Conflict

Part 3, Chapter 6

"Wow. That many wins in a single season."

Junior stared at the three Piston Cups on the display before him, starry eyed.

"He's the real deal, Junior. The Hudson Hornet was my inspiration."

Strip could barely contain his excitement. He'd come all the way to Arizona to express his gratitude to Lightning, but before they drove more than a hundred yards into town, he'd noticed the racing museum. No one could have stopped him from going in even if they'd wanted to.

Lynda could hear the excitement in her husband's voice. They'd crossed paths with Junior on the way out west, and of course, Strip's first instinct had been to invite the younger car to go with them. Now she had to take care of not one, but effectively the equivalent of two kids in a candy store.

"Excuse me, son? Is Doc Hudson here today?" she asked politely, thinking Strip would get a kick out of meeting his idol.

"Sorry Mrs. the King, I think Doc went out for a drive or somethin'," the friendly tour guide apologized.

Strip continued to look at the display. It was small, as was the museum, but there, not ten yards away, were the very trophies he'd seen the Hornet win over and over again. The fact that they really existed and weren't some figment of his imagination seemed so surreal. He may have had seven of these trophies at home with his name on them, but they paled in comparison to these.

Mater guided them out of the museum at the end of the tour. A blue Porsche was speaking with a Ferrari and two Maseratis, out-of-towners who were patiently awaiting their turn for a museum tour.

"Howdy, Sally!" Mater greeted her as she turned toward him. "Perty day, ain't it?"

"Hey, Mater," Sally greeted him with a smile. "Ready for another tour? These guys are good to go."

"Sure thing! Follow me, fellas, right this way."

Mater held the door open for the Italian supercars and disappeared inside after them. With the impulsive museum stop over with, Strip looked toward the lazy town ahead on down the road. The backdrop was magnificent. He'd never seen Cadillac Range from outside his trailer before.

"Well!" Sally greeted the new visitors. "Welcome to Radiator Springs! I'm glad you all stopped by."

"Pleasure to be here, ma'am," Strip said respectfully. "Felt we needed to pay some due respect."

Sally smiled with genuine understanding. She may not have been at that last race, but the outcome had brought her to tears.

"Doc and Stic- Lightning are out this way, if you wanna go meet them," she offered, gesturing out into the desert.

Only then did the three visitors pick up two distinct engine notes echoing across the land in the near distance. Strip recognized the familiar acceleration pattern.

"Dirt track?" he asked.

"Yeah, come on," Sally pulled out onto the road.

"We've lost him," Lynda muttered to Junior as Strip eagerly followed. Strip cast a glance back as Junior snickered.

The track around Willys Butte was picturesque, everything Strip ever dreamed a dirt track could be. Just seeing it made him feel twenty years younger.

Out from around the rock formation, Lightning and the Hudson Hornet sped out of turn two side by side, trailing a cloud of dust that dissipated in the wind. Strip knew what was coming. He found himself holding his breath as they entered turn three, swinging into a drift. The old car's movements were more fluid in person than in the videos.