Page 154 of Trading Paint
In racing, I honestly believe there comes a point in your career where everything changes. People stop seeing you for you and start seeing a NASCAR driver. From that point on, nothing is the same and everything you thought you knew about fame, was nothing at all.
That was the feeling I got when I arrived in Rockingham North Carolina.
And I will say that was also the point when I stopped and thought is this what I wanted?
The answer was absolutely. I had no doubt I wanted this. I wanted to be the best racer I could be and I was on my way to that. I could see the light.
I still had no idea what I wanted out of my personal life but all signs pointed toSwayin some form or another. Telling her would be the hard part and wasn’t something I could do over the phone. When we spoke on the phone, I never led her to believe anything had changed. This wasn’t something you tell someone over the phone or in a text. What would it say, “Oh and by the way, I love you more than anything. Can we just have sex and remain friends because I’m a dumbass and can only offer you that?”
Yeah, I wasn’t about to say that over the phone.
So instead, I focused on what was important, my career. It wasn’t hard to do either, everywhere I looked,someonewas pulling me in a different direction.
That week was my second start in a cup race and I loved the track. Rockingham Raceway, nicknamed the Rock, is located in Rockingham North Carolina. It is a one-mile oval track with twenty-two degree banking in turns one and two and twenty-five degree banking in turns three and four.
Back in January, we tested for two days here so I knew a little about what to expect but testing is different than a race.
I qualified for the pole and set fast time in both practice sessions. In happy hour, I raced in race-trim and wasn’t surprised that the car was awesome. I could drive in hard and the car wouldn’t slip.
By the time race day arrived, I couldn’t wait for the race but I was a little apprehensive that Doug Dunham was starting on the outside of me.
The pressure put upon drivers to win is tremendous and I knew Doug was feeling that. The longer they go without a win, the more rattled they become with shoddy performances. This is reflected in their driving. Usually where a driver would say, “Nah, that’s just not worth it,” when trying to make a hole where there isn’t one, Doug made them.
I was confident in the power with my beast that once the green flag dropped my car was up to the challenge.
You always hear people talk about their first cup career win. They remember everything about the win to when pit stops were to who they passed and years later, can recount them just the same as they did that day.
I can’t say the same. I was all over the map emotionally in that race. I fought Doug hard to pass him and then Andy Crockett was up in the mix for a while as was Tate and Bobby but like I said, that car was awesome.
By the time there was ten laps to go I had a two-second lead over Tate and was feeling like I was about to win my first race.
When the checkered flag waved and I did win, I was silent. I didn’t know what to say. I had just won my first Winston Cup race, on my second start. Fortunately, for me, I was in the car with a helmet over my face so no one could see the emotion I was feeling.
Not only was there a point when you realize nothing will ever be the same but there is also a point when you think to yourself, “I can do this.”
You know you’re different.
Every professional anything whether you are a race car driver, basketball player, football player...you realize at some point in your life that you’re different and have something more to offer.
I always knew I could do it and that I had talent when it came to racing but after Rockingham, it became real because not only had I moved from one series to the next but I’d won in different divisions now.
All doubts I had about this being what I was meant to do,vanishedwith that win. Here I was a dirt track racer from the Northwest and I won a NASCAR Winston Cup race, on my second race. I knew I was different.
I had an understanding for the way things worked with a win and the post-race activities from the Busch series. It was fairly similar with cup.
By the time I left the track and was able to grab some food, I was exhausted and not up for any company. Alas, Spencer, Aiden and Tommy went with me. I was okay with that but I wasn’t okay with Spencer’s behavior that night.
I wasn’t paying attention to what was going on around me as I was busy texting Sway.
I read her last one before looking up.I’m so proud of you!
Aiden nudged my shoulder. “It was nice meeting Sway last week.” His blush said it all.
Sway and Aiden met in Daytona and Sway’s way of introducing herself to him was asking if his carpet matched the drapes. Aiden had this rich golden blonde hair that you would think belonged on Malibu Barbie, not a country boy from Alabama. Sway also asked Tommy this when she first met him as well. Although back then, we were only thirteen when we met Tommy, it sounded funny coming from a thirteen year old girl, but that was Sway. She could make any man blush if needed. It’s an acquired skill and she had it mastered.
Smiling, I took interest in the commotion at the table. As you know, Spencer was into playing practical jokes oneveryone. As usual, I was his target this time.
My newfound fame, was also that target. I don’t know how many times we’d walk into a restaurant and we’d be quietly enjoying our meals when my model citizen of a brother would stand up in his chair and shout: “Hey look, it’s Jameson Riley.”