Chapter 65: Chapter 62: Sponsorship to Pursue
Subaru God?
Upon hearing this nickname, Chen Xiangbei chuckled. It seems he also holds the title of South Cloud Mountain Car God.
The underground racing scene doesn’t have much, except for various random cats and dogs who can claim to be gods.
"Hey, kid, you’re pretty composed. Are you not taking the East Sea underground scene seriously?"
Lu Xiaoman noticed that Chen Xiangbei didn’t seem to care, but that’s quite normal. Once one reaches the professional threshold, one often loses interest in most underground races.
After all, the underground drivers’ skills vary greatly. Many times, it’s just a case of rookies pecking at each other. Without challenging opponents, one cannot feel the speed and thrill.
But there’s always an exception. As long as the overall skill level is high enough, it can attract professional drivers, which in turn expands the influence of the underground events.
Just like Los Angeles in the United States, Capital High and Bayshore in Japan, the former Princess Road in Hong Kong, and the early years of East Ocean in Australia.
"Xiangbei, have you heard about the East Sea underground tournament?"
Lu Xiaoman asked again.
"Yes."
Chen Xiangbei nodded. He not only knows but is planning to participate.
"The East Sea underground tournament this year is filled with experts. Many professional drivers will join, like Zhang Zhendong, whose track record you’ve just broken, and Su Kaiqin, the runner-up of the Porsche Carrera Cup."
"Additionally, Gao Hao, the captain of the East Sea SRT Team, specifically wants to race against the Impreza STI driver, which is you. It’s said he studied at the British Motorsports Academy and competed in the ETCC (European Touring Car Championship)."
Speaking of these names, honestly, Chen Xiangbei heard of them in his past life. Except for Zhang Zhendong, he didn’t know the others actually competed in the East Sea underground tournament.
No wonder Qin Lianjie candidly admitted he couldn’t beat them. These guys are already not just ordinary professional drivers; calling them China’s top drivers for the next decade is not an exaggeration.
Their participation is like a dimensional reduction against underground drivers; even familiarity with the track won’t help.
"Sister Xiaoman, you seem quite familiar with the East Sea underground tournament?"
Facing Lu Xiaoman’s detailed introduction, Chen Xiangbei asked a question in return.
"I raced there before,"
Lu Xiaoman replied with a smile. If it wasn’t for her love of racing, she wouldn’t have joined Huasi Sports.
Nor would she have persisted here when Huasi Sports was nearing bankruptcy.
Upon hearing this reply, Chen Xiangbei was curious. In the early 2000s, there were few female drivers in China, and even fewer raced in underground events. He wondered how strong Lu Xiaoman was.
"Sister Xiaoman, what rank did you get?"
"You shouldn’t ask about things that don’t concern you!"
Lu Xiaoman immediately pouted and "chastised" him. Clearly, the answer was already obvious...
Then Lu Xiaoman changed the topic: "Xiangbei, Gao Hao from SRT specifically challenged you to reclaim the spot. Are you interested?"
"Don’t know."
Chen Xiangbei didn’t give a direct answer. He previously considered accepting Light Point Team’s "advertising fee," mainly worrying Huasi Sports might not last until the end of the year, and he might have to train at his own expense.
After all, Chen Xiangbei wasn’t that close with Zhang Zhicong, and Liang Chi’s resources were nearly used up, leaving little room for maneuver in a short time. He had to come up with ways to sustain.
Currently, the trial progress exceeded expectations, and Miyamoto Shigeru even recommended him directly to Japan’s racing headquarters. As long as he gets accepted by the Suzuka Racing School, the training fees would be covered, and his financial needs would become less urgent.
"I think you should participate."
"Why?"
"For the same reason other professional drivers participate."
"Sister Xiaoman, you aren’t suggesting it’s about some underground car king title, are you."
Chen Xiangbei replied jokingly. Professional drivers participating in underground events are common worldwide, as depicted in animations like "Initial D" and "Bayshore Midnight," which all have professional drivers as models.
But they aren’t there for some underground car king title. Even the famous Qiuming Mountain Car God title doesn’t hold value in the professional realm.
Many professional drivers race underground events purely for excitement, just like a cat sneaking for treats.
"Of course not. This event’s participation by so many top professional drivers stems from an important figure watching the race. They want to secure a contract or sponsorship."
"Who is it?"
"Jiuli Sports founder Peng Sheng."
Upon hearing this name, Chen Xiangbei showed a rare expression of surprise. He not only knew who Peng Sheng was, but he almost became a contract driver for Jiuli Sports, which shows he has a deep connection.
Peng Sheng comes from a family with a sports background and had long worked in overseas finance, with a resume somewhat similar to Zhang Zhicong’s.
Influenced by the Olympics in 2008, he returned to China and established Jiuli Sports Company, later investing in the FE Formula E DS Team.
In his past life, Chen Xiangbei was just a step away from F1. Peng Sheng, with great sincerity, personally invited him to join the DS Formula E Team.
However, after much deliberation, Chen Xiangbei declined Peng Sheng’s invitation and chose the WRC events for different thrills, leading to their unfortunate miss.
Unexpectedly, reliving this life allowed him to meet the early stage Peng Sheng again.
"Xiangbei, in the industry, Jiuli Sports is known for its deep background. If you can secure their contract sponsorship, it would greatly help your future Formula racing career."
Lu Xiaoman further reminded him that due to the 2008 financial crisis, most Formula racing teams, including F1, were operating at a loss, making the need for money significant, thereby increasing the competitiveness of pay drivers.
This situation persisted until 2017 when Liberty Media took over F1 event operations, leading to a rocket-like surge in F1’s market value and popularity, with a fivefold increase over six years!
Teams profited greatly from dividends, and with the implementation of the budget cap, event expenses reduced covertly. This gradually diminished the competitiveness of pay drivers, with teams opting for drivers who could secure points.
But for now, defeating ’money power’ requires magical retaliation!
"I understand."
Chen Xiangbei nodded, fully aware of the importance of sponsorship without needing Lu Xiaoman’s reminder.
"But Xiangbei, the course for this year’s East Sea underground tournament will be greatly modified, increasing the racing danger significantly. You need to think it over."
"What has been changed?"
"To avoid hazards and third-party safety factors, the organizers chose a completely closed road that hasn’t been opened yet, allowing professional drivers to race without worries."
"Shouldn’t that be safer?"
Chen Xiangbei questioned, as the untouched closed roads aren’t legally roads, with no pedestrians or third-party vehicle interference, theoretically making them much safer.
"The road hasn’t opened because it’s unfinished, with potholes and loose stones present. There might also be piles of construction materials and other random obstacles."
"More crucially, there are no street lights when racing at night!"
Lu Xiaoman originally thought that after stating the dangers, Chen Xiangbei would ponder seriously.
Unexpectedly, he wore a playful smile instead.
There’s a famous WRC event called Monte Carlo Night Race where drivers have to race at 200 km/h in an off-road track with no illumination, solely relying on headlights.
Honestly, such speeds are akin to driving blindly, demanding the utmost harmony between driver and navigator. Fujiwara Takumi’s ’Lights Off Kill’ is nothing compared to this; it’s truly where the driver flies ahead while the soul chases behind.
Coincidentally, Chen Xiangbei has actually run it!