Free Checkered Flag by Chris Fabry

another commentator, a former crew chief, said. “Devalon just moved up a couple of spots and got right behind Dale and stole some air from him—got him loose.”
    “There’s no love lost there, but I’m surprised it happened this early in the race.”
    Jamie quickly tuned to her dad’s channel.
    “Just keep your cool. Nobody got hurt,” T.J. said.
    “Yeah, but we lost our position,” her dad said. “You know he did that on purpose.”
    “The officials will be watching to see if you give him payback,” T.J. said. “Keep it clean out there. We’ve got more than 250 laps left. Plenty of time to show what you’re made of.”
    “I’ll keep it clean. I’m just going to hunt him down and pass him.”
    Jamie smiled as she watched her dad zoom backinto the field. He was now in 25th place while Devalon had already made his move into the top 10.
    After a caution from a car into the wall on lap 20, the restart showed seven of the chasers in the top 10. Jamie’s dad was in the 19th spot and moving up. Then, on the 85th lap, a slower car being lapped veered left toward the pits and tagged the #01 car, one of the top contenders in the Chase, and sent him spinning. The #01 car tried to stay out of the pits but began smoking with a tire rub and had to come in.
    The race announcers talked to him in his headset.
    “This is what happens when you’ve got guys trying to make it to the top, and there are some others with less experience out here,” the #01 driver said. “It makes it exciting for the fans, but it can be frustrating here on the track.”
    Jamie thought it was a tactful way of saying he was spitting mad at the younger driver.
    “We’ve got to get you up front into the lead for a few laps,” T.J. said to her dad. “If you don’t, even if you win, we’ll be behind.”
    “Hey, if I get to the front, I don’t want to lead for just a few laps,” her dad said.
    “Ten-four,” T.J. said.
    On lap 115, with everyone coming in during a caution, Jamie’s dad was in 15th place and decidedto take just two tires. It was a risky move, but he got off pit road in the third spot. When the race resumed, he challenged the #51 car and took the lead on lap 124. At the restart, six of the top 10 drivers were chasers.
    “Feels good up front in the clean Kansas air,” her dad said.
    “Number 13 coming up fast,” Scotty radioed her dad.
    “Kinda figured that would happen,” her dad said.
    Her dad had led 10 laps, picking up extra points, when Butch Devalon challenged. Jamie saw the familiar black Chevy moving up in the monitors. She knew her dad was no match for Devalon and his four fresh tires, but he kept the inside line and made Devalon pass him on the outside. For two more laps her dad battled with him, struggling to keep the lead. Finally Devalon passed him (or her dad let him) and took over first. Jamie was just glad Devalon didn’t try to crash her dad.
    “I’m wearing out my tires and brakes out here,” her dad said.
    A few laps later there was another caution for debris on the track, and her dad came in for two more tires. He dropped out of the top 10 but was in a good position for the race.
    A blown engine in the middle of the pack sent four cars to the garage on lap 180. At that point, Devalonwas leading the field by nearly half a second and had led more than 60 laps of the race.
    “We gotta get back up front, Dale. There’s no two ways about it,” T.J. said.
    At the restart, her dad was in 11th place, with less than 70 laps to go. Jamie knew if he wanted to contend seriously for the championship, he’d need to at least finish in the top 10.
    “We have a window here between lap 220 and 230, Dale,” T.J. said. “You’re good on fuel, but you’re going to need new tires.”
    “All right, let me get back to you.”
    While Jamie watched her dad on the in-car camera, the team’s public relations representative, Chloe Snowe, came up behind her. Chloe was dating Billy Reuters, driver of the #72 car,