Page 75 of Happy Hour

I wanted to say something to him but I also knew it wouldn’t do any good. He wouldn’t listen to me any more than he would listen to Kyle.

“Coming to the green here—watch your shift—Darrin has a run. Green flag, green flag,” Aiden announced. “Cole’s at your door, clear, fourteen has a run on the inside, at your rear...still there...still there, at your door...clear.” Jameson darted in behind Darrin leaving him in third in front Paul in the twenty-four car.

He was all over the back of Darrin once again with eight laps to go and wasn’t losing ground like we expected him to.

“I don’t know how the fuck he’s even keeping that damn car straight. He’s riding on cords out there.” Kyle told Mason, they both shook their heads.

He’d done this sort of thing before and we all knew what he was up to. It was obvious by the way they were bumping each other around the track, this wouldn’t end well.

ESPN was all over the coverage so we were able to see what was happening. Darrin and Jameson were tearing the two cars up and allowing Bobby to pull away to a two-second lead.

“Jameson, cut the shit and just drive the fucking car.” Kyle yelled at him. “You’re going—”

“Don’t tell me to cut the shit whenanyrun that I get on this asshole, he blocks me.” Jameson snapped. “I’m just finishing whathestarted.”

Jameson went high when Darrin was low so Darrin shot up the track in front of him.

Jameson never lifted.

He slammed into the back of Darrin on the second stretch coming out of turn two. Darrin fishtailed for a moment and then shot up the track into the outside barrier, his car spinning down onto the apron. Once it hit the grass outside the tunnel turn, the car flipped four times before it came to a rest in the infield.

His car was destroyed. Parts and sheet metal scattered from the turn across the infield and up the banking of the track. All that remained of his blue car was a roll cage and the engine.

Not a word was said on the radio by anyone except Aiden telling Jameson they had red flagged the race.

“They’re stopping you guys outside turn two.”

Darrin seemed fine. He got out of the car, stumbled slightly, rode to the infield car center where he was required to be evaluated, and then he was supposed to go to the NASCAR hauler.

The NASCAR Official in Jameson’s pit motioned for Kyle to come down off the pit box. He did and when he returned he wasn’t pleased.

“Bring it in, they’re black flagging you.” Kyle announced. “Take the car to the truck and then head to the NASCAR hauler.”

“10-4,” was all Jameson said.

He knew damn well what would happen if he wrecked Darrin intentionally but I was also inclined to think he just didn’t give a shit right now.

In the drivers meeting earlier today, they announced they wouldn’t put up with retaliation of any kind. That was never something NASCAR condoned. Just as any sanctioning body, they were there to enforce the rules and that they did.

Though I understood the position NASCAR held in all this, I couldn’t understandwhyDarrin wasn’t penalized for the shit he pulled when he put Jameson in the wall in the beginning of the race.

He should have at least had a stop and go penalty.

The crew started loading tools and equipment while Emma and I headed towards the hauler.

Jameson wasn’t there yet so we helped Alley field the media that was hovering by his hauler.

When the car pulled in, spewing steam and fluids, Jameson had already removed his helmet, gloves, and was working his belts as he shut the car off.

He was irate to say the least—not that I expected anything less of him. Like I said, I’ve seen this before over the years.

Sure enough, a news reporter was in face before he even made it out of the car. “Jameson, can you tell us what happened out there? Did you mean to hit Darrin?”

Jameson was already walking towards the NASCAR hauler with the report tagging along.

Alley motioned for us to follow; we had to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid.

“Can you tell us what happened?” the reporter repeated shoving the microphone at him, fighting to keep up with his quick steps.

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