--Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude--Jimmy Buffett
Dale stood high above the race track on the spotters stand, his heart beating just as fast as the cars on the track were running. Michael Waltrip stood just to his left and as they looked at each other they couldn’t hold back their smiles, it had been a long time since an Earnhardt and a Waltrip drafted together and it sure was good to see once again.
Mandy sat atop the Chance 2 box with Garrett timing laps. It felt good to have the family back at the track, if only Hailey could have been there. "Man, she’s flying." Garrett said looking over his mom’s shoulder at the stop watch. "No one is going to catch her."
"The only one that could would be that 15 car. She’s pretty damn fast herself." Garrett smiled at the mention of the Napa Blue Chevy.
Mandy smiled at her son before turning her attention back to the race. There were only a few laps left and the 81 car was 3 seconds ahead of anyone else. "That’s it you’re clear all around and the white flag is waving just for you." Dale said into his speaker. As the car took the checkers Dale and Michael high fived each other and headed down towards victory lane.
Bryan Park quickly disappeared into the crowd just as Belle was climbing from her car. She smiled and winked as she saw him stop just behind her crew. She jumped off the door as Dale jogged through the crowd and wrapped her in his arms. "You did it baby girl. I am so proud of you." He hugged her to him tightly as the reporter came up for an interview.
"So Belle, how does it feel to have your first Busch win here at a track that holds so much tradition and memories for your family?"
"This is amazing. I couldn’t have done it without my team, they built me a great car and have worked so hard for so long to get us here today. Of course my family, I wouldn‘t even be here today had they not fought and done everything they have done for me over the past 15 years. Everyone has sacrificed so much for me to be here today and I love them all for it. It’s great to have everyone back home. I wish my sister Hailey could be here but she was called out for a search and rescue mission. If she is watching I want her to know this race was for her and the rest of our service men and women." She turned to her mom and hugged her, then Garrett as Taylor, DanI Lee, and Macy Waltrip joined the celebration.
"Damn good race there Isabella." Michael said as he draped an arm over Macy’s shoulder.
"No kidding. I couldn’t catch you there at the end for anything." Macy said before turning to Garrett. "You coming or you going to stick around here for a bit?"
Garrett swallowed as he watched Macy pull her fire suit down and remove the fire safe turtleneck. He then turned to his sister not able to take his mind off that white tank top. "Party at your coach tonight?"
"Yup, go on I will see you guys tonight." She grinned as she watched them go. The quads had just turned 21 a couple months earlier and their parents had quietly questioned Macy and Garrett at first with her being 5 years older, they knew better than to interfere too much but they felt it had happened quickly. "So I need to get going, they are yelling for me, you guys coming by tonight?" She asked her parents.
"I think I am getting too damn old for a party but you guys have fun. You sticking around tomorrow or you heading back home?"
"No I’m going to watch Tay race but heading out as soon as it’s over. I told Kyle I would stop by the camp tomorrow night to check on a few things." They took a few photos of Dale with his daughter and then the whole family before Dale grabbed Mandy’s hand and lead her away form victory lane to their car and back to the condo. Dale had bought a new condo once the kids had gotten old enough to be on their own. Taylor and Belle each had their own coach at the track, Garrett would be staying with Macy in hers and DanI had gotten a hotel room with the teams.
"Alone at last." Dale pulled Mandy to him as they entered the condo. "Mmm." He let his hands roam her back as he breathed in the vanilla scent that had driven him crazy for so many years. "God I love you."
"I love you too." She laughed. "You know there use to be a time when we cherished these alone moments more than anything in the world."
He looked down at her and grinned. "And now we can’t wait to have the kids back around. I know." He hugged her tightly. "I miss them too."
Their family had scattered all over the country it seemed to Dale and Mandy whom would be celebrating 23 years married this year. With a lot of help from family and friends they managed to keep Chance 2 running through the hectic schedule that had been their lives for so many years. They had made the decision that they truly wanted to stay a company that helped up and coming drivers so they opted to keep more inexperienced drivers in their Busch cars giving up much chance of getting a Busch championship but by the time their drivers reached the Cup cars they were championship material and they had a few Cup trophies in the shops display case.
Hailey was serving in her third year of the Marine Corp in a special search and rescue squad stationed in the mountains of northern Alaska. Winters were hard with artic type temps but she wouldn’t trade her life there for anything. DanI Lee had gone to the other extreme moving to the beaches of St. Petersburg Florida to attend college for Marine Biology, as a side job she was teaching ballet to 5 and 6 year olds. Garrett was playing college hockey for North Carolina University and was awaiting the hockey draft coming up this summer, he was expected to be picked up in the first round by one of the top teams in the league.
After several rough rounds of chemo and different drug therapy’s Belle had finally reached remission 5 years after her diagnosis. This was her tenth year cancer free and for all intense purposes, was now considered cured. She had become a counselor at the Victory Junction Camp 5 years ago at the age of 16, wanting to do something to help other kids that had been in her position, she knew what it was like to be one of them, and she wanted to give something back to those who helped her. She had started racing around the same time starting in the Nascar North Series and was now in her first full season of Busch driving for her father. Taylor was starting her rookie season in Cup this year and everyone was excited to have an Earnhardt back in the Daytona 500 after a long 15 years absence.
Nascar had been a male dominated sport for so long and many women had tried to break through the gender wall to no avail. It took a special group of young women and a few large sponsors banned together to make the push in female drivers a reality in Nascar racing. It hadn’t been an easy run over the years still getting the gender biased attitude from not only the fans but some of the not so open minded drivers but they were showing what they were made of and that they were there to stay. Taylor and Macy had broken through to Cup racing, while Belle, Katie Harvick, and Marly Kenseth were old familiar names but new faces in the Busch series.
Teresa was still in control at DEI and was still producing winning teams every season. Martin Truex Jr. was still driving the #8 Budweiser Chevy but had offered the number to Taylor when she moved into Cup racing. She declined saying the number belonged to him now. She had been driving 38 a combo of her dad and grandpa in the Busch series and was told she could keep it moving into Cup. Macy Waltrip taking after her father whom she also drove for did double duty running in both Busch and Cup. She drove the 99 car which Michael had held onto over the years in Busch and Teresa had sold the rights to the 15 car to him so Macy could drive it in Cup also. She had won rookie of the year in Cup last season and it was rumored that she would be on of the top contenders for a championship this year.
Bryan Park had been living in a spare bedroom at Dale and Mandy’s for the past 6 months since Steve and Lexie had moved down to Daytona. Bryan was looking for a place of his own and Dale had told him there was no rush, with Belle being the only one of the kids to still be living at home the house seemed so big and empty. He was working for Michael Waltrip Racing and didn’t want to leave his job and friends to live in Florida. He had never shown much interest in driving but even at the young age of 18 he was one of the best engine builders around and several teams had tried to hire him on his last birthday. He opted for staying with Michael who had given him a job at 14 sweeping floors and emptying trash. Insurance reasons wouldn’t allow him to work on the cars being a minor but Michael would always find a off the clock Tuesday night to let him come in the garage and help him out. He saw a talent and love for building there that no one else did and Brian now wanted to be with no other company than with the man who had trusted him 4 years ago. It also helped Michael that Bryan was now teaching Mikey Jr. everything he could about building a car not just driving it.
Mikey Jr. was a handful for his parents in every aspect of his life. First and foremost he was driven on the track to win. Dale Jr always had commented that there was more Dale Sr. in Mikey than any of his own kids. He wasn’t afraid to rub, bump, tap, whatever needed to be done to get the win. He was now racing pro mods and had as many enemies as friends on and off the track. Much to his parents dismay he was turning into quite the lady killer even at the tender age of 15 and if there was one thing he loved more than cars it was girls. At 5’ 11" he towered over most kids his age, he was the spitting image of Michael full head of dark hair, baby blue eyes, and a smile that could light up any room but if you pissed him off you had better head the opposite direction because like Michael in his younger days he reacted first and thought second. He had been in more than one scuffle at school or in the garage area and more times than not it was over a young lady. Although Bryan’s influence at the shop had helped, Buffy and Michael were at their wits end trying to keep Mikey Jr under control.
Raising quads had been a whirlwind ride over the past 15 years. There had been first jobs, boyfriends, cars, all the usual ups and downs that life brought with raising a family had been multiplied for the Earnhardt family. Life was finally back on track, literally, and rolling smoothly…for now.