Page 157 of The Legend
Jamesonsaid little to the media other than, “I’m hungry so yeah, good race, thanks tomy sponsors and everyone who supported me these last few months. I appreciatedeverything you guys have done. I may not show it all the time but if you knowme, you understand what I’m feeling right now.”
As withany race these days, they interview Kyle to who shoved a slice of pizza in hismouth as we all sat around the pit eating pizza.
“Kyle, doyou feel Jameson gave everything he could to the team today or do you feel likeit’s going to take some time for him to get in the groove again?”
Kylelooked at Jameson who smirked shaking his head at the imposing suggestion thatJameson wouldn’t give a race everything he had.
Kylesummed it up better than anyone could.
“I’ll tellyou guys and everyone else who thinks that they know anything about JamesonRiley as a person. You know him as a driver. You see the side that is representedto you. But you’ll never understand that no one will ever fight for him, andthis team, harder than this group of guys’ right here.” Kyle said to the mediamotioning to all of us gathered around the car eating pizza. “There will neverbe a time when he has ever given up on us or this team. We offer him that verysame respect.”
Runningthe apron is needed sometimes. It’s the portion of the track that allowsdrivers to get up to speed before moving up to the rush. Sometimes you’re notready for the rush. And sometimes, there are others there to guide you into andhelp take the pressure off.
27.Uniformity – Jameson
Uniformity– Tire to tire variation in size and properties. It’s a harder control size ofa flexible tire made from rubber and fabric than it is something more solidsuch as wood, plastic or metal.
I leanedmy forehead against the tiles in the shower letting the scalding water sluicedown my back over muscles that have been strained for days. Everything hurts.It’s a deep hurt, something that couldn’t be relieved. Blindly, I reach behindme to the faucet, and when I find it, I crank the hot a little more, sighing atthe sensation.
Sway wasasleep by the time I came to bed, her face relaxed.
We were in Dover now, the night before my secondrace back and decided to stay at a hotel this weekend. Usually we stayed in mymotor coach but I we needed some place a little more private this weekend. Aplace we could escape.
Theair-conditioning came on and cycled through the room twice before I fell asleepbeside my wife only to wake up an hour later.
“Anybody in there?”
“Yeah,” myvoice was muffled from sleep. I propped myself up to look at the clock thatread three am. Rolling over, shadows danced across the floor.
“Just checkingfor occupancy, sir,” a voice sounded and everything went quiet again.
“Clearlythe sign indicated that.” I yelled back. Maybe it was rude of me, or maybe itwas exactly what I should say. It wasn’t the first time a woman had knocked onmy door in the middle of the night. There was a sign that said do not disturb.
A fewseconds later, I heard the same noise a few doors down and gathered this washer way of looking for an opportunity knowing a handful of drivers were in thehotel.
Turningover, I tried to sleep but quickly gave up. Fumbling with my shorts beside thebed, I slipped them on and swung my legs over the bed resting my elbows on myknees, my head hung.
Beside meSway stirred and then quickly found sleep again.
Lookingaround the hotel room, everything seemed the same but different now. A feelingthat started in my gut rose daily until now. I couldn’t avoid it any longer.
I didn’twant the uneasiness anymore. I didn’t want the sleepless nights, the time spentaway from my family, the pressure to perform. I didn’t want any of it anymore.I wanted to race, yes, but I wanted to race for myself.
In themorning, after I showered and was heading back to the track, the feeling wasalmost gone but still there in the pit of my stomach.
My conclusion was that this wasn’t for me anymore. My contract with Simplex wasthrough the end of the season and I would honor that. After that I was done.
Thislifestyle of seeing my family a few times a week and not knowing where my ownkids were at or when I would have time with my wife wasn’t what I wanted. Iwanted more time with them. I wanted memories of life with them rather thanseeing my life through photographs.
And like Isaid,if I was being honest with you I was scared. Iwas scared of losing them before I had a chance to show them just how much theymeant to me and how much a part of my success they were.
Uniformity – Axel
“Areyou coming with us?” I asked Justin and Tommy Saturday morning at breakfastbefore I headed to Dover, Delaware to the Monster Mile. It was the same trackthat holds the Monster Million each year.
“Wewouldn’t miss this.” Justin took a bite of his pancakes. Chewing slowly, hesmiled. “I bet Spencer that he’d tell someone to fuck off before the weekendwas out. I need to collect my money.”
“Youshould have bet him last week. He told Brody to fuck off after only being therefive minutes.”
