(cont.) Away from the public, Kurosawa is deep in conversation with his mechanic, Anton Forte, and doesn’t appear to notice our arrival. Ellis, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying this opportunity to talk to the public, capsuleers or otherwise, and is engaged in conversation with a group of three young capsuleers. As we approach him, he notices us, shares a final few words with the group, and then heads our way. The young capsuleers look decidedly ecstatic and who knows – maybe we’ll see more of them later this season. Judging by Venture’s roster so far, Ellis certainly shares the ability to draw new pilots to the League with his predecessor Kendar Zek.

As Kurosawa finishes his conversation with Forte, we move to a conference room adjacent to the hangar, with one wall apparently made entirely of reinforced glass, looking out upon this vast expanse of Gallente-ruled space.

Mr. Kurosawa, I saw you engaged in conversation with Mr. Forte out there. I trust everything is in order for the race?

Just Takashi, please. And yes, it seems so, although there always seems to pop something up, no matter how well-prepared we arrive. These are complex machines being pushed to the limit week in and week out, made more complicated by all the modifications we apply to make them go even faster (chuckles).

Takashi it is. And of course, we need to congratulate you on your victory in last week's race in Derelik.

Thank you. It was a pleasure to be back in the Infinity MkII after all these months away from her. The victory certainly took some pressure off, although there seems to be a feeling with some that it was won routinely, which it most certainly was not.

We turn our attention to Ellis, who has dropped his characteristic shades and is looking over some pre-race preparation details on one of the holo-consoles on the conference table.

Mr. Ellis, first off, you just recently returned to the world of the living, so to speak, having been thought dead by most for many months. Can you remember what happened?

Oh, I can remember it like it was yesterday. I elected to undergo a radical genetic treatment to correct a very minor problem, so you could say that my vanity killed me. Thankfully, the good doctor is not the sort to live with failure, so here I am, nearly a year later. Unfortunately, the explanation of the how and why of it all only leads to more questions, so I'm content to let the matter rest and simply be thankful that I'm alive. And please call me Norrin, by the way.

(cont.) Norrin, what inspired you to engage yourself as wholeheartedly as you have in the world of capsuleer racing, and Venture Racing Team in particular?

After Season 7, Venture had gone corporate, and the CEO at the time, Noriko Rei, invited me to join the team as a racer and management consultant. ISRC Season 8 never happened, however, and everyone went their separate ways. As luck would have it, the league and I were resurrected about the same time. With Noriko nowhere to be found, I reopened the corporation to carry on where things left off. I am obliged to do whatever I can to restore the legacy of Season 4, Venture's maiden season.

The first order of business has been to give the team to the Venture alumni, a plan that was in the works when the league went dormant. They made the team great, and I'm doing everything I can to keep it that way.

What do you do in your free time, when you’re not absorbed in managing Venture’s affairs?

Honestly, I'm incredibly lazy. When I don't have work to do, I tend to wander around whichever station I happen to be visiting and stop frequently to stargaze. I also have a profound love of food, so I'm always excited to sample the local cuisine wherever my travels take me.

You seem to have the same knack for recruiting new racers to the team as the late, legendary Kendar Zek. Venture fielded the most racers of any team in Race 1, five total, and took home victories in all three classes. Were you surprised that the team was able to pull this off so early in the season?

I'm surprised we have racers on the roster at all, aside from Takashi. I've always lived a sheltered life and been quite content to keep to myself, so the people side of the business isn't a natural endeavor for me. Seeing five racers on the track and knowing we've got six more on the roster is incredibly satisfying. The big surprise about the sweep, aside from being a rare occurrence for any team, was that our attention to detail is what won the day for us. We didn't know we had won the frigate class until another racer was disqualified for missing a waypoint. Luck, skill, and solid procedure were all on our side, and I hope the same holds true throughout the season.

Where do you see room for improvement, and what are your hopes and goals for the remainder of the season?

Consistent participation is the major concern. Pilots have important business that often takes precedence over racing. Showing up at the track, however, is really the fundamental element in winning races. I don't know of a single racer that has ever won in absentia. I'd also like to see more training together as a team, but as with race days, scheduling proves challenging.

In a broader sense, we've agreed to work with the league to the best of our ability to expand participation on the whole. There is a concern that the league has become a sort of country club with significant barriers to entry outside of the established blocs. Obviously, we want to win, but we don't want to give the impression that the establishment is unbeatable. New teams with fresh talent are exactly what the old guard needs to keep us on our toes.

(cont.) And Takashi, looking in a more short term perspective, what are your expectations for this week's race in Placid?

We hope to be able to keep up the good work the team did in Race 1, and maybe even improve upon it. There certainly hasn’t been a lack of critical self-reflection on the part of each racer to improve their game, and I think that’s important: Seeing the need to improve, even in the hour of victory. The region is notorious for its dangerous areas frequented by capsuleers of questionable moral integrity, and no doubt the League will make sure that we visit some of those during the course of the race. It’s all part of the game (smiles).

Who do you see as your biggest competitor in the interceptor class this season?

I would say that there are a number of lovely ladies up there at the front. In particular, Cristina and Darina appear to match each other well. Kayleigh may not have been at the front in Race 1, but I do not expect that to be the case for long. We’re all working on getting back to our old ways, and some may be taking a little bit longer than others (smiles). It’s quite a shame that Catherine (Delorois, "Quintrala", ed.) appears to not be able to race this season.

You’ve earned the nickname "RoboTak" among team members, competitors and spectators alike. What were the origins of that alias?

(Laughs) Yes, you can credit that to my old friend Kendar Zek. Obviously it’s a combination of my reliable and consistent performances on the track –

machine-like, if you will – and also, as some may not know, the admittedly rather monotonous way in which I give notifications on our team comms during races. Kendar did some impersonations that were quite accurate and, I admit, quite funny.

The name stuck, and I’ve been half-way joking with our marketing department that they should make some merchandise in that spirit (chuckles).

Norrin, rumour has it the public relations office of Venture Racing Team has been getting quite a few requests to see you not just on the sidelines, but on the track as well. Do you have any plans to participate in races yourself?

I haven't made any plans to race, but I'm not entirely opposed to the idea under certain circumstances. We'll have to see how the season unfolds.

And on that note, we thank Takashi and Norrin for taking the time out of their busy schedules to talk to us, and give our readers a little more insight into the thoughts, plans and visions of one of the biggest Interstellar Racing teams around.

It will be interesting to see if Ellis does indeed turn up on the track at some point. Having recently located an old Velator-class frigate belonging to Kendar Zek, who famously took it to the track in Season 3, some speculate that he might even attempt to repeat that feat.

Velator or not, look no further than Racing Insider for the full account of all happenings on and around the track.