I have to pause a minute. It had been a while since I heard one with a purr like this. That soothing sound of the engine with its pistons beating and belts gliding would always give me goose bumps especially when I knew it was because of me. But even I know out there in a race, you can’t just hear the car. You’ve got to feel it. Somewhere between the two, you know its ready. You know it’s going to take you floating across that black sea, lap after lap, to the finish to the win. A little piece of heaven snagged by just the right push, just the right oil, just the right crew. The right crew is essential. I always know that talking too much can kill a crew. Everyone has to know what to do and just get it done. Everyone has to hear that same tune, that same purr. The hum is that gets my blood boiling every time. I can literally feel it coursing through my veins. And that’s why we were on top. We were above Smith, Williams, and most definitely above Fox Racing. Sponsors were constantly fighting over retail space on our cars because they knew that we were definitely the camp to beat, the team to watch. Top racers, top 5 placement, and definitely top pit crew that was Carlin Racing. I couldn’t help but love it. Racing was my life and fixing anything was my specialty.

“Hey kid! … Are you gonna be under that hood all day?!”

A smile broke on my face as I recognized the voice. It was Genito. Genito has been with my father since I could remember. He was a short little guy and tattooed nearly everywhere. At first sight, you might think you should run, but he was definitely number one on my list. Sometimes I wondered how a man in his late 60s still had so much energy. He used to say it’s a pit man’s life that keeps you healthy and active. Hearing those roaring engines everyday couldn’t help but be a spark. He taught me how to pull out my first alternator. He was the best mechanic any pit crew could have, well other than me, of course.