knows how to step on the accelerator on a straight road, but going fast in a curve is the real fast.

This sentence is regarded as a guiding principle by many track enthusiasts.

But there is a saying in the F1 circle: Everyone can brake in a corner, but going fast on a straight is the real fast.

The horsepower gap is close to 300. Not to mention Schumacher, even if Schumacher, Alonso, Senna and Hamilton were possessed by their souls at this moment, they would not be able to stop Sun Shengjie.

It’s just that it’s faster than you, it’s that it can blow you up, you can’t stop it.

After overtaking Bai Chou, Sun Shengjie opened up a distance before using steady tracking braking to handle the slow U-turn at Turn 2.

Won!

After overtaking Bai Chou and leaving him a distance, Sun Shengjie already had the idea of ​​opening the champagne in advance. He also didn't know how Bai Chou, who was overtaken on the straight, could beat him.

Even in a trance, Sun Shengjie couldn't understand whether Bai Chou was deliberately giving in to him to help him and Chen Shuyan.

Otherwise, why wouldn't he drive a crippled Exige when he has a GT3RS? Should I find a way to give him a different sports car to resolve the conflict?

Thinking of this, Sun Shengjie glanced at the rearview mirror casually and his expression changed: Exige, which he had left more than ten meters behind, actually came out of Turn 2 right behind him.

His more sophisticated cornering technique and smaller body instantly wiped out the advantage he had built up on the long straights.

Until the finish line is actually crossed, it is still unknown who will win.

Sun Shengjie stopped daydreaming and concentrated on controlling the Lamborghini Maverick under his seat with bated breath. After moving it a little further, he continued to attack the fast turn No. 3 and the right-angle turn No. 4.

He now has an absolute advantage, but he cannot let his guard down before crossing the finish line.

Turn 5… Turn 6… Turn 7… Turn 8…

This was the case with every subsequent turn. With his more sophisticated skills and smaller body, Bai Chou used faster cornering to shorten the distance between the two cars. The most recent time, he even bit the Lamborghini's butt in the middle of the turn.

But after exiting the corner, the Lamborghini will quickly pull away a little bit with its greater horsepower.

There are no long straights between these turns, and Lamborghini's high horsepower is almost completely sealed, but it still has some advantages after all.

Basically, Sun Shengjie believed that he had already grasped the absolute initiative. As long as he did not make any mistakes in the next few turns, Bai Chou would not be able to beat him.

Just when Sun Shengjie thought victory was in his grasp, the Exige, which had been following the Lamborghini without any success in several consecutive corners, suddenly swayed to the inside before Turn 9, as if it wanted to enter the corner early.

Are you fucking crazy!
Sun Shengjie gritted his teeth. The Exige was still a car body's distance away from his Lamborghini. Entering the corner too early at this time would undoubtedly result in a huge loss of time.

But in an offensive and defensive battle, the overall time lost is not important, as long as you reach the finish line faster than the opponent.

There are only three or four turns left to reach the finish line. If Exige can enter the corner early and occupy the center of the corner and exit the corner first, he can regain the lead and maybe even make it all the way to the finish line.

You absolutely cannot give in at this turn.

Sun Shengjie was determined to fight Bai Chou to the end. He turned the steering wheel sharply and entered the corner early, competing with Bai Chou for the initiative in Turn 9.

Sun Shengjie reacted quickly and took the lead in occupying the inside line of Turn 9 after sacrificing overall time and cornering speed.

This is also normal. Turn 8 is a high-speed corner that is equivalent to no speed. There is a long full-throttle section between Turn 7 and Turn 9. Lamborghini has already opened up a little distance.

Even if Bai Chou tried to enter the corner first, it would be difficult for him to overtake Sun Shengjie at Turn 9.

In the cockpit of the Exige, Bai Chou finally smiled. After diverting Sun Shengjie to the inside line of Turn 9, he reversed the steering wheel and steered the Exige, with the right front wheel close to the left rear wheel of the Lamborghini. He entered the corner slowly and exited quickly, leaving the corner early and heading towards Turn 10.

At this moment, a very funny and incredible scene appeared on the track: the Lamborghini, which had clearly come out of Turn 9 one step ahead, was actually side by side with the Exige before Turn 10, and was running on the outside.

"Grass!"

Sun Shengjie cursed, realizing that Bai Chou's real intention was to attack at Turn 10. Unfortunately, it was too late to realize this now.

There is a long full-throttle section between Turn 7 and Turn 9, and the Exige, which is left behind, finds it difficult to take action at Turn 9.

However, Turn 9 is the next turn after Turn 10, which is an S-shaped combination of turns with continuous backturns. Lamborghini's horsepower advantage cannot be brought into play. On the contrary, the smaller Exige has an absolute advantage in this combination of turns.

Moreover, because the Exige passed Turn 9 from the outside, it ran to the inside after turning around, occupying a more favorable entry line.

Without any mercy, Bai Chou maneuvered the Exige to get one step ahead of the Lamborghini from the inside, braked steadily and followed the trajectory into the center of the bend, and then relied on the powerful rear downforce of the Exige to open the throttle in advance to get out of the center of the bend.

Exige, took back the lead.

Sun Shengjie, who followed closely behind, was extremely anxious and tried to overtake Bai Chou at Turn 11 and Turn 12 to regain the lead, but failed both times.

What Bai Chou got was Leclerc's 19-year-old driving skills, and the 19-year-old Leclerc had already entered F1. Compared with F1 drivers, Leclerc's various skills were still very immature.

But before entering F1, Leclerc had been racing in open-wheel karting for more than ten years, and had fought countless times on the track with the world's best and most talented young drivers.

After Turn 10, there is no longer a full-throttle section as long as between Turns 7 and 9, so Lamborghini's horsepower advantage cannot be fully utilized.

Without a significant horsepower advantage, how could Sun Shengjie possibly surpass Bai Chou, who was built up through countless efforts and sweat?

类似的回头组合弯还有6号与7号，但考虑到7号弯与9号弯之间的全油门路段，白愁还是选择在10号弯动手。

As long as he overtakes at Turn 10, Sun Shengjie will never be able to catch up.

On both sides of the starting grid, Chen Shuyan and others who had been waiting for more than a minute were eagerly looking forward to it. When they saw the blue and black Exige take the lead from Turn 12 and cross the finish line half a car body ahead of the Lamborghini, they all exclaimed in surprise.

"How can this be?"

"Can you actually win?"

(End of this chapter)