sugarvalves [1963573] —
Original article
Stormcast has won the 2017 Summer Professional Racing Championships, sealing the title in dramatic fashion with an astonishing comeback from second-last place.
A Mechanic Shop Technician by day, Stormcast endured the worst possible start to the final, finding himself in fifth position after just ten laps. Dunmugmeh was the early pace-setter, holding first place ahead of ScHiZoPhReNiC and ToxicMonkeyMZC for more than half of the race. RogueHomer and GeorgeCostanza rounded out the final six, but while these two never really troubled the front-runners, Stormcast began to make his presence known around lap 20.
Having already overtaken the Ferrari 458 of RogueHomer, Stormcast set his sights on a podium position as he scythed his way through the field. By lap 30 he'd leapt two places up to second, finding himself just 0.1% race distance behind Dunmugmeh. And as we approached the final ten Stormcast's comeback was complete, with the Destructive Anomaly head-honcho gaining a lead he would never relinquish.
Dunmugmeh sunk to a disappointing fourth position in the final standings, with ScHiZoPhReNiC and ToxicMonkeyMZC both overtaking him for second and third respectively. GeorgeCostanza and RogueHomer remained in fifth and sixth as they had been for most of the race, but with all six participants finishing within 45 seconds of each other, there were no backmarkers in what was clearly a very talented field.
Stormcast's prize was a $162million jackpot, with ToxicMonkeyMZC taking $100million for 2nd and ScHiZoPhReNiC receiving $65million for third. Further prize monies were awarded to the sponsors of each driver on the podium, with $487million handed over to 406 Motorsports Director Guy_Smiley, another $100million going to ToxicMonkeyMZC after sponsoring himself through Interplanetary Cruises, and $65million presented to ScHiZoPhReNiC's backer Solenoid of Potomac GermanAuto.
Typically, sponsors of PRC drivers only receive 50% of the competition's prize money, with the other half going directly to the driver themselves. This year the cut was changed to 75% in favour of the 1st place sponsor, with the reason for this being the high-value of the special prize given to the overall PRC champion - the exclusive Bugatti Veyron. Stormcast now owns one of just two Veyrons in the entire city, and when I asked him what he planned to do with it, he responded with the following non-committal statement:
"Holy crap I only went and won it :D"
Before the race Stormcast had been downbeat regarding his chances of victory, having finished third in most of his races so far and believing ScHiZoPhReNiC to be the clear favourite. Determined to overcome the odds, Stormcast put hundreds of laps in at the practice arena throughout the morning of the race. And thankfully this dedication paid off. Otherwise, he'd have had to resort to more underhand ways of securing the win.
"May need to let his tyres down or the like to be in with a shot."
ScHiZoPhReNiC was identified as many people's favourite for the race, and when I spoke to him beforehand, he agreed he stood a good chance of winning. But he also felt that luck would play a major part in deciding the final's winner, and so it proved to be.
"My road to the final has been a bit touch and go at times. I went for qualifying in the second half of the qualifiers, I was hoping all the big guns would go for qualifying as soon as possible when the competition opened up, leaving the second half of the draw with an easier run to the final. I managed to finish first in the qualifying race so onto the heats. Think I've had two 3rds and a 1st to reach the final, just done enough really to get there. Just goes to show driver skill isn't everything. You need luck on your side also."
This is something former champion Hammer and early favourite Data agree with. I asked the pair why they had both failed to make it past the initial rounds of the competition, and while they acknowledged that increased competition played a part, they were adamant that good fortune was and always will an important factor in racing. Data cited his driver skill rating of 54 as evidence of luck being able to overcome talent, and Hammer had this to say on his own misfortunes in this year's competition:
"I can pick the same car against the same racers and come 6th in one race then 1st in the next. I knew this years prc would be difficult and as soon as I saw my name mentioned in Bobs newspaper article i knew i was jinxed lol. I raced the same as i have done every year, i changed no upgrades and just got unlucky." - Hammer
As for the rest of the finalists, second-placed ToxicmonkeyMZC's response to the Torn City Times was to request a shout out to world peace, and this generous sentiment was echoed by Dunmugmeh, who says he would've sold the Bugatti if he'd won in order to fund his charitable works. Meanwhile, the likes of GeorgeConstanza and RogueHomer seemed just happy to be there, with neither man expecting to make it this deep into the competition.
"I was lucky enough to place in top 6 (3rd) in the first race. At only 21.7 Drive Skill at the time, I was actually pretty surprised, knowing quite a few people were over 50 DS." - GeorgeCostanza
"I'm not confident - I feel like the little brother that managed to keep up with the older kids so far." - RogueHomer
The truth is, both of these drivers earned their place in the final on merit. Luck plays a part in racing, but it can only get you so far. One of the biggest challenges this year's drivers faced was in choosing the right car and modifications for the right track, as with only Class A models available this decision was not as straightforward as it might seem. GeorgeCostanza found this out for himself early on in the competition, but it was his ability to think on his feet which helped him over the line and into the final, as this quote referencing an earlier round demonstrates.
"The next race was mudpit, so Cosworth right? WRONG. Class A only, wtf? who races class A on mudpit? So I swapped the NSX over to full dirt and kept the Stage 3 Turbo Remap ;) and bam 3rd, wasn't first but it was good enough to keep me in it."
"Next up Docks, and mind you with less people in each heat the races got closer together so there wasn't as much time as when I was running laps on mudpit//meltdown days before my race. So I had to just pick my car, I had been running Ferrari for a long time, but have made the switch to the Ford so I kept with that, tarmac long-ratio, and I joined a race with 5 Fords showing so I knew I had made the right pick. Bam, FIRST PLACE, actually got a chance to glance at most of that race, for watching dots move around a map, it got pretty exciting."
With the location of the final race decided on a vote and kept under wraps until a few hours before the start, testing and choosing the right car was made even more difficult for the final six racers. RogueHomer tried to switch things up with his Ferrari, and GeorgeCostanza plumped for a Honda NSX. The latter usually dominates tracks like Meltdown and Sewerage, but Stone Park tends to be something of an unknown when it comes to identifying the best car for the circuit.
As it happens, it was Audi R8s which dominated the final, with 1st to 4th all using a version of the $180,000-valued racer. This is despite the fact that the Race Track record for Stone Park, held by Godar, was achieved in an Aston Martin One-77, which nobody elected to use on this occasion. It will be interesting to see how Stormcast's Bugatti fares in the next PRC competition - should he choose to enter it.
But while mystery hangs over the fate of the Bugatti and which models were most suitable for the grand final, there is a firm consensus over who is the true winner of this year's competition: BackAlleyBob. Drivers, sponsors and commentators were unanimous in their praise for the PRC race organiser, and his real-life wife Joyrider gave me a brief insight into just what it takes to put something like this together:
"During the PRC he spends most of his waking hours working on graphics, keeping track of the monetary part, and endlessly responding to questions, comments and suggestions from Torn players. He loves this event, though it does take its toll. A lot of players have volunteered to help, so hopefully, by the next event he will have some kind of committee in place."
Bob told me it had been a gruelling time for him and his helpers, and he felt exhausted having to keep up with two races per day. But he was grateful nonetheless for the huge turnout for this summer's PRC, and he wished to express his thanks to all who tried out:
"I wish I could have found the time to write everyone and thank them. Sadly, this event keeps me far too busy and unable to write each individual that showed up. It is, however, all of the racers, sponsors and fans, that make this event great. For that, I thank them all! This is to include yourself and Chedburn for your added support this season."
As well as Bob's unwavering commitment and the support of his partner, one of the biggest reasons behind the PRC's success is the substantial financial backing it receives from numerous sponsors and individuals. Flippa is one such contributor, having donated hundreds of millions in prize money to help the PRC establish over recent years.
"I think this is my third PRC and it just keeps getting better. More entrants this time and the fact that some of the best racers around have entered just proves that PRC is going from strength to strength. It's been really good to see so many contributing to the prize fund and I'm already jealous of the Veyron winner."
Another major factor in this year's success was the willingness of companies to sponsor an expanded field of drivers. Winning sponsor Guy_Smiley took home half a billion in prize money from his $30million sponsorship of his employees; 1st place Stormcast, 6th placed RogueHomer and himself. Despite his enviable success, the 406 Motorsports chief was quite sure he'd come off second-best to his driver in terms of winnings.
"Bob puts a lot of hard work and effort into running these tournaments. Once again he did an awesome job. Also congrats to a great racer and friend Stormcast. As far as winnings go. My guess is that Bugatti is worth quite a bit more than I received."
This substantial financial backing is something Bob is looking to extend to the Betting House for future editions of the PRC. This year his gambling venture made a profit, but this wasn't always certain, and nor is it always the case.
"There were a couple people that placed 5 Mil. bets and won 20 Mil and there were the consistent winners that won the majority of their bets, but they always chose the lower paying safe bets. There were a couple time I was really worried I was going to lose my ass, and could have gone seriously broke funding this betting. Just lucky for me the house won this time."
"Still, even knowing I could potentially lose everything I have, I still feel strongly that betting on these races is something people enjoy. Therefore I will strive to make the betting house bigger and better each time."
As well as finding financial backers for his betting house, Bob also conceded he must simplify its rules if it is to attract more attention. Despite the upturn in interest for this year's PRC, this did not translate to any more bets being placed than in previous years. And this is just one of the many elements of the competition Bob hopes to improve in time for his eagerly anticipated winter edition.
"I am currently working with a couple people to build a channel in which people that sign up can watch live feed of the races as they happen from my computer. After all, that is the most fun part of racing. Watching the cars struggle for place in the pack as they move toward the final goal."
"I think it would be insane to ask that new cars be developed simply for the purpose of racing events like this, not that I am opposed. But what I have asked from the beginning when I started this was for something special like a racing trophy. ( Much like the medals we have now )"
"Currently I am running the PRC twice a year, but am not opposed to only doing an annual event if such items were to be imposed. Thereby making those items a highly prestigious award that racers could prize in their cabinets."
Another thing Bob is keen to see is more female drivers taking part in his competition, and he picked out Lindy_Lyson for special mention, her being the only female to ever make it all the way to the finals in any PRC to date. All Clash Smash winner Rockem would also like to see more unique races like the one he won added to the competition, as he feels such events bring a different tier to the game.
"It would be very cool to see racing as a whole being more apart of the main game in general. Maybe some racing missions, even at least showing some race statistics in personal stats would be nice to see. It [All Clash Smash Victory] was the greatest day of my life, right up there with my wedding day and the birth of my first child."
"All you young racers out there, keep putting the work in and someday your dreams could come true and your name could be up in lights with the racing greats, like myself."
Rockem isn't wrong. This year's event proved that nothing is certain in the world of Torn City Racing and that anyone can win if they're lucky. And what's more, is that this competition goes to show that anyone can create a world class event if they're willing to put in the hard yards like BackAlleyBob. Some people have questioned why rival events like Night Racers haven't been afforded the same level of coverage and support as the PRC. Why was Bob's event given a Bugatti and two TCT articles whereas others have not? The answer to this is simple.
BackAlleyBob contacted the Torn City Times looking for exposure for his competition. He seemed organised, polite and dedicated to his event, so we agreed to run an article covering the PRC to increase participation. Then, just days before the competition was due to begin, we decided to press Chedburn into offering a Bugatti as a prize, and after much persuasion he relented. On our end, there was nothing more to it.
The Torn City Times and indeed the Torn authorities are happy to support any competition which can demonstrate similar levels of commitment and transparency. If you make a request of us, and it is reasonable, we shall do our best to ensure it is fulfilled. Torn is being developed in many new and exciting ways all the time, but players like BackAlleyBob help to milk our city for all its delicious worth by expanding upon features which already exist. They provide extra moments of enjoyment in exchange for huge chunks of their own personal time. If you're willing to offer this, we'll back it up.
GeorgeCostanza told me that he hopes this kind of competition makes racing great again, and so do we. Data thinks the PRC and its unique awards give racers more to aim for, and so do we. Our hope is that this competition returns for another successful edition sometime in the coming months, and when it does, we will do whatever it takes to boost its popularity once more. But this offer extends to all areas of Torn City; whether there's a poker championship, a poetry competition or a contest to find Torn's least popular citizen, the Torn City Council and the Torn City Times will provide help in any way we can to make your event a success.
Just make sure you've got the stamina. Because, as BackAlleyBob will tell you, running something like this is no easy feat. Congratulations Bob, but it's time to put your feet up; you've earned a rest.
A Mechanic Shop Technician by day, Stormcast endured the worst possible start to the final, finding himself in fifth position after just ten laps. Dunmugmeh was the early pace-setter, holding first place ahead of ScHiZoPhReNiC and ToxicMonkeyMZC for more than half of the race. RogueHomer and GeorgeCostanza rounded out the final six, but while these two never really troubled the front-runners, Stormcast began to make his presence known around lap 20.
Having already overtaken the Ferrari 458 of RogueHomer, Stormcast set his sights on a podium position as he scythed his way through the field. By lap 30 he'd leapt two places up to second, finding himself just 0.1% race distance behind Dunmugmeh. And as we approached the final ten Stormcast's comeback was complete, with the Destructive Anomaly head-honcho gaining a lead he would never relinquish.
Dunmugmeh sunk to a disappointing fourth position in the final standings, with ScHiZoPhReNiC and ToxicMonkeyMZC both overtaking him for second and third respectively. GeorgeCostanza and RogueHomer remained in fifth and sixth as they had been for most of the race, but with all six participants finishing within 45 seconds of each other, there were no backmarkers in what was clearly a very talented field.
Stormcast's prize was a $162million jackpot, with ToxicMonkeyMZC taking $100million for 2nd and ScHiZoPhReNiC receiving $65million for third. Further prize monies were awarded to the sponsors of each driver on the podium, with $487million handed over to 406 Motorsports Director Guy_Smiley, another $100million going to ToxicMonkeyMZC after sponsoring himself through Interplanetary Cruises, and $65million presented to ScHiZoPhReNiC's backer Solenoid of Potomac GermanAuto.
Typically, sponsors of PRC drivers only receive 50% of the competition's prize money, with the other half going directly to the driver themselves. This year the cut was changed to 75% in favour of the 1st place sponsor, with the reason for this being the high-value of the special prize given to the overall PRC champion - the exclusive Bugatti Veyron. Stormcast now owns one of just two Veyrons in the entire city, and when I asked him what he planned to do with it, he responded with the following non-committal statement:
"Holy crap I only went and won it :D"
Before the race Stormcast had been downbeat regarding his chances of victory, having finished third in most of his races so far and believing ScHiZoPhReNiC to be the clear favourite. Determined to overcome the odds, Stormcast put hundreds of laps in at the practice arena throughout the morning of the race. And thankfully this dedication paid off. Otherwise, he'd have had to resort to more underhand ways of securing the win.
"May need to let his tyres down or the like to be in with a shot."
ScHiZoPhReNiC was identified as many people's favourite for the race, and when I spoke to him beforehand, he agreed he stood a good chance of winning. But he also felt that luck would play a major part in deciding the final's winner, and so it proved to be.
"My road to the final has been a bit touch and go at times. I went for qualifying in the second half of the qualifiers, I was hoping all the big guns would go for qualifying as soon as possible when the competition opened up, leaving the second half of the draw with an easier run to the final. I managed to finish first in the qualifying race so onto the heats. Think I've had two 3rds and a 1st to reach the final, just done enough really to get there. Just goes to show driver skill isn't everything. You need luck on your side also."
This is something former champion Hammer and early favourite Data agree with. I asked the pair why they had both failed to make it past the initial rounds of the competition, and while they acknowledged that increased competition played a part, they were adamant that good fortune was and always will an important factor in racing. Data cited his driver skill rating of 54 as evidence of luck being able to overcome talent, and Hammer had this to say on his own misfortunes in this year's competition:
"I can pick the same car against the same racers and come 6th in one race then 1st in the next. I knew this years prc would be difficult and as soon as I saw my name mentioned in Bobs newspaper article i knew i was jinxed lol. I raced the same as i have done every year, i changed no upgrades and just got unlucky." - Hammer
As for the rest of the finalists, second-placed ToxicmonkeyMZC's response to the Torn City Times was to request a shout out to world peace, and this generous sentiment was echoed by Dunmugmeh, who says he would've sold the Bugatti if he'd won in order to fund his charitable works. Meanwhile, the likes of GeorgeConstanza and RogueHomer seemed just happy to be there, with neither man expecting to make it this deep into the competition.
"I was lucky enough to place in top 6 (3rd) in the first race. At only 21.7 Drive Skill at the time, I was actually pretty surprised, knowing quite a few people were over 50 DS." - GeorgeCostanza
"I'm not confident - I feel like the little brother that managed to keep up with the older kids so far." - RogueHomer
The truth is, both of these drivers earned their place in the final on merit. Luck plays a part in racing, but it can only get you so far. One of the biggest challenges this year's drivers faced was in choosing the right car and modifications for the right track, as with only Class A models available this decision was not as straightforward as it might seem. GeorgeCostanza found this out for himself early on in the competition, but it was his ability to think on his feet which helped him over the line and into the final, as this quote referencing an earlier round demonstrates.
"The next race was mudpit, so Cosworth right? WRONG. Class A only, wtf? who races class A on mudpit? So I swapped the NSX over to full dirt and kept the Stage 3 Turbo Remap ;) and bam 3rd, wasn't first but it was good enough to keep me in it."
"Next up Docks, and mind you with less people in each heat the races got closer together so there wasn't as much time as when I was running laps on mudpit//meltdown days before my race. So I had to just pick my car, I had been running Ferrari for a long time, but have made the switch to the Ford so I kept with that, tarmac long-ratio, and I joined a race with 5 Fords showing so I knew I had made the right pick. Bam, FIRST PLACE, actually got a chance to glance at most of that race, for watching dots move around a map, it got pretty exciting."
With the location of the final race decided on a vote and kept under wraps until a few hours before the start, testing and choosing the right car was made even more difficult for the final six racers. RogueHomer tried to switch things up with his Ferrari, and GeorgeCostanza plumped for a Honda NSX. The latter usually dominates tracks like Meltdown and Sewerage, but Stone Park tends to be something of an unknown when it comes to identifying the best car for the circuit.
As it happens, it was Audi R8s which dominated the final, with 1st to 4th all using a version of the $180,000-valued racer. This is despite the fact that the Race Track record for Stone Park, held by Godar, was achieved in an Aston Martin One-77, which nobody elected to use on this occasion. It will be interesting to see how Stormcast's Bugatti fares in the next PRC competition - should he choose to enter it.
But while mystery hangs over the fate of the Bugatti and which models were most suitable for the grand final, there is a firm consensus over who is the true winner of this year's competition: BackAlleyBob. Drivers, sponsors and commentators were unanimous in their praise for the PRC race organiser, and his real-life wife Joyrider gave me a brief insight into just what it takes to put something like this together:
"During the PRC he spends most of his waking hours working on graphics, keeping track of the monetary part, and endlessly responding to questions, comments and suggestions from Torn players. He loves this event, though it does take its toll. A lot of players have volunteered to help, so hopefully, by the next event he will have some kind of committee in place."
Bob told me it had been a gruelling time for him and his helpers, and he felt exhausted having to keep up with two races per day. But he was grateful nonetheless for the huge turnout for this summer's PRC, and he wished to express his thanks to all who tried out:
"I wish I could have found the time to write everyone and thank them. Sadly, this event keeps me far too busy and unable to write each individual that showed up. It is, however, all of the racers, sponsors and fans, that make this event great. For that, I thank them all! This is to include yourself and Chedburn for your added support this season."
As well as Bob's unwavering commitment and the support of his partner, one of the biggest reasons behind the PRC's success is the substantial financial backing it receives from numerous sponsors and individuals. Flippa is one such contributor, having donated hundreds of millions in prize money to help the PRC establish over recent years.
"I think this is my third PRC and it just keeps getting better. More entrants this time and the fact that some of the best racers around have entered just proves that PRC is going from strength to strength. It's been really good to see so many contributing to the prize fund and I'm already jealous of the Veyron winner."
Another major factor in this year's success was the willingness of companies to sponsor an expanded field of drivers. Winning sponsor Guy_Smiley took home half a billion in prize money from his $30million sponsorship of his employees; 1st place Stormcast, 6th placed RogueHomer and himself. Despite his enviable success, the 406 Motorsports chief was quite sure he'd come off second-best to his driver in terms of winnings.
"Bob puts a lot of hard work and effort into running these tournaments. Once again he did an awesome job. Also congrats to a great racer and friend Stormcast. As far as winnings go. My guess is that Bugatti is worth quite a bit more than I received."
This substantial financial backing is something Bob is looking to extend to the Betting House for future editions of the PRC. This year his gambling venture made a profit, but this wasn't always certain, and nor is it always the case.
"There were a couple people that placed 5 Mil. bets and won 20 Mil and there were the consistent winners that won the majority of their bets, but they always chose the lower paying safe bets. There were a couple time I was really worried I was going to lose my ass, and could have gone seriously broke funding this betting. Just lucky for me the house won this time."
"Still, even knowing I could potentially lose everything I have, I still feel strongly that betting on these races is something people enjoy. Therefore I will strive to make the betting house bigger and better each time."
As well as finding financial backers for his betting house, Bob also conceded he must simplify its rules if it is to attract more attention. Despite the upturn in interest for this year's PRC, this did not translate to any more bets being placed than in previous years. And this is just one of the many elements of the competition Bob hopes to improve in time for his eagerly anticipated winter edition.
"I am currently working with a couple people to build a channel in which people that sign up can watch live feed of the races as they happen from my computer. After all, that is the most fun part of racing. Watching the cars struggle for place in the pack as they move toward the final goal."
"I think it would be insane to ask that new cars be developed simply for the purpose of racing events like this, not that I am opposed. But what I have asked from the beginning when I started this was for something special like a racing trophy. ( Much like the medals we have now )"
"Currently I am running the PRC twice a year, but am not opposed to only doing an annual event if such items were to be imposed. Thereby making those items a highly prestigious award that racers could prize in their cabinets."
Another thing Bob is keen to see is more female drivers taking part in his competition, and he picked out Lindy_Lyson for special mention, her being the only female to ever make it all the way to the finals in any PRC to date. All Clash Smash winner Rockem would also like to see more unique races like the one he won added to the competition, as he feels such events bring a different tier to the game.
"It would be very cool to see racing as a whole being more apart of the main game in general. Maybe some racing missions, even at least showing some race statistics in personal stats would be nice to see. It [All Clash Smash Victory] was the greatest day of my life, right up there with my wedding day and the birth of my first child."
"All you young racers out there, keep putting the work in and someday your dreams could come true and your name could be up in lights with the racing greats, like myself."
Rockem isn't wrong. This year's event proved that nothing is certain in the world of Torn City Racing and that anyone can win if they're lucky. And what's more, is that this competition goes to show that anyone can create a world class event if they're willing to put in the hard yards like BackAlleyBob. Some people have questioned why rival events like Night Racers haven't been afforded the same level of coverage and support as the PRC. Why was Bob's event given a Bugatti and two TCT articles whereas others have not? The answer to this is simple.
BackAlleyBob contacted the Torn City Times looking for exposure for his competition. He seemed organised, polite and dedicated to his event, so we agreed to run an article covering the PRC to increase participation. Then, just days before the competition was due to begin, we decided to press Chedburn into offering a Bugatti as a prize, and after much persuasion he relented. On our end, there was nothing more to it.
The Torn City Times and indeed the Torn authorities are happy to support any competition which can demonstrate similar levels of commitment and transparency. If you make a request of us, and it is reasonable, we shall do our best to ensure it is fulfilled. Torn is being developed in many new and exciting ways all the time, but players like BackAlleyBob help to milk our city for all its delicious worth by expanding upon features which already exist. They provide extra moments of enjoyment in exchange for huge chunks of their own personal time. If you're willing to offer this, we'll back it up.
GeorgeCostanza told me that he hopes this kind of competition makes racing great again, and so do we. Data thinks the PRC and its unique awards give racers more to aim for, and so do we. Our hope is that this competition returns for another successful edition sometime in the coming months, and when it does, we will do whatever it takes to boost its popularity once more. But this offer extends to all areas of Torn City; whether there's a poker championship, a poetry competition or a contest to find Torn's least popular citizen, the Torn City Council and the Torn City Times will provide help in any way we can to make your event a success.
Just make sure you've got the stamina. Because, as BackAlleyBob will tell you, running something like this is no easy feat. Congratulations Bob, but it's time to put your feet up; you've earned a rest.
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