Webster’s dictionary defines Speed as the fallowing: the rate of change of position along a straight line with respect to time over a set distance. In other words, the quicker you can get from one place to another. The question is what do you, do when your family has spent the last two generations in search of ways to accomplish this goal faster and faster. Would do you do when the family business is the search for more Speed. For Robert ‘Robby’ McGuire the answer is easy. You grab your sister and strap on a pair of Formula One racecars then go for broke.

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Chapter 15
Race day, Sakhir, Bahrain
I couldn’t believe the bullshit. Everything went down perfectly during first Qualifying run. Then everything went to shit for both me and Beth on the second run. Thankfully we were still able to qualify for the race. Beth missed two gear shift changes during her second run. Because of this she was only able to qualify for fifteenth place. I did better in qualifying, but I over-torqued the transmission. Because of this Chief Hailee and Chief Marks had to replace the transmission in my car.

I tried to apologize to the two Crew Chiefs, but they just blew it off. Chief Hailee said it was just the luck of the draw. My problem with this was where it placed me in the starting grid. Tail-end Charlie and having to work my way up through the pack. It didn’t matter where I had qualified. Because I had to change the transmission of my car I had to start from the back. That was the penalty for making changes to the cars.

I looked out the pit at the course and shuddered. With the change of the transmission I didn’t know how the car would handle. Even with everything else still being the same, chassis-wise, the new transmission could threw off the power balance. Something I won’t know until we got out on the track for the warmup. Which wouldn’t be for another hour. More than a few of the other drivers have been having a field day with our bad luck.

The biggest talking asshats are those chuckle heads from team Toyota, Caldera and Alveres. They keep it up and they’re going to find out the hard way that neither Beth or I play fair. If their crews don’t leave ours alone, they may end up paying in blood. You would have figured, after Melbourne, they would have learned to leave the girls on our team alone. Kelly almost broke the right front tyre gunner’s hand on Friday. The fuck-nut pinched her ass. Tony, Danny, and the rest of the Four Horsemen stopped me from taking a lug wrench to the man’s head.

“Bobbie, do us all a favor and go get out of your head.” Dad said from behind me. When I didn’t move dad placed his arm over my shoulders. “Look honey, I know that you believe it was your fault that the transmission went on you. Take it from me, it isn’t. I spent the night breaking down the old transmission. I found what went wrong. When you shifted between fourth to second gear for that tight, downhill, off-camber Turn 10 left-hander the synchronizing rings for those two gears snapped.”

I looked over at dad with eyes as big as dinner plates. “Wait a minute dad. Those rings are made of bronze sinter friction layers and carbon coated. They just don’t snap.”

“You’re right they don’t. The rings in that transmission weren’t what we ordered. Both Hailee and Marks are beyond pissed off. I won’t even tell you what your mother was saying over the phone when I left our room this morning.” The grin on dad’s face let me know that mom was in a royal pissing fit. “Let’s just say that our supplier is going to need a new ass by morning.”

“Damn. I take it mom is still going?” I giggled.

“Bobbie, I have only ever seen your mother this pissed off one other time.” I watched as dad got a funny faraway look in his eyes. “This happened before you kids were born, and we were still working the circuit. Another team was screwing with the cars of the other teams. Well, you mom caught the guy in the act of fucking with her team’s car. Let to you, that poor bastard spent the next year and a half relearning to walk.”

“What the hell did she do to him? Hit him with a torque wrench?”

“Nope, but you’re close. She used one of the team’s cheater bars to break his hips.” I felt my eyes bug out of my head at hearing this. I couldn’t believe what my mom had done. I always knew that mom had a temper but nothing like what dad was talking about. Dad saw the look in my eyes. “You doubt me?”

“Dad, I love you but that is one whopper no one is going to believe. I can see mom shooting someone in the ass for breaking into the shop. I can see her threatening to castrate some red neck jackass like Billy Haskins. But actually, taking a cheater bar to someone she doesn’t know I just don’t see it happening. You, sure, no problem, but not mom. Sorry dad not falling for it.”

“Kiddo, you are many things, but stupid is not one of them. When I tell you that your mother would gladly beat the shit out of someone with a cheater bar, she would.” There was something in dad’s voice that made me believe him. “Right now, though we have a different problem. The warm up is going to be your only chance to get a feel for the car with this transmission.”

“I know that dad. I just can’t get my head wrapped around how poorly we did in qualifying the other day.” I know that I was whining about where we placed.

“Bobbie, it was not your fault nor was is Beth’s fault. It was racing pure and simple. Luck of the draw, dealt a bad hand, shitty roll of the dice, and all that other bullshit. Just do your best out there each time kiddo. That’s all the advice I can give you when it comes to driving those cars.” There was a note in dad’s voice that made me look him in the eyes. “I can give you a shit load better advice in life Bobbie. But not when it comes to driving those cars over there. You and your sister do shit behind the wheel of a car that is fucking amazing.”

“What are you talking about dad? It’s not like Beth and I do anything special. It’s just that we’ve been around cars our whole lives. Then there is the fact that you and mom design cars for drivers not corporations. Your cars give any driver their best chance at winning.” I knew what I was talking about.

“No, kiddo. That is where you’re wrong.” At my blank look dad sighed. “Your mother and I can only give you girls the best car we can. You take them out there and pull, drag, scrap, dig, every ounce of potential out of those cars you can. Not even that dumbass Tommy could do what you girls can.”

He sighed and looked around. “Before this deal came along, Bobbie, your mom and I had been talking about setting you up in a Stockcar. The only reason we didn’t is because we knew just how good you were on road style courses.” At my look of confusion dad just chuckled. “Bobbie, we knew about every backroad rat-race that you and Beth took part in. Did you really think that I would never catch those parts orders?”

“Well, yeah.” I blushed. Knowing that I thought I had been busted long before I ever realized.

“You do know that I had to sign for almost ALL of those street mod parts for your Judge. If I hadn’t your mother did.” Dad chuckled. “I swear that car of yours has to be one of the most barely legal street cars in America.”

“Um… yeah I know. I’m just surprised that you and mom didn’t come down on me for what I was doing.” I told him honestly.

“Bobbie, the day that you or your brother and sister get something past one of us, is the day that Hell freezes over.” Dad chuckled. He gave me a look with a sly smile. “Feeling better about your chances out there now?”

I looked him in the eyes. “Yah, I do.”

“Look when you get out there take your time. Get a feel for the track. Don’t push the new transmission during the warmup.” Dad sat there giving me advice on how to handle the car for the warmup and the first ten laps of the race. “Just let the car come to you. Your sister will be doing the same with her car.”

“Okay dad. I got it. Slow and steady will be the key to this race.” I looked back out at the track. “I just hope that it will be enough to come in somewhere better than last place.”

“Screw the fucking points Bobbie.” Dad almost snarled. “Look I said the same thing to Beth. This is you girls’ first year on the circuit. We don’t expect you to win the damned championship. Would it be nice? Yes. Would it make a difference in how we see you girls? No. In our eyes you’re both winners already.”

“I know that dad.” I never took my eyes off the track. “I just want to prove to those fucking assholes that I’m not some onetime fluke of luck. That I can out drive any of their asses.”

“Sure, kid. Just don’t let them get to you. Put their bullshit out of your mind. You can’t let their head games get to you.” Dad sighed. “You do, and they win before the race starts.”

I thought about what dad was telling me. Then it hit me, he was right. Those jackasses Caldera and Alveres were getting into my head with their games. They had done a damned good job too. Before I could really comment the five minute warning sounded for drivers to take to their cars. It was almost time for the warmup. Dad walked me back over to my car.

Dad helped me getting into the car. With care I took my seat. I put in my ear plugs and connected my I-pod to the radio. I pulled up my race mix and hit play. Over the next few minutes I got ready for the race. I let the music take me away and it isn’t long before I slip into the right mindset for the race.

When they finally called for the start of engines, I was champing at the bit. I wanted that monster turning over just behind me. I NEEDED to feel that barely controlled speed demon from hell. It didn’t matter that it was encased in cold hard metal. It was there for one reason only. To lend its power to my will alone.

Nothing else would matter for the next four hours. At just before 16:10-16:30 we roll out for the Formula 1 Pirelli Hot Laps. After running the hot laps, we pull back into the garage area. After the hot laps we have to deal with that stupid Paddock Club Truck Tour between 16:30 - 17:00 to deal with. Formula 1 Drivers' Track Parade starts at 16:40 and goes until 17:10. With the Starting Grid Presentation at 16:55 until 17:25 I won’t have much of a break. As it is, we got the Parachute Display between 17:10 and 17:25, with the Gulf Air Fly-bye at 17:40 until 17:50. When the National Anthem finally plays at 17:56 I can barely hold in my excitement. In fourteen minutes, we’ll be out there racing for the checkered flag.

I have to admit that I’m not a fan of this race already. The glare off the lights around the track make it a real bitch to find the best line. During the lineup and hot laps, I found that the preferred racing line was not where Beth or I thought. It flowed between the outside and inside of the track. Deepening on the turn it could be in the center, inside, or on the outside. Each turn was different from the last. We already knew about that tight, downhill, off-camber Turn 10 left-hander. It wouldn’t matter in the long run though. We either finish the race or walk home.

Beth pulled me off to the side just after the Starting Grid Presentation. She wanted to know how we were going to crack this nut. She wasn’t happy with the split between us. Like I was any fucking happier about it myself. I was all the way at the ass end of the lineup with seven, shit for brains, Neanderthals between us.

“You just hold your line until I come to you, Beth. It won’t take me long, not with who is in between us. Once we’re back together we’ll tag the field. We got fifty-seven laps to get the job done. More than enough time. Just play it by the book. No games, until we get together. If they try you, go ahead and drop back. It won’t matter in the long run. This is our type of racing. Those fuck nuts just haven’t figured it out yet.” I gave her a smirk. “Now, get over to your car. It’s almost time for the Anthem.”

“Okay, Bobbie. I’ll play it your way. Are you sure you can get up to me?” Before I could answer Beth placed her hand onto my shoulder. “You know that they’ll be gunning for you as you come up through the ranks. One mistake and you’re out of the race.”

I gave her one of my trademarked predatory smiles. “GOD! I fucking hope so. Because then I don’t have to worry about hunting them down. If they’re coming after me that means they’re not playing fair. If they’re not playing fair that means I don’t have to play fair. That means the gloves are off and I get to have fun.”

“Just don’t have too much FUN. We have a lot of season to go yet.” Beth returned my smile with a grin of her own. Then she turned serious. “You’ve been on edge since we left the hospital. What’s gotten into you Bobbie? I know that is not Lisa.”

“Remember that seven year old little boy on the ward? The one that was undergoing his fourth second round of chemo?” It took Beth a few seconds, but she nodded her head. “Well, he’s not doing too good. The chemo is screwing with his vision.”

“Ah shit. Don’t tell me that one of the last things he’s seen clearly was our win in Melbourne?” I just nodded my head to Beth’s question. I didn’t want to go into too much detail just then.

“Look sis, this is on me. That little boy just gave one more reason to push the edge out there. You don’t have to do anything but hold your line and wait. Just like Melbourne you let me deal with the jackasses.” I knew that I would be pushing things out there on the track tonight. “You just keep your nose clean. Even if they flag my ass for unsportsmanship like conduct.”

“Damn, girl. You’re really pissed off at them.”

“Nowhere near to that sis. I am so far beyond being pissed at the other drivers, especially Caldera and Alveres, that I need to come from the ass end of the field.” I gave Beth a look that I hoped she understood. “That bullshit those two have been spouting off about you and me is not something the kids on the ward should hear. That boy thought that we were only out there as a publicity stunt or some horseshit.”

“You want to prove that we belong on the track the hard-way.” Beth sighed. “You know that this might not go the way you want, right?”

“Yah, I know it’s a gamble, but I have to try.” I sighed then hugged Beth. “I got to show the world we’re not some publicity stunt for Mercedes-Benz. That we’re Professional Formula One drivers. If I can’t do that why are we even out there?”

“Bobbie, we did that already. Just because those load mouths have been running off with the bullshit. Doesn’t mean we have to give credit to their bullshit.” Beth pulled me in tighter. “Don’t play their game Bobbie. Just run your race. I’ll be waiting.”

With that Beth headed for her car. Once again, I got ready to roll out on the track. As I drop into my seat Chief Hailee reaches in and helps strap me down. Once secured Chief Hailee gives me the thumbs up and hits the play button on my I-pod. I heard the music pure across my ear buds and smile. The signal to start engines comes again and I feel the demon come alive once more behind me. I watch as the cars ahead of me in the field pull out one by one.

When it comes time for me, I slowly let out the clutch. As we round the track for the final warmup lap before the green flag drops, I begin to feel antsy. I know that I got fifty-seven laps, three-hundred-and-eight kilometers, and a little over ninety minutes to get into a points-scoring position. This will be the hardest race that I have ever run. To hell with every rat-race I’ve run. This time it is different. This time I’m out to prove something. Not to myself but the world.

As we round turn 15 I can see the grid already lining up. In less than a minute the race is on. I just have to wait a little longer. I know that Hunt pushed the lineup back as far as he could legally get away with. Now it is all up to the Marshals and the Flag man. I pull to a stop, in the twenty second position just as the opening notes to Megadeath’s Dystopia fill my ears. The flag drops and all hell breaks lose on the track as we race for turn One.

Even before we reach turn 1, I can tell that getting past my first four competitors is going to be easy. They’re slip sliding around the track as if they’re on worn tyres. I don’t know what those idiots were up to during the warmup lap, but it sure as hell wasn’t taking care of their tyres, or breaks. We reach turn 1 and the first chance for a pass. I don’t waste time by down shifting all the way to first gear. I drop to second gear and take the inside line hard. I slip past my first two cars.

I realize that I need to keep things tight on the inside line if I’m going to be able to keep up this pace. It won’t matter if Beth falls off a little bit, I should be able to catch up to her in the next five laps. I just need a little luck.

By turn 13 of lap four I had put two more of my competitors behind me and was closing on the last two. I knew that their tyres were already falling off not to mention their performance from the warmup and first few laps. It won’t take long to clear the last two somewhere between turns 5 through 7. The chicane is not the normal spot for overtaking someone, but for those two it will be perfect. They’re sliding all over the track and can barely control their cars already. The glare off the track lights isn’t helping matters either. If I’m having problems seeing my racing line, I know they have to be as well. I would give anything for a sunshade lens about now. Not that it would help. The glare is a bitch.

Turn 5 comes into view just as dumbass number 1 loses control and slides into dumbass number 2. They both go into the gravel before twisting their front ends all to hell. I barely get on the breaks in time to keep from joining them. If I had been just two seconds faster I would have been tied up in their wreck. I just barely clear the scene than the yellow comes out.

I pull in close to Beth as we near turn 10. This is both good and bad. Good in that we’re now back together and can work our way through the field as a team. Bad in that Beth hadn’t been able to move up through the field and was still in fifteenth place. We’re deep in the pack and in seriously deep shit. The good thing is we have fifty-three laps to get to the front. The bad thing. We got nothing but haters between us and the front.

I key the team radio. “You ready to play bongo-bongo, sis?”

Beth comes back to me fast. “Not going to happen, Bobbie. They’re onto us already. I’ve been trying to go to the inside and they’re blocking me hard. Bongo’s are out. Got anything else we can try?”

“Rumrunner on the green?” I asked.

“Bobbie that’ll only work if you can get the other drivers to go to the inside every time.” Dad said quickly. I thought about what dad said as we rounded the track under the yellow.

“If I can get in front of Beth, I can get them to go to the inside every time. After all, most of them are still pissed off at me for Melbourne.” I answered back with a smile.

That was the one thing that I loved about our cars’ colors. Mercedes-Benz want our cars to be distinct from each other. Beth’s car’s colors was yellow with purple highlights, where mine were purple with yellow highlights. While both cars had our teams, they were different enough that you could tell them apart by sight. Every driver on the circuit knew whose car was whose just by looking at them. Mine was the one that almost every driver wanted to put into the gravel or a wall.

They all felt that Beth wasn’t a threat or ‘knew her place’. Me, I was the one that needed to be taught a lesson on ‘the way things were done in the big leagues.’ I heard dad chuckle and Beth giggle at my comment about Melbourne and the other drivers.

“Bobbie, baby girl, they’re more than just pissed off at you. Over half of them want to put you in your place.” Dad was chuckling hard now. “Okay when the green flag drops, we’ll go with your plan Bobbie. Only we’re going to make a few changes.”

“What do you want to change dad?” Beth asked. “Remember that for Rumrunner to work we need to pass them on the OUTSIDE.”

“And YOU will Beth. Bobbie will pass them on the INSIDE. You girls are going to run a variant on Rumrunner. Bait and switch. Do you understand, girls?”

It took me a few seconds to figure out what dad was getting at, but Beth picked up on it right away. “We both go around them at the same time. I go to the outside because I’m set up for a loser run, while Bobbie goes to the inside because she setup to a tight run. Is that what you want dad?”

“Exactly Beth. Only when Bobbie moves to the inside you just get going to the outside. When they realize that they can’t block you both they’ll let off the gas. Just remember attack only on the following turns, 1,2,4,9,10,13, and 14. Leave the straightaways alone unless one of the other drivers gets stupid. Then it’s up to your judgement. Remember some of these jokers are holding a grudge. And Bobbie, you have a great big target on your ass.”

“No need to remind me, Daddy.” I snarked before releasing the button to my radio. We were rounding turn 14 and the yellow lights had turned off. That meant the track would go beck to green on this pass or the next. We started lining up two-by-two as we exited turn 15. I was expecting to back to racing, but the pace car didn’t drop out of the way. Instead it led us around the track one more time before getting out of the way.

The second we went back to racing both Beth and I had to hit our breaks hard. The front half of the pack was stacking up. I could tell right away what was going on. The leaders were trying to tie up the rest of the pack by blocking turns 1 and 2. I knew then and there that it would take at least two to three laps before Beth and I could put our plan in to motion. We needed the pack to spread out some for it to work. With the field all packed up tight like this there was no room for the type of maneuvers we wanted to make. Someone either spotted the threat we now represented, or they were listening on our radios.

Most likely someone spotted the threat of me and Beth teaming up. We had already shown how we can work as an exceptional team. A team that once released from the gate there was no stopping. We had more tricks in our bag than most of them had combined. Only none of them know where we learned our tricks. When you’re a backcountry gal with a nasty rep for taking no prisoners, you got to have a fifty-five gallon barrel of dirty tricks.

I didn’t bother to warn Beth about what was going on. She could tell and see just as well as I could. We settled in and just drove laps for the next five. When the field had finally stretched back out, I signaled Beth to go for it. We closed on the next driver in fourteenth like a pair of sharks. The poor bastard never knew what happened until it was too late. We spilt and passed him on each side in turn 2. It didn’t take us long before we closed on the next two drivers faster than either of us expected.

Dad warned us that our cars would get faster as the track cooled off during our pre-race briefing. I just wasn’t expecting them to get this fast or tight for that matter. I could feel the car getting tighter with each lap, but this was getting crazy. Something had to be wrong. I keyed my radio.

“Beth are you getting tight as hell?”

“I thought it was just me. I’m having to fight to keep my line again. This doesn’t make any sense.” Beth reply kicked my panic button hard.

“Relax girls. This is nothing that we haven’t prepared for. Beth, I want you to come in on this lap for new tyres. Bobbie, your turn will be on the next lap.”

I never got the chance to answer dad as the driver in front of me spun out and ended up sideways to me in turn 11. I had nowhere to go and neither did Beth. I was on my breaks and down shifting for all I was worth. I could tell that Beth was doing the same. Sadly, it didn’t matter what we tried to do. We both slammed into the right-hand side of the other driver’s car.

I knew that our race was over as I went airborne over the top of the other car. I had no idea of where Beth was, as I was looking at the front end of my nosing into the track pavement. I felt the ass end tearing free as the car cartwheeled into the catch wall. I felt my car land on the left-hand side at an angle upside down.

I could hear the other cars coming to a stop all around me. I have no idea of where Beth was or if she was even still in one piece. My radio crackled, and I heard dad’s voice. “Bobbie, talk to me baby girl. Come on baby girl. Talk to me here, Bobbie.”

I hit the radio button and groaned. “Damn it, dad. Don’t yell. My head is pounding, and you’re not helping matters.”

“Well, don’t fucking move. You’re upside down and against the outer retaining wall kiddo. Let the rescue crews do their job.”

“Yeah, sure thing dad. How’s Beth? I know that she hit that McLaren car just as hard as I did.”

“She’s fine kiddo. She’s already up and out of her car walking around. Oh shit! I think I need to have a few words with her when she comes out of the Medical Station.” I wondered what Beth just did to get a talking to after a crash. I didn’t have to wait long to find out. “Damn! Bobbie, does your sister normally punch someone trying to get her into an ambulance?”

I sighed and then giggled. “Hey, if all she did was punch someone, we’re good. If she starts smacking people with her helmet is when you need to worry, dad. By the way where is her helmet?”

“Laying about ten feet from where her car is sitting. Damn! That sister of yours has a temper. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was looking at your mother out there.”

“Dad, trust me. Beth has a temper that rivals mom’s temper.” I took a breath. “Any word on those rescue monkey’s dad?”

“They’re rolling as we speak kiddo. They should be getting to you shortly. As it is the race has been red flagged.”

“How bad is it dad?” I really wanted to know.

“Nine cars involved in total. Five of them are scrap. Two of which are our cars. Between your car and Beth’s car we might be able to get enough parts to build one complete car.” I could hear the relief in dad’s voice at only having to replace the cars.

“Damn. What happened to Beth’s car?”

“The front end is totally destroyed. But it’s the back end that is going to be the problem. The powerplant ate itself in one glorious blast. We can reuse yours by the way. It’s laying just over twenty-feet away from your car’s rear end. Now tell what happened out there? Why didn’t you girls avoid that jackass?”

I had been think about how that wreck went down. “Dad if I didn’t know any better. I would swear that, that McLaren car spun out on purpose. It was perfectly positioned to block both of our line of attacks. There’s a lot of room on that turn but if you put a car sideways in the middle of the turn you cut off all lines of escape. It won’t matter how you go into the turn one car sideways means a pile up. Beth and I had no place to go but into or over the top of that car. I guess that Beth got more of the into option while I got the over the top option.” I felt my car shift and started to worry that it was going down on it’s top. Until I felt it settle onto its side and I could see the rescue workers. “Got to go dad the Rescue team is here.”

“I know. I’ve been watching them through my binoculars. Do as they say, and we’ll see you girls down at the medical center.” With that the radio went dead. I sat there as the Rescue unbuckled my safety harness. With care they helped me from my destroyed car. As I walked away from my car I wanted to cry.

First, I have my transmission go to shit ruining my chances at a good poll position during qualifying. Then the fight that to reach Beth only to have that advantage taken away by people stacking up the field. Then when we finally get the chance to start using our plan, we get taking out by someone being a dumbass. I won’t mind the wreck, but they went about in a way that destroyed my first racecar. I looked over at where Beth’s car sat on the first tow truck. I could see why she was so pissed off. The enter front end was crushed, twisted, or bent beyond recognition. I just dropped my head in defeat. They had won this round.

“Looks worse than it is sis.” I look and smile at seeing Beth standing there next to the ambulance. “We’re walking away from this one. Remember what Chief Marks said the other day. Any wreck you can walk away from is better than the one you get carried away from on a stretcher.”

“Yeah you’re right Beth. I just wish that our run hadn’t ended the way it did tonight.” I look over at where turn 11 sits. “Beth is it my imagination or did that monkey nut from McLaren spin out at just the perfect time to take us both out?”

“You saw it that way as well? Yeah, I thought it was kind of funny for that car to spin out at just that exact point in the race. It wasn’t the first time that fuck nut’s ass end swung wide on me.” I looked over at the other ambulance where the McLaren driver stood. “More than once he cut me off with a fishtail fleck.”

“I thought as much.” I looked around and then helped Beth to climb into the ambulance. “I think they don’t want us here, sis.”

Beth just gave me a cross look before seeing the smirk on my face. “No shit! Really? Whatever gave you that idea?”

-----tbc-----