nascar.
Nazca, the National Sports Car Racing, is an epitome of United States car culture.
NASACAR is a sport brimming with violent aesthetics.
As a sport that became popular in the 1930s, it has a unique United States flavor.
This kind of underground racing is the origin of today's NASCAR culture.
Just by looking at its history, it's easy to see that NASA operates in a very "American" style.
Unlike F1, which focuses on car technology and pursues ultimate speed through tuning, NASCAR usually plays a very green-skinned game.
Just like classic United States grassroots developers, NASCAR culture also has a strong garage culture atmosphere.
Grab a wrench and a drill.
By installing a roll cage and modifying a car with a large V8 engine, it can become a NASCAR competitor.
Minor collisions and scrapes are common in NASCAR. Sometimes, the driver is more important than the car itself.
This is a comprehensive competition that tests courage, skill, and technique.
For a Yankee fan, NASA is much more exciting than F1.
"Aim for NASCAR! Go for it!"
Gordon looked at the NASA poster on his bedroom wall and gave himself a loud pep talk.
At only 19 years old, he hasn't yet reached the level to qualify for NASCAR racing.
But he did indeed have such a clear United States Dream.
"Knock knock knock"
There was a knock on the bedroom door.
The stepfather's voice came from outside the door.
"With Jeff gone, you don't want to miss today's game, do you?"
"Yes!" Gordon breathed a sigh of relief and excitedly opened the door.
His stepfather was the one who led him into the world of racing.
Ever since he was five years old, his family has bought him a quartermidget children's race car.
It's fair to say that racing culture accompanied Gordon throughout his adolescence and youth.
And he himself did not disappoint those expectations.
He started participating in competitive sports at the age of ten.
Although he didn't show exceptional talent in his youth like some true prodigies, he still demonstrated remarkable ability.
Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. Now approaching his twenties, he has not yet joined NASCAR, but he is already a rising Nova in the professional racing scene.
Today's race is a community event organized by the city's automobile club.
California's auto clubs are incredibly wealthy; they say the top winners receive not only prize money and trophies, but also surprise community-sponsored grand prizes.
Whether it's to earn money to supplement his family income and prepare for NASCAR, or simply to win, Gordon is going to give it a try.
... Summer in California is exceptionally hot.
Even though this county-level racetrack has a roof, the scorching hot winds still come in waves.
However, the audience is already used to this kind of climate.
No one cared about the scorching weather; everyone was intently focused on the oval track, which was entirely made of dirt and asphalt.
This is the most distinctive feature of NASCAR racing cars.
It's not picky about roads; it can drive anywhere.
After all, back then, bootleggers laden with Moonlight whisky couldn't possibly have sped along a smooth racetrack.
Ladies and gentlemen, one last lap! Let's see if this 19-year-old can maintain his current lead...
Accompanied by the commentary broadcast from the loudspeaker.
The spectators in the stands craned their necks to watch the intense battle on the track.
His stepfather stood up abruptly, his fists clenched as he stared at the speeding car on the track.
It was a modified Chevrolet. The car was covered in mud and had scratches everywhere.
Inside the car, Gordon, wearing an equally old racing helmet, stared intently at the track ahead, pressing the accelerator to the floor.
The massive V8 engine delivers its unparalleled horsepower to the entire vehicle without reservation.
The person and the car, the car and the engine, and the tires are all completely integrated at this moment.
"Ladies and gentlemen... out of the corner, only 200 feet left... Number 3 is catching up! Half a car length... 100 feet... Gordon is still pushing the accelerator... Crossing the finish line!"
"Ladies and gentlemen! Let's cheer for this young champion!"
The car sped wildly across the finish line.
I ran for almost half a lap before finally slowing down.
The engine, emitting a lot of noise and grinding sounds, slowly pulled up in the maintenance area.
Gordon was breathing heavily and rapidly when he ripped off his helmet.
His head was already soaked with sweat.
Hearing the deafening cheers from the stands and hearing the announcements of the finish line over the loudspeaker, Gordon was momentarily stunned. "Congratulations, you did it."
His stepfather came up to him and patted him on the shoulder with equal excitement.
Gordon's face flushed red, and he smiled.
"Sorry, the engine seems to be badly damaged."
"It's cheering for your courage. Don't worry, I'll fix it."
"Hey, today's bonus might not even cover the repair costs for our big V8."
"Keep your bonus. Your goal is NASCAR. I'll handle the repairs."
His stepfather patted his shoulder gently again.
"You should think about what you're going to say when you receive the award."
"Today's winner is... Jeff Gordon!"
Amidst cheers, Gordon stood on the makeshift podium, alongside the runner-up and third-place finishers. Prize money checks, medals, and the champion's trophy were laid out before him.
The entire award ceremony was conducted in a very standardized manner.
But just when Gordon thought that this might be the end of the day, a staff member came in carrying something covered in black velvet.
Judging from its shape, it should be a rectangular box.
"Next, let's first thank the California Automobile Club for their sponsorship, and... Gamenova for their sponsorship of California's car culture!"
The velvet cloth was lifted, revealing what was inside.
That was a... circuit board?
The cardboard outer packaging features Gamenova's iconic logo, making it instantly recognizable to any California.
The cover image features a block of metal shimmering with a silver metallic sheen.
Gordon didn't recognize what it was, but with so many spectators present, there were bound to be some experts.
As soon as it was revealed, several gasps of surprise erupted from the audience.
"A 4MB version of the Nova Radeon 9000! Holy Nova!" This top-of-the-line card alone is worth as much as the prize money.
Hearing the gasps from the audience, the host smiled and spoke loudly into the Mike:
"Oh? Looks like some viewers have already recognized it. That's right! Let's thank Gamenova again for sponsoring this event. This is a 4MB version of the Nova Radeon 9000 graphics card, which can bring players the most advanced and smoothest gaming experience currently available on the market."
"Of course, I know that many of you may have missed the pre-order deadline in order to participate in today's race, California Automobile Club has very thoughtfully taken that into account..."
As they spoke, the staff member took out another item.
At first glance, it turned out to be a full ten boxes of the deluxe edition of Need for Speed.
In addition to the game disc and necessary instruction manuals, it also includes a special issue of "Road & Track" magazine, as well as Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 model car manufactured by Mattel.
The top three finishers in this competition will each receive a Need for Speed Deluxe Edition bonus set! The remaining seven sets will be given away in a raffle to the audience! Thank you for your support!
game?
Gordon stared blankly at the rather heavy graphics card box he was holding.
He's not really a gamer.
He devoted almost all his spare time to racing. However, being a young man, Gordon was not entirely ignorant of the situation.
As a young man, especially one from California, he naturally knew what Gamenova was all about.
I've also heard of Need for Speed.
"A next-generation 3D racing game that's even better than arcade games"
This is how they described the game.
Jeff!
His stepfather excitedly rushed up to him, looking at the graphics card case in his hand.
"This is a huge windfall! This is a full-fledged 4MB version; according to the reference design specifications, this thing is incredible!"
"Is it worth a lot? Should we sell it to fix the car?"
Gordon glanced at the graphics card in his hand and reached out to hand it to his stepfather.
"Nonsense! Take it carefully, you'll need it when you get back!"
His stepfather glared at him, as if Gordon had said something outrageous, "I have a laptop, you can use that later."
"Okay...?"
That evening.
Inside Gordon's garage.
"Squeak--"
The stepfather, carrying his toolbox, was making clanging and banging repairs on the vehicle, his work pants covered in grease and grime.
However, he didn't care at all, focusing all his attention on the machine in front of him, which embodied the technological achievements of his family's engineers.
"Uh... what's next? I've plugged it in."
Gordon's voice came from the side.
He was in the garage, hunched over his workbench.
On the table sat a similarly dirty Hermes laptop. The supposedly "amazing" graphics card that we got in today's competition was already connected to it via the local bus on the side.
"Is it connected? If it is, turn it on and check if the graphics card indicator light is on..."
The stepfather inspected the engine while giving instructions remotely.
"You're a guy living in California, if you go to competitions out of town like this, people will think you're some country bumpkin who's never seen the world before!"
He shook his head helplessly.
It's certainly a good thing to have a passion for NASA.
But isn't it a bit too extreme to completely squeeze out even daily entertainment?
Today is the perfect opportunity.
Virtual racing is also part of motorsport culture.
While tinkering with racing cars, experiencing a different racing world on a computer is also a great way to relax.
It can also cultivate a driver's courage and determination.
Gordon was equally helpless, wondering why his stepfather was in such a bad mood today.
Isn't racing a great thing?
Why insist on making him try Need for Speed?
"It's lit up, and then what?"
"Put in the disc and follow the instructions to install the game."
After nearly an hour of fiddling around, Gordon finally got everything sorted out.
[Produced by gamenova]
"Clang clang clang--"
A powerful drumbeat erupted.
A montage of live-action racing footage appeared on the screen.
Completely real footage!