Matt returns to his driver’s room to find two shot-sized bottles of cheap tequila on his massage table. He doesn’t need to ask who they’re from.
Matt upends them over his mouth, one after the other. The small openings bubble as the liquid rushes out. It’s probably a bad idea to shoot tequila when he’s dehydrated, but his frustration eases with the burn.
If Robert can place in the points with the upgrades, it’s only a matter of time before Matt blows him out of the water.
Not enough data for upgrades in Austria.
Robert finishes tenth, Matt finishes twelfth.
In Spa, Robert damages his upgrades during free practice. After repairs, there are no parts left for Matt’s car.
Robert finishes ninth, Matt finishes a whopping fifteenth.
At the end of summer camp, a counselor pulled Mateo aside to talk to him about the special year-long weekend courses for children who were serious and wanted to race for a living.
It was expensive, though. Very expensive.
While Mateo’s family had a lot of love for him, it was very clear they didn’t have a lot of extra money lying around. Especially not the amount listed in the brochure the counselor had handed him.
Mateo couldn’t give up racing, but he also couldn’t afford tocontinue. With his back to the wall, he did what any other poor kid would do when chasing a hopeless dream?—
He buttered up to someone who could afford it.
“I don’t think racing is for me,” Bobby said. He picked up a stick and whacked at the tires that lined the course. “Next year we should do somethin’ else. What about football? I'll be the quarterback and you're short so you can kick the ball.”
Mateo’s stomach dropped. “Something else? But you’re so good at racing!”
“Psssh.”
“No,es cierto!It’s true! The counselors just told me we should do the advanced version. Here, they gave me this brochure!” Mateo shoved the folded paper into Bobby’s hands and hoped it would ignite something in him. “They don’t let just anyone do it. You have to be special.”
“Why didn’t they ask me, then?”
Oops. That was a good question. “Because… Because your mother is the one who picks us up! They’re probably going to talk to her directly. You can’t give up now, you have a real talent for driving!”
Bobby quieted, which was rarely a good sign. Mateo waited with bated breath as Bobby seemed to mull over the pictures in the brochure. Finally, he nodded.
“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Did you see that overtake I did in the last run?”
Mateo had been too far ahead of him to see anything. “Yeah!I bet your dad couldn’t even pull a move like that. And you’re five! Imagine how good you’ll be when you’re my age!”
Bobby shined with the praise and Mateo crossed his fingers and prayed every night that the younger boy would learn how to keep up at some point.
Mateo really,reallyliked to race. He couldn’t let his entire future depend on Bobby’s driving ability.
Or lack thereof.
The pundit shields herself from the rain as best as she can, one hand grasping the over-large umbrella, another holding on to a microphone. She shivers as she asks, “Do you like your chances in the rain?”
“I do.” Matt never feels uncomfortable in the rain. It’s the great equalizer. It’s his best chance to make an impact in a midfield car.
“You seem much more confident than last weekend.”
“Well, I have a pretty good feeling about Sunday.” He can’t help but smile. “I finally have the upgrades that Robert has been racing with, it’s a beautiful track, and I love the rain.”
“Do you think we’ll finally see a double points finish for Andes?”
Matt doesn’t give one flying fuck where his teammate finishes, as long as it’s behind him. “I really like our chances. I think you’ll be surprised.”
