Pegasus Episode 27 Recap
> Pegasus Recap
Today marked the fifth day of the Dakar Qualification Race and the second marathon stage. Wei Qianli from the Master team started first, maintaining his car's condition well despite two Speeding racers narrowing the gap yesterday. Hong Kuo, who was a dark horse and rose to second place yesterday by pushing his car hard, started second today.
Zhang Chi from the Speeding team was ready to start, hoping to leverage his aggressive driving style now that his tire count issue was resolved. He quickly narrowed the gap with Hong Kuo and then overtook him, closing in on Wei Qianli, now just five seconds behind. Wei Qianli, receiving updates, instructed Hong Kuo to execute their tactic: deliberately drive onto the trackside and bring gravel onto the road.
Commentators noted Hong Kuo's unusual driving, repeatedly veering off and kicking up gravel. Ji Xing suspected this was intentional, pointing out that Hong Kuo was the only driver using gravel tires and suggesting their strong performance yesterday was planned to secure a favorable starting position for this tactic. They believed Master was sacrificing Hong Kuo to target Speeding. Ji Xing marked the damaged sections on the GPS.
Weiyi wanted to complain to the committee, but was advised against it, as the tactic had already succeeded in delaying Speeding, even if Hong Kuo were disqualified. Zhang Chi was warned about the gravel track ahead. He noted it wasn't in the recce, suspecting foul play. His tires lost traction and suffered serious wear on the gravel. He decided to stop and change to gravel tires.
This stop cost them one minute and forty-five seconds, a significant loss in a tight race. More critically, they had to use tires intended for the final stage, leaving them with limited new tires for the next day. Wei Qianli was informed that the tactic against Zhang Chi worked. He praised Hong Kuo and told him to continue. Hong Kuo kept scattering gravel, effectively sacrificing his race result, pushing his car until it finally stopped, and he applied for withdrawal.
Weiyi confronted the Master pit, accusing them of using base and nasty methods, calling their behavior visible to fans worldwide. A voice over the intercom, presumably Wei Qianli, was heard praising his team for doing a good job. Master team members told Weiyi she was violating rules by being in their pit during the race. Zhang Chi, now one minute and forty-five seconds behind after changing tires, refused to drive conservatively.
He told his co-driver, Sun Yuqiang, to just inform him of the time gap, declaring he had his own strategy and intended to destroy his opponent, calling it a life-and-death showdown. He drove increasingly radically to make up time, pushing his car's engine hard. Despite warnings that the engine was alarming and wouldn't last, Zhang Chi was resolute. He asked Yuqiang if he would bet on the engine not blowing before they beat Wei Qianli, and Yuqiang agreed.
Zhang Chi's aggressive drive showed his peak competitive level, closing the gap with Wei Qianli significantly in the final kilometers. Yuqiang noticed the smell of something burning. In a dramatic finish, Zhang Chi completed the stage one second faster than Wei Qianli in total time for that section. However, pushing the car to its absolute limit meant his engine was now damaged beyond repair for the next stage. Lin Zhendong, starting later, also encountered the gravel tracks.
His co-driver, Ye Gong, suggested they could handle it by slowing down rather than changing tires due to their car's performance advantage. They passed the gravel section safely and were 55 seconds behind Wei Qianli, with instructions to accelerate and catch up. As they raced, Ye Gong, despite reporting pace notes, showed signs of distress.
He told Lin Zhendong he suspected he had myocardial ischemia and advised him to return to base and withdraw from the next marathon stage due to his health. Despite his weakening state, Ye Gong continued to guide Lin Zhendong. Lin Zhendong successfully caught up and won his stage. As Lin Zhendong celebrated, he called out to Ye Gong, but received no response.
He quickly pulled Ye Gong from the car, and teammates called out his name over the radio to no avail. Later, it was announced that Ye Gong, the Speeding Racing Team manager and co-driver, had passed away at a local hospital from sudden cardiac arrest due to excessive fatigue. The race committee suspended the competition for one day and initiated health checks for all participants. A memorial was held for Ye Gong.
Zhang Chi spoke, expressing his grief and promising Ye Gong they would win the championship and see him again in several decades. Xiaohe and other teammates cried, remembering Ye Gong's unwavering support, his habit of 'promising the moon,' and how he helped them financially and realized their racing dreams. Following Ye Gong's death, the team faced a crisis. Zhang Chi's engine was irreparable for the final stage, and Lin Zhendong was left without a co-driver and had limited tires.
Xiaohe suggested retiring, but Lin Zhendong strongly objected, refusing to give up as long as there was any chance. He offered all his remaining tires to Zhang Chi and declared he would race even without a co-driver, wanting Ye Gong's name to be associated with racing, not retirement. Other team members also expressed their commitment to continue.
During a strategy discussion, Lin Zhendong proposed consolidating their remaining resources onto one car, advocating for Zhang Chi to race the final sprint stage due to his experience, and even offered his own engine to be swapped into Zhang Chi's car. However, Zhang Chi disagreed, insisting Lin Zhendong should race. At this point, Yu Tai'ang approached and volunteered to be Lin Zhendong's co-driver. With Yu Tai'ang joining, the team decided Lin Zhendong would race the final stage.
Zhang Chi decided to race the final stage without a co-driver, wearing Ye Gong's helmet, to run one last race with him. He told Sun Yuqiang to stay back and rest. Despite his car's engine overheating, having abnormal oil pressure, and high water temperature, Zhang Chi refused to quit. He drove, performing skill moves like the pendulum turn, seemingly talking to Ye Gong, reminiscing and expressing his gratitude for their time together.
He told 'Ye Gong' he would protect Speeding and that they were heading to Dakar now. He promised to help Lin Zhendong complete the race and win. As Zhang Chi drove, commentators noticed he was performing a 'sweeping' action, clearing gravel and obstacles from the track for the car behind him. They explained sweeping as a tactic where the lead car sacrifices its race to clear the path for a following car, ensuring a perfect track condition.
Zhang Chi was sacrificing his own race for Lin Zhendong, a tactic he had refused to do for Master years ago. He called out to 'Ye Gong' that sections were cleared and told Lin Zhendong, "My first time sweeping. . . it's for you," calling him lucky. Zhang Chi's car, already damaged, began to slow down and eventually stopped on the track, his engine failing completely.
He was confirmed to have retired from the competition and his car was towed away, meaning he would not qualify for Dakar this year. Zhang Chi later watched from a hilltop, holding Ye Gong's helmet as Lin Zhendong's car flew past. Lin Zhendong, with Yu Tai'ang as his co-driver, raced on the track cleared by Zhang Chi. Yu Tai'ang delivered pace notes skillfully, adapting to Lin Zhendong's speed and the road conditions.
Lin Zhendong drove aggressively, combining techniques he had learned, including Zhang Chi's pendulum turn. He rapidly gained time, especially in the mountain section, closing the gap with Wei Qianli and overtaking other competitors. Yu Tai'ang noted the increasing temperature improved tire grip, allowing for later braking and faster acceleration. Lin Zhendong seized every opportunity, pushing hard in the remaining turns. Wei Qianli finished the stage first among the cars that had completed, setting the best time for the mountain section.
Lin Zhendong was informed he was still a few seconds behind Wei Qianli overall but had a strong chance. He pushed full speed towards the finish line, driven by the goal of taking Ye Gong to Dakar. Lin Zhendong crossed the finish line and won the Dakar Qualification Race championship, securing their team's place and fulfilling the promise made to Ye Gong. The team celebrated, emotional over their victory dedicated to their lost friend.
