~ Chapter 8 ~
The track… the smell of cars and beer… A place that always gave her a feeling of safety and warmth. But not today… Today was all wrong to her. Things weren’t in the right places. Kevin wasn’t in the car. She wasn’t listening to him on the scanner. And being here certainly wasn’t doing anything to liven him up yet.
Delana sat up on the pit box waiting for the start of the race. Kevin sat beside her with the same expressionless stare on his face. She had noticed when Jr had brought him back over that he was missing his sunglasses and Jr wouldn’t tell her where they had possibly gone. From the look in his eyes she believed that she prolly really didn’t need to know.
Pre-race activities were almost over with as she watched the drivers get into their cars. Delana rolled her eyes and concentrated on her finger nails instead. Normally right now she’d be helping her husband put on his device and kissing him for safety and good luck before he climbed into his snarling beast. As she peeked back up swiftly, she caught Jr glancing over. He too was looking for some sort of reaction from Kevin. De and Dale locked hopeful eyes together and she smiled and mouthed ‘Be careful’ before he nodded and lowered himself into his car.
The next sound she heard was “Gentlemen… start your engines!” over the loud speakers before she was deafened by motors.
“Here hon… We’re gonna put these on ok?” She reached over to put a large pair of headphones over Kevin’s ears. She decided that she would have him listen to Jr’s scanner so he could maybe get the feel of being in the race car. She told Jr about this and he promised her he’d keep the chatter going and even try to talk to him. Also she didn’t want the loud sounds to hurt his ears.
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Jr sat in his car staring up at Delana putting the headphones on Kevin. He wasn’t sure of what to say or if anything he did say would get a reaction.
This sucked…
“Jr, ya got me?’
He was shaken out of his daze by his spotters’ words echoing in his ears.
“Yeah Ty I got you.”
“Positive attitude right?”
“Always…”
“Ok Jr… Pit road speed is 500. Got that?”
“500 got it.”
“We aren’t gonna lose this on pit road.”
“No we aren’t.”
The cars in front of him started to move, so he threw his car into gear and coasted along with them in his 5th place starting position.
“What the hell do I say…” he mumbled while tapping his fingers on the wheel.
He reached to the radio button and pushed it down, letting the first thing he thought of to come out of his mouth.
“Some… times in our lives… we all have faith… we all have sorrow…”
There was a long pause on the radio. So long that Jr thought his crew were all probably calling a doctor from the care center to see if their driver was sane. He was about to come back on and tell the boys to ignore him or something till he heard Ty’s voice. The surprise of it made the corners of his mouth turn up.
“But… if we are wise we know that there’s always tomorrow!”
Suddenly Jr heard the voices of most of his crew join him with the chorus.
“Lean on me! When you’re not strong! And I’ll be your friend! I’ll help you carry on!!! For it wont be long till I’m gonna need somebody to lean on!”
Jr smiled wide listening to the grown men sing along together.
“Thanks guys” he said into the mic before he watched the green flag fly. He wished he could see Kevin from where he was at.
~~~~~~~~~~
The race was pretty uneventful and Delana was getting restless. Jr had been solid in the top ten all day and Johnny, who was driving Kevin’s car, wasn’t doing too bad either. Sterling Marlin had been leading most of the race.
Kevin didn’t move, didn’t flinch, didn’t blink. He just sat like stone with his eyes fixated on the track in front of him. Delana was about to give up hope as she let her mind wander.
~~~
“What’s the water at?”
“Still 240…”
“Ok… “
“Stop asking me what the water temp is please… I’m concentrating on winning here!”
“Sorry Kevin… but part of a crew chiefs job is to worry!”
“ I got things covered! We had our last pit stop… I’m a few seconds ahead of the second place car! So now all you guys have to do is get Victory Lane ready!”
The 29 crew chuckled at the cockiness in their drivers’ voice. Delana looked on in amusement. She had watched the Goodwrench crew members tense up in the last half of the race when Kevin started dominating. She knew they believed in him but even she was nervous in the last remaining laps.
“Hey Happy… ya only got 5 more laps!”
“Really? Cool!”
“Jr just took 2nd from Jarrett. He’s coming fast… looks like a scene from that Winston race…”
“Jr wll race me clean.”
“Umm… we talking about the same person here? He’s an Earnhardt…”
“Yeah but I know him. We race clean together. Don’t worry.”
Kevin smiled as he heard his crew chief mumble “Don’t worry he says!” under his breath as it came down to 4 to go.
Delana listened as she watched the Red 8 hauling ass. Kevin was right. She knew Jr’d race him clean. But it still didn’t make her less worried.
It didn’t take long for Jr to get right up on the 29’s bumper, looking for the right time to make a move. Two laps to go… Delana’s heart was in her throat as she listened to the scanner.
“He’s gonna try getting under you in turn 2. I don’t think he can make it on the high side.”
“10-4…”
Delana watched as Kevin’s car became glued to the bottom of the track, closing the gap and shutting the charging 8 car out.
“Good job Happy! You’re comin on to the white flag!” His spotter said in an obvious state of excitement.
But the race wasn’t over yet and Jr let them all know that as he shot out underneath Kevin at the flag stand. The excitement was in reality JUST starting!
Cheering fans filled Delana’s headphones as the frantic spotter rushed to do his job.
“He’s low! He’s there! He’s got it!”
“No he hasn’t… he’s gonna work for it…”
And with that De heard a crackle as the radio connection in the Goodwrench car was disconnected.
Everyone’s eyes were transfixed on the fight for the lead. Kevin’s car never faltered in the top grove. It stuck to the pavement as Jr still worked the bottom line. The two cars looked like a Red and silver blur as they came closer to the finish line. They were nose to nose as they came off the last turn and Delana leaped to her feet.
It was almost like time had a slow motion button as the two cars came down the straightaway towards the checkered flag. Closer and closer yet still full of torture.
All Delana saw were flash bulbs as the red and silver blur passed in front of her.
She shut her eyes in an attempted to see if her mind had registered a winner but all there was in her head was a blur.
A crackling noise woke her from her thoughts.
“Soo… Think Jr will still let us borrow his sponsor to celebrate?!”
Delana opened her eyes to a scene of utter chaos as the crew members filled pit lane in hugs and yelps.
~~~~~~~~~~~
There was not only chaos in her mind. Delana was pulled from a happy memory when she felt the pit box move under her.
Kevin had stood up sharply, his eyes, once dull and blank, searched wildly in front of him. It took a few seconds for Delana to react. It had been the first sign of life and sparkle. She had been waiting for this for so long and now that it was there she wasn’t sure what to do.
“Kevin? What’s wrong?” She reached out and grabbed him by the hand. His eyes never left what it was searching for.
“What the hell is wrong? Kevin? Can you hear me?”
Then finally she knew…
Limping down pit road was the Budweiser car. Complete with a flat front tire.
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“I swear! It was a REAL close call!! Robby was inches away from me… It was almost a huge wreck. But I finally was able to get the damn car off the track.”
Delana stood with Kevin next to Jr’s hauler listening to him tell his crew about the wild ride he had had on the track. She was still a little shocked. Kevin Knew. Either he heard it on the scanner or really WAS paying attention to the race. She didn’t know but the few moments of awareness were gone now. At least she knew now that he was still in there. She had finally seen the sharp look in his eyes and it lifted her spirits.
When Jr was done talking he started walking in their direction. He had a wide grin on his face and if she didn’t know better she would have thought he won the race.
“I saw him…” He said as he walked up.
“You did?”
“Mm hmm when I pitted… saw him standing.”
“Jr I don’t’ understand! Did you say something on the scanner or did he just know?”
“What DIDN’T I say on the scanner! I was yappin my ass off… but… I did say a tire was going down. Don’t know why that would trigger it.”
Jr shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared into Kevin’s now dull eyes.
“He’s still in there De… “
“Yep… Just wish we could get him out for good…”
They all headed over to Jr waiting Impala. It had been a long day but Delana had more hope then she’d had in weeks.
