1A/N: Ok, if you've survived the Luvy-Dovey BS that was chapter 4, I congratulate you, and my apologies. The racing is next, so buckle up and let's go!

Chapter 5:

"BURNING RUBBER"

Marcus, now in full racing gear(sans helmet), walks into the garage to his red and black number 68 Torco racing fuels chevy monte carlo SS, painted red and black, with a large TORCO logo on the hood, and similar logos on the sides and rear, and black numbers, except for the roof, which is painted red because of the black paint on the hood. JT, now wearing a torco team shirt, which has the logos of various sponsors, including Barg's root beer and Dell Computers, stands next to Liberty.

"Alright, have a good day you two."

"We will." J.T. and Liberty answer back. Marcus climbs in and puts on his hans device, buckles his safety belts, and put's on his helmet. As he places the steering wheel onto the column, Patrick leans in the window to talk to him. "Ok, Michigan is a pretty fast track with a lot of room to race, so don't be afraid to test out the middle and high grooves. We're working out of a setup from the 07, so if it doesn't feel quite right, let us know, ok?" Patrick says. "Ok, let's do it." Marcus answers back. Patrick gives him a thumbs up and helps him fasten the window net into the window. Patrick, Liberty, and JT leave the garage and walk towards the hauler as Marcus starts the car. The roar from the engine startles JT, who jumps.

"What's with you?" Liberty asks. "I KNOW you heard that!" JT says, still a bit rattled. "You get used to it." She answer's back as the 24 car driven by Jeff Gordon passes them. "What?!" JT responds back. Liberty repeats herself, speaking into the radio. "Ok." JT answers back.

Marcus's car follows the 24 onto pit road, and down to the line of cars waiting for the track to open. He cuts the engine, and listen's to the word's of his spotter, Richard Daniels.

"Alright, there's 4 cars infront of you and 5 behind you Max, so take it easy once you merge onto pit road." "10-4" Marcus replies. "Good luck big brother." Liberty says to him, now relocated to standing on top of the hauler . "You haven't called me "Big Brother" in 4 years, what's with that?" "Well, old habits die hard." she responds. " Pit road will be open in 10 seconds drivers, start your engines." The voice from race control brings everyone back to focus. Marcus starts the motor as the light on pit road turns to green. The cars roll off slowly and pick up speed as they reach the back stretch, merging onto the racing surface. Marcus holds his line, then fades into the middle lane thru turn 3, allowing him to get a run on Jeff Gordon.

"Car low..., clear by 1" Richard informs the young driver. "Time starts now, good luck" Liberty says as Max hits crosses the line. The RPM gauge rises to nearly 9,000 before dropping slightly as he enters the corner, still in the middle groove. He increases the throttle from the middle off, passing the 10 car, who's on the high groove, then goes full-out as he reaches the back stretch.

"He's a natural." JT says. "He's been racing since he was 5. Go-kart, Quarter Midgets, Late Models, always got better, even after Toledo." Patrick tells him. "Toledo?" "Tell you later, here he comes again"Liberty says as Marcus speeds down the front stretch and over the start-finish line. "38.698, good lap!" Liberty radios to Marcus.

"10-4, it's a tic tight in the middle, other then that, it's solid" He replies, passing Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards on the low side as he drives through turn 2."glad you like it buddy, if the tight condition gets worse, let me know." Patrick responds to him. "JT, you get the time?" Liberty asks. "38.698, got it!" JT says, holding a pencil and a clip board. As Max crosses the line again, Liberty calls out the time, a 38.847. "I think there's too much wedge in it, It got WAAAY tight thru the middle all of a sudden." Marcus says over the radio. "That may have been your line through the corner, Max." Patrick responds. Marcus drives through turn 3, driving the low line through turns 3 and 4 and crosses the start/finish line.

"37.787, that's 2 tenths off the track record Bro, excellent!!!" Liberty calls out, ecstatic. "I changed my line up and presto, instant speed!" Marcus exclaims. "37.787, got it." JT says, writing on the clipboard. "JT, I stop saying "got it" every time you write the times, ok?" Liberty says annoyingly. Marcus continues to log laps around the track, inching closer and closer to the track record. The team also notices that most of the cars have stopped running and parked on pit road, the drivers and crews sitting on the pit wall, watching as Max goes by.

"Hey guys, we have an audience." Richard tells them. "What do you mean by audience?" Patrick responds. " Apparently Max is on a track-record pace, and no one wants to get in the way. Liberty, keep an eye on that stopwatch, he's got to run faster than a 37.68 to break the record." "10-4, will do." Liberty responds. Marcus flies around the turn and drives low down the front stretch and crosses the line. "Time?!" Marcus asks. "36.554, NEW TRACK RECORD!!!" Liberty yells. "Yes." Marcus says, pumping his fist. He drives to the low side and down shifts to second gear, driving on the apron on the backstretch. "Alright, the "I need gas" light is on, I'm bringing it in.

"Ok, 10-4, we'll fill it up and check the tire temps. We'll add some wedge to loosen it up. Good job on the lap buddy." Patrick says. "Now that the show is over, their

Marcus drives onto the apron, cruising in 3rd gear. Patrick, Liberty, and JT climb off of the hauler and walk back to the garage. "So, tell me what happened in Toledo." JT says. Liberty turns to him, sighs, then answers " Max was 11, he was racing quarter midgets and got clipped going into the turn. The car flipped and slammed into the fence." Liberty says. "When he slammed the inside wall, the tire came flying off the car and slammed the pit box I was sitting on, and it tipped over. When I fell off I banged my head on a fuel can."

"Well, what happened after that?" JT asks her Liberty sighs again. "I was laying there, blood pouring from the wound on my head, when my brother runs up to me, practically ripping his helmet off as he ran to me. I couldn't here what he was saying, but I could tell he was scared, that's when I blacked out." "So, what happened then?" JT asks uneasily. "When I finally woke up again, I had been hovering near death for two months. My brother practically begged them not to pull the plug at least 5 times." Liberty finishes.

"So that's Toledo?" JT asks. "Yes. Do you have the time sheet? NASCAR wants to document the time." Liberty says. "Yeah, I got it right here." JT says, handing her the clip board. "Thanks, I'm going to take this to race control, you head back to the garage." Liberty walks towards the Nextel Cup Series hauler, while JT slowly walks back to the garage. When he finally makes it back, Marcus is receiving congrats from Jeff, Kevin, and Clint"Max, can I talk to you for a minute?" JT asks. "Yeah, sure, excuse me guys. Marcus says to his teammates, then he and Max walk behind the pit box.

"What's up JT?" "Tell me about your race at Toledo." JT says sternly. "Toledo? Why would you want to know about an old quarter midget race?" Marcus asks. "Because it's the race where you almost KILLED YOUR SISTER!" JT roars, slamming his fist against the pit box. "Hey take it easy! This is why I told Liberty NOT to tell you, you'd start acting like this." Marcus says. "Acting like what?! You're the one bringing her back to the track like nothing happened!" "Dammit JT, every time I'm awaken in the morning with a pillow to the face from my sister I thank God she made it through that. She isn't "brought along" like I just drag her down here, she practically orders me to take her with me. If she want's to come back to the track, then it's on her, Alright?!" Marcus says, shaking his head. "You really remind me of Emma when you get like this, and that's pissing me off JT." He adds.

"Everything ok back here?" Clint asks, attracted by the yelling. "Yeah, yeah, we where just talking about an unfortunate incident from my past." Marcus says. He turns and walks back around the pit box, where he sees one of his crew members holding his cell phone. " Someone named Hazel wants to talk to you" "Thanks man." Marcus says. Once the crew guy walks away, Marcus leaps into the car and puts up the window net before answering.

"Hello?"

"Hey Max, how's the test going?" Hazel asks. "Uhh, test? Oh, yeah, the tire test, it's going well, I just set the new track record." Marcus says, chuckling. " That's great Max." Hazel responds. "Where are you, exactly?" Marcus asks puzzled. " It's lunch time here Mr. NASCAR star." Hazel says playfully. "Right, the days always did seem to go slower when I'm not racing." Marcus says, chuckling. "I got your text message." Hazel says. "Yeah, and do I have a treat for you. How would you like to join me in Dover Delaware, I have a Busch race this weekend and I want you to come."

"Really? Of course, just let me ask my parents first."

"Alright, get back to me soon."

"I will, gotta go, Kwan's coming this way."

"10-4, bye" Marcus hangs up and pumps his fist in a excited manner. Patrick knocks on the side of the car, startling Marcus. "Hey Max, lunchtime." "Oh, ok, just give me a minute." Marcus says.

END Chapter 5

A/N: Ok, less cheezy, more crashy (bad pun), probably could have been longer, but this is all I had time for. Chapter 6 will shift back to Canada, and trust me, I have a few suprises planned.