Blackridge

**Blackridge Mining and Excavation** is a salt mining company branching out into equipment manufacturing. Though their international presence isn't large, their choice to join the league was as a combined effort, opportunity presenting itself and a calculated choice from the leadership of the company to test their equipment's strength and durability against a hail of gunfire. Preferring trucks of any type, Blackridge has made a remarkable leap in safety technology for the league and were one of the most welcomed in teams by many others due to their technology keeping everyone else alive and well.

## Important People

### Key Figures

Klaus Blutan (Race Engineer)Mikono Danza (Mechanic)

### Known Drivers

Krau Ioenson (#1 Driver)Mack Karlsen (#2 Driver)

## History

Blackridge Mining has a proud, longstanding history of being one of the best and fastest salt mining companies in Romania, amassing a great amount of wealth within the 50 year period where all they did was simply just mine salt and other resources from their mines. As such, they created an empire of land all around the Eastern European region by what was essentially a mistake, with a lot of land that would go unused once the salt and other useful resources were gone. As such, within the last 10 years leading up to 2020, they'd realize that mining was soon to become unsustainable on earth, and they'd need to switch business models or go out of business entirely.

With their funding from their mining, they created "Blackridge Excavation Research", a branch dedicated to building their own technology with their experience from 50 years constantly mining and drilling through Eurasia. With the development of stronger materials and motors, and more durable mechanical tools and new chassis for mining equipment, Blackridge started becoming a force that helped greatly with the space race to mine asteroids off in the Kuiper Belt. With a now well respected reputation and a new forward facing initiative, Blackridge's fortunes were looking up. However, their research had one problem: a lack of field testing. Because of this, there were moments where their laser drills would momentarily fail in space or even on Earth for seemingly no reason. As such, the research and development team needed a place to test their safety and mining equipment, and an opportunity presented itself in 2057.

A team that was supposed to make the professional roster dropped out due to unknown reasons, and with that window of opportunity, Blackridge had asked if they can fill in for their slot for the season. The League, while unsure, knew of Blackridge's well respected reputation and decided to grant them the team slot, giving them a proper outlet for their research and one of the best testing fields they could've been given, given the fact that the league's weapons can pelt their new space-grade mining safety shields with as many explosions and bullets as possible, and being able to return even more hurt with converted industrial tools turned into league-legal weapons as a testament to their versatility and knowledge of their equipment.

Though they only have one year of experience, Blackridge has proven themselves as an incredibly strong team that aren't afraid to play a bit rough, down and dirty to win.

## Super Modified Info

> *"Blackridge has joined the Super Modified League with an incredibly powerful combat based roster that utilizes their mining equipment's destructive capabilites alongside their very capable safety systems to their fullest extent in a showcase of their innovations to the excavation and mining industry since their founding."*
> - Super Modified Game Guide
>
>

Blackridge has incredible combat capability and a fairly good top speed, but due to this almost juggernaut-esque stance, their handling is incredibly poor and their acceleration is sluggish. As such, keep your momentum up and keep shooting the bad guys in front of you, as your handling and out-of-corner response is mostly going to rely on afterburner use to keep your speed up. Don't be afraid to play rough and slam opponents. Their vehicles can absolutely take it.

## Team Stats

### Strategy

* **Play Rough.** Dealing damage and hitting other drivers is easy when you've got enough speed to back up your aggression.
* Keep your momentum high. Slowing down can, and WILL end up with you losing places you can't make up.
* Afterburner will save you after turns. Give it a quick kick or two to stay in the lead or make passes.

## 2058 Background

*Blackridge is a long standing salt mining company that has recently decided to join the League to market their technology to other companies in the hopes of expanding into other industrial equipment.*

*Their incredibly capable combat systems and shielding make sure that any teams who decide to pick a fight with the industry giant are nearly eviscerated in one hit, but in exchange, their handling and acceleration are that of an actual excavator: slow and sluggish.*

## 2058 Message

**Blackridge Website, K-1 Trigger Equipment Information, 2058 (Blackridge could not be reached for an official message)**

The Trigger K-1 system is an incredibly powerful laser drill that quickly cuts through almost any material, given you have the power to sustain the beam. Using light to produce incredible amounts of heat on impact with a surface causes a rapid and clean cut with very little effort other than pointing the Trigger in the right direction. However, too much direct heat on a surface can cause a discharge of energy, which has explosive properties. This is a very useful function we have chosen to keep on the drill, in order to make mining space rocks that much easier.

The K-1 System is used as the Railcannon on our league cars, instead discharging the entire laser into one shot and causing a massive but focused explosion on one point causes incredible damage to energy shields, so it is reccomended that you do NOT use the K-1 System for those uses.

## Gallery

Blackridge's Ford F150 Raptor, used in Tuner class.
## Trivia

* Blackridge has a basis from Gears of Wars' industrial tool weaponry like the Buzzkill and Dropshot, alongside Crossout's Founders faction.