The 300cc class, though slower, is indeed a category prone to accidents.
As the time approached four in the afternoon, Sun Kai emerged from the pit lane clad in his riding gear. At this juncture, he had to push through, otherwise, returning would only invite mockery.
Sun Kai's ride was a Ninja 400, professionally modified by a technician, making it quite competitive among all the participating vehicles.
Currently, his technician was conducting the final checks on his race bike. In a competition like this, any carelessness was unacceptable.
The brake lines, calipers, and oil hoses were all inspected, with a particular focus on all safety-related equipment.
Gazing at the somewhat dim sky, Sun Kai inwardly cursed. To race in such a dangerous competition under this weather was utterly exasperating.
Despite his grumbling, Sun Kai diligently began his warm-up and drew lots.
His luck in the draw was quite good; he drew number one, the first to start. This came as a surprise to Sun Kai. They say good-looking people have good luck, and it seems to be true.
Starting first significantly improved Sun Kai's mood.
Although he might not win first place, being the first to start was quite prestigious and guaranteed maximum exposure.
With preparations complete, Sun Kai mounted his bike and positioned himself at the starting line. As the first starter, he didn't have much preparation time; as soon as the referee called him, he had to go.
Seeing the audience watching him, Sun Kai felt a sense of accomplishment.
Damn it, this feeling of being watched was truly exhilarating.
Time was up, all riders were ready. The referee, standing two meters away from Sun Kai, gave him a signal. Sun Kai nodded, indicating he was ready.
Throttle to the floor, clutch held tight, Sun Kai pressed his entire body onto the fuel tank. Due to his short legs, he couldn't place both feet on the ground, only one.
The referee waved the flag, the clutch was released, and the Ninja 400 shot forward from the starting position.
While Sun Kai's launch wasn't as stunning as those in the preceding two groups, it was passable.
The green Ninja 400's front wheel lifted, its rear wheel powered, and it surged forward.
The sound of the twin-cylinder engine wasn't particularly melodious, but it was still thunderous. On the starting straight, Sun Kai pushed the bike to its limit.
It easily broke through two hundred kilometers per hour. Hearing this, a cheer erupted from the stands. Sun Kai maintained a calm demeanor, but inwardly, he felt a surge of pride.
The first stage was the Balegaari section, a continuous mountain road with undulating terrain. Sun Kai rode cautiously here, slowing his speed as much as possible.
Small displacement bikes are not fast, but they have a drawback: they require frequent upshifts and downshifts, which greatly impacts the rider and can be distracting.
This was one of the reasons Lin Yan had mentioned the higher danger level of this group.
Braking, downshifting, Sun Kai extended his knee before each corner, preparing for knee-dragging.
Most corners were taken at speeds over a hundred kilometers per hour. For larger displacement bikes, third or even second gear would suffice, but for small displacement bikes, it was almost like taking corners in sixth gear.
Frequent gear changes could easily lead to fumbling. Sun Kai bore this in mind.
At the first corner, which wasn't very sharp, Sun Kai didn't downshift to use engine braking. He directly applied the brakes and took the corner in sixth gear. His body leaned in, hips pushed out for knee-dragging, and his helmet skimmed the roadside wall as he sped past.
It was impossible to say he wasn't afraid. Apart from simulators, this was Sun Kai's first time scraping past walls on corners. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Exiting the corner, he shifted his weight. Sun Kai fought to suppress the physiological fear within him.
The continuous series of weight shifts and cornering so close to the walls directly sent Sun Kai's heart rate above 150 beats per minute from the start.
This wasn't racing; it was risking his life. In that instant, Sun Kai understood the true essence of the Isle of Man.
Lin Yan watched from his RV for a long time. Sun Kai was doing alright; at least, he hadn't made any mistakes so far.
Lin Yan's definition of a mistake wasn't crashing, which would essentially mean the end. He was referring to the accuracy of braking points and gear selection.
Through several continuous mountain corners, Sun Kai's gaze remained focused. Despite being scared, his weight shifts were relatively smooth, his knees grinding hard against the ground.
"Honey, these riders rarely drag their knees."
After watching a few riders, Su Mojin posed a question. Lin Yan found himself becoming Su Mojin's little Q&A assistant just by watching the race.
After briefly answering Su Mojin's question, Lin Yan's phone rang, and he received a message.
Wei Hua was found?
Lin Yan frowned at the message on his phone. This contained quite a bit of information.
"Have they caught him?"
Lin Yan typed back, and the reply came quickly.
According to the latest news from Adong, they haven't caught him yet, but it's only a matter of time. With the Lin family on his tail, it's very difficult for anyone to escape.
Putting away his phone, Lin Yan continued to watch the event. Sun Kai was now about to enter the second sector, which was the sector next to where Lin Yan and his group were.
The Black Bear section.
The main issue with the Black Bear section was visibility. The interplay of sunlight and shade, with the scorching sun filtering through the gaps in the trees onto the riders' helmets, significantly impaired their vision.
As Sun Kai entered the Black Bear section, he immediately felt the dappled, glaring sunlight, his eyes blinking from the irritation.
Damn it, this damned light is terrible.
Sun Kai cursed inwardly, forcing himself to keep his eyes open. Closing your eyes on this kind of road would be suicidal.
Besides the dappled, glaring sunlight, the ground in the Black Bear section was also difficult to see due to the sun's reflection. Sun Kai had to slow down, prioritizing stability over speed.
Sun Kai made a few minor mistakes in the Black Bear section, but they weren't major ones, and he successfully passed through to the third sector.
Lin Yan took advantage of the downtime to observe another Chinese rider. Sun Kai's speed had significantly decreased in this section, and he likely had no hope of advancing. He wondered about the other rider.
Lin Yan had another objective for this trip: to scout for talent. Of course, this wasn't mandatory. The team was growing, and the entry threshold had become quite high. Being able to join the LS27 team was now considered a remarkable achievement in China.
A cursory glance at the other Chinese rider's technique revealed nothing remarkable so far. That rider had started later and hadn't even completed the first sector.
The third sector was the Joey section. By the time Sun Kai reached the Joey section, his condition had deteriorated significantly. The Black Bear section had taken a considerable toll on his energy.
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