"Yeah, he hasn't moved from that spot in the last hour."
Strip looked in the direction his brother had gestured. Cal was glued to the carpet in front of the television, watching the racers on the screen make laps around the track. It was odd to see the kid stationary.
"I thought maybe after you retired he'd lose interest in it." his brother continued. "That wasn't the case at all."
"I'm tellin' you, the kid's made for it." Strip said with a hint of pride for his nephew. "He'll make it in with the rest of 'em one day, just wait."
"You've no clue how anxious that makes me." his brother muttered, remembering Strip's wreck a couple years back. He'd give anything to prevent Cal from ever being subjected to something that horrific.
"Anyway, just keep an eye on him for a couple hours." he continued on. "Me and the wife will be back soon. Just got some errands to run."
"No problem." Strip assured him..
After they'd left, Strip drove into the neighboring room and approached Cal. Cal glanced over at him and got excited. He bounced up and down a few times and pointed towards the screen.
"Ten laps left!" he exclaimed.
"What're you watchin', Cal?" Strip asked, parking next to him.
"Dino four-hundid!" Cal wriggled in anticipation, never letting his eyes leave the screen.
Strip laughed to himself. Cal's speech was getting a little better. He still couldn't really articulate words more than two or three syllables long, but at least he could at long last be understood.
"That's right! Who's winning?" Strip looked down as Cal analyzed the field meticulously.
"Kachow!" Cal yelled when the cameras shifted to show McQueen leading the pack. "Red one! In front!"
Well, he's not wrong. Strip thought to himself, amused. The former rookie's name was probably still a mouthful for someone of Cal's age.
"He's so fast!" Cal continued on, inching closer to the TV as there were five laps left, then three, then two. "Wins a lot! My fav'rite."
"Oh really?" Strip watched as McQueen made the last lap and crossed the finish line, earning his second Piston Cup.
Cal immediately started to hoot and holler, spinning around in circles, celebrating. Strip chuckled as he watched the small car make such a big deal out of it. Looking back at the screen, he saw Lightning's pit crew celebrating with him back in pit row. Seeing the Hudson Hornet made Strip take a moment and reminisce his own career, and how much he missed it at times.
"Ka-chow! Ka-chow! Ka-chow!" Cal was driving around in a circle, chanting the catchphrase. He was as excited as if he'd won the championship himself.
"Hey, Cal." Strip got his attention. "Did you know I raced with him his rookie year?"
Cal stopped and stared up at his uncle, completely astounded. He'd been too little to remember anything about that season at the time.
"Really?" he asked. "You race with Kachow? You know him?"
"Yeah. He's a good guy, Cal, one of the best left out there." Strip explained, thinking back on that year. He hesitated, recalling that last race, and decided to make a promise to Cal. The kid was old enough to start learning how to be a dignified competitor. "I tell you what, I'll make you a deal. If you're ever half the racer he is, I'll be your crew chief one day. I'll teach you everything I know."
Cal's eyes widened. His entire life he'd wanted nothing more than to race. Despite being so young, he knew his uncle wouldn't lie to him. A deal was a deal in their family.
"Promise?" Cal asked. "One day maybe, I get to race with Kachow?"
"Yeah, it's possible. But you gotta be good." Strip warned him. "You gotta work real hard if that's what you want."
Cal rushed over to the television and switched it off. He turned to face his uncle and put on his best look of determination.
"Teach me!" he demanded.
Strip smiled. That was the reaction he'd wanted. He'd noticed that determination in Cal some time ago, and now it was time to turn that potential into skill.