Page 126 of The Champion
I glanced over my shoulder uninterested in the commotionsurrounding her. “I guess so.”
Spencer watched her for a moment, curious as to howsomeone so tiny could handle these cars and then voiced his assumptions she wassleeping her way to the top.
Mostly he was joking because there was no way she couldget million dollar sponsorships without of some sort of wheel talent.
Another driver who wasn’t starting off good with me wasShelby Clausen, another smartass eighteen-year old kid trying to prove his ownmettle in the demanding sport.
Ask any other driver out there...veterans...rookies...anyone, they will tell you that each yearit gets harder and harder to win these races. The level of competition was sohigh that even some of the top drivers went years without a win. Hell evenSteve Vander, one of the sport’s most renowned race car drivers, hadn’t won arace in one hundred and three starts. That’s a long time not to feel the purebliss of pulling into victory lane.
Having won the last race of the season, I felt confidentgoing into Daytona. All that being said, Shelby didn’t make this easy. Draftingin Daytona is an art—I think I’ve stressed that before. Rookies, well theydidn’t have that great of a feel for it so it was harder to find another driverthat would draft with them. Often enough, they found themselves tailing in theback just trying to make it to the finish. Understanding this, I gave Shelby apush or two. We had tested in Dover together over the winter so I thought,“Hey, let’s give this kid a break.”
I was fucking wrong.
So there we were coming out of turn two when Shelby shotout of the draft behind me and tried to pull some kind of kamikaze move on theoutside.
It backfired on him almost immediately and he was leftout high and dry. He came back another lap 20 laps later and did the same exactthing, ending up last once again. He had a strong car that’s for sure, maybe evenstrong enough to win but he had all balls and no brains.
Clausen must have pulled this move another five timesbefore he tried drafting in behind me. I didn’t have a problem with thisbecause Bobby, who I preferred to draft with, had just pitted and I knew we’dbe pitting in just a few more laps. Clausen latched on to my bumper and pushedme around the track but when we made it to turn four, I slowed, he didn’t pickup on Aiden telling his spotter I was pulling off and he bumped. Bump draftingin turns, not a good idea. Not for me at least. This bump sent me flying intothe inside barrier of the pit road entrance.
“Coming hard into the pit road,” Aiden warned the guys tohave them back away from the wall. Sure enough, I slammed hard into the pitwall just as the guys scrambled away.
One good thing, I was already in my pit box now.
“Hey look, you’re in your pit already.” Kyle chuckleddespite his frustration.
“Heavy damage to the left side,” Mason said and thenbegan directing orders toward the crew.
I didn’t say anything more. I could have blown up,showing my aggression toward this Clausen kid but I didn’t. I kept my headtogether and managed to pull through with a top ten finish.
Even after the race when he noticed me walking toward thehauler after the race, I kept my cool. I didn’t say any single word to himother than a head nod.
When Phoenix rolled around in April, I couldn’t say thesame thing.
Night races always left everyone fired up, and goddamn wasI fired up after that race from both Shelby and Nadia.
I had qualified for the pole, my entire family was thereand I wanted to win the race. Having come off a win in Texas the week before, Ihad a taste of victory.
Clausen was driving like a fucking jerk and making allsorts of spastic moves on his hunt to the front—he had a strong car and wasrunning second with twenty laps to go. Since Daytona, he’d yet to even finish afucking race so when he came charging to the front, I figured he’d just wreck.He didn’t though, he stayed with me and with ten laps to go, and he challengedme for the lead with Nadia right behind me too.
“Clausen is at your rear...atyour door...still there.” Aiden told me.“Henley looking to the inside. Keep your line.”
“Keep your cool bud.” Kyle warned.
He knew me to well.
“Still out there...”
“How many more laps and what are my lap times?” I askedtrying to hold my line as Clausen stayed with me through turns two and threeand Nadia was contemplating making her move. I just knew she was going to dosomething stupid.
“Three laps to go. You’re running at a 27 flat—Clausen isa 27.20.”
That made me feel slightly better—but not as confident asI wanted to be.
Three more laps!I chanted to myself.
We stayed side-by-side, bumping and banging, putting on agood show for the fans when Clausen came down hard on me in the last turn. Hebasically cut me off. I had no choice but to lift. He was leaning on me so hardwhen I lifted he shot down in front of me and I ended up smashing into the backof him destroying both our cars and Nadia when she smashed into me. Tate, whowas running fourth, won.
I was happy to see Tate, who hadn’t won since mid-seasonlast year win, but I was fucking pissed.
