“Really? That’s amazing.” I had no idea that was done.
Mason shows me everything from the helmets on the wall the pit crew will use to the VIP section, where visitors can observe what is going on in the garage during the weekend.
Then we come back to where Zach is waiting for Mason, and mechanics are all around his car, hard at work preparing for the first and only practice session of the day before qualifying.
“So now you’re getting ready for FP1,” I say.
“Yeah. During this session, you get a feel for the track. Identify braking points, stuff like that. It’s also when I give feedback on how the car feels, what needs to be adjusted. Zach and I will look at the data, and that will help both the mechanics and me get ready for sprint qualifying. This is harder for us on sprint weekends because we only get one practice session instead of three.”
“That’s more pressure.”
“For sure. But we’ll get it done and hopefully land on pole for the race tomorrow,” Mason says.
“One more question. It’s very serious.”
He looks at me curiously, but there’s still a smile on his face. “Why do I feel like I should be alarmed?”
“Oh, you should be,” I say, grinning at him. “Ready?”
“No.”
We both laugh.
“Come on, you drive a race car for a living, my question is nothing.”
“All right. Go on.”
“What is an underrated kitchen tool or appliance?” I ask gravely.
Mason looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What?”
“You know, like I love my blender.”
“I don’t really have an underrated tool, but I think mango chutney is an underrated condiment.”
“Interesting.” I like the fact that Mason took the assignment and ran with it.
“It’s great on a sandwich,” he explains.
“Do you travel with it?” I ask.
He laughs. “Yes, I do.”
“So there you have it. Mason’s tour of the Collings Motors garage, and we know he travels with mango chutney. Next up? I’m getting inside Caleb Collings’s race car, and I can’t wait. Let’s go check it out.” I pause for a moment. “Okay, that’s great, thank you, Catherine.”
“Mango chutney?” she asks Mason.
“Yes, mango chutney. It makes everything better.”
“And you travel with it?” she continues.
“Go look in the fridge in my room,” he urges. “I also recommend it with cheese and crackers. With meat. It works on everything.”
Catherine makes a face that tells me she’s not a believer.
“Trust me,” he says, reading her expression like I did.
She shakes her head. “I’m not a fan.”