team members came from the high side, followed by four other cars. On the back straightaway they were three wide.
Every person in the stands and on the infield was on their feet, yelling. Jamie ran to the wall to see thefinish for herself. As she passed the war wagon there was a screech of metal and smoke. She glanced at the monitor where Chloe Snowe stood.
“Field’s frozen,” she said.
“Where’s Dad?” Jamie said as cars passed the start line.
“I think he was fifth when it was frozen—”
“No, I mean where is he now?” Jamie interrupted.
Chloe looked back at the track, then at the screen. “He’s at the bottom of the track. He’s getting out of his car.”
The replay showed that the #21 car had hit the wall hard and flipped over, scraping its top and coming down the track. On its way, two cars had crashed into it, making the flames worse.
When the TV coverage cut live to the track, her dad was at the #21 car’s window, pulling the net down, waving at the emergency crew. He jumped back as a flame burst out the window. Then dived back in. Seconds later he pulled the driver out of the window and dragged him away from the car.
/////
Tim stood outside the infield care center with the rest of the Maxwell family and a gaggle of reporters andcameras. Dale finally came out with a bandage over one eye. His eyebrows had been singed, and there was also a bandage on one arm. Before he answered any questions, he hugged and kissed Mrs. Maxwell. Jamie and Kellen hugged him too.
“Dale, describe what happened out there,” a reporter said.
“Well, I haven’t seen the replay, but I saw Jimmy hit hard into the wall above me, and the #18 got into me from below and I drifted down. When everybody got past, I saw the fire and that Jimmy wasn’t moving, so I ran over there.”
“Do you have any injuries?”
“Just burned my eyebrows a little. It wasn’t anything big.”
“And what about Jimmy?”
“He was knocked out for a few minutes. I heard him talking when they got him to the care center, though. First time I was ever glad to hear Jimmy talking.”
Everybody laughed nervously.
“You knew the field had been frozen when you climbed out of your car, right?” the reporter said.
Dale snickered. “At that point you don’t care who froze what or whether you come in third or 43rd. You just want to get your friend out of harm’s way.”
“You finished seventh. How do you feel about your chances for the rest of the Chase?”
“I feel pretty good. We seem to be getting stronger as the season goes on, which is the way you want it. If I can run like we did today the rest of the season, we’ll be in good shape.”
“Butch Devalon won the race today. Your feud with him has heated up over the last few weeks. Any comment?”
Dale smiled. “I don’t have anything against Butch. I hope he does well. Of course I’d rather see him in my rearview than ahead of me, but I’ve got nothing against him. He knows that.”
Dale put a hand on Tim’s shoulder as they walked away. “You have a good day out here?”
“Yeah, it was good,” Tim said. “Thanks for helping get me back here.”
“Where’d you learn that trick with the hose and the funnel?”
“Just something I thought up on the spot.”
“That pretty much saved my hide,” Dale said. “I’d have come out of there like a piece of burnt toast if you hadn’t fixed that thing up.”
Tim nodded.
They walked to the hauler, and the whole #21 team came out to meet Dale, clapping and patting him on the back. Dale gave them an update on Jimmy’s condition, then went inside to change out of his fire suit.
Tim waited with Kellen as the teams packed up—something he’d done a thousand times before. It was kind of nice not to have to do anything, not to get his hands dirty, but part of him wished he was still doing that because it would mean his dad would still be alive.
He wandered past the haulers and watched people at a fence overlooking the
Every person in the stands and on the infield was on their feet, yelling. Jamie ran to the wall to see thefinish for herself. As she passed the war wagon there was a screech of metal and smoke. She glanced at the monitor where Chloe Snowe stood.
“Field’s frozen,” she said.
“Where’s Dad?” Jamie said as cars passed the start line.
“I think he was fifth when it was frozen—”
“No, I mean where is he now?” Jamie interrupted.
Chloe looked back at the track, then at the screen. “He’s at the bottom of the track. He’s getting out of his car.”
The replay showed that the #21 car had hit the wall hard and flipped over, scraping its top and coming down the track. On its way, two cars had crashed into it, making the flames worse.
When the TV coverage cut live to the track, her dad was at the #21 car’s window, pulling the net down, waving at the emergency crew. He jumped back as a flame burst out the window. Then dived back in. Seconds later he pulled the driver out of the window and dragged him away from the car.
/////
Tim stood outside the infield care center with the rest of the Maxwell family and a gaggle of reporters andcameras. Dale finally came out with a bandage over one eye. His eyebrows had been singed, and there was also a bandage on one arm. Before he answered any questions, he hugged and kissed Mrs. Maxwell. Jamie and Kellen hugged him too.
“Dale, describe what happened out there,” a reporter said.
“Well, I haven’t seen the replay, but I saw Jimmy hit hard into the wall above me, and the #18 got into me from below and I drifted down. When everybody got past, I saw the fire and that Jimmy wasn’t moving, so I ran over there.”
“Do you have any injuries?”
“Just burned my eyebrows a little. It wasn’t anything big.”
“And what about Jimmy?”
“He was knocked out for a few minutes. I heard him talking when they got him to the care center, though. First time I was ever glad to hear Jimmy talking.”
Everybody laughed nervously.
“You knew the field had been frozen when you climbed out of your car, right?” the reporter said.
Dale snickered. “At that point you don’t care who froze what or whether you come in third or 43rd. You just want to get your friend out of harm’s way.”
“You finished seventh. How do you feel about your chances for the rest of the Chase?”
“I feel pretty good. We seem to be getting stronger as the season goes on, which is the way you want it. If I can run like we did today the rest of the season, we’ll be in good shape.”
“Butch Devalon won the race today. Your feud with him has heated up over the last few weeks. Any comment?”
Dale smiled. “I don’t have anything against Butch. I hope he does well. Of course I’d rather see him in my rearview than ahead of me, but I’ve got nothing against him. He knows that.”
Dale put a hand on Tim’s shoulder as they walked away. “You have a good day out here?”
“Yeah, it was good,” Tim said. “Thanks for helping get me back here.”
“Where’d you learn that trick with the hose and the funnel?”
“Just something I thought up on the spot.”
“That pretty much saved my hide,” Dale said. “I’d have come out of there like a piece of burnt toast if you hadn’t fixed that thing up.”
Tim nodded.
They walked to the hauler, and the whole #21 team came out to meet Dale, clapping and patting him on the back. Dale gave them an update on Jimmy’s condition, then went inside to change out of his fire suit.
Tim waited with Kellen as the teams packed up—something he’d done a thousand times before. It was kind of nice not to have to do anything, not to get his hands dirty, but part of him wished he was still doing that because it would mean his dad would still be alive.
He wandered past the haulers and watched people at a fence overlooking the
Similar Books
