Car Racing without Money

Chapter 852 - 350: Wielding the Broadsword Before Guan Gong

Anyone who has seen the movie "Racing Life" should remember the scene where the protagonist Zhang Chi races across the endless expanse of the Baiyin Brook track in his car.The WRC main race is just like that. The drivers start one after another. Each major stage is about a hundred kilometers and is further divided into around twenty to thirty smaller sections, each with speed and timing checkpoints. This can be simply understood like the corners of an F1 track.

However, while F1 track corners are abbreviated with a "T", WRC small sections are abbreviated as "SS". For example, the third small section is called "SS3".

In addition, due to the WRC rally’s length of over a hundred kilometers, it’s impossible to cover the entire track with cameras like a traditional circuit. Instead, helicopters hover above the track to follow the action, aiming to deliver exciting images to the main grandstand and pit area audiences.

Nonetheless, WRC also has its viewing advantage, allowing fans to experience the cars racing past at almost zero distance.

On both sides of the Monte Carlo track, hundreds of kilometers long, there are stands everywhere!

Of course, standing by the roadside to watch comes with certain risks.

According to historical data, the number of spectator deaths in the WRC is higher than that of drivers. After all, only two people sit in a race car, but a car crashing off the track can hit a crowd.

Additionally, WRC spectators are known for three famous hobbies: pushing cars, eating dust, and picking up parts.

This is because, due to the long stages, neither the teams nor the event organizers can ensure staff is present at every location. If a driver loses control and crashes off the track or gets stuck, spectators on-site need to help push the car back.

You could say every car race has its unique speed and passion. If F1 is a thousand challenges on the same corner, then WRC is a thousand corners each challenged once.

"Xiabei, you’re seventh in line to start, wait for the starting signal."

Ford’s team leader Jones reminded, worried that Chen Xiangbei might not understand the WRC starting rules.

At present, the highest-level A8 group in the WRC has seven participating teams and fourteen official racers, including three factory teams and four private teams.

If the 2008 financial crisis impacted F1, affecting many car giants who chose to withdraw, such as Honda, Toyota, BMW, etc.

Then WRC can only be described as severely hurt; these seven top-level participating teams essentially have only two camps, respectively, Citroen and Ford.

The once-famous Japanese brands Toyota, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and the European giants like Peugeot, Lancia, Volkswagen, Audi, all withdrew from WRC competition around 2010.

However, the withdrawal of car companies does not mean a decline in speed or power. The combination of Citroen and Leb directly created a legendary phase in rally events, which was by no means inferior to the Ferrari Yue Ma Dynasty established by Schumacher.

Until 2013, when Ogier and Volkswagen rose, driving the Volkswagen Polo R WRC car began the starting point for the next dynasty.

Time ticked by second by second, with a start interval of 2 minutes for each vehicle in the WRC, aiming to minimize the dust from the preceding car affecting the following car.

Although ten or so minutes isn’t long, for Chen Xiangbei, it was like "a lifetime ago", as many memories from past rally events flashed like slides in his mind, representing his past unwillingness and dreams.

Now, standing before the F1 throne, he no longer needs rally events’ stimulation to cover his inner emotions and ambitions. This time he can fully enjoy the speed and passion of the WRC.

In a sense, Chen Xiangbei’s "performance" participation this time truly was about fighting not for scores but for himself!

As the starting time approached, Chen Xiangbei engaged the gear and applied the handbrake, his eyes fixed on the launch indicator panel showing the red numbers. As his foot on the accelerator gradually applied more pressure, the engine’s RPM climbed higher, creating a sort of contest with the braking force.

When the number finally switched to 00 and the starting signal light turned green, Chen Xiangbei released the handbrake and floored the accelerator, his tires kicking up the dirt on the ground like an arrow shot from a bow.

Except for initially launching on street and mountain roads using a "wheelie start", Chen Xiangbei hadn’t experienced this clutch-and-gas coordination for a long time. Yet, he performed remarkably, with incredibly quick reaction times in the start process, and the gear and throttle coordination was unbelievably smooth.

Watching Chen Xiangbei’s Citroen race car bolt out of the track, the audience on both sides of the starting area erupted in cheers.

"Chen Xiangbei’s launch is so fast, I didn’t expect him to handle WRC cars so adeptly."

"Obviously, F1 stands at the pinnacle of the racing world’s pyramid, and Chen Xiangbei is the new king of the Monaco Station. This is called dimensionality reduction attack!"

"Don’t overpraise, WRC is not your F1. Raikkonen switched over but didn’t crush Leb."

"The night battle track of Monte Carlo can only be conquered by WRC drivers; even an F1 world champion can’t do it!"

The collision of the top-tier car races of two different types will certainly yield controversy and noise.

If Chen Xiangbei was once the "internal public enemy" in F1, now he has again become a flagship for F1 to stand against WRC’s loyal fans. Everyone believes they are the strongest.

Debates can never yield results; only solid achievements are the undeniable evidence.

"Right 6 curve straight 50 meters."