May 1974 in United States of America
It was the first race in Formula Atlantic for Gilles. Someone would propably think that it would be same as all the other races he has taken a part in but they can't be wronger. All eyes are now on Gilles, a rookie who has just joined the grid during the season, replacing Dominic Roads, an already well known driver who retired due to the lack of money, as many drivers before him and even more after him in the future. This fact increased the pressure on Gilles' shoulders even more. But now it was too late to back off, all that remains for him is to get ready to race and to give it all he has got.
This feeling of pressure was strengthen by words of a commentator.
"And we mustn't forget the fact that we have a new driver with a number twelve on the grid. The latest snocross world champion, Gilles Villeneuve. I hope that you will wish him good luck as I do. Because even thought Indianapolis circuit seems easy and simple, it does have some hidden aces in its sleeve."
All the cars were already practicing on the track. After collecting every bit of focus he possibly can Gilles finally decides to put on his hood and helmet and then sits into his white car, a Formula Atlantic race car, something he has just imagined until now, all the good things about this moment but also bad are now crawling up into his mind. As he makes himself comfortable in the car, the main mechanic approaches him, "Just be careful, okay kid? Now it's just a training. Figure out how the car reacts and stuff and don't destroy it or yourself, ya understand?"
Gilles nods and starts the car with a very loud but beautiful roar of its engine. He smirks under his helmet, all the thougths are now gone, the only things that matter are him, the car and the track.
He engages first gear and with a smooth press on the clutch he makes the car move. His excitment takes over the control of his mind and he immidiatly steps on the gas and engages second gear and practicly disappears from the pits.
As he is reaching the first ninety degrees corner fast in a very high speed, he tryes to quickly slow down by pressing his foot on the brake pedal all the way down to the floor and downshifting his gears. Unfotunatly for him he decided to slow down too late, his tires lock up and he doesn't manage to turn his car in time and he ends up spinning on the grass.
"Fuck!" he screams in his helmet when he punches into the steering wheel but then calms down, "Okay, this won't be the same as snowmobiles nor the lesser Formula categories. This car is kinda beast already, I get that now. Let's calm down a little."
After a while of just staying on the grass and doing nothing his crew decides to check on him so they send two mechanics to find out what's the problem. But as they approach Gilles he starts his engine again, spins the rear wheels and drives out of the grass. But as he continues his ride, he can't unnotice the fan crowd that are absolutly raging and booing the new rookie. He looks at the crowd and his mind stops focusing on the driving, he starts doubting himself again. As the result his left rear wheel goes on the grass and he loses control over his car and spins again.
Despite continuing to drive, this left such a big harm on Gilles' mentality that, in combination of the car spins causing him to feel unwell, he after finishing this lap immidiatly drives into the pits. Shuts the engine down, takes off his helmet and hood and gets out of the car to catch some fresh air.
"Is everything all right, kid?" the main mechanic asks
"Yeah, everything... is all right, I just... need to... catch my breath, you know."
"Okay, take your time. Just remember that nobody is perfect."
These words stay in Gilles' mind for few more seconds, he then decides to go on the track again so he walks to his car and steps into it. When he does this, he sees the mechanic to approaches him.
"Are you sure, kid? Practice is almost over. Nobody is forcing ya to go over your limits if you don't feel well."
"I know, this is my decision." he then puts on his hood and helmet again, starts the engine and goes.
He is reaching the first ninety degrees corner again but this time he slows down earlier to have enough time to turn right and go throught the corner cleanly, he doesn't step on the gas too much and immidiatly turns left. It's clear that he doesn't want to prove anything to himself now, even thought he enjoys the speed of the new car, he is just trying to know the track and adapt to it. Another right turn but not that sharp this time, another corner he drives smoothly, feeling the urge to go quicker. After a small straight line he lets go of the gas again and twitches his steering wheel to turn his car into the fast right turn. He then slows down again into a "U" shaped left turn that leads into another right turn after which there is another straight line. After this straight line there is a ninety degrees left turn and Gilles slows down, unfortunatly he feels his tires locking up again and twitches the steering wheel in the way of the corner and turns contra a little bit again to instantly set the car sharply into the direction. He barely stays on the track, in fact his rear right wheel is already on the grass. But Gilles doesn't care about this and guides his car into a right "U" shaped turn. Then he goes into two consecutive short left turns. In the following bigger right turn he feels his car to lose a bit of a grip due to a tire damage he caused his car by all the spinning and going on the grass. However this ferocity of the car in combination of the sight of following two consecutive big and fast corners wake something primordial in Gilles, a wild instinct in him and he doesn't resist the urge to step on the gas fully down to the floor and absolutly flyes throught these corners. He goes into the second of these corners, seeing the last fast straight line. This feeling and expectation of such a high speed just strengthen this ferocity of Gilles. But in the apex of this corner his rear starts to lose grip it slides into the barrier, causing a puncture of the left rear tire. He then just slowly finishes this lap and goes back into the pits alongside the last of the racers that stayed on the track until the end as well.
"What the hell did ya do with those tires, kid?! One of the rear one is punctured and the other has no sample!" said the main mechanic.
"Fuck! I'm sorry. I'll be more careful next time." even thought Gilles seemed angry and as he would regret the tire damage he caused, he was absolutly excited from just from this practice alone. Smiling widely under his helmet, he was looking forward to the qualifying and the race itself.