AN: I'm going to Watkins Glen in September to see the Vintage Grand Prix! I was literally there one week before the NASCAR race this summer. It was there the weekend of my birthday.
Smokey wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting but he knew he was going to end up following this charity race much closer than he had been with Piston Cup.
And he'd been keeping up with Piston a lot lately.
His brother had never been one for long sit down interviews so he had wondered what it was the kid had done to get him to agree to one. They'd been corresponding less than a year through letters and had spoken on the phone three times. He still had a hard time filling in fifty years worth of gaps.
Why would he suddenly decide to get back on a track.
"It's a charity race." Lou had reminded him unnecessarily.
Right.
The St. Jude's Race for Children.
Jesse wouldn't turn down something to benefit sick kids.
It made the interview a little harder to watch.
After the end of the Official Piston Cup season it had been announced that there would be one more race, a little unorthodox and run with vintage cars from all racing circuits, but the reasoning behind it was worth the attention.
The front liners, at least from Piston Cup, were Strip Weathers and Jesse Hudson.
The living room had suddenly become the favorite meeting place of the old crew once more, minus a few key people, but if he focused hard enough on the screen it didn't feel so achingly familiar.
Extended family had forced him to keep up with the times, and the sharp image on the flat screen did nothing to ease the growing pressure between his ears.
RSN was holding their own impromptu press conference, he'd heard it mentioned briefly by Cartrip after last week's race and had hunted down the time it was meant to be aired.
TV guides were a thing of the past, too. Good thing he knew people who had a better handle on all this than he did.
The young woman in charge of the interview was newer to RSN and her nervousness was hidden carefully behind professionalism and enthusiasm. Smokey was surprised to realize it was a live feed and wished he'd thought far enough ahead to record it.
It would probably air another four or five times, though.
Their backdrop was Pit Row, the Superbird and Hornet conveniently parked behind the wall and five of those folding canvas chairs were positioned in front of the camera, one to the side for the interviewer, and four in a half circle in front of the cars. Because it was a live feed and the interview hadn't started yet, he was able to watch them unguarded. He watched his brother speaking to McQueen, wishing he could hear the conversation as the kid smiled widely before shaking his head.
He studied every nuance and gesture, as if he didn't quite believe the person wearing that jacket Ruth had made so long ago was really his younger brother, but the squared shoulders and overall confidant stance as he looked past the kid's shoulder and down Pit Row, or the way he leaned to the side and grinned when Weathers appeared and said something only loud enough for him to hear screamed Jesse Hudson.
It kind of made him want to scream.
Because, really, how dare he disappear without a word and then become headline news and own the camera again after so long.
A ghost shouldn't have that much presence.
He realized they'd gotten started, or were at least preparing to. Weathers and his nephew sat in the first two chairs while his brother and McQueen sat to the right. To the edge of the frame, Smokey could tell there were people crowding the edges of the roped off area taking pictures and video.
The very first question had him wondering how this was going to go. With the broadcast running live, he doubted they'd been told much of what the questions would entail.
He watched his brother's expression shift ever so subtly, most would consider it professionalism but he knew it was guarded offense over being questioned on why he'd left the sport and had disappeared for so long. He could tell if McQueen was holding a mic he'd be playing with it nervously, but of course they'd been given those little mic packs that clipped on to a collar.
The answer was vague and he wasn't surprised.
"She'll need to move on or she's going to lose this interview before it starts..." River commented lowly.
The attention shifted to Weathers and how he was enjoying retirement, at least from driving, and then to the new Dinoco driver and how he felt after his first season as the face of the biggest sponsor in Piston.
McQueen was finally brought in to the fold and the kid's smile was as charming as ever, minus the egotism, which made it much more warm and sincere.
"Before I ask anything, I want to congratulate you on your first Piston Cup."
The cheers from the crowd nearly over powered the kid's reply and the smile reminded him of his brother's first title. "Thanks. We worked hard this year."
He doesn't know what his brother muttered but it made McQueen laugh before continuing. "Yeah, ok, some of us did."
"Is that what hard work looks like?" Strip threw in, leaning out to see around the two seated between him and the kid. Their own banter took over for a few moments before the interviewer reeled them back in. Smokey was forced to grin at the raised brows and the I guess we've been told expression on his brother's face.
The next question was more serious as she directed it back around to the race.
"What did it take Lightning to convince you to come back on to the track."
"There was no convincing."
"Oh?"
"I'd like to take credit, but can't on this one." McQueen cut in.
"It was Weathers who mentioned it actually."
The new Dinoco driver (Cal was it?) shifted in his seat. "I'd been to the children's hospital a few months ago to visit kids that were receiving treatment and felt the need to do something to help contribute."
"So you all jumped on board-" She lead.
None of them gathered in the living room were too surprised when Hud spoke, because they didn't know Doc. "St. Jude's does good work-"
"You're a doctor, also, isn't that correct?"
He paused briefly before continuing. "I am. I've seen what illness can do to young people-"
Smokey felt his chest tighten.
"-and I've had to refer families to The Children's Hospital. They do great work in providing care for these kids that need help but they can't do it on their own either. It's a two million dollar price tag to keep them in operation for a single day."
The others had all nodded, there wasn't much you could add to that without sounding redundant.
She redirected, noticing movement behind the cameras. "Any pre-race nervousness going on?"
Both Hudson and Weathers looked toward each other and shook their heads, it was pretty old hat by now.
"He's never raced on pavement." McQueen muttered lowly with a smirk.
The interviewer took it and ran with it. "Wait, The Fabulous Hudson Hornet has never run on asphalt?"
"It'll be interesting." Was his brother's vague answer. He was grinning, though, so Smokey wasn't that concerned.
"So you'll be running with the Dinoco and Rust-eze pit crews-"
"That took some practice." Cal added. "They're used to stock cars, not these." He gestured over his shoulder with a thumb to the cars behind them.
"Well Dinoco is better practiced with the 'bird." McQueen countered.
"I'm sure." She continued. "Who will be running the pit spaces?"
"We're switching places so to speak." Strip answered as he gestured between himself and Cal.
"Your drivers are going to be your crew chiefs?"
McQueen's smile couldn't have gotten brighter.
"You're going to be The Fabulous Hudson Hornet's crew chief."
"That's the sum of it." He beamed.
Smokey could tell the others had all looked in his general direction subtly and he wasn't sure if he was impressed or offended that his brother would take orders from someone other than him.
"Well it's been a pleasure, gentlemen, and I wish I could keep you here longer but I'm seeing movement back behind the wall and-...now they're telling me the opening remarks are about to start."
The four stood, a little surprised at the sudden shift, as they thanked her and uncliped mics.
She turned toward the camera with a broad smile as a voice over from Cutlass cut into the scene.
"Sorry to cut this short, Kelly, but they didn't give us much time-"
"No it's alright, Bob. I'm sure everyone's more interested in getting on the track."
The camera went to Cartrip and Cutless in the studio space and Cartrip shook his head. "I don't think there could be a better cause to get all these drivers back out there, and what a beautiful day for a race."
"A beautiful day indeed, Darrell." Looking up at the camera, Cutlass continued. "I don't think I speak only for myself when I say the hype is building. Let's see how these youngsters do in taking over as crew chiefs, how some of these outside circuit drivers do amongst Piston Veterans and what I'm most interested in seeing-" He glanced once toward Cartrip and back at the camera.
"The Hudson Hornet off a dirt track. Stay tuned, the St. Jude's Race for Children is about to get underway."
There was an overview of the track, the usual music that played before commercials, and a few closeups of drivers and pit crews going over last minute preparations. The last image before it cut away was McQueen fixing his headset as he stood beside the Hornet and it's driver.
Everyone got up, knowing they had a few minutes to stretch their legs.
Lou stood in front of Smokey's chair and eyed him knowingly. He only glared at the television before huffing and getting up to go to the kitchen.
"Kid better not kill my brother."
"Hud obviously trusts him."
"And when has he proven to have good judgment recently?"
Lou only shook her head and went for another drink, because he really wasn't wrong. She huffed at a flustered Smokey she hadn't seen in decades. It was as if he was the one with pre-race nervousness. She shared an amused look with River in the kitchen when Smokey closed the frig door with a little more force than necessary.
"Moon, did you bring any of that moonshine left over from last weekend!"
