Framed ✅

Chapter 12: Placerville Speedway Volume 1

Friday, November 19, 2021 – Placerville, California

Chase makes his way through the pits, allowing his eyes to scan over the variety of midget cars. There was over 50 cars on the property, 49 entered for tonight's event alone. He had to admire some of them with how simple, yet standalone the wraps were. He also knew a glance at the variety of names, it wasn't going to be no cake walk of a night – if they got the show in.

Just like when he walked through the NASCAR garage the day before, there was no secret of comments being stated by the competition as he made the tour down through.

Some of them debated his connection to the murder investigation, while others questioned how he was able to walk so freely. Thankfully, the majority was standing behind him in defending his name in conversation.

There was also those that questioned why he was even there in the first place, murder investigation aside. Why would he choose to run this midget event? Why was he wanting to run these midget events? Considering he had done fiddly squat thus far, why would Kyle Larson spend all this time building him a car for these events? Shouldn't he just stick to what he knows and go run late models somewhere this weekend? After all, there were a bunch that believed he'd never figure it out, and even some that said the talent wasn't there.

He smiles as he reaches his destination, heading inside the trailer in knowing Kyle was already in there with Paul Silva. He actually wasn't surprised that he had walk all the way through to the lounge at the front, making his way in to a smile from both.

"Hey," Kyle says quietly as he glances at the door opening, smiling in seeing Chase's arrival.

Considering how late he got in last night, combined with Next Gen testing and getting some hot laps behind the midget, it was no secret the sleep was probably lacking. It was why Kyle had assured him no worries on being there extra early as sleep was always a good thing.

Though beyond the simple usual factors at play, a glance at the hand in seeing the energy drink cusped there, Kyle actually began to wonder just how much sleep his partner in crime was truly getting with everything else going on.

"Is the rain going to stop anytime soon?" Chase questions, having noticed the drizzle as he made his way over.

He would usually pull up the radar himself, though was trying to avoid his phone as much as possible. That'd just send him down a rabbit hole as one comment led to another, and he'd be wanting to go through what people were saying. Based on the glimpse of what he overheard in the pits, that probably wasn't a good idea right now.

"It shows clearing in the next half hour to hour, and then they need to deal with track conditions," Kyle answers, surprised he was giving his radar assessment. Normally when they were at the NASCAR events, it'd be all of them relying on him since he was pilot and used to checking these things out. "I think it may put us a half hour behind schedule, which isn't terrible."

"Better than not getting the event in all together," Chase comments to which Kyle had to nod his head in agreement. It always sucked no matter what event it was to show up there, and sit around all day in the rain just to not get to race.

"So with the weather, I don't see them adding anymore water to the surface because it's going to make it moist, muddy in a way, but it's going to feel different than what you're used to. Typically with other tracks, it gets packed down – sticky, muddy, and you're almost having to push your slides a little mo-"

"It was harder to slide the last time that I was out back in July for that reason." Kyle nods his head, as he clearly remembered that event.

He had been racing that same day, different team, but had made his way over to offer a bit of advice. After all, it was easier for people like him, Alex, and Christopher to offer advice to Chase in knowing what he was trying to compare the experience, too. It was just a little odd watching him do it in opposite fashion than them, which inherently made it tougher.