Page 50 of Overtake
“¿Por qué eres tan mucosa?”Why is she such a brat?
“¿Qué?I saw your practice times.” She grins, reminding him that she knows all his secrets. “Should be an interesting quali.”
Sebastian chuckles, and Nico’s sure he’s the subject of some heinous bet between the two of them as they don the headsets and follow him into the garage.
“Time,” Roxana announces.
Nico puts in his earpieces, then dons his balaclava and settles his HANS device over his shoulders. He gives his sister one last squeeze and fist-bumps Sebastian. Esteban hands him his helmet. He pulls it on, then climbs into his car. As he settles into the cockpit, Junior strides past the Nitro garage with his drone controller in hand, fury barely hidden behind the glance he throws at Nico.
That’s right,pendejo. Put a hand on her and one of us will rip it right the fuck off.
“Radio check,” Roxana says in his ear.
“Loud and clear.”
“Make this count, Conejo.”
Roxana’s kept him focused and fast, and Nico enters the third round of sprint qualifying on fresh softs and in the lead.
The drivers get one shot at setting the fastest lap time in SQ3, and he feels sharp and clear with everything in perfect focus. The final qualifying lap stretches before them, ten drivers pushing for that last fraction of speed.
The car glides through the chicane, glued to the racing line. In his peripheral vision, the crowds blur into streaks of color. This is what racing should be—pure speed, clean lines, and drivers pushing to be better.
“Hayter’s on a flyer, Nico. But your sector 1 is purple. Best of the session.”
Petra’s not one to let distractions in, but Nico knows this final lap isn’t just about pole position anymore.
“Keep me updated, Rox.”
“She’s pushing hard. Going for it in sector 2.”
Let her race.Nico understands exactly what Petra’s proving to everyone watching, especially Graham. And Wyn.
The lap unfolds like poetry, both cars finding speed in different places. Through 11, Petra takes that impossible line again, gaining a hundredth.
“Final sector.” Roxana’s voice stays steady in his ear. “You’re down by two hundredths.”
The last sequence appears, and Nico makes a choice. He could push harder, take more risks, maybe grab pole. Or... He goes clean, fast, and safe. Perfect as he crosses the finish line.
Petra flashes past on his right.
“P2.” Roxana announces. “Hayter took P1 by a hundredth of a second. That was a nail-biter, Nico.”
“Third?”
“Reece. Lynch fourth, Wyn fifth.”
Which proves there’s more than one way for a Pritchard to succeed. But Graham won’t be happy about his younger son’s performance.
They pull into parc fermé. Nico parks and climbs from the car and there’s Petra grinning at him, pink streaks catching the sun. A real grin, not her media smile.
“Nice lap, Bunny Boy.”
He takes off his helmet and grins back at her. “Not so bad yourself, TenP.”
Reece joins them, looking pleased despite, or maybe because of, outqualifying his brother. “Clean racing, you two. Almost like you were trying to prove a point.”
The three of them head for interviews, Petra with her shoulders straight and chin high. Reece looking relaxed. Nico could’ve taken pole, but he’s okay with second today. The actual sprint is what really counts.
