Average lap time: 8 minutes, 29 seconds!
"That Flower Crown is something else."
"Yeah, its speed isn't far behind some T2 Drivers."
Three T2 Drivers had entered the White Cape preliminary, and one of them ranked first;
Second was the T3-ranked Servine, who actually had T2-level ability too;
Primeape placed third in the Qualifying Race;
Lilligant was only three seconds slower and would start fourth.
"Phew..."
Shen Qi breathed a sigh of relief. "We don't need to aim too high in the race later. Just hold on to 4th Place."
There were far fewer Pokémon Racing Drivers than human ones, so the top five in the first preliminary round could all advance.
Some groups had circuits that could accommodate twenty-four or twenty-five Pokémon Racing Drivers, with as many as six qualifying spots.
Regardless of their finishing position, everyone who advanced from the first preliminary round received ten driver points.
That meant there was essentially no difference between finishing first and fifth at White Cape, but it was crucial for Shen Qi and Lilligant.
Only by earning points in this year's T3 Races could they qualify to enter next year's T2 races, which might only be held once a year.
Looking again at the qualifying times, the first-place T2 Driver was truly frightening. A lap time of 7 minutes, 59 seconds... that was already approaching an average speed of eighty kilometers per hour.
The driver was a Poliwrath, a large, humanoid frog standing on two legs with a powerful build. Being both Water- and Fighting-type also meant strong handling skills.
The partners were Luvdisc and Lumineon.
Pokémon with two or more partners were a rare sight.
Pokémon had trouble using Poké Balls, so their partners generally stayed out the whole time, in a Complete Summoning State, secured in the passenger seat