Before the story kicks off, I'd like to explain what will be going on here. As the majority of you who are reading this know, this will be a fanfic based up on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, told through the eyes of a hotshot rookie ("Me"). However, this is gonna be far different from your usual fic.

Unlike most fics, where everything is already set in stone from the very beginning, this one is going to be a "dynamic fic", created with the help of the PC game, NASCAR Racing 2003 Season. The system is simple: I run the races with the game, and when a key event happens, I mark it down on a notepad. Then, after the race has been run, I take the events that happened, and create a story around them. This makes it not only exciting for you, the reader, but also for me. You won't be able to tell what's coming next, because I won't even be able to until it happens.

The POV of this story will change quite a few times during the story. From first-person through "my" eyes, to a third-person perspective, told by the race broadcasters. This is something I've been wanting to try for a good while, and I hope it comes across well.

The main characters in the story are based upon me and a couple of my friends. The characters are:

Brett Hatfield - #89 Autobacs Dodge Charger, for Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (ARTA PROJECT) – This is obviously me. His personality is gonna be similar to mine, except cranked up to eleven. Cocky. Brash. Deadly serious when the situation calls for it. The fans already don't care much for him, mainly because his team is based in Japan instead of America, and his hatred of the redneck lifestyle. Not like he minds playing the villain, though.

Christopher Crosby – My best friend in real life, and Hatfield's crew chief in this story. While he'll admit he's not a master of the racing lexicon, he knows how to make the 89 go fast, and he's also a master strategist. Hatfield calls him "his personal evil genius".

Kevin Weiker - #32 Goodguys Ford Fusion, for Yates Racing – You folks probably know this guy as NASCARStones on Deviantart. This time, he's piloting the fourth Yates car, and living a dream. On the surface, he's probably the most relaxed of your three main characters, since he's the "elder", per se. On the inside, though, he's quite paranoid of losing his ride. Not because of his performance, but because of the business practices at his team. It's because of this, that he has a legit hatred for teammate Paul Menard.

Jack Stroski - #98 Thorn Apple Valley Ford Fusion, for Yarborough Motorsports – DarkBlueYoshi on DA. He's the Knuckles to Hatfield's Sonic; A connection that will be played with by their shared Sega sponsorship. The youngest of your three main characters. Fans are generally calling him the next Gordon, either as a compliment to his skill, or as an insult to his personality.

Now, for entertainment's sake, I will be taking a few creative liberties. Firstly, the schedule will be changed a bit, with Pocono being replaced by Laguna Seca and Nashville, and five more races added to the end of the season. Secondly, the points system will be the same as the British Touring Car Championship, instead of the current NASCAR system. The points will be as follows.

Points are awarded to the top ten drivers in each race.

1st = 15 pts

2nd = 12 pts

3rd = 10 pts

4th = 8 pts

5th = 6 pts

6th = 5 pts

7th = 4 pts

8th = 3 pts

9th = 2 pts

10th = 1 pt

An extra point is awarded to the driver who sets the fastest lap of each race.

A bonus point is awarded to each driver who is classified as leading a lap, though no driver may collect more than one point per race no matter how many laps they lead.

A bonus point is also given to the driver who lines up on pole position after the qualifying session.

This will make for a more exciting season, I believe.

Anyways, at this point, I'd like to state that I am NOT a part of NASCAR in any shape or form, aside from being a fan. (Seriously. If I were, do you think I'd be sitting here doing this?) Any and all trademarks mentioned here in the story, or on the official website for the story, are copyright to their respective owners, and no infringement is intended.

And with that said, get ready for one helluva ride…

PS: Don't forget to check out the official site for the story, located at freewebs.com/eighty-nine/. There, you can check the season standings, see "photos" from the races, get some background info on the 89 car, and even download your own copy of the car for your NR2003 game.

Enjoy!

B. Hatfield (Avenger)