Velcro straps on his gloves, shifted in his seat, and readjusted his foot on the gas pedal. These small rituals kept his mind in the game, kept him on top of what he needed to do, put him further into “the zone.”
“You got twenty-three in front, eighteen coming up on the outside, sixteen behind you, and twenty behind eighteen.” H.J.'s voice was all business, and Cam appreciated it. His crew, his chief, and his spotter might be full of fun and jokes and teasing away from the track, but when it came to running the races, they were serious as serious could get.
Out of turn three and going into turn four, two lines of cars formed, Cam right behind the leader. No passing was allowed until they crossed the start/finish line, and he hoped to hell that Jake Curtis had his foot on the gas.
“Comin' to the line, Cam. Green, green, green.”
The green flag dropped, and the drivers picked up speed coming to the line.
Chills raced down Lily's spine. It was one of her favorite things in the world: stock car races. She loved the roar of the engines, the adrenaline pumping through her body, the cheering, the screaming, the cars bumping. The whole atmosphere touched a part of her that otherwise was very out of character. She didn't really care 85
for big, raucous crowds on a normal basis, and she didn't go to other sporting events. Rock concerts had never been high on her list of fun—the noises and smells were just not something she got into—but the races… She loved to lose herself at the races, and that she was a fan of Cam's… The looks that fans of other drivers gave her, the sneers, the jabs, the cursing they did when Cam brought home the checkered flag, and the grin she got to give them in return. She wasn't vengeful in her everyday life, but put her in the stands or in front of the television for a race, and she became a whole different person.
She wanted to stand up and scream for him but figured that wouldn't be appreciated, being up on the pit box and all. Instead she bit the inside of her cheek and watched with balled-up fists and tense shoulders.
Alli tapped her on the leg, and Lily turned her head and moved one headphone off her ear. She leaned close in order to hear what Alli wanted to say. The cars were going around so fast that there was hardly any sort of lull as there would have been at Talladega or Daytona. “What?”
“What's wrong?”
Lily frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You look like you're about to break apart. You okay?”
“Yeah. I just want to stand up and jump up and down screaming. I'm not used to sitting quietly at a race.”
Alli nodded. “I know what you mean, but damn, the view from here is much better than where we usually sit.”
“I'm sure it is.” Lily put the headphone back over her ear and listened in as Cam and his spotter talked back and forth about who was around him, where his teammate was—about ten cars back, and what they needed to do to get to the front.
At present, they had fallen back to sixth, and Cam was having trouble coming out of the corners and staying in the throttle. His car wasn't handling right, and he was having to fight it, jerk on the wheel to keep it from sliding up the track.
“They're crashin' behind ya,” H.J. said in a voice that was just a bit too excited.
8
Lily stood, her shoulders tense, her breath held. Alli stood beside her, gripping Lily's arm. Cam was well out of crash range, but Lily hated to see anyone get torn up. If it was a really bad wreck with oil on the track or a lot of debris to clean up, the officials would put the red flag out. That was never good.
Ronnie's voice was next. “Caution is out, Cam. We'll come down pit road for four tires, gas, and take out a round of wedge.”
“H.J.? Can you see if the forty-seven can stay out an extra lap before coming in? I want to get out without being blocked in,” Cam asked as the cars were coming down the backstretch into turn
“You got twenty-three in front, eighteen coming up on the outside, sixteen behind you, and twenty behind eighteen.” H.J.'s voice was all business, and Cam appreciated it. His crew, his chief, and his spotter might be full of fun and jokes and teasing away from the track, but when it came to running the races, they were serious as serious could get.
Out of turn three and going into turn four, two lines of cars formed, Cam right behind the leader. No passing was allowed until they crossed the start/finish line, and he hoped to hell that Jake Curtis had his foot on the gas.
“Comin' to the line, Cam. Green, green, green.”
The green flag dropped, and the drivers picked up speed coming to the line.
Chills raced down Lily's spine. It was one of her favorite things in the world: stock car races. She loved the roar of the engines, the adrenaline pumping through her body, the cheering, the screaming, the cars bumping. The whole atmosphere touched a part of her that otherwise was very out of character. She didn't really care 85
for big, raucous crowds on a normal basis, and she didn't go to other sporting events. Rock concerts had never been high on her list of fun—the noises and smells were just not something she got into—but the races… She loved to lose herself at the races, and that she was a fan of Cam's… The looks that fans of other drivers gave her, the sneers, the jabs, the cursing they did when Cam brought home the checkered flag, and the grin she got to give them in return. She wasn't vengeful in her everyday life, but put her in the stands or in front of the television for a race, and she became a whole different person.
She wanted to stand up and scream for him but figured that wouldn't be appreciated, being up on the pit box and all. Instead she bit the inside of her cheek and watched with balled-up fists and tense shoulders.
Alli tapped her on the leg, and Lily turned her head and moved one headphone off her ear. She leaned close in order to hear what Alli wanted to say. The cars were going around so fast that there was hardly any sort of lull as there would have been at Talladega or Daytona. “What?”
“What's wrong?”
Lily frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You look like you're about to break apart. You okay?”
“Yeah. I just want to stand up and jump up and down screaming. I'm not used to sitting quietly at a race.”
Alli nodded. “I know what you mean, but damn, the view from here is much better than where we usually sit.”
“I'm sure it is.” Lily put the headphone back over her ear and listened in as Cam and his spotter talked back and forth about who was around him, where his teammate was—about ten cars back, and what they needed to do to get to the front.
At present, they had fallen back to sixth, and Cam was having trouble coming out of the corners and staying in the throttle. His car wasn't handling right, and he was having to fight it, jerk on the wheel to keep it from sliding up the track.
“They're crashin' behind ya,” H.J. said in a voice that was just a bit too excited.
8
Lily stood, her shoulders tense, her breath held. Alli stood beside her, gripping Lily's arm. Cam was well out of crash range, but Lily hated to see anyone get torn up. If it was a really bad wreck with oil on the track or a lot of debris to clean up, the officials would put the red flag out. That was never good.
Ronnie's voice was next. “Caution is out, Cam. We'll come down pit road for four tires, gas, and take out a round of wedge.”
“H.J.? Can you see if the forty-seven can stay out an extra lap before coming in? I want to get out without being blocked in,” Cam asked as the cars were coming down the backstretch into turn
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