BUILDING BLOCKS: Gearshifts
A LIMIT GEAR Prologue, part 3
The first racers of the bayside highways of Tokyo shared an incredible bond. It was a combined passion for driving and a determination to be the best at what they did, and yet, at the same time, they shared a fellowship like the world had never seen. All at once, it seemed like they were helping each other as much as they were competing between themselves. It was this dizzyingly amazing concept of teamwork, and competition, that to this day is the standard that every honorable racer longs to live up to.
Most racers still play the game the same way. It begins with a lone driver blazing down a lit road at night. Another will pull up from behind and flash his headlights. If the other driver chooses to accept his challenge, she responds in like manner. From the moment the challenge is accepted, they look for a starting point, and once agreed, they brace themselves to race. Once the starting line is breached, the competition begins.
Some race within an inch of their lives, gunning every bit of horsepower out of their vehicles to win. Wherever the leader goes, the challenger follows. If they become separated, the race is discontinued. Once it becomes implicitly clear that a winner is undeniably present, the athletes slow their monsters back to the relative crawl at which they were traveling before.
Most races end as honorably as they started. Both parties place themselves under the honor of the first street racers to record their status and their win or loss. Those who are recognized as being the best are given the respect and appreciation of their peers. The circle continues as it has for decades, with the veterans passing their knowledge to the newcomers. And as they learn, the bar for performance is raised, as it was for the prior generation, and as it will be for future ones to come.
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