Birth of the New Asurada

Synopsis

For the new machine's shakedown, the Sugo team had begun test runs of the Super Asurada AKF-11 at the factory. Miki tells Hayato there's variation in the times during data collection on attack laps. Clair points out it's a difference in technique and, showing Hayato the data from round 5, explains Schumacher's perfectly waste-free line through the corners. That night, witnessing Clair's high ability anew, Miki harbors complex feelings about her role and ability as chief. Hayato begins driving to trace the same line as Schumacher, but can't use up the Super Asurada's power and gets no result. At that point, the veteran Bleed Kaga visits the factory. To Hayato, who frets that his times won't improve, Kaga mounts a mass-production Cyber System on the Super Asurada SA-01 and, driving it, brilliantly beats Schumacher's time. Taking Kaga's advice, Hayato turns Asurada's support off to seek his own ideal cornering and tries again, but can't control Asurada, turned into a bucking horse, and can't find the answer. Clair asks Kaga to start a dogfight against Hayato. Pulled along by Kaga, Hayato's driving rapidly changes. And he plunges into a corner at over-speed. He turned the corner as if drifting. At last, he completed the ideal cornering, the Inertial Drift. Meanwhile, Miki, who couldn't trust Hayato and lost her sense of her own purpose, secretly leaves the team.