The Lombardi Racing Team is a privately-owned hover car racing team managed by racing enthusiast Umberto Lombardi.
History[]
Early History[]
Some time around the mid-to-late 21st century, the Italian property developer Umberto Lombardi made his fortune creating an exact replica of the city of Venice. Being an avid hover car racing enthusiast, Lombardi financed his own private team, the Lombardi Racing Team, to run in professional league races, though they only ever had one driver participate in the Grand Slam races.
While Lombardi seemed to have an uncanny ability to scout out new talent, the racers the Lombardi team employed would always end up getting poached by one of the major sponsor teams. After Scott Syracuse graduated from the International Race School, Lombardi recruited him to be the driver for his racing team, but was forced to let Syracuse go after a serious crash impeded his ability to drive, though the two remained good friends.
Later, the Lombardi Racing Team recruited Pablo Riviera to replace Syracuse, and while he acknowledged Riviera's skills, Lombardi knew that his talents were only mid-range.
Hover Car Racer[]
One year, Lombardi went to Hobart, Australia to watch the International Race School's Sponsors' Tournament, meeting some of Syracuse's students - Jason Chaser and his team - the night before the tournament. Upon witnessing Jason's skills and determination in action, Lombardi was taken with the young driver, who even though he had come second had driven harder than any other racer Lombardi had seen that day.
Afterwards, Lombardi approached Jason and his family while they were celebrating, informing them that he had been impressed by his team's efforts and that he had recently been thinking of having Lombardi Racing add a second car to race in pro races. To everyone's astonishment, Lombardi then extended an offer for Team Argonaut to drive his team's second car in the upcoming Italian Run, and Jason, the Bug and Sally McDuff all unanimously agreed.
As the Italian Run approached, the Lombardi Racing Team gave Jason the opportunity to practise in the car they were providing him, which Jason named the Argonaut II. Lombardi also introduced him to his team's primary driver, Riviera, who gladly took Jason under his wing and advised him on preparing for the upcoming race.
During the Italian Run, Jason performed well and make a pair of come-backs after some initial troubles, but the Lombardi Racing Team's second driver was prevented from finishing when the Argonaut II's tailfin abruptly exploded before the finish-line. As Jason awoke and began recovering, Lombardi visited him to reassure him not to worry about the destruction of the team's second car.
Later in the year, Lombardi and his team went to New York City to prepare for the New York Masters, first watching the preceding Challenger Race and witnessing Jason's victory. At the subsequent press conference, when Jason noted he would need to participate in the Masters under a licensed team, Lombardi called out to him, noting before the media that he no longer had a second car to race, but that he would gladly accept Jason under his team's license if he used his own car. Antony Nelson of the Lockheed-Martin Factory Team interrupted to also extend an offer to Jason to race with his team's, but after a few moments consideration, Jason decided to go along with Lombardi's offer instead.
With Jason's agreement to race under him, and to use his own car to do so, Lombardi had his team's resources dedicate themselves to upgrading the Argonaut, vastly improving the car's inner workings while giving the exterior a fresh paint job.
Rivera and Jason both performed well enough in the Liberty Supersprint and Manhattan Gate Races to continue on to the Pursuit Race, however, in the third race of the New York Masters, Riviera attempted to use on of the Meat Grinder shortcuts to gain some distance on the leaders, only to have his car totaled. Jason was thus the Lombardi Team's last remaining driver, and ultimately managed to win the Quest Race.
Fully impressed, Lombardi offered Jason a full time contract working with his racing team, effectively making Team Argonaut a sub-team of Lombardi Racing.
Team Members and Associates[]
Team Members[]
- Umberto Lombardi (Founder and Manager)
- Pablo Riviera (Primary Driver)
Associates[]
- Scott Syracuse (former driver)
- Team Argonaut (now sub-team)
Goals[]
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Equipment[]
- Argonaut II
- Pit Tarantula
- Magneto Drives
Trivia[]
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