Page 107 of Trading Paint
They were seeing him as Jameson Riley.
17.Catch Can – Jameson
Catch Can – A small can with a spout that is used to collect the over-spill or run-off from the fuel overflow port when a race car is fueled up during a pit stop. Its use is designed to keep the highly flammable 110-octane gasoline from spilling on the back of the car and ground, which would create a fire hazard. The catch can also allows the air in the tank to escape or vent faster than normal. This is critical for a fast pit stop.
Coming off my Chili Bowl Midget National win, I was in pretty good spirits. I had won against 250 of the best midget racers in the world. Even better news—I was introduced to one of the leading shock manufacturing sponsors in racing—Simplex Shocks andSprings. They sponsored guys like Tate Harris, Adam Parson, and Langley O’Neil. The list was endless and now, I had a chance at landing them as a sponsor.
If this was a relationship, we were in the friend stage, which meant there was a possibility but it wasn’t for sure. I still had to prove myself worthy of a prestigious sponsorship.
Well into my ‘01 season, I was running like a mule. Half way through the new agreement with Bowman Oil and Bucky, I began to feel like some sort of monkey. It was a different track—different city every day. I’d been on the road for the last seven weeks straight and looking at the schedule in front of me, I was sure I wouldn’t see home any time soon. I didn’t do anything besides race, in anything I could. I was running another full season of USAC sprints and midgets along with the World of Outlaws in one of my dad’s cars.
Usually when I got any free time, I’d sneak up to Bellingham and see Sway but these days that was just a far-fetched dream. I hadn’t seen free time in months.
I raced the big events like the Copper Classic, The Hut Hundred, anything to get my name out there, which lead me to the Night before the 500 again that June. I was racing Bucky’s midget that night with the help of Leo Gardner.
Every year on Memorial Day weekend right before the Indianapolis 500, the USAC Divisions held races at Indianapolis Motor speedway called the Night before the 500. Much like the Chili Bowl or The Hut Hundred, all the best attend. So far, I have won this event the last three years in a row. I was feeling pretty good about my chances again.
I will say that racing for Leo was a little strange. I had a feeling that no one ever told him he was no longer in the army. I’m not kidding. I felt as though he was going to make me do push-ups or something. Spencer was not impressed with him either. Apparently he had his sense of humor removed in 1987 but kept the mullet.
He kept yelling things at me all night like, “What the fuck was that?” or “Have you any respect?”
Most of the time I blew him off but I felt like some imbecile around him.
Though I was frustrated throughout the entire race all because of Leo, I managed to pull off my fourth victory in a row and swore I’d never race for Leo Gardner again.
The win wasn’t what surprised me, the fans were. Leo, he yelled at me the majority of the night showed his excitement by yelling in my face as though he was my drill sergeant. Did I mention I hated things on my skin? Yeah well, Leo’s spit in my face wasn’t any different.
Aside from the spit, I hadn’t thought about how popular of a driver I was becoming but by the screams of the fans that night, I’d say I was liked.
Standing there in victory lane, I was missing Sway.
For as long as I could remember, she was there at these types of events, supporting me, keeping me going and now, well I had to rely on text messages and the occasional late night calls.
After the Chili Bowl, we went back to Elma and then she headed off for Bellingham. A few days later, I headed to Florida. I hadn’t seen her since then and it was now June...I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d make it without seeing her smiling face. You don’t know how many times I tried to rearrange my schedule to go see her but nothing ever lined up and left an opening.
After Indianapolis, I was on my way to Lernerville for an Outlaw race and then it was off to Milwaukie. Judging by my schedule, it was going to be much longer before I saw Sway again.
I stopped off at a diner outside of Sarver to grab some dinner before my flight to Milwaukie. Sitting in the back of the restaurant in an open booth, I began looking over the menu, my phone ringing non-stop. The waitress noticed and said, “Your phone is ringing.”
“It’s always ringing.” I mumbled checking the number to make sure it wasn’t Sway.
It wasn’t, it was Bucky. He was probably calling to ask why I’d missed the flight to Knoxville last week. These days I was traveling alone. Spencer and Alley came to the majority of the races as did Emma but with the new contract I had for USAC—everything was funded. All I did was show up, drive and collect my sixty percent.
With the World of Outlaw team with my dad, Spencer helped work on the car, Alley did all my scheduling and public relations that I wasn’t allowed to do and Emma was there to annoy me, at least that was my theory. I’m sure she had an actual title but you couldn’t prove that by me.
I checked my message from Bucky, sure enough—he wasn’t pleased about the flight.
I was constantly missing the flights he booked for me. If I was being honest with you, I really did think ten minutes was plenty of time to navigate my way through the airport. I failed to realize there would be other people slowing down the process.
“Say,” the waitress began leaning against the table. She was attractive and I’d be in denial if I didn’t say so but I was trying to get away from the meaningless sexual encounters. For the last three months, I’d managed to stay away from all women. “You’re Jimi Riley’s son...Jameson, aren’t you?”
I didn’t look up but answered. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“Wow, I saw your dad in here a couple months ago.” I glanced up at her to see her smiling as if she’d just won the lottery. “He’s really nice.”
I only nodded and handed the menu back to her. “I’ll take the bacon and eggs, scrambled,” was my response.
She smiled again and went about her job. While texting Sway, I noticed the waitress watching me carefully.
