Sonic sat in the 6th starting spot of the Mobius Grand Prix, which was outside the second row. He was on the radio with Dane.
"This is going to some race" Dane said over the radio. Sonic laughed.
"Most definitely" he replied. He revved the engine to his open wheel speedster, leaning back in the seat. The green flag dropped and the race was on. It was a routine track race. Sonic found it to be relaxing, running around the track. He pulled in for a pit stop.
"Come on, come on! I need to get back into this thing!" he yelled, trying to hurry his crew. The laps were going by. The sun shined overhead. He was running in the 3rd position at lap 81. First caution for Carson Adams catching on fire. Sonic looked to his left as the fireball went streaking past him on the track. Then, a sharp left turn turned the car towards the pits. Dane was coming out of the pits back onto the track. There was huge contact.
"Oh my God! It's Locke!" TV announcer Mike Joy exclaimed as the two cars violently collided. Emergency vehicles swarmed the scene as the red flag was displayed. All down the backstretch, the remaining cars sat, idly. Sonic was incredibly nervous. He got on the radio with his crew chief.
"Is Dane okay?" he asked, a pain in his voice. His crew chief replied with a skepticism in his voice.
"I don't think he is. They're bringing in a helicopter to get him to the hospital" he replied. Sonic sighed heavily. He looked down at the steering wheel, then up at the sky as the helicopter arrived. The stretcher with Dane Locke on it was loaded on to the helicopter, ready to take him to the hospital. There was an unsettling silence over the crowd and the drivers. The red flag was lifted after 84 minutes because of the extensive debris pickup. Due to incoming darkness and no lights at the track, the race was going to be called short. Sonic mustered up his strength to run the remaining race.
"I think I'll do this. I'll win it all" he said over the radio.
"That's the spirit, man" his crew chief said in reply. The green flag came back out, and the race resumed. Sonic was locked in a side by side battle with Dirk Ziegler for second. 5 laps remaining. Sonic motored around Ziegler for second, and was working on Devin Anders for first. Jasper Collins followed Sonic, pulling into third. He passed Anders with 3 laps to go, Collins pulling into second.
"Number 44 is gaining" his crew chief told him over the radio.
"I can see that in the mirror" Sonic replied. His crew chief shrugged. White flag. Last lap. Side by side, Sonic and Jasper were streaking towards the checkered flag. The flag dropped, and Jasper edged Sonic out. Sonic pulled his car into the garage and got out of it. He ran over to Carson Adams, who was sitting in a lawn chair, face buried in his hands.
"Carson!" Sonic yelled while running over to him. The golden retriever looked up, fear stricken in his eyes.
"It's all my fault, man. It's all mine" he blubbered. Sonic smacked him in the head.
"It isn't. Now calmly tell me what's going on with Dane" he sternly said. In the TV broadcast booth, Mike Joy awkwardly removed his headset along with Kevin Cogan. Neither of them knew what to send the audience off with.
"He's in critical condition. They don't know if he'll make it" Carson told Sonic. Sonic had a look of worry. He quickly ran off, towards the access tunnel to leave the infield. There, he saw Kevin Cogan.
"Hey, do you know anything about Dane?" Sonic asked.
"I wish I did" Kevin replied. Sonic groaned and rode off on his motorcycle. It was getting late. Sonic arrived back home, in a state of worry and panic. He turned on the TV to see a saddening and shocking news report.
"Dane Locke, a young race car driver entering his fourth season of professional racing, died today in a crash during today's Mobius Grand Prix. He was declared dead on arrival at Presbyterian Hospital" the news anchor said. Sonic dropped the remote, slowly put his head in his hands, and began crying. He lost a fellow competitor and a good acquaintance today.