MF GHOST (MFゴースト)

Shun to booth!

Kanata’s dropping like a lead balloon! What’s the deal?

Based on what we're hearing,

he must have lost the use of second gear

due to some technical issue.

You're joking.

If Ogata was maintaining the car solo, maybe.

But with Okuyama in their corner?

No, it's not a problem with the #86.

What the hell happened to you, Kanata?

MIRACULOUS COMEBACK

Beckenbauer in the #12 is leading.

But not far behind,

Sawatari in the #4 car is on his tail.

A little further back is Akaba in the #2 car.

Kouki to booth.

Any movement from the #86? Over.

You're asking again?

He's still lagging, currently in 7th place.

No dice. I can't wait for him to catch up.

Right. Change of plans.

I'll have to drag the German out of first place myself!

The #2 was expected to lose more and more ground,

but appears to be holding steady.

Akaba's pride is at stake here.

Especially considering how lesser drivers

have outperformed him both this year and the last.

This race will be more intense for him

compared to the other drivers.

He's a pretty emotional guy.

I can't afford to let them

get further ahead of me.

But if I wear my tires out too quickly,

there's no point in keeping up.

That's the one downside

to having this much horsepower.

Best keep my weapons sharp and hidden for now.

You won't escape!

Yanagida’s that close?

Makes sense with how well he does

on the twists and turns.

Not that I'll let him pass.

In this peninsula area,

the Huracán’s wide frame makes it ideal for blocking.

He's braking like a madman

with his left foot when he corners.

Must be how he compensates

for his lack of torque in third gear.

One foot pumps the brakes

while the other stays planted on the accelerator,

allowing him to maintain his speed

while increasing the boost from the turbines.

Turbo lag has more or less been eliminated these days.

But I guess stuff like this comes in handy

in the right conditions.

I've never even considered how to drive

without being able to use second.

When it comes to street racing,

it's practically the default gear.

Watching him is mesmerizing.

Almost makes me regret having to pass him.

Even from the tower

overlooking the Manazuru Peninsula,

we can see Kibune Shrine quietly looming.

According to records,

Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed here

while raising an army for the Genpei War.

How appropriate.

Considering we have our own army

of modern warriors aboard steel steeds

speeding past Kibune Shrine with a deafening roar.

Now Marie’s done updating the board,

let’s ask her a question.

Currently, what do you think is your biggest worry?

I guess it'd be my weight.

It seems determined to keep zooming on up

when I really need it to break.

Ah, I can see why that would be a cause for concern.

-Are you exercising? Dieting? - Kanata.

I've tried both...

Why couldn't I talk to him

and tell him I was grateful to him for saving me?

And I'm terrible...

How long am I going to keep avoiding him?

I wouldn't be so lonely if I had a boyfriend.

That would help me lose this weight.

Any takers out there?

That was Marie

who's always looking for that special someone.

A quick reminder before we end the interview.

If you come sixth or lower in the Fall poll,

you're off the team, so best of luck.

But I don't wanna be dropped.

Really, I don't see what's wrong with her figure.

The bigger the girl, the more there is to love.

Let's look at the battle for 7th.

The two Toyotas come tearing around Aoi Corner.

The course gradually climbs uphill from this point

on to Route 138!

And putting the pressure on the #86

with only a sheet of paper between them is the #885 car.

We'll royally screwed!

This whole part's uphill!

It's positively

the worst section of the course for Kanata.

Looking back at it now,

I might have made a serious error in judgment.

With a paddle shifter,

or if we had switched to a Supra,

I don't think the injury to Katagiri's elbow

would be as much of a handicap.

In all likelihood,

he'd be in the top group

locked in battle with the #12 and #4.

Booth to Sena.

It's about time you passed the #86.

Stop goofing around!

If you were here in the driver's seat,

you'd see what a masterclass he's putting on.

What I'm learning will be worth it.

This isn't school.

If you finish in this position,

the boss will tear you a new one.

Yeah, I read you.

I'll overtake him at the T-Point Corner ahead. Over.

I'm going on ahead, brother.

And the #885 car

pulls off a sweet overtake on the #86!

Is that the end of the much-anticipated

"battle of the rookies"?

I'd still say

Kanata Katagiri is putting up a great fight.

The cornering we were seeing while braking with his left foot

shows remarkable adaptability.

And more than a few times, he displayed his intention

to pass cars that had overtaken him.

That resilience and refusal to surrender,

it reminds me of his mentor, Takumi Fujiwara.

Otherwise referred to as the “Tragic Rallyist”,

if I'm not mistaken.

Are you two still in contact, Akiyama?

We are.

When he was in Japan at the end of last year,

we met up and shared a meal.

If I chose to talk about Fujiwara for a bit,

would you mind?

By all means! Go ahead, please.

I'm sure there are many MFG fans

who'd love to hear more about him.

Yes, Takumi Fujiwara

is often called the "Tragic Rallyist".

But I don't think that's a fitting description.

What happened with the accident was unlucky

and prevented him from leaving his full mark on the WRC.

But I hardly think that's enough

to pigeonhole him as some tragic figure.

Speaking for myself,

I don't find real happiness

derives from the results of a race,

but from the process itself.

Fujiwara often came across as enigmatic

and you never quite knew what he was thinking.

But deep down,

he had what I guess you'd call beliefs,

and held on to them very strongly.

When you consider how he moved to England at 20

with zero backing or funds to speak of,

what he managed to pull off is impressive.

On top of that, he barely spoke any English.

Some might go so far as to call it reckless.

I'd say he had

the right amount of passion and resolve,

and managed to win over his English audience.

Whenever he gets behind the wheel,

he's the kind of racer that easily mesmerizes spectators.

And he always runs towards his dream without looking back.

I think he's fulfilled.

But when it comes to judging whether someone's happy or not,

how can we truly know?

The race of life continues until the day you die.

And when that moment arrives,

as long as you can say, "Yeah, I was happy,"

I don't think anything else matters.

Takumi Fujiwara is an eternal challenger.

Even now, I consider him my number one rival.

He's the man I envy,

the one who makes me think,

"Whatever it takes, I'm not losing to you."

Was Fujiwara doing well when you last saw him?

He's doing all right.

The same old guy.

Off topic, but he actually got married in England last year.

Are you serious?

Well, that's some surprisingly good news!

I'm curious. Can you tell us anything about this lucky lady?

Like, is she blonde?

Actually, she's Japanese.

She's an athlete herself from Saitama,

and she supported him throughout his time in rehab.

She's a celeb in her own right