Post by aarror on Jan 3, 2022 16:12:53 GMT -5
Acerola Speedworks
About
WIP
- Viper team in IMAS during mid-late nineties with father/son duo Lucius and Orion Kissling during the late 90’s
- The team was operating on a healthy budget, but the sheer amount of money being thrown around by its competitors meant notable results were hard to come by.
- For the ‘97 season the team adopted a new strategy: they would forgo testing at other venues and put all their efforts towards the season ending Brightest Night 1000 Miles of Sebring.
- This would pay off, and the team would score an upset victory over their more fancied rivals
- Rather than kickstart a run of success however, Acerola Speedworks would be one of the many teams to shutter their doors in what would come to be called the “GT Racing Exodus” of 1998. The cost of the team’s success at the Brightest Night 1000 had proved to be unsustainable and so Sebring would be both the team’s first victory, and it’s final race.
- Acerola Speedworks would resurface in 2013 with the arrival of the new SRT Viper road car, running a heavily modified version in the American time attack and autocross scene. Under Orion’s leadership Acerola Speedworks would carve a niche as a well respected Viper tuner.
- After a few years of this Orion purchased a brand new Viper GTC-R chassis, with the eventual goal of returning to the scene of Acerola Speedworks’s former glory: The Brightest Night 1000 Miles
- In 2017 the team would run the car for a customer in the MSAA Endurance Challenge before moving up to the IMAS Endurance challenge for 2018, competing in the series for a pair of seasons. Among the driver lineup was former Time Attack Rival Janet Evans, who had impressed Orion considerably with her skill both on and off the track
- With the groundwork laid Acerola Speedworks is set for a return to the IMAS GT Championship this season.
- The team was operating on a healthy budget, but the sheer amount of money being thrown around by its competitors meant notable results were hard to come by.
- For the ‘97 season the team adopted a new strategy: they would forgo testing at other venues and put all their efforts towards the season ending Brightest Night 1000 Miles of Sebring.
- This would pay off, and the team would score an upset victory over their more fancied rivals
- Rather than kickstart a run of success however, Acerola Speedworks would be one of the many teams to shutter their doors in what would come to be called the “GT Racing Exodus” of 1998. The cost of the team’s success at the Brightest Night 1000 had proved to be unsustainable and so Sebring would be both the team’s first victory, and it’s final race.
- Acerola Speedworks would resurface in 2013 with the arrival of the new SRT Viper road car, running a heavily modified version in the American time attack and autocross scene. Under Orion’s leadership Acerola Speedworks would carve a niche as a well respected Viper tuner.
- After a few years of this Orion purchased a brand new Viper GTC-R chassis, with the eventual goal of returning to the scene of Acerola Speedworks’s former glory: The Brightest Night 1000 Miles
- In 2017 the team would run the car for a customer in the MSAA Endurance Challenge before moving up to the IMAS Endurance challenge for 2018, competing in the series for a pair of seasons. Among the driver lineup was former Time Attack Rival Janet Evans, who had impressed Orion considerably with her skill both on and off the track
- With the groundwork laid Acerola Speedworks is set for a return to the IMAS GT Championship this season.
Drivers
Janet Evans
Nationality: American
Birthday and Age: May 10th, 26 years old
Veteran Hotlapper
Profile:
Born in the Motor City, Janet and her family ran a relatively popular service shop in what was once the very heart of the American motoring industry. Her love for all things with an engine lead Janet to help out with simple mechanic's tasks in her early teenage years. The service shop soon was visited by a group of racers, and it was there that 16-year-old Janet became interested in the world of racing. Becoming just a good mechanic wasn't going to suffice for Janet, at least not completely.
Having bought an old Mazda roadster off of one of Janet's uncles with her hard-earned allowance and tips, Janet would spend weeks in her off-hours rebuilding and restoring her newly obtained ride. After some help from the rest of her family, Janet's very first proper car was ready to go. She trained in the empty back lots for hours and hours, simply learning basic driving techniques down to absolute perfection. Janet already began to understand the thrill of just driving, and soon she wanted to become a racer. She got her driver's license after a few weeks, and then started autocrossing in grassroots events all over the state with her parents.
Janet's autocross career is where she began building a reputation for being incredibly precise and deliberate. As it turns out, some of the modifications she made were enough to occasionally beat cars that should have no right being beaten by a little dinky roadster. Sponsors took quick notice of her giant-killing abilities; after securing some minor sponsorship from a variety of parts manufacturers, Janet slowly built her roadster up into a proper, full-built race car.
As her 18th birthday passed, Janet felt it was time to go big. Or at least a lot bigger than grassroots parking lot cone killing. With some cooperation, a few local aerodynamics and chassis experts decided to back her project of building the fastest Time Attack roadster ever. It was a huge step up from her normal "regular car with a roll cage" build; with a fiery 400 horsepower turbo motor, a custom space-frame chassis, and a fiberglass wide-body kit, it went very fast indeed. Although it was a handful for her, Janet made it work, and posted consistent top five finishes at a number of Time Attack events in the various "B-list" and pro-am classes.
Her ultimate dream, however, is to be a part of a big-name team she can love. A mechanical nut in many senses of the phrase, Janet is probably just as at home under the bonnet as she is tearing it up with the boys. To her, every car she works on is something to be cherished, be it a lowly beater or a World Grand Prix champion.
RP Notes:
- As a former vehicle builder and tuner, Janet loves getting under the cars and tweaking them.
- She does, however, get exceptionally upset if something, even the slightest thing, feels unnatural when driving.
Having bought an old Mazda roadster off of one of Janet's uncles with her hard-earned allowance and tips, Janet would spend weeks in her off-hours rebuilding and restoring her newly obtained ride. After some help from the rest of her family, Janet's very first proper car was ready to go. She trained in the empty back lots for hours and hours, simply learning basic driving techniques down to absolute perfection. Janet already began to understand the thrill of just driving, and soon she wanted to become a racer. She got her driver's license after a few weeks, and then started autocrossing in grassroots events all over the state with her parents.
Janet's autocross career is where she began building a reputation for being incredibly precise and deliberate. As it turns out, some of the modifications she made were enough to occasionally beat cars that should have no right being beaten by a little dinky roadster. Sponsors took quick notice of her giant-killing abilities; after securing some minor sponsorship from a variety of parts manufacturers, Janet slowly built her roadster up into a proper, full-built race car.
As her 18th birthday passed, Janet felt it was time to go big. Or at least a lot bigger than grassroots parking lot cone killing. With some cooperation, a few local aerodynamics and chassis experts decided to back her project of building the fastest Time Attack roadster ever. It was a huge step up from her normal "regular car with a roll cage" build; with a fiery 400 horsepower turbo motor, a custom space-frame chassis, and a fiberglass wide-body kit, it went very fast indeed. Although it was a handful for her, Janet made it work, and posted consistent top five finishes at a number of Time Attack events in the various "B-list" and pro-am classes.
Her ultimate dream, however, is to be a part of a big-name team she can love. A mechanical nut in many senses of the phrase, Janet is probably just as at home under the bonnet as she is tearing it up with the boys. To her, every car she works on is something to be cherished, be it a lowly beater or a World Grand Prix champion.
RP Notes:
- As a former vehicle builder and tuner, Janet loves getting under the cars and tweaking them.
- She does, however, get exceptionally upset if something, even the slightest thing, feels unnatural when driving.
Septimus Nosferatu
Nationality: American
Birthday and Age: July 7, 21 years old
Appearance: Short-ish (5-7), Boy band pretty
Rookie Pacesetter
Profile:
There are some cultures in which the number 7 is considered a mythical number, and they contain many myths and legends revolving around the number. One such belief is that a 7th son of a 7th son will inherit occult powers, although each culture believes they will manifest differently. The Celts for instance believed that a 7th son of a 7th son will inherit miraculous healing powers, able to cure illness with just a touch. Romanian beliefs suggest it is more of a curse than a blessing, as they believe that the child is fated to become a vampire. Of course there are also cultures that prefer to attribute luck and good fortune to the number 8, or those that deem the number 13 to bring misfortune, so this sort of belief must be approached with a healthy dose of scepticism.
All of this brings us to a 7th son of a 7th son born in America, where such beliefs were considered no more than fantasy. Named Septimus, a latin name meaning “Seventh Son”, he showed no signs of being able to heal with a touch, nor did he thirst for human blood. He was, as far as anyone could tell, just a normal boy.
This was perhaps unfortunate for Septimus, since growing up the youngest (and therefore smallest) of 7 boys was a situation where occult powers might have been useful. In the absence of occult powers, and knowing he would never physically outpower his brothers, Septimus instead trained to hit back at them the only way he could: with a quick wit and a sharp tongue.
These he had already honed to a razor sharp edge by middle school, any fight he may have lost physically he could turn into a crushing psychological victory. His dramatic oration during these confrontations caught the eye of the drama teacher, who quickly recruited Septimus in hopes of directing his skills towards something more productive and less self-destructive. The aforementioned superstitious cultures would perhaps point to this moment as the awakening of his occult blessing, his natural talent for acting and his beautiful singing voice. If someone were to suggest this to Septimus he would simply laugh and say that acting is a crucial survival skill when you’re the smallest of 7 brothers.
Nonetheless it can’t be denied that he took to drama like a duck to water, and Septimus quickly found a place for himself in the drama club and the local theatre group. Perhaps this is why drama grabbed a hold of him so strongly: As a youngest child with so many older siblings it was very rare for Septimus to have anything he could call his own. The stage was his world, his place, and no older brother or school bully could take it away from him. Septimus dreamed of becoming an actor on Broadway or Hollywood, and as rave reviews about his performances continued to pour in those around him began thinking those dreams might become a reality.
Septimus took his acting very seriously, going above and beyond doing research for his roles so that he could truly “be” the character. And so when he landed the lead role for a big local production of “Grease” part of his research included studying greasers and classic cars. And much to his surprise Septimus discovered that he found cars fascinating.
Soon he had borrowed a copy of “Racing Passion” and some sim gear from one of his older brothers who had briefly dabbled in it, and found that he was actually quite good. Sure he wasn’t going to be challenging Flat6Ryoko’s leaderboard scores anytime soon, but he was well above average.
Racing Passion’s extensive car list would lead him down the racing rabbit hole, leading him to discover sportscar racing. While the J-Speed GT Masters machines of course caught his eye, it was the IMAS GT series that truly sparked his interest. These awesome machines had been racing so close to him and he’d never even heard of them? Septimus was hooked, and the IMAS GT series quickly became an obsession. There was a clear path for amateurs to reach this level, and Septimus realized that maybe becoming an actor wasn’t the only goal he wanted to achieve in life. Racing was no more realistic of a dream than acting, but dream of it he did.
Shortly into his junior year the first of Septimus’s dreams would be realized. He finally got his big break in acting, landing a role for a teen drama that would explode in popularity and shove him into stardom. Talk shows, magazine shoots, and even a role in a Broadway Musical, suddenly everyone in show biz wanted a piece of Septimus, and he was happy to oblige them.
Eventually Septimus would start to tire of the screeching fangirls, constant jet lag, and complete and utter lack of privacy that come with being a teenage superstar. And while he was still very much in love with the “acting” part of being an actor, he was beginning to realize that he needed a distraction before he burnt out. Racing, he decided, would be that distraction.
Septimus would begin his racing career in the MX-5 Cup series and would show continuous improvement across the season, overcoming his lack of real world experience to become a regular top 10 contender and even score a podium finish at the season finale.
He continued to show growth in his second season, including taking his first ever race win and remaining in title contention until the penultimate round.
Shortly after the season Rocket-7 Energy Boost would announce that it had signed Septimus to a brand ambassador deal that would see them sponsor his racing career, while he would appear in advertisements for the brand. Septimus would joke that the deal came about partly because of his racing results and partly because of his celebrity status, but mostly because of his name. It would be a full year before Septimus would carry Rocket-7 colours on track however, as filming commitments would force him to put his racing dreams on the backburner for a year.
The year off would do nothing to blunt Septimus’s skill, and an initial foray into endurance racing in the Tourer Lights class of the IMAS Super Production Challenge would immediately yield results. Victory in the season opening mini-enduro would be a sign of things to come, with Septimus and his teammate bookending the season with a win at the finale to seal the title.
He would follow this success with a strong debut season in a GT3 car in the IMAS Endurance Challenge, though more filming commitments would mostly reduce that season to testing and track days. At one of those track days he would meet Orion Kissling, and the pair struck up conversation. Kissling had a car but needed a funded driver to make the step up to the IMAS GT Championship, while Septimus had sponsor backing with Rocket-7 and was looking to make the step up himself. A deal was quickly struck, and now Septimus’s IMAS dream is set to become a reality.
RP Notes:
- While some may describe him as cocky or conceited, these traits can be excused somewhat as leftovers from a defence mechanism build up from growing up with 6 older brothers
- These defence mechanisms make it difficult to get Septimus to “open up” to you. If you can get him to open up however he’s a fiercely loyal and devoted friend, despite what the banter and quips may make you think
- Doesn’t know how to feel about being a celebrity with a horde of teenage fangirls. On one hand he craves the attention, on the other he finds their obsessive devotion uncomfortable
- Unable to contain himself when it comes to witty quips, neither friend nor foe are safe. This often lands him in trouble when he should really keep his mouth shut
All of this brings us to a 7th son of a 7th son born in America, where such beliefs were considered no more than fantasy. Named Septimus, a latin name meaning “Seventh Son”, he showed no signs of being able to heal with a touch, nor did he thirst for human blood. He was, as far as anyone could tell, just a normal boy.
This was perhaps unfortunate for Septimus, since growing up the youngest (and therefore smallest) of 7 boys was a situation where occult powers might have been useful. In the absence of occult powers, and knowing he would never physically outpower his brothers, Septimus instead trained to hit back at them the only way he could: with a quick wit and a sharp tongue.
These he had already honed to a razor sharp edge by middle school, any fight he may have lost physically he could turn into a crushing psychological victory. His dramatic oration during these confrontations caught the eye of the drama teacher, who quickly recruited Septimus in hopes of directing his skills towards something more productive and less self-destructive. The aforementioned superstitious cultures would perhaps point to this moment as the awakening of his occult blessing, his natural talent for acting and his beautiful singing voice. If someone were to suggest this to Septimus he would simply laugh and say that acting is a crucial survival skill when you’re the smallest of 7 brothers.
Nonetheless it can’t be denied that he took to drama like a duck to water, and Septimus quickly found a place for himself in the drama club and the local theatre group. Perhaps this is why drama grabbed a hold of him so strongly: As a youngest child with so many older siblings it was very rare for Septimus to have anything he could call his own. The stage was his world, his place, and no older brother or school bully could take it away from him. Septimus dreamed of becoming an actor on Broadway or Hollywood, and as rave reviews about his performances continued to pour in those around him began thinking those dreams might become a reality.
Septimus took his acting very seriously, going above and beyond doing research for his roles so that he could truly “be” the character. And so when he landed the lead role for a big local production of “Grease” part of his research included studying greasers and classic cars. And much to his surprise Septimus discovered that he found cars fascinating.
Soon he had borrowed a copy of “Racing Passion” and some sim gear from one of his older brothers who had briefly dabbled in it, and found that he was actually quite good. Sure he wasn’t going to be challenging Flat6Ryoko’s leaderboard scores anytime soon, but he was well above average.
Racing Passion’s extensive car list would lead him down the racing rabbit hole, leading him to discover sportscar racing. While the J-Speed GT Masters machines of course caught his eye, it was the IMAS GT series that truly sparked his interest. These awesome machines had been racing so close to him and he’d never even heard of them? Septimus was hooked, and the IMAS GT series quickly became an obsession. There was a clear path for amateurs to reach this level, and Septimus realized that maybe becoming an actor wasn’t the only goal he wanted to achieve in life. Racing was no more realistic of a dream than acting, but dream of it he did.
Shortly into his junior year the first of Septimus’s dreams would be realized. He finally got his big break in acting, landing a role for a teen drama that would explode in popularity and shove him into stardom. Talk shows, magazine shoots, and even a role in a Broadway Musical, suddenly everyone in show biz wanted a piece of Septimus, and he was happy to oblige them.
Eventually Septimus would start to tire of the screeching fangirls, constant jet lag, and complete and utter lack of privacy that come with being a teenage superstar. And while he was still very much in love with the “acting” part of being an actor, he was beginning to realize that he needed a distraction before he burnt out. Racing, he decided, would be that distraction.
Septimus would begin his racing career in the MX-5 Cup series and would show continuous improvement across the season, overcoming his lack of real world experience to become a regular top 10 contender and even score a podium finish at the season finale.
He continued to show growth in his second season, including taking his first ever race win and remaining in title contention until the penultimate round.
Shortly after the season Rocket-7 Energy Boost would announce that it had signed Septimus to a brand ambassador deal that would see them sponsor his racing career, while he would appear in advertisements for the brand. Septimus would joke that the deal came about partly because of his racing results and partly because of his celebrity status, but mostly because of his name. It would be a full year before Septimus would carry Rocket-7 colours on track however, as filming commitments would force him to put his racing dreams on the backburner for a year.
The year off would do nothing to blunt Septimus’s skill, and an initial foray into endurance racing in the Tourer Lights class of the IMAS Super Production Challenge would immediately yield results. Victory in the season opening mini-enduro would be a sign of things to come, with Septimus and his teammate bookending the season with a win at the finale to seal the title.
He would follow this success with a strong debut season in a GT3 car in the IMAS Endurance Challenge, though more filming commitments would mostly reduce that season to testing and track days. At one of those track days he would meet Orion Kissling, and the pair struck up conversation. Kissling had a car but needed a funded driver to make the step up to the IMAS GT Championship, while Septimus had sponsor backing with Rocket-7 and was looking to make the step up himself. A deal was quickly struck, and now Septimus’s IMAS dream is set to become a reality.
RP Notes:
- While some may describe him as cocky or conceited, these traits can be excused somewhat as leftovers from a defence mechanism build up from growing up with 6 older brothers
- These defence mechanisms make it difficult to get Septimus to “open up” to you. If you can get him to open up however he’s a fiercely loyal and devoted friend, despite what the banter and quips may make you think
- Doesn’t know how to feel about being a celebrity with a horde of teenage fangirls. On one hand he craves the attention, on the other he finds their obsessive devotion uncomfortable
- Unable to contain himself when it comes to witty quips, neither friend nor foe are safe. This often lands him in trouble when he should really keep his mouth shut
Staff
Orion Kissling
Team Principal and Owner
Nationality: American/Barbados(?)
Birthday and Age: Unknown, 44 years old (claimed)
Appearance: 6 foot 3, dark skin, MMA Welterweight build, clean shaven with neat dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail
- Adopted son of Lucius, only 16 year age gap between them. (36 and 20 in ‘97)
- Lucius claims to have adopted him while on vacation in Barbados, though there is no paperwork to authenticate this
- Looked mature for his age at the time, still looks almost identical now. People find this unnerving
- Because of this, and because he disappeared from the public eye for 23 years, there are rumors that he’s something like a vampire or a prototype artificial human/AI who was in hibernation for that time
- Always meticulously well presented, as though he had just walked straight out of a photoshoot
Lucius Kissling
Former Owner (currently absent)
Nationality: American/German
Birthday and Age: Unknown, 60 years old (claimed)
Appearance: 6 foot 3, very pale skin, lean build, clean shaven with long flowing golden blonde hair