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Simplex was partneringwithRedBulland dropped off two cases thismorning in the paddock for the boys. That was a bad idea for the group of guyson our team.

Kyle continued to rantabout how good we would do as I tried my best to block him out. We ended upqualifying ninth, which was all right. It was better than thirty-ninth whereMike qualified.

I chuckled to myself athow he thought he was some sort of badass on the track. There was a differencebetween your local bullring and Winston cup. I found that out my first race. Mikewas about to.

“Okay Jameson,” Aidensaid. “You got two laps and then the green flag. You’re at pit road speed now.”His voice was cheerful.

“Copy, I’m at 4600,”

I was quiet on theradio after that, concentrating on my marks I laid out to focus on during therace. I always set marks on the track that I would pick out as a focal point.It helped to keep your mind clear and not get distracted during the race.

Some people have themisconception that NASCAR racing doesn’t require a lot of skill because we simplygo in a circle and turn left. In reality, a typical race required a great dealof strategy and an enormous amount of driver skill. Much of the strategydepends on the uniqueness of the track. All tracks have grooves, the part ofthe track where your car’s tires get the best grip. Some tracks have onegroove; others have two grooves, a low and high. On one groove tracks, it’smuch more difficult to pass because you must leave the groove and drive on apart of the track that makes the car harder to handle. On two groove tracks,such as Atlanta, it’s much easier to pass because there’s a sweet spot on thetrack. Either way you look at it though, passing in the most challenging move.Good drivers know how to block or move their cars from side to side to preventanother car from passing but it takes time to learn those techniques. I stillhadn’t learned everything but Iwasleaning.

“Green, green, green...inside, still there clear. Left side...left rear...there you go. See keep it up two turns, two cars!” Aidenshouted. “Whew!”

Aiden also had a fewRedBulls.

He was loud andobnoxious with his narrative annotations of events taking place on the track.

After around lapninety, I had enough of him and Kyle. I was about ready to rip the goddamnradio out of my helmet and navigate my own way around the track.

You rely on yourspotter to help you. Throughout the race you’re in constant contact with themabout accidents, track conditions and the positions of other cars. So to havemy spotter, hyped up onRedBull, was a pain inthe ass.

“Aiden—fuck!” Ishouted, completely annoyed. “Seriously calm down. I need to be able tounderstand you.”

“Sorry.” He mumbled.“But fuck, did you see the eighteen come down on you like that?” his voicerising slightly.

“Just focus, okay?Ethan, take the drink from him, PLEASE!”

Ethan let out a chuckleand helped me while Aiden cooled his guns.

“All right Riley, hereyou go. Outside at your rear, outside, still there...still there...clear.”

I was running sixthwhen the caution came out.

“Cautions out...forty eight blew the front rear inthree,”

My brakes were hot so Imentioned it to Kyle. We talked about what changes to make on the pit stop andways to cool the brakes. You’re on them so often at Bristol they are bright redabout fifty laps into the race.

“Turn your rear brakefans on.” Reaching forward, I flipped the switch for the brake fans on. “Shouldwe take four tires or two?”

“Two,” I told him. “I canwork with two if it gets me out ahead of some of these cars. I need clean air.”

“10-4. Here we go boys,two tires and fuel. Don’t make any other adjustments, just get him out. Keepcoming...keep coming...three...two...one.”

“Gentry, pull the tapeoff the grill...Brady, make sure thelug nuts are tight.” Mason fired his orders at the crew as I tried to keepmyself calm and focused.

Taking two tires put methird, behind Tate and Bobby when we took the green flag.

What made thisinteresting was the lapped traffic in the mix, complete with the numberfourteen of Mike Tanner fighting for his lap back.

My dealings with thenumber fourteen went back to USAC. Back in the summer of ‘99, I was racing inall three USAC divisions for Bucky Miers, a World of Outlaw driver who ownedhalf the cars that fielded the midget and sprint car divisions in USAC.

That year, Bucky wasnot my favorite owner to drive for. It all started with assigning me a numberin the silver crown series (non-winged heavier sprint cars). My usual numberfor racing had always been nine. In every car, even my first go-kart, alwaysnine.

Well when I raced insilver crowns, Bucky didn’t have a number assigned since it was new for him.USAC assigned ninety-five.

I ran that way at TerraHaute but by the time Knoxville rolled around, I leaned on old Bucky to changethe number because if you added those two numbers together, they equaledfourteen.