2nd term project - re - interpretation of script

I may have taken on a bit more than i can handle, but i like to set myself challenges and not do anything 'easy', so if i fail this project, at least i tried.
My idea is to re-interpret the script of the star wars pod race scene from 'Star Wars EP1 - The Phantom Menace' and make it more in the style of the fast and the furious.
As i have already created one pod racer, it wont be as difficult to get around 5 of them, but they will look more 'street' with neon's under them, stickers, chrome, and general oversized parts to look cool.
It will be set in a city on roads rather than the desert arena used in star wars, so it looks more like a street race but with pod racers. I think it will give it a twist and portray a more visually modern context... if that makes sense?

The problem with this is that the script and pod race scene is around 10 minutes long from the minute the 2 headed announcer says 'start your engines' till the end of the race when it is announced that Anakin wins.

My solution is simply to cut a big chunk of the middle out, i wont need the parts where the guns are being shot at the pod racers for example, so as long as i have the warming up of the engines at the start, a bit of racing in the middle, and a finish line scene, then i believe i should get it around 3-4 minutes long.

Since it is going to be more like the fast and the furious, its obviously set at night in a city, so there will be a lot of street lights on and city signs with lights etc. But i do want it to have a more sinister feel to it, so the creatures driving could possibly be scarier, more danger in the driving (if possible).

I want 5 pod racers in the race, unlike the actual race which includes around 20 or something. I think less pods would make sense in a street race, there is less space to drive (fly) on. Also the pods would be more street compatible so not as big as the ones in star wars, after all, its not star wars entirely, its in a city.

I will need to create a lot of the city, as they will be driving through many roads, and they go through gaps and tunnel type areas in star wars, so if i was to use the score from the actual film, then it would make sense to include a couple of tunnels in the city, to match the sounds heard, and also to add a bit more depth in the scene, it would be a bit boring if it was all on the same looking road until the end.

Right now i'm working out what parts of the scene to cut down to get it down to a reasonable size to work with, im looking at the 4 minute mark, i know we have been told 3 minutes, but i dont feel that will be sufficient to get what i want into the scene, unless they drive from the start line straight to the finish line.

So yes, as you can tell, possibly taken on a bit much, but lets see how i get on... enjoy any updates on this.