Just before the start both Jim and Gilles look at each other and nod as a friendly gesture of honor and respect. After Jim turns back to the front and Gilles lowers his visor on the helmet, closes his eyes and while breathing in and out he gathers every single bit of focus he can before the race begins.
"Ready! Set!..."
Gilles takes one last deep breath and opens his eyes, "I got this."
"Go!"
All vehicles start moving forward in a sound of roaring engines as the racing commissioner waves with a green flag.
Unfortunatly for Gilles, his snowmobile doesn't move so he switches engine off and on, but in the meantime another driver bumps into him from behind. This act pushes Gilles forward but his snowmobile uncontrolably goes off the track. His wife and kids become stunned in a shock, not believing what they see. Gilles takes off the gas, turns his handlebars contra and adds gas again. He barely stays on the track but loses two poisitons and he is fifth now.
Gilles and other drivers head into the first turn of the oval circuit. Fred Burns on the sixth position tries to attack Gilles from the outside line of the corner but Gilles brakes before turning and immidiatly positions his handlebars contra and drifts through the corner and appears on the the outside line of the track right next to the fifth driver, Wally East, who is on the inside line.
But Fred had better exit speed and reaches Gilles Wally and goes down on the inside line. Gilles notices that and brakes a bit earlier before the next turn, letting both drivers in front of him. They surely think that he just gave up fighting for positions due to being too soft, little did they know what has in plan.
Both Wally and Fred fighting for positions try to hit brakes later than the other one to gain advantage, but Gilles because of coming slower into the corner could add full gas and literally fly through the corner, pass both drivers and leave them behind him.
As Gilles finishes his first lap he selects his next targets, his brother Jacques and Jeremy Yeager, two drivers switching positions and fighting side by side for the third place. Gilles seizes his oportunity to his advantage and for another lap closes the gap on them.
Jacques, Jeremy and Gilles behind them heading towards the first corner. Gilles tryes to brake earlier and overtake them. But after he overtakes them on the inside line, he finds himself behind both drivers again due to them having bigger exit speed as they leave the corner.
As they are reaching the second turn, Gilles moves on the inside line of the track. Jeremy, being on the outside line, tryes to shut both drivers by turning into the corner earlier and on Jacques it has its effect because he slows down rapidly. Gilles however decides to not back off and brakes lately and twitches his handlebars extremely so he turns immidietly, Jeremy hits brakes instantly to avoid impending colission. Gilles then adds full gas and he with Jacques leave Jeremy, who due to braking in the apex of the corner had a very slow exit speed, far behind him. Third lap finished.
Gilles is driving the best he can right now to close the gap on the first two drivers, Jim Curtis and André Salach, that are fighting for better position as well, but they are still a straight line ahead of him. After finishing few more laps he looks at the clock attached to pole at the finish line, it's just a one single minute until the racing session ends. Thinking it can't be any worse, Gilles looks at the duo fighting for the first place as André tryes to attack Jim and tak the lead in the first corner entry. André tryes to brake lately and pass him on the inside line but loses traction and goes off the track and leaves Jim free space to the lead.
"This is the end," says Gilles to himself while seeing his championship rival practicly taking his championship title away. Even such a brilliant drive he did isn't enough to reach him or anyhow close the gap at least a little bit. Then he looks into the fan crowd and sees his family, his kids, Jacques and Mélanie, cheering for him, this view lighting a spark in Gilles' soul.
"No, it's not decided yet, the session isn't over yet! Anything can happened!'
He then magnificently flyes through another corner, determined to do whatever it takes to keep his hopes for the championship title alive for the rest of the race.
And then it happens, as if the god listened to Gilles' hopes, Jim's snowmobile seems to slow down and smoke start to come from it. And on the halfway of straight line between corners Gilles finally manages to close the gap on Jim and catches up with him and before Jim can reach the final turn that this racing session can contain before it ends, Gilles appears beside Jim, Gilles on the outside line of the track and Jim on the inside line.
Jim uses the fact that his snowmbile goes slower into his advantage and doesn't brake and just takes off the gas and adds it before he reaches the apex to have as fast exit speed as he can. Gilles on the other hand brakes hardly and twitches with the handlebars sharply to pu his snowmobile in the direction of the track and immidietly turns the handlebars contra and adds gas, smoke coming out of his snowmobile now as well due to his agressive style he has been driving throughout the whole racing session. Both drivers exit the corner quite close to each other, Gilles just a little bit behind Jim.
The fan crowd is cheering wildly as they are heading towards the finish line. Even thought Gilles is seamingly faster than Jim and slowly reaches his level, Jim is still in front of him and seems to finish first.
But then, right before reaching the finish line, a big wave of black smoke comes from Jim's snowmobile and rapidly slows down, letting Gilles to pass through the finish first and become the 1974 snocross world champion.
"What an unbelievable finish was this? I haven't seen a closer title fight conclusion in my entire life. 1974 snocross world championship title is going canadian! Cheer for Gilles Villeneuve, the new champion!"
A loud noice of cheer, applause and jubilance echoes through the whole areal once again.