The point of a race is to win, get plublicity
Publicity for whom, and from whom? The Federation isn't a company, it doesn't need publicity for people to know about it.
and make new friends.
How is beating another nation in a race going to make new friends? If the USA made the worlds fastest car, would every other nation get all friendly with it? Of course not. If anything, such a competition would
increase rivalry between the nations, not reduce it.
It's an excellent way to advertise. People pay millions upon millions to get their name advertised in a race.
Companies pay millions to get their names advertised. Not governments. Paying millions for such a race would achieve precisely squat for the UFP.
Not really.
Yes, there is. You see, the Olympics originated as an important sporting and political event in Greece. When they took place, the Greeks would even put wars on hold to attend them.
Nowadays, the Olympics are pretty much just a political event, and they mean precisely nothing in the grand scheme of things.
A joy-ride through space is just that: a joy-ride through space, with no significance at all.
It would be insulting if the Federation didn't send a representitive.
I like how you answered my question by just repeating yourself again.
Exactly why would it be insulting to decline on dragging a fully equipped warship away from its duties to partake in some inter-stellar version of a street race?
Because we were closest or something.
If it was the important political event that you're suggesting it is, then why would they wait 'till the last minute to send a ship out to it?
You know what Rochey, I think you're worried about losing the race.
Why would I be worried about losing?
1) Rochey won't be flying any of the shuttles. Even if they
Daystrom did turn up at such an event, he wouldn't want anything to do with such a useless waste of time an resources.
2) He's a Tholian. If anything, having the Federation lose would be a good thing from his point of view.
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