Although the car crash looked horrifying, since the race had just started and the vehicles weren't going very fast yet, the driver should be alright.
Lin Ruiqing breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good." Having an accident right at the starting line still made her feel anxious.
By this time, Jing Yi had already successfully overtaken the two cars in front of her. The broadcast was reporting her progress, and the Jing family quickly turned their attention to it.
"We can now clearly see the red Martin swiftly pulling ahead, preparing to overtake! The black and white Bentley isn't making any defensive moves. The red Martin is now alongside the black and white Bentley, waiting for the right moment!"
"The opportunity has come! The red Martin attacks, executing a very calm and collected overtake!"
Jing Yi had just passed Gu Lin's black and white vehicle at a curve, swiftly taking the position ahead.
The commentator's voice was very excited, stirring up the audience at the scene. The Jing family also kept their eyes glued to the big screen.
Multiple race cars circled around lap after lap. With most of the race completed, there were still two cars ahead of Jing Yi - one white and one red.
On the racetrack, three cars sped through a curve, the roar of engines echoing throughout the entire circuit. Jing Yi's car closely pursued the leaders, the opportunity drawing ever closer, keeping the spectators in the stands on edge.
The track ahead opened up into a long straight section. The three cars immediately floored their accelerators, their speeds instantly skyrocketing as they surged forward.
The airflow whistled past the bodies of the race cars, making it nearly impossible for the spectators in the stands to make out their details.
Up ahead, Jing Yi was getting closer and closer to the car in second place. She steadied her hands, gripping the steering wheel tightly, her gaze locked onto her opponent without the slightest distraction.
"The red Martin is charging up! She seems to be preparing to overtake! The red Martin and the Ferrari are now side by side! All three cars are hurtling towards the curve! An impressive overtaking scene is about to unfold!"
At the crucial moment, Jing Yi suddenly drifted to the left at high speed, pushing her car to the dangerous edge.
The white Ferrari driver immediately noticed Jing Yi's attempt to overtake. The two cars were in extremely close proximity, with sparks from their tires tracing beautiful and strange arcs.
As they entered the curve, the white Ferrari collided with Jing Yi's red Martin from the outside, then continued to scrape against the Martin's body, trying to force her off the track.
Jing Yi quickly adjusted her car's angle, making the white Ferrari think it had successfully pushed her back. But before the other driver could feel relieved,
In a split second, Jing Yi's car swiftly pulled ahead, overtaking from the outside, successfully passing her opponent!
As they sped past, the white Ferrari driver looked to the side, an expression of disbelief on their face.
"Wow! The red Martin driver's overtaking maneuver was nothing short of perfect! It's hard to believe this is a young girl participating in her first car race!"
Jing Yi skillfully controlled her car, steadily driving forward, her delicate face still focused.
On the racetrack, cheers and applause rose and fell, with spectators celebrating Jing Yi's overtaking feat.
She continued to sprint, trying hard to catch up with the car in front, but unfortunately, while she had been tangling with the white car, the red and white car ahead had already gained a significant lead.
Jing Yi crossed the finish line in second place!
Jing Zejun excitedly stood up, pulling on Lin Ruiqing's arm beside him, "Mom, Yi Yi has crossed the line! Second place! Second place!" Lin Ruiqing was also very happy, craning her neck to look.
Jing Zeqian was also pleased, but thinking of the white car's actions earlier, he was still upset, "If it wasn't for that white Ferrari, Jing Yi might have won first place!"
Jing Zeyou was more focused on Jing Yi's sprint time, which should easily secure a top-three finish.
...
Outside the venue, Shen Huaichu leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed, trying to calm his emotions. Listening to the broadcast report, he knew that Jing Yi and Gu Lin's race had already ended.
His thin lips parted, "Drive."
The driver received the instruction and started the car. The black sedan drove off.
Meanwhile, inside the venue, Jing Zejun and the Jing family were still waiting for the final rankings. After the last group finished racing, the big screen was displaying all the drivers' times.
Jing Yi was prominently ranked in second place! This meant Jing Yi had won second place in this race!
Jing Zejun let out an uncharacteristic scream, hugging Shen Xi and jumping up and down, looking as excited as could be. The Jing family members around him were also very happy, especially Jing Zeqian.
Although this championship race was only a nationally renowned competition, and although it was second place, it had been a long time since a female driver had appeared on the podium of a car race.
At the same time, the video of Jing Yi's race was uploaded to the internet and quickly became a trending topic.
The trending video was a clip of Jing Yi overtaking, along with images of her holding the trophy.
In the picture, Jing Yi was wearing a red racing suit, standing in the second-place position. Her almond-shaped eyes were curved like crescent moons, with shallow dimples, smiling happily.
[Wait, I always thought Jing Yi's interest in racing was just talk...]
[This is a real race, right? Not movie special effects?]
[I just want to say, Jing Yi is amazing! This is the North river Supercar Championship, not some exhibition race!]
[Is it really? It's been how many years since we've seen a female driver on the podium? This isn't photoshopped, is it?]
[I think there's still an element of luck. If it wasn't for two cars colliding at the start, affecting some of the drivers, Jing Yi probably wouldn't have gotten second place so easily.]
Online discussions about Jing Yi's race win were intense, with many people questioning the professionalism and value of the competition.
[I was there at the scene, and I just want to say, some people actually think these drivers are actors hired by the Jing family to help Jing Yi win? You guys are really sick in the head. Just look at each driver's car and the packed audience.]
[As a racing enthusiast, I have to say the driving of that red Martin was really impressive!]
[If I hadn't seen the video, I might have said it was fake, but Jing Yi's maneuver was absolutely incredible!]
[To the comment above, I even suspect that if it wasn't for the collision with the white car, Jing Yi might have won first place!]
[I'm only concerned about how Jing Yi said it was just a hobby... turns out I'm the clown.]
Regardless of the online discussions, Jing Yi had already started celebrating with her family.
The trophy was placed on the coffee table in the living room, with the Jing family gathered around. Even Aunt Wang and Uncle Li didn't miss out.
"Cheers!" The happy expression hadn't yet faded from Jing Yi's face. This was her first race, after all.
She had originally thought that making it into the top ten would be good enough, and it would help her become familiar with the circle. But unexpectedly winning second place - how could she not be excited?
"Yi Yi, you're amazing. Taking second place in your first official race," said Aunt Wang. She hadn't been at the scene, but hearing about it from Jing Zejun and the others made her very happy for Jing Yi.
Jing Yi chuckled a couple of times, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Actually, there was a bit of luck involved. If a few cars hadn't been affected, I probably wouldn't have won a trophy."
The others didn't quite agree. Car racing doesn't just test technique, but also strong psychological resilience. Being affected only showed that the other drivers' mental strength wasn't strong enough.
"If you ask me, it's good that the white car was penalized in the end. Otherwise, it would have been really infuriating," said Jing Zeqian.
He put down his glass, still feeling angry about that white car. If it hadn't been for their foul play, Jing Yi might have truly been able to compete for first place with the winning car.
Fortunately, the white car was eventually penalized, so third place went to the green car behind them, which was somewhat satisfying.
