01-06-2020, 10:55 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-10-2021, 08:42 PM by Terry Bentley.)
Chapter 15
As I am overcoming all these fears getting my feet wet for the first time, something else had been conspiring in the pits. Seems like the kid that had been thrown out of his race earlier decided to come back and prove once and for all who the better driver was. David was the driver that started on pole for the feature and this other kid decided there was a a score that needed to be settled tonite.
This is all second hand information Steve had filled me in on the next day. For right now I didnt have a clue what was happening. While I had been running with David under simulated race conditions, this other kid pulled out on the track as we passed the entrance. I never did find out who he was. Seems like he and his whole family was barred from track for life after this incident.
Enjoying the laps and even having my confidence boosted when passing back and forth with David a few times, it happened. We just passed the track entrance, where the other kid was waiting to pull on behind us. We go thru the next turn that leads onto the long straightaway.
I was running just ahead of David. He gave me the thumbs up when passing him out of that turn. Then I went in just a little too deep in the next turn, scrubbing off some speed. Just enough for David to stick his nose under me. Then out of nowhere that other driver rammed his kart on the inside of David.
They are tangled up and both then slide up into me. I had no idea what was going on at the moment. Just that I remember yelling at the top of my lungs. OH $&(^. That is the only time I used this type language. Glad the helmet was on and nobody heard me. My kart, uh Mr Cates kart, from I remember, for that partial second while your whole life passes in front of your eyes.......
I remember trying to straighten out the kart which seemed to only make it worse. The brakes? What brakes? They dont seem to work so well when the kart is air born. That turn at end of the long straight is heavily banked. I am going off the highest part right as exiting that turn. The kart seems extremely light at the moment and I am starting to feel really queezy in the gut. I remember the back of kart was coming around. Starting to swap ends.
The kart keeps spinning around helicoptering even faster. I remember something about the laws of physics from science class that comes to mind right now. The banked turn acts as a ramp that launches up into outer space it seemed at that moment. Everything gets fuzzy and blrrs. A very loud bang clank, and crash. I get jerked really hard to one side of the seat. Then my head snaps forward and down. I am still holding the steering wheel really tight, but my body is not in the kart anymore.
My wrists get a stinging feeling and then finally let go. What I remember next is such a warm feeling. My body is nothing but limp. Really like having no weight at all. But there is such a bright light. So close I can almost touch it. Just out of reach. So warm. Why cant I touch it? For what seemed an eternity, it was surreal and like a dream. I wanted to reach that bright light. It was so inviting. And I was at peace. Everything was quiet.
Well if I could just reach out. Reach out and touch that light. It was right there in front of my face, but I just couldnt reach there. I am being pulled away from that light. The warmth, such a strong desire to reach it. Ahhhh. Everything goes dark. I feel something is pulling and grabbing. Voices and shouting. Some yelling in the distance, but cant really make out what is being said. Just want that warm feeling to return. Where did it go. It was right there in front of me.
Now it is mostly dark. I feel like being wrapped up in masking tape. Cant really move, but the warmth is coming back. Just no light. Wait I do see some light in the distance, but a dark outline, blocking the bright.....but not nearly as bright. More or a dim yellow but what is it?
As I am overcoming all these fears getting my feet wet for the first time, something else had been conspiring in the pits. Seems like the kid that had been thrown out of his race earlier decided to come back and prove once and for all who the better driver was. David was the driver that started on pole for the feature and this other kid decided there was a a score that needed to be settled tonite.
This is all second hand information Steve had filled me in on the next day. For right now I didnt have a clue what was happening. While I had been running with David under simulated race conditions, this other kid pulled out on the track as we passed the entrance. I never did find out who he was. Seems like he and his whole family was barred from track for life after this incident.
Enjoying the laps and even having my confidence boosted when passing back and forth with David a few times, it happened. We just passed the track entrance, where the other kid was waiting to pull on behind us. We go thru the next turn that leads onto the long straightaway.
I was running just ahead of David. He gave me the thumbs up when passing him out of that turn. Then I went in just a little too deep in the next turn, scrubbing off some speed. Just enough for David to stick his nose under me. Then out of nowhere that other driver rammed his kart on the inside of David.
They are tangled up and both then slide up into me. I had no idea what was going on at the moment. Just that I remember yelling at the top of my lungs. OH $&(^. That is the only time I used this type language. Glad the helmet was on and nobody heard me. My kart, uh Mr Cates kart, from I remember, for that partial second while your whole life passes in front of your eyes.......
I remember trying to straighten out the kart which seemed to only make it worse. The brakes? What brakes? They dont seem to work so well when the kart is air born. That turn at end of the long straight is heavily banked. I am going off the highest part right as exiting that turn. The kart seems extremely light at the moment and I am starting to feel really queezy in the gut. I remember the back of kart was coming around. Starting to swap ends.
The kart keeps spinning around helicoptering even faster. I remember something about the laws of physics from science class that comes to mind right now. The banked turn acts as a ramp that launches up into outer space it seemed at that moment. Everything gets fuzzy and blrrs. A very loud bang clank, and crash. I get jerked really hard to one side of the seat. Then my head snaps forward and down. I am still holding the steering wheel really tight, but my body is not in the kart anymore.
My wrists get a stinging feeling and then finally let go. What I remember next is such a warm feeling. My body is nothing but limp. Really like having no weight at all. But there is such a bright light. So close I can almost touch it. Just out of reach. So warm. Why cant I touch it? For what seemed an eternity, it was surreal and like a dream. I wanted to reach that bright light. It was so inviting. And I was at peace. Everything was quiet.
Well if I could just reach out. Reach out and touch that light. It was right there in front of my face, but I just couldnt reach there. I am being pulled away from that light. The warmth, such a strong desire to reach it. Ahhhh. Everything goes dark. I feel something is pulling and grabbing. Voices and shouting. Some yelling in the distance, but cant really make out what is being said. Just want that warm feeling to return. Where did it go. It was right there in front of me.
Now it is mostly dark. I feel like being wrapped up in masking tape. Cant really move, but the warmth is coming back. Just no light. Wait I do see some light in the distance, but a dark outline, blocking the bright.....but not nearly as bright. More or a dim yellow but what is it?