F1, a sport where things are calculated to the thinnest margins. Even finances.
It was Y/N's dream to race in F1 one day. He was the quickest driver in junior categories. However, his F1 dreams was shattered by a driver with huge financial backing...
With the help of alcohol, I managed to sleep peacefully during the flight to Indianapolis. I really should take this race easily and shouldn't be so uptight about everything in my life. I was very calm heading towards the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, when I arrive at the circuit this feeling all changed.
As I arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I noticed how big the Indy 500 event is for the world. It was more like a carnival, the atmosphere was like the Daytona 24 hours but only this one is bigger and more people are attending. I walked through the infield and everyone was having a party, it's like college but only in a race track. My nerves immediately came back after noticing how much was at stake here and how many people will be watching this race. I mean there is going to be 300,000 people watching here live and god knows how many people will be watching on live TV. I have never experienced or raced in a race this big before which has made me extremely nervous, everything that Marcus Ericsson said to me on the flight has just gone into the bin after I arrived at the track.
Qualifying
Qualifying was not good for me as I was really struggling to get used to the car. I didn't get a clean lap, scraping the walls a few times. Even though it was only an oval, you will be surprised at how difficult controlling a car that only want to turn right is. Also, the format was completely different. Qualifying for the Indy 500 is determined with the lap speed not lap times. Struggling to get the car up to speed, I ended up in the bottom 5 meaning I will have to participate in the bump day. It wasn't ideal and it was definitely not the way I wanted to start this weekend.
After qualifying, the team has made a few tweaks to the car in order to try and get me to reach a higher top speed in order to make sure I could qualify for the race. The bump day is the last chance I get to see if I could start the race. I need to finish at least 3rd of the 5 drivers participating in the bump day. With only one chance left to see if I could qualify for the race, I left the garage and went for it.
The car was feeling a little bit better compared to the qualifying previously. I don't know if it is just because I am starting to get used to the car or did the set up change really helped a little bit. But at the end of the day, I finished with a 229.156MPH which had me top the time sheets of the bump day. It wasn't the way I would like to qualify for the Indy 500, but at least I managed to qualify for the race. From now on, it was all damage limitations, Chip Ganassi Racing has put a lot of faith in my and I need to try my best from the back of the grid.
The Race
Lining up on the last row of the grid, it was always going to be a tough race for me. The only positives I could take is that I will be on the inside so I could possibly try some moves right at the start so I could get up into the middle of the field. As the pace car entered the pits, the Indianapolis 500 race officially begun. 200 laps in front of me, and right at the start, I took the inside line and followed Marco Andretti through, with chaos on the outside, I was able to be behind Formula 1 legend Juan Pablo Montoya, making up a few positions at the start.
Nothing much has happened during the laps leading up to the first pit stops, as the leaders pitted, I followed them and pitted one lap after my teammate Scott Dixon. I wasn't really making that much moves and racing aggressively. There were 200 laps in this race and we are only at around lap 40. This race is a marathon, not a sprint so I took it easily. Heading into the first century of laps, some of the leaders decided to pit for the second time. However, Graham Rahal spun exiting the pits with a loose tyre, triggering a safety car and a caution period. This changed the race dramatically.
Christopher Simmons: Ok Y/N, we pit now. Change tyres and refuel. Caution period so watch out for debris.
Following the orders from the team. I came into the pits for new tyres and a quick dash of fuel. Rejoining the race, I found myself in lofty heights. With all the chaos and the leaders pitted for their second stop quite early, only me and Palou and a few other drivers are able to pit under the caution period minimising the lost time which has promoted me into 7th. My patience has paid off because I know now this is my chance to put myself into a podium position or even a race win if I played my cards right. As the caution period ended, I was stuck behind Felix Rosenqvist meaning I couldn't do anything up until the third round of the pit stops. With the team putting heavier fuel into the car, I stayed out when Felix Rosenqvist and all the leaders came into the pits for fuel and new tyres. I was questioning the team's decision trying to figure out if I can manage to last until the end of the race with this.
Y/N: Guys, what's the plan.
Christopher Simmons: Stay out Y/N. We gamble on another caution period.
I stayed out and continued racing and inherited the lead, still unsure about this strategy. However, luck was on my side. Max Chilton suffered from a puncture and crashed his car into the wall bringing out another caution period. This means that the gamble that the team took actually paid off. Pitting under the caution period, I managed to rejoin the race in the lead, with the freshest tyres. Now this is a sprint not a marathon. As the pace car pulled off the track signaling the end of the caution period. I had Scott Dixon, Alex Palou and Takuma Sato chasing behind me. I drove the car to the limit and with fresher tyres, I was able to held off the lead and saw the chequred flag. Seeing the chequred flag first can only mean one thing, I have just bloody won the f***ing Indy 500 race in my first attempt. This was an absolute milestone for me and it reflected on my team radio after the race.
Y/N: Thank you guys... (sobs) I just... (sobs)... can't believe this.
Christopher Simmons: Great job Y/N, you just won the Indy 500.
Y/N: I f***ing won the f***ing Indy 500. Haha this is special.
Getting out of the car, I still couldn't believe what I just achieved. From being out of a drive at the start of the year to now winning the Indy 500, my fortune has completely turned around. It was a moment that I need a long time to soak it in. I received the winner's trophy and the milk which I quickly drank still not believing that this has happened to me. I mean, I just won the Indy500, one of the three of wins for the triple crown. With one win of the three in my bag, I returned to Toronto and continued to prepare for the remainder of the Formula 2 season, setting my eyes on the second win of the triple crown. The Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.....
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So, Y/N has just won the Indy 500. I know it is unlikely to win after participating in the bump day but this is a fanfiction so just let it be haha. Also, please do correct the things that I have got wrong about IndyCar races as I haven't watched an IndyCar race.
Thank you very much for your previous support and please continue to support me by reading this book. I now have a new updating schedule where this book will be updated every Monday to Friday in an attempt to finish this book first. My other book, A Race For My Family Name will be uploaded on weekends only.
As always, don't forget to vote for this chapter and share this book. We are trying to reach 1000 reads and it will be a very big milestone for me and this book if we manage to reach it before the end of this week.
