Typical Day
Daren Roadrage gets out of bed at 5am, fills up on a drink of water, protein powder and 6 egg whites before starting his morning run. Not only does running keep Daren in the kind of fit shape he needs to be in to race, but it helps clear his mind of the sheer terror that grips him at random times when he realizes that this day may very well be his last. It’s also really good for his heart.
Daren thinks back on yesterday’s photo shoot for one of his sponsors, Pitstop deodorant. Daren had never actually used Pitstop before but the corporate mucky mucks who pay him the big bucks to sponsor his car decided he needed to be authentic for the shoot, so they slather his arm pits with the deodorant and made him stand in front of the camera shirtless for hours. They didn’t count on Daren being allergic to the stuff and getting his pits all inflamed, red and itchy which was what was distracting him right now.
The camera crew said they would just take the redness out in Photoshop for the ad, but Daren was not realizing he would still feel itchy and uncomfortable a whole day later. And this being a race day, nothing should be getting in his way of racking up another win on his already impressive record toward the cup, definitely not some stupid deodorant.
After his run, Daren heads to the track early where he checks out the car, talks to the crew and suits up in his fireproof suit. While normally this isn’t a huge qualifying event, the fact that it takes place in Daren’s home track makes it important and his crew knows it. Daren’s mom and dad will be in the audience, as well as Misty, the girl that Daren had a crush on, who wouldn’t give him the time of day in high school and Rusty, Daren’s nemesis who picked on him as a kid. He heard nowadays Rusty spent his time at the auto garage fixing cars while Daren got to drive ‘em around the track for ten times the salary. Karma bites.
Daren checks in with his pit crew, who gives him the okay silently by showing him the thumbs up sign. They also know not to talk to Daren unless they absolutely have to before a race. Daren is nervous enough and chatter just makes him even more anxious. This is his time, his race to lose or to win, hopefully the latter.
After puking his guts out in the golden bucket set aside just for him, Daren wipes the sick from his mouth, spits three times on the floor for luck and slaps his helmet on. He says a prayer, takes a deep breath and crawls into his car, maybe for the last time ever.
Now it’s just Daren, the car and the track. He tunes out all the noise of the other cars next to him and in front of him. He tunes out the immense blast of heat coming at him from all sides. He tunes it all out, as he it for his practice run. The run is a bust. His timing is off. The curves are wide and slow. The wheel is handling all wrong. Something in the car just doesn’t feel right. His crew has less than a minute to figure out the problem and get Daren back on the road for the race.
The crew works furiously on the car, taking things apart and putting them back together, the zip zip zip of the drill bit the only sound heard, as Daren paces the floor and tries not to wig out. He feels the TV cameras on him, following his every move. Never let ‘em see you sweat, who said that, he wonders. Either it was from an old western or yesterday’s deodorant shoot, he can’t remember which.
A minute and a half that feels like eternity later, Daren gets back in the car and he’s off for the race.
At the start, Daren shoots out in the lead and hopes to hold it for the race. His high lasts for about 48 seconds when he finds himself gasping for air, chocking choking on the fumes and exhaust of his arch rival, Byte Mee. Daren rams into Byte’s car from the side, hoping to knock him out of the race. It doesn’t work and Daren’s car slows as a result. Not good.
Suddenly Daren is rear ended from behind. Daren’s car hits the wall and spins out. It’s only the third lap but for him, the race is over. Luckily, Daren isn’t hurt except for some minor cuts and bruises. His pride and ego, however, are in critical condition.
Byte Mee wins the race in Daren’s home town. Daren looks over to his mother and father who can’t even make eye contact. The crowd Boos, voicing it’s disapproval of its hometown favorite bailing out.
As if that weren’t bad enough, the owner of Todishko Computers, one of his main sponsors walks over to Daren. He shakes his hand, offers him a slap on the back and says “Don’t worry, we’ll get ‘em next time, Tiger.” He smiles, but Daren can tell the man is pissed off, and rightly so. Every time Daren loses, he loses money and face.
For Daren, who know, there might not be a next time after today’s sparking performance. For now though, all he can do is rest his sore muscles, get something to eat and start all over again tomorrow.