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goal this year would be to win races and
hopefully battle for the championship if we’re close at the end. I’d like to
win Kings Royal and Knoxville Nationals. My dad and grandpa always won those
two big races. I’d like that. I’d like a few at Lernerville too. I struggled
there and to win there would be huge for me.”
    “What’s it
like driving for Jimi?”
    Axel
smiled softly and it reminded me a little of Sway when she was nervous, “A lot
of people think I’m in this position because he’s my grandpa, which it might
have a part in it. But if I didn’t perform, then I wouldn’t be in this
position. It’s as simple as that. With Jimi being the owner, he’s easier on me
than my dad, but also, if he’s having a bad day, I’m going to hear about it.”
    Man did I
understand that. Everyone heard about it when Jimi had a bad day but then
again, I wasn’t any different.
    Though
Axel had given this reporter the time he requested, Axel was losing interest
quickly like any other driver. The biggest challenge, that most of the media
and fans don’t understand, is the intensity that drivers have when they suit up
for a race. When things don’t go right, mechanical failures, wrecks, or
anything that can go wrong out there, happens. What the average person doesn’t
realize is that these guys, me included, are doing something that we are all
focused on; very focused on. If not, we have no business being out there. It’s
not just a game. It’s a race and the moment your concentration slips is the
moment you find yourself tied to the back of the wrecker or in the hospital.
    If someone
says to me, “Your son doesn’t smile a lot. He’s got everything he’s ever
wanted. Why not smile?”
    They don’t
understand the focus that he has to have and it makes it hard when all that
intensity and focus is consuming your thoughts to smile or sign autographs.
    The
broadcasting station went on to talk about the upcoming season and most of the
segment seemed to be a repeat of what was on this morning other than that
interview with Axel.
    “Do you
think he’s ready?” Sway asked continuing to watch the television and throwing
pineapple on a pizza I assumed she was making judging by all the dough, sauce
and cheese.
    Rosa
smiled as though Sway was speaking to her and not me, “he’s ready novio .”
    There she
went with speaking Spanish again.
    “How do you
know Rosa? You just met him last week?”
    Rosa eyed
me while grating cheese and then gave me a dismissive shrug. She did that to me
all the time.
    Sway
giggled at Rosa and then stopped abruptly when I glared. Sometimes I think she
forced me to keep Rosa around just to piss me off.
    Looking
back at the screen, Axel was whipping around Volusia Speedway Park with Tommy
and Willie tracking his lap times. Willie Hamlin was our new engineer for JAR
Racing and Tyler Sprague’s crew chief. We stole him from another Outlaw driver,
Miles Leddy, also from Leddy Motorsports who was our competition in NASCAR as
well. There was always team shuffling going on so when you stole a team member
you better be sure you treat ‘ em good. They had it
good with us.
    Between
Willie’s drinking problem, immaturity and the ability to start a pit fight at
any given moment, he fit in well with all of us and was a great addition to JAR
Racing.
    “Yes and
no,” I looked down at the pizza again and noticed there seemed to be four of
them. “Why are you cooking so much?”
    Sway
smiled and I knew I was in trouble. Rosa laughed holding her side as though
this was the funniest thing she’d ever heard.
    “I don’t
like my family,” I gave Rosa a bitter smile, “stop inviting them over for
dinner.”
    “Oh don’t
be like that,” she tapped the tip of my nose with a slice of peperoni when I
leaned against the counter, “they’ll be here in about an hour.”
    I tried, I
really did, but the thought of the oil from the peperoni on my nose freaked me
out and I had to take a shower.
    Knowing