Blinding Lights

CP III: Living the Dream

Dreams really do come true.

Ella's parents proudly stood beside their daughter; basking in her achievements with huge smiles. Of course her group of friends stood nearby with their families who welcomed her parents with open arms. Several retired drivers; including Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick stopped by to wish the rookie good luck. At first she was starstruck, but after Bubba teased her Ella calmed down. Her father on the other hand was flabbergasted.

"Dad," She giggled softly, "You can relax now."

He chuckled, "Sorry, guess it'll take me a bit to get used to my daughter being a Cup driver."

Rick strolled over and patted her back, "You're lucky Trump hasn't stopped by yet. So, rumour has it we have about five minutes until this kicks off."

"Well," Ella stepped forward, "Let me get this thing out of the way real quick."

Summers, Blaney, Wallace, and Elliot huddled together; sticking their right foot out while they placed their arms on each other's shoulders. They stood in a circle having a moment of silence to gather their thoughts and focus on the task ahead. One of the Fox Sports camera crews scurried over to capture the moment as the quartet bowed their heads in prayer. Ella was the mastermind of this new 'good luck' trick.

"I pray that we all have a great season." Ella chirped.

"Prayers for more wins amongst the four of us." Chase chimed in.

"May there be less wrecks than the Clash." Ryan added.

"And lastly, God, I pray for people to not act like dumbasses." Bubba begged.

They all giggled and said 'amen' before high-fiving each other before heading to their cars.

"You're a dork." Ella's father laughed.

"What?" She couldn't hold back her laughter, "It's for good luck!"

Her mother chuckled, "She gets it from you. At least she's found a good group to be close with."

Rick sighed, "I swear, Summers, the four of y'all are goofballs. I love it."

Ella couldn't hold back her smile.

-----

"Gents," Ella stretched out the best she could, "I'm honored y'all decided to be a part of this team. Let's pull them belts tight and grab some wins!"

She warmed the tires of the car up from swerving it from side to side. After the crash filled Busch Clash and Duels, Ella had learned a slew of things; from how her car was going to handle, to how everyone in the field drove. She felt lucky to not be a part of the Clash, but after spending that night up in the spotter's den with her spotter, Tyler, and a couple of the other rookie drivers, she appreciated his job a thousand times more. The man was excellent at explaining things and showing her the ropes.

"Remember what today's goal is." Rick radioed in.

Ella grinned as she replied, "Win. Dodge. Win."

Tyler chuckled, "Hell yeah. Let's have some fun and show everyone what you're made of."

Denny's advice from earlier sprang up as the pace car veered onto pit road. She wasn't going to be anyone's doormat. Her reddish-brown eyes focused as the green flag waved. The fans in the grandstands stood on their feet; dying to see this race unfold.

"Shake n' bake!" She cheered.

The entire field slammed on the gas as the Daytona 500 officially kicked off. Her eyes peered ahead and occasionally on the mirrors checking to see where the other cars were at. Tyler was quite vocal; ensuring she knew where to go next and how the draft and lines of traffic were changing. Rick, along with her parents watched eagerly from the pit box as the pack charged ahead. Something about the rain delay made the field giddy. Or maybe it had to do with Trump coming over everyone's radio to wish them luck. Whatever the case, everyone drove with a lot of aggression.