Tempokai

  I'm a midnight racer in these mountains, but I take it slow. Many of the trails are simply too narrow to risk a head-on collision with another vehicle. The roads here aren't known for their safety either, and those that aren't in bad shape can't be trusted.

  It was an ideal pce to practice drifting, even if you were alone. There were no other cars around, just me and my own thoughts. It's peaceful. Calm. Sometimes too quiet.

  The sun had set long ago, but the sky still seemed bright. New LED streetlights cast a dull glow on the road ahead of me. My headlights shone through the fog as I drove through the mountain pass.

  There are no radio stations up here, so I turn off the sound system and listen only to the sound of the engine. My cup beside me is full of water, I use it to see the bance of my car when I change gears or brake hard. Do you know how much inertia there is behind a moving object? The same applies to driving. If you don't have enough speed going into an apex-a corner where two curves meet-you're going to spin out. And once you lose control, all hell breaks loose, because it doesn't matter what kind of car you're in: All four wheels are headed straight for whatever they hit first. A wall, a guardrail, a tree trunk...whatever happens, the result won't be pretty. But I've learned not to worry about anything but getting from one point to another without crashing.

  My old but reliable Subaru has been with me since high school. It's seen better days, though. Its body is scratched up like a war veteran's face, its paint has faded to a pale white, and it looks tired after every run. This is from the outside, but inside she was a beauty of post-production. After countless hours of tuning the suspension, exhaust, brakes, tires, and everything else under the hood, she became a real weapon on the track. Not quite as fast as some of my friends' new models, but way faster than most stock cars.

  I won't lie, I've been lucky. Or maybe blessed would be more accurate. When I first started racing, everyone thought it was a waste of time and money to try to get good results. No one took us seriously, especially our teachers, who couldn't understand why we would spend our free time doing something pointless instead of studying. My driving teacher almost scolded me for wasting his valuable time teaching me how to drive properly, but he ended up learning a lot himself. He told me that if I kept this up, I might make it big one day. Of course, that didn't happen.

  The Japanese government got tired of the midnight racers destroying public property and causing accidents during their illegal races. They decided to crack down on them by facilitating special tracks and having the police investigate those who broke the w. At st count, there were over 10 different tracks across the country. Some were built specifically for drifting, others for various types of motorsports. Many were designed with the help of professional drivers.

  That was 5 years ago. The trend is definitely not that popur anymore. Most people think it's me. What's cool now is taking pictures while driving expensive cars. Yeah, right.

  Most tuners are now forced to work within the confines of regutions, which means less freedom to tinker. Which makes sense, considering how dangerous things could get otherwise. For example, if you wanted to modify your engine to make more power, you couldn't do it without a permit from the local authorities. Or even change the color, you need a permit for that. I mean, come on, you gotta draw the line somewhere.

  Still, I love my car.

  As I reach the top of the hill, I begin to look ahead again. There is a sharp left turn ahead.

  And I did the drift sequence, which consisted of three quick turns and a final hairpin. With the rear end sliding around in a controlled way. I never liked turning before, but tely I've gotten used to it.

  This is usually where I stop, but today I decide to keep going until I cross a small bridge. The mountainside falls away below me, creating a magnificent view. It's dark, so there's nothing to distract me, so I can concentrate on driving. I shift gears and accelerate, leaving the bridge far behind me.

  A perfect night for a ride.