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One month later - Wednesday
May 11
The past month flew by. We didn’t race in Alabama two weeks ago, which was alright. Gave the team a chance to focus on the two upcoming races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. First is the road course and then the infamous Indy 500 on the oval.
Haisley has been in the simulator most of the last week as we finished up the cars for the road race. The crew is loading the haulers, which are heading out in the morning to make the trip to Indianapolis. The crew is flying in Thursday night, where I believe Haisley is joining us as well.
“Hey, boss, got a minute?” Mac interrupts.
“Yeah, what’s up?” I turn to face him.
“I’ve been thinking about something,” he replies.
“Oh, boy, that must have hurt,” I joke with him as he throws a towel in my direction. “Seriously, what’s up?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye open while we are working in the shop...” he trails off.
“Yeah?”
“That Drake guy has been spending more time with Bud the past week or so,” he states.
“Okay, we know they are working together as crew chiefs; any signs of something else going on?” I ask.
“Maybe. The guy doesn’t give me a good vibe, and you told me to be leery.”
“I did,” I confirm. “What else?”
“Just fishing around for information on Haisley’s car and setup.”
I nod. Just as I suspected. Bud was pretty blunt about wanting all setups prior to leaving for the races. “Thanks, man. Just let me know if you hear anything suspicious. I have a bad feeling about him as well. So, until we have solid proof, let’s leave this between us.”
“Roger that, boss,” Mac acknowledges.
“Just give Bud the information on the shared drives; I’ll have the set-up on my tablet,” I say as he turns to leave. Mac gives me a nod in understanding, and I turn back to the work at hand. Haisley was in yesterday, and we have the specs ready to go for the road course. A few adjustments in practice and she should be set.
***
Friday - May 13
Indy Motor Speedway
“What’s going on, Haisley?” I bark into the radio. I can see her struggling around one of the corners on the back stretch of the track as it transitions to the asphalt of the oval’s turn two.
“The car has no fucking traction in this corner,” she bites back on the radio. “My back end is sliding out. I’m too loose to gain any momentum.”
“Bring it in to the pits on the next pass,” I instruct as I pull the data from the last run. Bud looks at the screens in front of us and mumbles something under his breath.
“It’s your responsibility to make sure she is safe, and the car is good to go before the race. What changes do you want to make?” I snap at him as Haisley brings the car to a stop in the pit box. “It’s about time you actually do your job.”
“Bring the pressures down in the back tires. Have her adjust the weight load as she enters the corner,” he replies without much of a fight. I roll my eyes and direct the crew to make the changes.
“Haisley, we’re lowering the pressure in the back tires. Be sure to use the weight shifters as you enter that particular corner,” I say into the radio.
“Roger that. How much do we have left of this practice session?” she questions.
“Not much. Maybe fifteen minutes?”
