RACE CARS

The thermometer on the tower read eighty-nine Fahrenheit, but it felt closer to one hundred degrees inside the black, flame-retardant jacket he wore. Neither the protective helmet nor the motionless air within the car allowed for much sweat evaporation from his head. His left hand was planted firmly on the steering wheel; his right gripped the gear stick by his side.

The driver allowed his car to roll forward toward the tree until the first pair of yellow bulbs lit up. His opponent pre-staged and staged near simultaneously. With a short roll he was staged as well. He was ready; his fingers itched to shift the transmission, and his left toes were antsy at the pedal. He watched as the first yellow light came on. The two motors revved, creating the most beautiful sound to his ears, the sound of great auto mechanics at work.

It felt like an eternity until the one below lit, though in actuality only half a second had passed. He watched his opponent’s car take off and begin the path towards the finish. The last yellow light came on, and he popped the clutch.

The driver lost sight of his opponent and the track as his line of vision shifted upward. Through his yellow tinged glasses, all he could see was the blue of the sky, white of the clouds, and the green of the tops of the trees as the back tires propelled the car down the track. The front pair returned to the ground just in time for him to shift to second gear. They raised up once more, this time much shorter as the car barreled down the lane. His opponents backend drew closer. He shifted gears once more, and they were side by side.

His entire body vibrated with the roar of the car as he shifted to fourth. All the time his foot never came off the accelerator, pushed to the floor as if his life depended on it. He lived for this moment, the moment when car and driver became as one, working together for the finish line.

Six seconds was all it took, 6.16 to be specific. Six seconds and his opponent knew all efforts were lost. Six seconds and his opponent was left to read the words etched in black on his white bumper,

“A REAL RACE CAR HAS THREE PEDALS.”