Free sidewayz glory by Todd Strasser, Sammy Yuen Jr., CRAIG PHILLIPS

build it back up before I start working a clutch.”
    â€œGotcha,” Driftdog said. “But when the time’s right, you let me know.”
    Meanwhile, the group over by
Slide or Die
was still talking.
    â€œWhat do you think they’re gabbing about?” Tito asked.
    â€œMostly the track layout,” Driftdog said. “They’ve been fiddling with it all afternoon.”
    Sure enough, Megs and Mutt walked out on the track and started to move the orange cones around, widening the apex in one of the curves. While Ian headed for the white Cressida, Chris joined Kennin, Tito, and Mariel. He glanced from Mariel to Kennin and back.
    â€œWhere you been?” he asked Mariel.
    â€œI took a friend to get his cast off,” Mariel replied.
    Chris looked at Kennin. “You gonna drive again?”
    â€œNot sure,” Kennin replied.
    â€œHe will,” Tito declared. “All he has to do is get his hands on a decent beater and you’ll see.”
    An engine revved loudly behind them as Ian took off in the white Cressida. He entered the first curve with a big sideways slide and wound up doing a donut. The Cressida stalled in a cloud of white smoke, Ian quickly started it up, redlined the engine, and promptly turned another donut, this time plowing through half a dozen orange cones before stalling a second time. Starting up again, he took off for the next turn, creating a loud scraping sound.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with his car?” Mariel asked.
    â€œNothing,” Kennin said. “He’s just dragging two cones.”
    â€œOh yeah.” Tito grinned at the sight of the cones jammed under the Cressida.
    Ian must have heard the noise, because he stopped in the middle of the track and got out of the car. Everyone watched from the pit area while he walked around the car, searching for the source of the scraping sound, whichhad stopped when the car stopped. Next he popped the Cressida’s hood.
    Finding nothing wrong, Ian got back into the car. No sooner did the car start to move than the loud scraping noise began. Once again Ian stopped, got out of the car, and walked around it for the second time, obviously mystified by the source of the noise.
    â€œThat’s so phat!” Tito chuckled. “He can’t figure it out!”
    â€œNeither would you if you were out there,” Chris muttered.
    That was probably true, but it was still funny to watch Ian get back in the car and start to drive, only to stop as soon as the scraping began again. For the third time he searched for the source of the sound. Finally, he got back into the car and drove slowly back toward the pit with the dull sound of scraping still coming from under the car.
    â€œIs this a tryout for the team?” Tito asked Chris.
    Chris shook his head. “They just asked if anyone wanted to come over and try the track.”
    â€œWhat do you think?” Kennin asked.
    Chris studied him for a moment, as if uncertain how to answer. Finally he said, “I’m not sure I like it. It’s kind of like going back to where most of us started. Killing tires doing donuts in an empty parking lot. And it’s mostly a first-and second-gear course. Kind of hard to get up any real speed. I guess the safety thing is pretty big right now, but Idon’t know about judged events. It’s not the same as a tsuiso.”
    â€œBut you could get sponsored,” Tito said. “Think about a deal with Yokohama or Cooper and then never having to buy tires again.”
    Chris nodded thoughtfully, then turned to Mariel. “I’m finished here. Gonna put the street rubber back on and bounce. Want to go?”
    Mariel looked at Kennin, then back at him. “I might want to stay.”
    Chris’s face hardened, and once again he looked from Mariel to Kennin.
    â€œYou should go,” Kennin said to Mariel. “I’ve got to get to work.”
    Mariel shrugged a shoulder, as if she didn’t