- Eurobase -

[Lizkay]

"Keep an eye on these who mastered this lane already and learn!" Kai left with these words and so Lef was alone on the hill watching the so called 'Dirt Lane' in front of him, a quite nice view from where he could see all the tricky turns, the pits and the normally hidden obstacles. He recognises that there where still a few cars on the lane, training, which wasn't really a wonder since the Rallye and Autocross season was just before it's official start.

The lane is a well known and quite popular one, also used to seperate bad drivers out, these who manage this lane will manage every other also. The lane wasn't new for Lef's team these days, Kai, who was actually the 'preacher' for Lef in all the past races knows the lane better than anybody else, but still, they never managed it to win the official rallye on this lane and everytime Lef remembers the racing days he could kick himself, always such stupid mistakes which made him fail in the past "... but this year..." he says driving down the hill finally reaching the big free place behind the lane where a few tents seem to fight endless fights against the heavy wind. The weather was bad these days, it just rained the last three days and the ground transmuted into a sticky piece of mud, which made the whole rallye event even a level more difficult.

Lef could find one of the team members inside the little red and black tent of his team. "Hey, I am driving back to the city, checking some stuff, ya know... maybe I can find a challenge to give myself a little bit special training." "No problem, but be careful this city is full of a lot cars who don't only want to drive in circles for fun.. just so you know..."

Lef leaves the dirt lane area and takes the short Autobahn (freeway) to the center of the city. The city wasn't that big, middle size but still full with too many cars these days, because of the starting races on the rallye and the touring car racetracks. A lot of other racers, tuners, rallye fanatics and whatever car may fit in this spectacle was there. The city prepared for these eventful days, the rest of the year the city isn't more than just a collection of a few houses, but in the race days it is full of life and action.

((OOC: Suzi wished that I post the start for the eurobase rpg, I tried to wrote the intro quite neutral so that you can choose if you want to be a car in the streets of the city, part of the rallye or the touring car guys... whatever, mainly it's supposed to play in the scenes besides the races on the tracks, but if desired it also offers to play racing scenes... and yes, I love rallye/autocross.. and dirt! ;D and it is all supposed to play in europe, didn't add any specific state, but whatever you may prefer, it could be in germany, france, italy.. whereever...))

[ridshadowfox]

((I know a little bit about ralley racing so I'll stat with my character as a back up driver.))

Melody waited at the team's tent. She was her brother's back-up driver if he was to get hurt. They both raced for the Martini race team. Her brother bore the dark/light blue stripes with the red in between like all the other Martini race cars.

Melody however had a metalic purple between the blue stripes. This made it impossible for her to be the main driver, unless she was willing to have them painted over... but she wasn't. So they agreed to let her stay on the team as the back-up driver.


((Ok Melody and her brother are both Ford Focus Martini Ralley cars.))

[SuziDragonlady]

Chakée was cruising through the city, there was much going on in the last time. The big rallye and touring car events were starting in a few days and he just did not want to miss something.

---

"Do you really want to do that?" "Of course!" Annika answered when her team leader Rolf asked her that question the third time.
"I know that it is a very difficult lane, I'm not a beginner! I have participated and won on a few other..." "But not on this one..." Rolf cut her off.
"Will you support me now doing this or not?" Rolf grined "... do I have an alternative?"
Annika smiled and nudged him then she left the tent.
Rolf's expression changed when she had left the tent, he looked worried I believe in her but this rallye...

((I will add the descriptions of Annika and Rolf to the Profiles))

[Lizkay]

Lef finally arrives in the city center, a meet up place for all types of cars ,a few were simply enjoying a cool can of oil ,meanwhile others were studying the posters and notices on the banners with the team and race informations of the up coming days. Though needless to say, the whole city was split into two big parts, the elite, the so called "Track Raiders" the touring cars, these who drive the "real" races on the big race cricuit to win the grand prix of the year and to get qualified for the world championship. And on the other side, there were the Rallye and the Autocross drivers, the dirty business but for a few the only way to get involved into legal racing at all. Meanwhile everybody who has enough money for a little team could start at the local Rallyes, it was a lot harder to get inside the touring car scene, the starting fees are that high, the only chance is to get a big sponsor or win enough rallyes to get enough money.

Lef started to observe the groups of cars in front of him, there was the popular Snyder Team with the candidate for the next world championship, and inevitable both recognised each other. "Oh it's the Diesel boy!" said Snyder driving into Lef's Direction. "Are you still dirt sweeping? HarHar." and the group following him started to laugh heavily. "Snyder, listen, I am not here to discuss with you.. we had that already..." Lef wants to leave but Snyder blocks his way. "You didn't answer my question Diesel boy!" "Look Snyder, only about 2% of the whole world is asphalted, so where do you want to be good on? On the asphalt or the dirt?" Snyder's annoying expression was more than obvious and Lef turned around and left in another direction. "We will meet again and than I show you what real 'driving' means!" Lef ignored Snyders last words and drives onward, suddenly he crashes into another car because he was still a bit away with thoughts, the orange and black paintwork of the car he crashed into was more than eye-catching...

--

Kai returned to the team tent of his and Lef's team the 'Dirt Sweepers' and found out that Lef left. "Great, I thought he will stay, look and learn, it is hopeless with him and his stubborness!" Kai went outside and felt a few drops on his bonnet. "Great, just as if we hadn't already enough..." his view rambles around the area, and he recognises a team tent nearby theirs, the Martini Racing team. "Heh, I should go out and make a test drive with the new off-road tyres... instead of observing here..." he says to himself, but looking at the more and more worse weather he starts to loose his motivation to drive out there in the mud and dirt...

[SuziDragonlady]

"Hey Hey! Watch where are you going!" Chakée looked a bit closer and noticed Lef's venyls "... hmm? Are you one of these rallye racers?"

---

Annika was not sure what she should do now, do a bit training or relax. She decided to look around a bit and maybe talk a few from the other teams, she was curious who all the other participants are.
Annika noticed that it started to rain a bit again, but that would not stop her from having a lil bit fun.

[fierano]

((Let's see what happens when I throw my "German" character amongst you German(-based) character handlers. XD))

Jens Glimmer watched all of this while sipping some Mobil-1 and lounging at the café closest to the invisible border between the pro and amateur sections of the city. Watching those rallye and other tuned racers scurrying about whatever they were doing reminded him of days long past, when there really was a nice big border between the refined and crude parts of the country, and it puzzled him why (the right kind of) Western influence was taking so long to at least rub off on his deprived Eastern comrades. Of course, he did consider himself quite lucky that there were some Easterners with good taste.

Those ones being the ones that helped take his racing career to heights even he'd never dreamed of.

And here he was, DTM's legendary Silber Zwei, trying hard not to garner the attention of all those crazy fans who could easily pick out his almost chrome-like silver hide as much as they did with Michael Schumacar's scarlet. Autograph-signings were quite the chore, even compared to his training.

Glimmer ducked under a nearby awning as it started to rain. For some odd reason, the raindrops literally glimmering off of his silver was eerily attractive particularly to his legions of fangirls.

"Look at 'em over there," said a Bora waiter ((and yes, I do know what a Bora is. XD)) observing some of the goings-on across the 'border,' "That seems like a lot of fun."
"Probably for you..." replied the Merc-Beamer hybrid. "You wonder if that's as far as most of them will ever go."
"Don't be so stuck up. I'll bet my badge that you probably started off in races like that."
"I did...but even you'd know that I was just lucky to find a way out." The array of high-profile sponsor decals accenting his silver paintjob testified to that. "You remember what happened at Hockenheim that year."
"Sort of..." To the Bora, Glimmer's pre-DTM career was pretty much a mystery apart from that brutal accident. "Why don't you go over there and have a look, at least. It's still about a week before you even start your regular practice...and that's at least a full month before the next season. Maybe it'll bring back some nicer memories."
Unfortunately, the mental part of his rigorous training regime had not left him with any memories of his pre-DTM career considered "nice." Still...
"I guess. Maybe they could even get inspired for something better."
The waiter, unfortunately, could not detect the rampant sarcasm in that comment. "Maybe..."

Glimmer left a few crisp Euro bills of rather high value (Premium Mobil did NOT come cheap these days, especially in Europe) to pay for his refreshment before rolling over to the nearest source of racing action. He was already mentally bracing for the condescending insults that racers like those would very likely launch at him.

[Lizkay]

"Argh! Hey, you tuned vehicles have a lot talent to be in the way!" Lef started to look around slightly nervous, he didn't broke anything off his spoiler and Snyder didn't see his little crash, good in the end. "Yes, do you have any problems with Rallye cars? I suggest you... okay forget it, I have to check other things..."

Snyder left the center using the main-entrance, on the way out he starts to talk with one of his closer team-members "Keep an eye on this Diesel guy and his team." "Why boss? He is just a little dirt sweeper as you said!" "Maybe, but I think I saw that face already somewhere else, that scar in his face... reminds me of a old story, which worked a cricuit in diverse elite and non-elite car groups, ya know..." "What?" "You know the triple WTCC* master? I think they call him 'Ray' now." "How could I not know him?" "I think this Diesel guy is the lost son they never mention." "Impossible!" "Yeah I know, a quite creative thought, but keep an eye on him, so that I can be sure it is just phantasm..." "Okay..." "So I will go back now and search for some better entertainment and meet with a few old friends from DTM* and BTCC* times, see ya..."

--

Kai drove back into the dry tent, but still looking outside, the rain was getting more intense. "Where is he, he is already away for over one hour, I think he wants to learn something...damn..."

(*WTCC - WorldTouringCarChampionship, *DTM - DeutscheTourenwagenMeisterschaft *BTCC - BritishTouringCarChampionship)

[SuziDragonlady]

"Hmm, you are very lippy for such a small rallye car!" Chakée was not happy about the fact that this guy did hit him but he was also curious and maybe he could know more about the races from this rallye racer, or even get shown something from behind the scenes...
"Hey dude, I know something how you could make up for this "incident"..."

[fierano]

Glimmer approached the barriers lining the edge of one of the courses, the rain starting to pane off his silver paint scheme. He watched as a few stubborn racers continued to speed around the course, their determination undaunted by the weather...unlike their coordination. One of them span out and came to a rather gentle halt at the barriers near him.

Well, they've got the determination, at least.

The Silber Zwei backed off and headed toward another set of racers. This time they appeared to be arguing over something...

[Lizkay]

Lef looks annoyed at the orange black tuner car "Why the heck do you think I should 'make up' for this? That is definitely not necessary and I have other more important stuff to do." Lef looks up to one of the big digital advertisement screens to check the time, he was already a half hour too late. Hmm, if it's that late already I could stay and watch the opening spectacle of the touring car scene, he says to himself. "So drifter boy, I need to go, bye bye!" Lef turns himself around on his own axis and leaves with squeaking tyres, being sure that the strange car will follow him...

--

Snyder reaches the end of the stage behind the barriers besides the main court of the circuit. "Tztz now there are still cars outta there in this weather..." He looks around, trying to find some of his old colleagues from past race days. "Just a few minutes and the official sponsor will open the touring car racing season here, heh, I still can't believe it is the boss of the SB Design Corp. that is somehow quite inappropriate HarHar!" The places behind the barriers and in front of the stage gets slowly filled with cars, racers, tuners and all the other ones who just came to look.

... meanwhile at the other end of the stage.
"Just as if they arranged it specially for me, look at that damn weather and all these... these disgusting racers outta there, I just can't look at it, and seeing all my nice clean money go for this spectacle makes my bonnet hurt...augh!" more than just a few cars surround Siegfried a few are simply here to look, meanwhile the biggest part were from his own manager group. "You need to smile, they won't buy your products if you aren't lucky wearing the parts!" says one of the female assistants. "How can I smile with all... all that... okay I will try my best, now get out of my way I need to hold a speech and open the race season... and hopefully get a big bunch of new customers!" Siegfried drives onward and finally stops at the end of the stage.

"Ahem, so my dear racing colleagues, guests and watchers, I welcome you to this quite unique racing event, where I am ...and only I am... will be the head sponsor. The winner of mainrace will not only get qualified for the WTCC no he or she will also get a one year contract of europe's most noble sponor, the SB Design Corp. Well so I wish us all some nice racing days on the beautiful touring car circuit of Kolbenheim!"

and Siegfried leaves again, the groups started to bawl in a positive way but that doesn't really seem to impress him. "Yargh, and the first thing I do with the car who wins the sponsoring is to remove all these damn stickers... gosh these cars have no imagination for perfection and beauty... *sigh*"

Snyder listended also quite unimpressed though the idea of getting all the money still caused a nice feeling in his deeper mind.

--

"Argh, I know I am going to miss it...damn!" says Lef still driving faster as he should....

[SuziDragonlady]

"Drifter boy??.... EY! Wait!!" Chakée followed him. Maybe that guy knows something about driftin too? Hm, and a lil street race would be not bad either now... I need some action...

---

The rain reached a not so comfortable level allready, Annika ignored that and was cruising through the area where all the rallye teams had their tents. Hmm, seems that not many want to train now because of the weather...

[Lizkay]

"Ey! What ya doin' boy, leave me alone, if it's your fault that I miss the opening of the racing season... than prepare..."
Lef had to stop in front of the center, because a lot of cars where driving out of it. "Argh! It is over already, and it's your fault! You.. you...! What do you want at all?"

[SuziDragonlady]

"Ha? What? Are you crazy? Remember, it was you who did hit me! *hmm* Do you know a place by any chance here, where we and maybe also a few others can race or drift a little? And just have some fun?"

[fierano]

((Is Detlef at Kolbenheim? It'd be interesting for Jens to meet Sigfried. Maybe DFC is SB Design's rival. XD))

Glimmer did indeed follow the angry Golf all the way to the incoming traffic. Many of the cars did notice the silver DTM champion but expectedly, none of them stayed to ask for his autograph. Which suited him, as he was engrossed with the conversation...

"I'd like to join too..." he adds rather apathetically.

[Lizkay]

(( they are all in Kolbenheim, there is the city with the racing center, Lef reached it but came to late to see the opening, only the dirtlane rallye track is outside the city ))

"Wha? What is this here a family meet or what?" Lef tried to put up a constrained smile, he wanted to see the opening with this new sponsor, since his team would need every little piece of money they could get, thinking about that a new thought pop up in his head. "So you guys want a race? One thing a lot teached me in the past is to not do something without a real reason behind, to say it with other words, add some thrill, add some money!" Lef turned around to see inside the racing center which was empty now. "You..." he looks at Glimmer " seriously don't look short by chash and you..." he looks at Chakée "... whatever you are, you still seem to have enough courage to be up for a bet. So what do you guys say, I am not the type for drifting, you need slicks to do that, I have my off-road tyres on, so whatever you are up to, I would..." he looks up to one of the advertisement screens again who are all showing up the SB Design Corp. Logo now, to see the local time. "... I would say, let's meet at the driveway to the Autobahn on the southside in one hour, I need to handle something in the meantime...."

*Just as if I wouldn't have enough problems already* he says to himself *Kai is shortly before getting insane I guess, the rallye team qualifying is tomorrow... but hey, if this isn'T a good training what could be...*