Page 10 of Rush
‘Dad!’ she squealed, jumping into his arms. Just as well he still had the whole lumberjack thing going on at the age of fifty-six and could support her weight. ‘How did you get here?’
‘On a plane.’ He spun her round, her hair flying out behind her.
‘No shit.’ She breathed out a laugh, in disbelief that he was actually in front of her.
‘We weren’t going to let you do this solo, Savi. I had to come and support our little girl. Marco suggested it after realising you’d be the only driver on the team without someone from home here with you for your first race, we planned it days ago.’ He set her down.
‘You…’ She looked at Marco, who couldn’t wipe the soppy grin off his face. ‘Thanks, De Luca.’ Savi gave him a quick hug of appreciation. She had spent all this timethinking he was genuinely mad at her for the whole Esme thing, while he’d been in cahoots with her dad to fly him halfway across the world for her.
‘It was my pleasure. But you,’ he pointed at her, ‘need to get your ass in that car. And you, sir, need to go get your headphones so you can listen to every swear word your daughter fires out when I overtake her.’
‘Oh, I can’t wait for this.’ Her dad chuckled and wandered off to find Jasper.
‘You mean to tell me we’re starting the race together?’
‘Side by side, Cowgirl.’ He pulled his helmet on before handing Savi her own, a custom pink leopard print design. The whole animal print theme Revolution Racing had going on really spoke to her soul, even if leopard and zebra clashed.
‘That’s not really how the grid works.’
‘No, you’re right. In that case, I’ll be slightly in front of you. Then I’ll get farther and farther away until I’m a speck of dust.
‘Make sure you wave goodbye when I speed off ahead, yeah?’ He knocked on her helmet and walked off, leaving her the perfect level of fired up.
‘Good luck, Sav!’ Kodie called out from her spot by the side of the grid.
‘Take care of our car!’ Miko chimed in, both of them hurrying back to the garage as the drivers all got in position.
Savi loved this car. Her seat was just right, and she much preferred it to some of the cars she’d driven in the past. This one was in a league of its own, and she’d spent the last few months really getting to grips with it in preparationfor today. This one, singular day which had the potential to make or break her career with the IEC. No pressure.
‘Good luck, sweetheart.’ Her dad’s voice came over the headset, and she knew how special he must have felt when Jasper gave him permission to do that.
‘Thanks, dad. See you on the other side.’
As the lights counted down, one by one, Savi psyched herself up for the next two hours. Driving a race car round a circuit at high speed for that long took a physical toll on drivers’ bodies and minds. From the g-force impacting their necks and spines to the sheer concentration that was required; there was a reason this sport was so hard to succeed in.
But despite the battle against gravity, speed, weather and most importantly her competition, this was what Savi loved to do. It was just her and the car. That was what she told herself. She had to ignore the presence of the other cars on the track and just drive, letting the fear of failing slip away.
Go.The car instantly felt like it belonged to her. It responded to every movement flawlessly and before she knew it, that sacred two-hour stint was coming to an end, and she was climbing Eau Rouge less than a second behind Marco. She knew she could get past him; it was just a matter of timing it right.
As they sped down the Mulsanne straight multiple laps later with only a few minutes before they both had to return to the pits and swap with their teammates, she knew it was now or never. It was as though she was one with the car as she sailed past him, cackling with laughterat the thought of what must be going through his mind watching the back of her car move into view.
This was what racing was all about. The innocent rivalry, pushing yourself and proving yourself. She had overtaken a multi-championship winning driver during her first race, and she knew Julien would probably claim the spot back from Miko within the next ten laps but still, she would get people talking. Her name would be in the mouths of the presenters and commentators and plastered across social media for all the right reasons. She couldn’t wait to watch the footage back and re-live the satisfaction.
Savi pitted the car and helped Miko clamber in, connecting her drinking tube for her, then headed into the garage with pure euphoria written all over her features. Lucie had a camera on her in seconds, allowing her the space to come back to reality but making sure the team had essential content for their platforms.
‘Nice going, Cowgirl.’ Marco high-fived her.
‘Not so bad yourself, De Luca. Shame you couldn’t keep up.’
‘I might start wearing cowboy boots if it makes me as cocky as you.’ He winked at her and then in the next moment, she was enveloped in a smothering group hug from Kodie and her dad, her teammate’s brunette ponytail whipping her in the face amidst all the excitement.
‘I am so damn proud of you, Sav.Soproud. And your ma and brother are too.’
And that was the part that set off the waterworks. Weston. Because even though this career was her dream, he was the driving force behind it.
5
‘I can’t go up there, Savi!’ Her dad pulled on her arm, begging for her to let him stay down and watch her go up. ‘The podium issacred.’
