Page 25 of The Legend

When heclimbed down, the announcer shoved the microphone in his face after he huggedCasten who managed to make it to him along with Lily and Sway. How they gotdown there was beyond me because I literally couldn’t move with all the peopleswarming the track.

With thatsame contagious smile I saw when he won the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, Axellooked up at the tower seeing the double zero number in the number one spot.The same number Jimi had throughout his entire career in the outlaw series,Axel was now driving. The number hadn’t seen that position in fifty-one races;flickering in the night, it was finally there.

He musthave starred at that number for close to a minute before he smiled and lookedback at the announcer. “I wasn’t sure I could get it there again.”

“You didthough.” Jeff, the ESPN announcer, said to him with an encouraging smile. “How’dyou do it?”

“Honestly,it had nothing to do with me.” He ran his shaking hands over his face wipingaway sweat and confetti. “I just drove. It was my brother Casten, Tommy,Willie, my grandpa and my mom but most of all...mydad. He told me what I needed to hear.”

“What wasthat, win?” Jeff teased.

Axel threwhis head back with laughter.

“Yeah,” henodded, “basically.”

“The champknows what to say?”

“That hedoes.” Axel held the trophy over his head with one hand. “This one’s for youdad!”

I kept ittogether, for now, but it was yet another time in my life when breaking downand balling like a baby was threatening. Later, alone, I couldn’t guarantee mystability.

An hourlater, the guys were all parked outside the haulers and throwing back beers incelebration of the kids first win. These were the celebrations I enjoyed themost. In the highly publicized world of NASCAR, a win is never a win anymorethat it is a way to promote your sponsors. Sure you get to celebrate buteverything about it is commercialized. You have to get out of your car at theexact moment they say, flash your sponsors name to the camera and presentyourself in a manner they approve. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. I’msaying that for me, how I like to celebrate, is here at the dirt track throwingback beers with my friends.

Sway and Istood side-by-side watching them celebrate. Soon she said she was tired and wecollected Arie and Casten to take them back to the hotel. Of course, Arie threwa fit.

“You’recoming with us whether you want to or not. I’ll drag you kicking andscreaming.”

Arie, trueto her nature, rolled her eyes, “Whatever dad.”

“Whatever?”I mouthed to Sway.

Swaylaughed hugging my waist. “I should have taken notice back when herpediatrician was trying to sell me books on spirited children.”

“What’sher problem these days? She acts like we’re not cool. We’re cool people.”

Swayshrugged. “She’s sixteen.”

Even withher fit throwing, she was asleep right along with Sway before we even reachedthe freeway.

Casten satup front with me and provided the entertainment but soon, he too started toyawn.

“You everthink of racing again?” I asked making conversation.

“I don’twant to race anymore.” Casten replied as though I shouldn’t question him. “It’snot the same for me.”

“I canunderstand that.”

I couldunderstand. A lot wasn’t the same after the plane crash but it was evenstranger being at a place like Knoxville Nationals and not seeing Ryder. Castenhad taken to the USAC series when he raced, which was the series Ryder hadalways raced. I wasn’t around enough to teach Casten what he needed to know butRyder was. In turn, they were very close.

“Do youever think about racing sprint cars again?”

“Yeah, Ido all the time.”

It wasquiet for about ten minutes as Casten’s phone held most of his attention beforehe asked. “Do you ever get scared racing?”

“No, well,there are times when I think, shit, this is gonna hurt but I’m not scared ofwrecking. The safety is much more advanced these days. I guess I think if it’syour time to go then it was meant to be.”

Castentucked his phone inside his jacket. “Do you think Ryder was scared?”

---