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Description
Completed commission for Northern-Crosshair: as well as a short story written by him (www.furaffinity.net/view/38159… )
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Anton glanced back to his right momentarily to see if it was clear. His Darracq 200, being mostly period correct for 1905, lacked rear view mirrors. The only real modern touches were the instrumentation and a small generator to keep his bodies batteries topped off. A more modern car zipped past him on his left. They're in a different class, they didn't matter.

Seeing that his right was open, he moved over to the edge of the track. He'd need this side soon enough when he had to brake for the turn. In front of him, the massive 25 liter V8 engine rumbled just below its 1200 RPM redline. The dull glow of the exhaust was now visible beside him in the twilight. The race was almost over, just a little bit further.

Anton never could have imagined himself regularly driving such a vehicle as a hobby back on Earth when he was flesh and blood. One of the many benefits of a robot body, not having to worry too much about getting hurt. On the other hand, you did have to worry about the bolts and screws that hold your body together vibrating loose.

His car didn't have any headlights, but a quick flick of his mind put his eyes into low-light mode. He took one last last look at the gauges as he readied his grip on the steering wheel. He needed to hit this last turn and he was home free...

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As second-lifers settled various worlds across the galaxy, the desire for local sports and entertainment grew. Conventional professional team sports were tried, but failed to take hold due to the limitations of technology at the time. The robotic bodies then available to second-lifers simply lacked the performance and durability needed.

As a result of these problems, vehicle racing soon became the dominant sport. Car, boat, aircraft, airships, and even spaceships were competing in every type of race imaginable and suitable to local conditions.

Automotive racing took the lead from the start due to the low barrier of entry, in terms of both cost and skill required. The vast material wealth of second-life society meant that virtually anyone could afford it if they wanted to.

One of the popular classes of cars became known as the "Open Frame" class. Originally a project between a group of friends who wanted to experience the earliest days of motor racing, they set about building themselves replicas of the 1905 Darracq 200.

They chose the Darracq 200 partially because information on it was easy to get, partially because it was one of the oldest, but largely because they just liked how it looked. No bodywork, virtually no thought to aerodynamics, just a huge engine with wheels strapped to it. Having lived for decades in robot bodies, the brute simplicity and primitiveness of the Darracq 200 offered a beautiful contrast to their current technology infused lives.

With their set of replicas complete, the friends headed out to the local track. Their Darracq's were an immediate hit with spectators and even other drivers. Though the original design was built for straight line speed, lacking things like a reverse gear or differential, it still handled well on the track. The Darracq 200 required skill to drive to its full potential, but not so difficult as to be unmanageable for lesser experienced individuals.

Word spread quickly and soon the group of friends found themselves running a car company; churning out their replicas for eager buyers across the galaxy. Before long, others were creating open frame designs based on cars from all across the 20th century and beyond. Even when second-lifer body technology had matured and physical sports became viable, racing had secured it's place as a dominant sport and hobby.

Description
Completed commission for Northern-Crosshair: as well as a short story written by him (www.furaffinity.net/view/38159… )
------------------------------------------------------------------

Anton glanced back to his right momentarily to see if it was clear. His Darracq 200, being mostly period correct for 1905, lacked rear view mirrors. The only real modern touches were the instrumentation and a small generator to keep his bodies batteries topped off. A more modern car zipped past him on his left. They're in a different class, they didn't matter.

Seeing that his right was open, he moved over to the edge of the track. He'd need this side soon enough when he had to brake for the turn. In front of him, the massive 25 liter V8 engine rumbled just below its 1200 RPM redline. The dull glow of the exhaust was now visible beside him in the twilight. The race was almost over, just a little bit further.

Anton never could have imagined himself regularly driving such a vehicle as a hobby back on Earth when he was flesh and blood. One of the many benefits of a robot body, not having to worry too much about getting hurt. On the other hand, you did have to worry about the bolts and screws that hold your body together vibrating loose.

His car didn't have any headlights, but a quick flick of his mind put his eyes into low-light mode. He took one last last look at the gauges as he readied his grip on the steering wheel. He needed to hit this last turn and he was home free...

--------------

As second-lifers settled various worlds across the galaxy, the desire for local sports and entertainment grew. Conventional professional team sports were tried, but failed to take hold due to the limitations of technology at the time. The robotic bodies then available to second-lifers simply lacked the performance and durability needed.

As a result of these problems, vehicle racing soon became the dominant sport. Car, boat, aircraft, airships, and even spaceships were competing in every type of race imaginable and suitable to local conditions.

Automotive racing took the lead from the start due to the low barrier of entry, in terms of both cost and skill required. The vast material wealth of second-life society meant that virtually anyone could afford it if they wanted to.

One of the popular classes of cars became known as the "Open Frame" class. Originally a project between a group of friends who wanted to experience the earliest days of motor racing, they set about building themselves replicas of the 1905 Darracq 200.

They chose the Darracq 200 partially because information on it was easy to get, partially because it was one of the oldest, but largely because they just liked how it looked. No bodywork, virtually no thought to aerodynamics, just a huge engine with wheels strapped to it. Having lived for decades in robot bodies, the brute simplicity and primitiveness of the Darracq 200 offered a beautiful contrast to their current technology infused lives.

With their set of replicas complete, the friends headed out to the local track. Their Darracq's were an immediate hit with spectators and even other drivers. Though the original design was built for straight line speed, lacking things like a reverse gear or differential, it still handled well on the track. The Darracq 200 required skill to drive to its full potential, but not so difficult as to be unmanageable for lesser experienced individuals.

Word spread quickly and soon the group of friends found themselves running a car company; churning out their replicas for eager buyers across the galaxy. Before long, others were creating open frame designs based on cars from all across the 20th century and beyond. Even when second-lifer body technology had matured and physical sports became viable, racing had secured it's place as a dominant sport and hobby.