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“Really?”Mason asked. “As instuck?”

“YES, jammed in thirdgear.”

“Is that why you’refalling back?” Aiden asked.

“Yes genius,” Iscorned. “That’s why I’m off pace.”

What in the hell is hisdeal these days?

“Bring it back in,maybe we can pull it out.” Mason suggested.

“Really...when it’s stuck in third...” I let out another one of those manicchuckles I was becoming good at, “How do you suppose I do that?”

“Just kill the enginewhen you get into four. Coast onto pit road and then we’ll give you high gear.We’ll have to push start it, but at least we can get you back out there.”

It worked but on atrack like Loudon, it’d be nice to have another gear besides high gear. It wasa good thing I grew up racing on dirt and liked the out of control feelinggoing into a turn.

Having only high gearwasn’t helping my overheating brakes. I had all four fans on and it would havebeen wise for me to allow them to remove the tape on the front now that I wasthinking about it.

“What are your temps?”Mason asked around lap three hundred. The not eating was starting to catch upwith me. I was hallucinating. I kept imagining cars that weren’t there. I wassweating like a motherfucker. Instead of my usual agile movements, theybordered on spastic.

“Uh...looks like the coolant is running at twoeighty. I’m not really sure what the rest are, they’re all blinking at me.”

“Jesus Christ!” Masonshouted. “What the engine temp at?”

“Three hundred,”

“It’s going to blow up.There’s no way it’ll stay that high for another hundred laps.” Mason’s voicewas becoming frantic. “Let me talk with Harry.”

He was right. There wasno way it would stay that high. Judging by the vibration I was feeling in theseat, it was already too late.

“You’re smoking.” Aidenannounced another ten laps later.

“Just back off Jameson,coast around,” Harry, our engine specialist suggested. “We just need tofinish.”

“Really?How? If you forgot...I’m stuck in high gear!”

“Right,” Harry said.“Do you have your fans on?”

“Yes I have the fanson!” I yelled as I felt the vibration more consistently going into turn three,the sound of the engine was flat. By the time I reached one again; it was donefor.

“It’s done.” Aidensaid. “Big cloud of smoke...you’re leaving an oiltrail.”

“Son of a bitch,” Masonmuttered. “Take it to the garage. If you can make it,”

“With the fuck is wrongwith you guys!” I barked back. “I can’t! High gear...means high gear! As in, if I let off,it’s done.”

“It’s already done,” hepointed out. “Just bring it down pit road. We’ll push it back.”

As soon as I exited thecar, reporters were in my face asking me what happened. I took off my helmetwhen I stepped over the wall and hurled it across that pit.

“Jameson, can you tellus what happened there?”

I pointed to mysteaming car throwing my gloves.

“What do you think?” Ireplied insolently and stalked away from them.

I knew I was beingdisrespectful and I’d probably hear about it from Simplex later, but I’d had along fucking two days. I was drained physically and mentally.