08 NEW DENVER

DRONGO VIK : "High noon sun here as all racers are being diverted to a bypass highway under construction. If any racers have lost comms it could get dicey as they try to navigate this well-populated slum town, I mean outpost..

Watching here from the air I see our leaders take the proper turn to meet the cleared roadway, Indeed some of our racers must have

... WHAT'S THIS? A NEW RIDER HAS ENTERED THE SCENE --- THERE'S AN UNREGISTERED RAMJET MOVING BETWEEN OUR RIDERS !!

... THAT RIDER LOOKS FAMILIAR ... YES !!

LADIES AND GENT, THE DARK HORSE IS AMONGST US !!

08.1 NEW DENVER

DRONGO VIK : "What is going on down there? In all the filth and squalor and clouds of dust being kicked up, I can't tell if anyone is even trying to navigate the city ruins ...

THE DARK HORSE is weaving and cutting back and forth, not seeming to be trying to move to the front of the racers, and not even really trying to crash into anyone, although there are almost endless close calls ... he looks to be just trying to create as much confusion as he can ... almost as if he's bei...

LADIES AND GENT, THERE IS *ANOTHER* RAMJET RACER IN THE CITY!

This Racer is NOT IN OUR DATABASE ... WE HAVE NO IDEA WHO THIS IS ... BUT HE/SHE IS APPARENTLY AFTER THE DARK HORSE ...

!! STAY TUNED !!

STANDINGS

01. CHAOS MK II
02. BLACK NOVA
03. IRON GRIFFIN
04. ARCLIGHT HAMMER
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05. FIRST CLASS


*UNKNOWN*

DRAGULA
SHADOW CYCLE
SHADOW WING
SHADOW BLADE
SHOWSTOPPACHOPPA
FIREBREATHER

TO THE EAST : DEVIL'S TOWER

TEAM RED SHADOWS AND SHOWSTOPPACHOPPA arrive at the PLATEAU to find that BOOGIEMAN has dismounted DRAGULA and standing transfixed by the sight.

Swarming around the landmark, TEAM RED SHADOWS knows this is probably their best moment at taking out AVE ... they make their move in tandem, working into a triangular formation around the SHOWSTOPPACHOPPA, launching what looks to be a mono-filament electric net between the three of them, dropping speed and FLYBOY rolling over the top of the pack, trying to ensnare THE MAIN EVENT ...

!! SUCCESS !!

BUT NO ONE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT FIREBREATHER, WHO FLIES DIRECTLY INTO THE CONNECTED FOUR RAMJETS, TAKING THEM ALL TO THE GROUND !!

EVERYONE IS OFF THEIR RAMJETS, NOW

BOOGIEMAN HAS REMOUNTED DRAGULA AND IS FLYING STRAIGHT UP THE MONUMENT

AVE AND LUGG ARE FISTICUFFS ...

AVE DUCKS UNDER THE SLOWER OBLITERATOR AND GOES DIRECTLY FOR THE RED BARON HIMSELF ...

BLACK WIDOW IS BACK ON THE 'WING AS FLYBOY RIGHTS HIS RAMJET ... AND THE TWO OF THEM TEAR OFF TO THE SOUTH ...

LUGG LOOKS UP AT BOOGIEMAN

LUGG LOOKS OVER AT AVE & THE RED BARON

LUGG LOOKS AT THE FLEEING TEAM RED SHADOWS

LUGG GETS ON FIREBREATHER AND HEADS SOUTH ...

8.2 NEW DENVER

DRONGO VIK : 25km around the rim of NEW DENVER, over hard packed dirt, loose gravel, and jumping gaps where one day bridges will lay, our racers are going strong as they approach yet another rising mountain.

just remember boys and girls...

AVE: Ya know what, I'm too good for this trash. I ain't got nothing to prove to these inbred morons and no reason to keep trying. These brain dead juiced up idiots and all you good for nothing, deadbeat, worthless, lazy, useless fools at home and in the stands don't deserve me. There's ladies waiting for The Chick Magnet and I needs to go see them now! I came to this to show I wasn't scared and I proved it. And now I'm proving I'm smarter too. I'm leaving on my terms and with my gold. Whatever piece of tin they give out for this race just isn't worth it. I wrote a song once that proclaimed you have to know when to hold them and know when to fold them. Cause dammit son, nobody is getting out of this life alive, so The Main Event is headed back to enjoy the rest of his with all of his adoring fans. And by adoring fans, I mean the ladies that I decide are worthy of my touch. Now hit my music and get outta my face.

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Looking around, RatFink feels left behind by Lugg ...

RatFink tears up the mountain after Boogieman ..

As AVE tears off towards the WEST, looking to make it big in THE WEST ISLAND OF KALIFORNIGON, BARON VON RICHTOFEN stands up, brushes himself off, mounts his RAMJET and heads SOUTH.

We leave DEVIL'S TOWER with BOOGIEMAN on top of the PLATEAU, arms raised, staring up into the sky, as if pleading ...

The Divide Checkpoint 10: Dead Horse Gorge
Our riders find themselves flying towards an open TAR PIT!. There will be no stopping, standing, or smoking! Skimming the surface is not advised as a thin layer of FLAMMABLE LIQUID seems to churn and puddle on top of the bubbling tar. The racers veer right, or left from our overhead view as our helo pilot climbs high over the gorge to avoid the heat and noxious air. The JetBikes with terrain dependent hovering appear to be struggling.

WAIT! There’s a cloud of dust coming from the other side of the tar pit. Is it a sand storm? No! It’s…WHAT?! It is the Eastbound RamJets who have finally rejoined the pack looking to get into the thick of things. But AVE and the ShowStoppaChoppa seems to still be missing in action.

As the racers start passing the last of the churning tar and sulfur air and our racers lining up for a gauntlet of plateaus ahead. OUT OF NOWHERE A SPACESHIP LANDS IN FRONT OF THE RACERS!!! They all come to a stop as they look on bewildered. Boogieman tears down the ramp on DRAGULA as it lowers getting a headstart over the other racers and wishing his extraterrestrial brethren safe travels with a universal thumbs up. Before the other racers can get going again, SHOWSTOPPACHOPPA T-Bones BARON VON RICHTOFEN who knocks into the Iron Griffin sending Cheetah and her bike over the tar pit. Her rocket blast has ignited the pit as she tries to clear it before it reaches her fuel cells. She makes it out but her bike is literal TOAST at this point.

The racers trying to escape anymore fiery explosions jockey into position down through the plateaus as they start weaving through the gorge. As the sun pushes further to the west, and a weird and creepy calm takes over, here are the current standings.

STANDINGS
01. DRAGULA
02. CHAOS MK II
03. BLACK NOVA
04. ARCLIGHT HAMMER
05. FIRST CLASS
06. FIREBREATHER
07. SHADOW WING
08. SHOWSTOPPACHOPPA
09. SHADOW CYCLE
10. SHADOW BLADE

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The Divide Checkpoint 11: Fear and Loathing in Los Lobos
Rock slides and uneven rocky surface as well as the obstacle like pointed rock pinnacles the riders are racing through are just a few of the perils here. As the riders pass dark crevices and vertical caverns the night air begins to swirl and "ping". Ra bats swarm and slow down our riders either physical obstructing their view or in the case of Black Nova, clogging up their bike intakes. Only as the grade begins to descend do the rad bats begin to tail off. All of the remaining racers scream down the pass as the darkness takes hold of the sky. Off in the distant horizon, the mirage like lights show reveal a glimpse of civilization once again! A huge metal suspension bridge is nearby as our stragglers try to conserve fuel reserves and our leaders try to make it across without incident.

STANDINGS
01. DRAGULA
02. CHAOS MK II
03. ARCLIGHT HAMMER
04. FIRST CLASS
05. FIREBREATHER
06. BLACK NOVA
07. SHADOW WING
08. SHOWSTOPPACHOPPA
09. SHADOW CYCLE
10. SHADOW BLADE

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The Divide Final Checkpoint: Alamo River
Vik: A marvel of engineering, the Alamo River Bridge is a 10km dual level structure with towering spires and braided steel cables to support the behemoth roadway. Multiple lanes on both top and bottom provide our racers with room to spread out and go full throttle, which is exactly what they do. Traffic has been stopped from crossing the bridge as well as automated shipping vessels under the bridge, but only for the next 2 hours! After that all lanes will be opened and any straggling racers will have to fly high or dodge boats in the water!

Most of our riders slipped through on the bridge, but official word has come in on the omni net that one rider had to divert to the open water! Wait make that 2 riders! Let’s take a look at the instant replay from one of our bridge cameras.

On the lower deck, TEAM RED SHADOWS tried to make another move on SHOWSTOPPACHOPPA, but he slams on his airbrakes, sending SHADOWBLADE and SHADOW WING off the side of the bridge into the waterways below. Another angle shows FIREREATHER[b] and [b]BLACK NOVA taking advantage of the chaos to move towards the front of the pack, but CHAOS MKII and the ARCLIGHT HAMMER just barely dodged being taken down with them.

After crossing the bridge, or in the case of SHADOW BLADE and SHADOW WING coming up from the docks, our racers find themselves on the island Republic of TEJAS. It is a vast flatland, wide-open desert with our racers opening up with whatever they have left of their machines for one final push. Before we push the broadcast helo ahead for the BIG FINISH, here’s a final view of our racers. Stay tuned for the epic conclusion, it is still anyone’s race.

STANDINGS
01. DRAGULA
02. FIRST CLASS
03. FIREBREATHER
04. BLACK NOVA
05. SHOWSTOPPACHOPPA
06. SHADOW CYCLE
07. CHAOS MK II
08. ARCLIGHT HAMMER
09. SHADOW BLADE
10. SHADOW WING

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