Yamato considers following him, but these tunnels are so narrow that he doubts there would even be any room to pull ahead of the other racer.

Instead, he takes the same route as before. This time, he knows what to expect, and despite the flashing and shaking in the caverns, he manages not to lose control or scrape up against obstacles.

Nevertheless, Altax's shortcut means that by the time they've both emerged from the caves, his lead over Yamato has grown significantly.