Page 192 of The Champion
“Dad, you should pull over.” He spoke softly handing mehis cell phone.
I looked at the screen to see that Sway was calling.
“Honey, what’s up? I thought you were on a plane toElma?”
“I was...I uh, welanded and then I saw on the news...” mywife’s hysterical response broke through. “Oh god Jameson, I thought you wereon that plane!”
“What plane?”
“The one heading to Eldora,”
“Well no, Casten and I decided to drive with Tate,Spencer and Bobby. We are meeting the team there. What’s going on?”
Sway was silent for a moment as I watched Casten dig outhis iPad to look at the news. The guys observed over his shoulder.
Sway fumbled through a string of words that took me amoment to decipher and then it hit me what she said...plane crash.
“Honey, please slow down, what are you talking about?”
My mind raced to comprehend. Adrenaline jolted through mesending a sharp pain through my bones.
Pausing to control herself, her voiced evened out.“Jameson...your team plane crashedoutside Lancaster Ohio on its way to Eldora.”
My stomach dropped. I had just watched half the team loadonto that plane in Charlotte.
Gentry...Ethan...Jeb...Wes...Cal...Andy...Trace...ohgod.
Half my team and Tate’s team was on that plane and I wassupposed to be along with Spencer, Casten, Tate and Bobby but we drove becausewe got caught up in press after the race.
My wife’s voice drew me from my thoughts.
“Jimi just called and said Eldora cancelled the racesthis weekend. He asked that you guys just come home.”
I couldn’t form a reply. Sitting there staring off at theHighway, I couldn’t reply.
My fingers clamped over the wheel, knuckles paling, and Idropped the phone. Casten quickly scrambled beside me to retrieve it.
I couldn’t focus much less drive so Spencer took over.
I called Alley, who was already doing damage control tosee what she knew. Sway stayed in Elma for the time being until I told herwhere I was going. I knew one thing. I needed to get to Charlotte as that wouldbe where most teams would be gathering.
“Jameson,” Alley answered right away. “I need you guys tohead back to NC and stay in Charlotte tonight. There will be a press conferenceheld in the morning and they will announce the plans from there.”
“What plans?” I motioned for Spencer to pull over so wecould turn around and head to Charlotte.
“You do realize who was on that plane, don’t you?”
“Well, mostly my team and Tate’s but Andy too.”
Alley was silent.
“Alley?”
“Jameson, at least three of the truck series drivers wereon that plane along with Andy, Colin, and two Nationwide series drivers.”
“Oh.”
It was my plane and I knew most of the guys boarding itwhen it left but I had no idea all those people were on it. Wes frequently gaveguys rides when they needed it and he knew I would never object to it. But thefact they were on a plane I owned, and it crashed, felt as though it was myfault.
