Zhang Heng had to admit that
This became even more apparent during the second half of the journey when Takeda Tetsuya had gotten the hang of the mechanics of the car and began to rediscover the form he was in back in the day.
Putting his life on the line for Kobayashi's little sister did not cancel out the guilt he felt over his best friend's death. After that near-death experience, he had, at least, redeemed himself, and redressed a good portion of his self-condemnation.
Zhang Heng would not be able to triumph over Takeda Tetsuya, who was in this state.