Illicit Affairs

Chapter 8

For the first time since 2015, a Hendrick car would not be starting on the front row for the Daytona 500. The streak had ended and I somehow felt like this was going to reflect back on me. I know that's illogical thinking because I have absolutely nothing to do with the setups. That's all on the engineers and crew chiefs, yet I can't help the feeling that this is going to come back on me. Is it fair? Hell no, but I know how everyone feels about me.

The pole was won by a Penske driver, but it wasn't my Penske driver so it is what it is. Since the actual qualifying session for this event only set the front row, the rest of the field is determined by the results of the duels which are about to take place. We need a good showing. Although on super speedways, it doesn't really matter where you start. I just hate the idea of my team looking less than stellar under my leadership.

Chase, Alex and Kyle are in Duel 1. William is in Duel 2, as well as Ryan. I have to keep tabs on Ryan, yet I keep that completely to myself.

Duel 1 was rather uneventful. Chase finished second, Alex third and Kyle ninth. At least Chase would be starting in row two.

Now I can't help but be nervous. Usually when one Duel is calm, all hell breaks loose in the second.

I wished I was wrong, but unfortunately I wasn't.

The inevitable crash occurred with twelve laps remaining in the race. Ryan was running fifth, single-file, exiting Turn 4 when he pulled to the outside of William for fourth place. William blocked and Ryan dove low. Ryan had a run and William lost momentum. William's loss of speed led the drafting duo of Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski to William's rear bumper in the center of the track's tri-oval from Busch, who was simultaneously being shoved by Keselowski. The contact to William's bumper sent him sideways, clipping Ryan in the right rear and sending him head-on into the retaining SAFER barrier.

Fucking William.

Almost immediately after slamming nose first into the wall, flames erupted from the front of the car. I was internally freaking out. I could not breathe. Before I could dial into Ryan's radio, the window net dropped and he scrambled from the car. Oh thank God he's okay. At least he appears to be okay.

After watching the replay on the monitors in the pit box, I saw that it really wasn't William's fault. The replay showed that Brad Keselowski pushed Kyle Busch into William instead of letting him go early enough in the run. Busch had too much speed before hitting Byron in the tri-oval.

Okay. Fucking Brad.

I would love to be able to go to the care center and wait, but I couldn't. Ryan wasn't one of my drivers. I needed to know that he was truly alright, but I couldn't risk being caught. Instead I sent Chase a text asking him to please check on Ryan, which I knew he would do anyway since that was his best friend who just slammed nose first into the wall.

It felt like an eternity before I heard back.

Chase: Your boyfriend is fine. Pissed as hell but uninjured

Of course he's pissed.

Me: He's not my boyfriend

Chase: Okay fuck buddy then

Better

Chase: He said he'd check in later

Now I see Ryan emerge on the screen in front of me being interviewed. I listen carefully, yet try to act inconspicuous.

"I'm fine, but I'm pissed. I can't control it, but it comes from awful pushes by people. Three times here in a row, awful pushes have led me to getting right reared. It's just guys not being smart, not knowing when to get off somebody – you cannot push in the corner, that hard in the tri-oval. I don't know when guys are going to get it. I'm sick of paying the expense of it and getting right reared from someone's dumb push." Ryan said angrily.