Page 174 of The Legend
Half waythrough the race, Kyle announced the dreaded words. “Save some fuel bud.”
I did myusual. Laid off the brakes, turned the car off on occasion and coasted whenneeded.
I’m notsure what lap we were on but the caution came out and I was hoping this was oursavior to make it on fuel. There’s nothing worse than wondering if you’ll spendthe entire race saving fuel only to run out with a lap to go or worse, on thelast turn, I’ve had that happen a time or two.
“Will wemake it now?” I asked eagerly.
“Yep,we’re good.”
“Whatchanges are we doing?” I was running third at the time behind Bobby and Shelbywho were both strong cars today but I knew I had a car to contend with.
“Youknow what the car is doing.” Kyle said. “You go ahead and make the call.”
Kyle neverhad a problem with me making the calls so I thought about it for a momentbefore saying, “Let’s do a half round down on the right rear. Don’t changeanything else.”
“All rightyou heard him.” He told Spencer who then began relaying the orders to the crew.
“Come thistime,come on!” Kyle said suddenly. “Pit road is open.”
“All right...4400 watch your speed.” Aiden reminded me.“The six is pitting in front of you—go around the eleven.”
I managed tosqueeze myself in between the two cars and the crew swarmed me, flying arounddoing what they did best and got us out in a 12.3 second pit stop to take overthe lead.
“Go hard,go hard...all clear bud.” Kyle said. “Remember yourblend, cross over on the outside. All clear,”
“Fuckyeah! That’s how it’s done.” I shouted to the boys. They needed to hear justhow much this meant to us.
“Nice pitstop guys.” Both Kyle and Spencer told the crew. Though most had changed overthe years, our team still prided itself in excellent pit stops over the pasttwenty years. They deserved a win today and that’s what I intended on givingthem. So far, I hadn’t won a race since I came back. I got second a few timesbut no first place yet. Part of me wondered if I could still do it.
After thatpit stop, we hit more lapped cars but managed to get clean air after that.Gradually a race shifts, drivers feel it, and time gets shorter. When the lasttime you looked there were fifty laps, now there’s only a handful. It’s a timewhen a race can be won or lost.
“Stilleven...all clear.” Aiden said when I passed the lastlapped car.
“Seriously,how many more laps?” I complained when I felt my shoulder aching.
Kylechuckled. “Sixty seven bud, almost there.”
“There’sstill some lapped traffic ahead of you.” Aiden said.
Witharound ten to go, we hit a good bunch of cars and I felt pressure from behindby Brody who was coming strong.
I made thepass coming off four and then blocked him at the line. It only pissed him off.
“See ifthe six and ten will help us out.” Kyle asked him fervently. He was getting alittle amped up of this.
“Alreadytalked to them, he’s got you.”
As Aidensaid, the six and ten moved up so I could get around them with five laps to go.
“It is allclear up there, hang on.”
“Just tellme to shut up.” I finally told them when I kept asking questions. “I know thatI can get a little excited here.”
“Don’tworry. I will. The track is changing out there. Just be prepared.”
Now I wasgetting amped. I could feel my heart pounding with the excitement of the win insight. I mean really, how cool would a win be on my last race, right?
If I wasretiring, I wanted to retire winning. That’s just me.
