Over the Wall by Chris Fabry Page A

The air wrenches gave short bursts up and down the line.
    Tim thought he heard something and looked at the crowd. People were standing, some pointing.
    “One one thousand, two one thousand,” Tim counted.
    “Got a jam behind you,” Scotty said. “Get out of there fast!”
    Ten cars back, the lead racer had made contactwith another car coming down pit road. Their cars collided, creating a chain reaction behind them.
    “Let’s go! Let’s go!” Dale yelled.
    “. . . eight one thousand, nine one thousand . . .”
    The crew finished, and Dale pulled out in front of the cars behind him. “Good job back there, guys.”

Chapter 24
The Feed
    JAMIE HOPPED ONTO THE COUCH with wet hair just as the race began.
    They heard Scotty’s and her dad’s voices from the satellite feed as well as the special in-car camera feed in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. It cost more, but her dad had decided it was worth it for the family to be able to watch the races from his perspective anytime they wanted. The rest of the screen was the network feed of the race.
    When the grand marshals said the famous words, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” her dad put his right hand up in an L and then pointed to the camera.
    Her mom mimicked the move and whispered, “I love you too, sweetie.”
    “This is almost enough to make me sick,” Jamie said, laughing.
    Jamie and her mom watched therace unfold, listening to the communication between driver and crew members. Jamie screamed at every opening, urging her dad to take them, sometimes jumping up to the TV and pointing at spots where she thought he could pass.
    When a caution sent them to pit road, Jamie clapped. “Now! Come on, just take right side tires! Get back on the track!”
    Her dad picked up four spots from a quick pit stop and was sixth when the green flag came out again.
    “This is great!” Jamie squealed.
    “It’s a long race, but he seems to be doing better.” Her mom moved closer to the TV each time the pit area was shown, and Jamie guessed she was looking for Tim.
    Another caution came out on lap 77 for debris on the track. The leaders made their second pit stop of the day, and it was a race back to the track. Watching the crews jump out on the cars was nerve-racking for Jamie. She knew how many races were won or lost simply because a lug nut wouldn’t go on or come off.
    “Come on! Come on!” she said, pacing.
    “He’s coming out,” her mom said.
    The #37 car, in the lead before the pit stop, hit the exit just before her dad.
    The announcer said, “. . . and what a great pit stopfor Dale Maxwell in the #14 car, moving into second place now.”
    The camera showed the Maxwell crew clapping and slapping high fives.
    “I owe you guys one,” her dad said on the radio.
    “Great job, everyone,” Scotty said.
    The announcer made a comment about some adjustments to the #37 car, and Jamie got excited again. “I know what Dad has to do,” she said. “Since #37 is real tight, he’s vulnerable low. Dad has to go into the turn high and drop down and he’ll have the lead.”
    In the 99th lap, that’s exactly what happened. In turn one, #14 went high, dropped to the bottom, and shot underneath #37 into the straightaway for the lead.
    Shots of the crowd waving and cheering flashed onscreen, but Jamie and her mom barely noticed because they were screaming and hugging each other.
    Two laps later, another car spun out and flew across the grass on the infield.
    The yellow flag came out, and Jamie’s dad said, “Just in time. I need four new tires, guys. I’m not giving up this lead, so let’s make this a good one.”
    The onscreen clock counted up as Cal jumped on the right side of the car and the tires came off.
    Jamie watched, her mouth agape, in awe of the way the team worked. She’d had a crush on Cal sinceshe was 14 but not because he was so attractive—which he was. He was also the nicest guy on the team, and he helped out with some of the midweek youth