Page 185 of The Champion

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Page 185 of The Champion

Casten had pulled his hood of his sweatshirt up over hishead as well. His tears were still streaming down his cheeks as he tried toshield them from view. I can count the number of times I’d seen either one ofmy boys crying and it was usually earned.

Not that being punched in the stomach didn’t warrant afew tears but he had to understand if you provoke someone enough, they react.Maybe not in the best ways but they react in some form. And you’re usually noton the favorable side.

“Are you all right?” I whispered in Casten’s ear liftinghis gray sweatshirt to see a swollen pinkish mark just below his ribcage on hisleft side. Axel had really nailed him. Already there were faint purplish bumpsforming around the pink raised skin indicating a bruise was forming.

Remaining slouched beside me; Casten didn’t say anythingand wouldn’t look at me.

Thankfully, we pulled into the Tulsa Expo Center. Itwasn’t even ten yet and already the day had turned to shit.

Justin and Tommy met us outside the expo center. Tommy,not knowing what just happened, grabbed Casten when he jetted from the van andthrew him over his shoulder. Casten vomited down his back and then startedcrying again but reached out with his foot to trip Axel as he walked by.

That started an all-out war between them ending in Axelslamming Casten against a pillar outside, his hands fisted in his sweatshirt.Casten’s head snapped back against the metal. “Leave me alone!” Axel pulled himtoward him and then pushed him back against the pillar once more. “I mean it,leave me alone!”

Tommy, Justin and me intervened.

“Axel, Jesus, stop it!” I warned sternly pulling Axelwhile Justin grabbed Casten, holding him against his side in a somewhatprotective stance.

Casten’s eyes were wide, filled with tears and fear.

Axel pulled his hood back over his head, grabbed hisbackpack and headed inside the expo center with me following close behind him.

Reaching out, I grabbed the strap of his backpack jerkinghim backward. “What the hell was that back there?”

“Nothing,” He snapped handing the registration desk hisrelease forms and then handing the minor waiver to me. “Sign that.”

I did and handed it to the lady behind the table, hereyes focused on me and my son glaring at each other. “It wasn’tnothing.Your brother could be seriously hurt from that.”

“Doubt it.”

His phone beeped in his hand. He glanced down but didn’tanswer it instead slipping it inside his jeans.

His chin came up and his head tilted to the side. I couldsee so much of myself in him right then. “Keep him away from me today.”

This was not what I had planned for today.

Hayden, Andy Crockett’s, a fellow cup driver of mine, soncame walking up to Axel. “Axel, you get registered?” He smiled when he saw mestanding behind him. “Hey Jameson, my dad’s over there somewhere.”

Hayden was already dressed in his racing suit waiting forpractice sessions to begin and I could tell Axel was anxious to do the same.

From the time I had started coming to midget nationalswith my dad when I was probably eight, the excitement of being at the world’slargest midget race had never faded.

Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is the only event that takesthe best midgets drivers from USAC, Badger (Midget Auto Racing Association),the Rocky Mountain Midget Association, USAC sprint car drivers, USAC silvercrown drivers and the World of Outlaws. All the best open wheel drivers in theworld and puts them in one place for one weekend competing for twenty-fourstarting spots in the A-Main. Talk about some of the best racing ever seen. Ihonestly believe the racing seen at the Chili Bowl is some of the best in theworld.

Too bad I wasn’t racing this year. This year was about myson who was already strapping into his car.

Hovering over him, I handed him his helmet as he pulledhis buckles over his shoulder one at a time.

“Stay relaxed out there buddy, just get a feel for thetrack and the way the car feels to you.”

Axel nodded, his gaze fixed ahead of him. It was apparentnow was not the time I would be able to talk to him. He needed to get out thereand calm himself down.

When he reached for his helmet after pulling the armsstraps tight, his hands trembled.

As his dad in that moment, I wanted to comfort him but asa fellow racer, I knew he didn’t need it. He needed the car.

The practice sessions were formatted differently fornational events like this. You received a number when you registered and thatdesignated which was your first practice session. Axel was in the seventh session.This was good because it was later in the afternoon and a good amount of rubberhad been laid out on the clay.

Midgets have a starter in them with an in-line clutchingsystem which means they have one gear just like sprint cars. The onlydifference is that the driver can take off at will as opposed to a sprint carwhere you need a push to get going.