like a whirligig , enveloped in a cloud of dust and smoke.
Panic replaced the professionalism in the announcer’s voice as he tried to keep up with describing the Porsche’s movements. Beth latched onto Olivia and watched as Aidan frantically tried to right himself while other cars whizzed by him on the track.
Tears toppled down Beth’s cheeks. Her body shook as she waited for the impact.
Waited.
Waited…
Dust and debris shot into the air as the Porsche stopped spinning and came to a halt inches from the hay bales.
“Is he all right?” Beth said to Olivia. “Can you see him? Is he all right?”
The dust cleared over Aidan’s car, which miraculously remained upright. Though he would be disappointed that he would have to bow out of the race early, Beth was relieved he wouldn’t have another chance to hurt himself.
She should’ve known better.
Dust kicked up behind the Porsche’s tires. With a jerk, the car peeled forward. Dark smoke belched from the exhaust pipe as Aidan accelerated and rejoined the race.
“What’s he doing?” a man in the crowd shouted. “His engine is overheating! It’ll blow if he keeps driving! ”
Dread gripped Beth’s heart as Aidan disappeared into the next turn. She strained over the car engines and the roar of the crowd to hear the commentary, waiting for any news of his condition, expecting the worst and wishing he’d given up.
“Evans darts to the inside to make a pass on Jones…”
“Evans brushes the hay bales coming out of turn four. He gets squirrelly into five but corrects it…”
“Dean overtakes Evans for fifteenth but isn’t strong enough to hold him off in turn six. The two fight for position, rubbing fenders through turns seven and eight…”
By the time Beth saw Aidan again, the smoke billowing from his engine was thicker and darker, but somehow, it didn’t seem to affect the Porsche’s performance. She could only pray his remaining nine laps progressed without accident or injury.
The next few laps passed in a blink. During the last half of lap thirty, Beth couldn’t believe her ears when the commentator announced that Aidan had caught up with the top two cars again and was outmaneuvering them at every turn. As he blew past the crowd into lap thirty-five, the final lap, he had a full quarter of a lap’s lead on the second car.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” a man said behind Beth. “The little bastard has gained first place!”
Despite his advantageous position, Aidan went into the first turn of his final lap at lightning speed and vanished into the part of the track out of Beth’s view with as much gusto as he’d used when he had fought for position with other cars.
Beth drew deep breaths in and out, waiting for his reappearance, scared to listen to the commentary in case it was bad news. More cars rushed by, nothing but a blur of tires and metal. Then number twenty-four came into view again.
Aidan pumped his fist into the air as he steered past the checkered flag and the announcer declared him the winner of the race. Beth’s hand flew to her hat to keep it from falling off as he shot past her, sending a gust of wind over her. She watched as he veered off the track and drove down the pit road, where all drivers were required to retire after the race.
“He won! He won!” Olivia jumped up and down as the crowd, including Connie, exploded into cheers.
“And by a quarter of a lap!” Nathan’s face flushed with excitement. “That’s huge!”
“Not to mention it’s only his first race.” Matthew grinned and shook his head. “Man, I can’t believe he pulled it off.”
The second and third place cars were declared, and the remaining thirty-four cars crossed the finish line at regular intervals soon after. The air rushed out of Beth’s lungs with the arrival of the last place car. She enveloped Olivia in a hug, squeezing tighter than was probably comfortable for her friend.
When she pulled away, Nathan offered her his
Panic replaced the professionalism in the announcer’s voice as he tried to keep up with describing the Porsche’s movements. Beth latched onto Olivia and watched as Aidan frantically tried to right himself while other cars whizzed by him on the track.
Tears toppled down Beth’s cheeks. Her body shook as she waited for the impact.
Waited.
Waited…
Dust and debris shot into the air as the Porsche stopped spinning and came to a halt inches from the hay bales.
“Is he all right?” Beth said to Olivia. “Can you see him? Is he all right?”
The dust cleared over Aidan’s car, which miraculously remained upright. Though he would be disappointed that he would have to bow out of the race early, Beth was relieved he wouldn’t have another chance to hurt himself.
She should’ve known better.
Dust kicked up behind the Porsche’s tires. With a jerk, the car peeled forward. Dark smoke belched from the exhaust pipe as Aidan accelerated and rejoined the race.
“What’s he doing?” a man in the crowd shouted. “His engine is overheating! It’ll blow if he keeps driving! ”
Dread gripped Beth’s heart as Aidan disappeared into the next turn. She strained over the car engines and the roar of the crowd to hear the commentary, waiting for any news of his condition, expecting the worst and wishing he’d given up.
“Evans darts to the inside to make a pass on Jones…”
“Evans brushes the hay bales coming out of turn four. He gets squirrelly into five but corrects it…”
“Dean overtakes Evans for fifteenth but isn’t strong enough to hold him off in turn six. The two fight for position, rubbing fenders through turns seven and eight…”
By the time Beth saw Aidan again, the smoke billowing from his engine was thicker and darker, but somehow, it didn’t seem to affect the Porsche’s performance. She could only pray his remaining nine laps progressed without accident or injury.
The next few laps passed in a blink. During the last half of lap thirty, Beth couldn’t believe her ears when the commentator announced that Aidan had caught up with the top two cars again and was outmaneuvering them at every turn. As he blew past the crowd into lap thirty-five, the final lap, he had a full quarter of a lap’s lead on the second car.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” a man said behind Beth. “The little bastard has gained first place!”
Despite his advantageous position, Aidan went into the first turn of his final lap at lightning speed and vanished into the part of the track out of Beth’s view with as much gusto as he’d used when he had fought for position with other cars.
Beth drew deep breaths in and out, waiting for his reappearance, scared to listen to the commentary in case it was bad news. More cars rushed by, nothing but a blur of tires and metal. Then number twenty-four came into view again.
Aidan pumped his fist into the air as he steered past the checkered flag and the announcer declared him the winner of the race. Beth’s hand flew to her hat to keep it from falling off as he shot past her, sending a gust of wind over her. She watched as he veered off the track and drove down the pit road, where all drivers were required to retire after the race.
“He won! He won!” Olivia jumped up and down as the crowd, including Connie, exploded into cheers.
“And by a quarter of a lap!” Nathan’s face flushed with excitement. “That’s huge!”
“Not to mention it’s only his first race.” Matthew grinned and shook his head. “Man, I can’t believe he pulled it off.”
The second and third place cars were declared, and the remaining thirty-four cars crossed the finish line at regular intervals soon after. The air rushed out of Beth’s lungs with the arrival of the last place car. She enveloped Olivia in a hug, squeezing tighter than was probably comfortable for her friend.
When she pulled away, Nathan offered her his
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