Chapter 21
346 Words
Chapter 21
Theresa had been told half a hundred times to get to know a racetrack before she raced on it.
Old-timers walked the track before every race to get to know it. You could see them in the dawn light of the time-trials and race days. One-by-one, always apart, always keeping their own counsel for no one else would be in the car with them, they’d set off. Inspecting a roughness in Turn Two, a bit of a buckle on the Backstretch. A nasty notch in the wall where they’d lost a fender, or a friend.
The rest of them didn’t walk the track. Though they’d huddle together over hot coffee in the chill morning, gathered in the pits and watching the walking ones do their bit. There was a pattern and flow to it. Every now and then you could see them all the walkers rise high on Turn Three rather than staying down in the groove. The more energetic of the watchers would go and check it out themselves. Others would just drive it a few times to see what the car would tell them. The weakest would simply avoid the spot the walkers had inspected outside the main groove, even if it cost them lap time.
Racers were a superstitious lot and if they decided that the walkers all going high on Turn Three was a sign of something wrong with the track, or that an evil spirit with their name on its clipboard was trying to throw them against the outside of the Turn Four, they’d sacrifice opportunities to get ahead to avoid that spot.
Tee tried to sleep through the morning walkers’ time, but never succeeded. She always ended up on the pit wall with the others, hot chocolate nursed against hands cool from the morning dew. Never coffee. Never high caffeine.
She raced clean. New rubber on the wheels. Good food in her belly. Strength in her soul.
It ate at her though, the waiting.
Waiting for the pre-dawn walkers.
Waiting for the locals to set up the track.
Race wasn’t until tonight.
Now all she could do was wait.
- Writer
