Drive to survive ~ A Newtmas story

Chapter one

Newt had always loved speed. When he was just a toddler he loved watching his father drive the car and he pretended it was him that made the landscape outside the window look like a blurry image. When he was four years old his parents gave him a toy car that was big enough for him to drive on his own, Newt immediately fell in love with it and almost everyday he drove around in the backyard, sometimes crushing his mother's flowers to her horror. But getting the toy car wasn't near the happiness he felt the first time he sat down in a go kart. It was his sixth birthday and his parents had surprised him by taking him to a track nearby. The joy he felt when the wind rushed against his face was something he would always remember. Even if he crashed about a thousand times and his mum being terrified the entire time he drove, he still felt unbelievably excited. When he jumped out of the small car he couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day. His parents understood that they had to sign their son up for real lessons.

Newt loved speed more and more the older he grew. He understood that speed was one of the main reasons that made you finish number one. He started eating faster, started walking and running faster, did his homework faster because he knew that when every chore was done he would be back in the kart. His mother always watched him race around the track even if she was terrified of him getting injured. When he was seven his parents bought him his very own kart helmet and driver suit. It was second hand but Newt couldn't be more exciting the first time he drove around in his own kart! The very same year he joined a small go kart club with kids his age that wanted to race. Two times every week they all raced together and Newt pretended it was a real competition, he gave everything he could. When one of the leaders in the club told him he should sign up for a real karting championship, none of his parents were surprised. A year later after repeatedly training every day, Newt was in his first real competition. Out of the 20 people that were out on the track he only came 12th, but he wasn't sad. He had been the youngest out of all the other girls and boys and actually done a lot better than what kids older than him had. After all he'd still gotten a medal.

His parents didn't realise that their sons hobby wasn't just a phase for a long time. They thought Newt would care less when he got older but it was quiet the opposite. He started driving more, wanted to drive faster, almost every weekend he watched formula 1 on the tv and followed the cars every move. When he was 12 his parents finally realised that they had to do everythinv they could to help their son, this could be a future career if they were lucky. So they find him an Agent, a manager that could help them figure out the next step of their sons interest. His name was Alby and he was 32 years old. Him and Newt immediately hit off and became friends. Alby helped Newt with finding competitions to race in and he even got him more and better equipment. Suddenly everything changed faster and faster. Now it weren't just races in England, they started going to different places in Europe to fight for medals and trophies. Newt loved the adrenaline of driving around a whole new track, it made him feel free. He started getting better and better. Soon he almost had a podium every single race. The shelves in his room started filling up with prices. He had never been happier.

Then he turned 14 and his life changed. The start of that year was the best year ever. Alby sat him down at a table, gave him a big smile and ssid "Wanna join the real game?". Newt hadn't known what he meant but when he finally realised - hid heart almost stopped from excitement. He would join a team in formula 4. His karting days were now over, he would learn how to drive a bigger and more complicated car but to his amazement - faster. He signed a contract for a team and soon the race started. It took a while for him to get to know the car but when he finally felt comfortable, nobody could stop him. He was the always youngest one of everyone else and during the first competition he came fifth place, that was amazing.

But then his mother got sick. She had collapsed at work and the doctors confirmed everyones worst fear - it was cancer. And it had already spread to fatal areas in the body. She couldn't show up at her sons races anymore. He started calling her before and after every and she watched him live. Newts father stayed at home, he had startes drinking and Newt didn't want to be around him when he was drunk.
Newts first podium in formula 4 was both the best and worst day in his life at that point. He had been doing excellent on track and his mother had said when she called him before the race that she knew he would win. When he finally passed that finish line without a single car in front of him Newt couldn't believe it. He had won. He was 14 years old and had won a race! Standing on top of the podium, raising the trophy over his head and smiling widly into the audience while they cheered was an unbelievable feeling. But as everything in his life - it passed fast. When he turned on his phone again he saw that he had three missed calls from the hospital, he guessed that they were from his mother who wanted to congratulate him. He started calling and waited for his mum's happy tone which never came. He would never hear that voice again.  In the middle of the race she had died, her heart just stopped beating. There were nothing anyone could do about it. Newt didn't know it at that point, but that was the moment his life starting going from fast to ultra rapid.

***

It took four years for time to return back to normal. Of course normal for Newt was still faster than "regular normal". There had been a tough few years but Alby had stayed by his side. Newt had just turned 18 and after winning formula 2 championship he had finally reached the goal of all these years, of all the hard work, pain and tears, he had finally gotten what he deserved. His name, written in a messy handwriting, were scribbled down at the bottom of a bunch of papers. He was sitting in a room, a big table right in front of him, a team of guys all wearing orange and black looked encouraging at him with small smiles.

"So this is it," Alby said. He was sitting next to Newt, a big grin plastered over his usually blank face. Newt looked down at the paper again, the first sentence that was written in big letters said "McLaren formula 1 racing". He had made it. He had started this career as a six year old boy, now he was going to drive for one of the best teams in the world. He was going to go faster than he ever had before.

"Shit, sorry I'm late everyone!" A boy rushed into the quiet room. He looked older than Newt, probably 20 or 21, he was asian, the black hair and green eyes reflected in the last rays of the sun. He smiled when he saw Newt.

"Hello there rookie," the smile turned into a grin. "I'm Minho Park, your new teammate in formula 1,"