Crank gave his pit crew a friendly nod as he blasted out. Several of them were old hands from his previous career, and another came from his tour in the underground league. Back in the big time, he knew the value of people he could trust. His skill on the track was built on the trust in the pit. Sadly, his skill had failed him so far this time, but he could at least get in the front half...
Aggressive driving!
As if in response to Cranks downcast mood-he feels his kart gain an amazing increase in power! He hears his Pit Chief Avery Boomsons (Known as Boomer for short) steady and encouraging voice over the radio...
"...And that would be the Boomjuice blasting in-I think we got the right mix this time! Ahead of you-the viking, he's hit an invisible banana, you've just about got him...close in! We can break out and advance!" Crank hears the familiar sound of a cigar being lit. Which is very different from that of a fuse. It was a bit scary at first, but he's gotten used to it.
Boomson has been pit chief for Crank practically as long as he's been a racer. Last they met, had been with a tough goodbye. MKL was disbanding, and the Mushroom War was starting in earnest. Boomer was needed on the frontlines-for which side he's never keen to talk about in polite company. And while a lot of Bom Ombs exploded during the war-Boomer survived, having been decorated for heroically exploding a dozen times on twice as many battlefields. Unlike a mass production Bom Omb, he can explode and survive, though it's never entirely a sure thing.
Was Crank surprised to find the smoking bom-omb Captain waiting for him the day he went to sign up again? He shouldn't have been.
...
Only Cranks most ardent fans know about his distant past. In his youth he had designs to be an alchemist, and even briefly helped save the Mushroom Kingdom from a terrible threat-his adventure had only the barest hint of the conflict to come-but, that was all a very long time ago...still, one of the secrets to his success has always been the chemical concoctions his team has been able to dream up using his original notes and occasional insights, though he must admit at this point many of his crew have surpassed him.
Boomjuice is something new-Chief Boomson said Bom Ombs used to drink it in the war to get more of a 'blast' before the fighting started. It's a combination of the classic engine booster moon dust, an expensive pinch of red chaos emerald, and ground up lava lotus spores. The kick he feels in the engine means this is a working formula.
Gain THREE momentum! (Now 5!)