Page 180 of Trading Paint

She approached me after the race while Justin, my dad, Ryder and I threw back a few beers. I only met her a few times before so when she hugged me, I was a little taken aback.

“Thanks for coming. I know you have a busy schedule but my dad was proud of you and you guys,” she gestured to Ryder and Justin as well. “Thanks.”

I smiled kindly returning the hug.

“You’re welcome.” Pulling back to look at her, blue gray watery eyes focused on mine. “I’m sorry about your dad.”

Not sure what else to say, I left with those words, walking toward the haulers to load up the cars. Justin nudged my shoulder.

“Given any thought to adding another driver?”

For the past few months I’d be humming it over with Justin and my dad about adding another car to my sprint car team in the World of Outlaws. Not that I needed my dad’s approval to add another car to my team, but I looked to him for any business endeavor I made.

“I have.” I told him.

“Who’s the new wheelman?”

“Either Ryder or Tyler. Though I think Ryder’s contract withDoncowon’t allow him to race Outlaws while he’s racing in the USAC divisions.”

“It won’t. We talked about it last week.”

By now we made it back to the hauler where Tommy was already loading the cars with the help of Spencer and Aiden. Not that I would have ever asked them to, but as soon as my team found out I was racing here for Ron, they dropped all their vacation plans for the weekend and followed me. Goes back to the tight knit racing community thing I talked about. They’d do anything for you, anytime.

Loading up the last few tools and tires, I watched Tyler sign a few autographs as he strode toward us. With the humidity resiliently suffocating, his racing suit was pulled down to his waist, revealing his bare chest.

Even being around midnight by now, it was still at least ninety degrees outside and a hundred percent humidity. I was moments away from taking my own shirt off.

“Are you auditioning forChip and Daleslater?” Ryder teased walking past him.

Tyler chuckled and continued signing. He was becoming a popular driver admired and talented, among the dirt world and exactly who I wanted racing my other car.

Not that I wouldn’t have chosen Ryder. No doubt he had the skill no doubt but unlike Tyler and Justin, Ryder preferred USAC. Since he returned to racing after the accident in Williams Grove, he enjoyed the ability to run all three divisions each season and his full-ride sponsor in all of them,Donco, allowed him to do that.

Tyler on the other hand was running a limited USAC schedule and any Outlaw race he could make with the help of Ron Walker. Now that Ron had passed away, Walker Racing was an unknown.

When negotiating business, my black or white personality worked well. Nothing like the cagy personality I displayed with Sway, I knew what I wanted professionally and had no problem asking for it.

“Will you drive my other car on the Outlaw tour next week?”

“Next week?” Tyler asked perplexed. “You already have another one built?”

“Yeah, it’s ready to go. CST dropped the engine off last week. Tommy got everything ready.”

My Grandpa Casten and CST Engines, still one of the largest manufactures of 410-sprint car engines, provided all the engines for my team.

“Sure, why not. Don’t think I’m doing this for free though.” He added with a smile.

Tyler wasn’t a large guy, at barely five foot nine, and I was able to knock him to the ground with one shove.

“Sixty percent of your winnings—travel’s paid for.”

“Now we’re talking.” Tyler nodded hoisting himself from the dirt. He brushed rocks and a few leaves from his legs before smiling again. “Are you serious?”

“Have you ever known me to joke about racing?”

“Nope,”

“There’s your answer.” I squeezed his shoulder. “You and Justin fly out Tuesday for Grand Rapids.”

---