Page 82 of Black Flag

“All clear, go likehell. This is your race to win.” Aiden praised when I got around Bobby on theoutside.

“You completed lapthree-eighty seven with a 1.3 second lead there, keep focused. Clear by ten infront.”

I was focused becausethe next thing I heard was: “Coming to the white flag next time by,”

My heartbeat thuddedloudly in my ears making it almost impossible to hear anything else, until Kylecame back with.

“NICE JOB!” Kyle yelledwhen I crossed the finish line. “Way to bounce back. You drove your ass off outthere tonight.”

That was the fuckingtruth. I was exhausted.

The moment I took thecheckered flag, I was relieved but I couldn’t say anything over the radio. Thepressure I put upon myself, my team, and my family was rewarded at times likethis. All the hard work, all the late nights and early mornings, all the timesaway from Sway, all those personal sacrifices were veiled by the fact that Icould come out here after an injury and still win. I could come back from a lapdown and still win. I could drown out everything around me and win, for thisteam, for us.

“Thanks guys, Icouldn’t have done it without you.” I choked out. I wanted them to know howmuch I appreciated them, even though I didn’t exactly show them all the time.

“I’m so proud of you!”Sway screamed into the radio. It was rare for her to talk to me through theradio as we kept it strictly professional between the teams but she must haveripped Kyle’s headset away.

“Thank you honey,”

I pulled down on theapron of the finish line, grabbed the checkered flag from the official and didmy burn out, waving the flag around. There’s one thing I loved more thanwinning and that was winning under the lights of a night race. It alwaysbrought me back to the days racing at Elma when I was a kid and only racedunder the lights.

When I was finished myburnout, I got out of the car and climbed the fence giving those devoted fans apiece of the action. The swarm that gathered screamed and hollered, so I threwthe flag into the crowd for them. They roared to life.

It was such an intensefeeling being near all the fans after you won. These were the people who madethis worth it. They believed in me just as much as my family did.

Eventually I made myway toward victory lane for the fifth time this season.

This win feltdifferent. I proved to myself and everyone else out there that I could do it. Icould come back from a Pocono and still be competitive. I could come back frombeing a lap down and win. Above all else, I was now in position to snag thatchampionship and prove to Darrin I wasn’t the kid he pegged me to be. Justbecause my dad funded the team didn’t mean I couldn’t win.

The drive down pit roadtoward victory lane was slow as all my fellow drivers congratulated me on thewin. They understood because they felt the same way. I showed I could do ittonight and nothing could stop me.

Every track had victorylane located in a different location. Usually it wasn’t hard to find, you justfollowed the crowd more or less. It was fenced in, authorized personnel onlyand fairly well landscaped for the television.

Once in victory lane,my family had already gathered and was patiently waiting for me. It took me awhile to get out of my car, mainly because I didn’t want the entire worldseeing me so emotional. When I’d choked back my emotions, I pulled myself fromthe car beating my fists on the roof, provoking my team intoafrenzy. I laughed as they sprung to life shakingPepsi, champagneand whatever else they had over us.

Spencer and Mason werethe first to my car, followed by Kyle and my dad.

Sway and the rest of myfamily lingered in the shadows letting the boys rough me up with their rowdyhugs and loud raucous remarks. The media was in my face the next second askingme how it felt to get my fifth win on a night when we really needed it.

“My Simplex Ford wasawesome all night. The penalty really put us back but Kyle kept me focused andwe managed to pull it off despite the bad call.”

That provoked him.

“So you feel thepenalty wasn’t justified.”

“No, I don’t.” I shookmy head wiping my face with a towel Alley had tossed my direction in thecommotion. “I’ve been called for speeding eight times this year and not oncewas I pulling away from any other cars on pit road. Kind of makes you thinkit’s not me, doesn’t it?”

Of course he didn’thave a response and directed the conversation away from NASCAR.

Spencer interruptedspraying me, and the reporter, with champagne. “We saw you gave the flag to thefans out there.” He hedged wiping the champagne off the microphone.

My face and upper bodywere completely soaked now.

“I think I actually hitsomebody with the checkered flag. Somebody got it though, they deserve it.Without the fans this sport wouldn’t be what it is.”

I was trying my hardestto get away from the reporter, I just wanted to celebrate with my family butthis is part of the game I guess. Sacrifices, right?

With everything thathappened this weekend, I didn’t know when the right moment would be to proposeto Sway. My many attempts this week ended in complete disaster. But in thatmoment with the cheering and adulation of the screaming fans, champagnespraying, the smells of burnt rubber, racing fuel, loutish calls of myteammates and excitement swirling around through the air, I realized the momentwas perfect, for us.

---