Still, every jolt—every corner that some acne-prone teenager had to dig him out of—was exhilarating, and he continued to barrel forward.
When it started drizzling—just a light sprinkle of water, really—the adults took it as a sign for the group to retreat inside and eat pizza and cake.
Mateo sat next to the window that overlooked the track and frequently checked between the group and the empty pavement. Would it be obvious if he snuck away? Would the attendants let him drive in the rain? Professionals drove in the rain.
“You like karting, huh?” a man asked.
Mateo looked up and recognized Bobby’s dad from the pictures around his house. Mateo didn’t care about FASCAR, but he was willing to listen while Bobby talked about it in too-fast English. From what he gathered, Bobby's father was a champion.
Mateo nodded.
“You’re Maria’s son? The car lover?”
Mateo nodded again.
“Who is your favorite driver?”
“Antonio Montoya.”
Bobby’s dad looked momentarily surprised, then almost impressed. “He’s in Formation 1, right? Drives for… Mexico?”
“Team Wilhelms.Número cuarenta y ocho.” Mateo thought for a moment, counting up in English. “Four eight.”
Bobby’s dad smiled. “Y’know, this place has a summer camp for kids who like karting. We’ve signed Bobby up for it. Would you like to do it as well?”
Mateo’s eyes widened.
“You’d get to drive every day, learn how to go faster, how to brake. Every race car driver starts just like this, in karts. Does that sound like fun to you?”
Mateo nodded eagerly.
“I thought so.” Bobby’s dad stood back up with a smile. “I’ll talk to your mother about it. I’m sure Bobby would like having someone there he knows.”
“I’ve got a bit of good news fory’all.” Sylvain looks down the meeting table at Robert with a smile.
How good could the news be if it’s directed at Robert?
“The upgrades we’ve been working on are finally ready.”
Matt shoots upright, sitting taller in his chair. “They are?”
Even Robert can tell it's something important. “For this weekend? Or?”
“We will outfit Robert’s car this weekend. If they test as well as we expect, then we’ll equip the other car.”
Matt isn’t even annoyed that the man can’t bring himself to call it ‘Car 48’ or ‘Matt’s car.’ What matters the most is that Andes mightfinallybe competitive with the rest of the field. “So, I could have the upgrades by next race?”
“Only if they test well.”
Matt recognizes that dialogue. “What constitutes testing well?”
“We’ll run the data back at headquarters and make a decision.”
For the first time this season, an Andes makes it through to Q3. Robert’s tenth-place qualifying is celebrated like the second coming of the messiah. His ninth-place finish—and subsequent two points—even moreso.
Matt qualifies twelfth and finishes eleventh. That’s a net gainof one placement—the same as what Robert achieved in a better car.
Still, no points.
