Chapter 31: First Steps
Friday July 10, 2015
“So, do you think you’re ready for today?” Dr. Mae asks as she makes her way over to him.
While he was wishing that he was in Kentucky at that very moment practicing the car for qualifying and the race that night, he was set for a big moment that afternoon in his room. All the small exercises that they had been doing over the course of the week had led to this moment and it was now the moment of truth.
He was set to take his first steps.
“I think so,” he offers with a small smile as he sits up in the bed.
The exercises had gone pretty good. From lifting the leg off of the bed, to bending the leg at the knee, everything seemed to be in working order. There was at times, a lot of pain – and he meant a lot – but Dr. Mae told him that was part of the healing process as the muscles and nerves got back to working order. Given the possibility of minor nerve and muscle damage, it was part of the course. She kept assuring him when the pain would get bad that it was just part of it and to keep pushing as it’d ease over time. There was also the nice period afterward that included icing it to ease the muscles, followed by a heat wrap for even more easing.
Now with the topic of walking before him, he felt that he was ready as it was just one more step closer to getting back on his feet, out of the hospital and back to the race track.
He wondered how Dale was making out in practice.
“I think so?” She repeated his words, snapping him from his thoughts. “Mr. Chase Elliott, I believe that you’re ready and you should believe that to. You’ve done a great job all week with the exercises that this only seems fitting for you to be up on your feet.” He knew that she was right and it was that uplifting spirit that seemed to make things easier through the week. But….
“You’re right, Dr. Mea,” he comments. “But what if I get up and it doesn’t go well? What if I fall? What if it’s not as healed as you think? What if there’s something el-”
“Chase, you need to put those thoughts of your mind,” she cuts him off as she keeps her eyes locked on him. “You can’t let yourself think like that as I know and believe that you’re ready. If I didn’t’ believe that you were ready and were scared of all that happening, I wouldn’t be here getting you out of bed right now. Besides, you’re not going to fall as I or if you want, your mom or dad, will be holding your hand the whole time.”
“It’s going to be fine kiddo,” Cindy assures him as he swings his legs off of the bed, letting them dangle above the floor. He could only hope that they were right if he wanted to get back in a racecar as soon as possible.
“Alright. I’m ready,” he states. “Let’s do this.” Everybody smiles that is in the room as she walks over, holding both hands out for him.
“We’re going to do this one step at a time, very carefully,” Dr. Mae starts. “We’ll go through each step easily and see how you’re doing. I want you to be honest with me and let me know how much it hurts and what hurts so that way I can help you. But, I believe that you can do this. First step is getting you standing so why don’t you grab on to my arms and pull yourself up?”
He then grabs on her arms, firmly, feeling a bit of fear slide into his mind. He could already picture himself collapsing upon putting pressure, any pressure, on his left leg.
He then grips his arms a little more, pulling his body up. He feels his right leg move with a bit of stiffness, but it comes to him with ease. The leg definitely knew what it wanted to do. To his surprise, though, his left leg did the exact same. It came with the same ease at the knee, straightening so he was in standing form. Getting himself fully standing was a bit of work and pain, though, as he felt a shot of pain shoot up from where the wound was on his left leg to his waist. Biting his tongue, hiding the screams begging to escape, he got himself up and let out a deep breath.
“Oh man…” He commented as Dr. Mae kept her eyes focused on him.
“Pain?” She questions and he shakes his head yes. “Stiffness?”
“Everything is so stiff and the pain…oh man…shot up from my leg.”
“That’s understandable. You haven’t moved around since the stabbing occurred on Sunday night – that’s five days, resulting in limited blood flow in the body and that brings forth being stiff. The pain that you felt is also understandable as that’s the nerve that was severed a little by the edge of the blade. It’s part of the healing process…” Dr. Mae then takes a couple steps back. “Let go of my arms. Stand by yourself and get used to that feeling again.” Chase then slowly lets go of her arms, glancing down at his legs as the stiffness that he felt is slowly fading. Sure, there was still a touch of pain but he was going to have fight through it if he was going to keep moving forward.
“Feels natural…a little pain, but feels right.” She then smiles.
“That’s good, that’s what its supposed to feel like. You also didn’t fall on your ass so you have good balance. Now, let’s get into the hard part – actual steps. Are you ready?” Chase shakes his head yes, feeling a tinge of determination filling him to do it no matter what.
“Bring it on, doc.” She then smiles as she holds out her arms again.
“You can hold my arms if you want, or you can attempt it on your own. I want you to do whatever you feel most comfortable doing. Let’s try first lifting your left leg and taking a tiny step forward with it. Bend and place, small space. Let’s get the leg thinking about how the movement is supposed to take place.” He then shakes his head, taking a deep breath. He knew it was now or never.
Determined to do it on his own, he keeps his arms at his side, eyes glancing down at the leg. It stared back at him as if it was a sign of weakness, something that was holding him back from all of his dreams. He hadn’t let anything else stand in his way and this was the approach that was set to take today.
He then slowly bends the knee, lifting the leg, the small bit of pain still residing in the place that it had taken residence since standing. He then pushes the leg out forward, placing it down a small step length forward, feeling the pain shoot up again as he places the foot down on the tile ground. As the pain shot up unexpectedly, his body swayed slightly – the fear of falling returning – but with a deep breath, he was able to settle himself down.
“That’s it….” Dr. Mae slowly lets out as she watches him closely. “How’d that feel?”
“Pain, a lot of pain,” Chase comments as he glances back down at the leg. The thigh muscles felt like they were on fire from that simple motion as he began to wonder if he as doing the right thing. Was this too soon? Did the leg need more rest to heal? “That shooting pain that I felt before came back and it was big. I…I don’t know….”
“Relax, it’s okay. It’s part of the process. It’s going to hurt a ton to take these first couple of steps as the wound area gets used to moving and flexing with the stitches and such. The muscles also are healing and remembering what they’re supposed to do. It’ll get easier, trust me.”
“Do you want a hand?” Bill offers, holding out his hand. Chase shakes his head no, pushing it away as he focuses on the ground ahead.
“I’m fine,” he tells his dad as he takes a calming deep breath.
“Stubborn as always,” Cindy comments with an eye roll as Chase glances over at his mom.
“I wonder who I get it from.” She then goes to yell at him as he just smirks. “Love you, mommy.” She then just shakes her head.
“Saying love you isn’t going to get you out of trouble all the time. You should know that.” He then shrugs his shoulders before returning his eyes back to the doctor. She may claim that it didn’t work, but she hadn’t yelled at him as she had planned.
“Whenever you’ve ready, you can take your second step – this time using your right leg,” Dr. Mae interrupts the fun. “Now, the right leg is going to be easy to lift and set down. Its’ going to be about how your left leg accepts the added weight and pressure, and how that affects the pain. Make sure you watch your balance and whether you’re stubborn or not, hold on to a hand if needed. Don’t be afraid. It’s not a sign of weakness as you’ve done a lot today already.” Seeing how much pain he had experienced already and not wanting to fall on his ass, he holds out his hand as he looks over at his dad.
“Please?” He questions and Bill grabs hold of it.
“I told you that you needed a hand,” Bill says as Chase just rolls his eyes. “Take your time and listen to what she said.”
Taking a deep breath, allowing himself to get set for the moment, he then slowly lifts his right leg. As soon as the foot left the ground, he felt the pain increase in his left leg, no doubt reasoning with what Dr. Mae had to say. The pain was bearable though, as he shifted his right leg forward. He then placed it down, immediately feeling the pressure leave his left leg as some of the pain subsided.
“I can do this….I can do this,” he commented to himself with a smile. While it was a small feat, it was a good to be up and moving around.
“Forget you can – you did,” Dr. Mae comments with her own smile. “Feel free to keep taking more steps. We’ll walk around the room for 10, 20 minutes – as long as you want. This is good progress. The way you’re moving, I could have you released by tomorrow morning.” Chase then glances over at his parents.
“Can we go to Kentucky and watch the Cup race?” Cindy shakes his her head no immediately as Bill just laughs.
“He sounds like a little kid begging to go play,” Bill comments as Cindy crosses her arms.
“And we’re going to be the strict parents that make sure he takes care of himself and fully gets healed before stepping foot near a race track,” Cindy states. “It is bed rest and taking it easy for you. Understood?” Chase lets out a sigh and shakes his head yes.
For the rest of the afternoon, he took turns taking a couple more steps, and then spending some time resting. With each step, it did get easier as he got back comfortable with moving around and forward.
While his mom had her own plans in mind for the next couple of weeks, Chase could only grin. He had his own plans in mind and while she may not particularly approve them, he was going to go forth with making them happen.
Chapter 32: Chase’s Plan
Tuesday July 14, 2015
He had a plan, but knew that it’d take a lot of convincing to let it go through. However, he was determined to be at the race track, on the track, that weekend in Iowa without any doubt in his mind.
After being let out of the hospital on Sunday, he had returned home to the happy news that the boss had not only won the XFINITY race in his car, but also won the Sprint Cup Series race. Though while the news was happy, it just made him that much more anxious to get back behind the wheel of his racecar.
Throughout Monday, he had kept quiet about his idea, debating how to go about doing it. He thought about calling Dale and talking things over with him. However, that would likely be thrown out the window as Dale would probably say the same things that his parents were telling him right now. He thought about calling Regan, but again it was another caring barrier and what could his teammate do? so he was left within his own thoughts.
The next day brought forth a visit to see Rick Hendrick. Rick had been asking how he was, so the agreement was made for Bill, Chase and Rick to go out for lunch together. It turned out to be a great idea with some conversation about how Chase was getting better, but even more around racing and possible plans for the 2016 season. It only made Chase want his leg to heal that much faster.
That want to heal and return to his racecar had him fueled on adrenaline when they left the restaurant, as he was determined to make his plan fall in place. Whether it was the right topic or not to bring up with his father, he knew that he had to.
“Dad, I want to go racing this weekend,” he states as they pull out of the parking lot. Bill keeps his eyes pointed forward, taking a deep breath and immediately shaking his head no.
“Let your leg properly heal before you think about going back racing, Chase,” Bill instructs as Chase lets out a sigh. “You’re out of the championship hunt so you might as well wait an extra week or two and let it heal. You don’t need to go back sooner than you should and cause more issues.”
“But they won’t cause anymore issues as I talked to Dr. Mae about it and she said there was no reason medically that I couldn’t be in a racecar this weekend.” Stopping at the stoplight, Bill throws a glance Chase’s way in disbelief. He hadn’t heard that conversation at all.
“When?”
“That was when I sent you to get me some lunch because mom thought I deserved a treat for working so hard. I asked her, and she wrote a medical clearance note that has already been forwarded to NASCAR.” Bill lets out a sigh as he should’ve known that Chase would’ve taken advantage of the opportunity.
“I get what she’s saying, but you should listen to me and do what’s right. What if you get in a wreck and injure it further?” Chase shakes his head with a glance out the window. This was the exact response that he expected from his parents.
“That won’t happen as I will make sure to have the right padding in place and be careful. Besides, there’s no way that I can injure it….okay, so I may aggravate the muscles but I will deal with that when the time comes.” The reasons to sway his son off of the idea were thinning by the second.
“And what about the pain?” In honesty, the pain was a bit of a….well, pain. It was there anytime he moved his leg just a little, and it hurt a ton. That shooting pain that he experienced upon the first steps was still there, and per Dr. Mae, that pain would last for another week. It was a good reason to wait another week before returning to driver’s seat. However, he wasn’t about to let that happen. Chase knew he couldn’t take spending another weekend at home out of the racecar.
“I can take Tylenol, but nothing more. The Tylenol kills the edge and the rest I can handle by myself.” Bill didn’t know what to say next as he wanted to lay down the simple law, perhaps even tell Chase that he as grounded or had to listen because this was daddy speaking. He also knew that he could possibly reason Dale and Kelley to not allow it, either, but if Chase could convince him then it was likely that he would move his way through the food chain easily. “Dad, if you were in the same situation that I was in, you would be getting back in the car. We saw that ourselves when you got hurt before. You fought through it and drove. So you’re allowed to do that but I can’t? Seems fair, Dad.”
“This is…different.” Chase shakes his head no as he looks over at his Dad.
“No, this isn’t. This is just another injury, like any injury you had in your career. The only difference is that I’m your kid and you’re worried about me. How about using the driver’s mind instead of the father’s mind?” Bill lets out a sigh.
“Chase, I can’t do that and you know that. Besides, this is a different injury – it was a deliberate stabbing by someone. That carries additional weight in the discussion.” Chase turns his eyes back out of his window, with his own sigh. He knew that he couldn’t escape everything, even if he wanted. There was always a reminder there of what happened, whether in conversation or a simple glance down his leg, or a simple glance towards his arm which still bared the bandages. It was a thought that entered his mind 24/7, no matter what he did to escape. There was only period of time that he knew he could escape everything and that was in the thick of the battle, behind the wheel. Why couldn’t anybody understand how badly he wanted this? “Chase, talk to me. What are you thinking?”
“Nothing….just how stubborn you’re being.” Bill knew there was more on Chase’s mind than that as he saw how distant Chase grew immediately upon a comment about what happened.
“If there’s something on your mind, I’m willing to listen, no matter what it is. You know that you need to talk about what happened eventually. You can’t keep avoiding it.” Chase lets out a sigh as he knew that his dad was right. However, the time wasn’t today.
“There’s nothing to talk about. Besides, I already talked about it. Now, since you won’t let me go racing this weekend, can I at least go by the shop? The guys keep calling and texting to see how I’m doing. Let me go see them, please.” Bill shakes his head, agreeing. Cindy had left him with a list of things to grab for dinner, and he had some things that he wanted to do. If seeing the guys helped boost the mood, than he was for it.
“That’s fine. I have some errands to do anyway. I’ll come back at 5?” Chase shakes his head yes as that sounded fine. It’d give him a good three to four hours to discuss things with Greg and the guys. It’d also mark a good three hours that he wasn’t left thinking about things.
Chapter 33: Shop Visit
Tuesday July 14, 2015
As discussed, Bill dropped Chase off at the JR Motorsports shop with strict instructions to take it easy. Chase then made his way inside, first catching up with the receptionist before heading back to the shop.
He watched as the guys gathered around, working on the cars as he quietly made his way through the shop. He didn’t want to be noticed quite yet, but figured he’d go with a surprise. He also kept an eye out for Greg as he knew that the pair needed to talk somewhere along the next couple of hours.
“Need a hand?” He finally called out, catching the attention of the whole team. They all then turned around, big smiles forming as they all headed his direction. “Easy guys…”
“Group hug!” Car Chief Travis Mack commented as he moved forward first, wrapping his arms around Chase. The whole team then joined in as Chase could only grin in the center. Finally, the guys let go and took a couple steps back as they watched their driver.
“Shouldn’t you be resting somewhere?” Will Coats questions as Chase shakes his head no, and silently wishes that he could smack the thought out of brain. If they turned into a bunch of caring people, there’d be no way to let the plan come into action.
“I did enough of that last week,” he comments. “Besides, I had to come check on my guys and make sure they were behaving.”
“Does that ever happen with this group?” Travis questions as Chase laughs and shakes his head no. “Do you want to sit somewhere?” Chase shakes his head no, with a slight eye roll, as he leans back against one of his racecars that were sitting in the shop. He didn’t want to move from where he was. He was back in his element with his guys, with one of his cars. A glance towards the car and he wished that he could call that cockpit his own at that moment.
“I’m fine right here. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. I can be up on my feet. I can be moving around. You don’t need to tend to every need.”
“I’m just glad that you’re alright,” Scott Radel comments. “Dude, you gave us quite a scare as we were all worried. It’s great to see you. How are you feeling, anyway?” This was a question that Chase had expected, based on the phone calls and text messages already.
“I’m doing well,” he comments. “Little bit of pain here and there, but it’s healing. Give or take a couple more weeks and I should be back to normal.”
“So no crutches?” Travis then questions as he was surprised when he turned around to see Chase without any crutches.
“The doctor said it was up to me whether I wanted to use them or not. I feel fine right now walking without them, as long as I take it slow, so it’s okay. I have them at home, though, if I do need them.”
“I’m surprised that your mother isn’t here cuddling her baby,” Scott comments as Chase just laughs with an eye roll. The guys were always picking on him about how much Cindy was around.
“Oh trust me, she hasn’t been far from my side,” Chase informs them. “She was there the whole week I was in the hospital, and she’s currently staying at the pool house with me. I somehow convinced Dad to drop me off for a couple hours while he runs some errands. I needed to see my guys.”
“Pst, we don’t need you right now – we got the boss on our side,” Brent Wentz comments, earning a curious glance from Chase. “Did you not see how Friday night went? Talk about domination.”
“I saw, and thought you did a very good job. Well done and congratulations.” Chase then moves his way around the car, glancing inside the cockpit at the steering wheel. His body was craving for him to lift a leg and work his way into the car to see how it felt, to simply test the water, to get back sooner. “So who is driving this weekend at Iowa?”
“William Bryon,” Greg answers as Chase shakes his head. Chase knew of William as he was part of JR Motorsports’ late model program. The kid had also had some success with a couple wins under his belt, too. He was no doubt a good choice for the car. The thought of William almost made him forget the plan that he had in mind. “Dale decided that the companion races that you miss he will drive, while William does the non-companion events. The agreement is on for that to continue till you announce that you’re back.”
“So when do we get our champ back?” Travis questions as he watches Chase closely. He could tell what Chase was thinking in wanting to be back behind the wheel that weekend. It was obvious by how Chase’s eyes kept darting to the cockpit, and thinking to the plans that were put in place. Now did Travis feel comfortable with the idea? That would be a separate discussion.
“As soon as I can get back in the car,” Chase answers as that was the plan. In honesty, the plan was to be in the car that weekend at Iowa. “If I could, I’d be driving this weekend at Iowa.”
“Woah….” Will lets out, not expecting to hear that comment in Chase coming back so soon.
“What?” Will then looks up as he notices Chase’s eyes are locked on him. “You said something, didn’t you?”
“I just…I did….I just….That soon? Really?” Chase then looks back down towards the car.
“I’m a racecar driver, through and through. This is the place that I want to be no more than any other. It shouldn’t surprise you that I would want to be back this weekend coming.” Chase then glances up, glancing towards Greg. He knew that he had to make the point that he was wanting to make all along. Of course, he wanted to do it privately, but this would work, too. “Actually, I have doctor’s clearance for this weekend. Dr. Mae signed the papers and sent them to NASCAR on Sunday. She warned that I’d need to watch the stitches to make sure I didn’t pull on them and rip them out, but I’d be fine to go back as soon as I wanted, depending on pain tolerance.”
“Chase….you’re not thinking of racing this weekend, are you?” Scott questions as Chase glances inside the car once more, popping the steering wheel off.
“Why else would I be in the shop looking over the car to see if it was ready for the weekend?” Chase asks before turning his eyes back to the car. “Will, I’m going need a bit more padding on the left side, please. Other than that, I think it’s fine.” He figured if he kept talking about it that eventually they’d fall into what he was saying and allow him to go play.
“Uh….okay,” Will states quietly unsure as he walks over to Chase. “But, are you sure about this? Are you sure that you’re ready? Are you sure that you can handle the pain that may be there?” Chase then looks over at Will and shakes his head yes.
“I want to be back this weekend at Iowa, and there’s nothing that I will let stand in my way to do it. I was hoping that my own team would have my back and be willing to help.”
He then glances inside the car, thinking it over. If he was going to drive that weekend, there was one thing that he’d have to get used to. Also, it may give the guys a clue that he was serious about what he was saying.
Taking a deep breath, he lifts his right leg off of the ground and puts it over the edge. No doubt the simple motion had brought forth a huge pain in his left leg, but it was nothing that he couldn’t handle. Besides, that was just part of getting in the car with the muscles. Once in the car, things would be fine.
Thinking it over, he lifts his left leg, slipping it inside the car with ease and not as much as pain as he expected. He then slips himself down in the seat, letting his legs slip down into the pedal area as he grabs the steering wheel, snapping it on. He then runs his fingers along the steering wheel, knowing that he’d have to get used to one-handed driving with how much his arm seemed to bug him lately.
“Well, what do you think?” He questions as he looks at the guys, who are standing there stunned. They had expected Chase to simply visit, find a comfy spot to sit, talk for a bit and then leave to get more rest. They hadn’t expected anything of this nature, and certainly not this soon.
“I think you fit just nicely in there driver,” Greg comments with a deep breath as he walks over. If Chase felt confident in what he was doing, then Greg wasn’t about to step in and say otherwise. He had always been taught to trust the driver and that’s what he was doing here. “How does it feel?”
“It feels just right, just like home. I think we can go out and pull off a win this weekend, crew chief.” Greg grins as he knew they had a good car. It was just gong to be a question as to whether their driver could handle it.
“I know that I’ve built a good car because that’s what I do best. I believe in you, kid. If you want to go racing this weekend, you have my vote of confidence. Just…don’t push yourself. Make sure you’re ready before you do it.” Chase looks up at Greg with a grin.
“I’m ready – more than ever.”
“I’ll make sure to do those adjustments as you said…but are you sure about this?” Will questions as he glances in the car. It did seem real nice to have their driver back in his car, but it also just didn’t feel right in parts. He wondered too much whether they were pushing things. “I mean, you don’t have to do this yet. You could take your time and relax. Why come back now?” Chase then looks over towards the passenger side with one thought on the mind.
“Because I want to be back behind the wheel and driving as I told you already,” Chase states. “How many times do I have to say that?”
“Does Dale know?” Chase shook his head no as he glanced up towards the offices. That would be his next stop.
“Let me out of here and I’ll go tell him. Simple as that, Will.”
“What about your parents?” Greg questions as he backs up so Chase can climb out.
“Let’s just say that they have their opinions, and I’ll tell them as I see fit,” Chase answers as he slowly makes his way out of the car, biting his tongue a little on the way. No doubt he had felt another dose of pain. As far as his plans with his parents, it was simple – keep working on small tale convincing and if nothing, just come out and say it Friday before leaving for Iowa.
“Good luck with that,” Will comments as he lets out a sigh. “I wish we were allowed to go testing.” Chase then looks at Will with raise eyebrows, getting annoyed of the continued questions. “I think it’d make everybody feel more comfortable, including yourself, if you could get some laps and know what it’s going to feel like.”
“Why did NASCAR invent a stupid test policy anyway?” Scott questions as the guys shrug their shoulders.
“Cost saving measure,” Greg answers before looking over at Chase. “Go tell the boss of your plans. We’ll get to work on what needs to be done.”
“Wait…who says we can’t test?” Travis blurts out, catching everyone’s attention. “We can’t test an XFINITY car, but we have a late model team here at JRM. Why can’t we go steal William’s car?”
“It wouldn’t be a bad idea, actually,” Will comments as he really wanted to see Chase do some laps, any type of laps, before they dived into the weekend, perhaps it would help his confidence in the plan that their driver had in mind.
“If it’ll make everybody feel better, let’s head over to Hickory and have some fun,” Chase says before making his way towards the stairs. He lets out a sigh before making his way up slowly as the guys watch on.
“Are we actually going to Hickory with the late model? Are we actually doing this?” Travis lets out a sigh as he glances over at Will.
“Do you think we’re going to convince him to not go racing this weekend by just standing around and saying reasons? The kid is determined to go racing this weekend.” Will then looks over at Travis.
“You suggested the late model test for a reason. You don’t think it’s going to go smoothly and then he may change his mind?” Travis shakes his head yes.
“Exactly. Now I got to go convince L.W. to let us borrow one of the precious late models.”
“Take him cookies!” Scott yells as Travis heads off towards the late model shop.
Greg could only stand there and smile at the guys and back up towards the office. He knew that Chase was in for a discussion with Dale in getting the boss to allow his return this weekend, but he also knew that Dale would cave for Chase. Dale would understand Chase’s want to return, having been put in the situation himself before to sit out. He also knew that Dale trusted Chase a bunch and if Chase believed he was ready, that would be enough convincing,.
Besides, there was the ever-important late model test. It would prove one way or another whether this was a good idea. If it went well, they were going racing. If not, Chase would finally understand why everybody had put him in denial so far.
While many of the guys seemed to have doubts so far, Greg was in the belief that things would go well and Chase would be driving that weekend. He believed in his driver based on what he had seen in the shop, and the determination that he felt from each encounter with him.
Chapter 34: Late Model Test
Tuesday July 14, 2015
“Boss, are you okay?” Greg asks as he stands outside of the hauler waiting for Chase to come out. Dale shakes his head yes as he crosses his arms, leaning back against the hauler.
“Am I doing the right thing allowing him to do this?” Dale questions as he looks over at Greg.
About an hour ago, Chase had made his way up into Dale’s office and made it clear that he wanted to run the following weekend at Iowa Speedway. The young man pleaded his case well, submitting doctor clearance as well as reasons that he could make it work.
Dale had argued in response, though. He questioned Chase whether he was coming back too soon. He questioned Chase whether he was letting his want to get back in the car interfere with the need to take care of himself. He also brought up whether he wanted to get back in the car just for a distraction from what happened. All of the reasons seemed legit in Dale’s mind, but yet Chase deflected each one, stating reasons that were in contrary.
Dale knew of the want to get back in the car despite injury. He had been there before himself. Sometimes, he had convinced himself to do it and for the most part, it worked. Other times, though, it had been questionable and didn’t work as well. there were times that he gave in and accepted defeat.
Though based on what Chase had to say, his determination and his reasons, Dale was left with no reason to at least accept the late model test that they were doing that afternoon at Hickory. Then, if the test went well, perhaps he’d be more open to letting the kid head to Iowa.
“What’s the harm in allowing him to simply test and see how it feels?” Greg asks in response. “Actually, I think the test is the best idea that we had. It’ll give a good indication whether he is ready or not so there’s no question heading into this weekend. I think you’re doing the right thing accepting – with the test in place.” Dale then looks back towards the trailer before returning his eyes to the crew chief.
“And what do you think is going to happen this afternoon?” Dale wonders and Greg shrugs his shoulders. Truthfully, he was positive that it would go well and they’d be headed into the right direction for the weekend. He believed Chase’s word in saying that he was ready and could handle it; he was just accepting the test to make everyone else happy.
“I think we’ll be racing this weekend in Iowa.”
Chase then emerges from the trailer, dressed in his firesuit with a smile on his face. Thankful that it was a little loose in the legs, he was able to fit the suit snuggly over the bandaging that was still there over the stitches. The arms – that was a tighter fit as he had to peel off some of the bandaging that covered the marks over his left arm, but he was suited up and that’s what mattered.
He had to admit, though, that there was a little bit more pain that he expected in working through getting ready and being in the snug fit suit. It did cling a little to the sensitive spots and bugged him a bit. But, that was just something that he would have to work through. Besides, once he got in the car, he knew that thought would be a long distance memory.
“Ready to go?” Greg asks and Chase shakes his head yes as they head out to pit road where the car was sitting.
The walk was silent as there wasn’t much to be said. Greg knew that he could offer the ‘you don’t have to do it’ speech, but why bother? Chase had already heard it from the boys in the shop, followed by Dale. It seemed pointless.
He also knew that he could offer some points in running the late model, but that wasn’t needed. Chase knew how to drive a late model, having won a bunch of big races across the United States.
“Will made a couple adjustments to the seat so that way it fits you, but you and William were close in size so it made it easy,” Greg comments as they reach the car. Chase then glances inside, taking a look around, before looking across the roof at L.W. and William that are sitting on the wall.
“Thanks for letting me borrow it,” he comments as he reaches in and grabs his helmet.
“Hey, you’re a series champion,” William starts. “Maybe you can give L.W. some pointers on how to improve these cars.” L.W. then shoots William a look as he shakes his head.
“Keep talking, but remember who set that car up so you could win last weekend,” L.W. reminds him as William just rolls his eyes. “I just can’t believe that you’re getting back in a car so soon after what happened.” Chase then rolls his eyes.
“I don’t want to hear it,” he starts. “It seems Will and Scott are the masters of that speech already.” Chase then slips the helmet over his head, getting Will to help with getting the HANS attached.
“Start off by doing 20 laps and then come in,” Dale instructs as Chase gets in the car. “I want to know – complete honesty – how you’re feeling and whether you feel comfortable enough to go a longer distance. Then we’re going to go 75 laps and see how that works. If you can handle both of those without any problems, I’m fine with letting you return this weekend.”
“Deal,” Chase answers as he finishes getting the seatbelts on.
Following a quick radio check, he starts the car and heads out for the first 20 laps.
To the much of the surprise of the team, the test went smoothly that day.
Following the first 20 laps, Chase felt comfortable and fine. In honesty, the pain wasn’t bugging him at all as it was completely out of his mind. He had to get used to using the brake and gas pedal with his right foot, but he was able to get that sorted out within the first half of the run. He also had to get used to not using his left arm that much and that was a little more tricky as he got right sideways – almost spinning at one point – but eventually everything was buckled down to the point.
The second run wasn’t as positive, though. It seemed the comfort was fine – or at least in what he told them. He said that the pain was minimal – present, but not enough to distract him from what the driving that he was doing.
However, the driving wasn’t up to par. He was a good half a second off of the lap times that he had set in the first 20 laps and William’s laps from the week prior. The team blamed it on lack of comfort, while Chase knew it was finding his handling with driving. Once he got a good 40, 50 laps in, his left arm started to bug him more and more, resulting in wanting to just drive with his right hand. That hadn’t gone as good as hoped as he had yet to find that spot where he could hold the wheel strong enough to keep the car straight with the car just being a tick loose.
“Let me run another 50 laps and I’ll get the lap times to where they’re supposed to be,” he pleaded after the discussion. “I just got to find the perfect spot to rest my left hand on the bottom of the wheel to grip, but not enough to hurt. If I can just hold bottom and let it slide within my hands as I turn with my right, I can do this.”
“I say you should take another week off,” Will comments as Chase rolls his eyes. He wasn’t about to accept that. The late model test was just a taste and it was increasing that craving for the weekend.
“No, I don’t need another week off. I can do this. Give me a chance. I just need to get more comfortable with how I have to drive now.”
“50 laps,” Dale starts. “50 laps. No more. No less. If I don’t see those lap times stay consistent, we’re done. I suggest you figure out what you have to figure out.” Dale then walks away, headed back to his spot atop the hauler as Chase stands up off of the wall and heads back to the car.
“He seems like he’s in a peachy mood. I wonder if Marie cut him off.”
“Chase!!” Greg yells as a grin forms on Chase’s face.
“Nah – it’s her pregnancy hormones,” L.W. comments as they all laugh. “Woman are crazy when they’re pregnant.”
“I’ll be sure to tell mom that’s what you thought of her while she was pregnant,” Karsyn states as L.W. looks over at her.
“And I will make sure that your car is no where close to how it should handle this weekend if you do that, missy.”
“In other words, you’re beat,” William adds as Karsyn just rolls his eyes.
Chase’s extra 50 laps turned out to be the right course of action as he was able to figure out what he needed to do, popping off a consistent batch of lap times. They weren’t as strong as Dale would’ve hoped, but they were strong enough to be given the thumbs up at the end.
Leaning against the car at the end of the session, he could only smile as he watched his dad walk up to him. His plan had worked out perfectly. He was going to Iowa that weekend.
“I should’ve known you had something up your sleeve,” Bill states as Chase just smiles.
“I told you that I was running this weekend,” Chase comments. “Dale called you. I know he did. He told me that he called you. He told me that you saw those final 25 laps. Are you okay with this weekend?” In truth, his dad’s answer didn’t bother him whether it was a yes or a no. he was going to do what he wanted. As a grown 19-year-old, he felt that he could make his own decisions without consequences.
“I’m fine with it. You proved that you can do it. But, good luck telling your mom.”
Chapter 35: Post Test
Tuesday July 14, 2015
“Bill!” Cindy exclaims as soon as Bill and Chase walk into the house. Bill lets out a sigh as he was hoping to get at least 10 minutes inside the door before she mentioned anything.
“Cindy?” Bill questions as he heads into the kitchen while Chase slowly makes his way into the living room, flopping on the couch.
“How could you let him?” Bill immediately freezes upon hearing the question. He thought that he’d be telling her what happened, followed by her reaction.
“How do you know?” Cindy gives him a slight smack on the arm. She couldn’t believe that he just wasn’t coming out and saying it. Worse, she couldn’t believe that he knew and didn’t say anything sooner to Chase.
“Did you think you could keep it hidden? It’s all over twitter!” The sound of cars on the short track caught the attention of some people as they stopped by. Upon seeing a driver climb out of the car wearing a NAPA suit, the spectators had snapped photos – just for interest. However, one they saw the helmet removed, these couple of fans knew they had stumbled upon something special. “Kelley told me when I stopped by the shop this afternoon.” She had texted Bill earlier in the afternoon asking how things were with Chase. He had told her that Chase was stopping by to see the boys and then coming home. She thought she’d pick him up with having to goby the shop anyway to see Kelley about some business things. So much for that. “You’re lucky I didn’t come straight to the track and kick both your asses.” Bill then throws his arms up in defense. He should have known to expect this. He had expected this – but not quite so soon.
“It wasn’t my idea. I told him no when he kept mentioning running this weekend.” Cindy rolled her eyes. She had been around drivers all of her life and knew how things worked with them.
“Then how did it happen?” Bill takes a careful deep breath. He knew he was safe as he wasn’t to blame. He felt bad for Greg now, though. He knew that he’d have to text the crew chief later to make sure he stayed away from Cindy that weekend.
“I dropped him off at the shop because we agreed that he could simply stop in and check in with the guys. I told him I’d be back in about three hours as I had some errands to run. I texted his phone two and a half hours later and it was Dale who told me they were at Hickory. I thought maybe the team was testing – never thought that he’d be in the car.” Cindy shook her head in disbelief, ready to shoot Dale when she saw him. Drivers were drivers – no matter what, they couldn’t resist being in a car. And then Dale also had a sweet, caring side for Chase and no doubt Chase probably used that to his advantage.
“And when you got there?” Bill knew he was in shit now. He knew he should’ve said something. Perhaps he should’ve pretended that he never showed up at Hickory.
“I saw him on track and questioned it at first. Though once he assured me that he was being careful, and the pain wasn’t that bad, I let it go. Besides a bit of pain and the bandage, he’s fine sweetie. He’s a racecar driver. Racecar drivers will do what it takes to race.” Cindy rolls her eyes in disbelief. She should’ve known this would happen.
“And parents will do whatever it takes to keep their children from doing something stupid.” Chase could hear them and could only roll his eyes. He knew to expect this but would take it if he could race that weekend. “Chase Elliott, what were you thinking?” Chase then looks up at his mom. It was his turn to get a lecture.
“That I want to race this weekend and I feel well enough to race,” he comments as she rolls her eyes. She wasn’t about to let this happen under her watch.
“You are not racing no matter what you think,” Cindy tells him “I don’t care what you say. You’re crazy for even trying!” Chase takes a deep breath, trying to remain calm about it. He was a grown adult. He could make his own decisions. He knew how his body felt and what he could handle. He knew that he would be fine.
“Mom, I promise to be careful. If it’ll do further harm or hurts too much I won’t do it. However, besides some minor discomfort, I felt fine so I am going racing this weekend.” She then kneels down to his level, knowing that she has to see where she is coming from. Why were racers so hardheaded?
“Chase, take a couple weeks off and let your body fully heal. You’re out of the points and Kelley has someone to fill in. Do what’s right for your body.” Chase shakes his head as he knew that wasn’t an option.
“Mom, I’ll be fine.” She stands up and shakes her head no.
“William Clyde Elliott, you are not rac-”
“Mom, I’m an adult. I’m 19 years old now. I can make my own decisions. I am racing this weekend. The test went well and I have doctor’s approval. I also have approval from the team.” She then lets out an aggravated sigh as she goes go leave the room. “Mom, I love you.” She then stops and glances back. They had a couple fights here and there, but at the end, they couldn’t go without saying I love you because disagreement or not, they loved each other.
“Love you, too. Dinner will be ready in a half hour. We are having cabbage rolls.” Chase takes a calming deep breath. There was one part to this that was missing. Whether she agreed or not, he wanted her to be there. It wouldn’t be the same without having both his parents there for support. Since he was a little boy, they had both attended each of his races. He wasn’t going to let that change.
“I want you to be there this weekend.” She then takes a deep breath. She knew that she couldn’t stay home as she’d worry too much.
“I wouldn’t miss it because I will always support and love you, even if I don’t agree. Rest up as it seems you had a long day.” She then goes back out to the kitchen.
He hated to argue with his mom, but it had to be done. He wanted to be race this weekend and there was no way to accept no for an answer.
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