CHAPTER 71: RACE WEEKEND | SUNDAY | THE CHECKERED FLAG

"TIMING IT PERFECTLY, JACKSON MOVES SIDE TO SIDE AS THEY ENTER THE WIDE CORNER OF TURN EIGHT, CONTINUING THAT BATTLE SIDE BY SIDE THROUGH THE NARROW STRAIGHT, LEAVING A NARROW ROOM FOR ANY MISTAKES. THEY CONTINUE LIKE THIS INTO TURN NINE, AND AS THEY TAKE TURN TEN, JACKSON’S OUTSIDE LINE TURNS INTO AN INSIDE LINE. HE GOES WIDE IN THE SECOND HAIRPIN OF THE SECOND DOUBLE HAIRPINS ON THE TRACK FORCING AYŞE TO SLOW DOWN OR CRASH, AND AS THEY ENTER THE UNDERPASS STRAIGHT, HE MOVES AHEAD OF AYŞE AND TAKES HER P4, SLOWLY RECOVERING FROM HIS PENALTY AS HE STARTS HIS CHASE OF HUZEYFA, WHO IS NOW ONLY TWO SECONDS IN FRONT OF HIM," Süleyman shouted in excitement at the battle unfolding on the track.

"We are seeing a different side of Jackson today, as if he has traded some of his patience with Selçuk in return for some of his aggressiveness. Both drivers are showing traces of the other’s forte, as Jackson has already moved from P7 all the way to P4 in just four laps," Zakir said, giving Jackson his due credit for the performance he was showing the attendees.

"Though not as domineering as Fatih’s charge, his level of driving at the moment is what is expected of a prodigy in this category, with Fatih being the anomaly," responded Süleyman, his tone calmer now compared to his earlier shouting.

"Oh, we are finally seeing Fatih after he disappeared in front following the first lap. It seems he has dialed his focus to the maximum now that the championship is already within his grasp. Having already opened a gap of six seconds in this time period, I think it’s because this is the only track where he had prior experience, other than a practice session," Süleyman added.

"If what you’re theorizing is true, then next season is going to be very interesting to see, as we might witness a never-before-seen dominance in this category," Zakir replied.

"Don’t jinx it, man. I want to see good racing next year, and you hyping it like this risks him underperforming," Zakir said, causing both of them to chuckle at his words.

.......

"Come on, you can do it!" Aron shouted, encouraging his son as he passed through the start-finish line while leaning against the rails, making sure his voice was loud enough to overcome the roar of the kart engines.

"Your son really gave mine a run for his money this season," Aron said, turning his head to Rümeysa, who had her eyes fixed on her son on the track. Fatih was rarely being shown on the TV feed due to the gap he had opened from the second-closest driver, rendering him a boring watch for casual viewers when there were battles happening all over the track.

"I’m surprised as well. I only thought he was above average, but the performance he’s shown me has exceeded that," Rümeysa said with a smile on her face, proud of her son’s capabilities despite the mess that had happened amidst the season.

"I think everyone was surprised as well, starting from his first round. From there on, the rest is history," Aron said, turning his head back to the track as his son was getting closer to where he was, already bridging the gap between himself and Huzeyfa even further. "He’s super competitive," he added as the large screen showed that Fatih had added another second to his gap over Selçuk.

"When it comes to everything else, he’s very rational, but in motorsport, his competitive spirit..." As she humbly bragged, Fatih went through the start-finish line.

"Are you going to leave him in this category for next season?" Aron asked, turning to her again as he took her bragging without trying to counter it.

"Yes. Why? Is there something I’m missing?" Rümeysa asked, wondering if there was something she needed to do. Due to her lack of in-depth knowledge in this field, she was very curious.

"Not something you’re missing specifically, but if you leave him here, you risk having him dominate the category. For a young driver who needs competition to continue growing, that could cause bad habits and complacency to settle in. If possible, you should send him to a place with a very competitive karting scene where he can be pushed and challenged, unlike here in Turkey, where the sport is still in its infancy," Aron suggested.

"And where is that specifically? Europe?"

"Yes. Unlike here, where there’s only one nationwide championship a year, there he’ll have way more opportunities to race against different drivers all year round, giving him the variety of competition he needs for sustainable growth. Only there will his talent be truly affirmed, or he’ll turn out to be just a good driver. The talent pool here is very limited, to the point that only about sixty karts participated in the nationwide championship at this entry level."

Upon hearing Aron’s suggestion, she took a moment to think about it before saying, "It’s something I’ve considered, but I don’t plan on doing that at this level. He’s about to start school, and going there at this moment would be very difficult for him. He doesn’t even have the language to make friends. But thank you for the suggestion."

"Oh, no problem. I was just speaking my mind based on the ability I’ve seen. It would be a shame if his abilities were stifled because of a lack of competition. But your reasoning is also sound. Even I, knowing that, am forced to keep my son here because of work. The same should be true for you, I didn’t consider that," Aron said, remembering that she was a single mother who had to work. Sending Fatih overseas would mean being separated from him, leaving him in a country where he knew nothing about the culture or language.

Though some parents made such sacrifices to support their children’s hobbies, doing so for a child at such a young age was like forcing them to shoulder a mountain of responsibility. If the family gave up everything to support the child, the child would have no choice but to succeed. Failure would not only shatter their dreams but also the sacrifices their parents made. If the child succeeded, the parents would be seen as dedicated and loving. But if they failed, the parents would be seen as reckless gamblers who bet everything on their child in a field where the chances of success were slim.

"It’s not like I’m closing the door forever. But if he shows further development, I’ll consider making the sacrifice of losing time together to send him there. He has to show consistent improvement before I seriously consider it and make the logistics worth it. Because no matter how slim the chances, there’s always the possibility that he might become a one-season wonder," she said, showing that while she believed in her son, she also considered all possibilities, no matter how unlikely, to prepare for any situation and as a lawyer it was only normal for her to think like that.

"If you make that decision, please reach out to me. I’ll see what I can do since I have some connections there. I hope I can help grease the wheels and ease his entry. I’ll be returning there sometime after next year," Aron said, leaving the door open for Rümeysa to take over should Fatih meet the benchmarks she had set for him.

"Thank you. I will do so if the opportunity arises, and wh..." Just as she thanked him and was about to finish her thought, she was interrupted by the commentator’s excited voice, causing her and Aron to turn back to the track to see what was happening.

.......

"He started the championship with a super performance, and he finishes it with one! Leading all sessions through the weekend and matching that in the final race, with eight fastest laps in the race, he comes out of the final corner and, with his foot on the pedal as the public cheers him on the last hurdle, THE CHECKERED FLAG RISES FOR HIM JUST IN TIME AS FATİH YILDIRIM WINS THE ISTANBUL KARTING PARK AND THE FINAL ROUND OF THE TOSFED MINI KART ŞAMPİYONASI, TAKING WITH HIM THE DRIVER TITLE!" Süleyman shouted, commentating excitedly.

"Congratulations to him for winning the championship! He deserved nothing less for the performance he showed us throughout the championship, coming back from adversity after adversity and, at one point, losing the lead of the championship. It was an exciting season, but throughout it, he proved to anyone skeptical of him that he is above the rest. Through his superior performance under dry, wet, from pole, from last, under all conditions, he came out on top, and none rivaled him. What a superb performance from the young driver in his first season, and I can’t help but look forward to his future," Zakir added, showering Fatih with praise as the camera showed Fatih pumping his fist with the crowd cheering in the background as he crossed the start-finish line.

The championship had been decided, and the champion was celebrating it deservingly, having earned it.