Doss did not understand the words, but he did not ask further.
"Alright, go prepare for the main race. Let them fight for the championship this year; it's enough for us to get into the top three."
The Kawasaki representative did not continue the previous topic and instructed Doss to prepare well for the upcoming race.
"Doss, what did the boss say?"
"He told us to play it safe and aim for the top three, leaving the rest to Suzuki and the others."
Upon returning, Doss repeated the representative's words to his teammates.
"That's good. If we really had to compete with Lin Shen and them, it would be impossible to play."
Hearing this, Doss's teammate next to him breathed a sigh of relief. They were losing several seconds per lap, so their chances of winning were slim, especially since their bikes were not as robust as Suzuki's.
Endurance races are very demanding on vehicles. In a 24-hour race, the bikes are constantly at high RPMs, making breakdowns highly probable. The reason Suzuki could win endurance races wasn't solely due to their riders' strength, but because the engine of the Suzuki Hayabusa was more durable, requiring less time in the pit, thus saving the team a lot of time.
In the Suzuki pit, all the mechanics were focused on the Suzuki Hayabusa belonging to their rider. Whether they had a chance to win today depended on how tough this bike was.
"Remember, be steady! As long as you stay upright and don't waste time, you have a high chance of winning. Ducati's race cars can't last that long!"
Before the big battle, the representative emphasized this again to his two subordinates.
If they couldn't compete in skill, they would compete with Ducati in pit stop frequency.
"Yes!"
After seeing off the first rider leaving the pit, the representative returned to his seat and focused on the race on the screen.
This year, Ducati was truly rising, whether in MotoGP or other races, the representative sighed inwardly.
The Ducati mechanics pushed the car out of the pit. Lin Yan was also fully geared up, put on his helmet, and was the first to race.
"Don't worry! This is a piece of cake for your husband."
After saying this to Su Mojin, Lin Yan turned and left the pit. As Lin Yan exited the pit, the entire venue erupted in cheers again. The Chinese spectators in the stands frantically shouted Lin Yan's name, with ten thousand people sounding like a hundred thousand. In less than two hours since the qualifying session, these spectators had even hung out banners. This efficiency made Lin Yan turn back for a second look.
Similar to the start of the eight-hour race, the main race started with the bikes positioned on the opposite side of the starting line, while the riders prepared on the other side. Two Ducati staff members held the tail of the race cars across the road, while Lin Yan stood on this side doing warm-up exercises.
Soon, the safety car departed from the starting position, beginning the official pre-race lap. Lin Yan also stopped his warm-up movements and stood still, preparing.
Occasionally, gazes from the surroundings fell upon Lin Yan, but Lin Yan paid no mind, his eyes fixed straight ahead on his race car across the track.
Doss stood beside Lin Yan. Just being close to this legendary figure, he felt an unparalleled sense of pressure, making it difficult for him to breathe. He had heard before that aura could intimidate people, but he had never believed it. Today, he witnessed it. The race hadn't even officially begun, and he had already lost all his confidence.
Soon, the safety car returned behind the starting line, and the race officially began its preparation.
The red flag was withdrawn from the front, and the green flag waved from the back. The entire venue fell silent, the cheers ceased, and the bodies of the nine participating teams and nine riders were all in a half-crouched position.
On the track, the red lights illuminated!
Lights out, start!
As the five red lights extinguished, Lin Yan took a step forward, sprinting towards the race car on the opposite side.
After a short run, Lin Yan reached the car.
He mounted the bike, gunned the throttle, and with a strong push from the two support staff behind him, the car shot forward rapidly, taking the lead.
The distance run was the same, but Lin Yan's starting speed was incredibly fast, swift and steady.
After crossing the start line, Lin Yan stomped down with his right foot, shifting the bike up to second, third, and fourth gear, then down to second again, slowing down to enter the corner. He extended his leg, scraped his knee, hit the apex, and the bike smoothly entered Turn 1.
Doss clearly saw Lin Yan's movements behind him. However, for Doss, this was a good thing, as he could follow...
"Damn, Lin Shen's brother-in-law is actually here to commentate!"
"However, his technique is still a bit raw and needs more practice!"
"That's right!"
......
The speed was incredibly fast. He flipped through the last two corners, and the race entered its second lap.
In the pit, the Suzuki representative gritted his teeth, constantly muttering "Ducati car break down, Ducati car break down" several times. However, the race had just begun, and the car couldn't possibly have problems yet.
In the blink of an eye, half an hour had passed. The spectators in the stands had lost the initial excitement of watching the race and began to take out snacks. This race was going to last a day and a night, so they needed to eat something to sustain themselves.
............................................................................................
In the country of Dongya, in front of a small villa, King Ma and Daniel sat facing each other, drinking red wine. Two Manchus, both around thirty years old, savored a bottle of 1982 Lafite.
"How about it? Isn't this little guy amazing?"