the first lap of the grand prix is ben hur brutal as car after car takes a shot at speed but-- he uses their aggressiveness throwing them into each other-- littering the track with flaming debris and bouncing cocoons.
speed executes another beautiful maneuver sending gearbox crashing into boom-boom-- both cars going boom-boom, their rubber cocoons bouncing free.
the prince tries to sight the ghost in his mirrors but the gray ghost seems to vanish.
speed makes a move and cannonball blocks, but it is clumsy and speed quickly counters-- bouncing cannonball into the wall.
they exit the butterfly turn and head into the slalom, both drivers fighting hard to force the other into the onrushing concrete pylons. the paint is scraped first from the outside of the mach 5 and then the grx as they barely avoid one pylon and then another, neither car gaining an advantage until-- the mach 5 begins to rattle, the stronger grx taking advantage as they head for the final pylon--- where the camera that is broadcasting the two cars onto the jumbo-tron is positioned.
at the last second, speed hits the two outside jacks causing both cars to rise up onto the two outside wheels of the grx-- revealing the undercarriage and the hidden spear hook to the camera. the crowd gasps.
the mach 5 flips down, pancaking the grx, while the mach 5 crashes free, leaving the exposed spear hook to hang limply from the front of the grx.
switch but speed tries to start the mach 5. he hits the the starter only grinds.
speed takes a deep breath and it seems the entire stadium takes it with him. he closes his eyes and tries to listen to the car.
the red socks flash as speed stomps on it, jamming the accelerator to the floor. he's a half-lap behind the entire field but every eye in the stadium is on the white and red streak of lightening as it-- thunders by, rattling the elaborate lace work of concrete and steel-- gaining, inch by inch, foot by foot.
speed comes out of the spiral, glimpsing the back of the trailers as they go over the big drop. where they ease over the edge, speed hurls out, going airborne, free-falling past two trailers, as-- the grade of the slope reaches up and gently eases the mach 5 back onto the track, to the delight of the crowd. the mach 5 surfs up the big bank, weaving through another pair that try to stop him with spectacularly disastrous results. outside the mach 5 a maelstrom of violent chaos churns
speed weaves through the butterfly cloverleaf, taking each turn at such intense speeds that the cars he passes seem to be moving in slow motion. by the end of the slalom, he is back where he left off, with two cars left ahead of him-- mushi motors and the gray ghost.