Chapter Two: Sponsor Monster
The air was thick and hot in the conference room. Around the table were four people, sweating profusely with their eyes focused on the TV. Unfortunately, the construction was underway - causing the AC to be temporarily broken - so the little group was relocated to the basement, void of any windows.
Cruz was draped over the dingy fan, holding up her baggy shirt so the wind blew into it. Sterling hadn't touched the basement at all - the walls weren't even done. She honestly didn't think it'd be this bad.
The remaining three people were dispersed all around the table. Tex Dinoco held his head in his hands, wiping his sweat with a paper towel. The funny thing about Tex was that he always looked somewhat inebriated. He was also forced against his will to be here instead of supervising the construction going on upstairs, which he absolutely hated.
"Cruz! Pay attention to the screen!" Tex yelled, his mustache twitching as the whirring increased. She could sense his agitation just from his voice.
Cruz leaned against the fan one more time before reluctantly taking her place at the table. This wasn't the high life with McQueen anymore, and the last thing she wanted to do was annoy her first sponsor.
Next to him was a younger man in his thirties, looking much more relaxed with his arms folded across his chest. Still, his blue eyes looked tired as he gazed at the TV.
You didn't need to be a Piston Cup fan to know who he was. Cal Weathers was known even by Cruz's mom, more for his relationship to the King than for his racing. Cal was such a chill person that he probably wouldn't have become a racer if he wasn't born under the name Weathers. He lacked adrenaline rushes during races and relied more on thought-out strategies to win. Despite all this, he was a fan favorite. He had multiple wins under his belt, after all.
Well, emphasis on was. He retired only last year and immediately went on a vacation with his wife to the Bahamas for three months. Lightning's stories made Cruz expect a sullener guy who lost the job of his life, but on the contrary, he looked pretty happy to her. He did his job well, spent a hell of a time winning during the short time he was in it, and retired with more than enough money to spare.
Cal was a staple Dinoco boy. And now, Cruz's new crew chief.
Or something like that. It was Kyle, the Dinoco spotter, who made Tex attend the little race analysis, hoping it would bring Cal back into the racing world. Even now, Cal wasn't fully convinced he was the right man for the job; Tex always teased him for his racing. Everything had been super short notice for the old superstar, and he was feeling a bit stressful.
"So, Lightning taught you that move?" Cal asked, pointing at the TV. Kyle re-winded the part where Cruz flipped over Jackson. Kyle was the only one paying attention and taking notes, so it seemed fit that he had control of the remote.
"Yep," Cruz replied. "Actually... no. Louise told me about Doc doing it, so no, he didn't teach me."
"Cruz, get up from the floor," Tex ordered.
She was lying backwards on her chair so her arms dangled and her hands touched the ground.
"Sorry sir," She said, hoisting herself back on the chair.
"I've never seen Jackson look that surprised before," Cal remarked, touching his face. "Or that expressive. His face is always the same. He'll never get wrinkles."
"Okay, so at least he'll know not to ram you into the wall again," Kyle said, rewinding the clip one more time. "But seriously Cruz. You had a huge advantage - the element of surprise. He'll be prepared next time, and you might not be."
"What can I do?" Cruz asked, serious this time. "It's not like he's gonna stop being aggressive to me, or anyone."
"That's what I was thinking," Kyle continued, turning off the TV and facing her. "We need a plan. A really fucking well thought-out plan."
"Kyle and I are good at those." Cal added, smiling at her and Tex.
"I took some notes throughout the race and I gotta say - these next-gens are damn good at racing, Cruz. Even better than you, but that's understandable right now. They've trained their whole lives and their cars... whew." Kyle continued. "But you have something they don't have. Personality."
"A wise man once told me that racing isn't all about winning." Cal interrupted.
Tex blushed and shifted in his seat.
"So you're telling me it's okay to not win?" Cruz asked incredulously. "And let Storm rack up all the points? I can win again, guys. Momentum, right?"
"We're sure you can Cruz, with the proper practice," Cal said. "But what we were thinking was winning over the crowd, not necessarily the race. There's no telling what good PR can do. You're the new face of Dinoco – of course people will be interested, and old fans of the 51 will adore you!"
"I've been studying Storm all the way up from the grandstands while Cal was still a racer. If there's one thing I learned, it's that Storm values his public image and how people view him, possibly even more than winning. You taking his spotlight will definitely hit a nerve. It'll throw him off balance." Kyle said firmly, looking at her straight in the eye. "Leave it to us, Cruz. We'll make you the princess of the sport. All you have to do is practice and win some points."
"You have the skills – they just need to be perfected for the track. You're racing with the big boys, remember." Cal cracked a grin. "First female Dinoco racer, not to mention a minority. You'll be a big hit with the audience."
"We'll get a bunch of sponsors, not just Dinoco. Imagine - Storm won't even be able to turn on his TV without seeing you in every ad. The RCN will go crazy for you. You'll have him losing momentum in no time." Kyle finished.
Cruz stared at them as her mind went blank. She felt like she was a foreigner in this new world. She knew nothing about PR, and doubted that she'd even have fans. Would she have to wear makeup underneath her helmet? She realized they were expecting her to answer.
"I, uh yeah, so all I have to do is train, right?" She stammered as her headache increased. "It's really hot in here."
"Great! Cal and I'll get this plan in action. Don't worry, we have a whole team for this kinda stuff. Cruz, your target audience will be older adults, fans of the sport for a long time. Or younger males." Kyle stood up, wiping his sweat.
"I better check up on those guys upstairs," Tex said, slapping Cal on the back. "Glad you're apart of the team again, old sport. You too, Cruz."
"We need to leave for Talladega by tomorrow," Cal reported. "The other guys are already on their way there."
Cruz's heart pounded as the two other older men stood up to leave the room. They seemed so experienced and she felt so... naive. She began to get up but stopped herself.
She looked left and caught a glimpse of her reflection on the dark screen. Her wide eyes stared back at her brown hair curtaining her darker skin. Her face looked too fat, her neck too short and her thighs squished against the seat. She blinked and the TV seemed to bore holes in her face, daring her to look away.
That face and body would be on televisions all over the country. It'd be playing in restaurants, hotels and social media sites. It'd be playing on the screens of teenage boys' phones, making fun of her or ogling her - one of the two. It'd be playing on Storm's huge TV, making his hate for her only grow. It'd be playing as her mom washed the dishes, regretting ever letting her daughter leave home.
She always thought racing would be a dream come true. Her career was finally starting; it was all she ever wanted since she was a kid.
You can't have a rainbow without a little rain, she reminded herself, and swiftly followed the Dinoco men out of the room. She needed to get her fears behind her and push forward. Racer, not a trainer.
She'd prove herself worthy to bear the number 51.
The Vitoline team had arrived a couple hours before nightfall. Although it was still April, the night air was warm and sticky. The hotel's AC was on full blast, but Chase Racelott was in need of a walk and fresh air.
He left his room quickly, bringing a bottle of Mountain Dew. He never got to drink it in public anymore. He had a partnership with Vitoline, and being shown drinking Mountain Dew would create a conflict of interest. It was definitely one of the few downsides of having sponsors.
He plugged in his earphones and was ready to explore the track when he saw Tim Treadless already there. Tim was talking on the phone, so Chase decided to keep his distance and leave him be for a few minutes. His favorite song was on anyways, and he didn't feel like turning it off yet.
When Tim finally hung up the phone, Chase caught up to him.
"Hey Tim," He grinned, nodding at his phone. "Your girlfriend?"
"Huh? Oh, no," Tim laughed awkwardly. "Just my little sister, Zoe. She got her first apartment last week."
Chase raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Didn't know you had a little sister."
"Not many people do," Tim replied, scratching his head. "Except Storm. She hates his guts, though."
"Understandable," Chase laughed and showed him his bottle of Mountain Dew. "Jealous?"
Tim chuckled and shook his head, facing the sky. "Bro, I'm not supposed to be drinking that. Besides, I got my own stash of Gatorade myself."
They both grinned and Tim took out his hidden bottle of Gatorade. They simultaneously took a sip and let the cold drink combat the hot weather.
Tim and Chase had been racing together for a long time now, but only became close this year. They'd been in the same series before, when they were a bit younger, but never got around to talking. Even when they both competed in the Piston Cup last year, they never talked until Jackson Storm came along. Then a bunch of racers banded together to talk crap about him, and Tim and Chase started to hang out. They were the same age and both hated the same person. What better reason to be friends?
However, like all other racers, they were only on a first-name basis off the track. On race days, there was no such thing as "Chase," or "Tim." Just Racelott and Treadless, or numbers 24 and 28. They only talked crap about each other on the track, which ironically made them seem closer. But everybody talked crap about Jackson Storm. Anywhere, anytime.
"So why are you here?" Chase asked. It was unlike Tim to be wandering the track at night. "You had some private secrets with your "sister"?
Tim shot him a dirty look. "You know the only girls on my phone are my mom and my sister, right."
"Yeah yeah." Chase smiled, waving it off.
"I realized I forgot my sunglasses and laptop," Tim explained. "So I went back to the trailer, got my laptop – but my sunglasses weren't there. Anyhow, I needed to tell Zoe when to come so she can watch the race."
"Don't worry man, I got an extra pair." Chase broke into a smile. "You're lucky to have me."
"Thanks, Chase," Tim let out a sigh of relief. They continued walking along the track. "I owe you one."
"You sure do," Chase said. "I'll keep that in mind."
A/N: Okay I have no idea when the Piston Cup series starts buT it's April now. Also Talladega was definitely not the second race of the season this year but it was in April sooo please go with it haha