The TV cameras switch to that famous bar of five red lights above the start line. One by one, they will illuminate, in one-second intervals. When they all go black, the race will begin.
Each light coming on builds anticipation. Tension. Drama.
The “lights out” moment is about to happen, and it’s one of the greatest moments in sports.
My heart is in my throat as I stare at that black bar.
One red light comes on. My nerves jump when I see it.
The second light turns red.
The third light illuminates, followed by the fourth.
I suck in a breath as the fifth and final light goes up.
I wait for what seems like an eternity, but it’s anywhere between .02 and 3 seconds before the lights go out. The time is randomized so drivers can’t anticipate the start of the race.
I stare at those red lights, my heart in my throat.
Then they all go black.
All the cars take off. There’s the roar of the engines, the chaos of all twenty cars tightly packed together as they all fight to move up positions on the track.
But my eyes are only on car 91.
Just as Caleb predicted, the navy-and-pale-blue car of Hoffman Racing goes right for the top spot. Xavier puts pressure on Caleb, and they go side by side. I hold my breath as they approach the first turn. Caleb doesn’t cede ground, and Xavier backs off.
Caleb comes out ahead.
I exhale. Then I smile. The race is well and truly underway.
And I hope Caleb ends up on the podium by the end of it.
* * *
Ten laps to go.
Caleb is 2.6 seconds ahead of Xavier.
In a few laps, Xavier will be in the DRS zone—the area of the track where a driver can activate the drag reduction system on the car by opening the rear wing to go faster when you are within one second of the car in front of you.
There will be a fight to the finish between Caleb and Xavier.
I bite my lip. My body is tense as Caleb completes another lap. Xavier is closing the gap.
Come on, Caleb,I will him.
The crowd begins to cheer. They sense the challenge coming.
The gap has closed to two seconds.
Adrenaline surges through me. I can’t tear my eyes away from the screen. I’m listening to Caleb’s radio in my earbuds, and JP continues to update him on how Xavier is closing the gap. It’s too stressful for me to bear, so I turn that off and focus on the coverage from The Downforce Network on the main screen.
But I can’t avoid the graphics or the announcers, who paint an intense battle between the two friends for first place.
Lap fifty-six—Xavier is now running 1.92 seconds behind Caleb.
On lap fifty-seven, the gap between the cars has closed to 1.85 seconds. Then 1.67 seconds.