Trackside

Speedweeks

"Uh – hey there, Darrell," Kevin responds. He looks as though he's just woken up from a nap.

"I see you're discussin' strategy for the race today – "

"Yeah. We are."

"You've gotta be hungry after coming in second in points last year." Darrell repeats the story that's plagued the racer all winter. "This close to getting' your name up there with the family – what's it gonna take this year?"

"Um, well," Kevin struggles to switch contexts from throttle usage and fuel consumption to his glamorous family history. "I mean, we're going to do everything we can. We're hungry, we let it get away from us last year, we're gonna give it all we got."

"We're not supposed to root for y'all, y'know, being in the booth an' all," Darrell admits, looking directly into the camera, "but I got my money on the Clutch Aid team this year. You'll get it done."

"Thanks, Darrell."

The despondent response doesn't register with the broadcaster in the slightest. As abruptly as he comes, he's off to the next garage bay with a personality present.

"Look!" Darrell exclaims to the camera yet again. "Brush Curber, my man! Wow, last year just wasn't what we thought it'd be for the number 56, how're ya feelin' about this season? Did ya see that Rocker Arms is gonna be back on the schedule – you were a real ringer at that place back in the day!"

"Oh hey, Darrell, uh – yeah, sure."

The rest of the garage sees Darrell coming a mile away and hustles off, hoping to avoid becoming the next victim of blunt live television. Suddenly, there are many extra sets of tires that need taken to pit lane.

One racer sticks around. No one knows who it is, or why he's hanging out near some old rusty tourists from last century. But he flashes a smile and ends up getting thirty seconds of television time.

_

"Alright, here we go folks, cars are rolling down pit lane, getting the season started down here in Florida. Thanks for joining me in the booth, Darrell."

"The Florida 500, ain't no better race than this one right here, Bob."

The cameras pan to the first cars in the starting grid as they enter the banking on the track. A quarter million fans feel the slight rumble of race engines resonate through the stands, all the way to the top. It's electric. Flashing lights and screams and cheers and everything in between form pure pandemonium that echoes out to sea.

"Let's run through the starting lineup, eh Darrell? Time to pass things down to our friends on pit road for the day's highlights."

"Thank you, Bob." Kori takes command of the show with ease.

The cameras pan to the front row as the racers line up side by side. Somewhere, hundreds of miles away in North Carolina, there is a room full of cars taking in a hundred different streams of video, overlaying them with premade, dynamic visual aids, picking and choosing the most relevant ones at a moment's notice.

The television viewers see the racers two at a time as they go through the field.

"After the year he had last year it's not a surprise to see Kevin Shiftright on the pole today – after the incident at last year's Dinoco 400 where the crew chief called for too much tape and ultimately cost them their championship, this team is back and ready to fight. Will this be the season that Kevin's spent his entire life preparing for? We're about to find out.