sounded like her entire car was falling apart. On instinct she gripped the steering wheel, took her foot off the accelerator and jammed it on the brake, and struggled to keep the car off the wall.
“Hold it. Hold it. Hold it,” the track manager said.
A plume of white rolled over the car, and Jamie smelled acrid smoke. She came to a stop, then rolled toward the infield.
“Get out of there,” the man said in her headset.
Her heart pounding, she popped the steering wheel off, released the harness and HANS device, and scooted out onto the track. She moved away from the smoke before she took off her helmet. There was debris behind the car and a huge hunk of rubber along the wall.
Two safety vehicles rolled up along with a track ambulance that looked older than she was. She waved it away.
The track manager was saying something in her headset, but she just kept walking around and around, trying to make sense of what happened.
“What was my time on the first lap?” she said to no one in particular.
“We need you to come to the ambulance, miss,” the emergency medical tech said.
“No, I’m not hurt,” Jamie said. “Did you see what happened?”
“Blew a tire just out of the turn,” he said, his white-gloved hands taking her arm and leading her to the ambulance. “Everybody thought you were going into the wall, but you held on to it.”
“The car was pulling to the right something awful,” she said.
Bud jumped off another pickup and ran to her. “She okay?” he said to the tech.
“You can talk to me , you know,” Jamie said.
Bud gave her a look.
“I’m fine. But what happens now? Do I keep my first lap time?”
“Just get in the ambulance,” Bud said.
“You’re not taking that first lap away from me,” Jamie said.
Chapter 17
Good Sleep
THE PHONE RANG and Tim grabbed it on the first ring. He tried to give his deepest voice for the bank guy, but it was Jamie calling for her mom or dad.
“They aren’t here, Jamie.”
“I’ll try their cell phones,” Jamie said.
“How did qualifying go?” Tim said before she could hang up.
She sighed. “Remember what happened to Devalon in Chicago last weekend?”
“Yeah.”
“Ditto for me. On the back straightaway, second lap of qualifying.”
“You hit the wall?”
“No. But I left a lot of rubber out there.”
“That’s good. Saved the car for the competition tomorrow.”
“Yeah, they’re all excited I was able to save it, but my first lap wasn’t as goodbecause I got loose a couple of times. I swear I could have gotten the pole on that second one.”
“Where did you finish?”
“I’m in the seventh spot of the second heat,” Jamie said. “I have to finish in the top four of the heat to make it in the finals.”
“Piece of cake,” Tim said. “You can do that in your sleep.”
“There are some pretty good drivers here. I hope I can bounce back and don’t get either of the two slower cars. Both the 2 and the 8 were sucking wind.”
“Well, your dad said I’m on your team tomorrow,” Tim said. “We’ll be there to help out.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing everybody.” She paused, obviously distracted by something.
“I’ll let you get back to whatever you gotta get back to,” Tim said.
“No, hang on,” Jamie said. “What about you? Anything going on?”
“Got the go-ahead from that guy in Florida to look in my dad’s safe-deposit box. Now I just need to get ahold of the bank guy.”
“That’s great,” she said, and it sounded like she really meant it. “Wonder what’s in there.”
“I’ve been wondering that for a long time.” He wanted to keep the conversation going, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Well, I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Jamie said.
“Yeah, get some good sleep.” Tim hung up and kicked himself. “Get some good sleep,” he said, mimicking himself. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” How dumb can I get?
Chapter 18
Phone Call
JAMIE REACHED HER
“Hold it. Hold it. Hold it,” the track manager said.
A plume of white rolled over the car, and Jamie smelled acrid smoke. She came to a stop, then rolled toward the infield.
“Get out of there,” the man said in her headset.
Her heart pounding, she popped the steering wheel off, released the harness and HANS device, and scooted out onto the track. She moved away from the smoke before she took off her helmet. There was debris behind the car and a huge hunk of rubber along the wall.
Two safety vehicles rolled up along with a track ambulance that looked older than she was. She waved it away.
The track manager was saying something in her headset, but she just kept walking around and around, trying to make sense of what happened.
“What was my time on the first lap?” she said to no one in particular.
“We need you to come to the ambulance, miss,” the emergency medical tech said.
“No, I’m not hurt,” Jamie said. “Did you see what happened?”
“Blew a tire just out of the turn,” he said, his white-gloved hands taking her arm and leading her to the ambulance. “Everybody thought you were going into the wall, but you held on to it.”
“The car was pulling to the right something awful,” she said.
Bud jumped off another pickup and ran to her. “She okay?” he said to the tech.
“You can talk to me , you know,” Jamie said.
Bud gave her a look.
“I’m fine. But what happens now? Do I keep my first lap time?”
“Just get in the ambulance,” Bud said.
“You’re not taking that first lap away from me,” Jamie said.
Chapter 17
Good Sleep
THE PHONE RANG and Tim grabbed it on the first ring. He tried to give his deepest voice for the bank guy, but it was Jamie calling for her mom or dad.
“They aren’t here, Jamie.”
“I’ll try their cell phones,” Jamie said.
“How did qualifying go?” Tim said before she could hang up.
She sighed. “Remember what happened to Devalon in Chicago last weekend?”
“Yeah.”
“Ditto for me. On the back straightaway, second lap of qualifying.”
“You hit the wall?”
“No. But I left a lot of rubber out there.”
“That’s good. Saved the car for the competition tomorrow.”
“Yeah, they’re all excited I was able to save it, but my first lap wasn’t as goodbecause I got loose a couple of times. I swear I could have gotten the pole on that second one.”
“Where did you finish?”
“I’m in the seventh spot of the second heat,” Jamie said. “I have to finish in the top four of the heat to make it in the finals.”
“Piece of cake,” Tim said. “You can do that in your sleep.”
“There are some pretty good drivers here. I hope I can bounce back and don’t get either of the two slower cars. Both the 2 and the 8 were sucking wind.”
“Well, your dad said I’m on your team tomorrow,” Tim said. “We’ll be there to help out.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing everybody.” She paused, obviously distracted by something.
“I’ll let you get back to whatever you gotta get back to,” Tim said.
“No, hang on,” Jamie said. “What about you? Anything going on?”
“Got the go-ahead from that guy in Florida to look in my dad’s safe-deposit box. Now I just need to get ahold of the bank guy.”
“That’s great,” she said, and it sounded like she really meant it. “Wonder what’s in there.”
“I’ve been wondering that for a long time.” He wanted to keep the conversation going, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Well, I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Jamie said.
“Yeah, get some good sleep.” Tim hung up and kicked himself. “Get some good sleep,” he said, mimicking himself. “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” How dumb can I get?
Chapter 18
Phone Call
JAMIE REACHED HER
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